Elf: Who told him to be an investigator!

Chapter 206 The Crisis of the Jade of Calamity?

Chapter 206 The Crisis of the Jade of Calamity?

"Sawaki, this might not be the case!"

The next morning, when Ze Shu came downstairs, he saw Lei He already sitting downstairs in the coffee shop. She wasn't "studying" the ancient sword leopard, but was speaking to him seriously.

Ze Shu was taken aback, but didn't say anything and continued to look at her.

Leihe's dark circles were quite pronounced, suggesting she had stayed up all night. She explained:

"After we discussed the ancient jade fish yesterday, didn't you say you wouldn't have time in three days? So, to prepare in advance, I investigated the 'Shrine of Fire Disaster' that seals the ancient jade fish overnight."

"Something unusual was unexpectedly discovered."

Listen.

She took out what looked like a portable voice recorder, pressed the play button, and at first, there was only the rustling sound of bamboo swaying in the wind.

The faint snoring of Pokémon was clearly not something Reho had told him to hear.

But then...

A unique, ethereal sound appeared, faint yet distinct.

"Gurgle~ Gurgle~~"

Ze Shu looked at Lei He and said, "Is that the voice of the ancient jade fish? What is it calling out?"

He even detected a hint of pleading in his voice, a pitiful look.

Leihe: "Yes."

She looked at Ze Shu and said, "The shrine of fire that seals the ancient jade fish is in a cave in a mountain. The sound recorded in this enclosed area should have an echo, but what feeling does the sound playing from my recorder give you?"

Ze Shu: "A vast, not a closed area."

Leihe: "Yes!"

She paused, then widened her eyes and said:

"Because the mountain where the Fire Shrine is located was almost completely destroyed by excavation! It's riddled with holes! It almost buried the shrine deep underground!"

"I couldn't believe it when I saw this scene late at night!"

"I went to investigate just three months ago, and it was perfectly normal then. According to my research, that mountain has been like this for hundreds of years! But now—that mountain is riddled with holes! There's even a deep, gaping hole at the bottom, as if it's about to swallow the shrine of the fire!"

"Why is this happening? I have absolutely no idea!"

"Ze Shu, do you have any clues?"

Ze Shu said, "I haven't even seen the scene, how could I possibly have any clues? But I understood the meaning that Gu Yuyu's voice was trying to convey."

It's asking for help.

"Should we ask for help?" Leihe stroked her chin thoughtfully. "That's true. If the ancient jade fish really falls into that big hole, although I don't know the specific dangers, it might be very dangerous!"

Ze Shu glanced at Lei He's dark circles and gave a slight smirk.

"Perhaps you really should take a break."

"As for the condition of the ancient jade fish, I'll go check on it today."

Padiyah, North Second District.

Here, vast bamboo forests stretch out, lush and verdant like a tide, surrounded by mountains that form a beautiful landscape. There is also the Luanji Waterfall, a waterfall cascading like a ribbon, its roar echoing endlessly—one of the "Ten Views of Patia."

But now, a "Dongdong Mountain" that has been dug up and riddled with holes has abruptly ruined this beautiful scenery.

"This is what I meant." Leihe followed, pointing to the caved mountain path. "This mountain is very unusual, and only this mountain, the Shrine of Fire, has suffered such damage. I have strong reason to suspect that this was a deliberate act targeting the Ancient Jade Fish!"

"Even worse, the situation inside the mountain is that a huge hole has been dug out at the bottom, and it is bottomless."

"If it had been discovered a few days later, the shrine to the fire might have collapsed through that hole, and we would have had no idea what kind of accident might have occurred."

"Who caused this?!"

By the end, Leihe was gritting her teeth.

If this calamity treasure, which Leihe cherishes so much, were to be destroyed like this, wouldn't it be a 'calamity treasure' that would disappear if it were discovered any later? Leihe would feel like the sky is falling!

"I submitted so much material and wrote so many reports to the Alliance before I got approval for the Treasure of Calamity!" Leihe glared hatefully at the riddled, cave-like mountain, complaining as if she were looking at a hypothetical enemy. "And you? And you? Did you even get approval before you dug it up like this!"

Ze Shu silently gazed at the mountain.

At that moment, it seemed as if Wen heard the ethereal cry for help from the ancient jade fish.

The heat and light also illuminated the numerous holes in "Dongdong Mountain," making them glow. This was not only a sign that the ancient jade fish was seeking help and attracting attention, but also...

"It's likely that the ancient jade fish has filled the Fire Shrine with lava, which is why this strange phenomenon has occurred."

"This is a self-protection measure taken by the ancient jade fish."

"Is someone trying to harm it?"

Ze Shu walked into Dongdong Mountain and said thoughtfully,

Leihe said angrily, "We must send that person who harassed the Treasure of Calamity without permission to jail!"

It's clear that Leihe truly hates those 'people' whose very existence is still unknown.

Ze Shu sighed and said, "But we still don't know who did it."

Leihe was so angry that she took a breath before saying, "I've investigated the surrounding area. As one of the ten scenic spots of Padia, even if this place is sparsely populated, there's a high probability that people are active here regularly."

