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墨書 Inktalez
Hearing Moya speak like this, the heart of Xu Zhen trembled greatly, not because of the absurdity of impersonating Zoroastrian Yelbo, but due to the shock of Moya's true identity!
Skilled in the art of illusion, Moya was coerced by the Murong Clan with the lives of their kin, infiltrating Chang'an with ulterior motives, only to turn against them at a critical moment and ally with Xu Zhen. Now, revealing that he concealed Zoroastrian Secret Texts and seals within himself, either of which would be astonishing enough!
Seeing Xu Zhen unable to speak for a long time, Moya merely smiled and waited. Caesar, who had been waiting outside the camp, timely entered and explained to Xu Zhen: "Do not be so alarmed. Master is an elder of the Holy Teachings, coming to our Rouran tribe to preach and has gained the people's hearts. He originally intended to go to the Tuguhun to spread the sacred law but was coveted by the Murong Family, who captured our tribesmen and forced Master into becoming a thief in Chang'an..."
Upon hearing Caesar's explanation, Xu Zhen thought to herself: "This is quite remarkable; this is a case of a fake encountering the real deal. It turns out this old man is the authentic Yarbo! Truly hidden talents!"
With this in mind, Xu Zhen hurriedly adjusted her demeanor and said: "I have acted recklessly and desecrated the reputation of the Holy Teachings. Now that Master is here, how could I dare to act rashly? Tomorrow I will certainly confess everything to everyone and must take Master as my leader; I cannot let myself be a disgrace!"
Xu Zhen's behavior was not mere pretense; she understood deeply the profound influence that ancient religious leaders had on the populace. When followers become fanatical, they can commit any act. Throughout history, dynastic changes have often leveraged religious power; for instance, Ming Ancestor Zhu Yuanzhang was known as the Ming King of the Ming Cult, and the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom could not escape such suspicions. The White Lotus Sect has also stirred up trouble.
If her impersonation were discovered, it would not matter how much trust her brothers like Yin Zong had in her; it would inevitably lead to disaster!
With secret texts and the Holy Fire Order at hand, Xu Zhen could naturally justify her actions. If she had ulterior motives, she could also spread teachings far and wide in the future and perhaps achieve something significant.
However, Moya sending seals from afar must carry some heavy responsibility. Xu Zhen was no fool; she understood the stakes involved and could not take something precious from others. Thus, she declined repeatedly and dared not accept.
Moya was old and frail, already unable to pass on his legacy. He had regarded Xu Zhen as a potential successor from early on but did not expect that this child would accidentally seize the name of Holy Teachings Yarbo. This was not merely fate but also karma; what was there for Moya to lament?
Seeing Xu Zhen refuse to accept, Moya smiled instead, his gaze filled with temptation and guidance as he whispered to her: "Young Master truly does not want it?"
"Really do not want it!"
"Not even the Seven Sacred Blade Secret Technique from within the secret texts?"
"Do not want it!" Xu Zhen resolutely refused without hesitation. However, the words "Seven Sacred" echoed continuously in her ears, and waves surged in her mind as she suddenly realized. She slapped her hands on the table and asked: "Wait! Is there really Seven Sacred Blade Secret Techniques in there?!!!"
Moya had a triumphant look on his face as he lightly tapped the table, nodding with a smile and saying, "Indeed!"
The Xu Zhen, like a hungry tiger pouncing on its prey, clutched the ancient texts and seals to her chest, nodding eagerly like a chick pecking at grains. However, she could not suppress her overwhelming joy and repeatedly exclaimed, "I want it! I want it! I want it all!"
After speaking, she burst into wild laughter. Moya shook his head helplessly, feeling both amused and exasperated. Yet, the Xu Zhen was genuinely expressing her feelings. Ever since arriving in the Tang Dynasty, she felt aimless and merely existing day by day. Whenever she saw others playing tricks, she felt it was tasteless and lacking novelty until Moya demonstrated the Heavenly Rope technique, which gave her life direction.
Now that she had obtained the Seven Sacred Blades secret technique, it felt as if she had returned to the time when she first learned magic—filled with curiosity, joy, excitement, and exhilaration!
