Chapter 103: Chapter 77: The Curtain Falls, Boundless Future
However, he could still sense the undercurrents surrounding him, as if various factions were moving like clouds.
But... none of that concerned him anymore.
He was just a scholar.
...
...
At that moment...
On the northern wilderness of the State City in Cyan Wood Province, Liang Shigu’s armored horsemen rushed with galloping hooves, pounding like drums, pursuing bandit forces.
However, this was merely a facade...
After the brave charging cavalry, dust billowed.
But this billowing dust was nothing more than branches tied to the horses, riding back and forth, raising clouds of dust, making it look like a great army in pursuit, chasing farther and farther.
...
...
West of Cyan Wood Province, by the sea.
The headless Great Buddha sat solemnly amidst the coastal woods, towering and majestic. Though headless, many devout believers gathered beneath, praying sincerely.
Mats were spread out, tens of thousands of pilgrims raising incense, some for blessings, some to fulfill vows.
The Great Buddha was extremely spiritual, as long as one’s heart was sincere, it would inevitably respond.
Moreover, believers had dreams induced by the Buddha, telling them to come and meet the Buddha today.
Thus, the pilgrims spread the word among each other, and agreed to gather at this place.
At that moment, tens of thousands of incense smoke rose, weaving a grand incense mist river in the sky, blocking the sun.
Even the midday sun was veiled by this incense mist, appearing somewhat hazy.
Within the incense mist, suddenly a pilgrim gazed in surprise, looking around.
Beside him, another pilgrim showed a look of astonishment, then devoutly bowed repeatedly.
Some pilgrims couldn’t help but excitedly asked those beside them, "Did you see it?"
"I saw it, it’s... the Buddha’s realm. This is the Buddha’s realm..."
"There’s truly Buddha, truly Buddha protecting us!"
"Did you see it too?"
"I saw it, everyone saw it!"
Amidst the incense mist, the scenery shifted, revealing a "dual space" transparency.
One space was the original forest landscape, while the other was a world of golden light.
All pilgrims were bathed within it.
Then someone suddenly noticed something, turning their head to look.
More and more people turned their heads.
In the golden sea of light, a grand shadow suddenly appeared, sitting cross-legged, with a dignified demeanor, holding a gesture as if saying, "Come, listen to my teachings."
The incense mist surged, the skies suddenly rolled with clouds and mist.
Sunlight seemed blocked by some force, amidst dense clouds, lightning slithered through, thunder roaring.
...
...
In the examination hall, Li Xuan slightly tilted his head.
Beside the aisle, a fierce wind blew, swirling fallen leaves and dust, flying chaotically; in the warming carbon furnace fire pit, red embers scattered wildly.
Some examinees anxiously pressed down their test papers.
Those who hadn’t had the chance to do anything yet watched as their test papers were blown by the wind, anxiously standing up.
In the distance, examining officials rushed over, shouting, "Do not leave your seats! Do not leave your seats!"
However, their voices were drowned by the fierce wind.
The examination hall was chaotic.
Drip, drip...
A raindrop the size of a soybean fell.
This sound was followed by thousands of sounds.
It’s as if a reservoir in the sky had opened its gates, and torrential rain poured down, obscuring all vision.
Li Xuan quietly raised his head to look at the sky.
As expected, the rain turned red.
Blood rain... crashed down.
He took a deep breath, bowed his head, and continued writing.
No matter what was happening at this moment, it was temporarily irrelevant to him.
No matter how dangerous this moment was, he wasn’t the protagonist at the center of this vortex.
...
...
Beneath the incense mist.
Behind the headless Great Buddha, a woman wearing a purple-scaled mask and several masked, cloaked nuns silently hid behind the woods.
One of the nuns stepped forward, saying, "Master, everything is in place. Liang Shigu has been lured north by the bandit army, today he will certainly not be able to attend to this place. The ritual will not be interrupted."
If Li Xuan were here, he would recognize the nun’s identity just by hearing the voice.
