Wen könntest du außer mir lieben

Kapitel 18

The Jade Buddha and the Grand Councilor look exactly alike!

When she finally revealed this groundbreaking discovery, everyone present agreed with her.

Indeed, the Grand Councilor and the Jade Buddha not only looked exactly alike, but when the Grand Councilor was weeping for the loss of his master, the Jade Buddha also shed two lines of shimmering tears.

What's going on? Why didn't anyone notice before? People gathered around curiously, looking around, nodding or whispering to each other.

Why does the Nagō look exactly like this jade Buddha? Who exactly is this jade Buddha? Is this a coincidence? More importantly, what was the purpose of Huiren's passing? What is the use of that relic?

A series of questions flooded Anthony's mind. He recalled the revelation Cage had given him earlier, but he felt that everything was too chaotic and he had no clue what to do. What he needed most now was time.

mural!

He suddenly remembered the old monk's dying words. If the mural contained the answer to defeating the Rakshasa, then it must also contain the answer to these other matters. So he immediately went to the mural and began to examine it carefully.

There was nothing different; they were all just ordinary murals depicting Bodhisattvas, Guanyin, and the Eight Vajras, indistinguishable from the murals in the other halls of the temple. Where could the answer be? Perhaps he had missed it, Anthony thought. So he examined them carefully again, but found not a single clue. Could it be something else? Anthony began to examine the other walls, but to no avail; he still found nothing.

Could it be that Hui Ren remembered it wrong? A cold sweat broke out on Anthony's back.

"The Rakshasa are attacking!" A chilling voice came from the front yard, followed by the sounds of fighting. The crowd once again grabbed their weapons and charged towards the tower.

This attack by the Rakshasa was more ferocious than any before. The wounded Huizhi seemed to have recovered and was using his black magic to incite his minions to relentlessly assault the walls of the Jade Buddha Temple. Waves of giant Rakshasa scaled the walls and poured into the temple.

Hungry and exhausted knights and palace guards had already formed a neat line beneath the courtyard wall, sounding the battle horns. At this moment, they had completely forgotten death and pain. The instant the Rakshasa landed, they raised their broken weapons high, braving the rain of arrows, and once again threw themselves into the endless battle.

Richard unleashed deadly lightning bolts with lightning speed as he ran, one followed immediately by two more, faster and more precise. He moved nimbly through the crowd, like an elf, leaping over every obstacle in his way, striking the purple lightning he had been cultivating in mid-air where it was most needed. With each thunderous strike, a vile and malevolent thought came to an end. But the demons in the courtyard were multiplying. They roared in the night, brandishing their crude weapons, yearning for every splatter of blood.

A black-feathered arrow grazed his cheek and landed behind him, startling him. He knew these arrows were highly poisonous, and if he were grazed, he would likely die before Li Shang could treat him.

Then he heard the sound of an axe cleaving through the air and striking him. He immediately leaped to the left, simultaneously conjuring lightning in his hand...

+: The Corpse King, the Feudal King

- Mystery Tribe

Section 51, It is dead.

But it was too late! Each lightning bolt takes time to form, and there needs to be a pause between two lightning strikes! To make matters worse, another axe was already swinging in the direction he had dodged, and this time he was probably doomed.

Goodbye, my friends.

Richard closed his eyes, awaiting his fate.

All around him were the cacophony of voices, the clanging of weapons, and the screams of the crowd. It was pitch black and chaotic, not at all a good time to die, and he knew he would die a horrible death. The thought of that Rakshasa and that giant axe made him feel nauseous...

Wait, why hasn't the axe chopped down yet?

Richard opened his eyes and saw that the axe-wielding Rakshasa was fighting against a ball of white light. The ball of white light moved up and down, left and right, and finally, in a moment of surprise, it cut through the Rakshasa's throat. But the white light did not stop. It continued to attack and cut until it shredded the still upright corpse into pieces.

“Clari…” Richard stared in disbelief as the female warrior vented her fury on Rakshasa. “It’s dead…”

"Huh?" Clari turned around in surprise at the sound of his voice, staring at him as if incredulous. "You're alright? I thought..."

"Ah..." Their eyes met, and both of them blushed. Richard asked awkwardly, "Where's Anthony...?"

"Inside the house..." Clary pointed with a single hook and immediately plunged back into the heated battle.

Anthony was still searching the house for that deadly mural.

The shouts of battle outside the hall severely disturbed Anthony's mind. Where was that damned mural?! He searched the hall like a madman, finally returning to the Jade Buddha Hall, but none of the murals satisfied him. He knew how crucial time was for him now; the battle outside had entered its final stage. Even if a miracle occurred this time, they simply couldn't afford another attack.