"But it's clearly the commotion that turned a mountain into this state."

"Yet, no one has ever witnessed the culprit!"

Ze Shu said, "Then it's clear that the culprit is very cautious."

Little Blue, who was standing nearby, asked, "How should we go find it?"

"Wow! Well, it's time for Detective Higanbana to make her grand entrance!"

"This time, this time! I, Detective Higana, will definitely... Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!"

Higana made her grand entrance, hands on her hips, laughing wildly.

Then Ze Shu struck him squarely on the head with a chop.

Higana crouched down, clutching her forehead and crying out in pain before leaving the stage.

Ze Shu clapped his hands and said, "Then we can only wait, wait for this 'culprit' to come out, or... jump down and take a look?" He looked at the bottomless cave at the bottom of the mountain.

Little Blue Eyebrows said, "This is too dangerous!"

Ze Shu nodded and said, "That's true."

Then, the two of them looked at Higana, who was squatting on the ground, crying out in pain and looking aggrieved.

"What...what are you going to do?!" Higana asked incredulously.

Ze Shu withdrew his gaze, said nothing, and simply looked back at the dark hole.

This terrified Higanbana, who widened her eyes in shock. "No, no! Little Blue said this cave is dangerous, pitch black! I won't go down! I absolutely won't go down! Don't force me!"

Ze Shu said helplessly, "I didn't say you were going to get off!"

Higana shouted, "And why were you and Xiaolan looking at me like that?!"

Ze Shu laughed and said, "It's just a matter of how long you're going to squat there looking all wronged. My 'hand chop' wasn't even that strong, was it?"

Higana snorted, "Serves you right for bullying me! I'll squat a few more times to make you feel guilty!"

She squatted down again, pretending to cover her forehead.

only,

It seems like the area being covered is different from where it was covered before?

Ze Shu rubbed his temples helplessly. Was this Xi Jiana really a little silly?

Next, Ze Shu implemented the "wait and see" strategy, intending to hold the "Dongdong Mountain" in order to catch the murderer who was operating there. However, he waited for two days in a row, but there was no movement at all, as if the cave in "Dongdong Mountain" was created out of thin air.

"This culprit is really cautious. Maybe it stopped showing up because it saw we were here."

Ze Shu sat on the neighboring mountain, looking down at the bamboo forest below, and said...

If they waited any longer, not to mention whether the culprit could afford to wait, Ze Shu couldn't wait any longer either, because the day he had agreed to go to Zone Zero with the Doctor was approaching, and both of them were urgent matters.

If he were to go to Zone Zero, given the extent of the excavation, the Fire Shrine where the ancient jade fish was located would likely be completely destroyed by the time he returned.

Then he seemed to have let down the ethereal voice that had always lingered in his ears.

During this time, as if sensing that Ze Shu and the others were going to help it, the cries for help from the ancient jade fish changed, becoming much more grateful. It would also often "whoosh" in a strange melody, fearing that Ze Shu and the others would be bored and lonely.

This ancient jade fish has a very girlish personality.

Yes, but that melody stopped abruptly after Ze Shu called out the Ancient Sword Leopard.

Instead, the two calamities are in "passionate confrontation"—referring to the Ancient Sword Leopard's one-sided arrogance, and also colluding with the Roaring Tail to arrogance together;

Annoyed by the escalating heat, the ancient jade fish chose to block the door with lava, refusing to listen.

Ze Shu finally understood that the feud between the sword and the jade was caused unilaterally by Gu Jianbao!

"Hoo hoo hoo, little ones, see that dazed, dumbfounded fire camel? On my command, fire, fire, fire!"

Hearing Xijiana's loud and boisterous voice, Zeshu looked down and saw Xijiana holding a "bamboo drawer" in the bamboo forest. On the drawer were three Mililongs of different colors, which were spraying water guns of different lengths with a "whoosh" sound as she gave the command.

The dazed fire camel, soaked to the bone, let out a confused "" and hadn't yet reacted.

During this period of "waiting for the rabbit to come to the tree stump", Higanbana often used her "Three Sushi" to bully Pokémon in the bamboo forest, showing a trend of dominating the easy Pokémon in the bamboo forest.

As for why Cynda only dominates the "easy-to-bully" Pokémon.

Because the Pokémon that were not easy to bully were all rendered helpless by the combined Roaring Tail of the Ancient Saber, they were the "evil forces" in the eyes of the "not easy to bully" Pokémon in this bamboo forest.

As Ze Shu was thinking, he suddenly heard a loud "!".

Although the slow reaction time of the fire camel that was hit by the three Mililong Pipi Water was long, it eventually reacted. It let out a panicked cry and then ran away in a panic.

Higana's eyes widened, and she exclaimed excitedly, "It can even run away! Kids, chase after it... um, I'll help you chase it!"

She picked up the three immobile Mililong animals, which were on a bamboo tray, and chased after them, disappearing from Zhi Zeshu's sight.

Soon after.

An angry, unfamiliar voice came from afar:

"Ugh! You silly fire camel! How could you do this to my silly fire camel! Even though it's silly and easy to bully, you can't do this to it! It's my good work partner!"

