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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter Fifteen
Zhang Jiunian and the others were once heroes in their own right. After being taken in as retainers by Zhang Yungu, they lived without worry for food and clothing. Although their social status was somewhat limited, they were still considered prominent figures.
If there were better options, who would choose to live a life on the run as a rogue hero?
Now they were escaped slaves. Even if they returned the way they came, the Tang army and the Turquoise Hu Man were locked in fierce battle. Upon returning, they would either be slaughtered by the Commander or pushed forward as cannon fodder, which was no different from seeking their own deaths.
The path ahead was blocked. Although they did not know what means the Xu Zhen had to escape, since she spoke up, she surely wouldn’t deceive them, as such deception would serve no purpose.
Even if they refused and threatened the Xu Zhen to open a passage for their escape, what then? Would they really drag Duke's son around as a bandit? Or would they kill him swiftly instead?
After all, they had been retainers before and understood the wisdom needed to survive in this society. They lacked neither courage nor strength; all they needed was an opportunity.
Zhang Jiunian's face was solemn as he slowly raised his head and said to the Xu Zhen, "We can follow you, but on one condition: no matter what changes occur, you must not separate my twelve brothers."
As soon as he said this, warmth spread through the hearts of the others. However, the Black Man scoffed coldly and muttered under his breath, "Big brother... what can this little Captain possibly achieve..."
Zhang Jiunian glanced at his brother Zhou Cang grumbling but chose not to say much. He was Zhang Yungu's chief strategist and had a keen insight into people. Although the Xu Zhen was still young, she gave Zhang Jiunian an impression of depth and composure; she remained calm in crisis, unflinching even when faced with danger—this was a sign of a promising leader!
Seeing that Zhang Jiunian had made up his mind, the Xu Zhen chuckled lightly and extended her slender white hand to strike a pact with Zhang Jiunian. Afterward, she took out a thin cylindrical iron tube about three fingers long from her belt's knife sheath.
Li Deqian felt a tightness in his chest. This firecracker-like object was something he had personally crafted according to the Xu Zhen's instructions. It was hollow and thin-skinned; although he didn’t know its purpose, at such a critical moment, the Xu Zhen wouldn’t act without reason.
The Xu Zhen stuffed the iron tube into a crevice above a large rock and secured it with small stones, leaving half of the tube exposed. She then instructed everyone to step back more than three paces before handing a fist-sized rock to Zhou Cang.
"Big Black Man, here’s your chance to shine. You don’t need to hit it from a hundred paces away; just hit that iron tube from three paces out and you’ll have done well."
With the Xu Zhen's finely honed throwing skills, hitting that iron tube would be incredibly easy. However, having just formed an alliance with Zhang Jiunian and his group of heroes, she naturally wanted to make an impressive display and show them her skills.
Zhou Cang completely disregarded the situation and cursed, "Damn it!"
However, he was still annoyed by the teasing look in Xu Zhen's eyes. Born with immense strength, he gained fame for his bravery before reaching adulthood. Naturally straightforward and loyal, he seized the rock with one hand. Crouching low to gain leverage, he stepped forward with his left foot, bent his right knee, and squatted in a bow stance. With his back straight like a taut bowstring, he let out a fierce shout as he hurled the rock straight at the iron pipe.
"Boom!"
A blinding white light flashed before their eyes, and everyone felt a sharp pain in their eardrums as a powerful shockwave mixed with dust and debris swept through. Zhou Cang was at the forefront of it all; his heavy body was thrown backward but was caught by Zhang Jiunian and a few others, who managed to absorb most of the impact. However, his face was covered in dirt, and tiny cuts from flying debris marred his skin.
"Oh my God!" Zhou Cang exclaimed, ignoring the pain on his body. The entire secret passage shook violently, as if several earth dragons were fighting within the surrounding rock layers!
Zhang Jiunian quickly relit the extinguished torch. As everyone stared at the scene before them, they were left dumbfounded.
The massive stone had been blasted away at one corner, while a large section of the stone slab above had collapsed, revealing a dark gaping hole!
Zhang Jiunian and the others were merely martial artists guarding a household; while they might be skilled in combat, they had never encountered anything so bizarre and were immediately intimidated by Xu Zhen!
On the other hand, Li Deqian had been fascinated by craftsmanship since childhood and had inherited traditional skills from the Ministry of Works. He vaguely recalled some records from ancient texts and was even more impressed by Xu Zhen!
