1215 The Two-Thousand-Year-Old Guardian (1/2)

Fina wasn't interested in listening to Zhang Zian and Richard talk about boy-girl relationships. During that chat, she went straight into the ruins alone.

Although there were no tourists, every inch of land and every broken brick and stone pillar here was a part of history. Walking amongst the ruins seemed to bring one back to an era more than 2,000 years ago.

The ruined wall carried small glimpses of its former glory.

What was worrying was that it did not seem to be properly protected. Many walls had cracked, and the iconic spire had been severely weathered. It would not be long before it was entirely eroded, although the measurement of time here was fairly long. In fact, as long as there was no torrential rain or earthquake for 100 years, it would not be a problem for several decades.

What surprised Fina was that it found some traces of life amongst the ruins. These were not the traces left by rare tourists, but the subtle traces of those who'd stayed for a very long time.

It jumped onto a broken wall and turned to look around. Coincidentally, Zhang Zian was also looking around, but his gaze was on the distant town of Siwa instead of checking out the vicinity.

Yes, someone should have lived here.

It saw a few houses at the foot of the hill on the other side. These were houses built in modern times, each of which was boxy and surrounded by a small wall that seemed to have no effect on keeping unwanted guests away.

Who lived here? Fina had no idea.

Even if it was an outdated pagan god, even if this was only a ruin, this was still a sacred place. How could mere mortals live here?

It looked back at Zhang Zian and Richard. They were still gossiping, though the details were unintelligible. It seemed that they would not be leaving any time soon. So it jumped off the wall and ran to the houses at the foot of the hill.

The hills were very short, about 20 or 30 meters high, far lower than the high-rise apartment buildings in the coastal city. They collapsed between several broken walls but soon came back as one approached the houses.

One of the houses seemed to have its door open. However, there were no movements or signs of anyone living in the space. The other doors were locked, and they were equally silent.

Fina cautiously jumped onto a windowsill without a window.

Indoors, it was very dark. Fina's pupils adjusted, and everything in the room came into view.

There was no one there. The house was empty.

Obviously, no one lived here. Thick dust was everywhere, setting off an eerie vibe. Fina's sudden appearance frightened the bugs residing in the house, making them crawl around. The furniture in the house held no value. The former owner seemed to have led a simple, normal life.

Why had the person chosen not to live in a big town that was highly convenient for daily living and lived in such a remote area instead?

Fina thought of the old lady who picked bottles up. She'd brought a dog to the pet shop to help him. Perhaps the people here survived by picking up bottles and therefore could not live in town.

It shook its head slightly. This did not make sense. There was no indication that the price of housing in this small town was expensive. One could also choose to live at the edges of town, where the prices would definitely be affordable. Was there any reason to live out here, so far away?

At this moment, it suddenly noticed a mark on the wall. The mark was not very clear. Someone who did not know what to look for might've dismissed the mark as a random scratch or something left behind by children.