Chapter 203 A Fake Book
“Originally, it was more complete than it is now…” Qingxia poked her fingers back and forth, “But when I was little, the book was damaged in an accident… Later, my grandfather helped me collect and sew it together, and the lost pages can’t be found anymore.
I supplemented the plot based on my rough impression, but some parts still don’t make sense…”
"Yeah. You know that doesn't make sense." Chu Heng smiled wryly.
"Hmm, some of the plot developments lacked foreshadowing. I still don't understand how King Arthur joined the Eighteen Princes. Maybe I got the order wrong."
"It's not a matter of order!"
Qingxia clasped her hands together and looked at him expectantly.
"Chu Hengkong, I guess you have read the original book. Can you tell me what the original story is like?"
Chu Hengkong flipped through the old book, and the more he read, the more headache he got. The whole book seemed like a famous work that had been torn into pieces and then stitched together into a zombie monster. Every time he read a page, his earthling instincts made a sharp noise, urging him to throw this thing away.
It’s hard to imagine that anyone would enjoy reading this kind of story. Even a child who has just learned to read...would find the book incoherent and full of nonsense, right?
"First, tell me how the book broke." Chu Hengkong's expression twisted. "Only after you figure out the whole story can I tell you how to...fix it."
“…”
Qingxia fell silent, her pointed ears drooping, and she looked completely listless. She poked her fingers back and forth, muttering, "This has nothing to do with the book..."
"There are too many weird things in this place. If you don't tell me the story, it might be incomplete." Chu Hengkong deliberately bluffed. After experiencing the Yixin ceremony, he was already very familiar with this trick to deceive children.
Qingxia hesitated for a long time, then made up her mind and whispered, "You have to promise not to tell anyone else."
"no problem."
"When I was little, I was once captured by Vansalar." Qingxia lowered her eyes. "Grandpa finally broke into the Nightmare City and rescued me. The book was damaged at that time... Grandpa's leg was also..."
Chu Hengkong pressed his brows together, wanting to slap himself in the face. He had been hoping to hear a story about a child who accidentally tore up a book, but he hadn't expected such a horrible story.
He gently patted Qingxia's fur, his tone softening, "That's okay, it's not a big deal. This book can be repaired, and Silar's leg can also be treated after we get out."
Qingxia was immediately excited, and her ears perked up again: "Really? That's great!"
Her performance was like a dream come true. Chu Hengkong looked at the messy collection of classics and couldn't connect it with his child's expectations. He asked cautiously, "However, there will be some differences between the original and the books you are familiar with... Do you think these incomplete stories are interesting?"
"Well, very interesting!" Qingxia said seriously, "Some people care about the common people, while others pursue their own interests. Everyone fights for position and interests, rather than struggling in some crazy world of the outside world. They can go to various places for adventure and battle without worrying about the pollution of the outside world. What a beautiful world outside the wilderness!"
"This is a story that will never be born in the despairing wilderness. Here there is only death and despair. So please, I really want to see the whole story!"
The red-haired girl spoke with great seriousness. The last time he saw her like this was at the seaside cemetery. He realized that Qingxia was telling the truth. She cared about these stories as much as she cared about the warriors in the settlement.
"This book actually contains many stories." Chu Hengkong put the book back on the shelf. "Let me tell you one first..."
He flipped to the beginning of the book, which told the story from the Peach Garden Oath of the Three Brothers to the Eighteen-Road Alliance. During this process, he realized that storytelling was truly difficult. While everyone could remember the plot, the details and the order of events were difficult to articulate without the original text.
Especially when talking about the meeting of princes, clips from the damn new version of the TV series flashed through his mind. The meeting of princes almost turned into a verbal fight in the cafeteria, and he was so drunk that cold sweat oozed from his forehead.
"...To know what happens next, wait for the next chapter!" Chu Hengkong concluded decisively, and Qingxia quickly handed him a glass of water. Even this oral narration, barely superior to a "good book," had mesmerized her, and she longed to take notes.
"Master Chu, tell us another story!" Qingxia's eyes were almost full of stars.
"Let's rest for today." Master Chu waved his hands repeatedly. "The story is too long. I'll tell it tomorrow! There are more than ten stories in this book. This one story alone is enough for you to listen to for a month."
"Wow! Thank you!" Qingxia hugged him tightly, she smiled like a child, "I'll go find something to eat to repay you."
She really ran out, leaving Chu Hengkong in her room. Chu Hengkong flipped through the tattered book, his tired look disappearing, his expression dark and incomprehensible.
It is impossible to piece together a book from a few broken pages of a classic, so there are many loose leaves between the pages, written in childish handwriting with readers' inferences, such as how Zhang Tianshi is related to Taoyuan, and how General Hong went to Huaguo Mountain.
From a modern perspective, these inconsistent inferences are naturally ridiculous, but readers who pick up the book probably don't think so.
There were no schools or books in the Desperate Wilds. The settlement was a training ground for warriors, and intelligence about the outside world depended entirely on "newcomers" like them. Growing up in such a barren land made it extremely difficult to develop an appreciation for culture and books. Qingxia likely lacked the ability to appreciate literary works; she had seen so little that she couldn't discern the differences between literary and narrative styles.
To her, these differences were natural. Books were just like that, and the world outside the wilderness was like that. If she couldn't understand it, it was her own problem.
