Chapter 383: Each with Their Own Miracles

Although these characters only gained sentience over a decade ago, from the very beginning of their inscription, they were imbued with Zuo Li's spirit and intent.

They had not entirely forgotten everything they encountered over the nearly one hundred years that followed; rather, they retained a vague, conceptual memory of those events.

This created a somewhat contradictory situation: these characters understood significantly more than entities like the little paper crane or Hu Yun, not needing to learn everything from scratch like other spirits and demons. However, their fundamental knowledge was not solid. Consequently, they were like the "armchair experts" Ji Yuan often encountered online in his previous life—they believed they understood, but in reality, they didn't at all, making them frighteningly naive. Moreover, due to their inherent nature as characters, they possessed an overwhelming urge to express themselves.

Perhaps "an urge to talk" isn't quite accurate, as these characters were content even when just bickering among themselves.

Conversing with this group of little characters on the Sword Intent Scroll was undoubtedly a tiring endeavor. Trying to grasp the full context and sequence of events made communication quite difficult and laborious.

Fortunately, Ji Yuan, as their "Master," held a surprisingly strong authority over these little characters. No matter how fiercely they argued among themselves, a single word from Ji Yuan would instantly bring all the characters to order.

However, matters that could be clarified in a single sentence often escalated into a full-blown uproar throughout the Sword Intent Scroll, simply because of a "slight provocation" from one character during the conversation.

Crucially, Ji Yuan couldn't simply interrogate a single character to get the full story. Some of their statements were contradictory, and each character firmly believed they were correct—which was precisely why they argued. Moreover, since they acted as a collective, individual characters would sometimes be distracted or even resting, relying on others to carry them along, meaning no single character possessed a complete memory.

Fortunately, even though these little characters loved to bicker (which, to them, was a matter of upholding the truth), their unity was truly strong, beyond mere verbal squabbles. When they "ran away" together, they never left a companion behind from beginning to end. Perhaps this inherent cohesion was the true essence of the complete Sword Intent Scroll, a deeply ingrained sense of family.

Due to this situation, two hours had passed by the time Ji Yuan finally understood the entire process of these little characters' "runaway adventure."

During this period, the characters explained how they had left the Sword Intent Scroll, evaded numerous dangers, and nervously darted first west, then north. Over the years, they had frantically traveled some twenty thousand li, eventually reaching Moyuan County—a "paradise" on their journey—where the temptation was so great that they had lingered for an extended time.

"So, it's difficult for ordinary demons, spirits, and deities to discover you, is that right? You answer. No one else speaks!"

Ji Yuan rubbed his temples as he questioned the characters. After posing a question, he immediately had to point to a specific character, emphasizing that only they were permitted to speak.

The character "Rui" (meaning "sharp" or "keen"), which Ji Yuan had indicated, twisted from side to side as if looking around, before finally turning to face him.

"Replying to you, Master, I'm not sure if it's difficult or not, but whenever we want to hide, no one can find us except you. Once, we had a huge argument and were overheard by a demon. But as soon as we hid, he couldn't find us. He searched the same spot for half a month, and we had to hide for half a month without daring to speak. It nearly suffocated us!"

Many characters on the Sword Intent Scroll began to rise, clearly showing a tendency to speak out again. It seemed everyone had something to say about this particular experience, but a single glare from Ji Yuan made them all obediently lie back down.

Ji Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Did that demon see you initially? You answer. No other characters speak."

"I, I wasn't paying attention... Everyone was shouting 'run!' then, so I just ran along with them..."

"Hoo..."

Ji Yuan took a deep breath, then turned his gaze to the other characters.

"Which of you knows?"

The moment he finished speaking...

"Me, me, me!" "I know!"

"Master, I know too!" "They have no idea; I know best!"

"You're lying! I know better than you!" "Nonsense! I know best!"

"I was the first one to discover it!" "Aiyaya..."

The bickering erupted almost instantly.

"Stop! You speak!"

Ji Yuan pointed to the character that claimed to be "the first to discover it." The other characters immediately quieted down, while the character "Xin" (meaning "heart" or "mind") proudly stood up, clearly gloating.

