I Forged the Myth of the Ancient Overlords
Chapter 562 - 562 561. Somewhat self-aware_1

Chapter 562: 561. Somewhat self-aware_1 Chapter 562: 561. Somewhat self-aware_1 “Wait a moment,”

Lu Ban said, stopping him.

Everything from Taoist Crane Cry carried a hundred percent chance of containing pollution from the Foreign Domain.

If they were to open it here, Lu Ban himself wouldn’t care, but others would definitely get contaminated right on the spot; who knows, they might start sprouting a third hand or a fourth leg.

So Lu Ban directly held down Du Ming’s hand.

“Have any of you heard the rumor that one should not casually read books found in the wilderness?”

Lu Ban looked at the others and finally set his gaze on He Chong.

“…Right, right, some things are filled with curses, we’d better not open them rashly,”

He Chong quickly agreed with Lu Ban’s words.

“Indeed, as an old man who has been wandering the world for many years, I also know that sometimes it’s better not to know certain things,”

Shi Buwen looked at the booklet with a hint of wariness and displayed no intention of opening it to look through.

As for Blindman Zhang, he was blind to begin with and couldn’t see the content of the text.

Lu Ban pretty much knew why these two had been able to live for so long.

They do have some self-awareness!

Hearing the words of the others, Du Ming also restrained his desire to open and read the book.

“I’ve learned some ancient text interpretation before, how about I check this book first?”

Lu Ban then suggested.

“Didn’t you just say not to read it?”

Tang Que blurted out, somewhat puzzled.

“One doesn’t need to open it to check,”

Lu Ban took the thread-bound book from Du Ming’s hand, activating True Sight for a brief scan.

In such a situation, Lu Ban could clearly see the content of the first few pages.

[I often hear that one’s quest for knowledge is not due to humans diligently seeking it, but rather knowledge itself doggedly pursuing humans. Yet I know this to be false, for those with knowledge do not seek humans; they truly go out and hunt them down. Those callous as if with a depth of engraving, like hounds and eagles after a rabbit…]

After a passage that Lu Ban was very familiar with, one that discussed how knowledge from the Foreign Domain pursued humanity, Lu Ban saw the table of contents.

“The Secret Canon of Crane Cries in Nine Chapters” comprised ten chapters, with an introductory section and then nine chapters, each corresponding to various spells and their related knowledge.

For example, the Immortal Sand Resurrection Talisman that revives the dead, a ritual that allows one to become a half-ghoul by consuming corpses, methods to control lesser ghosts or some kind of Foreign Domain monster, and attempts to traverse the Foreign Domain.

For Lu Ban, this kind of knowledge was nothing new, and he estimated that only a few sections of the main text might cause him some dizziness, with the majority having no effect on him.

But for the Inheritors of the Ninth River, each chapter came with knowledge tainted with pollution, and every page would torment their sanity; let alone finishing the book, they would likely go insane just flipping through the first chapter and wish they could gouge out their own eyes.

Then the question arose,

Who had placed this volume here?

If Lu Ban hadn’t been here, Du Ming and the others would have inevitably opened and read its contents upon finding the book, becoming polluted by the knowledge, turning into madmen, and possibly even attempting the contents within, conducting those forbidden rituals, and ultimately summoning something dreadful.

This was worth some serious contemplation.

As everyone knows, scenes from the Foreign Domain are frozen images of the past, pages from history, and “The Secret Canon of Crane Cries in Nine Chapters” is not a product of this world but comes from the Abandoned Capital; its presence inevitably meant that a visitor from the Abandoned Capital had been here before, or at least a Chosen by Gods from the Foreign Domain.

What was their purpose?

If it was an unfriendly visitor from the Deep Sea or Misty City, or Dusk City, Lu Ban could easily understand that they were here to destroy this place.

But the Abandoned Capital theoretically stood on the same front as this world; there’s no reason for its people to harm the people of this world.

Lu Ban scrutinized the thread-bound book, deciding that if he had the chance, he would definitely open it to examine its contents thoroughly.

Retreat ten thousand steps, Lu Ban could also take it back to sell, which could be considered putting it to good use.

“Did you find anything?”

On the side, Du Ming inquired.

“This book is not of this world,”

Lu Ban said, feigning a deep knowledge.

“Not of this world? Could it be from the celestial realm?”

Du Ming was somewhat curious.

“Are you sure you do not recognize the name ‘Taoist Crane Cry’?”

Lu Ban asked the crowd again.

Everyone shook their heads.

“He was a cultivator, who, because of practicing forbidden spells, turned into a monster. The records he left behind are quite dangerous. If read recklessly, one might also become one of those monsters that have lost their sanity. I suppose none of you want to end up like that thing,”

Lu Ban pointed at the Divine Idol.

The crowd fell silent.

“Could it be that kid, Dai Yuanyang?”

In the midst of silence, He Chong suddenly said.

“He has been in contact with foreigners and might have brought something back with him. He could be trying to use that thing to have us kill each other, so he can reap the benefits of the fishermen?”

Upon hearing this, Seventh Master looked around.

“Where’s Dai Yuanyang?”

“He went into the guest room and hasn’t come out since.”

Shi Buwen pointed to the residential rooms.

“Let’s go find him.”

Either out of fear of Lu Ban or genuine dislike of Dai Yuanyang, He Chong, with Du Ming and Seventh Master, headed in that direction, leaving the Taoist Temple.

Tang Que and Shi Buwen were left behind.

The three looked at each other.

“Gentlemen, I am now going to look at the first few pages of this book. You don’t mind, do you?”

Lu Ban asked openly and honestly.

“Feel free. I, Shi, have no interest in ancient tomes of uncertain origin.”

Shi Buwen left with his hands behind his back, seemingly truly indifferent to the contents of the book.

Tang Que, on the other hand, looked at Lu Ban with keen interest, her gaze urging him on.

“Go ahead and read. If there’s anything interesting, let your sister here take a look with you,” she said.

Lu Ban just smiled in response and then opened the “Nine Chapters of the Crane’s Cry Secret Scripture.”

As soon as he directly looked at the text, Lu Ban felt as if ants were crawling over his eyes, causing an itch.

He quickly read the contents. With every word he saw, it felt like those ants were biting his eyeballs, spreading waves of pain. If it were anyone else, they likely would have been unable to endure and would have abandoned the book and left already.

Lu Ban tried to understand the content.

The text here, at first, was somewhat normal, consisting of Taoist Crane Cry’s insights into all things, including his views on knowledge, pollution, and foreign domains.

Toward the latter part, especially when recording his own process of seeking the way, it became obscure and unclear, the same phrases repeated many times, or it would skip contexts like missing scenes, without any logic.

Fortunately, by following the thought process of someone suffering from mental illness, Lu Ban carefully analyzed Taoist Crane Cry’s ideas and managed to extract some useful information.

One point, in particular, surprised Lu Ban; Taoist Crane Cry’s knowledge of cultivation did not stem from his own enlightenment but originated from an ancient manuscript he had acquired.

That book originally had only seven chapters. After studying and understanding them, Taoist Crane Cry transcribed, amended, and infused his own interpretations to create this “Nine Chapters of the Crane’s Cry Secret Scripture.”

As for the name of that original book, it could no longer be verified. Within this entire book, only its author was mentioned.

Mysterious Monarch.