Now, the only thing that can turn the tide is the mural Hui Ren mentioned. No matter where it is, or even if it's just a joke, Anthony must find it, because it is his only chance and hope.

But why can't we find it? Thinking of the impending defeat, of the deaths of Huiren and the others, an unnamed fire ignited in his heart. Your deaths were meaningless, illogical! This was a farce, a disgrace!

He slammed his longsword heavily against the wall in front of him, and then struck again. The plaster layer covered with paint crumbled off as he continued to hack and slash, venting all the resentment in his heart.

In an instant, the longsword stopped in mid-air.

New colors were revealed beneath the peeling mural—it was unbelievable that there was another layer beneath it!

He chopped even harder. A colorful human figure appeared before him! It turned out that the mural Huiren had mentioned was beneath this layer of mural. He swung his sword and forcefully scraped at the mural on the wall. Everyone present thought he had gone mad, watching his seemingly insane behavior in horror. But then they immediately understood.

The murals recorded the entire history of this place. Just as Yu Ke said, the Jade Buddha Temple was indeed once a citadel. The murals recorded the war between gods and demons, the death of Sugriva, and Rama... Looking at the murals, all of Anthony's doubts vanished.

+: The Corpse King, the Feudal King

- Mystery Tribe

Section 52, Rushing out with all their might

He knew what to do.

The groans inside the Jade Buddha Hall grew louder and louder. The refugees inside seemed to have gone mad, screaming in terror and writhing in agony. Their souls were locked in a fierce battle, and darkness was slowly devouring their consciousness and chewing up their thoughts.

But Anthony had no time to pay attention to them. He heard the shouts of battle outside getting closer and closer, and the clanging of metal becoming clearer. The battle had spread to the entrance of the Jade Buddha Temple. If the Rakshasa attacked the Jade Buddha Temple, then everything would be over!

He strode over to the Grand Councilor and pulled him, who was weeping, to the front of the Jade Buddha.

“Look who he is!” Anthony shouted.

Nayan looked up at the jade Buddha, shook his head, and then lowered his head again, weeping.

“Look closely!” Anthony pulled his head up so he could keep staring at the Jade Buddha.

“He is you! You are Rama!” Anthony’s voice grew louder with anxiety. He knew there was anger in his voice, which he did not want, but he hoped that Nayan would immediately understand the seriousness of the situation.

"I am not Rama! My master is dead!" Nayan continued to sob. Antony wished that Lishang could be here, or Cage, or even Orlando! Because he couldn't calm the child down no matter what. The sounds of fighting outside had moved to the doorway, and he could even see the dirty water and bloodstains on the window paper.

“Alright, listen.” He tried to calm himself down and stop thinking about the Rakshasa outside. “You are the reincarnation of Rama. You have his memories from his previous life. You must recall them because there is something that can defeat the Rakshasa that only you know. You have to find it… Your master and countless others sacrificed their lives for it. If you fail, we will all die, and our deaths will be meaningless. Do you understand?”

After listening to Anthony's long and laborious speech, Nayan nodded as if he understood, clasped his hands together, and looked at the Buddha, seemingly trying to search for memories of his past life from the jade Buddha.

The shouts of battle at the gate grew louder and louder, as if all the defenses had shrunk to this point. Anthony anxiously awaited the final moment.

Suddenly the door opened, and Richard rushed in, covered in blood.

"We can't hold on any longer!" he shouted to the people inside. "Let's break out of here at all costs!"

"Wait!" Anthony shouted sharply. He was unwilling to give up at this last moment. He knew there was still a chance; all he needed was time. "Hold on a little longer!"

"No, I can't do it!" Nagyan cried as she turned around, tears streaming down her face.

For a fleeting moment, Anthony was truly furious, but he managed to control his emotions. He lowered his head and, in as calm a tone as possible, said, word by word:

"You can do it, Nagon, you definitely can."

Looking into Anthony's seemingly burning eyes, Nagyan appeared to regain his faith, nodded, and continued to gaze at the Jade Buddha, trying to find memories of his past life.

Then the door opened again.

All the survivors rushed in, with the last to enter being more than thirty knights and palace guards. They were battered and bruised, their armor tattered, clearly showing the fierce battle they had fought to escape. As soon as they entered, they turned and closed the massive palace doors, lowered the heavy bolts, and waited quietly inside.

