Martial Dao: Peace by Force

Chapter 207: Chapter 158: Harvest! A Match for Ten Thousand

It was just after three in the afternoon at Lingyun Manor, and the sunlight was perfect.

This winter sun wasn’t as harsh as in summer. It hung low in the sky, dyeing the entire manor in shades of orange.

The old locust trees in the manor had lost their leaves. Their interlocking branches cast fragmented shadows on the ground, and whenever the wind blew, the withered twigs would sway gently.

The crispness from the snowfall a few days prior still lingered in the air, but it was no longer so cold.

In the distance, mountains rose in layers. On the nearby lawn, the last of the snow had melted away, revealing the yellow-green turf beneath.

A few sparrows hopped around the courtyard, pecking at something before flying off with a FLUTTER of their wings.

When Wan Ze and Sun Beixi reached the entrance of the main building, Professor Song was already waiting for them. He stood on the steps, holding his old leather bag of many years in one hand and adjusting his reading glasses with the other, squinting up at the sky.

Hearing their footsteps, he turned his head, his gaze falling upon the two of them.

"Why are you late today?" he asked. There wasn’t much blame in his tone, just simple curiosity.

Wan Ze walked up the steps and said casually, "Ran into a petty thief. It held us up for a bit."

Professor Song faltered for a moment.

Wan Ze added, "It wasn’t related to this. A different matter. Not important."

Professor Song nodded and didn’t press further.

He had never been one to pry, and he knew some things—especially concerning Wan Ze—were better left unasked.

The three of them entered the main building, passed through the corridor, and arrived at the study they had been using for the past few days.

The study was spacious. Its floor-to-ceiling windows faced the small lake behind the manor, the water’s surface shimmering as it reflected the sky.

An entire row of bookshelves lined one wall, and a wide mahogany desk sat in the middle of the room.

Sun Beixi took out several stacks of manuscript paper and spread them out.

This was the fruit of their labor from the past few days.

Beside the papers lay a few open reference books and Professor Song’s Zisha teacup, which he had used for over a decade.

With practiced ease, Sun Beixi retrieved the small cloth pouch from his coat, unwrapped it to reveal the Ancient Volume inside, and then pulled a stack of fresh stationery from his pocket, placing it neatly on the desk.

"Professor Song, if you would."

Professor Song nodded, sat down at the desk, opened his leather bag, and took out several stacks of books.

They were of various thicknesses, some new and some old. Some were official publications, while others were his own hand-bound notes, their covers marked with neat, handwritten years and serial numbers.

"These are all my notes from over the years," he explained casually, noticing Wan Ze’s gaze. "With ancient scripts, sometimes the research on a single character can run for thousands of words. If you don’t write it down, you’ll forget it in a heartbeat."

Wan Ze walked over, casually picked up one of the notebooks, and flipped through it.

The pages were densely packed with handwriting, accompanied by photocopies of various rubbings. Some sections were even marked up in red ink.

But after flipping through just a few pages, his expression suddenly shifted.

A data box had popped up before his eyes.

[Illustrated Guide: Olmeck Ancient Script Appraisal]

[Beginner Level Skill Requirement: Learn one character]

Wan Ze’s hand paused.

He held the book impassively, his gaze fixed on the first character on the first page.

It was a symbol that looked like a cross between a bird and a snake. Next to it, in tiny, neat script, was a write-up on its pronunciation, meaning, origin, and evolution, taking up nearly half a page.

He read it, then turned the page.

In less than five minutes.

His Ancient Script Appraisal skill evolved twice in quick succession.

...

[Illustrated Guide: Olmeck Ancient Script Appraisal] (Intermediate - Mastered)

[New Effect: Intelligence +0.02]

[Skill High Level Satisfying Conditions: Appraise 20 Olmeck ancient characters]

...

The corners of Wan Ze’s mouth turned up slightly.

He simply pulled up a chair and sat down next to Professor Song.

Professor Song was bent over the Ancient Volume. Hearing the movement, he adjusted his reading glasses and glanced to the side.

Seeing that Wan Ze was just sitting and reading one of his notebooks, he thought nothing of it and went back to his work.

Less than ten minutes passed.

The data box before Wan Ze’s eyes flickered again.

...

[Illustrated Guide: Olmeck Ancient Script Appraisal] (High Level - Mastered)

[New Effect: Text Appraiser (Intelligence +0.03)]

[Special Level Skill Requirement: Appraise 100 Olmeck ancient characters]

...

’Appraise one hundred of them.’

Wan Ze glanced at the Ancient Volume on the table. There was still a little less than half of it left to go through. ’Combined with the material in Professor Song’s stacks of notes, getting to one hundred shouldn’t be a problem.’

Just as he was thinking this, Professor Song suddenly paused at a particular symbol.

The symbol was winding and convoluted, like a coiled snake or a tangled knot of thread.

Professor Song stared at it for a few seconds, his brow furrowed slightly. He reached for a reference book beside him.

"That character looks a lot like the one for ’sun’," Wan Ze said suddenly.

Professor Song’s hand froze in midair. He turned his head to look at him.

Wan Ze pointed to the symbol and continued, "Look, the main body of this symbol is basically the same as the one for ’sun’ on the third page. The difference is here..."

His fingertip tapped on the tangled lines at the bottom of the symbol.

"It has this extra stroke. The direction of this stroke is identical to the initial stroke of the symbol for ’flame’ on page seven. So, the meaning of this character should be a combination of ’sun’ and ’flame.’ It probably refers to a concept related to light and heat, like ’scorching sun’ or ’burning’."

Professor Song stared at the symbol for a few more seconds, then flipped back to the third and seventh pages to compare. A smile slowly spread across his face.

"You’re right."

He nodded and picked up his pen to jot a note in the margin. "I’ve never seen this character before; it must be some kind of variant. Now that you’ve explained it, it all makes sense."

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