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墨書 Inktalez
But now was not the time to dwell on such matters. Nie Qiuyuan pondered for a moment before gently patting Luo Dachun on the back.
"Sikong, given the circumstances, it's best to mourn later. I sense that something urgent is at hand, so please calm down and listen to me."
Luo Dachun seemed to have developed a remarkable resilience; he quickly adjusted his state of mind and nodded.
Nie Qiuyuan continued, "The recent attack by Mirror Gate clearly isn't aimed at annihilating you. They likely just want to delay your actions. This time, Mirror Gate has managed to restrain the Jade Balance Bureau while also holding you back. Their true intention might be related to another matter, which I believe is very likely connected to your mission."
Autumn's thoughts aligned perfectly with my own feelings. Yes, this was the most reasonable explanation. It was highly probable that after five years of preparation, they had regained the ability to open the Disaster Gate. Moreover, the implementation of this plan could very well coincide with today, when Snowfall Villa had lost its combat capability.
Nie Qiuyuan took out the imperial seal and handed it to Luo Dachun. "Sikong, summon reliable confidants immediately and send them to Luoyang City for reinforcements. Have the troops in Luoyang surround Baiyun Mountain and prepare to capture the traitors from Mirror Gate. Additionally, I need you to promise me one thing."
Luo Dachun looked at him in surprise, but then heard him continue, "I entrust Zhenzhen to you. Please ensure her safety and do not let her come to any harm."
"Where are you going?" I felt a surge of anxiety in my heart. If he was leaving me with Luo Dachun instead of taking me with him, it clearly meant he was about to undertake something extremely dangerous.
Nie Qiuyuan looked at me and said, "I’m going to find Ren Pingsheng. I need to locate him, understand what has happened, and find a way to stop him."
"I'll go with you," Luo Dachun insisted urgently. "This is our mission at Snowfall Villa."
Nie Qiuyuan waved his hand to stop him. "You can't go right now. Can't you see the situation here? This camp needs someone to manage the aftermath and stabilize the morale of the troops to prevent further losses. Moreover, Zhenzhen can only be protected by you so that I can act without worry. Right now, I'm probably the only one capable of finding Ren Pingsheng."
I stepped forward and grasped his hand.
"Must it be this way? Do you really have to go alone? Must it be now? Can't we wait for Brother Luo to finish handling things first?"
"Zhenzhen, deep down you know that we can't afford any delays. If the Disaster Gate opens, not only will countless lives be lost, but you will also be in danger. We cannot allow that to happen."
He held my hand firmly and gently stroked my hair.
“Zhenzhen, don’t worry. I promise you, I have it all in my heart. I will cherish my life and won’t let anything happen to me, so just trust me, okay?”
In the face of such a significant event, my lover had to shoulder his responsibilities. No matter how much fear and reluctance he felt inside, reason told me that at this moment, I could not hold him back. It was my principle never to obstruct the decisions of the man I loved; I believed that was the right thing to do.
So I replied, “You can rest assured; I will definitely take good care of myself. My life is more precious than strength!”
Qiu had already learned what “strength” meant from me, so my words made him chuckle lightly.
The atmosphere lightened considerably. Luo Dachun took out a box from his pocket and handed it to Nie Qiuyuan. Upon opening it, we saw a transparent glass sphere inside.
“Qiu Yuan, this is a family heirloom from Snowfall Villa. It’s a crystal formed during the ancient opening of the Disaster Gate when the earth underwent strange changes. This object has a resonance with the Disaster Gate. If you can’t find Ren Pingsheng, follow the aura of the Disaster Gate; perhaps Ren Pingsheng is there. Once I finish my business here, I will come to help you immediately.”
Nie Qiuyuan accepted the glass sphere and looked at me with deep affection. We clasped hands, and I felt a slight increase in pressure from his palm.
I smiled at him and thought in my heart, “Remember your promise to stay safe.”
Qiu released my hand and turned to exit the Tent, disappearing from our sight in an instant.
I took a deep breath to steady myself and turned to Luo Dachun. “Brother Luo, please accept my condolences. If there’s anything I can help with, just let me know; I want to do more.”
I needed to keep myself busy; if I stopped, my thoughts would spiral into worry and tears.
Perhaps my spirit of needing no comfort but only action inspired Luo Dachun as well. He quickly calmed down and gathered several key members of the camp to begin swift decision-making.
First and foremost, relocating the entire camp was essential; this was undoubtedly a major undertaking. We also needed to assess everyone’s injuries, study the residual toxins from the Mirror Gate, quickly restore combat readiness, and ensure that Sikong Han’s body was well-protected for future examination. Once all these arrangements were completed, much of the day had passed, and dusk was approaching.
