Chapter 41
The night bells of Huguo Temple pierced the bitter chill of Shengjing's early winter, their muffled peals striking at Gu Linzhi's taut heartstrings. He crouched in the shadow of an ancient, twisted cypress tree outside the Sutra Library, his dark nightgown blending seamlessly into the thick darkness. Only the numbness of the wound under his ribs, temporarily suppressed by the cold pond grass but still stirring with each subtle breath, reminded him of the passage of time and the approach of danger.
His gaze pierced through the sparse branches, locked firmly on the tightly closed, heavy, copper-clad wooden door of the Sutra Repository. A faint, flickering candlelight shone through the crack. The image Mo Ya had sacrificed his life for—the fork beneath the ancient pine tree on the mountainside—burned into his eyes like a red-hot brand. This was the den of Cao Wushang's nexus with the Northern Di! He had to go in and obtain the ironclad evidence that would overturn the entire court!
The pavilion was dead silent, with only the cold wind blowing through the eaves and brackets, making a low, whimpering sound.
Can't wait any longer! Gu Linzhi's body shifted slightly, like a shadow blending into the night wind, silently sliding down the ancient cypress tree. He landed silently, his feet tapping lightly on the cold stone steps, and in an instant, he was close to the huge wooden door of the Sutra Library. He listened intently, and the only sound inside the pavilion was the subtle crackling of the burning candle.
A blade as thin as a willow leaf protruded from his fingertips, silently inserted it into the crack of the door, and gently turned the heavy horizontal bolt inside. His movements were gentle and steady, like the most delicate mechanism. Time flowed slowly in the cold air.
“Click.”
There was a very slight sound of the mechanism snapping. The horizontal bolt was opened!
Gu Linzhi's eyes glared, and he subtly channeled soft energy into his palms, slowly pushing against the heavy wooden door. The hinges creaked with a faint, sigh-like sound, and the door quietly opened, barely wide enough for one person to pass through. The rich, mingled scent of aged paper, ink, decaying wood, and incense and candles filled his face.
He slipped in, leaving the door ajar. The pavilion was dimly lit, lit only by a solitary tallow lamp on a large rosewood desk near the west wall. The bean-sized flame flickered in the draft, casting a massive, distorted shadow on the stacked bookshelves and the massive, silent Buddhist shrine.
The desk was empty. But on it lay a cup of fragrant tea, still warm, and beside it a Duan inkstone, the ink still wet!
The person just left! Or...hiding nearby!
Gu Linzhi's heart instantly sank. He held his breath, his figure disappearing like a ghost into the shadow of a towering sutra cabinet beside his desk. His sharp gaze, like a probe, quickly scanned the vast, oppressive space. Behind the shrine? Deep within the bookshelves? Or...the beams overhead?
Just then!
"call--!"
A sharp, piercing whistle pierced the air, and without warning, it shot down from the top of a massive sutra cabinet to the left and behind him! As fast as lightning, ruthless and cunning, it struck directly at Gu Lin's vital point! The sound of the wind was sharp and piercing, carrying the deadly aura of metal tearing through the air!
It's not an arrow! It's a □□!
The moment the sound of breaking wind arose, Gu Linzhi's body was like a spring compressed to the extreme, and he suddenly rushed forward! At the same time, he twisted his waist and raised the narrow military bayonet backhandedly!
“Clang!”
The piercing sound of metal clashing resounded in the empty Sutra Library! Sparks flew everywhere!
The bayonet parried the poisoned blue spear tip with incredible precision! The immense force numbed Gu Linzhi's arm and cracked his knuckles! He used the reaction of the block to roll forward, creating distance. At the same time, he held the bayonet across his chest, his gaze fixed on the source of the attack like lightning!
A towering figure, like an iron tower, silently descended from the atop the massive casket, like a night owl spreading its wings, landing steadily in the flickering light of the lamplight before the desk. It was Han Meng! His face was covered by a half-cold metal mask, revealing only a pair of eyes burning with bloodlust and ecstasy. He stared at Gu Linzhi intently, as if watching prey finally caught in a trap. The poisoned spear clanged in his hand, the dark blue tip gleaming with an eerie luster in the dim candlelight.
"Minister Gu! Sorry for the long wait!" Han Meng's voice was hoarse and low through the mask, filled with uncontrollable excitement and deep hatred. "This quiet place in the Sutra Repository is perfect for your burial place!"
Before he finished speaking, his wrist shook violently!
