Summoned and Unwanted

Chapter 133: The half-burnt journal

Although it sounded unbelievable how Feng Mengli killed two Royal Guard Ants in the blink of an eye, somehow, this story didn’t feel like a complete lie. The young Feng Mengli might have actually dared to test his mettle against a storm, violent or not.

“I was searching for cover when lightning struck and hit a tree near me. I was about to experience lighting tribulation before becoming strong enough to survive.”

“Fortune was with me that day. The embers from the burning tree were quickly scattering with the violent wind. I still remember till this day how difficult it was to see in front of me; however, not long after, I noticed a lit cave.”

“I rushed to head inside since I thought there were people seeking cover from the storm, but it wasn’t the case. Instead, many old-looking objects were burning from the embers that entered the cave. I tried to look for recent signs of people, but there weren’t any.”

“I decided to leave before I get burnt. But before I did so, I noticed a burning book. Hoho, the young me thought it might be a martial arts book. My hand moved before my body as I grabbed the burning book and threw it outside in the rain to quickly extinguish the fire.”

“Unfortunately, it was about half burnt from the bottom. It was also written in a language I never saw at the time. Curiosity won me over when I stealthily returned to the sect. I tried searching for a way to decipher the book for its secrets, but no matter how much I tried, I couldn’t decipher the burnt book.”

“Years passed, and the seasons changed the present. New outsiders with new merchandise appeared here and there in the Bazar Village of trade. It became a habit of mine to visit since new things intrigue me.”

.....

“Outsiders spoke our common tongue whenever we approached. Only a few times did I hear them speak this language called English. But I couldn’t understand a word they said.”

“Hoho, it was a day like any other when I saw a female cultivator from a sect we don’t have many relations with. Our cultivation techniques were opposites, so we interacted maybe once in an eclipse.”

“The young maiden’s beauty captured my heart the moment I laid my eyes upon her. I had to talk to her, or my cultivation base might become difficult with the demon in my heart.”

“The young Mengli stalked. Ahem... followed her like the naive young prodigy disciple I was. However, her destination was not a desirable one.”

“The young maiden talked to a man whose attention wasn’t fixed on her. His eyes were like a hawk inspecting every woman walking with or without a child, young teens or even old women that could be considered his grandmothers.”

“The hawked-eyed man dared to ignore the beauty that captured my heart. I became angry and rushed to win her honor.”

“It was then that I heard her beautiful voice speaking in a language I only outsiders speak. Furthermore, her delicate hand held a piece of paper with words similar to what the burnt book I found had.”

“That’s when it hit me. The words were written in English. Outsiders weren’t cultivators, so the burnt book I found didn’t have martial arts as I imagined it contained. I was deeply saddened that the many years I spent holding on the half-burnt book as if it was the best treasure in the world was written from an outsider.”

Feng Mengli became very talkative after he was told the two Ester and Lupa had a way to heal Vincent. The story was so unique and compelling that the two girls listened to the story attentively. It was as if the old man’s strange enthusiasm was contagious.

However, Feng Mengli abruptly stopped when it arrived at the good part. He gazed over their surroundings. A frown soon appeared on the old man’s forehead. It seemed he noticed something he didn’t like and felt the need to hurry.

“Retelling this long story here isn’t the best idea. Let’s say I met with Hawkeyes and my wife that day. Hawkeyes taught us the English language and words. Later he discovered I did all this to read a half-burnt book.”

“When I read the book with the language I learned, I soon found out the half-burnt book was a journal instead of a martial art book.”

“I thought the journal might not be special since it was written from an outsider’s hand, but Hawkeyes showed great interest in the journal.”

“The book belonged to someone named Dominic Smith. We later understood from what was readable that he was the second person to get summoned in our world by what Hawkeyes referred to as the Book of Heros of the ancient times.”

“Hawkeyes told us how unlike us cultivators, everyone fears the people that arrive in our world every century. Their power would be unfathomable. Their temper vicious and their actions vile.”

Feng Mengli stopped. He tilted his head and said, “Wait... this is too early. There are still a couple of years for the new one to appear if what Hawkeyes is the truth.”

Ester moved her gaze from left to right. She was pondering if she should reply. Then she nodded and shortly said, “Vincent thinks the summoning book is working differently after the sixth otherworlder died. It seems he wrote the book that brought Vincent here.”

