Zandar's left hand quickly raised and danced gently in mid-air, as if drawing a mark. At the same time, there are words in his mouth, apparently to strengthen his imprint of reason.

But Ian reached out to stop him.

He looked at Pa Da and turned his head slightly, as if he had just come to his senses.

"Barn?" snapped, "sleep, comfortable." ”

Ian observes the snap and notices that the way he speaks has changed back to the way it used to be—using only simple words, unable to speak complex sentences.

Snap stretched his body and stood up from his pouch, looking curiously at the lizardman prince and Mister, who was covering half of his face with a leather mask.

"New friends?" asked Snap.

Ian nodded, "New friend." Snapping's attention didn't linger on Ian's companion for long, and he quickly turned to his surroundings. Mister had seen the strange creature when he peeked into Ian's past. Along the way, Ian didn't shy away from it, and every time he wanted to water Pata, he wouldn't deliberately avoid Mister. Although Mister had seen the snapping, it was clearly a little unaccustomed to seeing it speak human language and move freely at this time.

He knew what had happened to Ian and Pata, and those particularly deep memories would always be especially noticeable to him when he came into contact with Ian's spirit.

"Here, where?" snapped as if remembering Ian's promise, his eyes lit up, "Treasure!

"Not yet, it's coming, it's coming. We're going to take a break here. Ian was perfunctory, fearing that he would go out in search of "treasure", kill a few children, or ransack a tailor's shop.

He nodded, suddenly smelled something, raised his head slightly, and sniffed hard.

"Scent. It said happily, "It smells good." "The windows were open, and the scent of flowers filled the streets, and the fresh fragrance was carried into the house with the wind.

Zandar shifted slightly, and Ian noticed his expression, as if asking what to do now, if he wanted to use the Seal of Reason. With an imperceptible magnitude, Ian shook his head slightly, signaling him not to act rashly.

He found that after he woke up here, nothing bad had happened, and he didn't have the drunken state he had when he first entered Swamp Dragon City. Everything was fine, so he was going to take another risk.

"We're going to stay here for a few days," Ian said to Pata, "and you can't be discovered." ”

"Not to be found. Pata repeated, "Pata, advanced, can't find it." ”

After saying that, he got into the bag and was short, leaving only his eyes to look at Ian at the mouth of the bag.

"You can't sneak out in the middle of the night to steal anything, and you can't steal a child's clothes," Ian remembered his previous misdeeds, "Otherwise, there would be no treasure." ”

"Understand, don't steal, don't rob. "Pa Da seems to be very cooperative, which is a good thing.

"Let's go," Zandar reminded, "it's time to find the research society." ”

This made Ian embarrassed again: Mister aside, should he bring Pada with him on this trip? Who would stay and watch it if he didn't bring it

It can only be Zandar. But Zandar was clearly interested in the knowledge mentioned by the client. It's no wonder, after all, it's about whether he can fly to Jackie Chan......

Mister suddenly walked over to the edge of the bed and sat down.

"You want to stay?" asked Ian.

Miest nodded, but he frowned and hesitated a little as he looked at his wet and greasy appearance.

"No," Zandar objected, "and Mister stays...... There's no point, let's take it with you. ”

Ian understood what he meant, and even if something happened, at least Zandar would be safer if he was next to him.

"Looking for treasure," Pa Ta had already burrowed into his bag, "and go." ”

Seeing that Ian did not object, Zandar closed the mouth of the bag and walked to the front with a snap on his back.

"Scales and bones" is not easy to find. Maybe because it's a civil society organization and it's not well-known, not many people know about it. Ian inquired with the owner and clerk in the tavern for a long time before he got an unclear direction.

Along the way, I asked questions, and finally found this place in a remote corner under the city walls. It's just that Ian and his party don't dare to enter rashly at the moment.

It was a dilapidated hut with the words "Scales and Bones" engraved in Imperial script on the signboard. The house looks like a haunted house from the exterior wall. With its mottled brick walls and windows creaking in the wind, it's hard to imagine that it's inhabited. Ian double-checked the words on the sign, then stepped forward and knocked lightly.

However, there was a knock, and the door creaked, and it opened. It seems that it is not locked, and I am afraid that the building has been empty. Ian reached for the doorknob.

He glanced back at his two companions and saw that Mister was cowering at the bottom of the steps, with no intention of approaching. Ian reached out and turned his palm away from them, "It's clean, it's human." Sure enough, Ian's grip on the doorknob was spotless.

He was the first to push the door open and walked in, only to find that there was no light inside, and it was very dark.

