Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Human Sacrifice
In the vicinity of Ancheng, Qingliang Mountain lies on the outskirts of the Qinling range, bordered to the west by Yaowang Mountain, and further west are the Qinling Mountains. It is rumored that this area is a vast wilderness, rarely trodden by humans, filled with thorns, venomous creatures, and wild beasts, where only one in ten who enter survives.
On a moonless night with a strong wind, Mr. Chang and Five Two made their way down to Niujia Village, preparing to eliminate Zhang Jianzi tonight.
Zhang Jianzi had recently used Dao Qi to touch the Zhou Compass, which triggered a deadly calamity for me and Douding. Mr. Chang suspected that Zhang Jianzi, who was hiding in Niujia Village, had ulterior motives and intended harm against me and Douding.
Zhang Jianzi appeared quite affable, his speech witty and humorous. Though he had a robust physique, there was an undeniable charisma about him. Yet one could never truly gauge a person's heart by their exterior.
I hesitated in my heart, trailing behind Mr. Chang and Five at a distance.
Mr. Chang and Five arrived at Zhang Jianzi's barbershop. As Five stepped forward to knock on the door, Mr. Chang said, "He has already sensed our arrival."
"Two gentlemen visiting late at night with such murderous intent; do you think my barber skills are lacking and have come to settle a score?" Zhang Jianzi's voice lazily drifted out.
Wudao replied, "Zhang Jianzi, you are quite sharp; you must be a skilled person."
Zhang Jianzi responded, "I wouldn't dare call myself skilled; I merely know how to cut hair. If I’ve left your child's head uneven or nicked the skin while shaving, please clarify so I can die with understanding."
Five snorted and said, "We have no grievances with you. Why do you want to kill Yang Hao and Douding? Who exactly are you?"
Zhang Jianzi replied, "Who I am is not important; what matters is that I never intended to kill those two. Years ago, I fled to Niujia Village to escape enemies. For ten years, I've not quarreled with anyone and have no ties with those two. Why would I want to kill them?"
Mr. Chang stated, "When you revealed your possession of Dao Qi, the deadly calamities for Douding and Yang Hao appeared accordingly. Even if you did not intend to kill them, this matter is still closely related to you."
The door creaked open, and Zhang Jianzi emerged from inside wearing a tank top. He said, "I am truly weary of the conflicts in the Daoist World. What must I do for you two to believe my words?"
"Just lie down!" Five shouted, his feet shifting slightly as he appeared before Zhang Jianzi like a ghost, delivering a punch to Zhang Jianzi's chest.
Zhang Jianzi's arms spread slightly, his body leaning back as his chest expanded. The force of the blow sent Five flying backward, stumbling for dozens of steps. Confused, Five glanced at Mr. Chang, who snorted and said, "You have no ulterior motives? Stealing the core Daoist Arts of Qingliang Temple? Killing you would not be unjust."
Mr. Chang spread his fingers, causing the tiles on the shop behind Zhang Jianzi to tremble. Suddenly, they all lifted into the air and flew toward Zhang Jianzi.
As he dodged and retreated, Zhang Jianzi said, "What I am using is not even Daoist Arts. Although it has some connection to Qingliang Temple, it's a matter of great importance that I cannot disclose."
"You don't need to," Mr. Chang replied sharply, sweeping his sleeve. The ground erupted with sand and stones, along with the tiles, all attacking Zhang Jianzi.
Zhang Jianzi clenched his fists tightly, allowing the debris to strike him without dodging. His body was enveloped in a layer of Vital Energy; as it vibrated violently, the tiles shattered into dust.
Emerging from the dust and smoke, Zhang Jianzi said, "I have already passed through here with no intention of harming anyone. As for the deaths of Douding and Yang Hao, I will certainly investigate and provide you with an explanation."
"You can explain it here!" Five shouted as he swung a gnarled tree branch toward Zhang Jianzi.
With a flash of anger in his eyes, Zhang Jianzi stood rooted to the spot as if he had taken root himself. He caught the thick branch with one hand and exerted force; the branch splintered into pieces.
