Zombie Bodyguard
Chapter 588 - 585: Coming back around?

Chapter 588: Chapter 585: Coming back around?

"Lin Tian, I really don’t know where a high school student like you finds the time to read so many ancient books. Those who don’t know might think you’re a history professor," Ning Luoxi shook her head and said.

"Don’t forget, I have a strong memory, and the Xiao Family has a lot of books. I’ve basically read all that I could, and stored it all in my head," Lin Tian pointed to his head, but immediately expressed regret, "However, it’s a pity that even ancient books have limited information on the Eight Formation Map. They only mention that such a thing exists, but not how it looks like. It’s likely that the true Eight Formation Map has been lost."

"The Eight Formation Map hasn’t been lost because I have seen the real one," Ning Luoxi said.

"You... have seen it?" Lin Tian asked uncertainly.

Some expert scholars also claim to know the Eight Formation Map and have even published books on it. The books contain a bunch of stuff that’s incomprehensible. An Eight Formation Map wouldn’t be called that if you could understand it, right? So-called experts like to bamboozle the average person.

Ning Luoxi didn’t mind the skepticism in Lin Tian’s voice, and she calmly said, "The Eight Formation Map is actually evolved from the Acquired Eight Diagram, divided into eight major formations known as the ’four pillars’ and the ’four odd ones’, plus the central army, making nine major formations in total."

"The ’four pillars’ are Heaven, Earth, Wind, Cloud, and the ’four odd ones’ are Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Flying Snake. According to Qimen Dunjia, they can also be divided into the eight gates: Life, Injury, Rest, Block, View, Death, Fear, and Opening, which are subject to numerous changes. It’s said that they can withstand a hundred thousand elite troops..." Ning Luoxi elaborated.

She said a lot, and Lin Tian understood every word, but when put together, he didn’t get the meaning. Anyway, he felt what Ning Luoxi described was just as obscure and perplexing as those scholarly books, possibly trying to hoodwink people.

"Do you think I’m trying to hoodwink you?" Ning Luoxi, seemingly able to see right through Lin Tian’s thoughts, asked lightly.

"I didn’t say that, but you spoke so much just to suggest that this broken forest is the so-called Eight Formation Map?" Lin Tian exclaimed in surprise.

Given the Japanese’s skill in stealing knowledge, it seemed possible. Japan’s civilization almost entirely originated from Huaxia; their architecture, clothing, tea ceremony, and even the way they sit while eating comes from the Huaxia’s Five Elements and Yin-Yang. Learning the Eight Formation Map wouldn’t be surprising.

But however one looked at this small forest, it didn’t seem to connect with the Eight Formation Map at all. The Stone Array laid out by Zhuge Liang was grand and astonishing—this little forest couldn’t hold a candle to it.

"Of course, this forest couldn’t possibly be the Eight Formation Map—how grandiose it is. Historical records only account for Zhuge Liang having laid out the Eight Formation Map; the Japanese wouldn’t have the capability or virtue to arrange it!" Ning Luoxi said disdainfully, but then she added, "While it’s not the Eight Formation Map, it does have a slight connection."

"What do you mean?" Lin Tian asked.

"I mentioned earlier that the ’four pillars’ of the Eight Formation Map are Heaven, Earth, Wind, Cloud. Amongst them, the mantra for Cloud is, ’Clouds cling to the earth, shapeless at first, they transform into soaring birds, their form complete. Birds can break through, clouds can obscure, ever-changing, they echo the sound of metal and leather,’" Ning Luoxi recited.

"Miss Luoxi, can you speak in layman’s terms? I’m not very learned and don’t understand what you’re saying," Lin Tian said with rare humility.

Ning Luoxi saw his amusing response and her lips curled into a slight smile, but it quickly disappeared.

Though her smile was fleeting, Lin Tian still caught it. Indeed, the smile of a beautiful woman was enchanting, stirring one’s heart.

Knowing Ning Luoxi was not one for public display, he didn’t expose her smile, but inwardly he felt a bit smug. Regardless of whether you’re a cold-faced female warrior or a ruthless female CEO, I can make you bloom into laughter.

Ning Luoxi, unaware of Lin Tian’s thoughts, pondered for a moment before speaking: "Although it’s called the Eight Formation Map, in reality, there are formations within formations, maps within maps. The Japanese likely learned a minor formation underneath the Cloud Formation, understood some rudiments, and cultivated trees according to the formation. Combined with other methods, if a person doesn’t follow a specific route, the forest will raise strange fog, causing illusions."

"So what you’re saying is that Ghost and Thunder Wolf thought the Japanese were heading in this direction, but actually, they had gone another way, which is why when Ghost and his team caught up, they found the prey’s tracks had disappeared," Lin Tian explained his understanding.

"That’s roughly the idea," Ning Luoxi nodded.

"The Eight Formation Map is really amazing, just a glimpse of it is enough to shake off the pursuit of Ghost and his team. If the complete Eight Formation Map were laid out, wouldn’t it shock the heavens and make the ghost gods weep?" Lin Tian marveled.

"Of course, in the age of cold weapons, the Eight Formation Map was said to withstand a hundred thousand elite troops; how could it be simple!" Ning Luoxi affirmed.

"However, it’s such a pity!" Lin Tian suddenly lamented.

"A pity about what?" Ning Luoxi asked curiously.

"The Eight Formation Map is a crystallization of ancient wisdom that dazzled so many dynasties, but on the modern battlefield, one missile and so many Eight Formation Maps would be finished," Lin Tian reflected.

He thought this was, perhaps, the inevitable law of succession: the Eight Formation Map was a crystallization of ancient wisdom, and the missile was a crystallization of the wisdom of today’s scientists. If modern people couldn’t surpass the ancients, wouldn’t society be regressing?

But in fact, the wheels of history roll forward, and society progresses.

"I really am worrying over nothing, aren’t I? It’s not like I can push the advancing wheels of history. Miss Luoxi, we should still consider which direction the Japanese went. Since you understand the formation rhymes, you should also know the rhymes to break the formation, right?" Lin Tian said with self-mockery.

Ning Luoxi grinned and responded, "Just like you said, it’s just a broken forest, do we really need the rhymes to break the formation?"

"Then, please, Master Ning, take action," Lin Tian joked.

"Advanced formation maps are ever-changing, and the paths to exit the formation after entering are also ever-changing. But this forest doesn’t even count as a low-level formation map, so the exit paths must be fixed. And once we find that path, we will have found the direction the Japanese left in," Ning Luoxi explained.

Without waiting for Lin Tian to ask further, she moved and entered the forest again.

In fact, Lin Tian didn’t need Ning Luoxi to find the path; using his super vision, he should also be able to locate the Japanese, who could almost certainly be around the forest’s perimeter. After his super vision had upgraded last time, it could cover such a large area.

But doing so would leave Lin Tian unable to explain his actions, so it was better to let Ning Luoxi do the searching since she claimed it was not difficult.

Lin Tian followed her, circling within the forest. Indeed, just circling, sometimes even retracing his steps or walking around the same tree several times. If Lin Tian didn’t know Ning Luoxi better, he would almost think she was fooling around.

Ning Luoxi would make marks on the trees along the paths they traversed.

After a few more loops and moving forward a few meters, there were no more trees ahead, and Lin Tian stepped out of the forest again, or rather, followed Ning Luoxi out of the forest.

"Why is it still that hill in front?" Lin Tian looked at the familiar slope. Wasn’t it the same one they saw the first time they came out of the forest?