Ciyun Nunnery
The chill of dawn was biting, but it couldn't suppress the fierce killing intent emanating from Ling Zhan.
The group moved like owls pouncing on their prey.
They silently swept across the official road, heading straight for the Ciyun Nunnery nestled in the mountain valley, which appeared even more serene in the dim morning light.
The temple was eerily quiet today.
It should have been the time for morning prayers and chanting, but apart from the symbolic incense smoke in the front hall, not a single wooden fish or chant could be heard. The towering back wall blocked the view, and the iron caltrops reinforced on top of the wall gleamed coldly in the dim light.
"Hong'er!"
Ling Zhan's voice was extremely low, and his sharp gaze swept over his son.
Shen Hong immediately stepped forward, his eyes sharp as he scanned every inch of the damp, mottled wall and every crack in the blue bricks.
My fingertips glided quickly across several seemingly identical blue bricks, tapping them lightly, and I listened carefully to the subtle differences in the echoes.
Suddenly, his fingertips paused, and his eyes flashed with a sharp light!
"here!"
His voice was firm as he pointed to two slightly loose bricks at the base of the wall. "The moss in the gaps between the bricks is unusual, and the sound when you tap them is hollow! Mother, press here, and then push the third brick on the upper left! There must be a hidden spring!"
Xuan Chenzi, who was standing to the side, nodded slightly, a hint of approval flashing in his eyes.
As Shen Hong's mentor, he knew that his last disciple was meticulous and observant.
He has an extraordinary sensitivity to architectural ingenuity.
Yang Sijian wrapped his worn but clean sheepskin coat tightly around himself.
His cloudy old eyes now gleamed with a sharp light as he stared intently at Shen Hong's movements.
This former high-ranking official of the Ministry of Works, who lost his young son in the "Jade Register Case" involving the former crown prince and was implicated and exiled, felt a heavy sense of entrustment and unfulfilled responsibility, making him more attentive to every step he took than anyone else.
Ling Zhan did not hesitate and made his move as instructed.
He channeled his inner strength into his fingertips, precisely striking the spot Shen Hong had indicated, while simultaneously using his palm to forcefully push the third brick on the upper left!
"Click...creak..."
A soft but clear sound of a mechanism turning rang out.
Immediately afterwards, a heavy, hidden door, which was so well disguised that it almost blended into the surrounding walls, slid open silently about a foot inward!
A foul stench, a mixture of cheap cosmetics, musty smells, sweat, and a faint smell of blood, suddenly hit me!
"Walk!"
Ling Zhan gave a low shout and flashed in first, his knife already in hand.
The scene inside the gate was completely different from the serene and compassionate scene outside the wall!
The narrow passageway led deep into the area, flanked by low, damp earthen hamlets with rusty iron railings.
Under the dim light of the oil lamp, huddled together were ragged figures with vacant eyes.
Most of them were women and children, their faces bearing the marks of long-term fear and numbness.
Several burly thugs were cursing and dragging a struggling and crying girl deeper into the area.
"brute!"
Old Yang let out a low growl, his weathered face twitching, and his eyes blazing with fury.
A cold glint flashed in Ling Zhan's eyes.
The Asura Guards immediately understood her meaning and dispersed like ghosts.
"Whoosh—"
With a few soft clicks, the crossbow bolts pierced the thugs' vitals with pinpoint accuracy, killing them instantly.
"Don't be afraid! We'll get you out of here!"
Ling Zhan's voice, with its strange penetrating power, suppressed the chaos, "Where are the artisan families?"
"Here! Aunt Zhang, Sister Li..."
In the corner, an elderly woman who had been rescued and was familiar with the artisan's situation cried out urgently, her voice trembling with tears.
Ling Zhan quickly scanned the area and spotted the familiar female members of the artisan family.
But when her gaze fell into the deeper cells of the cell, her heart sank.
The people imprisoned in those cells had completely different temperaments.
Although they both appear withered and emaciated, a trace of integrity or past privilege remains between their brows.
