Chapter 175: Hello Chang’an
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Chapter 175: Someone Is Helping Her
The golden bead hit the copper lotus lamp stand that held the eternal flame with precise accuracy.
The bead and lamp stand made a light sound upon impact, but the louder noise of the lamp and the flame falling to the ground overshadowed the former.
The flames ignited the thin fabric that had the scriptures painted on it. Just as a monk holding an oil lamp approached to add more oil, the fire erupted unexpectedly, and he stepped back in panic. In his haste, the oil jar slipped from his hand.
Lamp oil spilled onto the floor, and the fire spread quickly. With a loud "boom," it caught alight.
A corner of the monk's robe was set ablaze, and in his panic, he quickly bent down and tried to beat the flames out with his sleeve.
"There's a fire!"
"Quickly!"
Ming Luo’s expression changed. She turned to look, and seeing the situation, immediately stood up. "Go fetch water to put out the fire!"
At that moment, she couldn’t afford to think about anything else. The only thought in her mind was—if the Dayun Temple were to burn down before her eyes, she wouldn’t be able to explain it to her aunt!
Not only could the tower not be destroyed, but the important items inside it also must not be ruined!
Ming Luo quickly headed toward the source of the fire, directing monks and eunuchs to put out the flames and move the vital items to the Jade Pool.
The tower was filled with prayer cloths, and since candles were constantly burning inside, the fire spread rapidly, creating thick smoke.
Chang Suining covered her nose and mouth with her sleeve, coughing as she retreated behind a screen. She looked up at the tall tower and silently recited the strange formation mantra that she had learned from Wu Jue.
The effects of the drug she had taken were beginning to wear off, and she didn’t have time to dally with Ming Luo over any trades. What she had said earlier was simply to distract Ming Luo.
What came next was the real purpose of her actions.
She quickly walked through the tower, using the clues she had gathered over the past half-day to determine the placement of the formation's nodes. She was careful to measure the distance as she counted mentally and arrived at the stairs leading to the second floor.
Chang Suining tested a few tiles beneath her feet and reached for the beast statue near the stairs, but there was no reaction.
It wasn’t here.
Her expertise was in military formations, and she wasn’t particularly skilled with these complex array methods, so she had to test one place after another based on guesses.
She couldn’t stay in the tower much longer, so the only way to prevent exposure was to break the formation from its source.
From what she had observed over the past few hours, she knew the formation’s eye was hidden in a concealed spot. Even if she secretly broke it, no one would be able to notice at the surface. She wasn’t acting recklessly; she was relying on Wu Jue’s position.
Now that it was clear Wu Jue wasn’t a spy, she felt safe to break the formation without worrying that he would report it to Ming Huo. As for the future troubles, she would handle them when the time came.
If she didn’t want to be caught, she had no choice but to proceed step by step.
Right now, however, she had to deal with the biggest issue in front of her.
After making another attempt, Chang Suining found herself before a hidden mural. Sweat dripped down her face, and her lips were drained of color.
She looked up at the brightly colored mural. Instead of depicting ordinary gods and Buddhas, it showed numerous evil spirits struggling in the hell of Ashura.
Without changing her expression, Chang Suining raised her hand and touched the mural depicting gruesome and bloody scenes.
As she tested the painting, she tried to find a clue and finally her gaze settled on a tall, demon-like figure with a blue face and tusks, holding a book. The book was being consumed by flames.
Chang Suining’s finger pressed against the flame on the mural, feeling a slight shift. Immediately, she clenched her fist and struck the wall with force.
In the next instant, the mural split in two, and the stone wall slid open slowly in front of her.
Just as the heavy stone door moved halfway, a sudden rush of wind filled the air, and a sharp arrow rapidly enlarged in her vision. It was aimed straight for her, carrying the intent to kill.
With no time to evade, Chang Suining leaned back just as the arrow’s tip was nearly at her brow.
But then, the arrow suddenly stopped—its shaft was gripped tightly by a hand.
Chang Suining straightened up and slightly turned to the side, her gaze fixed on the fully open stone door.
What lay beyond wasn’t the formation’s eye, but rather a series of blocking mechanisms.
These mechanisms were likely designed to protect the formation’s core, or else anyone could easily enter and destroy the formation.
It seemed that her action of opening the stone door had triggered the traps. Now, in the dark underground passage, the sounds of mechanisms moving echoed, accompanied by a menacing, oppressive noise that warned against any intruders.
Wu Jue's expertise in mechanical formations could be divided into two types: one is a dynamic formation, which can be turned on or off. Like a triggered trap, it can be halted once the mechanism that controls it is found. The other type is a dead formation, which, once set, cannot be stopped unless the mechanism is destroyed or the intruders are all killed.