“Crash!”
Like an enraged blue python, the poison-infused spear instantly broke free. With the piercing sound of chain links rubbing against each other and a shrill whistle that tore through the air, it transformed into a sky-high, dark blue spear shadow, sweeping towards Gu Linzhi! The spear shadows, both real and imaginary, sealed off any room for evasion!
Gu Linzhi's pupils shrank suddenly! In the narrow Sutra Library, the power of this long weapon combined with Han Meng's brute strength multiplied! He didn't dare to take it head-on. His body was like weightless willow catkins, dodging and moving rapidly amidst the dense shadows of the gunfire! The dark figure turned into a series of afterimages in the swaying candlelight, narrowly avoiding the deadly blue poisonous light!
"Swish!" The sharp tip of the gun brushed past his shoulder, tearing his black clothes and leaving a burning pain!
Gu Linzhi's eyes flashed with cold light! Passive attack will lead to death! Must get close!
At the moment when Han Meng used his old gun to recover the shadow——
Gu Linzhi moved! He stomped his feet against the ground, his body like a bolt of lightning, advancing instead of retreating! Ignoring the numbness churning in his ribs, he reversed his grip on the spear, transforming into a streak of black lightning that ripped through the darkness, crashing headfirst into the tiny gap left by Han Meng's retracted spear.
Close combat! Risking life!
"Looking for death!" Han Meng roared wildly, his left hand transformed into a fist, and with a whistling gust of wind, he smashed it into Gu Linzhi's face like a sledgehammer! At the same time, he exerted force with his right wrist, trying to spin his fist around to protect himself!
Gu Linzhi didn't dodge or evade the incoming punch! He simply jerked his head to the side! The punch, accompanied by a strong gust of wind, brushed past his ear, piercing his cheek painfully! At the same time, his reverse-gripped bayonet darted out like a venomous snake, piercing the gap in Han Meng's right ribs, exposed by the punch, with a sharp, tearing whistle.
Attack the enemy and save them! Exchange injuries for lives!
A fierce gleam flashed in Han Meng's eyes. He obviously hadn't expected Gu Linzhi to be so brave! He roared, and withdrew his left fist to block. At the same time, his body suddenly twisted to the side, trying to avoid the deadly bayonet!
“Puff!”
The sharp edge of the bayonet tore through the leather armor and clothing on Han Meng's waist, piercing deep into his flesh! Although he avoided the vital part by twisting his body, the sharp edge still brought out a dazzling streak of blood!
"Ugh!" Han Meng groaned in pain, his eyes blazing with rage! His right hand finally swung back into position, and with furious fury, like a poisonous python swinging its tail, he fiercely lashed out at Gu Linzhi's waist and abdomen!
The distance is too close, the gunfire is too strong! There is no escape!
Gu Linzhi's eyes glared, and he simply didn't dodge! He twisted his wrist tightly around the bayonet! The bayonet, piercing Han Meng's waist and ribs, instantly erupted with terrifying cutting power! At the same time, he poured all his strength into his free left hand and slapped the inside of Han Meng's right wrist, which was holding the gun!
"Crack!" A sound of bone breaking that makes your teeth ache!
"Ah!" Han Meng let out a shrill howl! His right wrist was in great pain, and his □□ flew out of his hand in an instant, hitting the scripture cabinet not far away with a "clang", knocking out countless scriptures!
Gu Linzhi was also hit hard on the side of his waist by the butt of Han Meng's angry gun! The huge force made his throat feel sweet, and his body was like being hit by a huge hammer. He stumbled backwards and hit a row of tall scripture cabinets!
"Crash!" The heavy scripture cabinet shook violently, and countless scriptures poured down like an avalanche, falling on Gu Linzhi!
Smoke and dust filled the air! Scriptures were flying!
Han Meng clutched his bleeding waist and ribs, his left hand tightly grasping his painfully twisted right wrist. His eyes blazed with a frenzied, venomous flame! He stared intently at the collapsed caskets and the flying dust, and like a wounded beast, he let out a deafening roar: "Someone! Kill him!!!"
The tightly closed door of the Sutra Repository was flung open! Several figures dressed in black, with hollow eyes and incredibly swift movements, rushed in like ghosts! They were none other than Han Meng's own assassins! Ignoring the injured Han Meng, their vacant gazes instantly locked onto Gu Linzhi, who struggled to his feet beneath the pile of scriptures. The poisoned short blades in their hands flashed a deadly cold light in the candlelight, and like sharks smelling blood, they pounced silently and swiftly!
