[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-ring-of-fate":3,"chapter-the-ring-of-fate-the-ring-of-fate-chapter-21":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Ring of Fate",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2297990,4496,"Chapter 21: Strategies for Response","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-21",21,"\u003Cp>Looking at the reconstructed “help letter,” Lu Mi fell into a long silence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although this didn’t necessarily mean it was the exact content of the letter—after all, with loose grammar, those words could form other sentences, like “Those around us need help soon, we’re growing stranger and stranger”—it still pressed upon him an indescribable heaviness, as if something weighed down on his heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the past, he might have assumed the sender was playing a prank, but now, strange events in Kerdou Village were truly increasing, and this was only the part he had discovered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I can’t pretend I didn’t see it, nor can I act as if nothing happened…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My sister said a mentally sound person knows how to avoid danger—you don’t stand beneath a wall that’s about to collapse…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi snapped back to himself and made a swift decision:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He must leave Kerdou Village as soon as possible—with his sister!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the abnormalities here, official personnel would handle them; the villagers were surely under their protection. Lu Mi had neither the obligation nor the capability to shoulder this responsibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Also, I must accelerate my exploration of the Dream Ruins and strive to gain transcendent power within a short time, to prepare for possible accidents during our departure…” Lu Mi’s mind grew clearer, filled with urgent urgency.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He feared most that he and his sister wouldn’t escape Kerdou Village before the abnormalities erupted—if that happened, he at least had to ensure he didn’t hold her back, and the prerequisite was becoming significantly stronger than he was now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thinking of this, Lu Mi returned his family’s small blue book to its place, took the paper with the words and sentences he’d just reconstructed, and hurried down the stairs.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He deliberately detoured to the stove and threw the paper into the fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the door, Lu Mi headed straight for the Old Tavern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The tavern door was locked; the owner and bartender, Mo Lisi, was probably attending Naroka’s funeral.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, as a place that also operated as an inn, not all doors could be locked during the day—guests needed access.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi circled to the back alley and pushed open the tavern’s rear door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the staircase entrance, he glanced into the hall—no one in sight.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clattering up the stairs, Lu Mi stopped outside the mysterious woman’s room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing no “Resting, Do Not Disturb” sign on the doorknob, Lu Mi took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, then curled his fingers and gently tapped the wooden door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud. Thud. Thud…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He knocked three times in succession, but no sound came from within.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud. Thud. Thud… Lu Mi knocked harder, yet still received no response.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He pounded a few more times—the room remained utterly silent.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Not here?” Lu Mi frowned. “Went to observe Naroka’s funeral?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stopped wasting time, descended to the first floor, exited the tavern, and headed straight for the graveyard beside the church.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the way, he passed by Naroka’s house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The crowd bidding farewell to the body had already dispersed, all waiting at the graveyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi glanced from afar and saw Pons. Beni, the parish priest’s younger brother, stepping out of the house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This…” He was startled, instinctively pressing himself against the nearby building, hiding behind the cover.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Isn’t it forbidden to enter the house during a funeral, lest it disrupt the constellations and carry away good fortune?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pons. Beni stood at Naroka’s doorway and exchanged a few low words with the middle-aged man, Arno. Andre, the youngest son of the old woman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Pons. Beni left, Arno locked the front door and headed toward the graveyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Naroka’s death is indeed strange…” Lu Mi frowned, murmuring silently.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He now believed Naroka’s death might not have been caused by the owl—greater likelihood lay in the hidden strangeness of the parish priest’s group.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The owl might merely have been fulfilling its own mission: arriving in Kerdou Village to carry away the dead’s soul, then pausing briefly to observe Lu Mi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, Lu Mi had an even more chilling suspicion:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The parish priest’s group might be connected to that owl!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Their strangeness, their secret actions—perhaps their origin traced back to the sorcerer’s legacy from long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Before leaving Kerdou Village, I can find a chance to tell Ryan, Lyra, and the others my suspicions—hopefully they’ll quickly uncover the truth and resolve the issue.” Lu Mi lowered his gaze, muttering to himself as he walked toward the Church of Eternal Sun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Throughout the entire funeral, Lu Mi appeared silent and solemn, but in truth, he constantly observed every villager, hoping to detect abnormalities in their expressions.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, he found nothing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet this gave rise to a certain illusion:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Some villagers might be wearing masks of some kind…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the mysterious woman who gave him the Tarot cards did not appear at the graveyard.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Near evening, inside the semi-subterranean two-story building.