Chapter 208
In her impression, the Liang family indeed valued their kin, but they were not sentimental; they did not invest their emotions in cold, lifeless objects.
Take Yu Xunge, for instance. Although she didn’t cherish the costume she had changed out of to the point of wanting to keep it as a memento, she wouldn’t sell it either—at most, she would just leave it at home.
But what about Liang Yuchuan? The year after the game invasion, she had acquired a top-tier dagger, which she had used for over half a year to slay bosses and take down top players. Many of her notable exploits were shadowed by that dagger, which had become her signature for quite some time.
Yet when she got something better, she simply traded it in without a second thought, tossing it into the auction house where it was hyped up and sold for a high price. It was Liang Jing who orchestrated the hype behind the scenes, and there was no way Liang Shao wouldn’t know about it.
How could a family like this still hold onto such an old fishing boat? It wasn’t even an antique.
Even though there were no other players around, Yu Xunge still used her disguise skill to change her appearance. She swapped outfits and cast a body illusion spell. To avoid being detected by Tu Lan, she temporarily sent him back to the pet space before approaching the old fishing boat, which was clearly patched up countless times.
The boat wasn’t large; even though it was evident that the Liang family had made efforts to “upgrade” it, its original form was that of a small wooden boat from a century ago, and its limits were set in stone.
Yu Xunge walked from the bow to the stern in less than five seconds.
This fishing boat wasn’t a mutated item or a rare artifact, nor did it leave behind any notes or relics. The only thing that could be considered special was a tangle of old fishing net in the corner, but even that was clean and devoid of any clues.
However, the cleaner it was, the more uneasy she felt, as if in a detective novel, where the seemingly most innocent character often turns out to be the murderer.
Yu Xunge didn’t give up; she meticulously examined the dilapidated fishing boat inch by inch. She even flipped the boat over to search it thoroughly, and finally, in a very narrow gap between two planks at the bottom, she discovered a tiny symbol.
If it weren’t for her attributes being over a hundred and the skill bonus from her sharpshooter talent, “You’re Too Weak,” which helped her notice subtle changes and differences, she would have definitely missed it.
The old fishing boat bore many scratches, and at first glance, this particular mark didn’t seem special. But after rubbing it several times, Yu Xunge confirmed that it was indeed a siren script.
When she cut open the plank and pressed her finger against the symbol, the sound of crashing waves echoed in her ears.
If the Oak Owl script resembled an acorn in overall shape, the siren script flowed like seaweed, free and unrestrained. For other races, reading siren script was as dizzying as a Han Chinese trying to decipher Thai; without serious study, it was hard to discern the differences and patterns.
Yu Xunge didn’t recognize it, but coincidentally, Hecate had introduced her to a high-level aquatic herb while teaching her about herbalism.
—“Devil’s Embrace, this herb is referred to as ‘hope’ by alchemists. It has no substantial effect, no attributes, no magic; it is a pure essence born from the tranquility of the deep sea. If your potion or gem essence encounters any issues, adding a touch of Devil’s Embrace can help you quell all conflicts.”
—“Interestingly, if you look at the appearance of Devil’s Embrace, it has a ring of transparent water and four small tentacles, which is identical to a siren script symbol, ¤, but its meaning is the complete opposite—it signifies attack, extermination, and relentless pursuit.”
—“This symbol can only be inscribed by high-ranking siren royalty, and only the powerful among them can have their ¤ sensed by other sirens. However, siren royalty won’t write this symbol lightly.”
—“It has only appeared three times in historical records. If one day you see this siren script somewhere, it means that place has been marked by the sirens, and they will use all their might to destroy the civilization of that land.”
After distancing herself from the shore, Yu Xunge called out to Tu Lan, sharing her recent discovery and Hecate’s words. As she spoke, she realized that she had grown accustomed to sharing her observations with Tu Lan.
Tu Lan, however, seemed unfazed: “Oh, that symbol? I know about it. Bei Sui told me a story about it.”
Yu Xunge perked up: “Really? What’s the story?”
Tu Lan wore an expression that suggested it was complicated: “This symbol has indeed only appeared three times. The first was written for the Undead Clan, the second for the Moon Fox Clan, and the third for the Oak Owl Clan.”
Yu Xunge: …………
Was this a war horn or a blessing of misfortune?
