Chapter 1029 Breaking into Tanlang’s house by mistake
As dawn approached, the moon had long since disappeared behind the clouds.
Inside the private room, at the desk, Ouyang Rong lit only a solitary lamp, its soft light casting a dim glow on his face.
One person, one camera, a solitary figure.
At this moment, Ouyang Rong held the newly acquired folded square mirror in his hand. After finally seeing the line of writing on it clearly, he calmed down.
Even though there were no windows open in the room, Ouyang Rong felt that the candle in front of him was flickering and trembling weakly.
Looking at it from a distance, even the solitary candlelight caused his shadow, which was cast on the wall behind him, to sway from side to side.
Did the Qin Dynasty's downfall begin here?
Ouyang Rong didn't know who had carved these words on the back of an ancient mirror.
Because these five characters are recessed in intaglio, it is uncertain whether they were originally engraved or added later.
But upon seeing this line of text, many thoughts raced through Ouyang Rong's mind.
The first thing that came to mind was the murals in the circular hall.
Secondly, there's the pitch-black door at the end of that mural depicting a severed head.
This angled square mirror was taken out from through this door.
First of all, this statement is completely incoherent.
If we interpret it literally, the phrase "Qin's demise began with this" means that the Qin Dynasty was destroyed because of this thing.
Was the person who carved these words expressing a sense of lament or making a prophecy?
If one expresses sentiments, then it's hindsight, something etched on this mirror by those who came after the Qin dynasty.
If it is a prophecy, then it is even more terrifying to think about, and this mirror must be at least a thousand years old.
Who exactly was this person who could utter such outrageous words a thousand years ago?
Regardless of the circumstances, this square mirror with its folded corners is definitely not simple in origin; it is very likely an ancient mirror from the Qin Dynasty.
In addition, there is an even more chilling detail, whichever of the two points above is true, it is terrifying.
That is, does "the fall of Qin began here" refer to this mirror, or to the people or events related to it? In other words, is the mirror the trigger or the witness to the "fall of Qin"?
If it's the former, Ouyang Rong felt it was a bit of an exaggeration.
The reasons for the demise of that dynasty a thousand years ago are recorded in historical books, and later generations have offered various explanations.
Attributing the biggest reason to this ancient mirror goes against the logic of the natural order and is suspected of being superstitious.
The main problem is that such a huge "pot" cannot be carried by a single mirror. Even a cauldron sword cannot bear it, let alone this. Could it be more miraculous than the mythical cauldron sword?
Or is it a cauldron sword?
Ouyang Rong glanced at the copper rust stains on the damp handkerchief and quickly dismissed the possibility in his mind.
The mythical cauldron sword, forged from a cauldron, is rust-free, imperishable, and indestructible; this angled square mirror clearly does not fit the bill.
So, after a moment of thought, he picked up the ancient mirror again, stared intently at it, and began to ponder one of the words.
Beginning word.
The fall of Qin began with this, which means it started with this mirror, but it wasn't entirely dominated by it.
That is to say, it was not the main cause or culprit that led to the downfall of Qin, but rather something that... served as evidence!
At least from the perspective of the person who carved the inscription, that was certainly the case.
That is, the latter in the above analysis.
This square mirror with its folded corners may have participated in or witnessed certain events leading to the downfall of the Qin Dynasty! It is an artifact from the pre-Qin period.
Ouyang Rong's expression immediately turned serious.
What is the origin of this mirror, what is its function, and why is it left inside the dark door, together with a blood-dripping corpse?
In addition, regarding the Dark Gate, Ouyang Rong thought of another considerable possibility.
Could the saying "Qin's demise began here" refer to the space inside the dark door, and the events that occurred within that space... rather than the mirror itself?
This ancient mirror from the Qin Dynasty was merely used as a medium for the writer's reflections, simply as "paper at hand" to record this line of text.
Holding the ancient mirror, Ouyang Rong pondered for a long time and felt it was not impossible.
“Golden light? In Xiaoxuan’s vision, is there something unusual about this mirror… Since it could remain inside that dark door, beside that dead man, like a burial object, it must not be an ordinary item; it must have some significance.”
Ouyang Rong lowered his head and looked in the ancient mirror, but there was still nothing unusual.
Undeterred, he continued to try using his spiritual energy, channeling it into the ancient mirror.
The angled square mirror remained completely still.
