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墨書 Inktalez
I pulled out the first gift I received after arriving in this world—a dagger with a scabbard embedded with numerous gemstones.
This dagger was given to me by Night Phantom for self-defense. At that time, I had no idea that it was the only token left to him by his family.
Such a precious item was given to me so early on; every time I think of this gesture, my heart fills with sweet pride.
In fact, this dagger has been by my side, protecting me countless times, even until now.
When Shen Huaqing from the Thunder Sect intended to reforged it, the dagger proved to be extremely special; not even the Thunder Sect's forge could melt it down.
At that moment, Shen Huaqing remarked that since such a weapon existed, it must have its own purpose. Looking back now, its purpose was right here; it turned out to be so significant.
I took Nie Qiuyuan's hand and carefully placed the dagger in his palm.
"If this dagger was given to you for this reason, I believe that behind this door lies what your family wants to say to you alone," I said solemnly.
No matter how many secrets are buried in this magical underground palace, at least this one secret is meant specifically for Nie Qiuyuan, which is truly exciting.
Qiuyuan took the dagger and drew it from its sheath. Aligning it with the groove on the stone pedestal, he embedded the dagger into place.
Indeed, it fit perfectly in both size and shape.
As the dagger settled into the groove, it suddenly emitted a red glow. Simultaneously, the inscriptions on the tightly closed door began to shine as well, all transforming into fiery colors.
The characters on the towering stone door glowed like lava burning brightly; the scene was incredibly spectacular. After a moment, we heard the grinding sound of mechanisms operating all around us as the stone door slowly moved apart with a tremendous rumble.
Behind the stone door appeared what seemed to be a Buddhist Hall, illuminated by long Bright Lanterns that emitted a mysterious aura.
Nie Qiuyuan took my hand. After exchanging a glance with Luo Dachun, the three of us walked shoulder to shoulder into the Buddhist Hall.
It was called the Buddhist Hall simply because there was a statue of a deity on the high platform inside. The structure resembled that of a Buddhist Hall in a temple. However, upon closer inspection, it was clear that it was not what it seemed.
What was enshrined there was not a Buddha statue at all, but a statue of a valiant man dressed in hunting attire. He held a bow and arrow, standing tall, yet his expression was gentle, as if he were gazing at us with warmth.
I looked at this statue and couldn't help but be taken aback.
Of course, I wasn't the only one surprised.
"This, this..." Luo Dachun's astonishment surpassed mine. "You must have seen this at Snowfall Villa too; this is the statue of Father God Hou Yi."
To my surprise, even the posture of the statue was identical to that of the one at Snowfall Villa.
Fragments of information from the past suddenly surged into my mind. Oh my God, could it be...
At the feet of the Hou Yi Statue lay a thick book placed upright.
It was this book that led us into an incredible world, confirming my suspicions about something very grave.
***
Since the Ancient Era when Hou Yi and Chang'e sacrificed themselves to seal the Disaster Gate, their clans, the Youqiong Clan and the Pure Fox Clan, inherited the legacy of their leaders, becoming guardians who would prevent the Disaster Gate from reopening and protect the world from harm for generations.
However, malice in the world could not be eradicated. For thousands of years, signs of the Disaster Gate reopening have frequently appeared. Although they were ultimately thwarted by the guardians of both clans, each occurrence dealt a significant blow to the Youqiong Clan and Pure Fox Clan, risking their very existence.
Thus, over the millennia, members of both clans have continuously sacrificed themselves in battle, dwindling in number. As of now, all that remains known to us is the Sikong Clan from Snowfall Villa.
Because the members of the Youqiong Clan suddenly vanished without a trace several generations ago, it left a significant mark on history.
At that time, the Sui Dynasty had not yet unified; it was still the era of the Southern and Northern Dynasties, where various states were divided, waging wars against each other year after year. The calamities and disasters led to widespread suffering among the people, causing frequent manifestations of the Disaster Gate. The guardians of both clans were exhausted from their efforts, suffering heavy casualties.
In the north, the Pure Fox Clan's Sikong Clan, Sima Clan, and Sito Clan stood as protectors, while in the south, only the five clans—Duan, Nie, Cheng, Zhu, and Li—remained as guardians of the Youqiong Clan. These five clans inherited the bloodline of the Youqiong Clan's formidable archers and were a group of highly skilled warriors. However, after the chaotic upheaval of the Southern and Northern Dynasties, these five clans suffered immeasurable losses.
Thus, they made a decisive choice: continuing to merely endure would only lead to further losses and eventual demise. They had to find a way to seal the Disaster Gate, even if it meant making greater sacrifices. They aimed to seal it for as long as possible, just as Hou Yi and Chang'e had done in ancient times, allowing their guardians a chance to breathe, reproduce, and better protect this world.
