Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Descending from the arm of the Giant Buddha, I felt a deep unease in my heart, my pulse racing as if something in the darkness was watching me. Although the figures in the Buddha Cave faced my direction, their empty eye sockets only heightened my anxiety; it wasn't them that sent chills down my spine.
I was certain that something with eyes was lurking nearby.
Human fear stems from the unknown—unknown enemies, unknown events awaiting us. How deep was it below? Was I facing a mountain of blades or a sea of flames? When would those hidden eyes launch their attack?
These thoughts left me feeling unsettled and anxious.
This sensation I experienced was not a symptom of paranoia; my instincts had never failed me. Those eyes had been present since Lintong, and whenever I found myself alone, the feeling of being watched intensified.
I could bet my life on it—something had been following me.
So when I was focused on carving the animal patterns on the Lotus Throne, the sudden voice startled me, sending a jolt of electricity through my scalp.
To my surprise, it was my senior sister!
She was gripping a finger-thick Alloy Chain, indigo in color, segmented into pieces about seven or eight centimeters long, each etched with intricate Beast Mouth Patterns. The end of the segment she held featured an eight-centimeter-long Crescent Shape handle, from which a faint image of a dragon's tail peeked through her fingers.
Though slender, this chain could withstand the weight of an adult; it seemed to be a fine weapon.
Suddenly, I recalled the conical dagger my senior sister had used in Cedar Forest. Its handle resembled this Crescent Shape and looked like a sharp ice pick. At the time, I found it strange; I had never seen a dagger like that before. It turned out to be designed to conceal these chains!
Noticing my attention fixated on her weapon, she smiled proudly and said, “This is called the Nine Section Whip, crafted from the most intact segment of Thousand-Year Vanadium Steel. The ‘nine’ is just a figurative number; it doesn’t strictly refer to nine sections and can be extended infinitely as needed.”
Sister held the Crescent Handle, and with a flick of her wrist, the chain that was as thick as three fingers suddenly split into two, transforming from three sections into six. In an instant, she sank downward.
I was left dumbfounded, watching as Sister skillfully flicked her wrist again, causing the chain, now as thin as chopsticks, to quickly merge back into its original form.
I instinctively glanced down at the staff at my waist, feeling a pang of envy. Truly, comparing oneself to others can be disheartening; one might as well discard inferior goods!
Sister noticed my gaze on the staff and understood my thoughts. She comforted me, saying, “Your weapon isn’t bad either. Crafted from Ancient Black Gold, it may look like a staff, but it conceals a blade—unexpected and unprepared for. Hmm… it suits you quite well.”
I humbly shook my head, yet inside I felt greatly satisfied. As the saying goes, a golden nest or a silver nest is not as good as one’s own doghouse; no matter how good something is, it cannot compare to what one personally uses. In just a few months, I had forged a deep bond with this staff through countless life-and-death encounters. It was my closest and most trusted comrade, inseparable like my own right hand.
In that brief moment earlier, I had entertained the thought that the staff paled in comparison to the Nine Section Whip, but almost immediately that thought vanished. It was akin to our unique way of joking with each other; no matter how much I might complain about it, I would never betray it. I believed it felt the same way.
At that moment, Sister suddenly asked, “By the way, that girl Li San uses a whip too, right?”
I nodded and briefly introduced A Li’s weapon to Sister. After hearing this, Sister raised an eyebrow and smiled, “Perfect! If we get the chance, we can have a sparring match.”
Perhaps even Sister herself didn’t realize that her subconscious actions betrayed her intentions; she wanted more than just a friendly spar—she wanted to see A Li make a fool of herself.
The grudge between A Li and Sister likely stemmed from Old Laitou, but I couldn’t quite grasp the specifics of it.
As the old saying goes, a woman’s heart is as deep as the ocean; matters between women are not something mere mortals like us can easily fathom. If they were to end up fighting, we could always intervene later; Sister knew how to maintain her boundaries.
With that thought in mind, I decided not to say more and turned back to study the animal illustrations. “Xie Zhi… why does that name sound so familiar?” I mused.
“Xie Zhi is the divine beast corresponding to the Dui Hexagram. Look here,” Sister Bianbian pointed with her flashlight. “This is the divine beast corresponding to the Li Hexagram—Longtail Chicken. This one is the divine beast for the Xun Hexagram—Chongming Bird. And behind it is Kui Niu for the Kun Hexagram. These are all yin hexagrams. If I’m not mistaken, on the next layer of the Lotus Throne below should be engraved the divine beasts corresponding to the yang hexagrams.”
We immediately descended and, sure enough, on the second level of the Lotus Throne, we saw the images of the four divine beasts corresponding to the trigrams of Qian, Zhen, Kan, and Gen: the White Horse, Azure Dragon, Giant Boar, and Tao Tie.
I wondered aloud, "Why would there be elements of the I Ching's Bagua on the Buddha Platform? Could this Wanfo Cave have been built by our Shimen ancestors?"
My senior sister thought for a moment and replied, "It's too early to say. The Bagua is not unique to our Shimen; anyone familiar with the I Ching would make such associations. What puzzles me is why someone would connect the Great Buddha with the I Ching. What could be the purpose of constructing such a large underground Buddha Cave?"
I added, "Moreover, with the murals on the stairs, this place combines three completely different sects: Christianity, Buddhism, and Daoism. It's truly perplexing. And what happened to that Brown Spotted Civet? What are all these thousands of Gan Shi about?"
Just then, I felt a sudden tug on the rope in my hand; it seemed to loosen above. My senior sister said, "Qian, let's go down first."
We immediately stopped discussing and focused on descending as quickly as possible. Fortunately, there were plenty of places to grip and stand on near the Buddha statue below, making it not too strenuous to climb down. After about ten minutes of descent, we finally reached solid ground.
My senior sister put away her Nine Section Whip; indeed, the tip was that sharp conical point. When combined, it formed a bundle as thick as an arm. To my surprise, it easily fit into the Sharp Tapered Cone. There must be some intricate mechanism that compresses the gaps between the whip sections.
When I have time later, I definitely want to borrow it from my senior sister for a thorough study. I should also invite Old Qiao; he is always fascinated by such peculiar items.
Just as I shifted my foot, I suddenly slipped; it felt like I had stepped on something as thick as an arm. (To be continued.)
Comment 0 Comment Count