And so Xie Lian bent at the waist and greeted it. "Hello there."
Hearing the greeting, that eye squinted harder, turning itself into a full crescent, like it was smiling. The large eye spun left and right, extremely lively, as if it wasn't just a pattern carved onto a scimitar hilt but the real, living eye of a human.
Hua Cheng's lips curled upwards. "Gege, it likes you."
Xie Lian raised his head. "Really?"
Hua Cheng raised his brow. "Really. It's too lazy to spare a single glance at those it doesn't like. In fact, there are very few that Eming actually likes."
Hearing this, Xie Lian smiled at Eming. "Thank you, then." He turned to Hua Cheng. "I rather like it too."
At his words, the eye blinked madly, and the scimitar started shaking
all of a sudden from where it hung at Hua Cheng's waist. He reprimanded it, "No."
"'No,' what?" Xie Lian asked.
"No," Hua Cheng reiterated.
Eming shook again, looking desperate to jump out of its scabbard.
Xie Lian asked curiously, "Are you telling it 'no'?"
"Yes," Hua Cheng deadpanned. "It wants you to pet it, but I'm telling it no."
Xie Lian grinned. "Well, why not?"
He reached out. Eming's eye instantly widened, like it was looking at him with great anticipation. I can't pet here, poking the eye will hurt, Xie Lian thought, then lowered his hand and stroked lightly along the curve of the hilt. The eye squinted into a full crescent line and quivered even harder, as if it was extremely pleased and enjoying the touch very much.
The more Xie Lian stroked the scimitar, the more intriguing he found it. He was the type of person animals liked; when he'd pet furry dogs and cats, they'd squint their eyes like this when they got comfortable and would often throw themselves into his embrace, whining and mewling. Who knew that he'd be stroking a cold, silver scimitar—that legendary cursed blade, no less—like he would a puppy! In what way was this a "bloody, cursed blade of misfortune"?
Xie Lian hadn't believed it before, but after seeing this with his own eyes, he threw away all that awful hearsay entirely, tossing it into the trash pile labeled "not believable." An evil, bloody ritual wouldn't forge a spirit this clever and cute.
***
The two spent a considerable amount of time discussing and critiquing various famous swords and legendary blades in detail, and Xie Lian exited the armory in high spirits after; even grabbing hold of Hua Cheng's hands on the return to Paradise Hall.
The boy had also been brought in after being washed up and dressed in clean bandages. Although his face was still wholly covered, he looked new and refreshed. He was a person of slender frame and delicate build, and should have been a seedling with infinite possibilities—but the version of him here right now was one of hunched shoulders and slumped figure, a cowering form who couldn't meet anyone's eyes, a pitiful soul.
Xie Lian pulled the boy to sit. "With her last words, Miss Xiao-Ying asked me to take care of you, and I agreed to it. But nevertheless, I still have to ask what you want to do. Would you be interested in following me in cultivation from now on?"
The boy stared at him blankly, as if afraid to believe the words he was hearing—that someone was actually willing to take him in and teach him. He looked hesitant and hopeful.
Xie Lian continued, "I can't say the conditions at my place are good, but I can still promise you won't need to hide any longer. You won't need to steal food, and you won't be beaten."
As he spoke, Xie Lian didn't notice that next to him, Hua Cheng's eye was narrowed. He was watching the boy with a cold, judging look.
Xie Lian continued warmly, "If you can't remember your own name, then why don't we come up with a new one?"
The boy pondered for a moment and said, "Ying."
Xie Lian supposed that the name was to commemorate Miss Xiao-Ying, since both names used the character for "firefly." He nodded. "Good. That's a good name. You're from the Kingdom of Yong'an, and Yong'an's national surname is Lang, so why don't you use that as your new name and call yourself Lang Ying?"
The boy finally nodded, hesitantly. Xie Lian understood it as the boy accepting the offer to follow him.
The banquet began. It was a "small" feast that Hua Cheng had prepared for Xie Lian, but by its setup and size, it could very well host over a dozen. Innumerous women carried jaded plates in their hands, and upon the plates were various delicacies: fine wines, fresh fruits, and small refreshments. Their offerings were endless, and their steps were dainty and light as they walked along the sides of the main hall in a line, each presenting their jaded plate as they approached the black jaded divan. Lang Ying watched but didn't dare to reach out, and it wasn't until Xie Lian pushed some of the plates toward him that he slowly grabbed a few items to eat.
