vncnus Chapter 432 Sun-drying the Scriptures
Chapter 432 Sun-drying the Scriptures
After breakfast, all the chosen ones gathered at the entrance of Zhaixin Hall.
Xia Ning stood at the front, her gaze sweeping over the tense faces, and calmly announced today's training tasks:
"Today's task - Exposing the scriptures and expelling filth."
She paused, then clearly stated the details:
"Task content: Take out the damp ancient books and scriptures from the hidden shelf on the west side of the library and move them to the drying platform to air dry."
"Of course, this task is not so easy to complete."
"One: Once the sky detects that scriptures are being dried inside the temple, it will automatically switch to a cloudy mode."
"Second: When the sun is obscured by clouds, the mold lurking around the scripture drying platform will awaken and attack the scriptures."
"Third: At that time, you will need to immediately change from those who dry the scriptures to those who guard them, and use a duster to ward off these moldy evils."
"Four: If a scripture is unfortunately contaminated by mold, do not panic. Just place the scripture back in the sun and expose it to sunlight for ten minutes. The mold will be completely dissipated by the yang energy."
"Fifth: If no scriptures are contaminated by noon, the mission is considered complete. Otherwise, six poorly performing chosen ones will be eliminated on the spot."
As soon as he finished speaking, an uncontrollable murmur arose from the crowd.
"Why is it another one of these deadly missions..."
"As long as we don't end up in the bottom six, we should be able to survive, right?"
"What is mold? Surely it's not invisible to the naked eye?"
"This isn't just sunbathing; it's gambling with their lives on the weather!"
"..."
Xia Ning stood quietly, giving everyone some time to process this information.
She spoke only after the whispers had subsided:
"Now, come with me to the library."
As soon as she finished speaking, she turned and took a step, her robes fluttering lightly.
The chosen ones then set off towards the library.
........................
Upon arriving at the Sutra Repository, the heavy vermilion wooden door was slowly pushed open by two black-clad stewards.
A scent mingled with the aroma of old paper and a faint sandalwood fragrance wafted towards me.
The hidden shelf on the west side is located at the deepest part of the attic, shrouded in a thin layer of mist, through which one can vaguely see the ancient books piled up on the shelf—the covers are yellowed and the edges are curled.
"On the west side, hidden shelf, each person take five scrolls of scriptures and handle them gently." Xia Ning stood at the entrance of the hidden shelf, her tone icy.
The group followed the instructions and carefully pulled out the scriptures, their movements slow and gentle.
After retrieving the books, everyone carried them and followed Xia Ning to a circular area.
The ground is paved with bluestone slabs, and in the center of the venue stands a round stone platform about half a person's height, with intricate sun patterns carved on it.
The outer edge of the circular field was completely shrouded in deep shadows, devoid of any light.
To the naked eye, all one could see was pitch black.
A breeze blew out from the shadows, carrying a faint smell of decay.
Xia Ning stopped in her tracks, her gaze sweeping over the circle of shadows, her tone grave:
"The shadows you see—the mold ghosts—are hiding inside."
"They survive by relying on dampness and avoid light."
"Once the sunlight weakens, it will emerge from the shadows and invade the scriptures."
Upon hearing this, everyone looked up at the sky, their hearts sinking.
What was once a clear blue sky has now become cloudy, with large swathes of clouds drifting slowly overhead, the sunlight sometimes shining through and sometimes obscuring it.
"Let's begin. Lay the scriptures flat on the stone platform in the middle and spread them out to dry."
No one dared to delay, and they quickly carried the scriptures to the stone platform, carefully spreading them out.
The stone platform was soon covered with scriptures, densely packed together.
A ray of intense sunlight pierced through the clouds and fell upon the stone platform, its golden light covering each scripture.
As the sunlight shone on the surface of the scriptures, wisps of pale white mist slowly rose, as light as gauze, carrying a faint scent of paper.
At this moment, two black-clad stewards stepped forward, each holding a stack of slender whisks.
The handle of the whisk is jet black, while the tip is as white as snow, faintly gleaming with a layer of light.
"The Cleansing Dust Brush is specifically designed to combat mold and mildew," the Left Steward said in a deep voice.
She held a whisk in her hand and gently swept it across the void—where the whisk streaked, a faint golden light trail was left behind, and a soft hiss could be faintly heard in the air.
"Remember: swing quickly and aim accurately, don't use brute force."
The right deacon added, "If mold tries to attack the scriptures, be sure to intercept it immediately with a whisk. As long as the whisk touches it, it will disperse."
"But remember, once the mold has become one with the pages, dusting will no longer be effective."
"Only by placing it in the sun for ten minutes can it dissolve."
The group took the whisks and tried to wave them a few times, but due to their clumsy movements, the arcs of the dust they raised were uneven, and some people almost hit others in the face, eliciting a few low gasps.
"Don't swing it around, use your wrist, not your arm," the left steward corrected from the side.
After practicing for a few more rounds, the group gradually began to take shape.
Just then, a thick, dark cloud drifted over and obscured the sun.
The light in the entire sun-drying area dimmed drastically.
"Not good!" someone whispered.
Before the words were finished, a soft rustling sound suddenly came from the thick shadows on the outside.
Immediately afterwards, countless tiny figures emerged from the shadows—
They are round and plump, covered with fine blackish-green mold, like clumps of fluffy little balls of hair.
There were no obvious eyes or mouth, only clumps of wriggling mold.
They moved silently, yet at a considerable speed, densely packed, surging towards the scriptures on the stone platform from all directions. Wherever they passed, they left faint moldy marks on the ground, and the musty smell in the air instantly became stronger.
"Quick! Use the duster to drive them away!" Lin Feng shouted, raising the duster in his hand and waving it at the approaching moldy creatures.
As the pure white silk floss fluttered, it emitted a faint glow. Wherever it touched, the nearby mold emitted a subtle "sizzling" sound, and the mold on its body was instantly purified, turning into wisps of black smoke and dissipating.
Upon seeing this, everyone reacted quickly, raising their dusters and attacking the surging moldy creatures.
In an instant, the sounds of the whisk swaying, the hissing of the mold being purified, and the low murmurs of the crowd mingled together.
But the mold was far too numerous, densely packed, constantly surging from the shadows. Despite everyone's best efforts to drive it away, some were inevitably missed.
Taking advantage of the moment when everyone was waving their hands, a few tiny moldy creatures nimbly squeezed through the cracks, jumped onto the stone platform, and pounced into the pages of the scripture.
Evelyn, standing by the round platform, narrowed her eyes and quickly waved her brush to drive them away, wiping out two in succession.
But three were not stopped in time—they had already become one with the pages, forming three patches of mold.
"Oh no! Mold has sneaked into the scriptures!" someone exclaimed, reaching out to pat the pages, but to no avail.
Lin Feng shouted in a deep voice, "Everyone, don't panic! Hold onto the stone platform. As long as the sun comes out again and shines for ten minutes, these moldy monsters that have crawled into the scriptures will be purified!"
As the panicked hearts of the crowd gradually calmed down, they adjusted their postures and quickened the pace of waving their dusters.
I kept glancing at the sky, hoping the sun would appear soon...