From the moment Xu Zhen handed him the blueprints for production, he had been filled with curiosity. Later, when he saw her secretly gathering materials like saltpeter, sulfur, charcoal, and even requesting mercury, his interest grew immensely. However, Xu Zhen did not disclose any specific details about her plans; when pressed for information, she only told Li Deqian that this device was called a "Detonator."
He never expected this Detonator to possess such tremendous power!
Yet Xu Zhen felt somewhat dissatisfied; after risking her life to concoct nitroglycerin in the workshop over three or four days, she had hoped it would be of great use but now felt it had been wasted here.
Nevertheless, she was now more interested in the Tomb above. She kicked Zhou Cang and brushed off the dust on her clothes, saying, "Hey, Big Black Man, don't just stand there—go check if there's an exit up there."
This time Zhou Cang simply replied with an "Okay," patted his large backside, grabbed the torch from her hands, and climbed up through the gap above the massive stone.
Zhang Jiunian's brothers hurried to follow, but when it was Zhang Jiunian's turn, he hesitated for a moment before stepping aside and said to Xu Zhen, "Xu Lang should go first."
Xu Zhen was slightly taken aback, clearly realizing that Zhang Jiunian had accepted his new identity. She immediately smiled and, accompanied by Caesar and Li Deqian, stepped onto the giant stone.
On top of the giant stone was a regular slope, pitted and uneven, likely from the guide channel of falling rocks that had rolled down and smashed it to pieces.
Zhou Cang, who was tall, could only bend over as he ascended the slope. When he swept the torch around, he clearly saw the situation before him. The four-sided chamber was about ten feet square and felt somewhat cramped. To his left was a half-open stone door.
The people behind could not squeeze through, so Zhou Cang had to continue leading the way. After pushing open the half-closed stone door, he found himself in a spacious area. However, upon seeing what lay ahead, even his bold heart was chilled with fear!
This was a tomb chamber over four zhang in size, with a slanted platform in the center where a coffin leaned precariously. The coffin lid was askew on top of it, and the chamber was filled with corpses!
The brothers behind Zhou Cang were blocked by his stunned figure and began to curse. But once they squeezed into the tomb chamber, they fell silent, only hearing their own hearts pounding wildly!
Xu Zhen had anticipated that this place would be a tomb. The falling rocks must have been triggered long ago; perhaps due to years of neglect, the mechanism had jammed and only recently loosened enough to fall. Therefore, she was not too shocked.
Li Deqian, who was timid, hid behind Caesar with a pale face. After a long while, he dared to open his eyes wide to take a look. But when he saw the clothing of the corpses on the ground, he suddenly exclaimed, "This... how is this possible! These people are from the Heavenly Strategy Army!"
Zhang Jiunian and the others were from the martial world and were well aware of the reputation of the Heavenly Strategy Army. Upon hearing Li Deqian's words, their expressions turned serious.
Xu Zhen scanned the surroundings and instructed Zhang Jiunian to light longevity lamps in each corner of the tomb chamber while they searched separately. The burial items in the tomb had long been looted, but the armor on these corpses had not completely rusted away. In particular, the weapons on them shone brightly after being wiped clean of dust.
Li Deqian, an architect by trade, was captivated by the murals on the walls and the high platform coffin. Meanwhile, Xu Zhen noticed that one corpse leaned against the platform with a long knife bound to its arm by iron chains. The chains were stuck to its white bones, indicating that this person refused to part with their weapon even in death.
The iron armor on this person was different from that of other corpses; its blood-red bronze color was quite striking. Although only bones remained, it still exuded an intimidating presence—this individual must have been an unmatched warrior in life.
After much effort, Xu Zhen finally managed to free the long knife. As she wiped its blade clean, intricate cloud patterns appeared on its surface—sharp and irresistible!
The blade measures over four feet, longer than the swords used in the army. Its narrow, elongated edge has a graceful curve, somewhat resembling a samurai sword from an island nation, yet it is even more striking. The hilt is engraved with a small seal character, which is difficult to discern clearly, but it likely reads "Jiao" or "Xiao."
Zhang Jiunian and the others also found suitable weapons among the corpses. Even Caesar, who usually remained silent, discovered two short swords, both of which were finely crafted.
Big Black Man Zhou Cang did not mind the weight and surprisingly chose a large broadsword that was about six feet long and appeared to weigh fifty to sixty pounds. Everyone thought he was foolish, but he was delighted and chuckled to himself.