Watching him, another scene flashed in Xie Lian's mind. It was of another boy whose face was wrapped in bandages, dirty and unkempt; he was kneeling on the floor hugging a plate of offerings, his head bowed low as he stuffed his face.
Just then, a sashaying lady in purple silk approached, offering a carafe of wine. Hua Cheng reached out and poured for Xie Lian.
"Gege, have a cup?"
Xie Lian's mind was occupied and he wasn't paying attention, so he carelessly accepted the cup, delivering it directly to his lips. He didn't realize it was wine until the drink entered his mouth, then his eyes refocused once more. His gaze just happened to land on what—or rather, who—was behind Hua Cheng. The lady who offered the wine looked back and winked at him.
Xie Lian sputtered on the spot: "Pffff-ffttt!"
Good thing he'd already swallowed that sip of wine and nothing came splattering out of his mouth. He only choked, coughing nonstop. Lang Ying took fright and almost dropped the cake in his hand.
Xie Lian soothed as he coughed, "It's nothing, it's nothing."
Hua Cheng gently patted his back. "What's wrong? Is the wine not to your liking?"
Xie Lian quickly explained himself. "Oh, no! It's very good. I just suddenly remembered that my cultivation method forbids alcohol."
"Oh?" Hua Cheng said. "Then this is my fault for being inconsiderate and making gege break his vow."
"It's not your fault," Xie Lian said. "I'd just forgotten."
Xie Lian rubbed his forehead, turned around, and stealthily glimpsed toward the center of the main hall.
The lady who'd offered wine had her back to him as she sashayed off toward the doors, her figure sensual and seductive, charming and graceful. Hua Cheng only paid attention to what was at hand or focused entirely on Xie Lian, so he spared no attention for those beautiful women. Therefore, he naturally paid no mind to their faces. However, the face Xie Lian had seen just now was clear and recognizable.
That sweet, seductive lady who had offered him wine was none other than the Wind Master Qingxuan!
In order to sneak into Paradise Manor, the Lord Wind Master hadn't hesitated to transform into a woman… That wink gave Xie Lian quite the shock, and he thought, You'd better give me more wine to swallow this down.
Unaware, Hua Cheng said conversationally, "I always thought cultivation was meant simply for living a carefree, pleasurable life. If you must forbid this or that, then what's the point? What do you think?"
Xie Lian steadied himself swiftly and casually said back, "That depends on the path you choose. Some sects don't mind earthly pleasures, but my chosen path of cultivation has always forbidden drinking and licentious acts. Alcohol can be overlooked once in a while, but abstinence from the latter is absolute."
When he said the word "abstinence," Hua Cheng cocked his right brow, displaying an unreadable expression that could be either displeasure or annoyance.
Xie Lian continued, "Actually, it also forbids hatred. A gambling hall involves extreme joy and anguish and can easily produce hatred, so it is a place best avoided. But if one can maintain control of one's mind, unmoved by wins and losses, then there is no need to wholly avoid gambling."
Hearing this, Hua Cheng laughed out loud. "No wonder gege was still interested in playing at the Gambler's Den."
Going around in circles, Xie Lian had finally brought the subject of the conversation naturally to gambling and said, "Speaking of which, San Lang, your gambling techniques are amazing to behold."
"I'm just lucky, that's all," Hua Cheng said.
"…"
Comparing that to his own luck, Xie Lian felt rather woeful. "I really am curious—and don't tease me, San Lang—but is there really a technique to rolling dice?"
If there wasn't, then Hua Cheng couldn't just will the numbers he wanted back at the Gambler's Den, and that Waning Moon Officer couldn't have so easily rolled two sixes.
Hua Cheng only smiled. "Why would I dare tease gege? Of course there is a secret technique, but it's not something that's learned in a day, and not everyone who's learned the technique can master it."
Xie Lian had more or less expected that answer. Hua Cheng added, "However, I can tell you of a faster way. I promise gege will be able to succeed as he wishes and win every round."
