I'm Not the Hands of the Devil
chapter 4: Concern for the Empty Old Nest
Ji Zhixun stood still amidst the heavy rain as the old man walked towards her. He could not even react and activate the black stick mechanism when the black stick passed through him.
It was not that he did not want to do so, but an invisible force had enveloped him, causing his body to stiffen. Cold sweat did not stop flowing on his back.
The old man was wearing an old-fashioned western-style suit with a man's hat. His gaze was strangely attracted to the book Ji Zhixiu was holding.
“This is this book. Lucky girl, ”mum her with a hoarse and hoarse voice.
Under the concealment of the umbrella, Ji Zhixiu could faintly see an ancient black iron mask covering the old man's face. He could only see his snake-like eyes peeking out from the mask, directing a sharp gaze at him. It looked strangely dissonant with its delicate appearance.
Ji Zhixiu only managed to catch a glimpse of the red words on the cover of her black book when the old man passed her— Void Extinguishing.
A cold and frightening sensation crawled his naked skin.
“Wah..”
Ji Zhixiu heaved a sigh of relief before slowly turning her head back to the bookstore.
A muffled sound rang out as the door slowly closed.
“Welcome... Ahh? Old Wil, it's you! Have you come to return your book?”
“...It still sounds a little strange even though you told me that the nickname symbolizes our friendship. Mr Lin, will you call me by my name only?”
“Of course, Mr Wilde.”
“Fiuh ... Sounds much more convenient. You have a new customer, Mr Lin?”
“Ya, Old Wil.”
“My name.. Forget it. I noticed that you lend a book that you always seem to read to new customers. You must love him very much. By the way, this is the book I borrowed.”
“A frequently read book is still a book. The book felt good for him. If I remember correctly, our bet is 30 days.you're back in 20 days, which means it's my win. you won't believe it when I tell you that this book is too complicated for parents.”
”... I'm sorry for doubting your words, I admit my loss. This book is too deep. It is like a huge world filled with unknown mystical and magical things, transcending the boundaries of space, time, birth, life, and death. With my inadequate knowledge, I can only imagine that the person who wrote such a monumental work must have been a great being.”
“Of course! He is a giant of the literary world that has passed.”
“Giant? No wonder..” Old Wil's voice disappears.
——
Ji Zhixiu's focus fell onto the book and the umbrella in his hands.
The conversation between the owner and his regulars is completely relaxed, perhaps the result of years of friendship.
However, Ji Zhixiu broke out in cold sweat as she recalled her previous encounter with the old man.
'The Faceless Black Scaly Man', Frank Wilde, Destructive rank black Witch.
The dark green snake eyes that manifested from the blood of half-human snakes and the black iron mask were his trademark.
Despite his good looks, this old man had a fearsome reputation. He is known as a ruthless killer whose hands are covered in the blood of thousands of people.
Once, he clashed with the Ten Great Radiant Knights of the Secret Tower and destroyed an area thousands of kilometers in diameter, which caused others to recognize him as a Destructive rank black mage.
But after that incident, for some unknown reason, she disappeared from public view.
In accordance with the rules established by the Union of Truth in 1788, extraordinary beings are classified into four levels, and this is known as the 'APDS Classification Law'. Since then, Truth Union will publish a list of extraordinary creatures, as well as their ranking changes every year.
Abnormally
disarray
Destructively
Highest
While Wilde's name on the list has since been marked with the labels 'his whereabouts are unknown' and 'Secret Rite Tower offering a reward for his existence', his Destructive ranking status has never changed.
One should know that there were less than ten Destruction-level beings at the top level of the Norzin Capital; in fact, there were not even a hundred of them in total in Azir!
Why would a cruel black mage who had long disappeared appear here?! Moreover, he seemed to be friendly with the young man!
Ji Zhixiu took a deep breath before leaving in a hurry.
The owner is indeed a very powerful and mysterious magician! Perhaps, similar to Wilde, he might be a Destructive rank! Looks like I have found myself an impressive support to retreat this time …
——
Lin Jie picked up the book, 100 Years of Solitude, and returned it to the shelf. “Wil old, you seem a little sad today.”
Wilde could be considered ordinary here. Lin Jie's seedy bookstore rarely saw customers, and the number of regulars could easily be counted with the finger in his hand. However, Lin Jie had made sure to build a deeper bond with each of them through sincere engagement, forcing them to visit out of habit.
Wilde first set foot in this bookstore two years ago. Since then, he has stopped by five times to borrow a new book. At first glance it may seem rare, but one should note that Wilde's usual loan period is one month. In other words, he had devoted 4 out of 24 months of a two-year period here, which was equivalent to one-sixth of his time!
That is sincerity!
In the three years Lin Jie ran this bookstore, she practically did not see any business at first. Because of this, Wilde is considered a regular veteran in his humble place.
At the same time, he was also someone who was often given guidance and advice by Master Lin.
Sighs. Parents, especially empty residents, are especially vulnerable to mental and psychological problems.
The old Wil was definitely one of the old empty placeholders.
Based on what Lin Jie had heard, Old Wil had two estranged children and a lover who had left. She is ostracized by her colleagues and feared by others for her appearance, leaving her to live a lonely life in the big city of Norzin.
Old Wil was not short of food, food, or clothing, but there was a gaping hole in the spiritual aspect of his life.
This deficiency was not only due to the lack of attention from friends and family; most importantly, he lacked recognition from his peers.
Old Wil was a linguist and academic with a great interest in researching all kinds of rare languages. Those who dabble in the field end up getting used to being alone, but the pain of not being understood by others is still hard to bear.
So, Lin Jie chose to continue from this angle!
Since the first meeting, Lin Jie made sure to look Old Wil in the eyes and treat him with respect to win his goodwill. From the books Old Wil had brought for sale, he managed to deduce a bit of information.
In the end, he casually recommended a book — Wenzhou Language.
Dubbed “Devil”, Wenzhou is considered one of the most difficult languages in China. In Wenzhou prefecture alone, there are more than 12 different language variants. Furthermore, during wartime, the Wenzhou language was even used as a secret code that no enemy could crack!
Old Wil's expression had gone from lackluster to skeptical to frightened before to ecstasy as he exclaimed, “Devil, this is truly a demon!” Such a scene made Lin Jie feel the importance of his chicken soup.
The happiness of a living mentor can be as simple and tedious as this.
But since there was no Wenzhou or China in this land known as Azir, Lin Jie could only explain that this book came from a place and time that had long been lost>
