The Mysterious Burning and Killing

Chapter 9

“I don’t know either,” Cage said, handing the wreath to Anthony. “It might be related to the Jade Buddha. You can try it.”

Anthony nodded and accepted the wreath, then gestured to Li Shang and Clari, who immediately began chanting incantations and casting spells. Li Shang used the moonlight, while Clari created a mist that gradually enveloped the three of them.

Although Li Shang and Clari's disguise skills were not particularly sophisticated and often useless in combat, it was nighttime, and as long as they were careful, they would not be discovered.

Thanks to the two girls' efforts, Anthony and his friends quickly disappeared from everyone's sight.

"Did it work?" a voice asked. It was Anthony!

“Wait a little longer…” Li Shang said as she guided a beam of moonlight to the spot where the three of them had just been standing. “Now you can see each other and all the traps.”

"What good luck!" Clary gave a thumbs-up to the air.

“Anthony, be careful…” Li Shang whispered, her voice so soft it seemed only she could hear it. But Anthony’s cold voice still echoed in the air:

"You should be careful too..."

After that, there was no further movement; the three of them had already entered the Jade Buddha Temple.

“Then I’m off with Li Shang. Take good care of Anthony.” Clary said to Cage, and Li Shang’s face immediately turned red to her neck.

“Of course, I’ll also take good care of Richard, someone’s…” Cage joked, unusually in high spirits.

"Ugh, you're so annoying! I'm not talking to you anymore!" Clari giggled loudly, grabbed Li Shang's hand, and ran off, quickly disappearing into the moonlit mist.

The Jade Buddha Temple truly lives up to its reputation as the most magnificent building in the country. Its corridors are intricate and maze-like. If I hadn't listened to Huiren's detailed description before I left, I might have really gotten lost.

The three of them split up and checked each room in the temple one by one. Before long, they all gathered at the foot of the ancient pagoda in the garden.

"Have you found anything?" Anthony asked.

Both of them shook their heads, apparently having gained nothing of value.

“Huizhi’s ability to hide will definitely cause us trouble. Finding that boy will probably be quite a hassle.” Anthony recalled Huiren’s experience of searching for the jade Buddha. If it was so difficult to find such a large jade Buddha, let alone a person.

“Let’s go up to the tower and take a look,” Krusen suggested.

Anthony thought that since he was already there, there was no harm in going to see him, so he nodded in agreement.

So the three of them began their ascent of the tower. Just as Huiren had described, the passageways were narrow and dilapidated, creaking and groaning underfoot as if they might collapse at any moment. Anthony noticed fresh footprints on the dusty stairs, indicating someone had been there recently, and he immediately became more vigilant, gripping his longsword tighter. The higher they climbed, the stronger the pungent stench became. Reaching the top, they finally witnessed the scene Huiren had described.

The jade Buddha, which does not emit light, stands silently on the floor, surrounded by broken bones. I had only heard about it before and thought it was extremely tragic, but seeing it with my own eyes now, I found the real scene even more horrifying.

“A demon!” Richard muttered through gritted teeth. Anthony, meanwhile, cautiously approached the Jade Buddha to examine it.

The Buddha statue was completely covered by a thick layer of "copper stench," with specks of blood on it, making it look filthy and no wonder it could no longer glow.

Just then, Anthony suddenly felt something swell in his pocket. He quickly reached in and pulled it out, and what he saw shocked him.

The wreath bracelet, which was originally given by Dara to Cage and then given by Cage to Anthony, has bloomed again!

As if sensing a mysterious power, the flowers began to revive rapidly. Even the long-withered grass turned green again. It was as if they had just been pulled from the soil, and life seemed to have returned to them.

"Could this be the legendary Bodhi flower?" Anthony wondered to himself. Looking at the jade Buddha again, smiling as if it were saying something, he suddenly felt an impulse, an impulse so strong that he couldn't suppress it.

This Bodhi flower must be related to the Jade Buddha!

+: The Corpse King, the Feudal King

- Mystery Tribe

Section 19, Are you really going to aid and abet evil?

He placed the garland around the neck of the jade Buddha.

The ensuing change left everyone present speechless. The jade Buddha began to emit a light, starting as a faint, soft green glow. Gradually, the green light grew brighter and brighter, even becoming dazzling. The protective mist surrounding Anthony and his companions vanished without a trace under this green light.

