The Spirit of Gourmet

Chapter 398 The Mystery of the Truth

"Xu Baichen?"

Upon hearing Xu Guang's words, Cao Dongdong couldn't help but widen his eyes. "Why does this name sound so familiar?"

"Isn't this a character from the show we're watching today?"

"Is it the same Xu Baichen?" Qin Lang couldn't help but ask.

“That’s right.” Xu Guang nodded slightly. “The touching story of my ancestor and his lover’s lifelong companionship has indeed been passed down from that era, and it is one of the few honors in our family.”

Qin Lang looked enlightened, his gaze falling on the tattered page in Xu Baichen's hand, a thoughtful expression in his eyes.

"This was left behind by Xu Baichen, which proves that it is from the same era as Wei Ran, the Hero of Light."

Can I see it?

“Of course.” Xu Guang nodded. “This is the only thing I have that can prove the Silver Nightingale is not the Evil Nightingale.”

As he spoke, he carefully placed the tattered page on the table.

The tattered page was covered with the marks of time, and could be destroyed with the slightest carelessness. Qin Lang and the others couldn't help but hold their breath and subconsciously became more gentle as they surrounded the tattered page to examine it.

On the tattered page, a bird soaring in the sky is depicted. The colors of the pattern have faded with time, and its original appearance is no longer visible, but its outline is undoubtedly that of the Silver Oriole.

Besides the picture, there is only one line of small text on the fragment.

It is an ancient script that is different from the modern script, but it can still be roughly identified upon careful observation.

[...The Silver Nightingale...It shouldn't have been like this...]

"Is that all?" After looking through them, Qin Lang turned to Xu Guang beside him and couldn't help but ask again, "Are there any others?"

“No.” Xu Guang shook his head, his eyes dimming. “I found this tattered page by chance.”

“A few years ago, my parents passed away in an accident. When I was sorting through their belongings, I found this torn page. It was tucked inside the oldest book in our house. The writing style is different from what we use now, and it comes from a bygone era.”

"Without a doubt, it comes from my ancestor Xu Baichen."

"Wait a minute," Zhao Qian couldn't help but interrupt him. "Isn't it a bit hasty to judge this based on just the text?"

“Of course not!” Xu Guang shook his head. “There is a Hero Museum in Lanqiu City. It is a museum that displays the relics of the Hero of Light, Wei Ran, and various things from that time. It was donated and built by the Wei family.”

"One of the exhibits is a letter that my ancestor Xu Baichen once wrote to Wei Ran, the Warrior of Light!"

"I specifically compared them, and the handwriting is exactly the same!"

“There’s no problem.” Zuo Ge stroked his chin. “The handwriting and font match, so we can confirm that it’s Xu Baichen’s.”

“But then again…” Zog’s eyes gleamed with excitement, “Lanqiu City actually has a museum like this?”

As a scholar of legends, Zog was instantly captivated.

"We'll talk about the museum later." Qin Lang patted Zuo Ge on the shoulder and looked at Xu Guang. "You go on."

“Hmm.” Xu Guang nodded. “Through this fragment, I learned that the being in the picture is called the Silver Nightingale.”

"Based on the legends from that time, I was able to tell almost instantly that it might be the legendary evil nightingale."

“Plus, there’s that saying left by our ancestors, ‘It shouldn’t have been like this…’” Xu Guang’s eyes were filled with unwavering certainty. “Therefore, there might be another truth hidden in the legend of the Hero of Light!”

"After that, I began to secretly study and compare, and sure enough, I found that there are many versions of the legend of the Hero of Light, Wei Ran."

"These versions conflict on some details." "So I think the legend itself might be false!"

"It was Wei Ran and the Wei family who deceived everyone in Lanqiu City!"

"They concealed the truth and portrayed themselves as the saviors of Rancho, thus readily accepting everyone's kindness over the years."

"And the Silver Nightingale became a victim of their desires!"

Upon hearing this, Qin Lang and the others exchanged bewildered glances.

“You think the legend of Wei Ran is false,” Fatima pushed up her glasses, breaking the silence. “Then what do you think the truth is?”

"This... I don't know either." Xu Guang paused for a moment, then answered honestly, "Ever since I found this fragment, I've been constantly worried that the Wei family will come knocking on my door."

"Therefore, I rarely contact others and dare not inquire about the details of the past, so as not to arouse unnecessary suspicion."

"I don't know the truth of what happened back then, but the only thing I'm sure of is that it definitely wasn't like the legends say."

“Through the tattered pages, I can see the regret of my ancestor back then. He must have really wanted everyone to know the truth and clear the name of the Silver Nightingale.”

"That's why I used the method of giving away rattan handicrafts to change the impression of nightingales in Lanqiu City. The adult residents' aversion to nightingales is deeply rooted, but children are different."

“They are more innocent and more easily changed.”

"No wonder you only give rattan handicrafts to children under twelve years old." Cao Dongdong looked enlightened. "It's because of this."

“Yes.” Xu Guang sighed. “I’m just an ordinary person, and this is all I can do.”

“But you are different!” He suddenly raised his head and looked at Qin Lang and the others seriously. “I can see that you are very capable people.”

"Perhaps you really can find the Silver Nightingale and uncover the truth of what happened back then."

"So, can I really trust you?"

This was the second time Xu Guang had said this, but the meaning behind it was completely different.

Qin Lang took another careful look at the silver oriole drawn on the tattered page, his gaze finally settling on the small characters, as if he could see the person who had struggled with the thought of writing those words across the vast expanse of time.

The truth about the Silver Nightingale...

The slight tremor in his hands made him instinctively lower his head.

In the small fish tank, Xiao Cai glanced at Qin Lang, then slowly swayed her tail and blew a bubble.

'Say yes.'

Unexpectedly, Xiao Cai, who had been pretending to be naive, actually voiced her opinion.

In this case…

Qin Lang raised his head again, his expression equally serious.

Please trust us.

"If the truth is not as the legend says, we will definitely find a way to find out the truth of what happened back then and make it public."

"If the Wei family really played a disgraceful role in this..." Qin Lang thought of Wei Shasha and Wei Ya, whom he had met as members of the Wei family, and sighed heavily, "They will be punished by the association."

(End of this chapter)