'Same kind of people? '
Many thoughts flashed through Gu Jun's mind. In the end, he decided to pretend to be mute. He used the crutches to walk down the street. This was not a risk-free choice, but if the pursuers caught up to him, it would be worse.
He followed behind the young man and woman. They walked down one street and then another, twisting and turning on the narrow stone paths between the black towers.
The angry sound of pursuit got further and further away. Gu Jun observed his surroundings as he walked. There was nothing out of the ordinary. Passersby would not give them a second glance. Obviously, that was not the way to behave in Dylath-Leen. There was a strange smell to the wind here. It was horrible and filled with a sense of danger.
He was also silently observing the two of them. Both of them had black hair and were well-built. The man was older and had a very ordinary appearance, while the woman was quite graceful.
'Why are they helping me? ' 'What do they mean by 'same kind of people'? '
After walking for a while, they reached the riverbank under a stone bridge. An old wooden boat that could fit 5 people was anchored there. There was a kerosene lamp hanging from the bamboo pole at the front of the boat. The yellow light lit up the surroundings.
The man boarded the wooden boat first. He picked up the paddle and prepared to row. The woman said, "Sir, please come on board."
"Ah." Gu Jun called out hoarsely. He did not want to expose his language because be it earth language or foreign language, it would reveal many things.
He pointed at his eyeballs and turned them around to ask, "Who are you?"
"Sir, your eyes are too oppressive …" The woman frowned. "I am Peacock and that is Malachite."
Gu Jun was disappointed once more. He could understand that this was not the name of Peacock or Malachite. It was a name that represented an object, like a gem.
Therefore, the name did not reveal their origin. Language could not explain anything, just like how he used the language of his eyeballs, perhaps it was a disguise.
"Why are you helping me?" He moved his eyeballs around to test their meaning.
It was still Peacock who spoke. Her expression was serious. "Sir, you are a practitioner of the Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan, right? You had that feeling in your nightmares. It was not strong, but we could feel that you had summoned its power. "
"Oh," Gu Jun thought. "The same kind of people" meant that they all practiced the Seven Cryptical Book of Hsan?
He thought for a moment, then deliberately probed, "I thought it was because we are of the same race."
"Of course there is another reason." Peacock smiled. "Sir, you are very cautious."
Gu Jun glanced at the black towers on both sides of the river. In such a strange and strange place, he would probably die a horrible death if he was not careful.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"Leave Dylath-Leen first." Peacock looked at him and said in a friendly tone, "We do not know what happened to you, sir, but you cannot stay here any longer. The black merchants won't allow their slaves to escape. If a family's slave escapes, they'll band together to capture him and seal him in wooden boxes to starve him to death. "
She looked into the distance of the night and said, "We are going to Ulthar. Sir, you can come with us first. Once we're there, you can leave on your own. "
Gu Jun's mind raced. These people were very familiar with this place. If he asked them what Ulthar was, he would expose his ignorance …
"What are you going there for?" he asked.
"To visit the Great Elder of Ulthar, Atal." Peacock answered, "We have something to discuss with him."
Peacock did not elaborate. Gu Jun understood that he was being guarded against them and they were being guarded against him. But he asked, "Where are your companions?"
"They are busy in Dylath-Leen." Peacock answered, "Sir, it's getting late. It's up to you whether you want to come with us or not."
"How did you know I would escape?" Gu Jun asked, "You seemed to be waiting for me there."
"Because we were backstage at the theatre." Peacock said, "We saw people screaming and running, saying the nightmare man was coming."
Gu Jun thought back to the fact that there were quite a number of passersby at the time. That sounded reasonable but whether they knew he could speak was another question …
In the end, he decided to board the boat. If it was just 2 or 5 people, they would be easier to deal with than the slave buyers.
After he boarded the wooden boat, Peacock followed suit. Together with the silent Malachite, they rowed the wooden boat and slowly sailed down the river.
