CHAPTER 43
Borrowing the Underpath ;
Night Crawl in Paradise Manor
•••
Shi Qing Xuan frowned, " The road's cut off? No way. "
He held the palm torch in one hand and used the other to feel around the stone wall looking for any signs of mechanics. He then casted a few spells for clearing disillusionment to no avail; the wall remained immovable. There wasn't more he could do " Maybe I'll just punch a hole through it? "
" That would cause way too much commotion, " Xie Lian said, " The entire Paradise Manor would be shaken. "
Shi Qing Xuan placed his hand flat on the stone wall and blasted a short burst of spiritual energy, but dropped his hand after a moment, " Even if I punch it'd be useless. This wall is probably over ten feet thick. "
Xie Lian saw with his own eyes that the masked youth had entered here, it'd be silly to think he'd sneak around just to meditate and reflect in a dead end tunnel? There must be some sort of mechanism involved, so the two continued to examine their surroundings in greater detail. Soon, Xie Lian pointed, " Lord Wind Master, take a look at the ground there seems to be something."
Shi Qing Xuan dropped his palm immediately and the two squatted around where Xie Lian had pointed.
The ground of this tunnel was paved with innumerous squared bricks , and each brick was 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 was of a little person throwing dice.
Shi Qing Xuan raised his head, " So does this mean it's the same method as before, that we'd have to toss the right number to open this stone wall?"
Xie Lian nodded slightly, " That looks to be the case, but I didn't come in here with that masked youth, so I don't know what the right number is."
" We've come this far, " Shi Qing Xuan said, " It's not realistic to turn back just to find that out. Let's just throw 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 would last. "
Shi Qing Xuan didn't decline. He picked up the dice and tossed them to the floor, " How about that? "
He rolled a " two " and a " five ". The two waited in silence but the stone wall didn't move. Xie Lian picked up the dice, " I guess that didn't work. "
Shi Qing Xuan suddenly cried,
" Your Highness, look under our feet! The picture's changed! "
Hearing this, Xie Lian immediately looked down. Sure enough, the image on the square brick beneath their feet had been a little person throwing dice, but as they watched the colours slowly faded and filled in once more transforming into a different scene, looking like a long, fat and thick black creepy crawler.
" What in the world is this? " Shi Qing Xuan wondered.
" An earthworm? A leech? " Xie Lian guessed. ".That's what it looks like. There's plenty in the paddy fields, so I've seen a lot. "
Shi Qing Xuan wondered some more, " What kind of life did you lead to see a lot of this stuff… "
Before his words were finished, his entire person disappeared. It wasn't just him, Xie Lian himself disappeared too. Turns out, just as the words " what in the world " were uttered, they both felt hollow beneath their feet at the same time, and the next moment they started free-falling into another tunnel.
Turns out, that stone wall wasn't a door after all, and was in all seriousness, a wall. The square brick beneath their feet was the real door. After tossing the dice, the doors opened suddenly and closed instantly. Xie Lian and Shi Qing Xuan free fell for only a moment before landing heavily onto the ground.
It was a good thing that the ground was soft, otherwise the two would've cratered in deep. They didn't think the fall was painful and were just pulling themselves up when their heads knocked into each other.
They " ah "-ed and fell back to the ground. Xie Lain, with one hand covering his forehead.was feeling about his surroundings with his other hand but only made contact with the soft, wet, muddy ground.
There was no stone tiles. That stone wall was long gone.
When they fell earlier, the palm torch Shi Qing Xuan ignited had been extinguished.
Now that he had lit it up once more and brightened their surroundings, the two discovered that they were in a mud tunnel.
The tunnel was round in shape with muddy walls, and didn't appear to be man made. Shi Qing Xuan rubbed his forehead, " What is this place? Did we get thrown here because we tossed the wrong number? "
Xie Lian hummed and said, " It's very possible. That stone door is gone, meaning we have no chance of turning 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 innumerous twists and turns, and if a full grown adult wanted to stand up straight in it they'd have a hard time. They could only bend at the waist to walk, or crawl, moving both slowly and tiresomely. The air in this tunnel was also warm and moist, the mud clingy and annoying, each of their steps sinking and dragging, watery and gross.
Sometimes, they would even step into a rotten remains of plants or animals. Xie Lian's face never changed, but Shi Qing Xuan had goosebumps pop up all over. But the more they traversed the more Xie Lian felt something was off. " Lord Wind Master, we better move faster, otherwise… " Just then, a loud, bizarre roaring sound came echoing.
The noise crashed in, the entire tunnel shook, and small blots of mud pitter pattered down from the quaking. The two looked at each other, and without a word, they sped off in the opposite direction of the noise.