Her heavy mood lifted, and she even felt a sudden urge to run back and dig up that plank to keep as a treasure.
With no trace of Feng Lian found and now a new sea emperor emerging, the situation was piling up. Yu Xunge felt restless until she resolved it. She passed her home without entering, taking a detour to the city’s most luxurious cemetery.
With the dawn still far off, it was easier to do something shady.
The two of them—one person and one dragon—flew through the empty paths, reaching their destination in under five minutes. Yu Xunge held her pocket watch, using her detection skill on the ground, and despite the layers of obstruction, she could see inside—[a box of ashes mixed with a few impurities].
Considering the Liang family’s wealth, Yu Xunge started her search in the most expensive area. Soon, she found Liang Pozhou’s lavish tomb in the golden zone of the cemetery, complete with a group of relief sculptures behind the tombstone.
However, what lay inside wasn’t [a box of ashes mixed with a few impurities], but rather [Mind Snatcher] (an artifact).
Yu Xunge: !!!
Here we go again, testing her moral standards and personal integrity!
What was the point of testing for something that didn’t exist?
Invisible, Yu Xunge glanced around like a thief, tapping Tu Lan on the shoulder, who was also invisible, and whispered, “There’s something good inside.”
Tu Lan understood immediately: “Is it the one we accidentally lost before?”
Yu Xunge was taken aback: “Huh? Which one? What did we lose?”
Tu Lan asked, “What’s inside?”
Yu Xunge replied, “An artifact called Mind Snatcher.”
Tu Lan: “What was your previous question?”
Yu Xunge sensed something was off, her voice dropping a notch: “……… What did we lose?”
Tu Lan exclaimed indignantly, “An artifact called Mind Snatcher! We searched for it for so long! Who would have thought it ended up here?”
Yu Xunge: ……
Holy Grail, Bei Sui, why don’t you two just have another one… let’s forget about this one.
The perfect duo—one person and one dragon—worked seamlessly together. One flew up to cover the camera while keeping a lookout with the Hunting Eye, and the other used a dragon claw to carve a square above the artifact, storing its contents in her dimensional space before replacing the lid.
Tu Lan flew back to Yu Xunge’s side, growing larger as she caught Yu Xunge, whose planetary skill had failed due to her proximity, and together they fled the crime scene.
There was no need for verbal communication; the entire operation was silent, so smooth that anyone watching would want to call the police.
Yu Xunge was equally astonished at how skilled her partner had become! The last time they had gone to steal the Legion Order, Tu Lan had only been agile in escape; now, she was just as smooth in offense…
Moreover, after securing the item, Tu Lan communicated with her mentally the entire time. Goodness, this kid had such a talent and understanding in this area!
The two of them returned home directly. Once inside, they immediately surrounded the stolen item to examine it.
It was a complete pure white hand bone, not just the hand bone but also connected to the forearm bone. When the hand was spread open, it was nearly the size of Yu Xunge’s head, and it was densely engraved with tiny siren script.
This was undoubtedly a siren’s hand bone, and it was highly likely to have come from the sea emperor who had carved the ¤ symbol on the fishing boat.
[Mind Snatcher] (an artifact): With my ten fingers intertwined, tell me, do you choose truth or dare?
There was only one line of instructions, with no side effects or results mentioned, leaving Yu Xunge somewhat hesitant.
Perhaps using [Mind Snatcher] itself was a grand adventure.
Tu Lan was already eager: “Are you going to play? If you don’t, I want to!”
Yu Xunge shook her head: “I’ll go first. If anything goes wrong, you can use the Thief Dragon to rewind time.”
This was the safest approach; if Tu Lan fell into a trap, she worried about unexpected outcomes and preferred to keep control in her hands.
After agreeing on a signal, Yu Xunge placed her hand on the hand bone. The [Mind Snatcher] naturally intertwined with her fingers, and even knowing this was the artifact’s effect, the action sent shivers down her spine.
At the moment she touched the hand bone, a hum resonated, and five siren symbols lit up with blue light, while the sound of siren chants echoed in her mind.
As their fingers intertwined, [Mind Snatcher] firmly locked onto Yu Xunge’s hand, and she instantly realized that the game had begun, and she had to play a round for the hand bone to release her.
In her mind, two choices appeared, just as the artifact’s instructions stated: truth or dare.
Yu Xunge chose truth.
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