With the treasured sword in hand, Xu Zhen surveyed the surroundings but found no treasures. After scanning the coffin again, he noticed that all valuables had been stolen, leaving only bones behind. His interest waned, and just as he was about to look away, he spotted a fist-sized leather pouch at the foot of the skeleton. Upon pulling out the stopper, a strong sour smell assaulted his nostrils, causing Xu Zhen to wince in pain. However, he treated it like a treasure and tucked the pouch away.
Such an item was rare; although it might not be immediately useful, it would undoubtedly serve as excellent support for Xu Zhen's grand plan!
Just as he was about to call his brothers to search for an exit, Xu Zhen crouched down again because he noticed that while other corpses wore intact armor, their undergarments had decayed into piles of white bones. In contrast, this Commander's body was tightly wrapped. He laid the corpse down and unfastened the armor only to be captivated by what lay before him!
The Commander possessed a Golden Silk Armor!
Everyone had already searched the entire tomb chamber; aside from some usable weapons and a few scattered gold and silver items, they had found nothing else. Seeing Xu Zhen surrounded by golden light drew them closer. Upon seeing the Golden Silk Armor, they all swallowed hard.
Xu Zhen did not hesitate; he bowed respectfully to the corpse and removed the Golden Silk Armor, handing it over to Li Deqian. The latter received the soft armor in a panic, his eyes welling up with emotion.
He understood that Xu Zhen would not truly sell him to Zhang Jiunian because it seemed that Xu Zhen had sensed everything since the chaos in the mine area began. When Zhang Jiunian and the others made their escape, he had foreseen it and brought both him and Caesar along. His arguments for persuading Zhang Jiunian and others to join seemed premeditated.
Silently accepting the soft armor, Li Deqian felt warmth in his heart but also sensed something unsettling within him. After donning the golden armor, his unease only grew.
As expected, Xu Zhen slowly stood up and looked around at Zhang Jiunian and the others before speaking solemnly: "The Heavenly Strategy Army was established by today's Sage. Though few in number, each soldier is elite. These young men come from humble beginnings yet serve their country without seeking wealth or fame; even in death, they remain nameless here in this unmarked grave. Should we not pay our respects?"
Upon hearing this, everyone stood in solemn respect!
Xu Zhen continued with conviction: "These young men hail from the martial world; internally they are merely wanderers among common folk. Externally, they are protectors of the Tang government. Both court and martial world regard them with reverence yet remain distant; they blend into obscurity while their contributions go unrecognized. They are neither acknowledged by either side yet have quietly perished here—why?"
"Because they have no concept of good and evil, no distinction between right and wrong, they only care for the safety of the Tang Dynasty and the stability of the people. They are wolves! Wolves do not concern themselves with the opinions of curs; in their hearts, nothing is more important or noble than the citizens. To maintain the stability of the Tang, they are willing to kill gods if they encounter them, and kill Buddhas if they meet them, even if it means falling into an abyss from which there is no return!"
Li Deqian listened with tears in his eyes, for he was a true-born son of an official family. However, Zhang Jiunian and the others felt a complex mix of emotions. Their backgrounds were similar to that of the Heavenly Strategy Army, yet they were punished because of their family heads. The well-being of the country and its people felt distant to them; not long ago, they had simply been thinking about surviving.
Yet, the next words from Xu Zhen ignited their blood.
"You too come from humble beginnings; why can’t you shine like the Heavenly Strategy Army?"
Including Zhang Jiunian, all thirteen Miner Slaves suddenly raised their heads, their eyes ignited with an inexplicable flame. Xu Zhen raised her long knife, brushed it across her left palm, letting blood drip down. She looked directly at everyone and said emphatically, "Follow me; I won’t let you die in such a pathetic way!"
Zhang Jiunian's hands trembled lightly. He brushed his left hand across the blade's edge, tightly grasped his own blood, placed his fist against his right chest, bowed his head to Xu Zhen, and declared firmly, "Lord!"
"Swish!"
The others drew their blades in unison, swearing blood oaths. Following Zhang Jiunian's lead, they bowed their heads and said together, "Lord!"
(Note: The Heavenly Strategy Army was established when Li Shimin was still known as Qin Wang. Later, after Li Shimin ascended to the throne, it became a secret organization responsible for matters in the martial world. Subsequently, during the Guangming Temple incident, the Heavenly Strategy Army launched a swift attack on the Ming Cult's high-level gathering place, directly killing four kings of the Ming Cult and many high-ranking members. The Ming Cult suffered heavy losses, with only its leader escaping; thus, it had no choice but to retreat westward.)
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