Yet, that loud sound and the huge quaking shook the tunnel violently, and its speed much faster than they, cutting in closer by the second. The two of them moved with much difficulty, one step shallow and one step deep, crawling through the twisting tunnel without end in sight, not even a ray of light. And not just that, but in the direction they're running towards also reverberated the same huge noise and quaking!
Both front and back were blocked, the two had to stop. Along with the crashing noises , the sound of a heavy and gigantic body pushing through the mud whammed past, and two humongous earthworms wiggled in, appearing before Xie Lian and Shi Qing Xuan.
The two worms were swollen and large, their bodies a bruising purple, their skin lightly translucent. The body of the insects were segmented, no head, no tail, the fronts were only a meat stump. If those weren't worms then what were they?
The stone door opened and threw them into such monster's nest!
Xie Lian raised an arm to guard before himself, RuoYe at the ready.
Shi Qing Xuan untucked his Wind Master fan from who knows where. Unfortunately in this narrow tunnel it was impossible to start any gusts, and any blows would only recoil, making it hard to make use of that spiritual device. Just then, Xie Lian recalled that worms were afraid of light and heat, and he shouted, " Lord Wind Master, please lend me some power, and grow your palm light! "
Shi Qing Xuan followed his direction, and tapped Xie Lian with his left hand while the flames in his right palm burst a few feet higher. Sure enough, the two giant worms felt the heat and shrunk back, pulling away a few feet in distance. The two, using the flames, continued on their path slowly, forcing the giant earthworms to keep a distance, and prayed for an exit.
However, the tunnel was narrow, and soon enough, it wasn't only the worms feeling the heat from the flames, but Xie Lian and Shi Qing Xuan themselves were sweating profusely, as if they were baking in an oven, miserable and wretched. And the more horrifying thing was, Shi Qing Xuan couldn't keep up burning his powers to keep the flames alive, and the fire grew smaller and smaller. They also noticed that although the giant earthworms were evading them, they weren't as jittery.
After a few more steps, Xie Lian felt his breathing grow difficult and 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 the air will no longer pass, the fire will die, and we're going to faint."
Shi Qing Xuan gritted his teeth,
" Then we can only use the Distance Shortening 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 beneath his step a small plate that didn't seem to be moist and spongy but more so like a stone tile. Xie Lian's mind moved and he immediately crouched down to check. Just as he suspected – it was another stone door!
There was also another drawing of a little person tossing dice on this door. Shi Qing Xuan also stepped onto the tile and was overjoyed, " Quick, quick, quick! Throw the dice and open it! "
Xie Lian was just about to toss out the dice but suddenly thought, 'But what if I roll out worse outcomes and open a more horrifying place?' Xie Lian passed the dice to Shi Qing Xuan,
" Here, you do it! "
Without a word, Shi Qing Xuan grabbed the dice and tossed. Rattle, rattle. This time it was a 'three' and a 'four'. Xie Lian picked up the dice readily and and the two stood together over the tile. The palm torch on Shi Qing Xuan's hand became smaller by another inch, and the two giant worms were squirming and twisting, struggling to approach. Xie Lian watched the drawing on the tile closely as it slowly dissolved into another picture. It was of a forest and a number of weirdly dressed little people were dancing in circles around another.
Just then, the worms wouldn't hold back anymore, and rushed towards them with a small mouth on the head opening, dragging their heavy bodies.
Thankfully, just as the worms were only mere feet away from them, the stone door opened!
This time, the two fell into another narrow hole, but the ground was hard, cramped, and dry. The fall was painful and the two tumbled and knocked into each other. Xie Lian was used to pain so he didn't make a sound, but Shi Qing Xuan yelled in pain. Xie Lian's ears were hurt by the loud screaming. Worried something might have happened, he called out,
" Lord Wind Master, are you ok? "
Shi Qing Xuan's head was at the bottom and his legs up, " I don't know if I'm ok. I've never fallen like this before. Your Highness, there's way too much thrill working with you. "
Hearing this Xie Lian couldn't help but let out a small laugh, and realized the two of them fell into a hole in a tree. He crawled out of the hole with great difficulty and extended a helping hand to Shi Qing Xuan,
" Thanks for all your hard work. "
" You're welcome. " Shi Qing Xuan replied.
He pulled on Xie Lian's hand and climbed out of the hole, muddy and disheveled, his silk dress robe ripped and rumpled. When he got out he put a hand over his brows to block out the sharp brightness of the sun. " Where's this? "
" As you see, a forest in the deep mountains. " Xie Lian replied. He looked around him and said, " I think these stone doors are a spiritual device that have the same function as the Distance Shortening Array. Different numbers tossed will take us to different places. I wonder if we tossed any right numbers."
