Chapter 1693: Gold Leather Book

“What do you mean?”

“Do you remember the River Crossing Ghost Mother you once mentioned to me?” Dong Rui said. “It can impregnate human women, giving birth to ghost fetuses, most of which are grotesque, but occasionally one or two… look very much like humans.”

River Crossing Ghost Mother – it had been a long time since He Lingchuan heard that name. He immediately recalled the flesh fortress on the outskirts of Panlong City.

At that time, the River Crossing Ghost Mother had given birth to an extremely rare ghost spawn: the Abuser. This creature had snuck into the city’s suburban mines, seeking to devour people to grow, but was ultimately killed by He Lingchuan's team and General Hong.

He Lingchuan's team had fought the Abuser; even as a mere infant, it could assume human form and possessed powerful combat abilities.

“These ghost spawns differ only slightly from humans in terms of physical and brain structure, yet their abilities and lifespan far exceed those of humans.”

He Lingchuan pondered, “Isn't this the perfect human-shaped demon puppet? Why would the Sky God still need Cao Wendao to conduct research?”

“The problem is, the River Crossing Ghost Mother's chances of producing such offspring are extremely slim. Moreover, the River Crossing Ghost Mother is not a prolific deity; it might take decades for it to conceive a single ghost fetus. Even if it were to give birth to nine ghost spawns at once, the prospect of producing a nearly human descendant remains distant.”

“But since Cao Wendao’s notes contain this record, it indicates that the deity has succeeded before, though the probability is uncontrollable.” He Lingchuan recalled the Demonic Nest, where another Abuser, a living River Crossing ghost spawn, had once resided.

What are the consequences of an unstable experiment with a success rate dependent on sheer luck? It means mass production is impossible. Over time, it must be considered a failure.

“The Sky God seems a bit anxious, even forcing subordinate deities like the River Crossing Ghost Mother to conduct these experiments.” He Lingchuan stroked his chin. “Interesting.”

Only the dregs remained in the jar of apricot wine. Dong Rui had drunk so quickly that he let out two loud burps.

He was about to go to bed to rest and recover his energy, but he turned back from the doorway. He pulled a paper packet from his robe and handed it to He Lingchuan: “This is an urgent dispatch from Ding Zuodong, sent from the Yangshan Archipelago to Jucheng. I brought it along when I came to find you.”

An urgent dispatch? He Lingchuan took it and unfolded it.

Inside were a letter and six or seven ancient books.

The letter, written by Ding Zuodong, explained that the books had been retrieved from the Bai Lie Lu family's library, as per He Lingchuan's request.

Given Yangshan's current resources and wealth, Bai Lie had long been thoroughly infiltrated. The daily lives of Bai Lie's common people – their food, clothing, and housing – were all reliant on supplies from the Yangshan Chamber of Commerce. Furthermore, a large number of Bai Lie citizens worked and earned money in Yangshan's industries.

The Lu family wasn't blind to these drawbacks, but they were powerless to stop or rectify them.

The ancient texts on the table had been secretly given to Yangshan by Old Wang Tou, who managed the Lu family's library.

Old Wang Tou's grandson was preparing to propose to his beloved, but the betrothal gifts he had gathered were insufficient. So, Old Wang Tou stole old books from the Lu family library and gave them to Yangshan in exchange for a substantial reward.

After all, these old books merely sat at the bottom of chests; how many years had it been since anyone read them?

Old Wang Tou, being a book lover himself, was able to select exactly what Ding Zuodong wanted.

Ding Zuodong had only one requirement:

Collect ancient texts related to the Sky God and Immortals. The more detailed the content, the better, with less hearsay and sensationalism.

Dong Rui hadn't peeked earlier. Noticing how tattered the ancient books were, with the cover of the top one half-rotted away, he leaned over and glanced at them.

“‘Unofficial Records of Da Feng’? What is this, an examination paper?”

He Lingchuan carefully turned the pages of the books, fearing that even a breath might turn them into dust. “They've all been preserved, yet the pages are still so brittle. The Lu family’s library is truly poorly managed!”

“I have some mysteries that can only be solved by looking into history. The Bai Lie Lu family is an ancient lineage of immortals that has endured since the end of the High Antiquity, spanning nearly three millennia. The records they have collected and compiled over generations, even if just biographical details, genealogies, or historical notes, can reflect the human condition, social customs, and folk traditions of those times.”

These ancient texts were things the Lu family's descendants never bothered with, yet He Lingchuan had managed to acquire them.

He casually flipped through two of them; their content was unremarkable.

It wasn't until he picked up “Unofficial Records of Da Feng” that he noticed only its cover was made of paper, and it had been replaced at least once, as the handwriting on the cover differed from that within the pages.

He turned directly to the end and saw that the author was Lu Yanhe, and the recording time was roughly during the Da Feng era, about 1,300 years ago.

The specific timeframe of “over 1,300 years ago” immediately caught He Lingchuan’s attention.

“The name Lu Yanhe somehow rings a bell. Lingguang, help me find the Lu family genealogy.”

He had too many things, and some he didn’t use regularly were kept by Lingguang for safekeeping.

The jade peach necklace around Lingguang’s neck could store items. Upon hearing the request, it began searching through its storage.

Meanwhile, He Lingchuan explained to Dong Rui:

“‘Unofficial records’ aren't examination papers; rather, they are a method of record-keeping distinct from 'official histories.' They involve lateral investigation and inference, and their circulation is usually limited.”

