A small and exquisite pavilion hung high in the sky. Outside the window, wisteria flowers clung to the tall phoenix trees, blooming in unison. A gentle breeze swept through, causing the varying shades of purple and crimson to move, like a surging torrent.
Behind the window, a man in a moon-white robe, with a beauty almost demonic, gazed out. His deep amber eyes, however, reflected a scene entirely different from what was outside the window.
In his eyes, a colossal serpent, its body flickering in and out of existence, descended from the sky. Its mountain-like form stirred up terrifying air currents, and the yellow sands of the Gobi Desert boiled. Only when the yellow sand poured down on the serpent like a torrential rain did its distorted and hideous appearance beco clear...
A petite girl, seemingly no older than fifteen, was enveloped in flas. Countless crimson threads Entanglent around her, like a marionette. Each slight dance with the wind caused the girl's figure to flicker, as if she were about to vanish into the void, becoming difficult to capture...
Hong Bian was the master of Chawan Temple, the Son of Light of Zoroastrianism, and a miracle walking among humans, revered by countless people in Yun Pass. He possessed the ability of prophetic dreams and was blessed with the power of the miracle flower, yet he could not glimpse information about the “snake and fire.”
Fire has countless “forms,” constantly changing, impossible to glimpse, impossible to predict.
The snake has no past, no future, as if it is rely an evil of the mont appearing at this instant.
“......”
Could it be that they are ssengers sent by that power?
Are they here to punish ? Did I do sothing wrong?
No! What’s wrong with choosing one’s own destiny?!
Hong Bian thought, a gloomy and ruthless expression quietly surfacing on his originally gentle face.
In a secret legend of Zoroastrianism, the world is a flower born of miracles, constantly blooming with myriad forms of beauty. Yet, an ugly and malicious insect parasitizes this miracle flower, injecting venom into it every 333 years...
Thus, under the influence of the venom, the miracle flower’s luster dimd, its petals withered, its stem rotted, and its refreshing fragrance turned into the stench of countless filthy things.
Although Hong Bian was the Son of Light of Zoroastrianism, he had never fully believed the truth of that legend until he glimpsed a corner of the world’s mysteries when he advanced to a Calamity. Only then did he realize that the legend was indeed true.
In this world, in places imperceptible to most people and urban legend, there might truly exist two forces beyond normal comprehension. Their operating rules are completely different, and they suppress each other, waxing and waning...
It was only when he glimpsed the existence of these two forces that Hong Bian learned of his destiny.
Que Pi Jia, the scion of darkness, would co to his dwelling, deliver death to him, adorn his crown with his eyes, fashion his hands and feet into weapons, feast on his heart and mind, acquire his power and knowledge, and then spread the flas of war across this world.
Que Pi Jia is the venerable title of the Shaman King, and Hong Bian had long heard that the Shaman King’s power ca from the urban legend coexisting with him. Since the Shaman King had a way to make urban legend coexist with him, he naturally had a way to make Hong Bian a part of that terrifying symbiosis after killing him.
He would not accept such a fate, nor did he wish to see the Shaman King spread war, so he would resist.
With the help of the Nangling Commander’s power, the blessing of miracles, and judgnts made from countless predictions of the future... he believed he could succeed.
And now, likely because he resisted destiny, those two forces sent ssengers to stop his resistance.
Recalling his thoughts, Hong Bian left the small pavilion. The mont he stepped out of the door, the intricate staircase and long corridor ahead emitted a low rumble, constantly reorganizing and transforming. Amidst the rumble, he took another step forward and arrived in a Dharma hall.
“Gu’ersuwan, Silush...”
He called softly, and from within the Dharma hall, an old man and a young man, both clad in moon-white robes, erged. They clasped their hands together and bowed respectfully, “Greetings, Master.”
Hong Bian looked at the two, hesitated for a mont, and said, “I have sothing I need you to do. Recently, two Misses of special identity have appeared in the city. I have important matters to discuss with them. Go and inquire about their whereabouts. Once you find them, invite them here. If...”
“If they are unwilling to co to Chawan Temple, do not force them. Leave one person to keep watch, and the other should return imdiately to inform .”
Although he suspected that the two Misses, symbolizing “snake and fire,” might be ssengers sent to punish him, Hong Bian considered the one-in-ten-thousand possibility of misjudgnt and decided to try courtesy before force.
If Gu’ersuwan and Silush could not persuade the two Misses to co to Chawan Temple, he would go himself. If even his personal invitation failed, then they would simply have to disappear into the vast crowd of Yun Pass.
—–
“...That’s roughly what happened last night.”
Lu Yibei finished speaking expressionlessly, withdrawing her gaze from Xia Lianqing’s stunned face, and silently sighed.
Not long ago, when she returned to Daimu Courtyard, she had originally planned to find a Longxiang Army Armored Soldier disguised as Xia Lianqing, discreetly retrieve the 【Rouge Transformation · Incantation-Stabilized Mask】 from him, and then quickly leave.