The remaining members of the five clans gathered together and journeyed southwest to hide deep within Tengyue Atami.
They spent over two hundred years researching and seeking methods to close the Disaster Gate. During this time, they gradually constructed a labyrinth in the Hot Sea and set up incredible traps. To guard against any unforeseen circumstances, they devised three tests for their descendants who might one day seek their roots.
Originally, according to their plan, these three tests were not supposed to be necessary because there should have been guides to safely bring their descendants directly to where we now stand. However, considering that stepping outside would be fraught with danger and that the secrets preserved in the underground palace were of great importance, they feared that if any evil descendants returned, not only would centuries of hard work be wasted but it would also bring severe calamities upon the world.
Time proved that their foresight was entirely correct, even though those three tests left us utterly bewildered.
At that time, after discovering a method to combat the Disaster Gate, a team of over twenty was selected from the Nie Clan—the strongest among the five clans—to carry this secret forward from Tengyue Atami. The remaining members of the five clans generously sacrificed themselves within the underground palace of the Hot Sea, using all their life force to forge essential artifacts needed to seal the Disaster Gate, hidden within the underground labyrinth.
The mission of this Nie Family team was to depart from Tengyue Nation and head northward to find the remaining guardians of the Pure Fox Clan. They intended to share this secret with them in hopes of gaining their assistance and serving as guides to bring back envoys from the Pure Fox Clan to Tengyue Atami. Over these two hundred years, while the Pure Fox Clan had been guarding this world alone—suffering great losses—the action to seal the Disaster Gate could not succeed without their help.
This was because half of the key to their plan rested in the hands of the Pure Fox Clan. This is also why Luo Dachun's bloodline from the Pure Fox Clan was recognized by guardians on Tengyue Atami's land.
As for what happened when the Nie Family left Tengyue Atami heading northward, records in the underground palace only document up until this point; they never returned after setting out.
What follows is our own conjecture.
The Nie Clan re-emerged into society and traveled northward in search of traces of the hidden Pure Fox Clan scattered throughout urban areas. The Nie Family knew that by releasing some information regarding the Disaster Gate, they could surely attract attention from the guardians of the Pure Fox Clan; their spies must be spread far and wide.
However, fate is indeed unpredictable. When the Nie Family announced the news of the Disaster Gate, it was not the Sikong Clan, who had already established Snowfall Villa, that responded first, but rather Rong Fu, the deputy leader of Mirror Gate.
Rong Fu spent a long time tracking, approaching, and understanding them. He discovered their identities and realized they must be hiding a secret that greatly intrigued him. However, the members of the Nie Family were exceptionally skilled at keeping secrets; despite Rong Fu's countless inquiries, he could not extract any information from them.
Ultimately, Rong Fu decided to eliminate these mysterious guardians to prevent them from hindering his grand plans.
As for how Rong Fu accomplished this, we can only speculate. He must have employed extremely underhanded tactics because the Nie Family was the strongest among the Five Clan Guardians, and these individuals were carefully selected experts. In a direct confrontation, even Rong Fu would likely find himself at a disadvantage.
Thus, before the so-called "Annihilation," the Nie Family pooled all their strength to protect two key figures within their ranks: five-year-old Nie Qiuyuan and Zhuque, who was still an infant at that time.
According to the records in the book, as the owner of the key dagger to the secret chamber, Qiu was one of the core elements of this plan. Zhuque was chosen as another uniquely gifted successor among their kin, intended as a backup in case Qiu died or failed.
Seeing how desperately the Nie Family protected these two children, Rong Fu naturally would not be foolish enough to act rashly; he immediately realized that the secret lay with these two kids. Therefore, he did not attempt to kill them. However, by chance, Dark One, the leader of Mirror Gate, happened to arrive and saved Nie Qiuyuan. Rong Fu dared not reveal himself in front of him and instead seized Zhuque and quietly departed.
The secret surrounding Zhuque likely took Rong Fu many years to gather information about before he gradually came to understand it.
As for Nie Qiuyuan, raised by Dark One and originally part of Mirror Gate, there was little difference between keeping him close and monitoring him. What Rong Fu did not anticipate was that this child was exceptionally intelligent; he uncovered Rong Fu's sinister ambitions even before Dark One did. After Dark One's passing, he directly rebelled against Mirror Gate and freed himself from Rong Fu's control.
So what exactly was the secret that Rong Fu had been scheming to uncover for nearly twenty years? Why was Nie Qiuyuan the key to it all? This is perhaps the most thrilling part recorded in the book about the secret chamber. (To be continued...)
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