Chapter 403: Chapter 86: The Death of Goris_3
Ah Dai stopped, the chirping of insects and birds was so clear. He knew he had entered the area where Goris’s wooden house was located. He stood there, his body trembling slightly with excitement, and slowly opened his eyes. Three small wooden houses appeared before him, everything seemed to have remained the same, the scenery around still covered in thick fog. The fresh air refreshed his spirit. Finally, he had returned. After an interval of seven years, he had returned at last.
"Master Goris--" Ah Dai called out loudly, how he wished to see the familiar and elderly face of Goris!
The surroundings were still quiet. Ah Dai’s shout faded away, and the wooden houses remained serene. Everything was unchanged. The figure of Goris coming out to greet him, which he had imagined, did not appear. A feeling of unease filled Ah Dai’s heart. He jumped up and with a single rise and fall, he was already stepping on the stairs of the wooden house. Ah Dai gently pushed open the door to the room he used to live in. It was empty inside. Everything was unchanged. The wooden bed, the chair, were all in their original positions. On the chair was the bamboo basket he used to pick fruits. The bed, the chair, and the floor were all covered in a layer of dust, indicating it had been a long time since anyone had been here.
Ah Dai’s heart grew heavier. Master Goris, did you really never come back? No, it’s impossible. He ran quickly out of the room and headed for the laboratory.
The laboratory was the place where Goris spent most of his time. Upon entering, it was not the mess that Ah Dai had expected. Everything was neat, just like when he left. All the experimental items were placed in their original positions. The cabinets around the walls stood in tranquility. No matter what it was, like the wooden bed and chair in his room, a thick layer of dust had settled. Ah Dai slowly walked towards the little cauldron where Goris used to refine his instruments. His heart went numb. Goris was gone. He was gone, and it had been a long time. Could it be that Master Goris never came back after he left?
The lid of the small cauldron was tightly covered. Next to the cauldron, there was a piece of clothing covered in dust. Ah Dai clearly remembered that this garment didn’t exist when he left. His trembling hands picked up the garment. With a light shake, dust filled the room. Ah Dai, who had protective fighting spirit, was unaffected by the dust, but it obstructed his view.
After a while, the dust gradually settled, and everything around became clear again in Ah Dai’s eyes. Looking at the clothing in his hands, ah! This, isn’t this the Black Magician’s Robe that Master Goris always wore? His originally low spirits perked up again. The teacher had come back. Master Goris had been back. Ah Dai excitedly hugged the robe in his arms. Suddenly, he found a piece of white paper where the clothes were placed. There were clear words on it. Ah Dai placed the Magician’s Robe aside and carefully picked up the slightly yellowed paper.
The handwriting on the white paper was unmistakably Goris’s. He wrote clearly in the language of the Empire of Tian Jing: "The only ones who could come here are my brother Gorisong and my apprentice Ah Dai. Gorisong if it’s you who came, then leave immediately. Big brother is gone. In the future if you meet my student, please take care of him. All my possessions are left to my student, no, I now admit, he is my true apprentice Ah Dai." Seeing this, tears welled up in Ah Dai’s eyes and rolled down his cheeks. Master Goris, you, you admit that I am your student. I am finally your student. His mouth quivered slightly, and he continued to read, "Ah Dai, if you’ve come back, the teacher is genuinely happy. Do you remember the gift I gave you? It’s the one you wrapped in silver tin. Go to the compartment that contains the Soul Extinguishing Grass and pull that drawer out. The drawer will bring out a metal plate, write the name of the gift I gave you in the cells on that plate using the language of the Empire of Tian Jing. You will make a surprising discovery." The text on the paper ended here. Ah Dai clearly remembered that the Soul Extinguishing Grass was in the sixth drawer of the fourth row from the left. He walked to the cabinet and carefully pulled the drawer open. The dried faded red Soul Extinguishing Grass was in the drawer. He knew from Goris’s notebook that this was a highly toxic herb. He dared not touch it with his hands. Using his fighting spirit, he gently pulled the drawer all the way out. Just as Goris said in the letter, there was a metal plate connected behind the drawer. The highly polished metal plate had two square cells carved on to it.
Ah Dai knew what the gift Goris was referring to was. He stretched out his index finger and wrote the word ’Steamed Bun’ in the two cells. The gap created by pulling out the drawer suddenly emitted a strong suction force. Ah Dai was taken aback and instinctively let go of the drawer. The wooden drawer containing the Soul Extinguishing Grass and the metal plate was sucked back to its original position.
There was a clattering noise from beneath him and Ah Dai clearly felt the ground vibrating. Although he was a little surprised, he firmly believed that Goris would never harm him. This must be a mechanism the teacher left behind. He stood quietly in the same place, waiting. As expected, Ah Dai’s judgment was correct. In the center of the laboratory, the wooden board which seemed to have no seams, suddenly cracked open. The cracks grew larger and a faint yellow light seeped from beneath, revealing the steps of a staircase. The mechanism left behind by the teacher was indeed surprising!
