novelaction Chapter 1233 The Gate of Life at the City Gate
Chapter 1233 The Gate of Life at the City Gate
In the captain's cabin.
Only Lin Zhen, Murong Yan, and Chess Buddha remained.
The atmosphere was extremely heavy.
The chess master sat cross-legged on the ground, with an antique black chessboard placed in front of him.
His cloudy old eyes were fixed on the empty chessboard, as if he were looking at an irreconcilable mortal enemy.
A fine layer of sweat had already seeped onto his forehead.
The only remaining arm trembled slightly due to extreme concentration.
Murong Yan nestled tightly in Lin Zhen's arms, barely daring to breathe.
She could clearly sense a terrifying energy fluctuation emanating from that small chessboard, one that made her heart pound.
The feeling was as if the fate of the entire world was constantly being born, dying, and reincarnating between those crisscrossing nineteen lines.
The Phoenix Descent Dress she wore, her only nightgown, seemed to enter a state of unprecedented high alert.
The extremely dark black Suzhou brocade, under the dim light of the captain's cabin, seemed to transform into a bottomless black vortex.
It is frantically absorbing all the light and energy around it.
The giant phoenix embroidered with real gold thread had its eyes wide open and its wings slightly spread.
It seemed ready at any moment to break free from that black vortex.
Engage in a fateful final showdown with that mysterious chessboard that can turn the world upside down!
"found it."
After a long while, the Buddha slowly uttered three words.
His voice was hoarse, like two rusty pieces of iron rubbing against each other.
His disheveled old face was so pale that it was completely devoid of color.
It was as if that brief fifteen-minute deduction had exhausted all the mental energy he had accumulated over thousands of years.
Where is the Gate of Life in Azuchi Castle?
Lin Zhen's voice was also filled with solemnity.
He knew that what Chess Buddha had just done was far more than simple deduction and calculation.
Rather, it is a direct dialogue and contest with the Way of Heaven!
Its danger is no less than that of a world-destroying battle between gods and demons!
"Not within the city."
The Buddha shook his head, a hint of surprise flashing in his cloudy old eyes, a surprise that even he found somewhat unexpected.
"But outside the city."
"Outside the city?" Lin Zhen and Murong Yan were both stunned.
“That’s right.” Chess Buddha nodded, then stretched out his trembling one arm and picked up a chess piece from the chess box.
With a "thud," it landed on a seemingly inconspicuous corner of the chessboard.
"This place is called 'Honnoji Temple'."
"It is an abandoned ancient temple located thirty miles outside Azuchi City."
"It was also a secret stronghold that Oda Nobunaga would always visit to pray for blessings before each campaign."
“According to my calculations,” his voice grew increasingly filled with a sense of fateful eeriness and chilling unease, “it will be at midnight three days from now.”
"In order to pray that the Tokugawa clan's rebellion can be quelled in one fell swoop this time, Oda Nobunaga will surely once again travel lightly and secretly to Honno-ji Temple to offer prayers."
"And that is our only chance!"
"The Honnoji Incident?!"
The moment Lin Zhen heard the words "Honnoji", his pupils suddenly contracted!
A chilling, bone-chilling sense of familiarity instantly surged into his heart!
How could he forget!
How could he forget such an important historical event!
At Honnoji Temple, assassinate Oda Nobunaga!
Isn't this the most famous and legendary "decapitation operation" in his world history?!
Is it really possible that the trajectory of history is so strikingly similar?
Or is there really an unseen hand controlling everything?
"Husband, what's wrong with you?"
Murong Yan sensed something was wrong with the man in her arms and asked with some concern.
"No...nothing."
Lin Zhen took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the shock and horror in his heart.
He knew now was not the time to ponder these abstract philosophical questions.
He must seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that the Chess Buddha had traded half his life for!
“Senior,” he said, looking at the Buddha on the chessboard, his face as pale as paper, his voice filled with unwavering resolve, “thank you.”
"I will remember this favor."
"You will surely be richly rewarded in the future."
"Hmph, don't try that on me." The Chess Buddha waved his hand weakly. "All I want now is to get a good night's sleep."
"You can handle the rest yourselves."
"I'm tired."
He could no longer hold on after he finished speaking; his body was already exhausted and on its last legs.
He tilted his head to the side and immediately fell into a deep sleep.
Looking at his exhausted sleeping face, Lin Zhen felt a pang of emotion.
He knew that this old monster, though he didn't say it, had actually already considered him and Yan'er as his own people.
Otherwise, he would never have risked divine retribution.
To forcefully pry into that sliver of divine secret for them.
"Someone is coming."
Lin Zhen called out in a deep voice towards the door.
"Your Highness." The ghostly figure appeared silently at the doorway like a phantom.
"Take the master to the room next to mine and settle him in properly."
"Remember, no one is allowed to enter and disturb without my order."
"Yes." Ghost Shadow accepted the order, and then he and another "Night Owl" assassin carefully carried the already unconscious Chess Buddha out.
Once again, only Lin Zhen and Murong Yan remained in the captain's cabin.
“Husband,” Murong Yan looked at Lin Zhenna, whose face was also somewhat solemn, her voice filled with worry, “you…you really plan to make a move at that Honnoji Temple?”
"Wouldn't that be too risky?"
"Since it's a decapitation operation, why wouldn't we take risks?" Lin Zhen smiled.
He hugged the little woman in his arms, who was still worried about him, tightly.
"Yan'er, don't worry."
His voice was full of powerful confidence and infectious energy.
"This time, I will never be stubborn like I was last time."
"I will not only return with victory."
"I will return to your side unharmed."
As he spoke, he took something else out of his pocket.
It was a flintlock pistol with an extremely strange shape, completely black, yet gleaming coldly in the sunlight.
It was the unique secret weapon that he had personally crafted for himself at the Ministry of Works!
“This time,” a chilling, death-like killing intent flashed in his eyes.
"Let me personally help that self-righteous overlord of the world."