But who would have thought that Xia Lianqing would act so fast? As soon as Dragon Tang brought the Longxiang Army Armored Soldiers who participated in last night’s operation back to Daimu Courtyard, Xia Lianqing collected the 【Rouge Transformation · Incantation-Stabilized Mask】 from them and “thoughtfully” kept them for safekeeping.
Such magical things, in the hands of those rough people, who knows what they would do with them!
What if they broke them?
Of course, they had to be properly kept for Miss Shen!
Although Xia Lianqing was well-intentioned, it made things difficult for Lu Yibei.
To retrieve [N O V E L I G H T] those 【Rouge Transformation · Incantation-Stabilized Mask】 from Xia Lianqing, she had to confront Xia Lianqing directly.
However, directly asking for them after eting Xia Lianqing would be sowhat abrupt and easily arouse suspicion. So, before asking Xia Lianqing, she could only recount her fabricated experience to Xia Lianqing once more. After finishing, her originally anxious emotions were tinged with weariness.
Although she was very good at making up stories, telling the sa story repeatedly made her feel annoyed and tired.
However, fortunately, next ti, she probably wouldn’t have to tell it again... Lu Yibei thought, and while Xia Lianqing was still imrsed in shock, she said, “Miss Xia, where are those trinkets I borrowed from you last night? I heard Dragon Tang say they were all handed over to you. Could you please return them to ?”
Hearing this, Xia Lianqing paused, then quickly recovered and said, “Oh, right! Miss Shen’s things are still with this concubine... No problem, they are originally Miss Shen’s, and they should be returned to their rightful owner. This concubine will fetch them for you now.”
As her voice fell, she rose and walked to the dressing table by the window, carefully pulled open the jewelry box on it, and took out four masks.
Her gaze fell on the four unusually shaped masks, and Xia Lianqing slightly furrowed her brows, unable to resist asking the question that had bothered her all night.
“May I ask Miss Shen, what were these four masks modeled after? This concubine has never seen them before. If possible, could you satisfy this concubine’s curiosity?”
“...” Lu Yibei looked at the masks in Xia Lianqing’s hand and was silent for a mont, then perfunctorily said with an expressionless face, “They are characters from a children’s rhy in my hotown. I just made them like this casually. They have no special aning and are not worth ntioning.”
She couldn’t possibly tell her that they were shoddy masks of Calabash Brothers, Pigsy, Pleasant Goat, and Ultraman, could she?
Trying to explain such things to an ancient person would not only be too complicated but also potentially cause imasurable and huge impacts on the past.
Tsk! Sooner or later, I’ll find an opportunity to have Gu Qianqian make so new ones. Lu Yibei thought fiercely.
“Is that so?” Xia Lianqing nodded thoughtfully, then gracefully walked towards Lu Yibei and handed the four masks to her.
Taking the masks from Xia Lianqing, Lu Yibei secretly breathed a sigh of relief. After placing the masks securely inside her Coat, she said, “Miss Xia, there are still so loose ends from last night’s events that need to be handled. I’d like to go take care of them now...”
As she spoke, she raised the teacup on the table and shook it at Xia Lianqing, “Thank you for the tea, Miss Xia. I’ll be taking my leave.”
With that, without waiting for Xia Lianqing to speak again, Lu Yibei scurried out of Xia Lianqing’s room.
She had already wasted a lot of ti with Xia Lianqing. It was possible that the Chawan Temple’s informants had already spotted her and sent the news to Chawan Temple.
Daimu Courtyard, from a certain perspective, was the Nangling Commander’s territory, so she wasn’t too worried about Chawan Temple acting recklessly while she was there. But Shen Baiwei was still alone at the inn!
If the Chawan Temple followed the clues and went to the inn to do sothing to Shen Baiwei, there could easily be a malicious save file corruption event, and that would be a huge problem.
—–
In an inn not far from Daimu Courtyard.
Shen Baiwei sat at a round table in her room, propping her head with one hand, idly staring at the pastries on the table, lost in thought.
The Calamity had been gone for almost an hour. In that hour, she had waited alone, so bored that she had counted the layers of the mille-feuille pastry on the table.
There were two hundred and thirteen layers in total.
It turned out that, just like there’s no wife in a wife cake, there aren’t a thousand layers in a mille-feuille.
“......”
Speaking of which, the Calamity wouldn’t have taken the opportunity to run away, would she?
Or, under the guise of retrieving the 【Rouge Transformation · Incantation-Stabilized Mask】, did she go to do sothing to interfere with the past? An hour’s ti is enough to create irreversible impacts on the past.
Damn it! Why did I believe the Calamity’s nonsense and wait for her here? That’s a Calamity!
Shen Baiwei thought, as a sudden knocking sound interrupted her thoughts.
“Knock knock knock—knock knock knock—!”
Hearing the knock, Shen Baiwei held her breath, tiptoed to the door, pressed her ear against it, and peeked through the crack, her face slightly changing.
Outside the door stood a stranger, with a stern face, seemingly with ill intent...
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