A life-or-death situation! Gu Linzhi was buried under the scroll. The numbness in his ribs surged back from the violent impact, and his vision went black! He could see several poisoned short blades about to tear him apart!
At this critical moment——
A moon-white figure, like a startled wild goose tearing through the night sky, appeared without any warning on the huge door of the Sutra Library that had been knocked open!
Su Wanwan!
Her toes lightly tapped the lotus petals carved on the door lintel, her moon-white skirt rustling in the breeze. Her exquisitely beautiful face was expressionless, save for her icy-gray eyes, like frozen galaxies, reflecting the chaotic carnage within the pavilion. Her gaze instantly locked onto the dark figure beneath the pile of scrolls, besieged by assassins, and the faint blue poison mark beneath his torn robes, visible beneath his ribs!
Without the slightest hesitation! Without even seeing how she moved!
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Three subtle whistles, almost drowned out by the footsteps of the assassins, tore through the air like the hissing of a venomous snake! Three nearly transparent jade-white threads, like the strings of the god of death, ignored the distance between them and wrapped themselves with incredible precision around the blade-wielding wrists of the three assassins who had first pounced on Gu Linzhi!
Ice silk!
"Puff! Puff! Puff!"
Three hair-raising cutting sounds rang out almost simultaneously!
The three assassins' forward movements suddenly froze! Their bladed wrists were instantly severed as if by invisible blades, spraying blood and dropping to the ground along with the poisoned short blades! The severed wrists were as smooth as a mirror! The excruciating pain filled their hollow eyes with terror, and they let out shrill screams!
This sudden change caused the rest of the assassins to pause in their movements! A flash of instinctive fear flashed across their hollow eyes!
"Purple Owl?! You...!" Han Meng covered his wound, staring at the moon-white figure on the door lintel in shock and anger, his eyes filled with disbelief and fury! He couldn't understand why the Purple Owl of the Snow Spider Pavilion would intervene at this moment! And why was his target one of his own?
Su Wanwan ignored Han Meng's roar. Her figure, like a weightless feather, floated down from the door lintel, landing amidst the fluttering scrolls and the swirling smoke and dust, her moon-white skirt spotless. Her icy gray eyes, piercing the chaos, fixed only on the dark figure who had just struggled to his feet from the pile of scrolls, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth, his gaze still as cold as the abyss.
"Go!" Her voice was cold and ethereal, penetrating the screams of the dead soldiers and Han Meng's roar, reaching Gu Linzhi's ears clearly. It was just one word, but it carried unquestionable power!
Gu Linzhi's pupils suddenly constricted! He gave Su Wanwan a deep, complex look, a mixture of shock, vigilance, and an indescribable curiosity. Without a moment's hesitation, he knew this was his only chance of survival! He suppressed the surging blood and the numbness in his ribs, and like a wounded cheetah, he slammed past a frightened, hesitant warrior and charged towards a small door to the side of the Sutra Library, half-hidden by a sutra cabinet and leading to a side hall.
"Stop him! Kill him!" Han Meng was completely crazy. Regardless of the severe pain in his waist and ribs, he pointed in the direction of Gu Linzhi's escape and let out a hysterical roar!
The remaining assassins were instantly awakened from the shock of the ice silk, their empty eyes were once again filled with orders, and they roared and pounced on Gu Linzhi's back!
Just when the assassin was about to catch up with Gu Linzhi——
“Buzz!”
Without warning, an eerie buzzing sound, like countless metal reeds vibrating at high speed, resounded within the Sutra Library! The sound wasn't loud, but it carried a sharp force that pierced the eardrums and pierced the brain! The frequency of the sound was remarkably similar to the death-dealing whistle blasting underwater at the Linqing Sluice!
The moment the buzzer sounded, all the assassins rushing towards Gu Linzhi froze! It was as if their hands and feet were instantly pulled by invisible silk threads! Their empty eyes instantly became extremely dull, and the expressions on their faces froze, as if their souls were instantly sucked out, turning them into stiff puppets!
Buzzing soul control!
Gu Linzhi's figure, taking advantage of the absolute stagnation of less than a breath caused by the buzzing, broke open the half-closed side door like a ghost, and instantly disappeared into the deeper darkness behind the door!
"Ah--!!!" Han Meng watched Gu Linzhi escape, and roared like a beast! He turned his head abruptly, his bloodshot eyes fixed on the source of the buzzing sound—Su Wanwan!