The Seven Sacred Blades were renowned alongside the Heavenly Rope as an Illusion technique rumored to have the power of resurrection. Back in Chang'an, she had read a record by the Tang People that she initially dismissed as mere folklore but found its contents deeply etched in her memory.
This record was titled "The Complete Records of the Court and the People." Volume three stated: "In Henan Prefecture, Lidefang and South City West District, there are Hu Xian Temples. Every year, merchants and nomads pray for blessings by cooking pigs and sheep while playing pipa and drums, singing and dancing joyfully. After offering sacrifices to the spirits, they recruit a Hu person to act as the priest. Those watching would donate money to him. The priest would take a curved knife, sharp as frost and snow, stab himself in the abdomen so that the blade emerged from his back while causing blood to flow from his insides. After a while, he would spray water over himself and return to normal. This is indeed an illusionary art from the Western Regions."
If she could master this secret technique, it would greatly aid her grand plans!
Seeing the Xu Zhen fondling her newfound treasure as if afraid it would fly away at any moment brought back memories for Moya. He recalled when he first studied Illusion; he too had been in such a ridiculous yet endearing predicament. He immediately began to teach her.
"You should take advantage of your journey south to learn from me about the Avesta. In the future, you will perform daily rituals to convert followers. As for mastering the Seven Sacred Blade Secret Technique, I am not very knowledgeable about it either; we should learn from each other and share insights. This is a long-term endeavor; one cannot rush it; remember that haste makes waste..."
The Xu Zhen was eager to accept this new treasure and carefully tucked it away before engaging in further discussion with Moya. When she saw Caesar conversing with Moya about their people's livelihood, she exited the tent. At that moment, her heart was still unable to calm down; she wished she could shout out loud to release her overwhelming joy.
After reveling in her happiness for a while, she thought of Li Mingda and headed towards her tent. Just as she reached the entrance, she heard intermittent sobs coming from inside. Feeling uneasy, she cleared her throat to signal her presence but was met with a cold voice from within: "Come in."
The voice was sharp yet gentle but concealed an underlying anger; it could not be Li Mingda but must be that woman called Peerless.
The Xu Zhen lifted the curtain and entered the tent to find both women sitting hand in hand on the Huzhuang, their tear-streaked faces indicating they had just shared genuine emotions. Seeing Li Mingda's red-rimmed eyes made Xu Zhen sigh involuntarily.
Unexpectedly, the Peerless Lady stood up and pointed at the Xu Zhen, scolding, "General Xu, how can you be so rude to Your Highness!"
The Xu Zhen, who was preoccupied with her feelings for Li Mingda, felt a surge of anger at the Peerless Lady's outburst. Her good mood from receiving the secret text was instantly dampened. Ignoring the Peerless Lady, she turned to Li Mingda and asked, "Girl, who is this woman? She has such a bad temper; she nearly scared me to death..."
The Xu Zhen intended to lighten the mood for Li Mingda but inadvertently provoked the Peerless Lady's ire. Although still young, Li Mingda had trained in martial arts and swiftly kicked a footstool across the room. The Xu Zhen instinctively dodged, but Li Mingda charged forward and struck her in the chest with a kick, sending her flying out of the tent.
"You blind dog servant! If you dare come back in here, I will kill you!"
The Peerless Lady glared with her hands on her hips. Hearing the title of "Princess," the Xu Zhen immediately lost her anger. Fortunately, there was no one else around, so she didn’t feel embarrassed. She rolled up her sleeves as if to fight back but quickly decided against it when she saw Li Mingda about to draw her sword. Instead, she muttered some curses under her breath and left in a huff.
Seeing the Xu Zhen's streetwise demeanor made the Peerless Lady wonder how much hardship Li Mingda had endured. Feeling pity for her, she attempted to comfort her. However, Li Mingda seemed lost in thought, gazing at the Xu Zhen's retreating figure. She sincerely defended, "Sister, don’t blame her; that’s just how she is. Actually, she's... she's really nice..."
