Picking Up Attributes In Martial World-Chapter 78: The Serpent Tattoo
The moonless night made the forests take on a darker shade, only faintly illuminated by the lights from Song Liangxue’s camp. Shadows danced as if they were alive all around them.
Ye Jun floated in the pond, letting the water carry him around as he relaxed his nerves and gave his mind a break. Cold showers had always helped him relax after a tiresome day.
’More than three hours, probably.’
After washing up properly, he jumped into the pond and had been floating around since then. Now he felt completely refreshed and could fight for a whole day again.
’Not that I’m doing it again.’
He went back ashore where he found new clothes set aside for him. Smiling, he cleaned himself and wore them. A set of ash-gray robes which suited him and fitted him perfectly.
’Nice.’
Ye Jun made his way back to the central building. The guards tending to their weapons bowed upon seeing him before going back to work.
But he knew very well that the respect came because of Song Liangxue, not him. He was fine with it though. Actions spoke louder than words, and his actions would earn the respect.
’Not like I need it.’
A female attendant led him to the first floor where she stopped before a room, bowed, and left. He knocked on the door and heard a soft, pleasant voice from inside.
"You don’t need permission to enter your own quarters, dear."
Ye Jun smiled and slid open the wooden door. Inside, he found a simple room with daily necessities and a warm atmosphere. Bright lanterns hung on the sides, giving off a soft glow. Accompanying it was the relaxing fragrance of burning incense.
At the center, Song Liangxue and Meihui sat at a low table, both looking beautiful as always. They had also bathed and changed into simple clothes with silk linings. And they had left their hair open, letting it cascade over their shoulders like a waterfall.
"Woah! I didn’t expect such a beautiful sight to greet me," Ye Jun smiled, taking a seat beside them.
"Hmm, I didn’t expect this too," Song Liangxue eyed him hungrily and muttered. "Perhaps I should have joined you in the pond."
"Don’t make things harder for me, dear," Ye Jun sighed. As much as he would enjoy a bath with her, they couldn’t proceed further, so it would just be torture.
"Hmm? Make your thing harder?" Song Liangxue asked, smirking.
"Stop!" Meihui hurriedly came in between. "We have more important things to discuss."
"I’ll have to agree with her," Ye Jun shifted closer to Meihui, but she just harrumphed and looked away.
"I see. So what is it?" Song Liangxue asked. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚
Instead of replying, Ye Jun showed her the serpent tattoo on his wrist that he got after returning from that strange dream.
’Or perhaps prophecy.’
"Do you recognize this?" he asked.
The two studied it carefully, trying to examine every detail. Then Song Liangxue said, "There are a few factions with serpents as their symbols. But I don’t think I’ve seen anything like this in the North, at least."
"What about you?" he turned toward Meihui.
"I’m not so sure about it," she replied, frowning. "I did study a lot of things back home, but there was little about active factions. They change a lot, after all. Only a few remain standing for centuries."
"Don’t think about active factions alone," Ye Jun said. "Anything works. Even if they existed a thousand or tens of thousands of years ago."
If the dream was right, then the apocalypse had descended upon the world nine times. It was a tale of the past, so he should find clues in history.
’The Convergence.’
"Why don’t you give us more context so we can understand its significance better?" Song Liangxue asked. "I’m sure if it’s related to the North, I can help you the most."
"I have a friend in the Central Lands. She’s trustworthy, the only other person I trust, so we can ask her," Meihui smiled fondly and said. "She’s perhaps the most knowledgeable person I know, so I’m sure she can find it if there’s more information."
Ye Jun nodded, a little hesitant. Then he told them everything he had seen in the dream. The horrific battles with those infernal creatures, the way humans and spiritual beasts united to fight against the enemies, about the Seven Monarchs, and also about the Titanic Creature that drove a sword through the world.
The more they heard, the more somber their faces became. Considering the strong barrier around the tomb, they didn’t treat this as a mere prank. Even if it was filled with lies, it was important enough to note.
Then Ye Jun told them about the strange man he suspected the dream belonged to. The man who seemed as vast as the sky with a voice covering the entire world. The man who had given him some instructions and told him that the apocalypse was coming.
Meihui’s complexion turned pale as she gripped the hem of her robes tightly. Noticing it, Ye Jun asked hopefully, "You know something?"
She nodded. "About the Seven Monarchs, but I can’t tell you as I’m under an oath. I’ll first need to find a way to break it without consequences before telling you."
"A shame," he sighed. "But at least it confirms that this isn’t a complete prank, right?"
"Yes, and I’m leaning toward its authenticity," Meihui stared into his eyes and said, her voice low. "Trust me, Jun. This is most likely true. Or at least the events shown are taken from the true past."
"Alright, so we have confirmation that whatever I saw is true," Ye Jun said, nodding at her without hesitation. "But it could also be that they were tampered with and then shown to me, so it’s better to be careful."
"Can you tell us the exact words he said before your dream ended?" Song Liangxue asked, trusting Meihui as well.
Ye Jun closed his eyes and remembered those words. The memory was engraved in his mind, so it came easily.
YOU MUST UNITE THEM
THE CONVERGENCE IS NEAR. THE HEAVEN IS FRACTURING. THE SEEDS ARE READY TO BLOOM.
YOU MUST UNITE THEM.
PRESENCE OF MONARCHS IS IMPORTANT.
There was one more thing he couldn’t quite remember, but it lingered in the back of his head, buried yet refusing to disappear.
HE WHO COMPREHENDS THE VOID RETURNS.
