Under One Person: My Inner Realm Connects to All Worlds!

Chapter 199 The Celestial Maiden of Dunhuang
A lone plume of smoke rises from the vast desert, while the setting sun casts its glow over the long river.

The hundreds of caves of Mogao Grottoes are like a honeycomb embedded in the cliffs of Mingsha Mountain, gleaming with a desolate luster under the setting sun.

During the day, Han Yun and Jing Ling followed the tourists, strolling through the caves like normal travelers.

The murals depict flying apsaras playing the pipa backwards, the Buddha preaching solemnly, and donors with flowing robes. Although the colors have faded over the millennia, their former glory is still evident.

"The Qi here seems quite different from that of Maijishan," the Mirror Spirit whispered.

She looked up at a huge sutra illustration, her eyes gleaming: "It's more tumultuous, as if countless wishes and stories have been sealed in the paint, but it's not as intense or complex as the Maijishan one."

Han Yun nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the murals. The Mogao Caves had been abandoned and little known until it was discovered in modern times, so the accumulated merit was not much.

However, we must also mention one fact.

In the early 20th century, a large number of murals and scriptures in the Mogao Grottoes were stolen. The thieves were greedy and ambitious people from other countries, such as Japan, the United States, and Russia.

During those turbulent times, countless artifacts from our ancestors flowed out of China, and what we see today is only a part of their splendor.

Suddenly, Han Yun paused slightly, his gaze falling on two blond, blue-eyed tourists not far away.

They were well-equipped, with exaggeratedly long camera lenses, and were talking in hushed tones while looking at a mural depicting bodhisattvas. Their excitement was tinged with greed, rather than pure appreciation.

One of the taller men pointed to a section of mural and said to his companion in a very low voice, "Hey, this is it, Jason. Infrared scans show unusual layers underneath, it's much older, and the energy reaction is very strong... It's definitely a priceless treasure..."

The short, stocky man named Jason looked around warily and lowered his voice: "Keep your voice down, Mark! We're moving tonight. The equipment is all ready. We just need to get a small sample, and that'll be enough..."

The spiritual energy they involuntarily released appeared as a murky dark red in Han Yun's third eye perception, filled with a desire to seize.

The spirit also frowned and tugged at Han Yun's sleeve: "Master, those two have impure intentions and seem to have ill intentions towards the murals."

Han Yun glanced at the other tourists around him and said calmly, "Yes, I saw them, but let's not alert them yet and see what they intend to do."

At the same time, Han Yun's gaze also fell on the mural that the two people were looking at. His Heavenly Eye quietly activated, and through the surface of the mural, he saw something deeper.

"Interesting! This surface layer is actually a fake made a hundred years ago."

A slight smile suddenly appeared on Han Yun's lips.

He came to Mogao Grottoes purely for sightseeing and to conclude his trip to the Sanlong region. He never expected such a surprise before he arrived.

That night, the moon was dark and the wind was strong. The cold wind of the Gobi Desert swirled up sand and gravel, making the cliffs of the Mogao Grottoes rustle.

Under the cover of night, two dark figures, like raccoons, silently slipped into the cave from the daytime. They were the two foreigners from earlier that day.

They skillfully used the equipment to interfere with the security system, their faces beaming with barely suppressed excitement.

"Quick, the medicine!"

Mark urged, his voice trembling slightly with excitement.

Jason took out a delicate little bottle and carefully applied the colorless and odorless liquid inside to a corner of the mural.

The surface of the Bodhisattva mural slowly cracked and peeled, revealing a more ancient yet vibrant and subtly luminous scene beneath. "My God, look at these lines, these colors! It's at least several hundred years older than the layer above. This is definitely worth a lot!" Mark exclaimed, his breathing rapid and his eyes wide.

The two men greedily quickened their pace, carefully peeling off a small piece of the surface mural.

In an instant, a dazzling light surged forth from the exposed area, illuminating the entire cave as if it were daytime, before abruptly receding. Beneath it lay a complete and magnificent painting of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Maidens!
The celestial maidens in the picture are different from the ethereal flying apsaras of later generations. They are peerless in appearance, with a unique eerie and alluring quality. They are either smiling while holding a flower or dancing in the air. Their eyes are lively and captivating. The colorful ribbons and shawls surrounding them seem to flow slowly, as if they are alive.

"It's so beautiful, it's like magic!"

One of them, his expression one of fascination, reached out his trembling hand, wanting to touch the exquisitely beautiful celestial maidens, as if he could then possess this miracle.

The moment his fingertips touched a celestial maiden holding a flower on the mural.

Wow!

The surface of the mural rippled like water, and an indescribable, immense suction force suddenly pulled him in!

"what--!"

Mark only had time to let out a short cry of surprise before he was grabbed by an invisible giant hand and violently pulled toward the mural. His figure instantly disappeared into the shimmering light and color!
"mark?!"

Jason was horrified and instinctively tried to grab his companion, but the moment his hand touched the mural that had turned into something like liquid, an even stronger suction force instantly swallowed him up as well.

The cave fell silent again, with only the newly revealed celestial maiden painting emitting a faint glow. Two tiny shadows in the painting seemed to writhe painfully before disappearing.

The murals returned to their cold, hard state, as if nothing had ever happened.

After a while, Han Yun and Jing Ling slowly strolled into the cave.

"Oh, I'm a step too late. The show has started and ended already," Han Yun said with a hint of mockery.

The Mirror Spirit looked at the tools scattered on the ground and the small, freshly damaged mural, and curled its lip. "Greed knows no bounds, it's courting death."

Han Yun's gaze, however, fell solemnly on the painting "Thirty-Six Heavenly Maidens".

The leading celestial maiden was elegant and graceful, while the remaining thirty-five celestial maidens were also diverse in appearance and style.

In his clairvoyant vision, the entire mural resembled a gaping, greedy maw, exuding a sweet, alluring fragrance that subtly tried to entwine their minds.

The celestial maiden in the mural still smiled, but her eyes seemed to have come alive, carrying a hint of satisfaction and eeriness.

Han Yun smiled slightly and said to the Mirror Spirit, "Have you ever heard the story of the painted mural in Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio?"

Upon hearing this, the Mirror Spirit's eyes flashed with a hint of realization. After arriving in the inner space, she had read many books to relieve her boredom, including Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio.

Immediately, the Mirror Spirit's curiosity was piqued: "Painted Wall? Master, are you referring to the story in Pu Songling's writings about Zhu Xiaolian being drawn into a dream world by a celestial maiden in a painting? But that's just a fictional tale of the strange and supernatural..."

"imaginary?"

Han Yun shook his head slightly, his fingertip lightly touching the painting "Thirty-Six Heavenly Maidens," which possessed an inner radiance and an alluring, enchanting quality.

(End of this chapter)