"Why don't we try using the Merit Purple Mist? Since the Merit Purple Mist simulates the spiritual energy of various Dao veins, it might also meet the spiritual energy requirements of this mirror..."
Holding a mirror, Ouyang Rong sat at his desk, pondered for a moment, closed his eyes, and went first to the Pagoda of Merit.
Inside the silent tower, the Blessing Bell hanging high above remains unchanged, a daily reminder of slacking off.
Ouyang Rong glanced at it, then turned to check the small wooden fish.
[Merit: 302]
I used some in front of the dark gate tonight, but then it naturally increased again, replenishing it.
The remaining merit-based purple mist should be enough.
In fact, if he had enough merit points, he could have summoned Cui Hao directly, asked him to possess him, and asked him about Lu Changgeng's tomb and the Dark Gate.
Unfortunately, meeting Cui Hao now requires three thousand merits, which is a bit too extravagant for Ouyang Rong, who has temporarily left the officialdom of Xunyang. However, he has gradually found some ways to accumulate merits in Yunmeng Sword Marsh and the dining hall, so he is not so short of money.
However, if this method is used, there are some things to be careful about. Xiao Xuan and the others must not see Cui Hao; it needs to be done discreetly. As for Miao Si, it doesn't matter, since she has seen him before...
After pondering for a moment, Ouyang Rong withdrew from the Pagoda of Merit and began to focus on the present moment.
He opened his eyes, looked at the ancient mirror, and immediately, purple mist surged out, along his forearm, to the point where his palm met the back of the bronze mirror, and flowed into the mirror.
The air was quiet at the desk, with only the slight trembling of the hand as it gripped the mirror and poured purple mist into it.
At first, everything seemed normal, with purple mist slowly being injected into the back of the mirror.
However, gradually, Ouyang Rong didn't know if it was just his imagination, but he felt that the ancient mirror in his hand seemed to have some kind of faint suction force, "greedily" consuming his merit purple mist.
Ouyang Rong took a closer look. The angled square mirror was still the same as before, showing no change after absorbing the purple mist of merit.
But it continued to devour the purple mist he gave it, just like a glutton.
Ouyang Rong's brows furrowed slowly.
The Purple Mist of Merit is almost gone; we can't let it consume it.
Muttering something to himself, Ouyang Rong immediately leaned forward, preparing to disconnect the output of the Merit Purple Mist.
However, the next second...
With a loud "bang".
Something unexpected happened, occurring simultaneously with the sound, and it came straight at his face.
Yes, it's a sudden turn of events... literally.
Suddenly, everything on the table was knocked away by something that fell on Ouyang Rong's face, and the table shook.
Ouyang Rong was already used to the bronze mask he wore on his face, but it seemed to be strongly rejected by Ouyang Rong's face and "flew off".
The bronze mask fell to the ground three feet in front of the table.
Ouyang Rong's handsome face, now free from the bronze mask, was revealed. He instinctively leaned back, his expression full of surprise.
He had just felt the elasticity on his face. Almost suddenly, his face... or rather his body, and the bronze mask were like the positive and negative poles of a magnet, strongly repelling each other.
This is a phenomenon that has never occurred before.
Ouyang Rong stared intently at the overturned bronze mask on the ground in front of him, as if he was still in a daze, still savoring and reviewing the experience.
After a moment, the young man slowly shifted his gaze from the bronze mask, lowered his head, and looked at the calm, angular square mirror in his hand.
His handsome face was faintly reflected on the smooth, slightly patina-covered mirror surface.
The face in the mirror also looked at him.
At this moment, this scene was like this unknown, angled mirror staring directly at him through this allegorical form, like two eyes staring at each other... Right now, for some reason, this thought suddenly welled up in the depths of Ouyang Rong's heart.
A strange feeling lingered in his mind.
It's it, it must be it.
Ouyang Rong was almost certain that it was this angled square mirror that was causing the problem.
The reason his mask was "flicked off" just now was because of it.
Ouyang Rong stood up, holding a square mirror, and stepped forward to pick up the bronze mask.
Suddenly, the bronze mask trembled violently, emitting a rare pale green light. It was then bounced several feet away from its original position and landed heavily by the door with a thud.
Ouyang Rong silently turned his head and looked at the angled square mirror.
The room returned to silence, with the faint chirping of insects coming from outside the window.
The angled square mirror lay quietly in his palm, looking ordinary and unremarkable.
