Ark, they don't revolve around you

"The Grand Master asked me to tell you that Yan doesn't trust Rhodes Island, but he believes in you."

Do you believe me... Zhuang Ning smiled: "I will live up to my mission."

This is the effect of word of mouth. In the three and a half years since he woke up from the sarcophagus, although Zhuang Ning did not leave his own influence in various countries, the affairs of Rhodes Island had spread.

Especially Zhuang Ning’s own deeds, those in power all knew that he was a "flawless" person. After all, he supported Queen Victoria without asking for power, and saved Kazdel from war without pursuing more. Such a person is just like a pure "good guy".

This is an intangible asset. Because of the reputation guarantee, the Grand Tutor will give great trust to an outsider. It is not difficult to see Zhuang Ning's influence from Zuo Le's humble tone.

"Doctor." Pingsong Hou also edited, "This matter has nothing to do with you. I'm sorry to have you involved in the farce of Da Yan."

A sentence suddenly popped up in Zhuang Ning's mind.

He also wants to thank me...

In the end, except for his second brother who saw his true colors, everyone thought he was a good person, because Rhodes Island had been doing these resentful actions under his command for the past three and a half years.

Good, that's good... Zhuang Ning said sincerely: "This matter is not unrelated to me. Although Rhodes Island is small, it has cooperated with your dynasty after all. What's more, the Shanhai people have pointed their fangs at me. I have no choice but to fight back."

"Yes." Pingsong Hou sincerely said, "It is indeed a relief to have you here, but we must be careful, as the people in the mountains and seas have evil ambitions."

Is he testing my next move? This old man doesn’t seem that sincere… Zhuang Ning said calmly, “It is known that the Shanhai Clan is going to take action against the remaining ‘Them’.”

He paused for a moment and said quietly: "I intend to go south to meet Xi at Yumen. The reason why the Shanhai people were able to succeed is because their strategist defeated the Sui Pian one by one and gathered the remaining Sui Pian in one place. Even that person cannot easily succeed."

"Doctor, are you going to Jiangnan?" Zhongyue had been silent until now, and now he opened his mouth to speak, "To pick up Xi?"

"I only recognize Xi among the rest of the people." Zhuang Ning's voice revealed his worry. "Xi is a loner, I'm afraid it won't help if I go, but after all, Xi and I are good friends, so I have to keep her safe."

"But I heard from Nian that you burned Xi's paintings, and she no longer wants to see you."

Xi was a very unique girl. She painted as she pleased. She would burn her priceless paintings after she had finished drawing them, but she would not allow others to touch her paintings without permission.

"It was just a misunderstanding." Zhuang Ning shook his head. "Misunderstandings can always be resolved. Grandmaster, you have more than just Xi to protect. I'll leave the rest of the Sui Pian in your care."

This is how the two sides acted separately. Zhongyue finally nodded: "Take care, Doctor."

He also wrote an edited version at the end, but it was a thank you: "It is her luck to meet you this year."

Zhuang Ning returned to Rhodes Island. The office center was now very empty. In order to show his magnanimity, he generously asked the operators of Rhodes Island to obey the official dispatch of Dayan.

As for the attack on him last night, Zhuang Ning did not tell anyone else, and the only person who knew about it was Scout.

It seemed that the interrogation was over. After Zhuang Ning invaded their consciousness with the Lord of Evil, the assassins were on the verge of collapse, and they got the information they wanted without much effort.

"Doctor, this is the distribution of Shanhai Clan's strongholds, plans, and their personnel composition." Scout reported in an orderly manner. He did not sleep all night last night.

In return, they gained a lot. If they handed this information to the Grand Tutor, I'm afraid the Shanhai people would be gone soon, right?

"Have they all been uploaded to PRTs?" Zhuang Ning asked.

"Yes, and it has been encrypted. No one can view it unless you have permission." said the scout.

"Very good." Zhuang Ning lit up the reports and watched the white papers turn into ashes under the curling smoke.

Scout was stunned: "You won't tell the court officials?"

