Chapter 2835: Chapter 2836: Olao’s Inspiration
Olao’s words fell, and a buzz erupted among the crowd, even Adanis showed an incredulous expression.
Black Earl and Vay are of the Noah Clan, so it’s expected that they could enter the Qingkong Poetry Room. But what qualifications does Angel have to enter?
Adanis: "You say he can come in? On what grounds?"
Olao didn’t answer Adanis’s question, but instead turned to Angel with eyes full of expectation, seemingly encouraging Angel to move forward.
Angel was actually puzzled: "Why do you think I can come in?"
Olao: "Once you come in, the answer will reveal itself naturally."
Olao’s answer, in effect, said nothing. What does it mean that he’ll have an answer once he enters? If he finds he can’t get in and Adanis deems him an intruder, wouldn’t that result in a conflict?
Angel even doubted whether Olao was inciting a direct confrontation between himself and Adanis.
But if that were true, there was no need for Olao to help them stop Adanis’s attack in the corridor earlier?
Angel was very confused, but he knew the best choice at that moment was—
"No." Angel directly refused.
Olao: "Why refuse, aren’t you here for the Qingkong Poetry Room?"
Angel: "I don’t know how you... Mr. Olao, came to that conclusion. However, I can clearly state that I’m not that interested in the Qingkong Poetry Room."
Adanis: "You’re lying!"
Angel sighed lightly, looking at Adanis: "Madam, do you know me well? Before assuming things, why not open your eyes and see?"
What Angel said actually belonged to the category of "frank talk," the so-called "frank talk" can be judged true or false by truth-telling techniques. For those with strong observation skills, they don’t even need truth-telling techniques to determine whether Angel is speaking the truth.
Adanis: "If you’re not interested in the Qingkong Poetry Room, how could you break through all obstacles to come here? And, the Wise Sovereign, that old man, wouldn’t easily trust people, yet he chose to trust you—I don’t believe you are here without a purpose."
Angel: "I definitely have a purpose for being here, but it’s also true that I’m not interested in the Qingkong Poetry Room. Believe it or not, it’s up to you."
Angel was too lazy to argue with Adanis anymore, taking a few steps back, showing an expression of "I’m not involved in what happens next."
Earlier, when Olao told Angel he could enter the Qingkong Poetry Room, he did feel a bit tempted. But remembering Olao’s words before claiming Angel could enter were "should, maybe, possibly," he wasn’t too moved.
Seeing the interior of the Qingkong Poetry Room would indeed be best, but it wouldn’t matter if he didn’t see it. Anyway, Vay and Black Earl promised they’d use the Photostone to record the interior environment, so certainly they wouldn’t break their word.
Since he could easily get the information about the inner environment, why take the risk of "should, maybe, possibly," to break into the Qingkong Poetry Room? There’s no need.
Moreover, deep down, Angel actually had another backup plan.
If Vay and Black Earl encountered unexpected situations, making it impossible for him to learn about the interior... Of course, this probability is very small. Even if there wasn’t a Photostone, merely relying on memory, Black Earl and Vay could recall the situation inside, the Photostone serves only as auxiliary proof.
But a small probability doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist, for instance, if the interior is completely obscured by Illusionary Realm or Mirror, preventing them from seeing the truest side, then nothing could be done.
Angel would just have to activate the backup plan.
The backup plan is actually simple: use the Dream Conch to pull the Qingkong Poetry Room directly into the Wilderness of Dreams.
At that time, he’d only need to explore the Qingkong Poetry Room in the Wilderness of Dreams.
However, using the Dream Conch in front of the crowd would surely attract attention. Though they might not be able to guess Angel’s purpose for using the Dream Conch, a seed of doubt would surely be planted.
And these seeds of doubt would certainly be triggered when the Wilderness of Dreams appears in reality.
Even if at that moment, Angel has countermeasures, it would be best if they weren’t triggered. After all, it would ultimately be a hassle, and what Angel hates most is dealing with unnecessary trouble.
If it can allow him to save effort, why complicate things? Just like now, if Vay and Black Earl can assist, why should he do it himself?