Fortunately, Fu Zhifeng, the divine doctor, was still here. He had been a tremendous help by analyzing poisons and treating the injured voluntarily. We felt quite apologetic towards him; after all, he had come here for medical consultations and ended up embroiled in such matters instead.
As everything seemed to be nearly settled, Fu Zhifeng bid us farewell, apologizing for not being able to assist with Sikong Han's situation. We quickly expressed our gratitude, and Luo Dachun personally escorted him out of the Five Elements Formation. The old man, displaying great understanding, insisted that given the current circumstances, there was no need for formalities or an escort. This only made us feel more embarrassed.
After Fu Zhifeng left, the camp was almost organized. Luo Dachun let out a sigh of relief and turned to me. "Zhenzhen, I'm going to find Qiu Yuan. Are you coming?"
I nodded eagerly. It was beyond my expectations that Luo Dachun didn’t mind me tagging along; I was thrilled. However, upon reflection, he had no choice but to take me since Qiu had entrusted me to him—he couldn't just leave me behind.
"But Brother Luo, how are we going to find him?"
This time, Luo Dachun pulled out a transparent glass-like ring and explained, "Snowfall Villa has more than one device to sense the Disaster Gate; otherwise, we wouldn't be able to search for traces of it scattered across different locations. Qiu Yuan took mine, so I found another one belonging to someone else. This matter is likely related to the Disaster Gate, so let's follow this lead."
Since we couldn't ride horses in the mountains, we had to go on foot. I realized that human potential is truly limitless. Although I didn’t know any lightness skills, I focused all my energy on running and, combined with the internal training I had been practicing with Qiu over the past few days, I managed to keep up with Luo Dachun's pace.
Luo Dachun seemed surprised, but when he saw me gritting my teeth and pushing myself to keep up, he understood what I was thinking. Instead of slowing down, he quickened his steps.
As darkness gradually enveloped the landscape and the moon rose in the sky, it happened to be a full moon night. The sky was clear without clouds obstructing it, making the round moon appear exceptionally large and bright as it cast a cold glow over the mountains.
Unlike usual nights, tonight's moon was blue—an extraordinarily strange shade of blue that surpassed any description Liao Chang could provide. It felt as if this moon did not belong to our world but was instead a substitute sent from the underworld.
During my English classes, I learned a phrase called "a blue moon," which literally translates to "once in a blue moon," but its true meaning is "rarely." Upon further research into its origins, I discovered that after volcanic eruptions or under unusual weather conditions, the moon can appear blue; however, such occurrences are extremely rare—hence the term "once in a blue moon."
Language often shares commonalities across cultures. I had always wondered why there was no description of a blue moon in Chinese literature; thus, I remained skeptical about this English phrase. But tonight, I truly saw a massive blue moon that was so eerie it filled my heart with an ominous premonition.
As the moon rose higher in the sky and its color deepened into an even more vivid blue, Luo Dachun's ring suddenly reacted faintly in his hand.
What had been a transparent ring now shimmered with a faint blue light. Our hearts tightened; it seemed this matter was indeed linked to a great catastrophe.
We followed the direction where the ring’s blue glow intensified, leading us toward the main peak of Baiyun Mountain. The terrain was steep; we had no choice but to climb upward with all our might.
The difficult places to climb were all thanks to Luo Dachun guiding me. My fingers were scraped and bleeding from gripping the rocky surface, yet I felt no pain at all. It was close; I had a premonition that at the peak, I should be right at the top of that mountain.
At that moment, something in my arms seemed to ignite, suddenly radiating a scorching heat that almost made me scream.
What was it? I hurriedly found a stable spot, hooked my foot around a tree, and reached into my arms to pull out the burning object.
In the darkness, it emitted a faint red glow. I focused my gaze and was startled. Wasn't this the dagger that Qiu had given me?
The dagger's sheath was adorned with colorful gemstones. When I first received it, I had complained about how heavy and cumbersome they were. Now, those very gems were glowing with a dim pomegranate red light, making the entire dagger feel scalding hot.
This dagger was the only thing left to Qiu from his family. Could it be that this dagger also reacted to the Disaster Gate?
What could this mean?
In any case, it felt very close now. I took out two masks, wrapped the dagger up, and placed it back in my arms before continuing to climb the mountain with renewed vigor.
I never imagined I could climb so high in one go. This peak must be over two thousand meters above sea level; it was certainly a towering mountain. The temperature at the summit had dropped significantly, but climbing had kept me warm, so I didn’t feel cold. I was grateful it was nighttime; if it were daytime and I looked down at my feet, I would surely feel dizzy and might even fall.
The blue full moon illuminated the summit of the main peak. When we finally reached the top, we saw that it was a large boulder jutting out from the cliff. Standing face to face on that boulder were two exceptionally handsome men, their garments billowing in the mountain wind, casting shadows that made them appear like celestial beings descended from heaven.
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