"The Shanhai Clan has infiltrated the imperial court quite deeply. Scout, you must remember that those who claim to be official and upright must not be trusted. Who knows if this will be discovered by the enemy?"

Zhuang Ning gave his own reasons, but he just didn't want the Shanhai people to disappear so quickly. Such a useful organization must of course continue to exist.

He pulled out the pistol hanging from his waist: "Where are those people being held?"

"The detention room on the ground floor."

"Take me with you." Zhuang Ning smiled slightly, "Let's get rid of them, and you can go and have a rest. You will be exhausted for a while."

Solitary room.

The muzzle of the gun spewed out fire and light, and each bullet killed a person. Even if someone begged for mercy and shouted that he could still be of use, Zhuang Ning seemed not to hear and kept pulling the trigger.

There were fifty-three people in total, and he slaughtered them all in less than ten minutes. It was truly cruel.

There was no other way. Zhuang Ning didn't want anyone to know they had been here, so he could only destroy the bodies. However, after killing them, he belatedly realized that he wanted to throw these guys into the incinerator.

Zhuang Ning's voice sounded more apologetic: "Scout, keep working hard. You can really rest after you finish this."

"I'm not that fragile, Doctor." The scout said, and obediently accompanied the Doctor to move the bodies.

This took another half an hour.

Watching the flames rise, Scout finally spoke out what he had been holding back: "Doctor, you can give these to me, and there will be less blood on your hands."

"I don't mind." Zhuang Ning shook his head. He looked radiant after killing so many people. "Besides, I am your commander, so I have to take some responsibility."

Scout felt that the doctor had changed again this time. He subconsciously revealed this and Zhuang Ning laughed out loud.

A soothing melody flowed in the crematorium, and he listened while watching the bodies disappear in the high temperature.

“I just find it so comforting to do good things.”

Zhuang Ning seemed to be talking to himself, "This is my heart and my actions are as clear as a mirror, and everything I do is justice."

Chapter 7 Sunset

"Sir, this is Huiqi Mountain."

Zhuang Ning nodded when he heard this, and looked up at the mountain shrouded in clouds and mist. It was cloudy and rainy. August is the rainy season in Gouwu, and the moisture in the air seems to stick to his body.

The last time he came here was a year ago. Zhuang Ning had a good memory and could even recall the weather at that time. It was just like today, surrounded by dark clouds, the sky and the earth were dim, and it seemed as if it would rain at any time.

At that time, Zhuang Ning was stimulated by Nian's words in Yumen, and felt a kind of world-weary fatigue in his heart. Thinking that the handover of the Shard in Rhodes Island was almost completed, he simply wanted to go on a trip.

He didn't call anyone, not even notifying the scout, and only brought the terminal and dry food.

Yandi was completely unfamiliar to him. The journey from Yumen to Gouwu was not short at all. Dayan was not his hometown, and traveling was not a safe thing. There were many bandits in the wilderness, so this was a very bold move.

But he was not so afraid of accidents. He had experienced more brutal wars, begging bandits, natural disasters, and even survival in the wilderness, so what could these things matter?

Maybe Zhuang Ning wanted to take someone with him at that time, but he couldn't say a word when looking at the operators. He only said one word to PRTs while packing his luggage.

The journey only took a month. After returning to Rhodes Island, no one except Kal'tsit and the scout who served as his guard noticed that he was gone. The shock made him feel more helpless than the fatigue of the journey.

On the other hand, this is a good thing. Even if he leaves for a short time, Rhodes Island can still function. This is a sign of the maturity of the organization.

But this also proved that the doctor himself was not that important. Most of the people related to him were not there, either on missions, or simply left Rhodes Island. He suddenly felt that it would not be so difficult to accept if he left for a longer time, or even disappeared completely.

Zhuang Ning wiped away that emotion and smiled. Rhode Island was just a place to rest, not a home. Wasn't his feeling pretentious? If he wrote it into a book, I'm afraid readers would scold him for being ignorant.

"Scout, you go to town and rest. I'll go find Xi alone." he said.

This time he was not here for tourism. Since his second brother had started to hunt down his kind, Xi was among them. Zhuang Ning represented not only Rhodes Island, but also a part of the Great Yan court. His mission was to protect Xi's safety.