Why would a bronze mask so strongly reject a square mirror with folded corners?
They don't even dare to get close?
Ouyang Rong was completely baffled.
However, it is certain that the angled square mirror was the one that restrained the bronze mask.
He must have just infused the purple mist of merit into the mirror. Before that, he was wearing the bronze mask and holding the ancient mirror without any problems. It was only a few breaths ago, after the purple mist of merit was infused, that this abnormality occurred...
Ouyang Rong narrowed his eyes slightly, but did not immediately go to the door to pick up the bronze mask.
He stood still, staring at the angled square mirror in his hand.
This was an unprecedented phenomenon. In the past, when he wore the bronze mask and created a fake body, the bronze mask never failed him. Its fake body fooled many experts, including high-level Qi cultivators such as Lady Zhi Shuang and Granny Song.
Logically speaking, its bizarre concealment ability is one of the best Ouyang Rong has ever seen. Combined with his ability to gather and retain energy, it is simply perfect and can pass most identity checks.
However, the emergence of the angled square mirror has now broken its unbroken record.
Ouyang Rong returned to the table, put down the folded square mirror, and walked back to the door. This time, he successfully picked up the bronze mask.
Just then, the door was suddenly opened, and a familiar young woman rushed in.
"Brother Tanlang, what happened?"
Huang Xuan asked him seriously, while her gaze also fell on Ouyang Rong with concern.
Ouyang Rong was taken aback, then looked at the little ink spirit yawning on her shoulder. The female immortal was wrapped in a small blanket, her arms wrapped around herself, covering her small body inside the blanket.
Ouyang Rong then realized that Xiao Xuan and Miao Si must have been resting next door and misunderstood something after hearing the noise in his room.
He immediately explained:
"No, nothing, the mask just fell to the ground by accident."
"is that so……"
Huang Xuan glanced at the bronze mask in his hand, loosened her grip on the sword hilt, and then, as if noticing his true face revealed after he removed the mask, her gaze unconsciously returned to Ouyang Rong's handsome face.
Immediately, Huang Xuan quickly looked away and glanced to the side.
Ouyang Rong, unaware of the young lady's subtle reaction, replied apologetically:
"Xiaoxuan, were you making a bit too much noise? Did it disturb your rest? I'll be more careful next time. Thank you for coming all this way."
The slender young woman standing before the door bit her lip slightly and shook her head gently:
"It's alright, Brother Tanlang."
Ouyang Rong was about to put his mask back on when he suddenly noticed out of the corner of his eye that Xiao Xuan in front of him had her beautiful hair cascading down her shoulders like a waterfall. She wasn't wearing a Taoist crown and seemed to be wearing only a thin Taoist robe. She must have just finished washing up and resting, and was wearing the thin clothes she wore to sleep in her room. This Taoist robe she wore during the day was hastily put on when she rushed out, which covered up some of the glimpses of spring.
Without the inner garment worn during the day, this silk robe is ultimately a bit too thin and soft... It is said that wealth is all about folds, and the reason for the folds is that high-quality silk clothing is prone to natural wrinkles during wear, but it is comfortable to wear and also very even and close-fitting...
At this moment, the Taoist robe that the aloof young nun had hastily put on was just like that. Although it was tied with a belt, because of the beautiful curve of her waist and hips, some of the fabric at the waist was softly attached to the curve of her hips, which was enough to hold a small ink spirit. If we were to use Hun Bulin's words, this young nun's waist was like a knife that could kill.
Because the little ink spirit had taken over her left shoulder, the fabric on Xiao Xuan's right shoulder was slightly askew due to the tugging of her Taoist robe, and a section of her snow-white collarbone was vaguely revealed as she moved.
Beneath the hem of her silk Taoist robe, a pair of small, snow-white feet lay bare. In the dim light, the young woman's feet resembled freshly peeled white eggs, almost dazzlingly white, creating a striking contrast with the dark floor around her...
Although it was the same Taoist robe, Huang Xuan wore it during the day and looked dignified and aloof. But in this moment, although it was the same person and the same clothes, her aloof temperament had changed and she had a touch of delicate beauty.
Ouyang Rong glanced at her briefly before looking away, avoiding eye contact with Huang Xuan who had turned her head back. He immediately turned and walked towards the desk.
The newly transformed, taciturn young man said without turning his head:
"I was just checking that square mirror. Is there anything else, Xiaoxuan...?"
(End of this chapter)
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