Upon saying this, Li Mingda recalled their adventures together and felt indebted to the Xu Zhen. The Peerless Lady noticed that Li Mingda appeared calm and mature, reflecting a young girl's budding feelings. It seemed that Little Zier had developed a vague affection for the Xu Zhen, causing the Peerless Lady to sigh inwardly.
However familiar they were as sisters, Li Mingda was still a princess while she was merely a daughter of the royal family Li Daozong. Although she held the title of Princess, she could not instruct Your Highness as an elder sister would. Thus, she swallowed her words without realizing that Li Mingda was just a fourteen-year-old girl herself.
Having suffered an unfair loss, the Xu Zhen called over Zhang Jiunian to inquire about this fiery girl and learned that she was indeed Li Daozong's daughter. Initially indifferent to this fact, she later recalled tales from common folk about Li Daozong's daughter from Records of the Grand Historian—Li Family—who was granted the title of Princess Jincheng at sixteen and married Tuguhun's Zanpu Songzan Ganbu; she became known as Wencheng Princess!
"Fierce indeed! With such a temperament, let's see how Tuguhun's leader handles you!" Xu Zhenxin continued to curse while discussing the situation with Zhang Jiunian.
Sending his daughter to assist Li Mingda was a signal from Li Daozong indicating that he had not succumbed to Hou Junji's persuasion. As part of the royal family, he naturally wanted to protect the princess at all costs—even if it meant sending his daughter to be by her side. Once he returned the princess to Chang'an, regardless of how Sage decided matters, he would undoubtedly earn credit for his efforts.
Li Wushuang was also quite skilled in martial arts and was astute and meticulous. The Xu Zhen could conveniently pass on her burden of caring for Li Mingda to her and focus on her own training.
After Zhang Jiunian returned, military affairs fell solely under his management. The Xu Zhen spent her days studying scriptures with Moya and learning Turkic Language from Caesar until late at night when no one was around. Then she would delve into researching Seven Sacred Blades techniques with Moya. Those unaware of the situation might mistakenly believe that after Caesar cut off her foundation, the Xu Zhen developed an unusual fondness for Moya...
The journey south was exceptionally smooth, and the Salarian felt a strong desire to return home. On that day, they had suffered heavy casualties from a surprise attack by the Murong Clan. Now, the Tuguhun was turning its attention toward the Tang Empire, but their small forces were not even qualified to be cannon fodder; each of them only wished to return to their tribe as soon as possible.
Ulyet felt a heavy heart, while Yin Zong was ambitious, hoping to persuade the young members of the tribe to continue fighting for the Xu Zhen, determined to secure a place for themselves in the Tang Army.
Young men always yearn for distant places. Yin Zong was unwilling to accept the tribe's plight; it was only natural. However, no matter how much he tried to persuade them, his tribesmen had lost their fighting spirit.
As they approached a crossroads, the tribesmen planned to split up and return home, leaving Yin Zong hesitant and uncertain.
At that moment, Son of Ahura and Xu Zhen wanted to chant scriptures to strengthen their resolve and pray for blessings for their brothers and the Salar People, hoping for the fire god's favor upon the Salar.
When the pure words of the Holy Avesta flowed from Xu Zhen's lips like a wonderful sound from the clouds, enlightening everyone and burning away their hearts' dust, the Salarian felt as if they were graced by divine favor, bowing down to the ground without a single distracting thought!
Zhang Jiunian saw Xu Zhen chanting scriptures but began to worry about the long-term implications. At this time, the Tang Empire had not yet embraced Buddhism widely; Daoism was predominant and quite exclusionary towards other religions. If they returned to Chang'an, how would Xu Zhen, this Son of Ahura, find her footing?
(Note 1: Illusion "Seven Sacred Blades," also known as Seven Sacred Laws, originates from Zoroastrianism rituals introduced from West Asia during the Tang Dynasty. It appears in the movie "The Great Magician," and interested readers can look it up.)
(Note 2: Lady Li of Jincheng County has no recorded Han name; she is Wencheng Princess who married Tuguhun Songzan Ganbu as Queen. Historical Records mention her as a distant royal relative; some say she is Li Daozong's daughter. The name Li Wushuang here is fictionalized by the author; please forgive this.)
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