"What way?" Xie Lian asked.
Hua Cheng raised his right hand, the very same right hand that had the red string tied on the third finger. The red string was tied into a small bow on the back of that hand, bright and vivid. He beckoned Xie Lian.
"Give me your hand."
Xie Lian didn't know what it was for, but since Hua Cheng asked for his hand, he gave it to him. Hua Cheng's hand had no warmth of life, but it was not freezing. He squeezed Xie Lian's hand and held it for a bit, then smiled before turning it over and tossing two dice into his palm.
"Try it now."
Xie Lian chanted mentally for sixes and rolled the dice. As they clattered to a stop, the dice indeed revealed two red sixes.
"What trick is this?" Xie Lian was amazed.
"No trick," Hua Cheng replied. "I've simply lent gege a bit of luck."
"So luck can be borrowed like spiritual power?" Xie Lian said in wonder.
Hua Cheng laughed. "Of course. Next time, if gege is going to make bets with anyone, come see me first. I'll lend you as much luck as you want. I promise your opponent will suffer a loss so great he won't make a comeback for a hundred years."
The two played for a few dozen more rounds, and Xie Lian confirmed for himself that it was indeed so, before he stopped to say he was tired. Hua Cheng ordered for Lang Ying to be settled before personally escorting Xie Lian to the guest chamber.
Watching as that red silhouette slowly disappeared down the hall, Xie Lian closed the door, sat by the table, and used a hand to cover his forehead, bending as he supported his mind's weight. The more thoughtful Hua Cheng was, the more guilty Xie Lian felt.
There is really nothing to criticize about the way San Lang treats me. Hopefully this case has nothing to do with him, and once the truth comes out, I'll explain everything and apologize, Xie Lian thought.
He had only sat for a moment when he heard someone calling him from outside the door with a small voice.
"Your Highness… Your Highness… Your Highness the Crown Prince…"
Recognizing the voice, Xie Lian immediately rose to open the door, and the person waiting just outside leapt in. It was indeed Shi Qingxuan in her female form.
She was still dressed in that ghost lady getup: a dress of diaphanous silk, with her waist wrapped tight to a dainty width. The moment she leapt in, she rolled onto the ground in a heap and transformed back to a man, hand to his chest.
"I can't breathe! I CAN'T BREATHE! My god, I'm going to be choked to death by this thing!"
Xie Lian closed the door behind him, and when he looked back, what he saw was a full-grown man in a wicked purple silk dress, lying on the ground and wildly ripping at his chest and waist bindings. Xie Lian couldn't look and covered his eyes.
"Lord Wind Master…Lord Wind Master! Can't you just change back to your Daoist robes?"
"Am I stupid?" Shi Qingxuan replied. "Walking around in the dark night in a conspicuous white robe, I'd be a target!"
But…in your current getup, on some level, you're more of a target… Xie Lian thought.
Xie Lian crouched down next to him. "Lord Wind Master, how did you sneak in? Didn't we agree to meet in three days?"
"Well, what was I to do?" Shi Qingxuan replied. "I asked around on the streets, and they all said Your Highness was sent to the Paradise Manor, and isn't Paradise Manor the Ghost King's lair? Even the name of the place sounded bad. I watched from afar and decided it was definitely an obscene and wanton place, so I was worried about you and expended tremendous effort to sneak in. What an unlucky journey this has been! Either I get dragged to facials by women and girls, or I have to swallow my honor to dress like this. I have never, ever made sacrifices this huge."
But you're obviously enjoying yourself… Xie Lian thought. "Where's His Highness Tai Hua? I hope he doesn't start anything else, with my lord having left him out there."
Shi Qingxuan finally ripped through all the bindings, gathering breath at last, and sprawled across the ground like a puddle. "Don't worry. I pulled rank and commanded him to not move a muscle, so there shouldn't be any more issues. But seriously, Your Highness, you're so lucky!"
"Huh?" Xie Lian gaped. "Me? Lucky?"
"Yeah!" Shi Qingxuan exclaimed. "Look how miserable Lang
Qianqiu and I have been in Ghost City. We either get hung up with the threat of having our pants pulled down, or we wander the streets like stray dogs without a place willing to take us in. And here you are, eating well, drinking well, and there's even a Ghost King keeping you company!"