Their eyes were deeper, filled with despair and profound grief.
Just then, Xuan Chenzi's clear, cold voice rang out with a hint of solemnity:
"Amitabha! Ling Dongjia, Shen Dongjia, Elder Yang, please look here!"
Shen Yan was about to rush towards the craftsmen's prison when he heard the sound and turned around.
Xuan Chenzi stood outside a dark cell, his whisk pointing to an old man with tangled hair and beard sitting against the wall inside.
Although the old man was extremely thin, he stood up straight.
When his cloudy eyes swept over Xuan Chenzi and Old Yang, they suddenly flashed with an incredulous light, and he stared intently at Old Yang!
"Brother Ting... Sijian?!" The old man's voice was hoarse as if tearing silk, filled with extreme shock and ecstasy.
"It's you?! It really is you?! In the Ministry of Works' performance evaluation in the ninth year of the Yuan You era...you and I were both ranked as top...and...and Xuan Chen, the Supervisor of the Imperial Works?!"
He recognized Xuan Chenzi as the former Director of the Imperial Observatory of the previous dynasty!
Old Yang Sijian trembled violently and rushed to the iron fence.
I looked closely in the dim light and instantly burst into tears.
"Brother Wenqing?! Zhou Wenqing?! Hanlin Academy Lecturer Zhou?! You...you're still alive?! Back then, in the 'Imperial Genealogy Case'...it was said that you...you all died of illness during your exile..."
His voice choked with sobs, filled with unbelievable grief!
It also stirred up boundless hatred for the heinous crimes of framing the crown prince and persecuting loyal officials back then.
"It's an ambush! It's to silence them!"
Zhou Wenqing was in tears, his withered hands gripping the cold iron bars tightly, his knuckles white. His voice was filled with tearful accusations, "Not only me... but also... the son of the former Censor-in-Chief Wang... the elderly mother and young son of Lin, the head of the Ministry of Revenue's Bureau of Clerks... were all framed and exiled in the 'Imperial Genealogy Case' back then... were murdered on the way, and those who didn't die... were secretly brought here... their lives are worse than death!"
His trembling finger pointed with difficulty to the other people in the cell—the young man with the broken leg, the blind woman, the little boy huddled in the corner, emaciated and with empty eyes like a dead boy…
There was also a woman holding a baby whose breath was weak and seemed about to go out at any moment... The woman's hand lingered around the child's neck, with a resolute expression that said she would rather strangle the child than let the baby be taken away and harmed.
"The Imperial Genealogy Records?!"
Shen Yan was struck dumb!
This directly led to the former crown prince, his biological father being deposed, his entire family being executed, and countless loyal officials being implicated in a shocking injustice.
There are still survivors here suffering such inhuman torture!
This hellish scene is even more shocking than the blood debts of the Blackwater Gang!
These are living sacrifices in the power struggle at the pinnacle!
They are devils disguised in official robes and Buddhist garments, using "rules" and "compassion" to cover up their heinous crimes!
"Those who are good-looking...and strong...keep them..."
The words of the poisonous scholar before his death pierced Shen Yan's mind like a poisoned steel needle, overlapping with the tragic scene before him! Looking at the boy with empty eyes, he seemed to see the real little beggar who had died in his place on the street years ago!
They are all victims of this cannibalistic power game!
Too many people lost their lives because of him and his family!
An unprecedented torrent, a mixture of overwhelming anger, bone-chilling cold, and a heavy, suffocating feeling, violently shattered Shen Yan's long-held defenses! His handsome face, which always carried a lighthearted and playful air, was now taut and bloodless, his teeth clenched so tightly that they made a chilling, clicking sound.
The hand gripping the knife handle trembled violently from excessive force, the nails digging deep into the palm, blood seeping from between the fingers.
He wasn't unaware of darkness, but he had never faced it before, masking his indifference with cynicism.
Later, he just wanted to live his life in the village.
The fate of the nation? Imperial power and wealth? They are all traps that devour people!
But at this moment!
This is a purgatory before my eyes, crushed by power!
