Soul Trigger

Chapter 611 Wheat Field
Ji Li turned off the projector and glanced at the time:

The recording time is uncertain, but based on the memory of the last film, it can be determined that it was at least a hundred years ago.

When Ji Li arrived in Hei Ri Prefecture by plane, he indeed did not see any wheat fields from high above.

More than a hundred years have passed, and that wheat field in Red Maple Town has probably become something else entirely.

We need to find someone who knows the town well to find out where that wheat field is now.

As soon as Ji Li left the basement, he sensed a surge of spiritual energy from the cross necklace, and Clementine emerged, panting heavily.

Then, he touched his entire body in fear, his face still showing lingering shock.

"what happened to you?"

Faced with Ji Li's questioning, Clementine frantically checked her entire body to make sure she was still alive:

"I...I committed suicide."

Through her brief description, Ji Li realized that she had crossed the boundaries of her ability to manifest and act, which led to her loss of control and suicide.

This should also be one of the Clementine Rules. Ji Li recorded it using the Ascension Protocol and confirmed through the floor plan of his home that Clementine's current maximum activity range is roughly six blocks away.

If it exceeds this range, she will lose control and commit suicide:

How long have you been in this town?

Clementine was surprised that Ji Li didn't ask about her trip, but instead asked such a strange question.

After a slight pause:

"...Seven or eight years, what happened?"

After returning from her trip to the seminary, she actually had something she wanted to ask Ji Li for help.

Ji Lidao:
Where are the windmills in town?

……

After a moment, looking at the agricultural museum shaped like a giant windmill, Ji Li fell silent.

"When I came to this town, this place already existed, and this is the only windmill in the town."

It looks exactly the same as in the video, but it's too new; it's obviously been refurbished.

Moreover, the surrounding landscape is completely different.

The windmill in the black-and-white image sits on a slightly undulating hill, but it is surrounded by a flat cluster of town buildings, with souvenir shops next to it.

Can the wind blow a mountain flat in a hundred years?
Pulitzer!

He heard someone calling his name. Ji Li turned his head and saw a middle-aged man with a large belly.

He wore a fisherman's hat and a floral shirt with his name printed on the chest.
-
administrator

Chuck Brand
-
"I heard you guys have been missing for three whole days? I thought you'd all fallen into a bear's den."

Ji Li flashed a social smile:

"Hello, Mr. Brand, why are you still out in this heat?"

Brand chuckled and pointed behind him—

A pickup truck was parked there, and a man carrying fishing gear, dressed similarly to Brand, ran up excitedly.
"Child, look!"

He showed Ji Li the enormous crucian carp he was carrying in his other hand, which was almost as long as a forearm, and his face beamed with a wide smile.

Have you ever seen such a big crucian carp?

Ji Li examined the crucian carp for a moment, then glanced at Clementine, who was standing right next to him, completely unseen by the two people in front of him:

"I've seen it."

The man was immediately taken aback:
"Oh? You know how to fish?"

Ji Lidao:
"No, but I can fry fish."

"???"

Ignoring the boastful fisherman, Ji Li asked the administrator, Chuck:
"This museum probably isn't the original, is it?"

Chuck didn't quite understand, so he took off his hat and wiped his sweat.

"What do you mean?" "I'm talking about the windmill. I heard there used to be a wheat field here, and this windmill was probably rebuilt based on that one, right?"

"You actually know about this?" Chuck was somewhat surprised, but he cheerfully greeted Ji Li and unlocked the door to enter the museum.

This place usually seems to be deserted, so Ji Li's arrival made him very enthusiastic.

The museum's interior features exposed sandstone walls, an oak-beamed roof, and worn terracotta floors.

White Island boasts a rich local culture, and the town has a strong economy. The museum is well-built and has a considerable number of exhibits.

Besides the area with suspended wheat ears, there is a beehive to the left of the entrance, but it's just a model; real bees wouldn't be placed there.

To his right was a small coffee shop, and Chuck strode over there.

After placing the fishing hat on the table, I turned on the record player and freezer in the corner:
Would you like a drink?

"Whiskey, thank you."

Then a glass of iced cola was shoved into Ji Li's hand:

"I don't want to pay the fine with you."

White Island's laws stipulate fines for providing alcohol to minors and for minors drinking in public.

He led Ji Li deep into the windmill museum, where there was a time tunnel introducing the museum's origins, and photos and textual accounts were displayed on the walls:
"That was decades ago. My grandfather used to talk to me a lot about rice paddies."

Later, a new mayor took over, and they stopped growing wheat.

Following the time tunnel, Ji Li learned about the origins of the museum.

To commemorate the original wheat field and the former agricultural town, the museum was built in the shape of the iconic windmill of the wheat field.

"Where is the wheat field now, where it originally was?"

Chuck scratched his head:

"After the nobles took over this place with the new mayor, many things changed. It should be around the time of the reform."

Ji Li keenly caught the key words:

"noble?"

"Yes, this place is under the jurisdiction of the county noble. Back then, that noble was a viscount, and he became a duke in just a few years."

He pointed to a photo not far away, on which was a family crest:
"That's him, Duke Ludwig."

More than ninety years ago, the Ludwig family took over the town and appointed a new mayor, which has led to the town's growth and development to this day.

"Ludwig...it seems he's connected."

After leaving the museum and saying goodbye to the enthusiastic librarian, Ji Li made a phone call. A cheerful female voice came from the other end:

"Odin?"

"Don't use that term."

Ji Li corrected Anya's form of address.

"You finally called me! I thought you were going to wait until class tomorrow to come find me..."

"I have something to ask you. How much control does the Ludwig family have over this town?"

"Control level...?" Anya was somewhat stunned:
"Why are you suddenly asking about this? In terms of jurisdiction, nobles rarely administer things themselves these days."

The Ludwig family is rarely seen in town, so their control probably isn't very high, right? However, they are on the school's board of directors and still come to town once or twice each school season.

Was the school also founded with funding from the Ludwig family? Ji Li pondered:
"Do you know where the windmills and wheat fields here were more than a hundred years ago? Where would they be in town now?"

"wait for me a while."

A thumping sound came from across the way. Anya, wearing slippers, walked on the wooden floor and asked loudly something.

A while later:
“I found some old maps in my father’s collection, including one about wheat fields…”

After a rustling sound of paper scraping, Anya's voice came again:
"It's a school!"

"what?"

"It's Yuk High School. Our school is located in what used to be a wheat field."

Ji Li: ?
(End of this chapter)