Chapter 28: Page of Book: Omniscient

Bu Village Rental Apartment.

After sleeping for an entire day and night, Jing Rui finally regained some consciousness. With weary eyes, he opened them slightly and noticed something stuffed into his mouth. Instinctively chewing, it took a while before parched taste buds detected a hint of sweetness.

Bread.

Ignoring the discomfort in his mouth, Jing Rui promptly began gulping down the bread. Although small, it provided him with much-needed strength.

Having completely swallowed the small loaf, Jing Rui struggled to rise from the bed. Without wasting any more time, he stumbled into the bathroom, turned on the faucet, and eagerly drank from the tap. Thirst and hunger consumed his every thought.

The kitchen had little food left, only a few raw eggs and instant noodles remaining. Jing Rui didn’t hesitate; he cracked open several eggs and drank them directly. Then, with trembling hands, he ignited the stove, boiled water, and prepared himself a large bowl of egg noodles.

Two hours later, Jing Rui’s belly was grotesquely bloated as he lay on the small living room sofa, emitting a foul odor. Yet, he felt an unprecedented sense of comfort.

Being alive truly is wonderful.

After resting for another hour, Jing Rui finally got up to take a shower and clean the house. During his ordeal, he had neglected eating and drinking, relieved himself indiscriminately, all while obsessively staring at that tea egg like a madman.

By late evening, Jing Rui regained a more human appearance, and the unpleasant smell in the room slowly dissipated. However, when he brought his right hand closer to examine it, the symbols were gone. He searched thoroughly from head to toe, but they had vanished without transferring elsewhere.

“Did the person my cousin sent to rescue me not only take away the egg but also my ‘golden finger’?” Jing Rui pondered, lying on his bed.

He didn’t feel hatred; if someone had arbitrarily come to steal his ‘golden finger’, Jing Rui would have undoubtedly cursed them for eight generations, ensuring their misery. But this situation was different - the rescuer acted out of concern for him.

Composing himself, it would be dishonest to say he wasn’t disappointed or saddened by the loss. However, there was nothing he could do now. Fortunately, before losing his golden finger, it had imbued numerous items with abilities, leaving behind many useful objects.

With this thought, Jing Rui got up from his bed and pulled out a suitcase from the cabinet.

Opening it, he revealed around five to six items inside.

On the far left were two folded outfits, one entirely black which Jing Rui named “Pidan.” Its ability stemmed from detective stories where the culprit always wore all-black before the mystery’s revelation.

This outfit functioned similarly; when worn, it would completely envelop him, making him as smooth and dark as a tea egg. During this state, his agility became remarkably enhanced, allowing him to perform challenging feats with ease. Additionally, its defensive capabilities were excellent; Jing Rui had once tried cutting at his hand with a kitchen knife but couldn’t penetrate it.

However, there was a drawback: if someone called out the wearer’s name and recognized them, the clothing would automatically fall off and remain unusable for twelve hours.

Another outfit consisted of a blue suit with a red bow tie. When donned, it significantly increased the wearer’s intelligence for twenty-four hours, effortlessly transforming a struggling student into an academic genius. The issue arose after removing it, as the original IQ would permanently decrease by a small margin.

Comparatively, Jing Rui could tolerate Pidan’s side effects more than those of this Blue Wisdom Suit. He didn’t want to risk wearing it multiple times and ending up as a fool.

Next to the suit lay a tattered doll, known as a Curse Doll. By writing someone’s birth date and time on a slip of paper and inserting it into the doll’s belly, that person would suffer extreme misfortune for the following week. However, with each use, the doll deteriorates further until it becomes unusable. Jing Rui had never dared to employ this Curse Doll so far.

Similar entities like the Lantern Ghost and Candle Spirit have also emerged, but unlike the doll, they were alive. Whenever the Lantern Ghost appeared, it immediately rushed towards him, attempting to absorb his soul. Fortunately, he possessed the magic wand; after transforming, he managed to banish the Lantern Ghost. The Candle Spirit posed a similar threat. Once driven away, he couldn’t tell where these evil creatures went off to.

Apart from the Curse Doll, there was also a Magic Wand nearby. To clarify, what he gave Yu Qian was actually a Fairy Wand, while his is the true Black Magic Wand. If one must differentiate, in the “Magic Little Immortal” show, Fairy Wands were used by the protagonists, and Magic Wands by the antagonists.

Regardless of whether it’s a fairy or magic wand, using them both feels incredibly embarrassing. After performing an awkward dance, one must shout “Magic Wand Transform” or “Fairy Wand Transform”. Can you imagine a man seriously dancing awkwardly and yelling “Magic Wand Transform,” only to end up with a cheap-looking, flowery fairy outfit?

Jing Rui could, as he had experienced it himself.

Apart from these items, there was also a wig inside the box. However, this wig boasted an exaggerated feature - seven constantly shifting colors. When worn, it granted a significant charm boost.

It was remarkably high.

Jing Rui tried the wig once, then spent money to invite a young lady for exploring the origins of life’s meaning. She became wildly infatuated with him, even refusing payment. The young lady believed that exploring the origins of life was a noble scientific endeavor, and accepting money would dishonor knowledge and science.

After gaining a rough understanding of the charm boost’s potency, Jing Rui put away the wig. There remained one more item, the most important one, which Jing Rui called the Page of Book. This page was impervious to water and fire, containing vast knowledge and secrets from countless worlds.