…When he put it that way, it was indeed rather tragic. Shi Qingxuan finally pulled himself up from the floor.
"So, Your Highness, do you still remember our objective for coming to Ghost City?"
Xie Lian regained his composure and replied, "Of course I remember. Back at the Paradise Hall, I was preparing for our mission."
Shi Qingxuan looked at him in confusion. "Really? What exactly did you prepare at the Paradise Hall? I only remember you playing around with Crimson Rain Sought Flower rolling dice. You guys weren't even playing properly; you were feeling up his hands, and he was feeling up yours. What kind of new method was that?"
"…" Xie Lian explained himself, "Lord Wind Master, please don't make it sound so questionable. We were only having a discussion. I've found some clues here in Paradise Manor and was investigating. To keep going, I needed a little luck."
Xie Lian raised his right hand and curled it into a tight fist as if he had grabbed hold of something, his face set. "And I've gotten it."
The two silently slunk out the door. After two incense time, they successfully found that room once more.
Xie Lian approached the statue of the woman and took out the two dice given to him before. He paused and took a deep breath before rolling the dice. There was a soft rattle, and sure enough, the roll was two red sixes.
Xie Lian let out a breath of relief, but he felt worse when he remembered that this luck was lent to him earlier at the Paradise Hall by Hua Cheng. Seeing his remorseful expression, Shi Qingxuan patted his shoulders.
"Since we've come this far, just let it go. If I were you, I would've declined this mission from Jun Wu no matter how he begged, lest I be a poor friend."
Xie Lian shook his head. At the end of the day, Shi Qingxuan didn't know Jun Wu very well. This case was certainly awkward for Xie Lian, and Jun Wu had known it would be. From his understanding of Jun Wu's character, under normal circumstances he would never have brought this up with him and would've appointed another heavenly official to the mission. But even knowing this would be awkward for Xie Lian, Jun Wu still requested his assistance. That could only mean one thing: Jun Wu had no one else who was better suited to take on this mission and only asked him out of necessity. If that was the case, Xie Lian had no choice.
Besides, the missing heavenly official set off the distress signal seven days ago, and Hua Cheng had left seven days ago. That was a coincidence he couldn't ignore.
Xie Lian heaved a sigh before taking back the dice and pushing open the door. Behind it was no longer the small, simple chamber he'd seen before but a dark tunnel with a long stairway stretching into the abyss below, with brisk winds whistling at them from the blackness.
Xie Lian traded looks with Shi Qingxuan and nodded. One behind the other, the two entered the tunnel and the darkness beyond. Shi Qingxuan took the lead; he snapped his fingers and ignited a palm torch, illuminating the steps under their feet. Xie Lian closed the door gently and brought up the rear.
As they descended, Xie Lian asked of Shi Qingxuan, "Lord Wind Master, were there any heavenly officials banished from the heavenly court in recent years? I mean, besides me."
"There were," Shi Qingxuan replied. "Why do you ask?"
"Because I saw a cursed shackle on the wrist of that Waning Moon Officer from Ghost City. That could only come from the heavens, no?"
Shi Qingxuan was astonished. "What? Cursed shackle? Then Crimson Rain Sought Flower is using a former heavenly official as his subordinate?! What arrogance!!"
"It can't be arrogance," Xie Lian responded. "If one no longer belongs to the heavens, then it's their choice where they go. Originally, there was no need to question his motives, but that ghost officer's been acting suspiciously. It's worrisome, so I wanted to see what Lord Wind Master's thoughts are on his identity."
Shi Qingxuan pondered briefly and said, "There was indeed a Martial God of the West who was banished a few years back, and it caused quite the stir at the time."
Martial God of the West? Wasn't that Quan Yizhen?
Shi Qingxuan continued, "But I don't think That Highness would descend to the Ghost Realm to be a ghost officer! He came from an orthodox background, and his character wasn't frivolous."
If that was the case, then why was he banished? Xie Lian was about to continue his inquiry when the two came to flat ground after sixty or so stone steps.