After Angel showed an attitude of "I’m not going, I refuse," Adanis was completely stunned.
She always thought Angel was the biggest variable, but why wouldn’t he take the usual path?
At this moment, Adanis inexplicably felt an emptiness in her heart.
Perhaps because not long ago, Olao had sincerely said: "I want to get an answer from these people, and I also want to see my back route... and your future."
Whether Adanis agrees with this or not, it indeed complicated her emotions a lot. She felt repulsed by them, yet faintly curious and expectant. She really wanted to know what answer Olao expected to get from these people?
And Adanis implicitly acknowledged that when Olao mentioned "these people," he actually referred to Angel.
And now, Angel’s refusal to go in made Adanis quite at a loss.
Could it be that he misunderstood, that Olao wasn’t referring to Angel but someone else?
Adanis turned to look at Olao, wanting to see what Olao had to say.
Olao still looked at Angel, without giving any attention to others, as if in his eyes, only Angel existed.
He silently stared at Angel, as if seeing something beyond Angel, and after a while, he spoke again.
"Maybe what I said earlier was somewhat ambiguous, leading to your choice of refusal."
Angel looked at Olao, the other party showing an expression of "I understand everything."
Angel actually wanted to say the reason wasn’t this, he purely wanted to save some effort. But he thought about it and didn’t speak up, instead waiting for Olao to continue his words.
Olao had this tone, there must be more to come.
Indeed, Olao, with a meaningful tone, said: "As long as you answer one question for me, I can determine whether you have the qualifications to enter the Qingkong Poetry Room."
Angel was silent for a moment and quietly said: "I’m not from the Noah Clan, nor do I have Noah bloodline, nor do I have ancestors similar to Empty-hearted People or those who carry the stigma of doubt."
Olao: "That’s not the question I want to ask."
Angel: You want to ask something, just ask directly. Stopping for such a long time only lets me guess, and then you give a negative answer, isn’t it a waste of time?
Angel, internally grumbling a lot, outwardly stayed calm: "Then what would Mr. Olao like to ask, feel free to say."
Olao: "You... have seen him, haven’t you?"
Angel instinctively replied: "Seen whom? Who are you talking about?"
Olao: "You know who he is."
This answer almost reignited Angel’s spirit of complaint, but looking at Olao’s eyes full of longing, Angel involuntarily thought of someone.
"You mean... Augustine?"
Olao nodded vigorously.
Adanis, standing by the side, showed a pensive expression: Is this the reason why Olao values Angel?
Angel instinctively wanted to say "no." But when the words reached his lips, he took them back.
According to the reality, he hadn’t seen Augustine’s True Body, but when refining the key, he encountered Augustine within the Alchemy Omen.
But whether seeing Augustine within the Alchemy Omen could be considered "seeing" him, was still debatable.
Angel carefully chose his words: "Haven’t seen in reality."
If Angel said "haven’t seen," Olao would be very disappointed. But Angel intentionally added "reality," this unusual answer structure, interpreted another way is... "Then have you seen him outside of reality?"
Angel nodded: "Sort of."
Olao let out a long sigh of relief: "I didn’t judge wrongly... You may enter."
Angel was still puzzled: "What does this mean?"
Others also looked at Olao with confusion, especially the Black Earl, why did Olao allow Angel to enter the Qingkong Poetry Room, Noah’s ancestral land? Just because Angel had seen Augustine?
Olao pondered for a moment and said: "I was going to tell you after you entered, but since you’ve answered my question, it doesn’t matter to say it now."
Pausing for a moment, Olao deliberately glanced at Adanis: "Weren’t you curious before about why I was so focused on him? You should have guessed the answer by now?"
Adanis: "Is it because of Augustine?"
Olao nodded: "Precisely."
Olao turned to look at Angel again: "Yesterday, when you arrived at the Hanging Jail Stairway. In a mysterious connection, I heard a recitation of poetry."
"The style of the recited poems was very familiar to me, exactly like the style of Master Augustine. But the voice reciting was not Master Augustine’s."
