When the five Tanzanies and Baishui arrived at the cabin, Jiāo had already arrived, with many bags on the ground beside her.
Abrafo asked, "You dug the grave by yourself?"
Jiāo said, "I didn't dig the grave. I just slide the dirt trap over and get our bags out."
"I'll help you carry the bags in," said Michio, and he went over and grabbed some bags that were lying on the ground.
Inside the small cabin, Jiāo took out the medicine and applied it to the wounds of Yul and Abrafo. "It will be fine in two days." She said with a smile.
Just as Jiāo was helping Abrafo tidy up his clothes, Kenix rushed in and stood outside the door. "Hey," she said out loud. She looked at Baishui and Jiāo. "Who the hell are you two?"
Baishui asked, "Who are you?"
Kenix said, "I asked you first."
Baishui said, "You step into my land, I have the right to ask you first."
Kenix asked, "This is your home?" Baishui nodded. "Then why didn't we see you when we first came here?"
Baishui said, "I just came back from a long journey."
Kenix threw a pheasant at Abrafo's feet, glared at Yul wildly, and rushed into the woods with other people who also returned from hunting.
Abrafo looked at Yul then at the dead pheasant on the ground. "What's wrong with her," he said, shaking his head.
Yul said, "You tell me you're the one who offended her."
Abrafo said, "If one of us offends her, it's probably you. Can you tell from the way she looks at Hajime?"
Michio picked up the pheasant and said, "Well, at least she's being considerate. I guess we're having this pheasant for dinner." He took the pheasant out and cleaned it.
Baishui looked at Yul and asked, "So, where are you going next?"
Yul asked, "Why do you ask?"
Baishui said, "I just want to hear it. If it's something I'm interested in, I might as well go with you."
Hajime asked, "Why are you suddenly interested in our journey?"
Baishui said, "I also like taking long trips."
Yul took out the map and handed it to Baishui. "We're going there," he said. "If you know the place, please lead the way."
Baishui looked at the map, then looked at Yul strangely. Then he looked at the people sitting at the table. Baishui put the map on the table and said, "You handed me a blank map, are you trying to fool me?"
Yul, Hajime, Abrafo, and U-ri looked at the clearly drawn map, and then at Baishui.
Yul asked, "Didn't you see any pictures on the map?"
Baishui said, "This map is blank. Nothing is written on it." He looked at Jiāo. "Jiāo, do you see anything on this map?"
Jiāo said, "My lord is right, this map is indeed blank, there is nothing on it."
Yul picked up the map, momentarily at a loss for words. He doesn't understand that everyone sees a map leading them to a place called Magior. He didn't know why Baishui and Jiāo couldn't see something that he and his men could see clearly.
Yul asked, "What about the place called Magior? Have you ever heard of it?" Yul could see the sudden changed expression on Baishui's face. "You've heard of it?"
Baishui said, "Why are you going there?"
Abrafo asked, "Well, do you know that place or not?"
Baishui said, "Tell me first why you want to go there. If you don't tell me, I won't tell you."
Yul said, "We're thrill seekers. We like to go to ancient places."
Baishui said, "Well, friends, I must disappoint you. A place like Magior is not a place where people can seek excitement."
Abrafo said, "What if we insist on going? The more dangerous the better for us."
U-ri said, "Don't listen to what Abrafo just said, because his opinion doesn't matter. We don't want to go into Magior blindly without knowing what we'll face when we enter the city. So, if you really have anything to help us, such good information would be greatly appreciated."
Yul looked at Baishui with a smile, and said, "Whether you say it or not, we still have to go, because that is the task our king entrusted to us."
Hajime said, "As brothers of the four sea corners, maybe your knowledge of Magior will allow us to survive."
Baishui laughed then said, "The four of you surely know how to gang up on one person. Alright, I lost. I'll tell you what I know."
U-ri said, "Wait." He rushed into the bedroom and took out his bag. He took out some paper and three charcoal pencils. He rushed back to the table and sat beside Baishui. "I'm ready."
