After his little sister hung up, it wasn’t long before Roselle’s mother called, filled with worry. Roselle reassured and explained things to her until she finally believed him, dispelling her heartfelt advice.
By the end of the call, Roselle noticed her tone became noticeably lighter. This lightness came from relief—relief that her son hadn’t taken a wrong step and also because the five thousand yuan would greatly improve their family’s situation.
"Ming, I know it’s not easy for you out there. Remember to take care of yourself, not just focus on the family, okay?" His mother’s voice was full of comfort, though tinged with fatigue. She added, "I’ve always worried about your father’s health. With this money, he can live longer..."
Hanging up, Roselle felt a weight lifted from his shoulders. Sending out that seventy thousand yuan was like releasing a heavy burden. Life is tough for everyone, and now that he had the means, the first thing he wanted to do was ensure his family lived a bit better.
Roselle never had grand ambitions. The life he dreamed of wasn’t about having lots of money or great power, but simply that those around him could live well. If he could become like his landlord, collecting a good amount of rent each month without worrying about life or work, enjoying a leisurely life, that would be enough!
"Here’s some news: Yesterday, at an auction in Nanzhou, a mysterious book titled ''Ancient Array Divine Record'' was sold for 38.76 million yuan to a southern corporation. According to insiders, this record from the Yin-Shang period might hold unknown secrets. Rumor has it that over a dozen major corporations were competing for this mystical tome..."
Roselle was about to hail a cab when the news on a large screen across the square caught his attention and made him pause.
"Master?" Caesar approached with concern, scanning the surroundings. With his imposing figure and fierce aura, no one dared come too close, making him all the more puzzled.
"It’s nothing. Let’s head back." Having a Western face wasn’t without drawbacks. Lacking identification and a visa was always going to be a problem for Caesar.
Luckily, as a genuine Western European, Caesar was often treated well in China. Combined with his intimidating presence, it was enough to keep any unwanted attention from the authorities at bay.
As they hurried home with Caesar attracting almost every gaze, Roselle couldn’t shake off thoughts of the “Ancient Array Divine Record” mentioned in the news.This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
Though the authenticity of this record was unconfirmed, any book labeled with “Divine” in its title was often considered an ancient mystical text. In today’s society, such texts are generally regarded as myths or fabrications. Yet occasionally, they prove genuine, although verification is rare.
Roselle, however, was not like others. He possessed a source of spiritual energy, making him particularly sensitive to anything with the words “divine” or “immortal.” The news kept lingering in his mind, and he couldn’t help but focus on this Ancient Array Divine Record.
To learn more, the simplest method was online research, given the speed and flexibility of the internet.
阿
Back at the villa, Roselle shut himself in his room and began searching. After a few minutes, he found the news clip played on the Times Square screen.
"Is this worn-out book really the Ancient Array Divine Record?" Roselle muttered with disappointment.
His reaction was understandable—the book sold for over 30 million yuan was in terrible condition and incomplete, too. Surprisingly, the company bravely uploaded high-resolution images of the entire “Ancient Array Divine Record,” unafraid of public scrutiny.
Online, netizens exploded with commentary, mocking and deriding:
"Truly an immortal array map, just a few yellowed pages worth millions."
"What’s wrong with people nowadays? So much money wasted... It would be better spent helping the underprivileged."
"Haha, that corporation sure knows how to market."
"Experts, where are the experts to debunk this?"
"Dumb, what do you peasants know? This isn’t just yellow paper; it’s a magic array, a priceless artifact. Haha, my family has a magical artifact bought for millions."
"Show-off... Get out!!!"
"Stupid, someone should tell the boss to try soaking it in water. If that doesn’t work, try burning it. If that fails, use some chemicals. The secret of those six yellow pages would reveal itself."
"Even if it’s an immortal array, in today’s polluted world, would it even work? Spiritual energy? There’s none left on Earth now..."
"My eyes have been opened. Tonight, I’ll try my luck and see if I can create a grand immortal array."
...
Roselle was speechless at the online banter. Many dismissed it outright, while others sarcastically treated it as genuine. Such is the power of the internet’s satire—insult without profanity is considered mild.
Finding no exclusive revelations in the comments, Roselle returned his focus to the images.
There were six uploaded images, each depicting an independent magic array, complete with diagrams and runes, as well as indecipherable ancient scripts. The images, though well-preserved, showed signs of wear and damage. The meaning of these six pages was beyond Roselle’s understanding.
After flipping through the images, he felt a tinge of disappointment. Suddenly, the system’s prompt startled him.
"Detected ''Ancient Array Divine Record'' on this planet. Do you wish to collect it? Collection requires consuming 1 point of Spirit Power for scanning..."
The Ancient Array Divine Record? It’s genuine?
Roselle couldn’t believe that the mocked yellow pages were indeed an ancient divine array, seemingly with great significance. The system’s evaluations were never wrong, certainly more reliable than external experts.
Moreover, as he examined the high-definition pictures online, the system was prompting him to collect them?
What did "collect" mean in this context? Simply gathering the images or something more? At this thought, Roselle was too excited to continue.