"This is no ordinary place. Da Shixiong, where should we begin our search?" San Jie inquired, heaving a long sigh as he gazed upwards at the ceiling. His once white-brown cloak had become entirely brown, coated with dust from the slide. Similarly, Wei Yunhe's appearance had suffered the same fate.
""Yu Lingyu, that punk," he muttered irritably. "I don't know what to do with him," he said, dragging his sword along the wooden ground. Simultaneously, as the sound of an explosion echoed, Wei Yunhe and San Jie both hurried towards the source of the noise.
""Damn it! A ghost!" San Jie exclaimed, clutching tightly to Wei Yunhe's cloak. Before them, a dark figure rose from the swirling smoke. "Wait, is it... XIAO HAI?!" Wei Yunhe's voice was loud, though he hadn't intended to shout.
""Huh, Xiao Hai, the Jade of Chuangzhou?" San Jie muttered, glancing back and forth between Xiao Hai and Wei Yunhe. Dusting the ash from his red robes, Xiao Hai advanced a few steps, his face expressionless and smeared with black charcoal. This sight took San Jie back to the previous day when Xiao Hai had attempted to cook, resulting in a kitchen disaster. "Xiao Shixiong, you didn't go cooking again, did you?" San Jie asked with a hint of scorn.
"How can he cook food here? Don't spout nonsense, San Shidi," Wei Yunhe remarked, seemingly to reassure himself.
"I attempted to cook a fish with my flames," Xiao Hai declared, disregarding the others' comments.
Wei Yunhe exclaimed, "Huh?! You must be joking!"
San Jie pointed out, "See, I told you, he is cooking."
"However, I couldn't control my flames, and the fish exploded," Xiao Hai admitted.
Wei Yunhe was left speechless, "....???"
San Jie approached Xiao Hai with mild interest. "What kind of fish is this?" he inquired curiously.
"You guys..." Wei Yunhe's voice was incredibly soft and icy. "Do you even grasp what's happening here?!" he exclaimed suddenly, his voice now loud and thunderous, shocking both San Jie and Xiao Hai.
"Now he's angry. This is your fault, Xiao Shixiong," San Jie remarked.
"I was merely attempting to cook a fish," Xiao Hai mumbled, eyes cast downward.
"Enough! Both of you, be quiet! San Jie, now is not the time to discuss fish. And Xiao Hai, why are you even here?" Wei Yunhe snapped, losing his temper.
"Elder Shi Guo sent me to support you," Xiao Hai replied in his characteristic flat tone. "I bought some fish to eat, but they proved difficult to cook. After several attempts, I've run out of fish," he explained, delivering the lengthy sentences without pausing for breath. According to San Jie, it was the most Xiao Hai had ever spoken.
"If you were going to buy food, you should've chosen something like baozi. Why fish?" San Jie asked.
Xiao Hai struggled to find an answer and simply shrugged.
"Keep quiet," Wei Yunhe commanded, as though seized by something. Yet, he found himself unable to articulate the words. Suddenly, the ground beneath them gave way, and they plummeted into the abyss without warning. Had Xiao Hai not acted in the nick of time, San Jie would have been impaled by the sharp blades.
They landed on a tiled floor that stretched into a lengthy corridor. Human bones were scattered everywhere, and the bodies affixed to the blades were decomposing and seeping. They covered their noses, unable to endure the stench. Rows of pillars lined both sides of the corridor, with torches casting shadows upon the tiles.
"What kind of place is this?" San Jie asked, frowning. "Did you know about this place in the Shangguan Mansion?"
Xiao Hai shook his head to signal disagreement. "The pictures on the wall, those..." Wei Yunhe murmured, drawing closer to the corridor walls. San Jie moved nearer to discern what Wei Yunhe was observing. The fading images on the discolored wall remained unnoticed unless one examined them closely.
A lengthy pattern was sketched in red paint, its details murky, but upon closer inspection, three phoenix birds could be discerned. The trio soared above a crimson trident, centered amidst a scarlet stream.