Baishui said, "Hundreds of years ago, the lost city of Magior was called the magic city of warriors. It is said that every man and woman living in Magior is good at sword and archery. They can shoot and kill enemies from a distance. Magiori is nine feet taller than an ordinary mortal. A fully grown Magiori can reach a height of ten feet."
U-ri, who was taking notes, looked at Baishui and asked, "Is the city still there?"
Baishui said, "No, Magior City has long since ceased to exist, and now the land is covered with lush mountains and forests. There are several villages nearby, but I don't know if anyone still knows the exact location of Magior City."
Yul said, "Since it is not known to the outside world, it is possible that no one has set foot in this lost city."
Baishui said, "You can say that, but no one knows the way to Magior city."
Abrafo asked, "If no one knows, how can you know?"
Baishui said, "Dreake has a very large library with thousands of ancient books."
The word "ancient book" made U-ri very excited. His heart began to beat faster, and he already imagined himself in such a library. He asked, "How many books are you referring to?"
Jiāo said, "There are thousands of different kinds of ancient books, since the beginning of men."
U-ri's jaw dropped wide. He clenched tightly onto his dark charcoal pencil. "Before I go back to Tanzang, I have to visit Dreake…"
Hajime said, "U-ri you're missing the point. We're not going to Dreake, our destination is Magior."
U-ri said, "I'm useless to you, why don't you just leave me in Dreake City and pick me up after you get the key."
Yul said, "Not an option." He looks at Baishui. "Can you at least give us directions to Magior?"
Baishui said, "If you take me, I will gladly be your guide. I can take you to the village. I don't know the way into Magior."
Hajime asked, "Then, is it written in the ancient book how Magior became the lost city?"
Baishui said, "The King of Magior was deceived by the Eastern Witch and lured him to fight with mortals. According to ancient books, a king in the north heard the voice of the people, so he came to Magior alone, destroyed the city, and barricaded the Magiori warriors within their own city walls."
U-ri suddenly stopped writing and stared at the man beside him. He asked tremblingly, "Does the king of the north have a name?"
Baishui shook his head. "According to ancient books, the Northern King suddenly appeared at dawn. He destroyed Magior City overnight and disappeared without a trace the following morning. Therefore, no one knows his identity."
Yul asked, "Is that all the records?"
Baishui nodded. "Not much is known about Magior and its people, and maybe when we get to the village, the villagers may give us some new clues that haven't been documented," he said with a smile. "In fact, I'm excited to be on this expedition with everyone."
Jiāo pulled Baishui up from the table and said, "May I talk to you in private?" She dragged Baishui out of the cabin.
Abrafo looked at the other three people sitting at the table, and said, "I don't know if the Northern King is the same person as the Tenth King."
U-ri said, "The tenth king is a mortal man, it is impossible to suddenly appear and disappear without a trace."
Yul looked at Hajime and said, "Didn't you say that Avalokitesvara once told you that a mage can travel through time and space twice in a lifetime, right?"
Hajime nodded.
Yul said, "What if the Tenth King can also rift through time and space like other mages?"
Hajime said, "Or the Northern King could be someone else. Maybe the villagers crowned him king because he saved them."
Yul said, "You once asked why those mages couldn't travel through time and space to take the Kukungga people away, so they would not be killed by the soldiers." He looked at Hajime.
Hajime said, "It's just my opinion, but who knows if they truly can rift through time and space or not."
Yul looked at Hajime, Abrafo, and U-ri. He said, "What if, even though those mages wanted to rift through time and space at that time, they couldn't do it? It's not that they didn't reach the highest enlightenment, but because they no longer have this ability?"
Hajime said, "You mean, the Tenth King somehow stole their abilities?"
U-ri said, "Ability cannot be stolen."
Michio walked into the cabin and said, "A person can take another person's ability in two ways. The first way is to devour their souls and take away all their accumulation of merit. The other is that this person is willing to transfer his ability."
Abrafo asked, "So, if the King of the North is the Tenth King, which way do you think he took?"
Michio said, "If we want to get the real answer, we can rift through time and space and ask him in person."