Gu Jun used the opportunity to tidy himself up. His mental corruption rate was 24.78 percent, he was in danger. Of the 8 sweet dreams, only 3 were left and they were all on the verge of shattering. The vines had formed a symbiotic relationship with him. They had penetrated deep into his flesh. If he took out the Carlop machine, he would expose himself, so he decided not to touch them for now.
He slowly removed the white mask. Under the hazy night, the dark surface of the river reflected his shadow.
He glanced at the river and saw his own face … It was such a monstrous face, even the freckles could not compare to it. His whole face was covered in scars from peeling scabs. They were densely packed and layered, they were all purplish red … There was a large cut mark on the left side of his neck, it was especially scary.
Both of his eye sockets had rotted away, the blood could not flow out. His eyes were hollow, if not for that, he would be in deep trouble.
Gu Jun stared at the monstrous face and his mind wandered off.
'I wonder … if I still taste like salt … or not … '
"Sir, how should I address you?" At that moment, Peacock asked in a rather sincere tone.
"Nightmare Man." Gu Jun used his eyeball to signal as he put on the white mask again. 'I guess I'll call you by that name for now.'
There was a distance between Ulthar and Dylath-Leen. According to Peacock, it would take 7 days to travel by land and 3 days by water.
For the past 3 days, be it on the wooden boat or on the shore to rest, Gu Jun had been resting while keeping his guard up against the two.
During this period, Malachite had spoken less than 10 sentences. Peacock, on the other hand, was more talkative. Gu Jun had no idea where they were coming from.
Gradually, Gu Jun realized Ulthar appeared to be the place where he was sold by the Zoogs to the black merchants. Because the river had turned green, the fertile plains appeared and the peaceful farmhouses returned.
On the morning of the 4th day, they walked down the cobblestone alley of this old town. The place was filled with low buildings with pointed roofs. Some of the buildings had roofs that jutted out above the street. There were chimneys everywhere but most of them were …
Gu Jun walked for a short distance before he noticed the large herds of cats. They came in all shapes and sizes but they were all plump and well-furred, they did not look like strays.
Peacock told him seriously, "There is a rule in Ulthar, we cannot harm cats. Cats have a very high status here. "
Gu Jun could not help but be reminded of Wu Shiyu saying he had sensed a cat from the sword and the bow …
He did not leave on his own but continued to follow them to the Ulthar Temple with the help of the crutches.
The temple that was built between the hills was simple and unadorned. If it was not a temple, it was more like a home for a wealthy family. Gu Jun did not see any statues here but there were more cats. At the top of the tallest hill stood a round stone tower. The vines that curled around it gave it a layer of green.
The Great Elder Atal was inside the tower but many locals and foreigners came to visit him every day. There was a queue at the entrance of the tower.
When they were in the queue, Peacock told Gu Jun, "The Great Elder Atal is the disciple of Barcé the Wise, he is the disciple of Barcé the Wise. According to legend, they once climbed Hatheg-Kola Mountain but only Atal returned. According to him, Barcé was captured by an unknown force when he was spying on the Earth Gods. "
Gu Jun's expression shifted but it was covered by the mask.
'Wise Barcé the Wise? ' So the old captain of the white ship really came from Ulthar …
At that moment, Gu Jun could hear Barcé's crazed scream again.
"I, Wise Barcé, use my wisdom to stand above the Earth Gods, use my will to turn the spells and barriers of the Earth Gods into nothing!"
'Did the illusion happen when Barcé and Atal were climbing Hatheg-Kola Mountain? What kind of power could turn this ecstasy into extreme fear? '
Barcé was the host of visitors to the Dream World … Would this Atal know how to leave the Dream World? '
Gu Jun's heart was filled with doubt, anxiety, and some suppressed anticipation. After half a day, it was finally their turn to enter the tower.
On the first floor of the tower, Atal, who was dressed in a long robe, was sitting on an ivory podium. When his aged face saw them, his expression suddenly changed.
Atal lost his usual calmness. He stood up with a gasp. His body was shaking and his face was red. "Wise Barcé the Wise has predicted this … The Tattered One is coming with a white mask … Oh wise Barcé! It has been 300 years and my knowledge is still not as good as his. "
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