"Oh no, get out of here!" Anthony grabbed the wreath from the jade Buddha's neck and shouted to the crowd.

The green light then vanished. The wreath quickly withered and returned to its original state.

The three immediately ran down the tower, hoping to leave the Jade Buddha Temple before everyone was awakened.

But as soon as they rushed out of the ancient tower, they found themselves completely surrounded.

The leader of the warriors, dressed in black and wielding two swords, was watching Anthony and his two companions with a cold smile.

“Only three rats,” Yu Ke said, crossing his twin swords in front of him. “I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”

The night was so cold and gloomy.

Cage couldn't help but shiver. He found a shady spot where he wouldn't be easily seen, squatted down, and hugged himself, trying to warm himself up.

"Someone come here..." Suddenly a faint voice came from overheard.

"Who?" Cage was startled and looked around. There was no one else. Was it just his imagination? It felt like the same feeling he had a few days ago in the woods, only the voice calling him was clearer.

"Someone come here..."

Yes, that's right, it was that feeling from that day, as if it were pulling him from the bottom of my heart, dragging him forward bit by bit.

The voice was coming from the Jade Buddha Temple, Cage could sense it. He thought it was a young boy's voice.

Could it be the boy they've been searching for?

Driven by the sound, he stepped into the Jade Buddha Temple and began to explore the temple grounds.

It was eerily quiet all around; there wasn't even a single monk on night patrol, as if everyone had fallen into a deep sleep. Cage walked through the empty corridor, heading towards the direction the voice had led him. Before he knew it, he had stopped in front of a room. Cage looked up and saw the four large characters "Dharma Protector's Meditation Room" written on the plaque above the door.

Cage gently pushed open the door. Strangely, there was no one there.

"Someone come here..." The voice became clearer than ever before, as if it were ringing right next to my ear.

They should be in this room, but where is that person?

Cage began to search carefully. The room was dimly lit, and by the faint moonlight, he discovered that the entire room was covered in a thick layer of dust, as if no one had been there for a long time. Large cobwebs were everywhere, and the room was full of signs of decay.

Suddenly, he noticed an unusual reaction from the Baballish worms inside his body. Normally, these worms only become agitated when they encounter danger, but since there was clearly no danger, why were they behaving this way?

To figure out what was going on, Cage released his parasites. The tiny white worms immediately dispersed and began "searching" the "guardian's meditation room."

If there is anyone in the world who can discover the secret room, it must be Cage.

A moment later, his search for the Bajushika parasite ended, and he was told that there was a dark room behind the wall directly in front of him.

So Cage used his body to push open the stone door that was disguised as a wall.

A rumbling sound immediately rang out, and sure enough, there was a secret room there! Without the help of the Baball Hika bug, how could an ordinary person have discovered it? Cage couldn't help but marvel at Huizhi's cunning.

The wall gradually moved to one side, and as soon as Cage stepped into the small, secret room, he found a boy sitting cross-legged there, seemingly having been waiting for him for a long time.

As Huiren said, there was a huge "Buddha" character on his forehead.

Before they even clashed, Anthony noticed that Yu Ke had become completely different from before. The righteous aura in his eyes was now completely shrouded in a gloomy resentment, his entire face was sinister and eerie, and an evil aura emanated from him, accompanied by a powerful force, making him seem even more difficult to deal with than the last two times.

"Do you think we believe the Imperial Advisor would go to such a run-down inn? Also, you've forgotten that the Imperial Advisor is missing a finger..." Yu Ke said.

It turns out they were discovered from the very beginning; everything that followed was just a deception they had set up.

"Have you ever been up this ancient tower?" Anthony asked, clinging to his last hope.

"So what if you've been there...?"

As expected.

"Are you really going to aid and abet evil?"

"Hmph, if the Jade Buddha truly represents justice, would it stand by and watch things develop to this point?"

"Justice will always prevail, I believe so."

"Then go believe it in your grave!" Yu Ke sneered and charged at Anthony, while the people behind him immediately launched an attack on Krusen and Richard.

Anthony quickly raised his sword to defend himself. Ever since he realized that Huizhi had the help of the Dark Messenger, he dared not underestimate his opponent.

As expected, Yu Ke's strength was far greater this time than before. The arc of his twin swords was even more perfect, and each attack was faster and sharper. Anthony had to exert all his strength to fight him and avoid being at a disadvantage.

