The Stone King's Lover (石王的愛)

Chapter 37

Wen Reian

2004 years after The Long Night

Jingshén

<Library>

It was luck, merely miserable luck that Wen Reian had the whole library to himself. Not brave enough to find Master Hao or anyone else to ask for help, he was left to his own devices in uncovering the meaning of Xie Yi-jun's mystery word.

How great would it be if the answer was in the first book I opened?!

Sighing, Reian climbed the ladder up to the second landing with a looming sense of unease at the many hours he knew awaited him...

At least I know roughly where the language section is, he mused. All that time in here must have paid off a little bit-

Once again, the boy pulled his sleeve back to stare at the two things written there in the King's very unique handwriting;

What did you do today?

ɮiɟ͡ʝ

He supposed it made sense to look through languages dating back seven or more centuries, as that would have been when the King lived. Those books were tucked away in a corner, most of them falling apart and very few of them first editions.

What stood out most to Reian was the arc over the last three letters of the word... if he could just skim through these texts and find one that looked similar to that, he hoped it really wouldn't be that hard...

Deciding it would just be better to sit here and read, he crouched down, pulling out tomes and manuscripts from the back shelves, all of which were covered in dust that made his nose itch.

The first few things he looked at were some sort of industrial instruction manual in a very old, partially illegible language from the South. It wasn't what he was looking for, but it was certainly the correct time period...

Wen Reian scratched his head absent-mindedly, thinking how bizarre and insane it was that Yi-jun had actually lived that long ago! Seven hundred years before I was born... does that mean he really is an old man?

Briefly distracted by a well-worn journal of a scholar from the 13th century, Reian read the few entries he could understand;

For many it seems, the effects of The Long Night still persist...

This is most true for the people of Lêung Shãn, and it wouldn't be shocking if their climate change lasted much longer than they want to say.

Thirteen-hundred years ago, it was by the strength of one man that we survive today to tell the story of that great freeze.

May it be that his wisdom continues to light our way in the darkness-

May it be that hatred, and bitter cold stay away as we venture into this new age-

By the grace of The Gods, The Rightful King Whose Fires Run Under The Hêi'àn Hills...

May it be that we as a people stray from temptation, and strive for truth in all things.

Reian blinked, wondering if the King written about could be Xie Yi-jun. It certainly was a possibility, but he also remembered Yi-jun telling him how much of his Kingdom was starkly divided over his claim to the throne.