The blood and tears of these innocent people, like a heavy hammer, shattered his self-deceiving facade!
It turns out that the safe haven he thought he had was as fragile as paper in the face of truly overwhelming power!
It turns out that the identity and responsibility he was evading were the source of a deep-seated hatred and blood feud among countless people!
It turns out that the identity of "Crown Prince" was a responsibility he could not shirk, had to bear, settle, and change!
A scalding will, like molten lava, suddenly erupted from the deepest part of Shen Yan's heart!
"ah--!"
A suppressed growl burst from his throat.
He suddenly looked up, his phoenix eyes, which always held a smile like peach blossoms, were now bloodshot, burning with terrifying flames, shooting straight at Ling Zhan. His voice was hoarse but like the clanging of metal, resolute and decisive.
"Ling Zhan! Charge in! Leave no one alive! Rescue everyone!"
Ling Zhan quickly grabbed the back of his neck and pressed hard on his acupoint. "Relax! Breathe!" she commanded.
"This signboard of Ciyun Temple will be smashed today!" Shen Yan continued, panting heavily. "The demons and monsters behind this... I, Shen Yan, will fight them to the death!"
Ling Zhan released his grip and directed the guards to break the lock and rescue the person.
Quietly, he heard Shen Yan's completely altered roar, filled with a resolute fighting spirit.
He turned around abruptly and bumped into Shen Yan's eyes, which were burning red and filled only with unwavering fighting spirit.
For the first time on the bloody battlefield, the corners of her lips curved upwards in an extremely subtle yet powerful arc.
"good!"
A single word carries a weight heavier than a thousand pounds!
The long sword in her hand hummed as it was drawn from its sheath, its blade pointing directly into the depths of the incense-scented front hall.
"Shura Guards, heed my command! Clear the area! Rescue people! Anyone who resists with weapons—kill without mercy!"
"Daoist Xuanchen, Elder Yang, protect the innocent and distinguish the loyal from the wicked!"
“Shen Yan,” she turned her head, her gaze sharp as lightning, “Come with me! Overturn this ‘Bodhisattva’ altar and see what kind of demons are hiding underneath!”
Shen Yan took a deep breath, drew his sword, and strode to catch up with Ling Zhan.
That once somewhat frivolous figure now stands as straight as a pine tree.
For the first time, a towering and upright outline was clearly revealed!
The orders came down like hailstones.
The well-trained Asura Guards instantly split into several streams, like a black torrent, rushing towards each cell to break the locks and rescue the prisoners.
At the same time, the blades form a protective array pointing outwards.
Ling Zhan and Shen Yan, filled with overwhelming killing intent, rushed straight to the heart of the Demon Cave!
The false "purity" of Ciyun Nunnery has been completely shattered.
At the end of the passageway was a heavy wooden door.
The flickering candlelight and suppressed shouts emanated from the crack in the door.
Bang--!
Ling Zhan kicked open the wooden door, and the door panel shattered with a crash!
The view inside the door suddenly opened up, revealing a rather spacious hall, even somewhat gaudy and luxurious!
A thick carpet was laid on the ground, and several bright, large tallow candles were lit.
Seven or eight men in tight-fitting clothes stood in the hall.
The positioning subtly echoes some kind of formation, and the weapons are also quite unique.
His eyes and demeanor were as indifferent as a death squad member.
These are no ordinary thugs, but true elite bodyguards of the highest caliber.
They had clearly been alerted by the commotion in the backyard.
They gathered together in surprise and uncertainty, forming a semi-circular defensive formation.
The head of the hall.
On a grand chair covered with brocade sat a middle-aged nun dressed in a gray robe, which could not hide her plump figure.
Her face was fair and clean, and she took good care of herself.
But those slender eyes held no trace of a monk's compassion, only malice, shock, anger, and a barely perceptible hint of panic.
She clutched a string of shiny black Buddhist prayer beads tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning white from the force.
This is the abbot of Ciyun Temple in name only.
The real mastermind behind the demon's den is Master Jingchen!
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