Was this the reason she'd been hiding it? It had nothing to do with camaraderie or the need for help from the settlement; it was simply Qingxia's own selfish desires. She loved the characters in these stories, so she emulated their ways and wanted to hear how they would end, which was why she'd been so accommodating. But it wasn't a legitimate excuse, so she'd been too embarrassed to bring it up.
"He's still a child." The killer sighed.
He put the book back on the shelf, wondering if he had been too harsh on Qingxia. Then he noticed another book hidden on top of the shelf: a nearly brand new picture album.
The small picture album was bound in a wooden case, its cover inscribed with a flourish of gold-stamped characters: "The Adventures of Paladin Duranbai." The cover resembled a small picture album beloved by children, yet the materials and design were exquisite, clearly from a different era than the older books in Qingxia's collection.
Chu Hengkong flipped open the book and discovered it had the folding binding common among children's books. The long pages unfolded, revealing a vibrant illustration: on one side, a variety of demons and monsters occupied the mountains and forests, with civilians fleeing in panic. On the other side, a knight on a white horse and blond hair advanced, sword drawn. Behind him, a cloaked, heartless warrior engaged in a battle with a blade. The heartless warrior's cloak was tattered, draped behind him as he ran, resembling a strange-colored flame. He felt the image was familiar.
Behind the illustration, colorful, round text tells the story of a fearless Paladin named Durand, commanded by the Knight King to travel the world, creating countless legends of chivalry along the way. One day, Durand arrived at a remote island and discovered that a demon had taken over the island and enslaved the people.
The locals were in a panic. The Paladin, who always hated evil, vowed to work with his fellow Heartless to wipe out the demons and restore peace to Dust Island.
“…”
Chu Hengkong flipped through the book quickly. Several pages followed, depicting the knight and his companions battling demons. For some reason, the protagonist, the Paladin Dulanbai, was not depicted in any detail, merely standing prominently in the frame, sword in hand. Instead, the caped Zanxin received considerable attention, with close-ups of his shuriken and swordplay appearing strikingly impressive.
He quickly skipped over the battle and jumped straight to the end. At the end of the album, the demon was finally slain. But the locals were weak, and after the demon that dominated the island was dead, other foreign enemies would soon arrive.
The Paladin then planted a tree of light on the island, using his power to displace the demons and protect the island. He then mounted his white horse and bid the people a graceful farewell. The locals, filled with gratitude, vowed to follow in the Knight's footsteps and become great warriors.
Almost identical to the legend of the settlement.
"How did you find the fake book?"
The small picture album flew over Chu Hengkong's head and returned to the top of the bookshelf. The bony claws that had grasped the book gently retracted back to the doorway and returned to Qingxia's back. She was carrying a basket of roasted dried insects, and the house was filled with the aroma of protein.
"Is this story false?" Chu Hengkong asked.
"Of course, because this book is a story imagined by outsiders." Qingxia put the food basket on the ground. "How can our knights look like humans? Besides, the knight in the painting didn't wear gloves when he planted the Holy Pillar. This detail is too fake. We knights can't touch the Holy Pillar~"
"But the Holy Pillar is a product of the knights." Chu Hengkong retorted.
"It's a product of the 'Allied Forces,' that's what your eyeball says," Qingxia said. "I guess it was most likely planted by the Zanxin back then, but my grandfather's ancestors didn't understand the situation and mistakenly thought it was planted by the knights~"
It makes sense.
Stories passed down through generations in a settlement are always more credible than those found in external books. From Qingxia's perspective, her interpretation was flawless. But of course, that wasn't the case. The manual's appraisal document had already revealed the ownership of the Holy Pillar's core; the true knight must be someone else.
Chu Hengkong had so much to say, but he didn't know how to begin. Qingxia loved false stories, was taught distorted teachings, and firmly believed in unreal dreams. This lifestyle was extremely sick, but was he going to tell her directly that everything she believed in was wrong? Should he tell her that the world wasn't what she thought it was?
This is never a good idea, especially in the current situation.
He finally said, "Qingxia, have you considered what will happen after victory? If we defeat Fansalar."
"Well... first I have to take responsibility and find a place for Grandpa and everyone else to settle down..." Qingxia crossed her arms, "Then, once the grudge is settled, I'll go out and explore my own life! I want to find other knights and embark on an adventurous journey to punish evil and promote good together~"
He listened to Qingxia's musings, and was transported back to the morning of the opening of Huilong City. Back then, Ji Huaisu sat among the fine grass on an empty island, discussing his dream of discovering his origins. He was so like the red-haired girl now. They both shared that same yearning, that same yearning, and you stood by, willing only to encourage, unable to interrupt.
"That's good." Chu Hengkong said finally, "That's good."
He finished a basket of roasted dried insects (Qingxia didn't like them) and promised to continue telling her stories when he had time. Then, Chu Hengkong left the hut and headed towards the center of the settlement. The warriors were gathered around the martial arts arena. The old man with rabbit ears had returned and was giving them some instructions.
"Silar." Chu Hengkong's voice was louder than he imagined. "I have something to say!"
"I have something to say, too!" Silar trotted over, his expression unprecedentedly nervous and excited. "The legendary Battle Cabbage Fortress has appeared! Get ready, we're leaving as soon as possible!"
(End of this chapter)
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