I created the myth of the Great Old Ones.

He is a man with billions in assets who still chooses to ride a bicycle. Hard work and frugality are etched into his DNA. With 50,000 Quiet Points, he can buy a lot of things!

"But is there a better evaluation than 'Indescribable'?"

If I achieve the highest box office in film history, would that make the film even more successful?

Lu Ban was somewhat curious.

Having received the reward, he is one step closer to unlocking the next stage of the shop. He estimates that one or two more challenging missions will unlock the new shop stage, and he wonders what items will be available for purchase.

He decided to take a look at the next branch of the mission first.

After learning part of the truth about the Silent Land, Lu Ban became increasingly curious about the stories behind these alien realms. So far, he had not truly explored the ways in which these worlds resisted pollution.

He felt this was extremely crucial and of great reference value.

Before Lu Ban's eyes, the cold, indifferent system text outlined three windows on the wall.

Lu Ban looked towards the first window, where a vast expanse of yellow sand filled the air. The scorching, dry air caused the moisture on his skin to evaporate instantly, and the hot wind stung his eyes, bringing tears to his eyes.

Inside the window, the sandy ground was covered with descriptive text that appeared as if insects had crawled across it.

Welcome to the skies above the rest stop!

Even amidst the yellow sand and Gobi Desert, there are warm beds and piping hot wine.

[Many small human settlements exist in the wasteland. These places usually have only one or two buildings and fewer than ten people, who survive by hunting insects and relying on water sources hidden underground.]

Compared to the safety of city-states, these settlements known as post stations were clearly not pleasant travel destinations.

You arrive at a remote inn in the middle of nowhere. Decades ago, a tragedy occurred here, and the place is now deserted. But you encounter an uninvited stranger. As the long night approaches, will the truth be revealed at dawn?

"Through the crack in the wall, I think I saw something...it was...an eye!!!"

"The wasteland, no good, no good."

Lu Ban shook his head.

Putting aside the question of whether the queen insect in the wasteland, who wanted to have a litter of bugs with him, would immediately come and devour Lu Ban after smelling his scent, a building in this desert, with both a tragedy and an uninvited guest, is practically the perfect crime scene for a murder.

Oh, murder is child's play. If the inn is actually inhabited by monsters, insects, or even some indescribable evil god, then we're doomed.

Moreover, Lu Ban no longer needs materials from the wasteland; he used to just farm points.

Since you're going to farm points anyway, why not farm materials at the same time?

He's a very pragmatic person.

After closing that window, Lu Ban looked at the second window.

The wind and rain swayed through the window, reflecting the image of a manor perched on a cliff.

Lightning flashed and thunder roared, and candlelight flickered in the eerie manor, where some strange creature seemed to dwell.

Beyond the manor lies a withered forest, and in the distance, vast ruins resemble tombstones, layer upon layer.

The silent lightning outlined the system's cold and indifferent explanatory text.

Crazy Manor

Storms will forever surround this place; it is both a curse and a blessing.

In the ruined capital, there are some places that are different from others, such as this Stormy Mountain Villa. Legend has it that it was built under the supervision of the Taoist Crane Cry. In the years before this immortal ascended to heaven, he lived in seclusion here and devoted himself to cultivating Taoism.

[Until Daoist Heming ascended to heaven by drawing heavenly lightning, this mountain villa was damaged by a thunderstorm. Since then, torrential rain has been a constant companion to the villa, never ceasing.]

Your friend received an invitation from the owner of the resort, and you accompany him there. The purpose of the gathering remains unknown.

"Some say this room holds the secret to Daoist Heming's ascension, but let me tell you, hey, this is just a monster!"

"Crane Cry Daoist, Ruined Capital!"

Lu Ban's eyes lit up.

The essential materials needed for his "last words" included "The Legend of Crane's Ascension" from the ruined capital. This Stormy Mountain Villa was the place where Crane Cry Daoist ascended to immortality, so it's very likely that it has the corresponding book in its collection. Perhaps the owner of the villa was Crane Cry Daoist's disciple or something.

Moreover, on the way to the ruined capital, Lu Ban had a friend. He thought he might be able to ask Trist for help. With his [Imitation of Yang Flame], if in doubt, he could simply destroy the entire manor after obtaining the [Crane's Cry Ascension].

The more Lu Ban thought about it, the better he felt this mission was.

As for what the owner of the villa wants to do, who cares!

However, thinking that it might be a waste not to take a look, Lu Ban then turned his gaze to the third window.

He heard birds chirping.

Lu Ban looked out the window and felt the vibrant spring atmosphere. He also saw falling petals. This seemed to be a street, with houses scattered in an orderly fashion. The fallen flowers formed a carpet on the ground paved with blue bricks.

[No war in spring]

The shrine maiden of Wajima Shrine is about to step down, and a new shrine maiden will inherit her mantle and be bathed in the purifying fire.

However, not every priestess can enter the shrine and receive divine favor; competition is everywhere.

A shrine maiden hailed as a genius is preparing to cross the ocean to the island of He. She seems to exist solely to become the high priestess, the queen of shrine maidens. But the high priestess means power, and the entanglements of family and politics can sometimes sway the judgment of the gods. And genius, sometimes, should not exist.

[You have accepted the mission to protect the shrine maiden on her journey to the island. Along the way, more dangerous than impurities is the human heart. On this long and arduous journey, only the falling cherry blossoms and the clear seawater will not betray you.]

"I have forgotten what I once thought, only my body remains, perhaps a relic of yours."

"I'm a bit conflicted."

After reading the mission, Lu Ban's resolve to go to the ruined capital wavered again.