Through the flow of ink energy on the character, Ji Yuan could clearly sense that this little fellow was indeed "gloating."

"Replying to you, Master, that time I paid extra attention and clearly saw the demon's appearance. It was an old dog with a very large nose, its body somewhat human-like, and it could stand and walk. Furthermore, he didn't just guard the desolate land where we were hiding for half a month; he was very cunning, leaving for a while and then suddenly returning!"

"Oh?"

Ji Yuan narrowed his eyes. It seemed this dog clearly knew the characters were hiding rather than gone. Perhaps its own senses were incredibly keen, allowing it to perceive no immediate danger while also recognizing that it had encountered an extraordinary spirit.

Indeed, characters becoming spirits was inherently extraordinary. However, Ji Yuan's sense of "extraordinary" also referred to something else: while these characters formed the Sword Intent Scroll as a whole, each individual character possessed its own distinct qualities. This was precisely what Ji Yuan was trying to confirm at that moment.

"Yes, Master, at that time, 'Jue' (Perception), 'Ling' (Spirit), and I all believed that the demon hadn't truly left, so we instructed everyone to keep hiding. And indeed, the demon was lurking nearby! When he finally couldn't find us, he even bared his fangs in frustration!"

"Hmm, well done!"

Ji Yuan offered a smiling compliment, which made the character "Xin" even more smug, causing it to float back and forth.

These characters indeed each possessed distinct spiritual essences and inner depths. For instance, "Xin" was more intelligent, while "Ling" and "Jue" were more perceptive. "Jian" (Sword) and "Rui" (Sharp) were likely braver and more incisive. Each character, by extension, had its own unique magical quality.

If someone were to consume such pure spirits, especially those born from characters, it would likely induce some wondrous transformation within them.

"Listen, all of you. Don't go running off carelessly anymore, understood?"

"Yes!" "Understood!"

"We understand!" "Master, you must take us with you!"

"Not to Yan Fei's place!" "Exactly!"

"Even if we go, we'll run away again!" "Precisely!"

"But what if Master tells us not to run?"

"Ah!?" "Then what do we do?"

Ji Yuan gently tapped the tabletop twice, the "thump-thump" sound echoing and quelling the commotion to bring silence.

"Don't worry, I won't send you away. Yan Fei has observed the Sword Intent Scroll for a considerable time and already retains my profound essence. There's no need for further observation. You can all simply stay by my side."

The characters were just about to cheer, but Ji Yuan already heard approaching footsteps. Before he could even scold them, all the characters suddenly fell silent.

Ji Yuan glanced back at the Sword Intent Scroll, saw the characters on it were perfectly still, nodded with a smile, then rolled up the scroll and slipped it into his sleeve.

Soon after, the footsteps drew closer, followed by a knock at the door.

"Knock, knock, knock..."

"Mr. Ji, it's already time for lunch. Would you prefer I bring your meal to you, or would you like to join us in the temple kitchen?"

Ji Yuan considered for a moment, deciding not to impose, and replied.

"No, thank you. I'll join you in the temple kitchen."

As he spoke, Ji Yuan rose and walked to the door to open it. Before he reached it, the paper crane had already flown back into his bosom.

Upon seeing Ji Yuan, the temple steward quickly offered a bow.

"Then, Mr. Ji, please come with me. Just a short while ago, a wealthy family arrived to fulfill a vow and brought many delicious dishes. Uh, you wouldn't mind dining in the same room as them, would you?"

"Not at all, not at all."

Master Liu smiled, indicating he had no objection, and even stood up to cup his hands and bow towards Ji Yuan.

After Ji Yuan nodded in return, he smoothly took a seat at the table. The temple steward then very diligently arranged his bowls and chopsticks and placed his wine cup. Noticing a small stain on the table, and unable to find a tablecloth at once, he even quickly wiped it clean with his sleeve cuff.

All of this was observed by Master Liu, who immediately grew curious about the newcomer. Even when the county magistrate had visited previously, the temple steward had never displayed such diligent attentiveness.

(End of Chapter)