The door creaked open inward from the old monk’s push. The old monk’s fad exposed skin shriveled and grayed at a visible rate. He held the door open with his body and his left arm, panting at Luoshan Zi, Sue and Turner Ouyang: “Quick - they’re in here. ”

  Behind the metal door acious room. A plicated array etched in bricks a spanned across the entire floor of the room. One smaller, less plex sub-array resided at each of the eight ers of the array. In each of these sub-arrays, sat one figure. They were in taoist cloaks, monk robes, or even pletely naked. But clothing would not matter to any of them right now, for some kind of foul corruption had already ed much of their bodies. Flesh and skin was stripped away from their rib cages, their arms and legs, and even their faces.

  All eight of these figures reacted to the door being open. More than half of them no longer had w eyes but empty bck holes on their faces, yet Luoshan Zi, Sue and Turner Ouyaheir gaze at the same time.

  “Leave.” The oh the most flesh and skin on his body said to them, using a voiing from his chest cavity: “We are beyond saving. Leave NOW! Save yourselves!”

  Luoshan Zi shook her head, fighting back the tears as she looked around in the room. Sue and Turner Ouya in slightly to check around. Several metal buckets sat in the ers of the room. And in the back of the room, stood three altars, one was made of jade, one was made of amber, and the one in the middle was made of some kind of entirely bck stone. Large cracks crawled all over the jade and amber altars, while the one made of bck stone seemed to have pletely crumbled before, but was rebuilt and stuck together using some kind of dark yellow glue.

  “I should have thought of that. The altars are broken. The ritual naturally lies more heavily on the shoulders of the pilrs.” The old monk heaved a heavy sigh, his voice was rather calm, yet the torment and sadness could not be covered up: “Please. Make way.”

  Luoshan Zi, Sue and Turner Ouyang immediately stepped to the side, leaving a clear line of sight for him.

  “My friends, my brothers.” The old monk bowed: “Thank you for your effort in hiding me and proteg me. But like you, I am beyond saving. And like you, I have made my decision.”

  A strange wave of energy blew through everyone. For Luoshan Zi, Sue and Turner Ouyang, it was as if the grimness in the air had been lifted slightly.

  Tears flowed down from the old monk’s face as he faced Luozhan Zi, Ouyang Turner and Sue: “Such is fate. Such is destiny. Namo Amitabha, brave donors, please leave, be safe, protect the hostages a what is done here known.” He coughed and squeezed his throat. A small piece of white marble appeared between his teeth. It was his living sarira, a piece of gem formed from his years of cultivation aatioook a deep breath in, then spit the gem out, right at the ter of the array.

  The entire array shook from ing into tact with the gem. “RUN!” The old monk raised his voice as high as he could.

  Luoshan Zi turned around, grabbed Turner Ouyang and Sue by their shoulders and charged towards the entrance of this subway station.

  Right now, the groups of hostages under here had mostly made it out. By the time Luoshan Zi caught up, they were already out of the entrand on the surface. There must have been around at least thirty hostages here. A staggering number already, sidering the officially doted number of schors, sages and monks.

  “We o go! We o go further!” Luoshan Zi raised her voice at everyone: “Please! Go as far as you from here! ”

  “Boom!” Something exploded from below, and the earth shook from it. The noises of walls and ceiling crumbling followed. A gust of foul air shot out of the entrand hit everyone in their faces and backs. Sue and Turner Ouyang almost vomited right then and there.

  “Ru! Ru!” The driver’s voice echoed in their radio: “I’ve sent out a signal for help. But they’re ing your way! They’re ing - ” His voice was cut short by a string of gunshots.

  “Go east!” Ming raised his voice using his Qi and alerted everyone present: “Go east! ”

  Just at this time, headlights from at least six vehicles on the bigger side came rushing at the group. The group turned and tried to make for the east, but some more vehicles came right at them and in but a moment surrouhe entire area.

  Luoshan Zi did a quick cheing, Keying and Liao before walking out of the group, ready to face whoever was about to e.

  Remihat there will be no uploads on Thanksgiving week. Happy Thanksgiving!