Su Wanwan stood quietly amidst the flying dust of the scriptures, her wide, moon-white sleeves fluttering slightly, a slender, white hand hidden within them. Her icy-gray eyes calmly returned Han Meng's predatory gaze, a deep, unfathomable coldness etched within them.
"Purple Owl! How dare you ruin Master Cao's plans!" Han Meng, clutching his wound, approached step by step, his voice distorted with rage. "Just wait! Master Cao will never let you go!"
Su Wanwan seemed oblivious to Han Meng's threats. Her gaze slowly swept across the three severed wrists and the splattered blood on the ground, then across the dead soldiers standing still like wooden stakes, finally settling on the side door that Gu Linzhi had knocked open, still swaying on its own. Her lips curved ever so slightly, an imperceptible curve, cold and complex.
She didn't glance at the enraged Han Meng again. Her moon-white figure blended silently into the night mist, drifting toward the open door of the Sutra Library and quickly disappearing into the thick darkness outside. Leaving behind her was only the ruined Sutra Library. Han Meng's unwilling roar and the eerie buzzing sound that seemed to carry endless echoes quietly dissipated in the silent imperial temple.
---
The icy night wind scraped across Gu Linzhi's cheeks like a knife. He fought back the numbness churning in his ribs and the surging blood, swiftly moving through the shadows of the intricate halls of Huguo Temple. Behind him, Han Meng's furious roar, the image of the frozen death warriors, and the final, complex glint in Su Wanwan's icy-gray eyes alternately seared his nerves like red-hot irons.
Purple Owl... why did she save him? That strange buzzing... what's her relationship with Cao Wushang? Betrayal? Or... something else?
Countless questions swirled in his mind, but he had no time to think carefully. The most urgent thing was to get out of this dangerous place!
Following his memory of the temple's layout, he avoided the main roads and the square in front of the temple where ambushes might be set up, instead choosing the most secluded and darkest corridors and corner gates to sneak through. Each step he took was extremely cautious, his dark figure flashing alternately between fragments of moonlight and deep shadows, like a wandering ghost.
Just as he passed through a side hall dedicated to Arhats and was about to climb over a low courtyard wall and enter the pine forest on the back mountain—
"call out!"
A subtle, yet deadly, sound of piercing the air shot out from the shadows of the hall behind him! It wasn't an arrow! It was a tiny, diamond-shaped dart gleaming with a faint blue luster! At a tricky angle, it struck Gu Linzhi's neck!
There's an ambush!
The moment the sound of breaking wind arose, Gu Linzhi's body instinctively dodged to the side! At the same time, he thrust his bayonet backhandedly behind him!
"bite!"
With a crisp sound, the bayonet accurately knocked the poisoned dart away!
However, just as he blocked the dart and his body faltered slightly—
"call!"
A burly figure leaped out from the shadows of the side hall like a cannonball, carrying a strong smell of blood and violent murderous intent! It was Han Meng! He ignored the severe injuries to his waist, ribs, and wrists and chased after him like a mad tiger! In his left hand, he clutched a short dagger that also shone with a dark blue poisonous light. His eyes burned with a nearly insane fire as he fiercely stabbed at the gap in Gu Linzhi's left rib that had been exposed when he dodged the dart!
"Go to hell!" Han Meng's roar with a bloody smell sprayed on Gu Linzhi's face!
The distance was too close! Gu Linzhi's old strength was exhausted, and his new strength had not yet been generated! He saw that the poisoned dagger was about to penetrate his ribs!
At this moment between life and death——
A black figure, like a moth to a flame, suddenly shot out from the shadow of the courtyard wall in front of Gu Linzhi without any warning!
It's a black crow!
He had sneaked in here without anyone noticing! His face was as pale as paper in the moonlight, the simple bandage around his right shoulder and broken arm soaked with blood, and his left arm's movements were stiff and sluggish from the poison and high fever. But the moment he saw Han Meng pounce on Gu Linzhi, his eyes shone with a resolute light that transcended death, as cold as iron!
No words! No hesitation!
Mo Ya's remaining left arm was infused with all the remaining strength gained from burning his life. The dagger in his hand turned into a decisive black light, which did not stab Han Meng, but stabbed fiercely at the heart area of Han Meng's right chest which was completely exposed and unprotected due to his all-out thrust!
Besiege Wei to save Zhao! Risk your life!