Amidst the wood chips and dust, Five retreated. Noticing that Mr. Chang had vanished from beside him, Zhang Jianzi thought it was bad news. Just as he heard movement behind him, he felt a sharp pain in his neck—a silver needle had pierced the back of his neck.
The back of the human neck has an acupoint that connects to the cervical vertebrae; if struck by a silver needle, it would cause blood stagnation and slow movement, rendering one unable to move. Mr. Chang was well-versed in acupoints as a member of the Daoist Sect.
Zhang Jianzi sighed and said, "The disputes of the Daoist World exist no matter where one hides; it truly proves that saying—wherever there are people, there is a Jianghu."
"If you didn't intend to harm us, why would we target you?" Wudao asked.
"Who exactly are you, and what is your purpose in hiding in Niujia Village?" Mr. Chang asked.
"I don't want to talk about the past. You can kill me or torture me as you please. I just didn't expect that seeing the Zhou Compass would make me act rashly and activate my Dao Qi, only to be noticed by someone who understands divination. It's been over a decade, and those people still haven't given up on hunting me down. I'm exhausted from running," Zhang Jianzi replied.
Zhang Jianzi then closed his eyes, and a piece of wood on the ground flew into Wu's hand. He suddenly jabbed it towards Zhang Jianzi's heart.
"Don't!"
At that moment, for some reason, I felt a pang of compassion. Although neither Douding nor I had formally entered the Dao and couldn't see our own death tribulations, it seemed unjust to kill Zhang Jianzi based solely on a divination sign. After struggling internally for a moment, I decided to intervene.
"Haozi?" Wu looked at me as I stepped out from behind the wall, puzzled.
"I believe Zhang Jianzi isn't that kind of person. I have no grievances with him, and Douding trusts him as well. Douding's companion, Ergui, just died; if Zhang Jianzi were to die too, it would surely break his heart," I said.
Mr. Chang replied, "Knowing a person’s face but not their heart—ever since he appeared, your death tribulations have manifested accordingly. How can I feel at ease letting him live?"
Wudao added, "Yes, Haozi. Conflicts within the Daoist Sect often lead to life and death. If you don't kill him, he might kill you instead. Everyone wants what’s inside you; the Zhou Compass is a Daoist Sacred Artifact. It’s impossible for those from the Daoist Sect not to be tempted by it, yet he pretends not to care. You need to think carefully about leaving this potential threat alive."
I hesitated before saying, "I ask Mr. Chang to spare Zhang Jianzi this once. If he truly has ulterior motives, we can deal with him later."
Mr. Chang snorted and waved his sleeve as he left; Wu Ye shook his head and followed him out.
Though I wasn't a particularly good person, I could distinguish between right and wrong clearly. Whether it was killing Huang San'er or those who attacked Hao Bin in the bar in Ancheng, they had provoked me first and had been excessively cruel without considering others' lives.
But Zhang Jianzi was different. He might be hiding here for some other purpose, but I felt no malice from him whatsoever. Moreover, he often invited Douding over for meals, showing genuine care for him. Douding was still young and didn’t possess any Daoist Sect treasures; even if Zhang Jianzi had noticed the Book of Life and Death within me and wanted to take it away, he would never harm Douding in the process.
"Thanks to you, Brother Yang Hao, I was able to survive," Zhang Jianzi said.
I replied, "Brother Zhang, there's no need to be polite. Mr. Chang and Wu are actually quite good; they were just anxious to protect me and Douding, which is why they acted against you."
Zhang Jianzi said, "I don't blame them. If I'm not mistaken, your calamity may indeed have been brought about by me. My enemies will stop at nothing to kill me. A few years ago, someone came to Qingliang Mountain to investigate, but I managed to escape by luck. They haven't shown up since. Now, just because I got a little reckless and used your Zhou Compass, your calamity has appeared accordingly. The Daoist Sect is terrifying; their Daoist Arts are ever-changing and one cannot master them in a lifetime. They must have already calculated that I am here. For safety's sake, I plan to leave Ming Yiliang soon to avoid bringing disaster upon you as well."