"This is the first time in millennia that I’ve received inspiration related to Master Augustine. I pondered for a long time, yet couldn’t understand what this inspiration meant."
"Only when I saw you reflected in Adanis’ Mirror did I understand."
"At the moment I saw you, that figure reciting in my inspiration suddenly had a visual image. It was a blond man, with his back turned to me, loudly reciting Master Augustine’s poem."
At this point, Olao looked at Angel: "Through the Wall Barrier, I couldn’t see your true appearance. But I guess you are not red-haired, but blond, right?"
Angel did not deny it and nodded: "...Yes."
Olao’s mouth curved into a smile: "Indeed, the person in my inspiration is you."
Angel did not deny or confirm, instead, after contemplating for a moment, he quietly asked: "May I ask, what is the beginning of that poem?"
"Of course." Olao paused for a moment and then recited loudly in the tone from his inspired vision: "Oh, my dear Margaret, I miss you so much, even if the Forest is full of miasma, even if the city’s guards are everywhere..."
"Stop!" Angel’s skin crawled upon hearing the beginning. No, he couldn’t continue; it was truly too embarrassing.
This reciting tone, and the content of the poem, Angel was all too familiar with.
This was the poem he recited to Augustine in the Alchemy Omen!
Calling it a poem was almost insulting to poetry. Hence, when Angel recited it, he didn’t even dare to face Augustine directly, leaving only a back view.
The figure in Olao’s inspiration also depicted Angel’s back view; this could not be called a mere coincidence.
It was as though Augustine had directly projected the scene from the Alchemy Omen into Olao’s inspiration!
Angel took a long breath and then addressed Olao: "The person you mentioned reciting the poem is very likely me. Then what?"
Olao smiled: "Great, it’s definitely you, so there’s no problem."
"You are someone Master Augustine favors, you can definitely enter the Qingkong Poetry Room!"
With Angel’s admission and Olao’s delighted confirmation, the expressions of everyone became somewhat complex. Among them, the most complicated emotions Angel could sense came from the Black Earl and Adanis.
However, at this moment, Angel could not care what they were thinking.
All he wanted now was to know one thing.
"Then what?"
Angel paused: "I said before, my goal could be achieved without entering the Qingkong Poetry Room. Now you want me to enter, surely there must be a reason?"
Angel’s words left Olao dumbfounded.
They were already at the Qingkong Poetry Room, and after battling through so many barriers, Angel just stood outside the door, saying his goal was achieved?
Olao had previously thought Angel was saying this deliberately.
But now, seeing Angel had no intention of stepping forward, he realized Angel was serious; he truly did not particularly want to enter the Qingkong Poetry Room.
After thinking for a moment, Olao said: "I can’t give a clear reason. But you are the first in millennia that I have felt inspiration related to Master, perhaps this is also a hint from Master for me and Adanis."
Adanis scoffed: "Don’t involve me; it has nothing to do with me."
Olao paid no heed to Adanis and continued to look at Angel: "Right now, there’s no reason. But once you enter, maybe a reason will emerge?"
Angel frowned: "What do you mean?"
Olao: "After seeing you through Adanis, I wanted to confirm some thoughts and deliberately went to see you once... Speaking of which, that time, you even discovered me."
What Olao spoke of was the incident at the arena; he possessed a Void Magical Creature among a crowd of malevolent Void Magical Creatures, only one revealed goodwill, like the only star in the night sky, how could Angel not notice.
"After seeing you, I confirmed my inner thought again because I felt the presence of Master in you."
Angel: "Are you sure?"
Olao nodded: "Earlier, when I gazed at you from afar, I was unsure. But now with you close at hand, I’m even more certain. You definitely carry Master’s presence."
Angel tightly furrowed his brows; listening to Olao’s words, did Augustine do something to him?
Could it have been something during the Alchemy Omen?
Suddenly, Angel felt uneasy; during this period, he hadn’t sensed anything abnormal in his body, yet Olao displayed such certainty.
Is this reality, or deception?
Olao: "Perhaps Master left a presence hoping you would come to the Qingkong Poetry Room."
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