As the sun slanted westward, before daylight had entirely faded, a silver-white firework suddenly shot into the sky above Luoyang. This firework was unlike any ordinary one: it soared extraordinarily high, giving off a piercing whistle that carried far, and hung among the clouds for a long while before bursting.
The residents of Luoyang all knew there would be a fireworks display that night, but custom dictated that the fireworks be lit only after nightfall, when their sparks would shine dazzlingly bright and their colors would be vivid. Yet someone had already set one off before the sky was fully dark. Who could have been so impatient?
Moreover, the display was always held in the square before Duanmen, the imperial city's gate, so that the imperial kinsmen and nobles gathered in the southwest of the city could enjoy the sight. This was the famed "Duanmen Lights." For some reason, however, this firework had been launched from Cihui Ward.
Though puzzled, the vast majority of people merely glanced up, then lowered their heads and went on with their lives. Only a handful of unconventional souls studied it carefully with curiosity and suspicion before heading, one after another, toward the place where the firework had bloomed.
Xu Baozhen was still outside Luoyang when he saw the gathering signal. By the time he reached the city, the evening drums had sounded and the gates were shut. He simply left his disciple behind and, under the deepening cover of night, scaled the wall alone.
The Pipa-Tone Demon, Tuoba Sanniang, and the Ghost-Hand Vajra, Qiu Ren, both made their living inside the city and were the first to arrive. Each found a stool among the overturned furniture and sat down.
Tuoba Sanniang pulled the Bone Ear Pick Hairpin from her bun and crossed her legs