Clearly, the latter type was far more dangerous. Once someone enters, there is no chance of evading or countering—it’s either the person or the mechanism that survives.
Chang Suining, having entered the tower unarmed, tried to grip the borrowed long arrow in her hand. The effects of the drug she had taken had worn off, and with it, the return of her pain and other sensations.
Now that her senses had fully returned, she decided to give it a try.
She still had some understanding of Wu Jue's mechanisms.
She glanced at the arrow in her hand. "Guess it’s all up to you."
Although it was a bit crude, it was better than nothing. After she broke in, she could always find better tools.
The young woman gripped the arrow and lifted her foot, stepping into the dark passage.
In the next instant, her foot hesitated.
Something felt off…
In the dim light, Chang Suining concentrated and listened carefully. The sounds of the mechanisms that had been turning suddenly stopped.
Then, a new noise emerged—like the sound of all the mechanisms dropping helplessly, their power fading.
After a brief pause, everything fell silent.
The abnormality made Chang Suining instinctively retreat from the dark passage, deciding to wait and observe.
As she stepped out, she froze in place.
The invisible, sharp blades that had been tearing and twisting at her since she entered the tower seemed to have suddenly lost their strength, just like the mechanisms.
Soon, she noticed that the pain and discomfort she had been feeling were gradually easing, moving away from her.
After a few breaths, she instinctively shook her head.
Her headache seemed to have disappeared.
Looking again at the dark passage, a new thought crossed Chang Suining’s mind, triggered by the sound of mechanisms breaking down earlier.
Could it be that someone had entered before her and destroyed the formation’s core?
The formation—had it been broken?!
When the arrow flew toward her earlier, the mechanisms at the entrance were still intact. This meant that no one had entered through this way. So, had someone entered from another route? Or had Wu Jue used some method she hadn’t considered to temporarily halt the formation? Or perhaps, was there someone else helping her?
Countless guesses flooded her mind. However, when she heard footsteps approaching, she immediately activated the mechanism in the mural. As the stone door began to close, she quickly threw the arrow inside.
Then, she jumped up, grabbing a colorful beam above her and hiding behind the prayer flags that hung from it.
It was Ming Luo.
Ming Luo didn’t call out but instead scanned the room with her eyes. Chang Suining was sure that Ming Luo was looking for her.
Not finding her, Ming Luo quickly left the area.
Once she had gone far enough, Chang Suining jumped down from the beam and brushed off the dust from her hands.
The fact that Ming Luo was able to snap back and search for her meant the fire had likely been brought under control.
Inside the tower, there was the Jade Pool, and the tower was surrounded by water on three sides. The tower had likely been built with fire prevention in mind, and since the fire had been discovered early, it was impossible for it to have caused much damage.
Chang Suining hadn’t intended to burn the tower; it was merely to create confusion.
At the end of this chaos, Chang Suining found a window and climbed out.
As expected, she was quickly "discovered" by the eunuchs guarding the tower outside.
When Ming Luo rushed out of the tower, she saw Chang Suining, coughing and covering her face, seemingly choked by the smoke.
Ming Luo cautiously asked, "Where did you come from, Miss Chang?"
Even though the tower had fallen into chaos because of the fire, the eunuchs guarding the tower gate hadn't left.
The young woman’s voice was a bit hoarse from the coughing. "I climbed out of a nearby window. Would you rather I stayed and choked to death?"
One of the monks murmured, "Amitabha."
Inside the tower, the fire had been put out, and everyone was busy with firefighting efforts, but this female benefactor was boldly escaping alone, speaking so confidently about it.
Ming Luo looked at the young woman and said, "The fire is under control, Miss Chang, please return with me."
Chang Suining replied, "No rush, let's wait for the smoke to clear a little more."
Ming Luo furrowed her brows slightly but said nothing further, merely accompanying Chang Suining outside the tower.
As long as they were in the tower courtyard, within the formation, Ming Luo could consider her duty fulfilled as long as Chang Suining did not leave the area.
The eunuchs and monks quickly began removing the burned items, taking water to wipe and clean the scorched marks inside the tower. Fortunately, the burned items were mostly scriptures and prayer flags.
Seeing that no major damage had been done, Ming Luo had the message sent to the Emperor, instructing everyone to keep the fire in the Tower a secret, not to let a word of it leak.
The monks and eunuchs all understood and agreed.
Today, the Emperor had been praying inside the tower, and such an incident would surely spark rumors and speculation if it spread.
