Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The Guge Silver-Eyed Buddha Statue was entirely made of bronze, its surface incredibly smooth. Although some areas were adorned with carvings, the overall friction was insufficient to counteract gravity. Climbing up or down from here with bare hands was practically impossible.
The Brown Spotted Civet was large, and even if it had climbing abilities, it could not have done so without making a sound. In the blink of an eye, it had leaped down from such a height. Therefore, I concluded that this creature must still be on the statue, simply hiding in a place that was not visible.
I exchanged a glance with my senior sister A Li, signaling that the Brown Spotted Civet was likely on the back of the statue. The two of us immediately understood and directed our flashlights to the left and right. Within seconds, the Brown Spotted Civet indeed poked its head out from behind the Ancient Guge Silver Eye.
We noticed that it seemed particularly unaccustomed to bright light, possibly due to living for years in a dark tree hollow, causing its eyesight to deteriorate. As soon as the flashlight beam hit it, it turned and fled, emitting a low growl from its nose as if in anger.
My senior sister suggested, "Forget about climbing up; we can use the flashlight to drive it down."
I replied, "That works too. Even if I go up, I might not be able to handle it alone. It’s better to lure it down; with all of us working together, we stand a chance."
At that moment, my junior brother joined us after finishing his earnest prayer with Old Qiao. I said, "We should have some division of labor. Here’s the plan: I and my senior sister will stand on the east side of the Ancient Guge Silver Eye, while Old Qiao and A Li will take position on the west side. My junior brother will be responsible for the middle. Of course, this positioning isn’t set in stone; we can adapt as needed. Our goal is unified: to bring this creature down."
My junior brother immediately chimed in, "No problem! Leave it to me! Just by looking at this positioning, you can tell how important I am in this operation. Don’t hold back; any hardships or difficulties should come my way—after all, leadership is about serving the people!"
While my junior brother was joking around, we had already begun our actions.
Initially, the Brown Spotted Civet was frightened and hid behind the Ancient Guge Silver Eye, growling continuously with its injured nose. The sound was so deep that it made our ears buzz and our scalps tighten. Just when we felt we could no longer hold on, the Brown Spotted Civet seemed to assess the danger level of our beams of light and realized that our threats were merely bluster and posed no real danger. Gradually adapting to the light, it began to move out from behind the Ancient Guge Silver Eye.
From my side observation, there was only a small ledge behind the Ancient Guge Silver Eye where one could potentially stand—just enough space for a half-arm reaching back towards its waist at a forty-five-degree angle upward. Neither humans nor animals could remain there for long. Under gravity's influence, greater weight would lead to faster and more frequent sliding.
The Brown Spotted Civet leaped onto the right leg of the Buddha statue seated on the Lotus Throne along the waistline of the Ancient Guge Silver Eye. The terrain there was extremely flat; finding a comfortable spot, it lay down as if basking in leisure. At this point, having adapted to the flashlight's brightness, no matter how much we tried to stimulate it with light, it remained utterly unfazed.
The junior brother exclaimed, "Damn, I can't believe it! This strong light from the 40-watt flashlight is shining right at it, and it’s not reacting at all?" With that, he took a big step to the left, directing the beam straight into the eyes of the Brown Spotted Civet.
If the strong light were to shine into its eyes for an extended period, it could cause temporary blindness. However, the Brown Spotted Civet had lived underground for so long that its eyes were practically ornamental, rendering this tactic ineffective.
I said, "Forget it, I'll go up. You all stay down here to assist. The moment it jumps down, we’ll capture it immediately."
As I drew my dagger and prepared to ascend, the senior sister stepped forward first. "Let me go; I’m more suited for this." With that, she unfurled her Nine Section Whip, which Old Qiao recognized immediately as a fine weapon.
Knowing her skills well, I wasn’t too worried at that moment but reminded her, "Just be careful. If things get tough, come back down. Don’t engage with it up there; watch out for the foul toxic gas."
The junior brother chimed in, "Then I’ll go too! My Ze Zhang hasn’t been used in ages; it’s bound to rust!" He shot a jealous glance at the senior sister's Nine Section Whip.
Anyone who saw her weapon for the first time would inevitably display such envy.
The senior sister glanced at me, and I sighed helplessly in response. She then set some ground rules with the junior brother: "Alright, you can go up, but you must listen to me. No striking without my command; don’t act recklessly or chatter endlessly!"
The junior brother quickly replied, "Got it! Why are you more nagging than my Senior Brother? Women are too chatty; they won’t get married!"
"You brat—" The senior sister raised her hand, and instantly the junior brother released his Lotus Head Silk, which swiftly hooked onto the second tier of the Lotus Throne and shot him upward. The senior sister expertly flicked her wrist, following closely with her Nine Section Whip; in almost a blink of an eye, she leaped up as well.
At that moment, I heard A Li behind me asking Old Qiao, "What kind of weapon is she using?"
Old Qiao was feeling anxious and looking for a chance to show off. He eagerly explained to A Li, "That’s called a Nine Section Whip. It’s a very agile lightweight weapon; its length can be freely extended according to the user’s needs and can also be folded into a dagger. Don’t underestimate its thinness; it can even split into finer sections like embroidery needles while being incredibly sturdy—it's capable of lifting three adults without any problem. I’ve only seen one once from an antique dealer who was flipping items around; I fell in love with it at first sight! Oh boy, even if I spent three months' salary back then, I wouldn’t be able to buy just one section! Looks like this A Si Girl is quite a hidden wealthy individual!" Old Qiao said with an expression of almost fervent envy.
A Li let out a dismissive sound. "Isn't my Nine-Tailed Whip the same?"
Old Qiao immediately shook his head, stroking his chin. "That’s not quite right! As the saying goes, 'Gold has a price, but jade is priceless.' Your Nine-Tailed Whip is like a piece of exquisite jade, its value cannot be measured by market price. Whatever you think it’s worth, that’s what it’s worth. On the other hand, A Si Girl's Nine Section Whip is like gold; it appreciates year after year, becoming more valuable with age. Both of your weapons have their strengths and weaknesses; the key lies in how they serve their masters. That’s their greatest value. Comparing them like this is meaningless. However, personally, I still think A Li, your weapon suits you better."
Deep down, A Li was still a bit childish. Hearing Old Qiao say this made her heart swell with joy. She called out to him affectionately, making Old Qiao's face turn as red as a monkey's backside.
At that moment, the junior disciple above was restless and called out with his neck tilted. "A Li, don’t believe him! This old guy just last week said my Ze Zhang is better than yours and Senior Brother's! He wanted to trade me his most treasured item! I asked him what his most treasured item was, and he brought out a chamber pot used by Empress Dowager Cixi's favorite eunuch back in the day—worth Lian Cheng! Not something from an ordinary household! And he wouldn’t even let anyone see it! I asked him where he got that chamber pot from because it doesn’t look right. Which eunuch around Empress Cixi would use a plastic basin as a chamber pot? Can you guess what this brat said—oh no!"
Suddenly, the junior disciple shouted, and I quickly turned on my flashlight to see him with one foot hooked around the thigh of the Ancient Guge Silver Eye, his head hanging down as he dangled precariously above. If he hadn’t been holding onto the Ze Zhang, he would have surely fallen.
Meanwhile, both the senior sister and that Brown Spotted Civet had vanished at the same time! (To be continued.)
Comment 0 Comment Count