"The red trident..." Yunhe murmured, his voice laced with astonishment. San Jie glanced between Yunhe and the image, attempting to decipher its meaning. "Could this signify bloodshed?"
"Something far more perilous than that." As the voice of a stranger echoed, all three instinctively reached for their swords with swift precision. A young man, adorned in black robes edged with gold, paid them no heed and strode towards the mural. His hair was long and wavy, his eyes a striking shade of blue. A flicker of surprise passed over San Jie's features, but it was swiftly concealed.
"Once the Red Trident descends upon this world, none shall escape its bloodlust," declared the young man, his voice tinged more with excitement than fear.
"Who are you?" inquired Wei Yunhe, his hand yet to leave the hilt of his sword. The young man folded his hands behind his back and pivoted away. "You may address me as Mao," he replied, a smile playing on his lips.
"What are you doing here?" San Jie inquired, her tone laced with disgust. Mao shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothing special," he replied mockingly.
"What's the connection between this cave and the Red Trident?" Wei Yunhe questioned, a tremor of disturbance in his voice.
"It's been nine years since its last appearance. That day marked a massive slaughter of demons. These drawings serve as a memorial. After all, we're in the abode of demons," Mao stated indifferently, his piercing gaze sizing up Wei Yunhe.
"What do you mean?" Wei Yunhe asked, his hand quivering on his sword's hilt. "It's not just humans who have emotions; demons do too. Even unborn children were ensnared in the onslaught and incinerated. Hiding was their sole refuge."
"And what breed of demon might you be?" San Jie retorted, his voice as cold as ice, drawing his sword. His gaze bore the weight of lethal intent, a sentiment Wei Yunhe could sense encircling him. At the edge of his lips, Mao's smile emerged subtly.
"Me? I'm not that special. I'm neither human, demon, nor god. I'm merely someone's bodyguard," he said. "That's why I thought I'd assist you. Otherwise, you'll end up like that little peacock boy—dead in this place."
San Jie, with lightning speed, threw Mao to the ground, his sword caressing Mao's neck with a chilling touch. "Peacock boy?"
"Don't worry, San Jie. Release him. Mr. Mao, what do you mean by that?" Wei Yunhe's heart raced, yet he feigned calmness. However, San Jie showed no signs of letting Mao go.
Despite the imminent danger of his neck snapping, Mao remained indifferent, smiling at San Jie. "Does anyone recall Peacock Boy? Or perhaps that demon cub is familiar to you?" San Jie found himself without an answer.
"What is happening, San Jie?" Wei Yunhe asked with suspicion. San Jie dismissed him. "What does it matter if I do know?" he retorted, applying more pressure to the sword. A slender cut appeared on Mao's neck, from which a fine line of blood trickled down. Mao's gaze was filled with mirth. "What's wrong with the Wen sect? One disciple walks with a demon, while another conceals demons within his sect."
Xiao Hai, silent until that moment, released a sorrowful sigh. Wei Yunhe seemed to grasp that his words meant 'I don't understand anything.' "San Jie, can you explain what's happening here?" Wei Yunhe inquired once more.
For the first time, San Jie hesitated to speak. He understood Mao's implications; no matter how deeply concealed, he always knew Shen Ming was a demon. Yet, inexplicably, he found himself unable to despise Shen Ming. San Jie couldn't fathom why he had been safeguarding Shen Ming's secret for so long. That night, had he not encountered Yu Lingyu, he might have had the opportunity to see Shen Ming's true nature.
A smile crept across San Jie's face as he hoisted his sword and brought it down quickly, cleaving into Mao's shoulder. "None of your business," he grunted, while blood gushed from the gash. Mao's face, however, was devoid of pain; instead, a manic grin spread across his features.
***
"How could you forget to bring a sword? Are you an idiot?" Meng Zhi yelled, clutching Wu Xuan's collar. "What kind of idiot are you? Stupid! Stupid frog! Stupid bird! Seriously!!"