A monk carrying offerings walked into the tower courtyard, holding two food boxes.
"Please have the little monk place my meal here," Chang Suining said, pointing to a stone table in the courtyard.
Ming Luo, who was still arranging matters, turned her head at the sound.
"I cannot bear to be hungry. When I'm even a little hungry, my mood and expression worsen. I won’t wait for you, Miss Ming, to join me for the meal."
As she spoke, Chang Suining walked towards the stone table.
A hint of thoughtfulness appeared in Ming Luo's eyes.
She thought back to the time when the young woman had approached her earlier in the tower, noticing her slightly pale lips.
Ming Luo silently watched the girl, who seemingly never understood the concept of etiquette, and after helping the monk set up the meal, she took a bowl of rice and began eating, quickly finishing the rice and two dishes of vegetables.
After setting down her bowl and chopsticks, she turned and washed her hands in a nearby wooden bucket.
While her back was turned, Chang Suining opened her palm and looked at the black stone ring on her finger.
Had Wu Jue realized she had not taken the item and specifically sent it to her?
Noticing that Ming Luo had been staring at her, Chang Suining casually hid the ring as she wiped her hands.
Seeing that Chang Suining had returned inside the tower, Ming Luo’s thoughts deepened.
Inside the tower, everything had been cleaned up, but the doors and windows were still wide open to let the air through. The sky was already overcast, and the wind made the interior of the tower feel as though it had been washed by the cold. All the warmth from the candles had dissipated.
Ming Luo entered the tower and saw that the young woman had kept her promise to transcribe scriptures after eating. She sat straight, her expression serious.
Ming Luo walked over and sat down.
For the next few hours, it was clear that the young woman never slacked off. She only occasionally got up to stretch, otherwise staying focused on her task.
As nightfall approached and the sky darkened, a monk arrived with another meal. Chang Suining put down her pen.
Ming Luo stood up, stopping by Chang Suining's desk. She looked down at the scriptures, a wry smile forming on her lips.
"It seems Miss Chang really likes Princess Chongyue's handwriting."
Chang Suining, without turning her head, casually replied, "Does Miss Ming not like it?"
Ming Luo silently sneered.
Although she still felt she couldn’t fully see through the other’s true intentions, there was no need to concern herself further. Throughout the day, Chang Suining had acted perfectly normal, hadn’t she?
If there was nothing unusual, then there was nothing.
And if there was nothing, then it would be best if it never was.
After finishing the meal, Chang Suining pretended to offer a stick of incense before the statue of the Goddess, then followed the monk to the solitary room inside the tower to rest.
This was a special room prepared for her in the afternoon for the next three days to "demonstrate sincerity in her prayers." She was not allowed to leave the tower during this time.
After she rested, Ming Luo left the Goddess Tower.
She waited outside the Emperor's temporary office for a long time until the door opened, and a group of ministers walked out, their faces mostly unhappy and clearly having argued.
Ming Luo did not rush to be announced, as there was still someone inside the room.
The Emperor had kept Cui Jing behind for a private discussion.
"This is a confidential letter from Bingzhou this afternoon... General Cui, please take a look." The Emperor’s expression was serious. "I would like to hear your thoughts on this matter."
Bingzhou was under Cui Jing’s jurisdiction.
Cui Jing took the letter from the eunuch’s hand.
It was only after a quarter of an hour that Cui Jing emerged from the study.
Ming Luo approached and bowed. "General Cui."
Cui Jing nodded.
"Have the refugees from Daizhou been properly settled? Have there been any incidents or disturbances?" Ming Luo inquired.
"They have been settled, as reported to the Emperor," Cui Jing answered, not pausing his steps.
Ming Luo slightly pressed her lips together. "General Cui, please take care."
She then went to meet the Emperor.
The door to the study was tightly closed. Ming Luo reported everything Chang Suining had done in the tower that day, including everything except the matter about exchanging secrets.
The Emperor had been dealing with urgent matters all day, and now, exhausted, she leaned back in her chair with her eyes closed, showing no emotion other than weariness.
Finally, he spoke. "…What caused the fire? Have you looked into it?"
This question made Ming Luo silently tense up.
Her instinct for self-preservation told her that she could not hide anything from her aunt, even if there was no evidence. She had to voice her suspicions so that her aunt could discern the truth.
She had thought it over later, and it seemed too coincidental that the fire started right when Chang Suining approached her and said those words that distracted her…
Sometimes, coincidences can imply many possibilities.
Should she bring up these possible coincidences now?
As the Emperor opened her eyes and looked at her, Ming Luo steadied herself and kneeled.
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