Mai Dansou no Yabou

  Amon received the highest courtesy in the cave dweller tribe, living alone in the largest and highest thatched hut in the village. Even Xue Dingyuan had a soft grass nest with a leather cushion inside. That night when Amon was resting, the tribal chief Lin Ke and Amon's new friend Mei Dansuo did not sleep. The two of them were secretly discussing something in the large cave lit by a fire.

  Lin Ke: "Younger brother, since you arrived, I have been treating you with good food and drink, and told the tribe that you are a friend of the gods. When you encounter danger, I immediately gather all the brave warriors of the tribe to rescue you..."

  "Stop it, stop it! Don't mention that again. It makes me angry whenever you bring it up. Just say what's on your mind, is there something else you want from me?"

  Lin Ke's application was somewhat shy, and he leaned in close to whisper: "I originally agreed to exchange all the steel produced by our tribe for yours, and I also sent people to search everywhere for the ancestral relics you mentioned. You promised me that after finding the ancestral relics, we would obtain the power of the gods together. However, it's been many years now, and I'm sure you're aware that it's very difficult to find them. You took away the best iron ingots from our tribe, but what about the things you promised to exchange with us?"

  Mei Dianzuo interrupted him again: "Lin Ke, do you want to settle accounts with me? I haven't shortchanged you on benefits, the things owed to your tribe, bring them together next time, when have I ever spoken without keeping my word?"

  Lin Ke hastily shook his head and said, "No, no, no, I didn't mean that. You're searching for the relics of your ancestors to grasp the power bestowed by the gods, aren't you? And your friend... obviously knows how to do it. Why don't you ask him to teach you? If he agrees to teach you, then he can also help me out. We've already agreed to learn together a long time ago."

  Mei Dianzuo didn't want to say that Ah Meng was someone he met on the road, but only saved his life, and didn't want to lose face in front of Lin Ke, so he had to gloss over it: "Ah Meng teaching me is no problem, we are sworn brothers! But why should he teach you?"

  Lin Ke's face was stern as he said, "I'm begging you, aren't I? We've been through thick and thin together! If you agree to this, our tribe will...". He stopped there, implying that there would be plenty of benefits, while also hinting that Mei Danzuo still owed the tribe something in return.

  Meadanzo was somewhat embarrassed, for he knew that in the outside world, divine techniques could not be learned at will. Only nobles who had obtained permission from the temple were qualified to learn them, and no divine technique master would teach these things to a tribal chief of a wild tribe. Doing so would violate the oath made in the temple and would also result in severe punishment.

  He was worried, but suddenly he remembered Ah Mon's intention and said: "I'll tell you, Ah Mon is looking for something here, it's said that the divine spirit lost it here. If you can send someone to help him find it, maybe I can ask him to teach you how to master the power given by the divine spirit."

  Lin Ke's face showed a happy expression: "What does the messenger of the gods want?"

  Mei Danzuo dodged the question: "I'm not too clear either, but I can help you pass on a message and make your thoughts clear, then you can ask Ah Mon yourself."

  "Then why don't you hurry up and go!"

  Mei Danzuo also stood up with a slap of his hands: "In the middle of the night, you can't let me go disturb people with empty hands, can you?"

  Lin Ke nodded repeatedly and said: "I understand, there is still wine in the tribe, I will send someone to fetch it immediately."

  Mei Dianzuo patted his shoulder: "Where did you hide the wine, Chief? I'll go with you to get it."

  As they walked towards the entrance, Mei Dansuo seemed to ask unintentionally: "Do you really think Ah Mon is a messenger of the gods?"

  Lin Ke's expression was a bit sly: "Didn't you say he was a divine wizard? I guess the ancestor you're looking for is also a divine wizard, right? Now I understand what a divine wizard means. Since the people here regard him as the messenger of the gods, then he is indeed the messenger of the gods, isn't he?" After thinking for a moment, he added with a very serious expression: "This messenger of the gods has indeed grasped the power bestowed by the gods, and this is beyond doubt."

  Mei Danzuo curled her lip: "You still don't understand what kind of gods others believe in!"

  Lin Ke pointed behind him: "At least it's better than a bonfire?"

  Mei Danzuo was amused: "You can only say this to me, and you can't even mention it in front of your own people."