Before them there was a path about five or six people wide, leading in only one direction, shrouded in darkness. Behind them was the staircase that led to the surface. On either side were thick, solid walls. There wasn't any need to debate where to go: just go forward.
But after walking along that path for only two hundred steps, a frigid stone wall loomed before them, blocking their path.
Shi Qingxuan frowned. "The path's cut off? No way."
He held the palm torch in one hand and used the other to feel around the stone wall, searching for any sign of a release mechanism. He then cast a few spells for clearing illusions to no avail; the wall remained immovable. There was no more he could do.
"Maybe I'll just punch a hole through it?"
"That would cause way too much commotion," Xie Lian said. "All of Paradise Manor would be alerted."
Shi Qingxuan placed his hand flat on the stone wall and gave a short blast of spiritual energy, but he dropped his hand after a moment. "Punching it would be useless. This wall is probably over thirty meters thick."
But Xie Lian had clearly seen with his own eyes that the Waning Moon Officer had entered here. It was silly to think he'd sneak around just to meditate and reflect in a dead-end tunnel. There had to be some sort of mechanism involved, so the two scrutinized their surroundings in greater detail.
Soon, Xie Lian pointed. "Lord Wind Master, take a look at the ground. There seems to be something."
Shi Qingxuan dropped his palm immediately, and the two squatted around the spot Xie Lian had pointed out.
The ground of this tunnel was paved with numerous square bricks, each one about the size of a small door. The brick that they were standing on, right in front of the stone wall, had a drawing upon it. It wasn't a large picture, but it depicted a little person throwing dice.
Shi Qingxuan looked up. "So does this mean it's the same method as
before—that we have to roll the right number to open this stone wall?"
Xie Lian nodded. "That appears to be the case, but I didn't come in here with that Waning Moon Officer, so I don't know what the correct roll is."
"We've come this far," Shi Qingxuan said. "It's not realistic to turn back just to find that out. Let's roll a random number and see."
Xie Lian agreed. "Lord Wind Master, why don't you give it a go? I… don't know how long my borrowed luck will last."
Shi Qingxuan didn't refuse. He picked up the dice and tossed them to the floor.
"How about that?"
He rolled a two and a five. They waited briefly, but the stone wall didn't move. Xie Lian picked up the dice.
"That didn't work as expected."
Shi Qingxuan suddenly cried, "Your Highness, look under our feet! The image has changed!"
Hearing this, Xie Lian immediately looked down. Sure enough, the image on the square brick beneath their feet had been a little person rolling dice, but as they watched, the colors slowly faded and filled in once more, transforming into a different scene. It looked like a long, fat, thick, black creepy crawler.
"What in the world is that?" Shi Qingxuan wondered.
"An earthworm? A leech?" Xie Lian guessed. "That's what it looks like. There are plenty of them in the paddy fields, so I've seen a lot."
Shi Qingxuan wondered some more. "What on earth were you doing that you saw a lot of these things…"
Before his words were finished, he vanished.
It wasn't just him—Xie Lian himself disappeared as well. Just as the words "were you doing" were uttered, they both felt the ground give way beneath their feet. The next moment, they were free-falling into another tunnel.
Turned out, that stone wall wasn't a door after all, it was literally a stone wall. The square brick beneath their feet was the real door. After tossing the dice, the door opened abruptly and closed instantly. Xie Lian and Shi Qingxuan fell for only a moment before crashing heavily to the ground.
Thankfully, the ground was soft, otherwise the two would've cratered in deep. They didn't suffer any pain from such a tumble and were just pulling themselves up when their heads knocked into each other, and they both gave a cry of "Aah!" at the collision. Xie Lian, with one hand covering his head, felt around above with his other hand but only made contact with the same soft, wet, muddy earth as the ground they were on.
There were no stone tiles. That stone door was long gone.
When they fell, the palm torch Shi Qingxuan ignited had been extinguished. Now that he had relit it and brightened their surroundings, the two discovered that they were in a mud tunnel.
The tunnel was round with muddy walls and didn't appear to be man-made. Shi Qingxuan rubbed his forehead.
"What is this place? Did we get thrown here because we rolled the wrong number?"
