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墨書 Inktalez
Midnight.
In the icy, snow-covered forest, everything was silent. Luzi stood alone in the courtyard, admiring the snow. Closing his eyes and tilting his head back, he let the snowflakes gently glide across his cheeks; the coldness transformed into a soft caress. Only at this moment did he truly find the long-lost peace and tranquility within his heart. The snowflakes made a rustling sound, as if narrating a magnificent symphony of life. Perhaps this was the voice of nature, yet it remained unheard by humanity due to their inability to decipher it.
From afar, the occasional whinny of a horse reminded those present that they were on the brink of war. Luzi sighed deeply and looked down at the little sparrow he held in his hand. It was a small sparrow intricately carved by hand, so lifelike that it seemed ready to take flight at any moment. This was Chuchu's exquisite craftsmanship, each bird silently tending to its wounds.
Luzi clearly remembered when Chuchu handed it to him atop Stone House; her face suddenly flashed with a hint of sorrow that was hard to detect. If he didn’t understand then, he certainly did now. The little sparrow represented her; she was this little sparrow. One day, she would spread her wings and seek revenge for her family's blood feud. She truly did not want to leave, yet she knew this was everyone's fate.
Luzi gently raised the little sparrow in his palm, trying to convey his intentions, but found her clinging even tighter. Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind: if only that massacre had never happened...
Alas! That foolish girl!
The killers were not driven by personal vendettas but by the secrets you possessed that outsiders could not learn. Good people could use their knowledge to govern and benefit the world, while evil people could twist truth and justice for their own desires. You had no enmity with anyone; rather, you were bound by the greed of human hearts. Even if you avenged your family and country, you could never erase this obsession from people's hearts.
But now that he thought about it, had he been used by her? Using this stepping stone to become a powerful Artificer? He believed that as his contributions grew larger, so too would the rewards he received. One day, when enough capital had accumulated, the little sparrow would transform into a bloodthirsty hawk! What followed would be slaughter—an endless cycle of bloodshed.
The charming face of Chuchu suddenly turned grotesque in his mind. Luzi couldn't help but shiver as he glanced around at the bloodstained surroundings that returned to their former white state. Taking a deep breath, he focused on the little sparrow's dark eyes.
"Little Sparrow! Little Sparrow! Never..." His voice cut off abruptly as he noticed a patch of snow shift slightly nearby. Instinctively reacting, he drew the sword at his waist and slashed through the falling snowflakes to pin down an incoming blade. At this moment, it was already deep into the night; the clash of weapons made no sound.
Luzi had no intention of alerting anyone else as he looked at the Masked Man across from him. He whispered, "Who sent you?"
The assassin did not respond but instead countered with a swift strike aimed directly at him. Realizing that this was inevitable, Luzi shifted from defense to offense; while parrying the opponent's blade, he retaliated with three strikes in quick succession.
The two individuals clearly had no intention of letting their weapons clash, avoiding entanglement while skillfully maneuvering in combat. The gleaming blades raised layers of frost flowers, dimming everything around them. After dozens of exchanges, neither side could claim victory, resulting in a stalemate.
As time passed, the assassin began to show signs of impatience. In contrast, Luzi grew more adept, the sword in hand seeming to come alive. Every slash, thrust, and parry was executed flawlessly, and he gradually gained the upper hand.
In a duel between masters, impatience is the worst enemy. The assassin attempted a move but failed to withdraw in time, only to find Luzi's sword already resting against his neck.
The two stood frozen in the snow, staring at each other without a word. The once sharp sound of weapons cutting through the air was now replaced by the soft sound of falling snow. The surroundings fell silent again, leaving only their calm breaths.
An assassin only knows how to kill; surrender is never an option. Even when facing death, he would stand tall! He glanced at the sword against his neck, feeling its chilling cold penetrate his skin to the bone. He shook his head and raised his chin, dropping the Bronze Sword he held onto the ground.
Luzi retracted his sword and with a flick of his wrist created a flourish. He sheathed his weapon and placed his hands in his pockets while watching the assassin. Since there was no conversation, silence would suffice!
"Are you going to let me go?" The assassin asked, momentarily taken aback as he saw Luzi complete his sheathing motion.
Luzi sighed and nodded toward the Temple Entrance with his chin. He said softly, "It's all over; why aren't you leaving?"
The assassin turned to glance at the entrance and clasped his fists in gratitude. Just as he was about to leave, he heard Luzi's low voice stopping him, causing him to halt and turn around.
Luzi used his foot to nudge the assassin's weapon, reminding him, "Take it with you!"
The assassin raised his hand to catch the flying weapon and sheathed it with a reverse motion. He clasped his fists again in thanks before turning and leaping over the wall, disappearing from sight.
"That feels good!" Luzi stretched both arms high above his head and swayed his head side to side to relieve some tension in his neck. The pleasant atmosphere for enjoying the snow had dissipated; it was time to head back inside for some rest. Just as he was about to turn around, Wang Jian from the east wing stepped out after opening the door.
Wang Jian stepped out while giving a thumbs up, praising, "I've heard since childhood that great individuals often keep a low profile. Back then, I thought it was just a joke. Those with some skills can't wait to let everyone know. If you've learned something but keep it hidden, what's the point of learning it? Today, I've finally realized that such people truly exist! Impressive! Impressive!"
Sun Thirteen walked out from the west wing and looked up at the dark sky. "Who is this? It's late at night, and instead of sleeping, they're practicing swordplay outside. Do the neighbors not need to sleep?"
Hearing this, Luzi's expression turned sour. After fighting so hard just now and seeing no one come out to help, he thought they must have been sleeping too soundly to hear. It turns out these two had known all along and were just watching from the sidelines!
"Why didn't you two come out to help when things were so dangerous just now?"
Clearly, it was you who deliberately avoided making noise with your weapons earlier, and now you're questioning us for not coming out to help!? Sun Thirteen raised his arm to stretch and then yawned. Smacking his lips in realization, he said, "Oh no! Was I sleepwalking again? You know it's freezing outside, and I came out without pants! I need to hurry back and put some on!" With that, he hurriedly dashed back inside.
Seeing the situation turn unfavorable, Wang Jian quickly covered his stomach. "Wait a minute! I clearly had to pee just now; why am I still standing here? Oh no! I'm going to wet my pants!" With that, he turned around and rushed off to the restroom without looking back.
Now left alone, Luzi glanced around and waved at the soldiers rushing in from the entrance, signaling that there was nothing going on here and they should all retreat.
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