  ……

  Amon sat quietly in the house, meditating, and suddenly raised his hand. A bright light appeared in front of him, which transformed into a flame in mid-air. This was the fire elemental divine technique he had just begun to practice. Unlike when he first learned water elemental divine techniques, he quickly mastered summoning a small flame without relying on his staff. If other second-level divine technique practitioners saw how effortlessly Amon did this, they would be left speechless with amazement.

  Amun's staff is very powerful, and the difference between using it or not is huge. He likes to master and familiarize himself with magic in the fastest way possible, and then cultivate and comprehend it in the most difficult way. The sparks of fire summoned from the void are quite fun, like a bright little person dancing, but Amun doesn't dare to command them to dance randomly, fearing that he might burn down someone's house.

  He gazed at the flame, lost in thought. The location of this tribe was very high up; if he wasn't mistaken, he had already crossed three layers of clouds wrapped around the mountain waist to get here - exactly where Old Crazy said it was possible to stay. He needed to cultivate low-level divine techniques on such a high mountain and pay attention to the eastern sky.

  Ah Meng was originally worried about where to settle down, the food he brought with him was almost gone, and he didn't expect to encounter such a tribe. With good food and drink, and good hospitality, staying here to practice his divine skills was the most suitable choice, no need to go hunting again and find a place to live. He had this idea in mind, so he played that trick with the divine skill in front of the bonfire, thanks to the reminder from the old madman.

  Just then, a voice came from outside the house: "Honorable divine technique master, have you rested? I am Meidanzo, here to bring you fine wine and delicious roasted meat for your cat."

  Xue Dingyuan suddenly jumped out of the grass nest, Ah Meng snapped his fingers to extinguish the flames and shouted: "I haven't rested yet, you come in!"

  Maidanzo pushed open the door and walked in, followed by two petite female dwarves. One was carrying a clay pot, while the other held a wooden platter lined with flat slate rocks, on which freshly cooked meat sizzled and crackled on hot stones. The dwarves set down their burdens and retreated, whereupon Maidanzo placed two stone cups on the wooden board. One cup was empty, while the other contained animal fat with a dry grass stem inserted to serve as a wick - this being the most ancient form of candle, and also the most luxurious lighting tool in the tribe.

  Ammon was taken aback: "It's late at night, have you come to drink with me?"

  Meadanzo shook his head and said, "No, no, no. I am the representative of the people here to offer fine wine to the messenger of the gods." As he spoke, he picked up a clay jug and poured a cup of wine, placing it respectfully in front of Amun.

  Amon took a light sniff and knew that the wine was not very good. Although he didn't often drink, his father was a drunkard at home, and the merchants who transported wine to Duketown were all good wines. Amon could distinguish between good and bad wine just by the smell, but it was already difficult to get wine in this mountainous cave-dwelling tribe.

  Ammon stretched out his hand and said: "Thank you, you also sit down and drink together."

  Mei Danzuo hastily waved his hand: "Honorable divine technique master, outside the mountain I should call you sir, how can I have the nerve to drink with you at the same table?"

  Amon smiled: "Isn't this in the dwarf tribe? In the middle of the night, you send wine and meat, how can I bear to let you watch me drink alone?"

  "Then I'll keep you company for a few cups," Mei Dansuo nodded and said. He ran to the door and shouted, "Bring another cup!" Looking at his behavior, he himself also wanted to drink, otherwise he would have said "not allowed" instead of "sorry" just now.

  Amon invited him to sit down and have a drink, and Mei Dansuo secretly rejoiced in his heart, muttering to himself that his plan might succeed. This divine technique master was extremely young, looking like just a teenager, and didn't have the high-and-mighty demeanor of the adults in the temple, being very easy-going and pleasant to talk to, apparently not holding a high position.

  On the other hand, a divine envoy being sent to this place is clearly a form of punishment and exile. It must be that the family has fallen out of favor and offended some powerful high priest, who can't openly deal with him but found an excuse to expel him from the temple and let him fend for himself. What's he supposed to find in these mountains?

  In that case, his plan may not be impossible to succeed. Lin Ke wants to learn divine art, and Mei Danzuo himself also wants to learn divine art, otherwise he would not have taken the risk of entering the dense forest to find the relics of his ancestors. If under normal circumstances, it is impossible for a divine artist to teach him divine art without authorization. But here, Amun's appearance seems to be negotiable.