Xie Lian pondered briefly and replied, "It's very possible. That stone door is already gone, meaning we have no way to turn back. Let's think of a way to escape first."
The two talked it over and decided to keep following the tunnel path. The tunnel had numerous twists and turns, and if a full-grown adult wanted to stand up straight in it, they'd have a bit of a hard time. They could only walk by bending at the waist, or crawl, making their movements both slow and tiresome. The air in this tunnel was warm and moist, the mud clingy and annoying; each of their steps sank and dragged, watery and gross. Sometimes, they would even step in the rotten remains of plants or animals. Xie Lian's face never changed, but Shi Qingxuan had goosebumps popping up all over. But the longer they traveled, the more Xie Lian felt something was off.
"Lord Wind Master, we'd better move faster. This place…"
Just then, a loud, bizarre rumbling sound reverberated around them.
The noise crashed in, the entire tunnel shook, and small blots of mud pitter-pattered down from the tremors. The two exchanged a look, and without a word, they sped off in the opposite direction of the noise.
Yet that enormous sound and the massive tremors were thundering their way, going faster than them, pushing closer by the second. The two of them moved arduously, one step shallow and the next step deep, scrambling through the twisting tunnel without an end in sight, not even a ray of light. And not just that, but the direction they were running toward also reverberated with those same thunderous tremors!
They were blocked both front and behind, and the two had to stop. Along with the rumbling, the sound of a massive, heavy body hurtling through the mud whammed past.
Two humongous earthworms wiggled in and appeared before Xie Lian and Shi Qingxuan.
The two worms were swollen and large, their bodies a bruised purple, their skins slightly translucent. The bodies of these worms were segmented with no heads or tails—the two heads were nothing more than meat stumps. What else could they be if not incredibly large worms?
That stone door had opened and dropped them into these earthworm monsters' nest!
Xie Lian raised an arm to guard himself, Ruoye at the ready, while Shi Qingxuan drew out his Wind Master fan from out of nowhere. Unfortunately, in this narrow tunnel, it was impossible to start any gusts, and any crazed winds would only recoil back at them, making that spiritual device difficult to use. In that moment, Xie Lian remembered that worms were afraid of light and heat, and he shouted a command.
"Lord Wind Master, please lend me some spiritual power! And intensify the palm torch!"
Shi Qingxuan followed his directions and clapped Xie Lian's hand with his own left hand while the flames in his right palm burst dozens of centimeters higher. Xie Lian also swiftly started a bright palm torch. Sure enough, the two giant worms felt the heat and shrunk back, pulling a few meters away. Using the flames, the pair continued slowly on their path, forcing the giant earthworms to keep their distance and praying for an exit.
But the tunnel was narrow, and with such large flames burning, soon enough it wasn't only the worms feeling the heat. Xie Lian and Shi Qingxuan themselves were sweating profusely as if they were baking in an oven, miserable and wretched. And the more horrifying thing was that Shi Qingxuan couldn't keep burning through his power to keep the flames alive, and the fires grew smaller and smaller. They also noticed that although the giant earthworms were still evading them, they weren't as fearful.
After a few more steps, Xie Lian could feel his breathing grow difficult. He said, "Lord Wind Master, the palm torch won't last. The mud here may be moist and loose, but we're still deep underground. Soon we'll run out of air, the fire will die, and we're going to faint."
Shi Qingxuan gritted his teeth. "Then we can only use the Teleportation Array."
Although neither of the two had a free hand to draw an array and the current environment wasn't exactly ideal, there was no other way.
"Let me find somewhere flat," Xie Lian said.
Just then, he felt a small plate beneath his steps—not moist and spongy, but more like a stone tile. A thought struck Xie Lian, and he immediately crouched down to check. Just as he suspected—it was another stone door!
It also had an image of a little person rolling dice on it. Shi Qingxuan stepped onto the tile with him, overjoyed.
"Quick, quick, quick! Roll the dice and open it!"
Xie Lian was just about to roll the dice when he suddenly thought, But what if I roll a worse outcome and open an even more horrifying place?
Xie Lian passed the dice to Shi Qingxuan. "You do it!"