“Intresting, intresting.” Feng Mengli brushed his beard with a curious expression on his face. The more he found about Vincent, the more he wanted to talk to him.

“Ahem... where was I. Ahh, yes. As we read what was readable, we understood that it was our world that changed him. This Dominic Smith didn’t sound evil at first in the entries he wrote. I questioned Hawkeyes, and he replied with an answer that even he doubted himself after reading the book.”

“Out of the six otherworld Heroes, only two were evil and made a mark of death in the history of the world. But now, the last Hero to be known as the worst of the worst was actually a good and frightened person at first.”

“We read how difficult his life was and how much he wanted to go back to what he called the peaceful Earth. I guess that’s what his world’s name was. On every few pages we flipped, the angrier and aggressive he gradually became until he cared for nothing and no one. He became a self-destructive person in the end.”

Feng Mengli turned his gaze on Vincent and continued with a warm smile, “I hope Vincent doesn’t follow his path. Dominic Smith had no one, but Vincent has the two of you. I witnessed your bonds and have deemed that Vincent has a chance not to stray from the path of reason and inflict harm to the world. ”

Ester and Lupa turned their gaze on Vincent. While the two heard the story, they didn’t look at Vincent. Now, as their eyes laid upon Vincent, a surprise followed.

Vincent had become in a much better state. He was breathing more comfortably, and his skin wasn’t as tight with his bones as it was before. The healing pill was healing Vincent slowly but surely. This brought a smile to their saddened faces.

Feng Mengli looked at their surroundings with a frown remaining on his face. He raised his hand, and a mysterious white rolled fabric appeared on his hand. It seemed the ring on his finger possessed the ability to store items similar to Bags Of Holding.

“Did something happen a few weeks ago? Did you feel anything strange a little more than a month ago?” Feng Mengli asked. He rolled down the rolled white cloth with one hand. The fabric had a mysterious presence, and the length looked never-ending as the roll didn’t seem to reduce in size.

“...” Ester looked at Lupa, then looked at Vincent. She felt that there was no reason to hide anything. Feng Mengli already learned of their identity and still decided to help. Feng Mengli also told them the story of when he was young.

Feng Mengli seemed trustable. He tried to help them in ways they couldn’t comprehend. But after Ester and Lupa saw and heard Vincent breathe comfortably, they decided he was an ally.

“I met Vincent. ” Lupa replied with her curious golden eyes stuck on the long rolled fabric dangling in his hand like a snake.

“Vincent arrived at our world a few weeks ago, a month and a few days, I believe. I know this because I sometimes heard Vincent count how long he lived in our world. On the first day, he saved us by killing a Great Gray Wolf with his strange powers. Did you feel his presence?” Ester continued from where Lupa’s short answer left off.

“Hmm...” Feng Mengli brushed his beard with his other hand. He seemed interested in what he heard. Not only Vincent arrived earlier than he should, but it wasn’t a long time ago. The old man felt his fate was intertwined with Vincent. How he was meant to meet with Vincent one way or another.

“I was visiting my old friend Hawkeye for a favor I owed. It was regarding a cargo ship that got destroyed. He found marks from a creature that didn’t seem to have originated from the Southern Continent. So he sent me an urgent letter to help.”

“A day later, I felt an ominous presence for a few seconds. However, my old friend didn’t notice. But it might be because he isn’t a cultivator and isn’t as receptive as the prodigy Feng Mengli, hoho.”

“At first, I thought it was because of this creature that I perceived an ominous presence. But the more I investigated, day after day and week after week, the more lost I became. The tracks lead to the discovery of a Broodmother Ant Queen. A ferocious creature from the Southern Continent.”

“How and why it was illegally transported is something I need to find after I eliminate the dangerous Queen Ant. I hope it has nothing to do with that vile sect. *ptooey*” Feng Mengli spat after mentioning a sect that was most probably their sect’s enemy.

“So it was Vincent that acquired my attention then. The aura feels similar to what I felt, but a lot less. At least now, my curiosity is satiated, hoho.” Feng Mengli seemed to have noticed Vincent’s presence when Overload activated.

The ability was more of a double-edged sword than it appeared if it could attract the unwanted attention of powerful individuals similar to Feng Mengli.

“Regrettably, our time is up. I have other things to do. ” Feng Mengli said before the fabric in his hand moved on its own like a living snake that moved on its tamer’s commands. The roll spinning in his hand didn’t reduce in size. It was mysterious and bewildering.