  Two people drank and chatted, and Mei Dansuo intentionally or unintentionally talked about his own experiences.

  His ancestors were once prominent, his great-grandfather was a priest of the Marduk temple in Balen City, a sixth-level divine spellcaster, only one step away from becoming a great divine spellcaster. Unfortunately, he was injured in a war and escaped with a precious flying scroll. Perhaps due to the exhaustion of the scroll's power or the severity of his injuries, Medanzo's great-grandfather fell in the deep mountains near the Yubu River Valley.

  After the great-grandfather went missing, the family was on the verge of bankruptcy and owed a huge debt. Just then, a stranger from afar saved Meidanzuo's great-grandmother and grandfather. He was a hunter from Assyria who accidentally discovered the remains, belongings, and will of Meidanzuo's great-grandfather while hunting in the valley of the Euphrates River.

  The hunter buried his great-grandfather according to the will and sent the legacy to Barren Castle. The legacy was very valuable, just the staff inlaid with two divine stones was enough to pay off the debt. Later on, although the orphaned mother preserved the family's territory, because she offended a noble person in the area, Medanzo's grandfather lost his qualification to inherit the priest when he grew up, and the reason was that he was not suitable for learning magic, and he was not awakened by the divine power granted by the gods in the ritual.

  This is just an excuse, obviously there are people who are not divine masters but still have a nominal priest status.

  It's not easy for an orphan and a widowed mother to make a living, and the family's history of hardships doesn't need to be mentioned. This is a declining, thinly populated aristocratic family that has almost been forgotten in Balen City. By the time of Medanzo's generation, even their noble identity was lost, and they were just ordinary commoners. When people mention past events, they even mock his grandfather for being useless, which led to the decline of later generations.

  That hunter also passed on the last words of Medanzo's great-grandfather. It is said that the sixth-level divine technique user fell into a deep valley and did not die immediately, but after seven days and nights of praying to the great god Marduk in agony, he finally gave up hope and recorded all his learned divine techniques in a cave, hoping that someone would find his body later and bury it, and send his belongings back to his hometown. Later, the hunter fulfilled his wish.

  Meadanzo spoke while carefully observing Amun's expression, for the matter had already involved blasphemy against the gods and his great-grandfather's actions had violated the temple's teachings. However, Amun did not show any signs of anger or rebuke, but instead listened intently with a serious expression. Only then did Meadanzo cautiously continue speaking...

  Mei Danzuo heard the legend of his great-grandfather from his grandfather when he was a child. This was a family secret that could not be mentioned to outsiders. When he grew up, he had lost the qualification to learn magic, so he learned martial arts and became a fourth-level warrior at the age of twenty. However, he has always been unwilling, and his life's wish and dream is to be able to learn magic.

  It was impossible in the city of Balen, no one would teach him, and it was against the law for someone with his identity to privately practice divine magic, and the teacher would also be punished. So Medanzo remembered the story of his great-grandfather, was the content of the divine magic written in the cave where his great-grandfather fell still there? If he could find that place, maybe he could cultivate divine magic on his own.

  With a glimmer of hope, young Maidanzo ventured into the mountainous river valley on the border of Balun and Hatti, seeking to find the relics of his ancestors. However, he didn't have a detailed map, only knowing a rough range where it was almost impossible to find, yet he became familiar with a dwarf tribe in the mountains.

  Here is the translation:

  "Up to this point, Mei Danzuo explained nervously: 'Noble divine technique master, I regard you as a friend and also my lifesaver, that's why I dare to reveal such a secret to you. My intention is not to become a magician, but rather my ancestors were divine technique masters, and according to the law, I should have inherited his position. However, he sacrificed himself for the country in battle but was ridiculed as a deserter, and later generations also suffered unfair treatment. My sole purpose is to restore my ancestor's honor and prove that I am fully qualified to inherit this glory.'"

  After finishing speaking, he waited for half a day but didn't hear Ah Meng make a sound. He anxiously lifted his head to take a look and was stunned. After a moment, he suddenly reacted and hastily stood up, retreated several steps, knelt down, and said: "Good heavens, how can there be such a coincidence in the world? What you're holding in your hand is Mr. Nietzsche's token!"

