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墨書 Inktalez
The morning dew and the chirping of birds, accompanied by the sunrise, brought vibrant life to the new day.
Choosing April Seventh for the Ritual Ceremony was indeed a wise decision, as it was undeniably a day of impeccable auspiciousness.
After the morning bell rang, Qingliang Temple was exceptionally tranquil. Only the incense candles burned quietly, their smoke curling gracefully, creating an atmosphere of solemnity and peace.
The Eight Holy Monks designated to perform the Ritual Ceremony had already been selected. They had solemnly bathed and donned the imperial red robes with golden brocade draped over their right shoulders, enhancing their dignified appearance.
Under the guidance of Master Zhu Gaoseng Bopo, the Eight Holy Monks entered the main hall. In the center of the hall stood a full-body statue of Siddhartha Gautama, flanked by statues of the Eighteen Arhats. The hall was filled with burning incense and all necessary ritual implements. The Buddha gazed down compassionately at all living beings below.
Bopo the Divine Monk led the Holy Monks into the hall, accompanied by another monk. This monk appeared to be nearly fifty years old, slender in build, wearing a monk's hat, with bright eyes that exuded an air of dignity. From his demeanor, he resembled a venerable monk. However, a discerning eye would quickly recognize him as Chancellor Lord Fang Xuanling.
Uninformed observers might mistakenly think that Lord Fang Xuanling also had a penchant for splay.
Just as the esteemed monks found their places in the hall, chaos erupted.
A group of mysterious figures clad in black suddenly descended from the beams of the hall like silent bats from the night sky, weapons in hand.
All the monks were taken aback. Once on the ground, the black-clad assailants wasted no time and swiftly advanced, brandishing their blades toward the unarmed monks.
There were more than twenty black-clad figures, each wielding knives and moving with remarkable speed. The monks were not skilled in martial arts; even if they possessed profound knowledge of spiritual practices, they were utterly defenseless against real weapons. In an instant, they fell victim to the ruthless attacks of their assailants.
It seemed that these attackers were determined to eliminate all the monks within the hall. Their movements were both swift and brutal, and soon cries of despair echoed throughout. It appeared that even Holy Monks were merely ordinary humans who reacted no differently than anyone else when faced with unexpected peril.
Another scream pierced through the air; poor Lord Fang, possessing great talent and wisdom, became an unwitting victim in this calamity.
In less than a moment, all the monks in the hall, including Bopo the Divine Monk, lay lifeless in pools of blood.
The black-clad figures completed their grim task with efficiency. After exchanging nods with one another, they prepared to leave when suddenly a loud shout rang out from outside: “Who dares to commit such brazen acts of violence in this sacred Buddhist sanctuary?”
The ones who burst into the grand hall were the Garrison Soldiers responsible for guarding it.
Logically, the Garrison was positioned far from the grand hall and should not have arrived so quickly. Yet, not only did they come swiftly, but there were also nearly two hundred of them. Some of these soldiers surged into the hall, while the rest automatically formed a surrounding perimeter.
"Don't move! We have surrounded this Buddha Hall completely. You won't escape even if you sprout wings. It's better to lay down your weapons and surrender now than to fight like trapped beasts!" shouted a leader among the Garrison.
The men in black showed no signs of retreat; instead, they tightened their grips on their blades, ready for battle.
Seeing the situation, a fight was imminent.
However, just at that tense moment, one of the Garrison officers who had rushed in suddenly spoke up, breaking the stalemate.
This officer pulled out a White Jade Token from his bosom and bellowed like thunder, "Act!"
Many inside the hall were momentarily stunned, but some of the Garrison Soldiers quickly pulled out red armbands from their pockets and deftly tied them around their necks.
The officer holding the token commanded again, "Attack!"
In an instant, the dynamics of the scene changed. The Garrison Soldiers with red armbands began to clash with those without them, engaging in fierce combat.
The men in black exchanged glances and joined the fray as well.
Surprisingly, these black-clad fighters targeted those Garrison Soldiers who were not wearing armbands.
Now, the factions within the hall were clearly divided. After a short while of fighting, it became evident to any observer what was happening.
There were about a hundred Soldiers without red armbands, slightly more than those with them. Moreover, their martial prowess was clearly superior to that of their armband-wearing counterparts. Not long after the skirmish began, many of the armband-wearing Soldiers fell. However, joining the battle were also the men in black; although fewer in number, their skills surpassed those of the unarmed Soldiers overall. Thus, as the fight progressed, it became apparent that the men in black gradually gained the upper hand.
At that moment, I couldn't help but interject because I was truly proud of myself for coming up with the idea of the red armband!
Nie Qiuyuan and Luo Dachun concluded that when Snowfall Villa attacked the Thanksgiving Ceremony, the strength of the Left and Right Garrison would not be enough to capture them. Therefore, the Mirror Gate would definitely come to assist the officials in apprehending Snowfall Villa, most likely disguising themselves as Garrison soldiers to blend in with the army.