He carefully turned the pages, feeling the material. “Official histories are like government records, often arbitrarily altered or rewritten by the victors. 'Unofficial records,' on the other hand, are usually privately documented and little known. Although they may contain some exaggeration and absurdity, some of these oblique descriptions can preserve true historical facts even better.”

The pages themselves were slightly transparent, with a grainy, somewhat soft texture to the touch. He Lingchuan found a large blank section and tried to gently tear it. To his surprise, it didn't rip; instead, it stretched, showing elasticity.

“A 1,300-year-old antique book still having elasticity is quite remarkable.”

The Lu family’s library was currently managed and preserved carelessly; Old Wang Tou’s ability to steal from it indicated that the library was rarely visited. Thus, the book's excellent preservation was solely due to its own inherent qualities.

The ghost ape also wanted to reach out and touch it, but Dong Rui slapped its hand away: “Impudent!”

Could an ancient book withstand its rough handling?

He Lingchuan had an idea. He pinched the page again and held it up to the light, realizing that its yellowed appearance wasn't due to age, but its original color, with a faint metallic sheen.

He stated with certainty, “This isn't paper; it's gold parchment.”

“Gold?” Dong Rui scratched his head, and the ghost ape mimicked him, even baring its teeth. Was this guy making fun of a monkey for being uneducated?

Madam Zhu was dozing nearby; the mere mention of books made her sleepy.

“During the Middle Antiquity, jade slips, which were originally used to store text, began to fade from use. Cultivators then had to find other ways to preserve writing long-term.” He Lingchuan tapped the page. “This is one such method: gold parchment books.”

“Our predecessors planted Gold-Attracting Grass in gold mines. This grass absorbs copper elements, making it stiff and giving it coarse fibers. When combined with other raw materials and processed using a special technique, it produces this indestructible gold parchment. Even if placed in a damp, dark place, it won't rot or decay as long as it's not directly immersed in water.”

How did He Lingchuan know this? A collection of gold parchment books was preserved in the Shumin Academy in Panlong City, which ordinary faculty members were not even qualified to borrow. Master Sun occasionally borrowed a few to read at home and would share many anecdotes and obscure facts with him.

Dong Rui, however, had only heard the words “gold mine.” He couldn't help it; he was simply that materialistic:

“Sounds expensive to produce.”

Could ordinary people cultivate plants beside a gold mine? He Lingchuan chuckled, “Indeed. To produce qualified gold parchment, you need Gold-Attracting Grass that has grown for at least five years. To make a thin booklet like this would cost no less than fifty taels of silver. So, the content within is certainly worth anticipating.”

What kind of content would Lu Yanhe write in a gold parchment book worth fifty thousand coins?

The script within was the language of the High Antiquity Immortals.

“Over 1,300 years ago was the standard Middle Antiquity period; Immortals hadn't yet vanished, and the Beijia hadn't appeared.” He Lingchuan said seriously, “I've always wanted to know what the world was like before the Beijia, and what the Immortals and Sky God were doing then.”

However, this ambition was not easily realized. Not to mention the Middle Antiquity, in this chaotic and tumultuous world, historical records from even two centuries ago were as rare as traces of a wild goose in melting snow.

As for the High Antiquity, only legends remained.

Even the Sky Demon, who invaded this realm and caused countless deaths, eventually became the Sky God worshipped by all people. In such a world, passing down anything truly important was incredibly difficult.

At that moment, Lingguang finally pulled out three thick volumes and slapped them onto the table.

“Found it! The Lu clan genealogy.”

The Lu clan had existed for three millennia, its lineage unbroken since the ancient war between Immortals and Demons, so naturally, its genealogy was very thick.

“Middle Antiquity, hmm, it should be in this bound volume.” He Lingchuan took out a volume of the Lu family genealogy and flipped through dozens of pages. He didn't even need to strain his eyes; the Soul-Snatching Mirror in his arms cried out, “Stop, found it! Yes, right on this page!”

He had found it.

According to the genealogy, Bai Lie was a proper nation at that time, located within what is now the Beijia territory.

Lu Yanhe was the younger brother of the then-ruler of Bai Lie, equivalent to a prince by today's standards. Bai Lie was powerful at that time, with a territory larger than Shan Yu Kingdom, the vassal demon state of Beijia. It also showed no fear of several other medium-sized powerful nations surrounding it.

Upon reading this, He Lingchuan felt a twinge of emotion.

If all the historical leaders of the Lu family had been like Lu Zhenxian, the Lu family would have died out long ago, even with Mount Ling as their backing. Fortunately, every few generations, opportunities and individuals emerged to revitalize the family, allowing the Lu clan to flourish for several more decades or even centuries.

Although there had always been a legend of "Sons of Fortune" within the Lu family, in simpler terms, wasn't this phenomenon just a manifestation of "talented individuals emerging from generation to generation"?

This Lu Yanhe was unconventional by nature and showed no interest in state affairs. He only left home to study after turning eighteen. Upon his return, his temperament became unrestrained. Instead of enjoying a life of luxury, he chose to travel, sometimes returning after seven or eight months, sometimes after two or three years. Though the ruler advised him to stay home more often, he paid no heed, pursuing his own path until he passed away peacefully at the age of one hundred and eighty-five.

With three millennia of history and countless descendants, the Lu family had many more extraordinary talents who could be extensively documented. Thus, the genealogy and family history did not dedicate much space to Lu Yanhe.

However, He Lingchuan noted that Lu Yanhe's identity was the ruler’s own younger brother, a prince. Being too diligent or ambitious in such a position could be detrimental, easily arousing the ruler's suspicion.