Chapter 8: Are Archaeologists This Fit?
Wei Gong Shirou absolutely could not have imagined that someone could exaggerate the creation of ordinary Magic Circuits to such an absurd degree.
Therefore, he also couldn't understand why Zhou Yuxuan, while fighting, suddenly retreated with a drastic change in expression, looking at him with a shocked face.
Are you still fighting?
“I have thoroughly experienced your martial arts and Western magic, Mr. Wei Gong,” Zhou Yuxuan put away his huge greatsword, seemingly intending to stop there. “You are truly capable, and Wa Zhu’s test ends here.”
“No, that greatsword of yours, why didn’t you use it?”
Wei Gong, however, did not want to end it. Until just now, that ring-pommel greatsword had not left its scabbard. Zhou Yuxuan had simply used the scabbard to smash like a door.
This meant that to achieve the true name release of the noble phantasm, that greatsword needed to be drawn from its scabbard.
He had originally wanted to witness the release of this ancient noble phantasm. To project a noble phantasm, the more thorough his understanding and analysis of the genuine noble phantasm, the closer his projected noble phantasm would be to the original.
“You saw it?”
Zhou Yuxuan smiled, stroking the black scabbard with one hand. Inside, a low dragon’s roar seemed to faintly resonate, its immense power overflowing.
“This item… is mostly used as a facade and token for the Zhou Family. It cannot be formally activated easily unless it’s a critical moment. If activated, it requires a price almost equal to life itself. Besides, Wei Gong, you are already considered an honored guest of my Zhou Family, not an enemy to be slain.”
“…” Wei Gong fell silent. It seemed to require a magical power that almost exhausted one's life force to release it. That was indeed an extraordinary price, and now he couldn't very well ask them to release the noble phantasm.
Zhou Yuxuan said, “If you, Wei Gong, insist on seeing the true form of this ‘Broken Dragon Terrace,’ I can also apply to Wa Zhu—only she can wield this weapon now, and Wa Zhu has a good impression of you, so perhaps she would be willing to demonstrate the power of the Broken Dragon Terrace.”
At this moment, a grinning face leaned in, and Old Tang clapped Wei Gong Shirou on the shoulder heartily: “Wei Gong brother sure has a lot of face, just chatting casually can get you into the sight of important figures. Ah, my Old Tang’s only accomplishment in this life is playing esports.”
There was no hint of disappointment in Old Tang’s words; rather, he exuded a triumphant air of “hooking up with a good brother and living the good life from now on.”
As expected, the next second Old Tang gave Zhou Yuxuan a knowing look, appearing quite shrewd, “Brother Zhou, regarding the original… relic mission, aren’t hunters supposed to go in as cannon fodder? Since your family has approved, then can my Wei Gong brother and I…”
Zhou Yuxuan raised his hand and said, “It’s just a mission reward. Since Mr. Wei Gong has been recognized, there’s no problem for him to receive the reward without entering the ruins. As for you, it depends on whether Wei Gong agrees.”
“Thank you! Thank you so much!” Old Tang experienced the joy of getting something for free for the first time, then turned to Wei Gong, “Brother, this time I—”
Wei Gong Shirou was squinting into the distance.
“Does your Zhou Family have any additional arrangements here today?”
“?” Zhou Yuxuan was puzzled. “No, besides the private meeting with Mr. Wei Gong, there’s nothing else. Personnel from other families outside the Zhou Family will arrive earliest tomorrow.”
Wei Gong looked into the far distance through his enhanced eyes.
Although reinforcement magic is basic, its application is flexible. It can not only enhance strength by reinforcing limbs but also improve sensory abilities—for example, reinforcing the eyes can enhance visual acuity, creating an effect similar to “pseudo-clairvoyance.”
Wei Gong’s high accuracy in archery was certainly due to his exquisite skill and the high quality of his bow and arrows, but it also owed much to his excellent eyesight.
“I see vehicles driving straight towards here.”
— — — —
Su Xiaoqiang sat in a black Audi A8, the engine humming softly, and the car’s audio system played Altan’s “Daily Growing.” Uncle Li was driving. As dusk fell, lights became sparse, and the pure black sedan seemed to gradually merge into the night.
Su Xiaoqiang had told Uncle Li that the hotel was too boring and asked him to drive around to clear her head, but in reality, she was curious and heading towards the location Wei Gong Shirou had shown her when she asked for directions.
Perhaps it was more than just curiosity. She saw that the red-haired youth’s grave expression didn’t seem fake, as if he were a warrior in a movie, burdened with a heavy mission, facing his teammates in peril, and resolutely plunging like a sharp knife into the enemy’s ambush.
Su Xiaoqiang, a pampered young lady with a stable life, immense wealth, and ample boredom, had self-concocted this entire heroic rescue scenario and then believed she had fully empathized with it.
“Miss, it’s already dark enough. At least for driving safety, we should turn on the headlights—” Uncle Li couldn’t help but say.
“Eh! No, no!”
Su Xiaoqiang acted flustered. Uncle Li felt suspicious. From the beginning, Su Xiaoqiang hadn't allowed him to turn on the headlights, saying something about wanting to enjoy the pristine night scenery. Such a clumsy excuse was clearly fake.
Glancing ahead, a dark, large transport truck was driving straight in a certain direction, about to disappear from view. Although Su Xiaoqiang said she was just driving around, her direction undoubtedly coincided with the one ahead.
While driving, Uncle Li took a moment to set his phone to one-touch dialing and recording.
Not long after, Uncle Li prepared to brake and slow down, “Miss, it seems we’re almost there.”
“Really!?” Su Xiaoqiang jolted, the words bursting out, then realized she hadn’t revealed her destination to Uncle Li before. “Uncle Li, how did you know?”
“Because there’s a sign ahead that says ‘Road Closed, Vehicles Detour’…”
As Uncle Li spoke, his brows suddenly furrowed. The transport truck ahead had actually crashed through the blockade and barriers.
Su Xiaoqiang, however, was not surprised but delighted. Specially blocking the road, there was indeed something going on!
She was about to say to keep driving forward when suddenly, a thumping sound came from outside the car window. The sound was very clear; someone was knocking on the outside of the Audi.
Su Xiaoqiang subconsciously reached out to roll down the window, but almost instantly, a chill spread through her entire body from her scalp to her toes—
An Audi driving alone at high speed in the middle of the road, yet someone was knocking on its window from outside?
But the car window was already rolled down, and under Su Xiaoqiang's somewhat horrified gaze, a very familiar red-haired man's face appeared outside the window.
“?”
Wei Gong Shirou, who had used reinforcement magic to boost his leg strength and run to catch up with the Audi, touched his face with some confusion. Was he that scary-looking?
“It’s you!”
Su Xiaoqiang regained her composure, her somewhat stiff facial expression relaxing. Uncle Li, seeing this from the front seat, slowly brought the Audi to a stop, his finger moving away from the one-touch dial button.
“Why are you here? It’s very dangerous here… I mean, this is a national key archaeological project site, and unauthorized entry is prohibited!”
Facing Su Xiaoqiang, who was about to retort, Wei Gong Shirou directly displayed a stack of documents he had obtained from Zhou Yuxuan, including his “Archaeological Excavation Qualification Permit,” “Cultural Relics Protection Certificate,” and “Archaeological Excavation Team Certification.” This forced her original words back, turning them into a complaint:
“No, are you archaeologists really this fit? Running to catch up with an Audi without even panting?”