It would be easy for the Garrison to have an additional Garrison unit through the methods of the Mirror Gate, but this would put us at a disadvantage since all the Soldiers would be mixed together, making it impossible to distinguish between the disciples of the Mirror Gate and our own people.
Thus, we directly issued a secret order through Lord Fang to the Garrison guards, instructing them that when they saw the White Jade Token, they should take out the pre-distributed Red Armband and wear it around their necks, executing any troops that did not have one.
Looking back now, this plan has indeed proven effective!
If you ask me where I got the inspiration for wearing the Red Armband, let me proudly tell you that it comes from the “Sacrifice Band” of the Red Fourth Army based in Jinggangshan. The education from school played a significant role!
In that era, military equipment was extremely rudimentary; there were no standardized uniforms, and soldiers wore all sorts of clothing. Many Red Army soldiers dressed like ordinary civilians, while others wore student or merchant outfits, and some even donned monk or Taoist robes. To distinguish themselves from the enemy before engaging in battle, soldiers would tie a red scarf around their necks or wrap a strip of red cloth around their sleeves. More importantly, after a battle ended, local civilians could identify fallen soldiers by seeing the red cloth, allowing them to conduct simple funerals—burials, placing markers, and so on. Therefore, when soldiers received that strip of red cloth or silk ribbon at midnight, they affectionately referred to it as the “Sacrifice Band.”
Alright, I've digressed; I just wanted to show off a bit. Let's return to the battle at hand.
In the chaos of combat, there was a soldier who had not tied on a Red Armband. He was slender and appeared very young. He scanned his surroundings and easily dispatched an attacking Garrison Soldier before retreating towards the door.
Just then, two figures suddenly flashed by overhead and landed right in front of that young soldier.
The soldier focused his gaze and was taken aback. Standing before him were none other than Fang Xuanling and Zhu Gao Seng Bopo Master, who had just been killed by black-clad figures!
Lord Fang suddenly wielded a slender and agile short knife in his hand. Like lightning, he lunged at the young soldier. The young soldier's expression changed; he swung his right arm and hurled his military blade at Fang Xuanling.
Fang Xuanling nimbly dodged the thrown blade but upon closer inspection saw that the young soldier now held a black Long Whip. The soldier danced with the Long Whip, enveloping himself entirely within its shadowy form as he defended himself tightly.
As they faced off against each other, suddenly the soldier's eyes shone brightly, his pupils turning red. Unbeknownst to him, a gust of wind rushed down from above towards him. The soldier quickly swung his whip to block it; with a loud clang, both figures abruptly separated once again.
Silently and swiftly, like a phantom wind, the Zhu Shen Seng Bo Po Master attacked the Soldiers from above, wielding a heavy long knife. As he swung it down, a fierce gust of wind followed. However, the Long Whip wielded by the Soldiers seemed to be made of some extraordinary material; it met the blade without sustaining any damage. After the clash, a faint metallic scent filled the air.
"Focus, hold your breath; the whip is poisoned!" Zhu Gao Seng Bopo Master warned.
Looking at the Soldiers, his military cap had fallen off during the battle, revealing his long hair cascading down. Despite his youthful appearance, he had an oddly peculiar look. His face resembled that of a pale and frail boy, yet he possessed a pair of crimson red eyes. The long hair that flowed down was also a fiery red.
The Red-Haired Boy snorted and waved his right hand. The Long Whip coiled around a statue of the Eighteen Arhats in the hall. With a light lift of his hand, the statue flew into the air, accurately heading towards Fang Xuanling and Zhu Gao Seng Bopo Master.
The statue was likely made of bronze and weighed several hundred pounds. It was astonishing that this boy could lift it with just one hand using the whip.
Indeed, before engaging in battle, we had analyzed potential enemies we might encounter.
Mirror Gate's Zhuque appeared to be an ordinary youth at first glance, slightly paler and thinner than most. In combat form, he had red hair and red eyes and wielded a Long Whip. All disciples of Mirror Gate were adept at using poison; thus, their weapons and hidden projectiles could be toxic as well. Although Zhuque's martial skills were average, his immense strength came from long-term consumption of strange potions, making it crucial to avoid close combat with him.
Moreover, one must be extremely cautious in places where Zhuque appeared. His most terrifying aspect was not his personal combat ability but rather his manipulation of mechanisms, new weapons, and formations.
In essence, this fellow was indeed a rare talent in the world.
Among us, only two individuals had seen Zhuque's true form: myself and Nie Qiuyuan. Oddly enough, reflecting on our Fortuitous Encounter, I realized I had seen the true appearances of Mirror Gate's Qinglong, Baihu, Zhuque, and Xuanwu. Thus, I took on an important role in this task—collaborating with the artist to portray these individuals accurately.
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