The wolfish ambitions of the Shanhai people are obvious. They want to awaken the Sui beast by hunting all the Sui pieces. Zhuang Ning must take her to meet Chongyue.

He will do his best, and what happens along the way is none of his business.

Scout obviously didn't expect the doctor to ask him to act alone. He hesitated and said, "Doctor, I must be responsible for your safety."

"But you have to listen to me, right?" Zhuang Ning said softly, his eyes blinking, his voice gentle but absolute, his will not allow anyone to refuse, not even a scout.

But he smiled again: "Besides, Xi won't see you. She is autistic. When have you ever seen her appear in the corridor of Rhodes Island?"

Scout recalled and it was true. The girl named Xi was as obsessed with her territory as a tiger. Except for the Doctor and Nian, who were qualified to enter and exit her room, she would not allow anyone to approach.

Zhuang Ning pointed at the mountain and said, "Once you enter Huiqi Mountain, it will be her territory. Even if the Shanhai Clan invades, they will have to be careful. You can rest assured. I'll be fine."

He put on the heavy bag and waved to the guards and guides: "Come pick me up here tomorrow, and I will bring Xi with me then."

After saying that, he didn't look at the two people's eyes and walked towards the mountain path.

Huiqi Mountain is not steep and there is a road. The townspeople at the foot of the mountain all know that there lives a strange master of calligraphy and painting here.

From time to time, masters of calligraphy and painting, or some dignitaries would come here just to ask for a painting, but they usually returned empty-handed, and before leaving, they sighed that the painting of this immortal was not what we mortals deserve.

However, Zhuang Ning knew that this was just because the extremely autistic girl didn't like anyone disturbing her peace and comfort, so she deliberately used her paintings to make things difficult for others, and most people would give up.

She is just like that. People who don't understand her will think she is aloof, while people who do understand her will just secretly curse her as a narrow-minded social phobic.

Zhuang Ning and Xi also had a delicate relationship. The girl came to Rhode Island because of the New Year. In contrast to the former's talkativeness, she was completely unaware of the changes in the outside world. Her conversation habits still retained the style of the last century, and she didn't even know what a movie was.

In addition, she has an aloof personality, or as Zhuang Ning said, she is a little arrogant and a little spoiled, which makes her unpopular with others even worse, and few people can talk to her.

As for how the two of them could get closer, this was probably inevitable. Xi would occasionally talk to Zhuang Ning because, as a so-called doctor, she had a lot of power in Rhodes Island, and she had to ask Zhuang Ning for anything she wanted.

If it weren't for this reason, they shouldn't have socialized. Zhuang Ning was very busy, and Xi wouldn't communicate with someone who wrapped himself in black clothes all day long.

The trees on both sides were lush and green. Although it was summer, the mountain was cool. He walked steadily and was familiar with every blade of grass and every tree.

Zhuang Ning was of course familiar with Huiqi Mountain. He had seen Xi paint it with ink. In the blink of an eye, the mountains rose up, and on the yellowed paper, every detail of the mountains was vivid.

Watching her paint is a pleasure. Even though Zhuang Ning has not received any education in ink painting, Xi's paintings are different. They are derived from human skills. Every stroke of ink and every technique is like a beating to the heart.

The painting was full of romantic scenes and mountains, with only a few human figures. He felt a throbbing sensation as he watched the vivid red and blue colors on the paper. It was this throbbing sensation that made Xi look at him straight in the eye. From then on, this very busy man would take one day a week to watch Xi paint. The two of them had limited conversations, but communication did not necessarily have to be through words.

The memories were interrupted because Zhuang Ning reached the top not long after walking. There was only an old house with old black tiles and washed white walls. A girl had lived here alone for a thousand years. The long time had not changed her. Perhaps for the giant beast with a long lifespan, change is a rare thing.

Zhuang Ning smiled slightly.

——He broke up with the girl one afternoon.

That was the first time Xi gave him a painting, which was a rare gift. Although the girl looked reluctant, she still framed the scroll.