  All that was seen was Ah Mon holding something in the candlelight, a small golden plaque with emblems on both sides, engraved in grass script and knife script, resembling a seal but also like an inscription from a temple. Earlier when Mei Danzuo Chen spoke of his family history, Ah Mon had already confirmed Mei Danzuo's identity as the descendant of that divine art master who was rescued by Old Crazy more than 100 years ago in the Yu Di River Valley.

  At that time, the widow of the godly artisan sent off Nietzsche and specially made a gold plaque for Nietzsche. She said that if there was anything in the future, she could send someone with this plaque to find her family members. This plaque later became Nietzsche's token, and the old madman brought it with him on his travels across the continent. On the eve of his farewell, he handed it over to Armon, telling Armon to keep it carefully, as it might be useful in the future.

  It's been over a hundred years, and Amun wasn't even sure if Medanzo still recognized this object, or if the widow's words from back then had been passed down. So he tentatively took out the plaque, thinking that if Medanzo didn't recognize it, he wouldn't bring it up again. But to his surprise, Medanzo recognized it at a glance!

  "Ah, I was right after all," Ah Mon said, standing up. "You know Mr. Nietzsche's name, so why are you speaking on your knees?"

  "This is the legacy of our family, Mr. Nietzsche is the benefactor who saved our family, he selflessly sent back the precious heirloom of our ancestors to Barren Castle from afar. Seeing this token is equivalent to seeing Mr. Nietzsche himself, we must pay respects and offer assistance to the best of our abilities. I've known the emblem on this token since I was a child, and I even fantasized about meeting Mr. Nietzsche in person or his descendants."

  This is a big truth, Meidanzuo knows that Nietzsche is a private magician who practices divine magic, and the divine magic he has learned comes from his great-grandfather's book. If he sees Nietzsche, he may have the opportunity to learn the divine magic left by his ancestors. This is one of Meidanzuo's childhood fantasies, so he remembers the emblem on this token particularly clearly.

  Amon: "You didn't tell the whole truth just now. Mr. Nietzsche is a magician, but you only said he's a hunter."

  Meadows hastily explained: "Yes, you also know that a magician's identity cannot be made public, so I dare not reveal it in front of such a noble divine master like you... Mr. Amun, how did you come to possess Mr. Nietzsche's relic?"

  Relics? Mei Danzuo naturally thought that Nietzsche was no longer in this world, after all, it had been over a hundred years since then. The Amun in front of him was either his descendant or his successor; otherwise, he wouldn't have taken out this nameplate while recounting this past event without mentioning Nietzsche's name once.

  "This is indeed Mr. Nietzsche's keepsake, which he handed over to me personally. It's really a coincidence that we can meet here! But thinking carefully, it's not without reason, you came to this area to find the relics of your ancestors, and I met you here... Get up, let's continue drinking, you suddenly told me these private family matters, isn't there a reason?" Armon walked over and pulled Medanzer up, then sat back down at that simple wooden board table.

  Meadows' face flushed with excitement, his hands clenched the stone goblet tightly, and he leaned forward saying: "Mr. Nietzsche handed you the letter himself? So he's still alive? He must be a great magician by now! Can I see Mr. Nietzsche? Can you take me to see him?" He asked a string of questions, excitedly almost incoherent.

  "Hey, calm down, Meidansuo! I'm afraid I won't be able to take you to see Mr. Nietzsche, nor can I tell you where he is. That's not part of your family's legacy, is it? ... You still haven't answered my previous question, what made you suddenly bring up your family's secrets tonight?"

  Meadanzo finally came to his senses, remembering that the family's legacy was only to help those who held the token with all their might, not to make demands as soon as they met. He took a deep breath and finally spoke up: "Actually, I want to learn divine magic from you, and the reason I wanted to see Mr. Nietzsche is also to learn divine magic... May I ask, Mr. Amun, are you also a..."

  "Are you wondering if I'm also a magician? Mr. Nietzsche was once a magician, but that doesn't mean he's always been one. It's not hard for a great magician to become a divine technique master, don't forget it's already been over a hundred years." He didn't say whether or not he himself was a magician, evading the question vaguely.

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  PS: Today, "Tian Shuo" will be on the Sanjiang Recommendation list for a week. I beg for your recommendation and click support to rush up the rankings. Also, please spare a hand to vote for this book in the Sanjiang Channel's selection on Qidian, thank you!

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