Han Meng's eyes flashed with ferocity! He saw Mo Ya, and saw the dagger stabbing at him! But his hatred for Gu Linzhi overwhelmed everything! He didn't dodge, and the dagger stabbed Gu Linzhi's ribs with even faster and more fierce force! He was determined to take Mo Ya's blow and kill Gu Linzhi with the dagger!
“Puff!”
“Puff!”
Two teeth-grinding sounds of sharp blades entering flesh rang out almost at the same time!
Han Meng's poisoned dagger fiercely stabbed into Gu Linzhi's left rib! The sharp tip of the blade tore through the flesh, and the blue poisonous light instantly stained the wound!
And Mo Ya's short knife also penetrated deeply into Han Meng's right chest! The tip of the knife went all the way to the handle!
Time seemed to freeze for a moment.
"Ugh!" Gu Linzhi groaned, his body trembling violently in pain! A piercing numbness instantly spread from the wound on his left rib, even more domineering and sinister than the previous "blue spider saliva"! His vision went black!
"Huh...huh..." Han Meng's body froze in place. He lowered his head in disbelief, looking at the dagger that was not up to the hilt on his chest, then looked up at Mo Ya who was close at hand with a cold and resolute look in his eyes. A huh sound like a broken bellows came from his throat, and his eyes were filled with astonishment, resentment, and a hint of...bewilderment before death.
Mo Ya gripped the hilt tightly, twisting it with all his remaining strength! His body shook violently from the movement, and blood gushed out from the broken arm like a fountain! He looked at Han Meng's eyes, which were rapidly losing their spirit. The corners of his mouth under the mask seemed to move with great difficulty, as if he wanted to say something, but only a large mouthful of dark red blood gushed out.
"Plop!" Han Meng's massive body, as if all the bones had been pulled out, fell heavily to the cold ground, stirring up a cloud of dust. His ferocious, hawk-like eyes remained wide open until his death, staring intently at Mo Ya.
"Mo Ya!" Gu Linzhi endured the severe paralysis and dizziness that was piercing his left rib, rushed forward and supported Mo Ya's shaky body.
Mo Ya's body was cold and heavy, as if filled with lead. He leaned against Gu Linzhi, his remaining left arm hanging limply, the dagger still lodged in Han Meng's chest. With difficulty, he raised his head, his bloodshot eyes peering through the slits of his mask as he gazed deeply at Gu Linzhi. His gaze held the relief of having accomplished his mission, the regret of not being able to follow, and a hint of... the heaviness of a trust.
He raised his bloody left hand with great difficulty and pointed tremblingly at the inside of his bloody chest.
Gu Linzhi understood what he meant and immediately reached into Mo Ya's clothes. His fingertips touched a hard object! He quickly pulled it out!
It's a small, flat block wrapped tightly in oilcloth! It feels cold and heavy to the touch!
A secret letter! This is the ironclad evidence of Han Meng's collusion with Cao Wushang and the Northern Di! This is something Mo Ya risked his life to protect and deliver!
Gu Linzhi clutched the cold oilcloth tightly, as if holding a red-hot iron! He lowered his head and looked at Mo Ya.
Mo Ya's gaze finally fell on Gu Linzhi's hand, tightly clutching the secret letter. Then, with immense difficulty, he slowly shifted his gaze toward the dark, moonlit pine forest on the hill behind Huguo Temple. His lips moved ever so slightly, as if he were about to utter the word "go," but no sound emanated. The light in his eyes, like a candle in the wind, quickly dimmed.
"Hold on!" Gu Linzhi's voice was hoarse and deep, carrying an unquestionable command. He lifted Mo Ya's heavy body onto his back, ignoring the numbing sensation spreading rapidly from the wound on his left rib. With a strong breath of true energy, he rushed towards the deep pine forest behind the mountain.
Behind him, the alarm bells of the Huguo Temple were finally alerted by the fierce fighting. "Ding! Ding! Ding!" A rapid ringing sound tore through the silent night sky. The chaotic clatter of footsteps, shouts, and the sound of unsheathed weapons echoed from all directions, like an invisible noose rapidly tightening.
Gu Linzhi, carrying the black crow on his back, cast a long, heavy shadow in the moonlight. With each step, he left a bloody mark. He stumbled but with unwavering determination as he plunged into the depths of the dark pine forest, a symbol of unknown life. The cold night wind whirled the pine needles, making a whimpering sound, like a mournful farewell to the deceased.
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