When Zhuang Ning spread it out, he was attracted by the things in the painting: an isolated island and a man. It was simple yet full of spiritual meaning. But suddenly, he felt a sense of fear, as if he had been electrocuted, and was terrified of the world in the painting.

He seemed to be watched by an ancient being, a mad monster that cast a dark gaze at him through the scroll.

After that, he had this feeling every time he drew a stroke. Today, Zhuang Ning naturally understood that it was Sui's will and a sign that Sui was about to awaken. However, the doctor at that time had only great fear.

The monster was staring at him, its deep eyes seemed to be seeking something from him.

But Zhuang Ning couldn't respond, nor could he endure it. Plus, he was already annoyed by some people leaving, so he simply threw all the paintings into the incinerator one afternoon and lit the flames.

He originally didn't want Xi to know. Although Xi was speechless, she attached great importance to ancient paintings. Zhuang Ning still didn't want to let her be disappointed.

But how to hide a lie? Her eyes were full of frustration. That was the last exchange between the two. The girl tore up the painting fiercely to express her anger. From then on, she ignored Zhuang Ning and left the island to return to Gouwu.

Zhuang Ning wanted to explain, but he couldn't say it. Even though the painting was burned, the beast's cold gaze still remained in his memory, and he would be awakened by nightmares for countless days and nights.

Looking back now, Zhuang Ning understood the reason. Somehow, Sui's consciousness returned from the chaos, and the first thing he saw was Zhuang Ning through Xi's painting.

Is this a coincidence? Or is it some kind of destiny?

It doesn't matter which one, as long as it doesn't bother me.

He thought, his hand pressed against the old wooden door, the sound of rain dropping down, increasingly resembling the memory of a year ago.

At that time, Zhuang Ning was sitting in front of a bluestone slab, separated from the girl by a wall and a door. The lantern he carried with him was on, but it could only illuminate a corner.

Dark clouds covered the city, the sky and the earth were dark, and the breeze blew the rain under the eaves. Zhuang Ning thought that there was a girl painting at the table behind the door, and the picture must be peaceful and beautiful.

He said softly: "Xi, I'm here to see you."

"I know you still think it's wrong for me to burn the painting, but I'm very scared." His explanation seemed to be talking to himself, "There is something in your painting. I'm afraid it's the age you mentioned. You shouldn't continue painting."

"I've seen Nian before. Nian was in Yumen, and he should be having a good time. I occasionally see Ling in my dreams."

"I told them about the painting. They didn't tell me more, but I could guess what they were thinking."

"Xi, open the door, we haven't seen each other for a long time..."

The wind was getting stronger and stronger, and although it was summer, the mountains were gradually getting colder.

Zhuang Ning talked for a long time, describing Xi's paintings like a treasure trove. They were all wonderful memories, but he seemed to be talking to the air.

Still no response.

This is the answer, she won't open the door. The girl is a very cold person, especially when she is disappointed with someone.

Zhuang Ning should have felt uncomfortable, but incredibly, he felt better.

He remembered what Nian said. Nian said people would always forget things gradually. She was right. Their relationship was not that good. It was ridiculous to be wishful thinking. Zhuang Ning had never expected forgiveness.

He just came to apologize, and after that he would return to Rhodes Island. He would probably stay indoors with Xi.

Zhuang Ning groped in his backpack and took out an ink stick. This was the gift he prepared for Xi as an apology. He had originally planned to give it to her personally, but since he couldn't see her, he simply left it at the door.

Xi's Mo will surely be very good, but this is the limit of what he can do. Whether she accepts it or not, he can at least say to himself that he has tried his best.

After doing all this, Zhuang Ning's mood suddenly became clear and he chuckled slightly. What's the saying? If you don't hold out hope, you won't be disappointed.

He raised his arms to embrace the wind and rain.

That night, Zhuang Ning fell asleep under the eaves in a daze. When he woke up, the rain had stopped and the sky had cleared, but he was not in good health.

After being caught in the rain all night, there was no way he would recover. Zhuang Ning realized a problem: he was a very fragile mortal. He didn't know whether he would die if he was killed, but being sick was really fatal.