Chapter 509: Must Memorize
Everyone was taken aback.
But since the door was open, they made their way inside.
— It was a three-tiered ancient mansion with white walls, green tiles, vibrant red lanterns that seeped into the darkness of the night, turning darker in the shadow and redder in the light. Coupled with the rustling trees in the courtyard, it was eerily gloomy.
In the melancholic pitter-patter of the rain, an old man’s recitation of verses seemed to hover faintly, his voice aged and hoarse… The atmosphere became increasingly creepy.
They quickly came across a second door, which was also open.
Through the narrow, vertical door frame, they could see an old scholar standing beneath the eaves of the main house, pacing and muttering verses:
“Fish, I desire; bear’s paw, equally I desire…”
The four people outside the second door shared a look.
“What is he reciting?” Fu Miaoxue whispered to Du Lai.
Du Lai shook his head: “I can’t tell.”
Shen Mo frowned, watching for a while before raising his voice from outside the door: “Excuse me, sir, we’re just passing through. Can we come in to escape the rain?”
The old scholar did not seem to hear him, continuing to mutter repeatedly, “Fish, I desire; bear’s paw, equally I desire…”
Shen Mo became more perplexed and asked again, “Sir?”
The man continued to ignore them as if he couldn’t hear their words.
“Is this crappy game’s NPC supposed to be a deaf person?” Bai Youwei, soaked in rain and in a bad mood, grumbled, “The Inspector speaks in riddles, and even the NPCs in the game spout verses. They’re being pretentious for no good reason.”
Classical poetry was not Bai Youwei’s strong suit.
Fu Miaoxue chuckled, “So the Inspector is problematic after all!”
Shen Mo thought for a while, tightened his grip on the handle of the wheelchair and stepped over the threshold with Bai Youwei—
As the wheelchair landed, the two entered the courtyard between the main house and the second door, only a dozen steps away from the old scholar.
However, the man remained indifferent to them, lost in his reverie, repeating over and over, “Fish, I desire; bear’s paw, equally I desire; the two cannot be had together… the two cannot be had together…”
Seeing that Shen Mo and Bai Youwei had safely entered, Du Lai also took Fu Miaoxue’s hand and followed them in.
Shen Mo, pushing his wheelchair, approached the old scholar, coming directly before him. Yet, the scholar paid them no heed, engrossed in his chant.
Shen Mo ventured to respond, “Both fish and bear’s paw are desired, yet the two cannot be had together; hence, one would give up fish for the bear’s paw.”
“Ah…” The old scholar paused briefly. At last, he responded. He slowly turned, lifted his head, and looked at Shen Mo.
His face was that of a man in his seventies, with white hair, antiquated, but with a pair of dark and bright eyes, staring fixedly at Shen Mo, which was kind of alarming.
“Indeed, indeed…” the old scholar nodded repeatedly, “Fish, I desire; bear’s paw, equally I desire. The two cannot be had together, hence one would give up fish for the bear’s paw.”
Everyone instantly realized this was an obstacle designed by the game. Solving it would probably yield clues for the next step.
Just when they thought they could breathe a sigh of relief, the old scholar continued, “Life, I want; righteousness, I also want. These two cannot be had together… cannot be had together…”
Bai Youwei frowned in disgust: “This old guy is never-ending!”
Fu Miaoxue, grinning, uttered, “This is simple too; it’s to give up life for righteousness!”
The old scholar’s eyes brightened further, his face full of smiles, “Ah… indeed! Life, I desire; righteousness, I desire as well. They can’t be had together, hence one gives up life for righteousness.”
Everyone was speechless.
This old scholar just wouldn’t stop!
Again, he began reciting intently, “Life is what I want, what I want is more than life, hence I would not unworthily live… I would not unworthily live… I would not unworthily live…”
They were stuck once more.