Without a word, Shi Qingxuan grabbed the dice and tossed. Rattle, rattle. This time it was a three and a four. Xie Lian picked up the dice readily, and the two stood together on top of the door tile. The palm torch in Shi Qingxuan's hand shrank by another inch; the two giant worms were squirming and ready to approach. Xie Lian stared intently at the drawing on the tile as it slowly dissolved then gradually transformed into another picture. It was a forest, with a number of oddly dressed little people dancing in circles around another figure in the center.
Just then, one of the worms finally stopped holding back—it charged toward them with its mouth open a slit, dragging its heavy body.
Thankfully, when the worm was only a mere meter away from them, the stone door opened!
This time, the two fell into another narrow hole, except the ground was hard and dry, and this new space was extremely cramped. This fall was painful, and the two tumbled and knocked into each other. Xie Lian was used to enduring pain, so he didn't make a sound, but Shi Qingxuan cried out. That left Xie Lian's ears in pain, instead, from the screaming.
Worried something might have happened to him, he called out, "Lord Wind Master, are you okay?"
Shi Qingxuan's head was at the bottom, and his legs were in the air. "I don't know if I'm okay. I've never fallen like this before. Your Highness, working with you is really too thrilling."
Xie Lian couldn't help but let out a small laugh at that as he finally realized that the two of them had fallen into a hole in a tree. He crawled out of the hole with great difficulty and extended a helping hand to Shi Qingxuan.
"Thanks for all your hard work."
"You're welcome," Shi Qingxuan replied.
He pulled on Xie Lian's hand and climbed out of the hole, dirty and disheveled, his silk dress in tatters. When he got out, he put a hand over his brow to block out the stinging brightness of the sun.
"Where's this?"
"As you can see, it's a forest in the deep mountains," Xie Lian replied. He looked around and said, "I think the stone doors are a spiritual device with the same function as the Teleportation Array. Different rolls on the dice will take us to different places. I wonder if we rolled any of the right numbers."
Shi Qingxuan crossed his now-bare arms and contemplated seriously. "Using the Teleportation Array just once requires an immense amount of spiritual power. That Crimson Rain Sought Flower created something like these stone doors just to prevent people from snooping around… It speaks volumes about his immense spiritual powers and how deeply calculating he is."
Although he appeared solemn, his unkempt appearance with bare arms and bare feet made it really difficult for him to come across as serious. Instead, he looked, well, hilarious. Xie Lian held back his laughter with immense difficulty as he thought of the way Hua Cheng always lightly curled his lips and shook his head.
Rather than calculating, it's more that he's…mischievous, Xie Lian thought.
The two had only just emerged from the hole in the tree, and not a few steps after did a bunch of naked people suddenly jump out from the nearby bushes and surround them. They started jumping, howling as they did so.
"OOOOOOOOOOH!!"
"…"
The two were deeply shaken, and Shi Qingxuan cried, "What's this now?!"
Xie Lian raised his hand. "Don't panic, don't panic! Let's take a look first."
He studied them and realized they weren't actually naked; they were wearing animal skins and leaves and looked like they were ready to drink blood. They were holding long spears made of branches with sharp stones fastened at the ends as spearheads, and when they smiled at the pair, their teeth were jagged and sharp like saws.
The pair bolted without a word.
Shi Qingxuan shouted as he ran, "My brother used to tell me about this—that deep in the southern mountains, there are many fierce spirits that feast on human flesh! He told me never to come to such a place on my own! Is that what we ran into?!"
Xie Lian was practiced in the art of escape, so his demeanor and manner were far more relaxed than Shi Qingxuan's. He replied calmly, "Mm, that's very possible. Either way, we need to find the exit. Let's see if there are any more stone doors nearby!"
The fearsome spirits ran after them, screaming and howling tirelessly. At first, Xie Lian and Shi Qingxuan could only run for it, not fight back. Heavenly laws dictated that, should gods descend to the Mortal Realm, they should never presumptuously use their powers to oppress mortals. This law was to prevent heavenly officials from bullying mortals and creating disasters born of the abuse of their power. But these spirits kept hurling sharp rocks and branches at them, and without warning, one such branch scraped Shi Qingxuan's cheek.