"Thump!" Finally, the sound of the Rakshasa ramming against the gate rang out, and the entire hall seemed to shake.

"Thump!" Another sound, the wooden door and latch both made a cracking sound.

"Thump!" Each blow seemed to strike Anthony's heart, making his body tremble. A long crack appeared clearly on the wooden door, and soon, this last line of defense would be breached. All the warriors present held their breath, watching the impending collapse of the door with tense eyes, their hands gripping their weapons so tightly that their knuckles turned white.

Nasser remained silent, but Anthony knew it had worked. Time! Time! He prayed the door could withstand a few more blows, even just one more…

"E!" The massive wooden door shattered on the fourth impact, its remains falling into the hall. Before the splinters and dust could even settle, the first wave of Rakshasa rushed into the hall.

With a thunderous roar, several bolts of lightning shot out from Richard's hands. The first row of Rakshasa were instantly felled to the ground, but countless more Rakshasa surged in afterward.

"Aha!"

James roared, brandishing his massive sword, taller than a man, and charged into the horde of Rakshasa like a whirlwind. Behind him, noble knights of the West and the most elite warriors of the East roared and joined his ranks. This was a final gamble, a fight to the death, with no other choice but to perish. Even more tragically, their deaths would be instantly forgotten; no one would remember them, for darkness would forever descend, and a lonely, meaningless death awaited them.

Only one thing drives them—hope, the hope that justice will prevail, and the hope that they will uphold their responsibilities.

Anthony also drew his sword.

Just then, a voice stopped them.

"Stop!" It was a boy's youthful voice, yet it was so firm, filled with profound power and boundless passion. All the samurai and Rakshasa present stopped simultaneously—the former out of reverence, the latter out of fear.

He was a Grand Councilor, but his appearance had changed dramatically; his entire body radiated a dazzling golden light, and a large golden character could be clearly seen on his forehead:

Buddha.

"Thank you all for your hard work," he said solemnly.

+: The Corpse King, the Feudal King

- Mystery Tribe

Section 53, The First Ray of Golden Light

The first golden ray shot into the rose-purple night sky before the Rakshasa could react, just as the morning star was rising in the east. The second golden ray followed closely behind the first, expanding into a golden pillar of light whose diameter continued to grow.

A dazzling light, like a flood bursting its banks, poured forth from the Jade Buddha Hall, overflowing the temple and illuminating the entire ancient city. It continued to expand, reaching every village, every city, every forest, and every grassland. Everything in the Golden Bull Kingdom was bathed in this golden light. People, their minds clouded by magic, curiously stepped out of their homes to admire the prematurely risen sun. All the evil thoughts in their hearts slowly began to dissipate. The seductive words of wisdom whispered in their ears transformed into the devout chanting of scriptures. Truth and reason finally pierced the veil of lies and evil, blossoming once more.

Realizing impending doom, the Rakshasa began to retreat like a tide, screaming and struggling in agony. The smaller Rakshasa were instantly reduced to ashes, while only the more stubborn ones continued their death throes.

A storm of cheers erupted from the survivors, who raised their weapons not to fight, but to celebrate this hard-won, yet most glorious, victory!

"Charge!" James roared like a giant, raising his chipped greatsword. His whole body was shrouded in golden light, making him look like a true god. He brandished the sword of retribution and charged towards the Rakshasa who were still struggling and fleeing.

The other warriors followed closely behind. This was the most exhilarating battle in over ten days, a harvest of victory sown with their blood and tears. Though they were still hungry and exhausted, their wounds still bleeding, the victory had made them forget all that. They were simply reveling in the moment, plunging their swords and spears into the bodies of the demons that had not yet vanished.

The sun rose, and all the demons were reduced to ashes in the sunlight. People were finally able to look at their homeland once more. The fire had been extinguished, but wisps of smoke still rose from the black rubble. The once beautiful city was now riddled with holes and devastated.

But that's nothing. For people who have just returned from disaster, rebuilding their homes is a piece of cake.

The Grand Councilor, holding Huiren's relic, led everyone back to stand before the Jade Buddha. He gently placed the relic in the Buddha's palm. A golden light suddenly rose, so dazzling that it almost blinded everyone.

After the golden light disappeared, Anthony saw what he had been waiting for in the palm of the Jade Buddha:

Fragments.

“This is a reward for your bravery…” the minister said with a smile.

Anthony laughed too. The others didn't understand why, and just looked at each other, wondering why reality had changed so drastically in an instant.

Richard was the only one among them who had participated in the war between gods and demons, and the scene before him seemed to bring back memories of those days.