darknovel Chapter 9: The three days have passed, the soldiers are disarmed!
Chapter 9: The three days have passed, the soldiers are disarmed!
Time flies!
As the morning light pierced through the clouds, it painted the outline of the Xianyang Palace with gold. A thin mist covered the Qin River Valley, as if it were a natural ink painting.
Soon, the day of Zou Yun's predicted disintegration arrived.
At this moment, the once spacious Danchi Terrace has changed its appearance.
To accommodate the throngs of onlookers, many temporary viewing platforms were erected on both sides of the high platform.
Prince Fusu, dressed in magnificent robes, had already taken the best spot for a view. Beside him gathered many princes, ministers, nobles, and members of the imperial family who had come after hearing the news.
They whispered among themselves or craned their necks in anticipation, their eyes gleaming with barely suppressed excitement!
These days, adults also have very limited entertainment options.
Therefore, upon hearing that a sorcerer would be performing a ritual of disintegration here today, people flocked to the place with their friends and family, as if attending a grand celebration.
"By the way, what exactly is 'dismemberment by means of death' again?"
A young nobleman, who was just there for the fun of it, couldn't help but ask the people around him.
An elderly man with gray hair and beard standing next to him slowly twirled a few strands of his beard upon hearing this and sneered.
"Young man, just think of it as him putting on a good show of committing suicide in public."
"Ah...this..."
Upon hearing this, the young nobleman looked astonished and hesitated to speak.
The old man's playful reply, at first glance, seemed absurd and ironic. But upon closer examination, it struck at the heart of the matter and was utterly irrefutable.
The so-called "dissolution by force" is nothing more than a scene of self-destruction unfolding under the bright sun.
"Indeed, the elder is right."
"Haha, absolutely, absolutely."
"What 'disintegration of the body'? I think it's just a new trick by those swindlers."
The onlookers around nodded in agreement upon hearing this.
Seeing everyone criticizing the "disintegration of the body," it was the young Xun Gui who had joined in the fun who couldn't help but speak up in rebuttal.
"Is it possible that the sorcerer really possessed some extraordinary abilities?"
Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned for a moment, and then they all looked at the young Xun Gui with an uncontrollable strange look in their eyes.
"Is this guy an idiot?"
"Whose son is this? What a disgrace to the family!"
Although no one spoke, the young Kengoku could still discern a similar meaning in their eyes.
The young nobleman, or rather, Wang Li, the grandson of Wang Jian, felt an urge to slap himself at the sudden awkwardness of the situation.
"Ugh! Wang Li, Wang Li, why can't you control your foul mouth?"
However, the young man was too embarrassed to admit that what he had just said was a lie, and the atmosphere became even more tense.
Just as Wang Li's lips moved, preparing to say something to break the deadlock...
Sudden--
"Look, they're here! They're here!!"
Suddenly, a series of exclamations swept across the entire pavilion.
In an instant, all eyes were drawn in the same direction, and no one noticed the embarrassment on Wang Li's face anymore.
"Thump!"
"Thump!"
"Thump!"
Three deep, resonant drumbeats, like rolling thunder, struck heavily into everyone's hearts.
Zou Yun's face was calm and composed, showing neither sorrow nor joy, as he stepped onto the steps first.
He was dressed in a large black ceremonial robe, the long sleeves of which swayed in the morning breeze, making his already slender figure appear even more ethereal and otherworldly.
It seemed as if it might melt into the lingering mist at any moment.
Soon after, rows of massive and imposing formations of sorcerers slowly emerged from the morning mist, treading through the fog.
"this......"
"It does have a certain appeal."
"Hmph, playing tricks."
Even those onlookers on the balcony, who held the sorcerer in utter contempt, couldn't help but feel a sense of awe upon seeing this scene.
"Swish~ Swish~"
The alchemists surged into the square with deliberately trained steps, their orderly footsteps echoing across the empty Danchi (a type of ancient Chinese altar).
"Seriously, don't you feel ashamed to walk like that?"
In the group, a tall, thin Taoist priest in black robes complained.
His steps could barely keep up with the pace of the group, but his body couldn't help but sway unsteadily, like a bamboo pole swaying in the wind.
The stiff, military-like posture made Feng Zhixue feel strange about everything. But at this moment, he didn't dare to give up.
Feng Zhixue had no choice but to turn to the side and whisper to his companion who had been muttering to him the whole way.
"This guy named Zou Yun is really causing trouble for people."
"And they even made up some kind of self-destruction story, tsk..."
He spat lightly, clearly showing some disdain for Zou Yun, and his words were tinged with jealousy.
Seeing that his companion was still engrossed in his own world and unresponsive to his complaints, Feng Zhixue couldn't help but furrow his brow slightly.
"Hey, I'm talking to you..."
Just as he was about to continue calling to his companions, the man suddenly turned his head, his eyes shining with extreme excitement, and his face flushed with excitement.
"Today! This is the day when Master Zou will prove his Dao through his own actions, revealing to us the profound mystery of military dissolution!"
"How fortunate! How magnificent!!"
Zheng Ze's sudden increase in volume startled Feng Zhixue, who nearly dropped the banner in his hand.
Seeing Zheng Ze's fanatical expression as he frantically spewed out garbage information such as "Master Zou is great" and "Proving the Way is glorious," the tall, thin Feng Zhixue's face instantly fell.
Only then did he belatedly realize that the companion beside him was none other than the big idiot from a few days ago.
Feng Zhixue was filled with remorse, wishing he could slap himself on the spot. "Serves you right for being so talkative! Now look what you've done to yourself!"
In an instant, offense and defense became easy.
Now Zheng Ze keeps harassing him, while Feng Zhixue tries his best to ignore him.
Frustrated, he had no choice but to hold his breath and concentrate all his attention on the highly respected Grand Masters in the front row.
"Those high-ranking masters ahead, muttering incantations—could they be reciting some secret, esoteric mantra?"
Gazing at those otherworldly figures, Feng Zhixue couldn't help but let his imagination run wild, trying to glean a trace of 'secret techniques' from their demeanor.
At this moment, at the very front of the procession, Shi Gong held a gleaming bronze longsword in his arms, his expression solemn as a stone sculpture.
Today, he will act as the "executioner," personally severing Zou Yun at the waist with his sword.
Behind him stood a group of high-ranking Grand Masters, each with a solemn expression and muttering incantations.
Some lectured on the Tao Te Ching, some on the Book of Poetry, and some even on the Analects...
Although they were in a daze, they had no idea what they were chanting.
However, in this situation, everyone is working hard to "chant" and create an atmosphere. If you don't chant something along with them, wouldn't you seem very different and unprofessional?
When the time comes, the powerful and wealthy on the field will see that all the other masters are performing with great effort, while you are just standing there like a wooden stake.
Wouldn't it be embarrassing if someone asked you if you were slacking off?
Thinking of this, the Grand Masters' movements became even more intense.
Some waved banners with great seriousness, some solemnly struck ritual implements, and some vigorously lifted the coffin used as a prop in the ceremony, displaying impressive postures.
As for whether it will give us away?
Anyway, as long as you don't get too close to listen, from a distance, the sheer scale of the display is quite intimidating.
In modern times, this would mean going door-to-door to offer feng shui advice for weddings or funerals.
Wherever you are, you'd probably get a genuine thumbs-up from the host, who'd exclaim, "Look at that! That's what you call professional! So professional!!"
Moreover, the numerous low-pitched "incantations" blended together, making it impossible to understand what was being chanted.