Everyone present was captivated by the scene before them. Both men had pushed themselves to their absolute limits in their quest for victory. They anticipated each other's every move with pinpoint accuracy, calculating their counterattacks precisely. In their evenly matched battle, they advanced and retreated. Their ability to react instantly to each other's actions made their fight resemble a theatrical rehearsal; the only thing that made it feel real to onlookers was the deafening clang of swords clashing against sabers. They moved in and out of the shadows, seeking even the slightest advantage in their evenly matched struggle.

When Anthony looked into Yu Ke's eyes again, he was shocked. His eyes were dull and lifeless, devoid of any pity or humanity, as if he were just a killing machine.

+: The Corpse King, the Feudal King

- Mystery Tribe

Section 20, Disadvantage in Speed

Anthony wielded his longsword with dazzling swordplay, each strike aimed precisely at his opponent's vitals, but each was always deflected at the last moment by his saber. Yu Ke skillfully compensated for his speed disadvantage with his twin swords, reaching a level almost on par with Anthony's.

On the other side, Richard and Krusen were also caught in a tough battle. Although their opponents were not as strong as Yu Ke, their sheer number of opponents trapped them, preventing them from fully utilizing their abilities.

Are we going to be trapped here again today? Anthony hoped Cage could do something, but how much could he really do? Spread the parasites on this group of people locked in fierce combat? They're not stupid elephants. And what about the other side of the city gate? Can Orlando, Riss, and Clari escape?

Lost in thought, Anthony's movements slowed unconsciously. Yu Ke seized this golden opportunity, his military knife transforming into a silver snake as it lunged at his opponent's head. The sting and shock momentarily disrupted Anthony's focus and strength, but he knew that even a brief instant was long enough for Yu Ke. He desperately turned his head to dodge.

Yu Ke swung his saber downwards, slashing a deep wound on Anthony's forehead and also injuring the thumb of the hand holding the sword.

"I've got you!" Yu Ke screamed, seizing the opportunity. He gripped the hilt of the military knife with a reverse grip, turned the blade, and then swung it slightly downwards, the tip aimed at his opponent's ribs. Yu Ke felt a malicious satisfaction as he realized it had pierced through.

"Ah—" Anthony screamed, staggering back a few steps as golden blood gushed from his wound. But Yu Ke would never be satisfied. The scene of Anthony and Li Shang that Hui Zhi had shown him filled him with a deep-seated rage towards the man before him, and he felt he had to kill him to feel any satisfaction.

But what Yu Ke didn't expect was that Anthony was also furious at this moment. He had previously refrained from killing the man because he wanted to save his soul, but now, because of his collusion with the dark forces, that bottom line had been completely destroyed.

The longsword and the saber clashed once again.

This time, even Richard and Krusen were stunned by Anthony's rage. The speed of the longsword was instantly pushed to its limit, becoming almost indistinguishable from any particular technique, only increasingly powerful swings, with ferocity and power replacing elegance and precision. Finally, the saber was deflected by the powerful blow, and in the instant of hesitation, Anthony had already plunged the longsword deep into Yu Ke's right chest. Immediately afterward, Anthony leaped into the air, his right leg sweeping across Yu Ke's left cheek.

Yu Ke's body slid off the longsword and landed heavily on the blue bricks in front of the ancient pagoda. Seeing their commander fall to the enemy, the other palace guards hurriedly abandoned Richard and Krusen and rushed towards Anthony. Four of them rushed in front and surrounded Anthony.

They made a fatal mistake.

Anthony's longsword stirred up a whirlwind of death between them. Through a dazzling white light, the warriors could barely see Anthony's figure. Their initial impulse quickly turned into fear of death.

One of the high-ranking guards didn't even see the opponent's move clearly before a line of blood appeared on his throat. He continued to defend blindly, but soon, he couldn't breathe. With a spray of blood mist into the sky, death silently descended upon him.

The others also found themselves seemingly fighting against a gust of wind; no matter what they did, their weapons could only touch the air.

Anthony's longsword had bypassed all their defenses and swiftly turned to another guard, drawing a cross on his chest before the opponent could even see him clearly.

When he left, the guard was still standing there blankly. A few seconds later, his lifeless body collapsed.