He mustered up his courage and asked loudly, "Is anyone there?" and repeated this several times, but still no one responded. Their eyes gradually adjusted to the darkness of the room. Tables and chairs overturned, and all kinds of bottles, cans, and unknown utensils were shattered and scattered to the ground. Only a heavy-looking counter in the back of the room was still standing.

"No one?" asked Zandar.

Ian didn't speak, and he fumbled suspiciously with his hand pushing the door, rechecking that it wasn't dusty.

"Strange ......," he muttered, "where have the people gone?"

He recalls meeting the old man in the woodland outside Bled Racecourse. The old man said that when he arrived, he would report his real name, and someone would greet him. But now this is the case......

He thought about it, and then tried to shout again, "Is there anyone? ”

As if in response to his words, a candle on the counter suddenly lit. The faint candlelight illuminated a small area near the counter, but it was enough for Ian and the others to see a carved wooden face hanging on the wall behind the counter.

The wooden carved human face is lifelike in the candlelight. Before Ian could get closer, it spoke, "Is Ian coming?"

The words scared Mister so much that he clung to Zandar's back, not daring to move away even a step. Passing over the lizardmen's broad shoulders, Mister saw that the eyes of the carved wooden face seemed to move as they looked at them.

"It's me. Ian's voice suppressed his anger, the other party was too fond of being cunning.

"Ah, here you are. Please wait. After saying that, the wooden carved human face was like a dead human face that had lost its soul, and it quickly fell silent, and there was no change.

At this point, Ian noticed that the candle flame was not a physical flame, but a psychic technique: "Gathering Spirits", the embodiment of a certain natural element. It's just that the other party controls it very well, and if you don't pay attention to it, you won't find that it's not a real flame at all.

"Please step away. A voice came from their side, but it wasn't a carved wooden face that spoke.

Ian and the others silently took a few steps back, only to hear a creak, and then moved away from the heavy counter.

It turned out to be a mechanism.

Under the counter was a flight of steps, and a familiar face peeked out from underneath.

It was the old man who gave Ian directions and messengers near Bled Racecourse. It's just that he is now dressed in a different way, and he doesn't look sloppy at all. Although the black hooded robe is not of high quality, it has been carefully cared for, and it is not a little shabby, and it is very neat. The cuffs of the robe are tightened at the wrists, making it much smarter.

The old man's hair was no longer loose, and the gray strands were combed back obediently, revealing his ears. Although the stubble is still noticeable, it is also carefully shaved on a regular basis and is not messy.

"Oh, you've brought a few friends with you, haven't you......" The old man hesitated, but quickly made up his mind, "It's okay, let's come along." ”

He gestured and walked down first. Ian wordlessly followed his steps and stepped into the steps that led to the ground.

After the three of them were all underground, there was a creaking and heavy dragging sound behind them, and the counter should have moved back to block the entrance.

On the walls on both sides of the stairs that continue to descend, there is an oil lamp every few steps down, but it is also a flame lit by spiritual power. Ian knew it was the old man's trick, because the oil lamps would only come on wherever they went, and it would always be dark behind them.

The figure of the old man flickered in front of him, and he said as he walked, "I didn't expect it took you so long to get here...... Did something happen?"

"A lot. Ian's voice sounded cold and calm.

"Well, at least you're here. The old man said, "If you delay a little longer, you may not see my master." ”

Ian was stunned: "What's wrong with him?"

"He's not in good shape. "But it's okay...... Don't worry, you won't just breathe. ”

In the darkness, he didn't know how far he had walked, and finally came to a flat surface, but to Ian's surprise, he could feel that the flat place was very wide

, perhaps comparable to an underground palace.

As the lights around him gradually turned on, the scene in front of him confirmed his suspicions.

It was like an underground shelter, and it seemed that this was the client's abode. Ian looked around, noticing that the hall had several stone doors on three sides except in the direction behind them, which seemed to lead to other places. Except for the stone door, the rest of the wall is full of bookshelves, which are densely stuffed with books.

In the middle of the hall were unusually large desks, with books and manuscripts stacked disheveled. The old man walked over to one of the desks and picked up the chair that had fallen to the ground, as if he was distracted. However, only for a moment - he did not forget his duty.

The old man turned his head and said, "Please come with me." ”

Ian remembered that he had said that his master was seriously ill. It appears that one of the stone doors around it will lead to a bedroom where you can rest...... But why is this man so sick that he is dying, and why is he hiding in such a place where he does not see the light of day? Ian followed with a frown, and the doubts in his heart grew heavier and heavier.

(End of chapter)