This was Jingzhu, the nun from Xinci Temple previously trained at Hundred Flowers Mansion.
At this moment, Jingzhu mumbled, "It’s just that the disciple has yet to uncover who the demons behind those demon slaves are.
According to logic, demons only think of eating people to satiate hunger and increase wisdom. They would absolutely not have the notion to control the Rebel Army.
The disciple even led people to set various traps, hoping the demons would fall into them.
At that time, the disciple used the godly method to unite with fellow disciples within the Rebel Army to slay them, but... that behind-the-scenes demon never appeared.
It’s as if the demon just discarded its demon slaves there and ignored them."
The woman with the purple-scaled mask said calmly, "Some demons cannot move, maybe what you encountered this time is such a demon.
But... don’t create side troubles, no matter who that demon is, it’s not important.
As long as the divine spirit can successfully descend, then... all our efforts would be worth it."
As they were talking, suddenly horse hoof sounds echoed at the end of the thunderstorm.
Mud waves splashed, iron hooves like drums, uniform!
On the sturdy horses, black-armored knights with fierce eyes held a shield in one hand, while the other hand reached into the beast skin pouch and grabbed a cold iron crossbow.
The crossbow bolts were already prepared, their tips glimmering with crystal-like brilliance.
The woman with the purple-scaled mask suddenly looked up, astonished looking into the distance.
Jingzhu was also panicked.
The woman in the purple-scaled mask quickly calmed down, looking at the pervasive incense mist, and said, "Stop them!! At all costs!!"
Having said that, she took a purple pill from her bosom, placed it in her mouth, then flicked her sleeve, drawing a sharp blade.
The nuns followed suit, then rushed in the rain towards the cavalry abruptly appearing here.
...
...
Swish, swish, swish!
Arrow bolts fell like frenzied rain.
Pilgrims scattered in panic.
Nuns were surrounded by a turbid membrane.
However, those Ice Crystal Arrows seemed to restrain these membranes.
With each attack, the membrane would dim a layer.
...
...
After a long time.
The nuns were shot like porcupines, falling to the ground.
And with their last strength, they bit open the purple pill.
Immediately, a dense poison surged out, dissolving their forms... no trace of their former selves could be seen anymore.
However... one of them hadn’t yet managed to chew the pill when she was swiftly subdued by an armored knight.
The knight tore off her mask, grasping her cheeks with his right hand, pulling back the hood with his left, his gaze momentarily stunned, then shouted, "It’s a nun!!"
...
...
"General, one escaped."
A cavalryman approached a white-bearded old General, reporting.
The old General, his hair and beard clean white, swept his determined gaze around, then sniffed the air, before looking at the headless Great Buddha.
"Evil and heretical, die!"
His face bore a grim expression, then he said, "Destroy this headless Great Buddha!"
The cavalry gathered, surrounding, and raised the Ice Crystal crossbows for a barrage.
Incense mist still lingered, blood rain still fell.
But the Great Buddha... slowly crumbled under the fierce barrage of arrows.
Liang Shigu looked at the fragmented Buddha and exhaled a breath, coldly watching the nun, asked, "From Xinci Temple, right?"
The nun’s face was pale, but she did not answer.
Liang Shigu snorted coldly, waved his hand, and said, "Come, let’s head to Xinci Temple and see what filth it harbors?!"
The cavalrymen all turned around.
Liang Shigu also turned.
Suddenly, the old General felt dazzled, as if the entire sky was dropping golden light.
Golden light mixed with blood water... very dazzling.
The nun captured suddenly widened her eyes, looking behind Liang Shigu.
In the golden light, the headless seated Great Buddha reappeared at some point.
Though the statue was destroyed, the Great Buddha from that world remained.
The "teaching gesture" held by the Buddha disappeared, its hand stretched, arriving above Liang Shigu’s head, its fingers pinched, pulling off the general’s head, then... gently placing it onto its own severed neck.