The island also has materials for Rikuban's [Last Words] essence, and since this quest will obviously involve interaction with the shrine maiden, the chances of Rikuban obtaining the [Lucky Amulet] will be very high.

Moreover, this mission is directly related to the Wajima Shrine. The shrine maiden he is escorting seems to have a good chance of becoming the chief priestess. Therefore, Lu Ban should be able to glean a glimpse of Wajima's method of resisting foreign contamination.

After much deliberation, Lu Ban finally made a decision.

Chapter 324 [The Wisdom of Fools]

"The focus now is on finding ways to combat pollution. The task of the Washima Taisha Shrine is more appropriate. Moreover, I also want to find an opportunity to bury Momiji's ashes under the cherry blossom tree at the Washima Taisha Shrine."

Lu Ban thought of his own crimson crystal.

Completing two tasks at once is definitely more cost-effective!

Thinking about this, Lu Ban felt even more strongly that he should go to the island.

If we could grasp the secrets of the high priestess, we might be able to apply them in reality and wipe out all those strange creatures.

While pondering, Lu Ban opened [Silent Department Store], intending to first purchase [Madman's Knowledge] to gather information.

According to the mission description, compared to the filth, the powerful families who want their trained priestesses to become high priestesses are probably the ones who will really hinder him on the way. Lu Ban is kind-hearted and can't stand seeing others suffer, so he needs to gather intelligence beforehand, identify his targets, and eliminate them directly to prevent them from failing the mission and being beaten, suffering both physically and mentally.

Just as Lu Ban was about to buy the "Madman's Knowledge" item at half price every day, he saw that a new item had been updated below it.

[The Madman's Knowledge (x10)]

[Gain the knowledge of ten madmen at once, with at least one instance guaranteed to grant knowledge of a specific alien realm.]

Price: 1000 Quiet Points

At the same time, a counter has been updated next to [The Madman's Knowledge].

[8/50]

Lu Ban placed his finger on it and saw more specific prompts.

Each time you use the Madman's knowledge, you will accumulate Madman's Ramblings Points. When you have fifty Madman's Ramblings Points, you can exchange them for the Wisdom of the Fool of any mutated grade.

The Wisdom of Fools

【alienation】

The remains of someone who received the favor of an indescribable deity.

[Can be used to obtain the truth of a specific otherworldly realm]

[Knowledge containing potentially serious contamination has been thoroughly filtered and is safe to use.]

However, depending on the interpretation of the truth, unexpected events can sometimes occur.

"Wonderful...knowledge"

[Price: 50 Madman's Ramblings Points]

"God is the wisdom of fools."

Lu Ban wondered if the owner of this Silent Land was playing a mobile game or was a mobile game developer himself, since he not only had a ten-pull but also a pity system.

However, upon closer reflection, it seems that mobile game designers and the gods of Silent Land are not much different. They both use various methods to squeeze players and chosen ones dry, and make players and chosen ones work in the world they create.

According to the description, the wisdom of fools is obviously more advanced than the knowledge of madmen. And just like the knowledge of madmen obtained through a ten-pull gacha, it allows you to specify the knowledge you want to obtain. Moreover, this knowledge is obviously more advanced and more corrupted.

In short, this "wisdom of fools" is probably from some unfortunate individuals who witnessed the existence of great beings. Their minds were filled with a lot of knowledge that they could never use and that would even kill them, ultimately leading to their sudden death. Some of the pollution from this knowledge remained in their bodies, while the pollution level of the remaining knowledge was reduced, making it safe for people to use.

It's also possible that some of the knowledge contained in "The Wisdom of Fools" is too explosive. Even if it has been filtered by several people, it will still make the person who gets it have a brain explosion. For example, if Lu Ban spent some points to exchange for one and wanted to see the true face of the great being sealed behind the door under the church in the abandoned town of Ruin City, his brain would probably boil on the spot no matter how many layers of nested dolls there were. It would be ready to be served with minced garlic, chili peppers and chopped green onions.

Lu Ban trusted his luck, so instead of doing a ten-pull, he first did a single pull at the daily half-price rate.

The skull that appeared in his hand was almost humanoid, but a large piece was missing from the jaw area, which looked damaged. In addition to this, there were also signs of friction and damage on other parts of the skull, as if it had been gnawed by some wild beast.

He looked at the eerie green flames in the skull's eye sockets and immediately crushed the skull.

A bolt of lightning swirled around Lu Ban, causing his hair to stand on end. Then, green electric light pierced his brain.

"...This inheritance came from my uncle, who said he had studied under the Daoist Heming and eventually acquired this house..."

"...The buildings in the villa have been in disrepair for many years and have become rotten due to the dampness from the heavy rain. Sometimes you may hear strange noises coming from the ceiling or walls, but please don't worry about them..."

"...Some believe that Daoist Heming's ascension was a hoax, and that he actually died long ago from a lightning strike. Others believe that Daoist Heming performed some evil rituals here, summoning something malevolent..."

"...rustling, rustling, it sounds like something is scratching at this wall..."

"...I discovered a basement, right beneath the kitchen. There seems to be a large cavity there; perhaps something is hidden down there..."

These ramblings and pieces of knowledge spread like lightning through the crevices of Lu Ban's cerebral cortex, giving him a tingling, trembling sensation. Black blood seeped from his nostrils, and Lu Ban felt dizzy.

But that's where it ends.

He rubbed his nose, where the grass growing inside was covered in blood. At the same time, his brain, which had been electrocuted, turned green, quickly smoothing out the necrotic cells.

This level of pollution doesn't seem to have a strong corrosive effect on Lu Ban anymore.

Unfortunately, this "Madman's Knowledge" comes from the ruins of the city, and it should be information from the "Mad Manor" mission.