32 Eight Gates of Truth and Falsehood 1 (1/2)
”Still the same…”
An Fei murmured, standing before the first corridor to the left of the throne room. Her fingers stroking the crystalline walls, the girl focused at the indistinct symbol above the door, hoping for some change after she had read the passage from the book.
However, all that responded was a still door, the symbol enclosed by a hazy mist. Whenever she attempted to focus her gaze upon it, all that resulted was a piercing headache and bouts of dizziness.
She raised her right arm to rest her fingers against the door's surface, preparing to open to greet the seemingly infinite corridor. After contemplating for a minute, she decided to try the other declared 'Gates of Truth and Falsehood'.
”Eight Gates of Truth and Falsehood…what exactly is contained within each one?” An Fei wondered as she stood before the adjacent gateway.
”Same appearance, and the sensation is no different…so how am I supposed to differentiate?”
Which gate was of Truth, and which was of Falsehood?
Pressing her index finger against the door of the second gateway, she marveled at how the gate opened with the slightest application of force. On the other side was a short hallway, with only three doors visible at sight.
Though An Fei was relieved that the corridor was not infinite, her worries were not lessened by much.
Hugging the aged tome to her chest, she stepped forward with trepidation, hesitation mottled on her countenance. Biting her lip, An Fei forcefully strode forth, her body completely entering the corridor.
Turning around, she was just in time to observe the gate shutting without a sound and disappearing instantly afterwards.
”Ah…”
Her body lurching forth by instinct as a rush of fear and panic swamped her mind, An Fei thrust both arms before her in an attempt to stabilize herself. Her right arm tightly pressed against the wall, whereas her right landed in the middle of where the gateway had once existed.
Opening her eyes to discover that her right arm was halfway jutting into the crystal throne room, the girl released a sigh of relief before pulling her body back into the corridor.
Her gaze returning to the corridor's depth, An Fei noticed that two doors existed on the left wall, and only one was on the right. Curious to as why they were asymmetrically placed compared to the first gateway she had already explored several times, the girl slowly made her path towards the closest door.
Her body's physical strength not having changed much, perhaps regressing a little due to her excessive inactivity, it took several minutes for An Fei to cross the dozen meter distance to rest her right palm against the door handle.
”Please don't contain nothing…”
Making a small wish in her heart for nothing terrible like the frightful medicine garden that she had previously suffered from, the girl applied strength as she turned the handle, involuntarily squeezing her eyes shut and raising her arms at the release of brilliant, multicolored light.
Only when she had felt no danger after the time to boil tea, did she lower her arms and open her eyes – to be greeted by an astonishing sight.
What was displayed before her was a massive array of weapons of countless varieties, sizes, and aura. Some were sheathed and others were not, and there were a few weapons with serrated edges, producing a menacing appearance and aura.
From her conservative estimate, the room seemed to be thirteen meters wide and five meters long.
The jian, dao, khanjali, and tanto were the mere few she could recognize amongst the collection before her, and yet that was nothing more than a drop in an ocean.