Wu Xuan faced Meng Zhi with a blank expression. He had no answer. He didn't want to admit that he had left his sword in the library. "I've heard that Wuyin can be summoned by his master at will, so carrying it seemed unnecessary," he replied with feigned wisdom. However, this only infuriated Meng Zhi further. "That's only true if you're the master of Wuyin!!!"
"Shut up," Wu Xuan said, his tone suddenly panicked. As they ventured deeper into the Shangguan Mansion, they encountered nothing but a handful of monsters, no matter how far they walked. Beside Wu Xuan, Meng Zhi also began to listen intently to their surroundings.
"Below!" Meng Zhi shouted, but it was already too late. The ground beneath Wu Xuan cracked open, revealing a gaping maw lined with enormous, sharp teeth, poised to swallow him whole. However, it wasn't quicker than Wu Xuan's Lightning Technique. Thanks to Yu Lingyu, he had reached a level where he could utilize all eight forms.
"Spark Dash," Meng Zhi whispered under his breath. "When did he master that?" Spark Dash is the fourth form of the lightning technique, granting the user a burst of superhuman speed for a brief duration.
"Second form, Lightning Vortex!" Instantly, Xuan's body surged with blue electric currents, and in the following instant, a compact yet intensely potent swirling vortex of lightning confronted the gaping maw that had surfaced from the earth. Wu Xuan leaped aside as the blue electricity detonated around the creature, unleashing a fearsome roar.
But the monster seemed unfazed. Its massive form was now fully rising from the ground. "An earthworm?!" Meng Zhi exclaimed in revulsion. "It has legs, a worm with legs? And it's enormous!" he yelled, as flames ignited in his palms.
With qi coursing through his veins, Meng Zhi clasped his hands and thrust them toward the colossal worm. As his body radiated a crimson glow, the surrounding air simmered with intense heat. Soon, the worm writhed in agony as flames ignited within its body and rapidly engulfed it. The fire tenderized its hide, and seizing the moment, Meng Zhi leaped forward, unfurling his claws, and swept through the air toward the beast. A fierce, razor-like gust from above cleaved the worm's body, severing it into multiple segments.
Wu Xuan was familiar with the tales, yet witnessing the technique firsthand was a different experience altogether. The fiery claws of the Wolf King Hu Ze were legendary; they could dismember an enemy with astonishing precision from afar. One would channel their internal qi towards their nails, then unleash it as a sharp, fine wave of air. For an unarmed adversary, death was certain. Nonetheless, Wu Xuan had not anticipated that someone like Meng Zhi could have mastered the Demon King's formidable technique.
"Ew, you bastard." Meng Zhi said, stepping back in disgust, making sure not to step on worm's purple blood.
"What is the first technique?" Wu Xuan inquired, furrowing his brow. "Ah, that would be the Searing Bite. It's an ancient Wolf Demon technique where we channel our Zhenqi through the air into the enemy's body, causing their temperature to rise. We can withstand it, but it's too much for many others, leading to internal combustion," explained Meng Zhi openly. "Even so, it can only be used once a day. If we try more than that, we may even die from lack of zhenqi."
"So did you use that kind of technique on that stupid worm?" Wu Xuan asked, rolling his eyes.
Meng Zhi ".....???"
"If you can't give me a compliment, then just shut up, tree squirrel!" he bellowed furiously. Meng Zhi was panting heavily, seemingly worn out. Wu Xuan remained silent. Throughout their journey, it had been Meng Zhi who had vanquished all the demons they had faced.
"I'll take care next time. You stand aside." Taking the lead, Wu Xuan said in a haughty voice.
"Hey Wu Xuan, sometimes I wonder....who you really are?" Meng Zhi said, slowly following Wu Xuan. Wu Xuan glanced at him from the corner of his eye. "So, what is that supposed to mean?"