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墨書 Inktalez
I took a deep look at Zhang Tong, and suddenly felt a warmth in my heart. Zhang Tong appeared slightly tense, her hair a bit disheveled, and her once pristine face was no longer as clean. However, her grip on the hem of my clothes was tight.
"Don't worry! Everything's fine!"
Zhang Tong still didn't let go of my hand.
With no other choice, I had to explain. Zhang Tong's face flushed with color, and she lowered her head slightly.
Her hand slowly slipped away from me.
At that moment, I took a few steps forward. A breeze, seemingly out of nowhere, swept past my feet, bringing a chill that made me feel slightly uneasy.
The grand Ghostly Heavenly Palace loomed before me. I stared at it, and in an instant, it felt as if everything around us was covered up—the noise, the wind—everything vanished. A strange sensation surged from my heart, occupying my entire mind.
At that moment, it was just me and the Ghostly Heavenly Palace.
Some scenes gradually faded away; it became empty, desolate. I felt as if I were in a vast white space, long and distant, with wild grass growing unchecked. A bronze-colored palace appeared before me. It looked so young and imposing, untouched by a speck of dust; the so-called verdigris was even less to mention.
A large flag hung majestically on the palace wall, billowing proudly in the fierce wind, emitting a roaring sound.
The soldiers guarding the palace stood tall and resolute, their fists tightly gripping their weapons.
The Bronze Giant Gate of the palace was firmly shut. I stood outside the palace, silently lost in thought.
With a loud clang, the Bronze Giant Gate slowly opened, revealing a grand procession emerging from within. Leading the way were soldiers, flanked by individuals dressed in peculiar attire, who danced and hummed as they walked, their words indistinct.
Following them was a line of maidservants, each carrying a Bamboo Basket from which petals continuously fell, creating a carpet of flowers along the path. Behind them came a Palanquin carried by four bearers, its Tassel cascading elegantly from a support at the top, obscuring the figure seated inside.
As the Palanquin exited the Bronze Giant Gate, an unusual fragrance wafted through the air, stirring something deep within me.
I stood in the middle of the road, momentarily forgetting to step aside.
By the time the procession reached me, it was too late to move. Just as I sought a way to evade them, an astonishing scene unfolded before my eyes; I felt like a transparent person, completely unnoticed.
They passed right by me, and I could swear my mind was blank at that moment.
Then, the Palanquin approached directly towards me. In my daze, I forgot to dodge it. When it collided with me, I realized it was already too late. But what shocked me even more was that the Palanquin seemed to pass straight through my body as if there were no obstacle at all.
I looked up at the Palanquin, catching a glimpse of a White Skirt peeking through the gaps in the Tassel.
I followed the hem of the skirt upwards and through the openings in the Tassel, I saw the side profile of the woman seated inside. A flash of realization struck me like lightning, waking me from my stupor. I quickly took off after them.
Here I felt like a ghost; no one could see me, yet I could see them.
Gradually, more people gathered along both sides of the road. Their chatter was fragmented, but I pieced together snippets like "The Princess is participating in the Ritual Ceremony today." However, their tone did not convey joy; rather, it was tinged with regret.
Suddenly glancing into the crowd, I was startled to realize that they seemed to be speaking in Ghostly Script. I froze for a moment! By the time I processed this revelation, the grand procession had already moved over One Hundred Meters away. I hurriedly quickened my pace to catch up.
Because the Ritual procession was moving slowly, I easily caught up with them.
That profile I had seen earlier was so familiar, yet I couldn't recall who it belonged to. As I followed the procession, I tried my best to peek into the Palanquin, hoping to catch a glimpse of her true face.
The discussions among the crowd continued unabated.
"Hey! This is the Princess's first time leaving the palace!" someone sighed.
"I really wonder what the Princess looks like!"
"What good does it do to know? After this Ritual, there will be no more Princess in the world," another voice lamented.
"I heard this Ritual is to pray for victory in the war."
Fragments of conversation floated around me.
From these snippets, I gathered some information. It became clear that a Ritual for victory in battle was about to take place, and deep down, I felt an unsettling and unreal sensation.
I continued to follow the procession, glancing toward the Tassel, but still failed to see her true appearance.
With no other choice, I kept walking alongside the Ritual procession.
After a while, everything around me had vanished; the crowd that had been discussing moments ago was nowhere to be seen.
A blanket of white obscured all things, leaving only the grand Ritual procession and my solitary figure. I stayed close behind, and as time passed—though I couldn't tell how long—I made a rough estimate in my mind.
It had been seven or eight hours since we started walking, yet the horizon showed no signs of change. Time felt eternal, and a group of solitary figures wandered aimlessly across this absurd land.
Finally, just as my legs were about to give out, they came to a halt. Damn, we had been walking for almost an entire day, I cursed silently in my heart.
The procession stopped in front of a vast white mountain. Upon arriving here, the noise they had made ceased, and their expressions turned solemn.
As the group dispersed, everything was laid out before us.
Is this the Ritual Mountain? I wondered to myself.
A crowd gathered around a newly constructed Altar, humming and singing softly. I managed to catch a few phrases—something about great deities.
They sang and danced while soldiers and maids stood solemnly to the side.
"Begin!" With that shout, the ceremony commenced. They had actually built a platform out of wood, upon which lay a Bronze Plate. After hours of singing, dancing, laughter, and tears, the moment finally arrived.
Someone stepped forward to offer themselves first. Blood—bright red blood—spilled forth like the vibrant petals of flowers from earlier, quickly staining the ground before the white mountain.
The first maid was killed as an introduction to the Ritual. Although the others were frightened, none retreated.
Just as the High Priest was about to sacrifice a second person, a voice suddenly erupted from the Palanquin: "Stop! Is it not enough for just one of us to die?"
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