"Um...I'm so sorry! Please, please forgive me!"

Higanbana's voice was filled with shock; they actually dared to bully a Pokémon that already had an owner.

Zeki: "...—

After thinking for a moment, he stood up from the mountaintop, grabbed the roaring tail that he had forcibly pulled to his side to "silence" it, grabbed its small hand which was larger than Jigglypuff's, and slowly lowered it like an inflated hot air balloon using a parachute.

They arrived at Xijiana's side.

But all I saw was her apologizing incessantly, and the three Mililongs in the bamboo basket in her arms were also imitating her actions and apologizing as well.

Opposite to Higana was a rugged-looking man wearing a yellow miner's hat, and next to him was the drenched fire camel from before.

"You better control your Pokémon! Don't let your Pokémon bully other people's Pokémon!"

The miner was furious.

This is normal; after all, it's natural to feel angry when your Pokémon is bullied for no reason.

"Look what you've done to my silly fire camel!"

The dazed-looking boy, Du Huotuo, was clearly terrified, standing frozen beside the miner.

Although the water guns from the Milion were weak, even negligible, they were still water-type moves, which dealt a significant blow to the spirit of this water-averse, slow-moving camel.

Higanbana: "I'm sorry!"

Ze Shu sighed and stepped forward, saying, "I am this idiot's...guardian. This idiot has caused you trouble. I will discipline her properly from now on."

With his persuasive words and the encouragement of Xiao Lan, who also joined as "another guardian," the angry miner gradually calmed down.

Higana then realized what was happening and angrily asked, "Whose guardians are you?"

Ze Shu said, "You idiot."

Xiao Lan smiled and said, "What do you think, Xijiana?"

Higanbana: "!!!"

She angrily turned her head away, intending to ignore them.

But she decided to ignore them and didn't even think about refuting the "idiot" label, which made Xiao Lan laugh helplessly.

At this moment, the miner casually found a pebble to sit on, took off his dusty miner's hat, and began to chat with the three of them:

"Are you here for tourism? Right? It's a beautiful place. I often come here to relax after work."

"After all, I don't know when I might suffer an accident and never see such beautiful scenery again!"

Higana was taken aback, then exclaimed in surprise, "Uncle, is your job really that dangerous?!"

The miner rubbed the dazed fire camel and said with a wry smile, "It's not dangerous under normal circumstances."

"but."

"It's very dangerous lately."

Ze Shu asked with a raised eyebrow, "Could you elaborate?"

The miner chuckled, "What's wrong with saying this? But actually, I'm not quite sure either."

"I work in the East Third District, which is a mining area, so there are a lot of miners living there. Although mining in the dark tunnels is somewhat risky, we have the help of our Pokémon partners, so it's not actually that dangerous."

"But recently..."

"For some reason, it seems like something enormous is lurking beneath the ground where we work. It seems to have an incredible ability to dig, and it's huge, often causing the mine tunnels we're digging to collapse. Can you imagine how dangerous and desperate it is for the miners working inside when a mine tunnel collapses!"

"Many workers have already been buried underground."

"Although the Padiya Alliance sent King Sinri to rescue the workers and investigate the situation after learning about it, the workers were rescued, but the true face of the huge thing was never seen. This thing seemed to be extremely vigilant. It would not come out if there were people on the ground, which made King Sinri very worried."

"We miners are living in constant fear until this matter is resolved."

"Quite a few people have already chosen to leave out of fear, after all, they are afraid that one day they will be buried underground."

Xiao Lan asked with a puzzled look, "But uncle, you didn't choose to resign?"

The miner chuckled and said, "Yes, I've spent my whole life in the mines. How can I leave so easily? Dying in the mines seems like a romantic thing—"

"Hahaha, even though I say that, who wants to die?"

"About a month ago, that huge thing seemed to have gone into hiding and its activity had decreased. But in the last two days, for some reason, it's started moving again..."

It became lively again and buried several of its colleagues underground. Fortunately, Heavenly King Xinli was always there and rescued them.

"And because of its activity, I wanted to relax and come here to calm my mind, which is how I met you all."

"Haha, thank you for listening to my complaints."

Ze Shu was taken aback by the miner's words and asked again, "Has that thing become active again these past two days? Is it very wary, and won't appear if it senses someone above?"

The miner sighed, "Yes, that's why we never see it."

Xiao Lan suddenly asked, "Uncle, you said that thing is really good at digging holes. Are the holes it digs elliptical, like this shape?" She pointed to a special oval shape with her finger.

The miner's eyes widened as he exclaimed, "Yes, yes, that's it! We found some traces of its activity, which is this kind of pit!"

"I see..."

Xiao Lan and Ze Shu exchanged a glance.

Xiao Lan smiled and said, "I think we've found the culprit we've been looking for these past two days."

Ze Shumei said, "I just don't know why it would want to antagonize the ancient jade fish?"

Meanwhile, Higanbana looked completely bewildered.

"What kind of riddles are you playing? You're just saying things I don't understand. Doesn't that make me look stupid?"