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Where’s your test paper?” Aurora glanced at her brother as he approached, speaking casually. “Let me see it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi’s expression turned serious.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I have something to tell you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora’s gaze swept over his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Did some wild animal steal your paper again?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No,” Lu Mi said gravely. “I learned something from those outsiders.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora’s smile faded; she nodded, urging him to continue.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi recounted how Ryan and the others had been investigating a help letter, then described the anomalies of the small blue book at home, his suspicions about Madame Pualis, and how he borrowed Raymond’s small blue book to partially reconstruct the letter’s content.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, he proposed:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Let’s leave the village as soon as possible—go to Liège, no, to Bigor, and stay there for a while.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora didn’t answer immediately; she thought for over ten seconds before saying:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“This is indeed the best choice right now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But there’s one problem: if we suddenly flee Kerdou while official personnel are investigating, won’t that arouse suspicion? Might they detain us for focused scrutiny?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I weren’t a transcendent, it wouldn’t matter—but I’m an unlicensed wild transcendent, the kind the Tribunal would capture and purify.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi, lacking experience, had completely overlooked this issue and now didn’t know what to say.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a pause, he said:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Force our way out, then hide in another city—or another country?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you have too much faith in me?” Aurora laughed wryly. “From what I’ve observed, all three outsiders are quite formidable. If there were only one, I might handle him—but there are three, and how do you know there aren’t hidden forces outside the village, waiting for suspects to panic and flee?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi was left speechless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to admit: compared to his sister, he was still too green, too naive—his thinking lacked precision at critical moments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re still too reckless,” Aurora commented. “But it’s normal—young people always have some sharpness.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She paused, then added:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Tomorrow morning, go to the Administrator’s office and send a telegram on my behalf to the Novel Weekly, asking when the upcoming writer’s salon will be held.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora was a columnist for the Novel Weekly and immensely popular with readers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—Only the Administrator and the parish priest in Kerdou Village each possessed one telegraph machine, used for emergency external communication; villagers could use them too, but only by paying sufficient Ferkins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Lu Mi’s puzzled expression, Aurora smiled and explained simply:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Novel Weekly has always wanted me to attend events in Trier—I’ve refused them all, including the recent writer’s salon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“If I now actively inquire about it, they’ll surely invite me warmly—and even cover the round-trip steam train fare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then our departure will seem perfectly normal; even if secretly watched, we won’t be treated as suspects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“At that point, I have a way to briefly deceive them—if neither of us has been contaminated by the abnormalities, we stand an excellent chance of leaving Kerdou successfully.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright,” Lu Mi breathed out in relief.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A few seconds later, he asked curiously:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Aurora, uh, sister—‘transcendent’ is just the term for someone with transcendent power?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes,” Aurora replied, offering no further explanation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She smiled instead:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You’re willing to abandon your friends and flee Kerdou outright?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What’s it to me if others live or die?” Lu Mi snorted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His top priority was ensuring his sister’s safety!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora chuckled:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Come on, say that again—I love hearing it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How many times have you said similar things? Yet each time, you quietly helped or pretended to accidentally remind them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Those were minor things,” Lu Mi protested.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This current abnormality threatened his sister.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, alright,” Aurora said, as if indulging a child. “Time to prepare dinner—your turn tonight.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi grunted and headed toward the stove.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A dark night, the red moon obscured by clouds.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi finished washing up and lay on his bed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A clear look of worry gradually appeared on his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Aurora’s plan wasn’t bad—but Lu Mi feared the village’s abnormalities would erupt during the wait for the Novel Weekly’s reply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He desperately wanted to strengthen himself, and gaining transcendent power from the Dream Ruins was currently his most accessible path.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regrettably, he hadn’t found the woman all day and couldn’t get her advice—he’d have to try on his own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For him, the situation had reached this point: the arrow was on the bow, the string drawn—must be released.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, Lu Mi calmed his mind and slowly slipped into sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1557,"2026-06-20T06:22:34.374Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","e690d0ab607fcd9452e7d01f701acd146879da211c2d3d662a37f58b1916068d","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-22","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-20",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-ring-of-fate-cover.jpg"]