Chapter 196 - 151, Debating Scripture
Winter of the 31st year of Jianing, Lu Hun Manor.
Snowflakes filled the sky, transforming the landscape into a vast silver tapestry.
At dawn, the manor still glowed with lights, its tall gray walls and tiles stacking upon one another like a massive ship sailing quietly through the sea of white snow.
From afar, passersby might hear the sound of ice cracking as though it were slowly breaking through the permafrost of the farthest poles.
The solemn tolling of a bell echoed.
Two young monks at the gates of Lu Hun Manor huddled in their sleeves against the cold, one of them looking back towards the depth of the compound upon hearing the bell, and whispered, "Another from the Dao Court has been defeated. How many does that make now?"
"Eight. One more loss, and they’ll have no one left."
"The Dao Court is arrogant, but we came prepared."
One young monk, clutching his sleeves, gazed out at the blizzard with a sense of reflection: "A day and night of debating scripture is finally coming to an end."
At that moment, the sound of horse hooves could be heard through the snowstorm.
The young monk stood under the manor’s signboard, shielding his eyes with his hand, squinting into the snowstorm, and after a long look, he made out several gray shadows gradually becoming clearer.