The person holding it could ask questions, and the Page of Book would answer exhaustively without withholding information. However, its biggest issue was its penchant for lying. Its responses always mixed truth with falsehoods, making it impossible to discern fact from fiction. Following its advice blindly could lead to disastrous consequences.

Apart from the magic wand given to Yu Qian, these were all the controllable items he possessed. The rest exhibited unpredictable powers; either he actively expelled them or watched as they mysteriously disappeared on their own.

Suddenly remembering something, Jing Rui crouched down and began searching the floor. As expected, he found a sewing needle lodged in a crack.

“Madam Rong’s needle,” Jing Rui chuckled bitterly.

This needle was another peculiar object, possessing the ability to inflict intense pain upon piercing someone, steadily increasing in severity. Jing Rui estimated that a normal person would likely succumb to the unbearable agony within a minute.

Previously, when he managed to call Yu Qian, it was after using Madam Rong’s needle on himself. The excruciating pain momentarily cleared his mind, but the aftermath left him drenched in cold sweat. With trembling hands, he accidentally dropped the needle into the floor crack.

Having organized everything, Jing Rui began contemplating his next steps. Initially, he planned to become like a legendary “Ten Li Slope Sword God,” starting at the peak upon leaving home, but that aspiration was dashed due to a single tea egg.

Continuing with caution seemed impractical now. Although these items possessed extraordinary abilities, none directly enhanced his personal capabilities.

This was the flaw of his golden finger.

His golden finger granted objects powers based on his understanding, but it couldn’t magically create divine artifacts such as immortal peaches, elixirs, or cultivation manuals out of thin air.

Without his golden finger, these items were Jing Rui’s only bargaining chips. He considered trading them strategically, but the question arose: With whom should he trade?

As the world undergoes transformation, who possesses genuine resources for cultivation?

The Hanming Country government?

Jing Rui, being young and somewhat immature, lacked broad perspectives. The thought of collaborating with the government initially frightened him. What if they invoked national duty and compelled him to serve the people? Or worse, what if they honored him with a ceremonial banner, tying him down further?

That was hard to determine.

Having no other avenues, Jing Rui pondered for a moment before suddenly smacking his forehead.

How foolish! I should ask my cousin.

The person who rescued him clearly wasn’t ordinary and seemed decent enough. Although Jing Rui vaguely recalled some rough handling, like being tossed onto the bed with a hint of disdain, the subsequent act of hydrating him and providing bread indicated genuine concern.

With newfound determination, Jing Rui took out the Page of Book. As soon as he opened it, a face appeared on the page. Naturally, this face displayed the paper’s white hue and constantly shifted within its confines.

“Back again, I knew you needed me. Feel free to ask any questions; the Page of Book delights in imparting knowledge and resolving doubts. However, next time don’t place me alongside those inferior items—it tarnishes my reputation as the all-knowing, omnipresent Page of Book.” The voice of the Page of Book sounded like a raspy duck quack, slightly comical yet quite grating.

Jing Rui took a deep breath, “I just escaped danger…”

“I know, I know. That tea egg possessed the attribute ‘Priceless Treasure,’ naturally inciting greed among intelligent beings.”

“That’s not the main issue. Do you know who my cousin brought to save me this time? Which organization does he belong to?”

“You’re asking about that? He belongs to… Hmm… Wait a moment… Jing Rui, the symbol on your hand is gone.”

Jing Rui furrowed his brow, sensing something peculiar in Page of Book’s tone. “I don’t need you to remind me. It might be because they want to isolate the tea egg’s greed; I’ll have to find a way to remove the symbol from my hand.”

Page of Book displayed a wide grin, almost as if it could leap off the paper. “Your reasoning makes sense. So, let the all-knowing Page of Book enlighten you: Your cousin was quite fortunate; the person she found is a successor of an ancient jianghu sect.

As profound truths re-emerge and mysticism gradually revives, dormant sects are slowly resurfacing. Therefore, I suggest you seek out this individual. With the symbol now gone, you no longer have the option to remain hidden. Why not join this sect instead? Future you will thank today’s decision.”

“I was indeed planning to trade… Wait, what did you say about ancient jianghu sects?”

“Of course, mysteries resurface - note the ‘re’. You should understand my meaning. Moreover, single combat isn’t suitable for you. Trading cannot last forever; your resources are limited. Joining their sect would be most appropriate.”

“What existing jianghu sects are hidden in this world?” Jing Rui felt increasingly apprehensive, as he had never considered such possibilities before.

He assumed that with the emergence of mystical powers, who would be the first to seek control over these unstable factors? Undoubtedly, it would be the governments of various countries worldwide. Thus, Jing Rui envisioned his adversaries as the leaders of those governments, considering himself also an unpredictable element due to his possession of symbols.

“Go join them, and you’ll find out once you’re part of one. Although I am all-knowing, many sects possess abilities beyond your imagination. It’s similar to when you asked about the origin of symbols; I knew but couldn’t reveal it without risking a rupture.”

“I’ll think about it,” Jing Rui hesitated, not entirely trusting Page of Book. Experience had shown him that its words were usually eight parts truth mixed with two parts deception, often leading to significant pitfalls at crucial moments.

“Fine, fine, think hard about it then. But I don’t want to stay with those ugly and lowly creatures anymore. Carry me with you so that whenever you have questions, you can ask me instantly. I assure you, every word I speak will be from my genuine heart, okay master?”

With a snap, Jing Rui closed the Page of Book. Today, the page seemed unusually cooperative—though he couldn’t help but wonder what scheme it was concocting.