Now this was absolutely unacceptable. Shi Qingxuan felt his face and found the faintest bloody scratch. He saw red. With a roar, he came to a sudden stop. He spun around and shouted, "You ignorant, violent hillbillies! Not only did you not bow before me, the Lord Wind Master, you dared to ruin my face!! Unbelievable!!"
He pulled out his Wind Master fan, flashing it open with a powerful whoosh, and swung with force—their attackers were instantly blown off the ground and sent flying meters away, crashing into nearby trees and howling as they hung off the branches. The two could finally stop running, and they took in deep breaths trying to calm their heartbeats. As they panted, that thought came to Xie Lian again: It's such a hassle being a heavenly official… Gods, humans, ghosts, no one has it any easier…
Shi Qingxuan heaved out his grievances as he turned to Xie Lian. "Your Highness, you saw it, right? They were asking for it! I wasn't using my powers to bully them."
"That's right, I saw it," Xie Lian said.
Shi Qingxuan felt his face again and mumbled under his breath, "Even my brother wouldn't dare…" He turned around again. "Let's go find that stone door."
Xie Lian nodded silently and watched Shi Qingxuan fix his clothes and hair until he looked properly dashing once more. Unfortunately, he was still dressed in a bedraggled purple silk dress, so it was a dash of peculiar flavor.
It was a truly unforgettable sight. Xie Lian couldn't help but marvel.
Thinking back on when they first met at Banyue Pass, the Lord Wind Master had seemed like such a bright and scintillating figure, and Xie Lian had thought him a powerful being with immeasurable depth—if not a peerless demonic cultivator, then a supreme master. Now that they were better acquainted, he realized all of that was but an illusion…
The two walked relentlessly in circles through the forest and finally found a set of stone doors beside a different tree hole. This time, Shi Qingxuan refused to roll the dice and shook his head.
"I don't know what's going on, but even though my luck isn't always the best, it's not always the worst either. Fortune doesn't seem to be with me today; I rolled twice, and the first time was that earthworm tunnel, the second time a bloodthirsty spirit playground. Who knows what's next."
Xie Lian cleared his throat softly and guiltily replied, "Maybe it's because I'm with you. I must've brought your luck down with me."
"What are you saying?!" Shi Qingxuan exclaimed. "It's impossible for anyone to bring down my luck—me, the Lord Wind Master! But why don't you give it a go? Maybe there's still some of that luck you borrowed from your San Lang left."
For some reason, Xie Lian felt a little embarrassed when he heard "your San Lang." He wanted to explain, but at the same time, what was there to explain? If he tried, it would only be weirder, so he didn't say anything in the end. He felt the dice in his hands and rolled them lightly.
Two sixes.
Xie Lian held his breath as he watched the images on the stone door transform and mentally prepared himself to face whatever came next. But this time, the picture didn't change, and the stone door creaked open.
Behind the door was another long stairway that descended into darkness, and brisk air whirled up from the depths.
The two exchanged a look, both thinking, After all that, did we circle back to the beginning?
Even if they were back at the beginning, that was still better than these strange perils; they'd had enough. Thus, the pair resolutely stepped in. But the moment they entered, the door closed behind them, and when they reached out to push, they only felt the smooth surface of a stone wall.
"Looks like our only path is down," Xie Lian said.
"Ugh, all right," Shi Qingxuan sighed. "Let me take a breather, and we'll continue to play that despicable Crimson Rain Sought Flower's game!"
The two once again descended through the long, rectangular, stony path. After two hundred steps or so, Xie Lian realized something.
"Good news, Lord Wind Master. This isn't the same path we took the first time, even though they appear similar."
Shi Qingxuan noticed it too. "You're right. The first time we reached the stone wall after some two hundred steps, but not this time."
Xie Lian said softly, "Looks like we're on the right path this time."
As soon as he spoke, they came to a stop.
Ahead of them in the darkness wafted the stench of blood. And accompanying that smell was the heavy breathing of a man.
The two didn't move a muscle and said nothing. There was neither light, nor flames, yet the other party had already sensed their presence. Right after they stopped, a cold voice rang out.
"I have nothing to say," spoke the deep voice of a man.
At the sound of that voice, Shi Qingxuan immediately ignited a palm torch.