"Brother Zhang..." I looked at the weariness and loneliness in Zhang Jianzi's eyes, feeling a pang of sorrow in my heart.
"The Daoist World is like this—full of deceit where life and death are not choices we can make. Perhaps if fate allows, we may meet again," Zhang Jianzi said.
"I'll help you remove the Silver Needle from the back of your head." Zhang Jianzi had been immobilized by Mr. Chang, who did not remove the Silver Needle when he left.
"No need," Zhang Jianzi replied, then took the Silver Needle out himself. "I intentionally let him stab me in the back; it's nothing serious."
Zhang Jianzi looked at me with a somewhat dazed expression and said, "Actually, I'm not really a member of the Daoist Sect. I learned Daoist Arts later when I was being hunted by my enemies; it's more like entering the Dao through martial arts. I'm not a master. My martial arts allow me to change Acupoints at will, so the Silver Needle from Chang Long can't do anything to me."
I asked, "Brother Zhang, who exactly did you offend? Why would someone want to kill you after all these years of seclusion?"
Zhang Jianzi replied, "No one is guilty but having something precious is a crime. My enemies want something from me and will go to great lengths to kill me for it. This item is something I cannot part with; it has some connection to Qingliang Mountain and is something that people in the Daoist Sect dream of possessing. I've heard that you also have something extraordinary; it seems even more precious than the compass in your hand. Brother Zhang advises you: in the Daoist World, never trust others easily. Human potential is limited; reaching the peak of the Daoist Sect and becoming supreme among men cannot be achieved solely through hard work. For treasures, even siblings may turn against each other."
I nodded and said, "I will remember Brother Zhang's warning."
"Alright then, I need to go pack my things. I'll set off early tomorrow morning. If fate allows, perhaps we will meet again," Zhang Jianzi said.
With that, he walked back into the Barber Shop. I gazed at the starlight and didn't think much more about it as I made my way back to Qingliang Temple.
"By the way," Zhang Jianzi's voice came from behind. "Tell that brat Douding not to think about me, haha."
When I returned home, Wu was already asleep in bed, and Douding lay quietly in his own bed. I watched as the colors shifted from dark to light, unable to fall asleep no matter how hard I tried.
I wasn't sure if letting Zhang Jianzi go was the right decision. Since he had left, we should have been safe, but for some reason, a sudden panic surged within me.
It seemed that ever since the Book of Life and Death inside me was triggered by Li Fugui's attempt on my life at Futu Ridge, I had developed a certain intuition for danger. Now that feeling of crisis was resurfacing. I never thought that after distancing myself from people like Guo the Blind and Li Fugui, I would still experience such a sensation.
After breakfast the next morning, Douding wanted to exercise with me. We ran around Qinglian Temple and headed towards Niujia Village. From a distance, we saw a crowd gathered in front of Zhang Jianzi's barbershop, trying to put out a fire.
Seeing the flames engulfing Zhang Jianzi's shop and not spotting him anywhere nearby made Douding's eyes turn red with worry. I explained to him that Zhang Jianzi had decided to leave. Upon hearing that Zhang Jianzi was safe, he stopped crying and said, "But why did Uncle Zhang suddenly leave without telling me?"
I replied, "Zhang Jianzi asked me to tell you to take care of yourself; he will come back to see you."
Douding nodded and stood beside me as we watched Zhang Jianzi's barbershop turn into ruins amidst the flames.
At that moment, I suddenly sensed a strong feeling of danger. I quickly crouched down with Douding as a crossbow bolt shot through the mud wall behind us, flying over our heads and piercing two villagers from Niujia Village.
Blood gushed forth as the two villagers who had just finished putting out the fire fell to the ground in agony, dying without understanding why.
Surrounding Niujia Village was a circle of masked men armed with crossbows and carrying long swords.
Comment 0 Comment Count