Shi Qing Xuan crossed his two now uncovered arms and pondered seriously, " Using the Distance Shortening Array just once requires an immense amount of spiritual power. To create these stone doors to prevent others from snooping around, that Crimson Rain Sought Flower is indeed powerful and no stranger to mind games. "
Although his expression was solemn, with bare arms and such an unkempt disposition, he didn't look serious at all and rather hilarious. Xie Lian held back his laugh with great difficulty and thought about the way Hua Cheng would lift his lips and shook his head.
'Rather than mind games, it's more… that he's mischievious.' Xie Lian thought.
The two only just gotten out of the hole in the tree, and not even a few steps after a number of red skinned naked people suddenly poured out from the nearby bushes and surrounded them. They started jumping, howling as they did so,
"OOOooooHHHOooHHooohhhh!!"
"…"
The two were shocked, and Shi Qing Xuan cried, " What is this now?! "
Xie Lian raised his hand, " Don't panic, don't panic! "
He steadied himself to look at those savages, and they weren't truly naked, but were wearing animal skins and leaves, looking like they were ready to drink blood. They had long branch spears and sharp stoned axes in hand, and when they smiled at the two, their teeth were jaggedly sharp like saws.
The two ran without saying a word.
Shi Qing Xuan shouted as he ran,
" My brother used to always tell me! That deep in the southern mountains are many savage cannibals that live off of human flesh! He told me not to ever come to such a place on my own! Is that what those are?! "
Xie Lian was practiced in the art of escape so his entire demeanour and manner were much more serene than Shi Qing Xuan. He replied calmly, " Hm. That's very possible! Either way let's find the door first! Let's see if there are any more stone doors nearby! "
Those savages ran after them screaming and howling tirelessly. Originally, Xie Lian and Shi Qing Xuan could only escape and not fight back because there were heavenly laws
that dictated that should gods ever descend to the mortal realm, they shalt not use their powers to oppress. This law was to prevent heavenly officials from bullying mortals and create disasters borne of power.
But the cannibals unceasingly threw sharp rocks and branches at them, and one such branch scraped Shi Qing Xuan's cheek. This was absolutely unacceptable. Shi Qing Xuan felt his face and there was the lightest of a bloody scratch, and saw red.
He roared and came to a sudden stop. Turning around, he shouted, " YOU IGNORANT HILLBILLY SAVAGES! NOT ONLY DID YOU NOT COWER IN FEAR BEFORE ME, THE LORD WIND MASTER, YOU DARE RUIN MY FACE!! UNBELIEVABLE!!! "
After his cries, he pulled out his wind master fan, flashing it open with a powerful 'whoosh' and swun with force. The savages were blown off the ground and smashed into nearby trees, howling as they hung off the branches. The two could finally stop running, and took in deep breaths trying to calm their heartbeat. That thought came to Xie Lian again, it's hard being a god… in the three realms, no one had it easier…
Shi Qing Xuan huffed and turned to Xie Lian, " Your Highness, you saw it, right? They were asking for it! I wasn't using my powers to oppress."
" I saw, yes. " Xie Lian said.
Shi Qing Xuan 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 Qing Xuan fixed his clothes and hair, looking carefree once more. Unfortunately he was dressed in a bedraggled purple silk dress, so his air of carefree had a flavour of queer; it was an unforgettable sight. Xie Lian couldn't help but lament. Thinking back on when they first met at the BanYue Pass, the Lord Wind Master was such a scintillating figure, so much so that Xie Lian had thought him a powerful being with immeasurable depth; if not of a supreme demonic cultivator, then a supreme saint. Now that they're close, he understood everything was but an illusion…
The two walked around in circles in the forest and finally found a set of stone doors next to a different tree hole. This time, Shi Qing Xuan refused to toss the dice and shook his
head. " I don't know what's going on, but even though my luck isn't the best every time, it's also not the worst every time. Lady Fortune doesn't seem to be with me today; twice i tossed and the first time was that earthworm tunnel, and the second time a cannibal playground. Who knows what's next. "
Xie Lian cleared his throat softly and guiltily replied, " Maybe it's because I'm with you so I brought your luck down with me. "
" What are you saying! " Shi Qing Xuan exclaimed, " It's impossible for anyone to bring down the luck of I, the Lord Wind Master! But why don't you give it a go? Maybe there's still some of the luck you borrowed from your San Lang left. "
Xie Lian didn't know why, but he felt a little embarrassed when he heard
" your San Lang ". He wanted to explain, but at the same time, what's there to explain? If he must explain then it'd be a little weird, so in the end, he didn't say anything. He felt the dice in his hands and tossed them out lightly.
Two 'sixes'.
Xie Lian held his breath as he watched the drawings 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, blowing cold air.
The two looked at each other, both thinking, 'Did we circle back to the beginning after going through all that?'
Even if it was back at the beginning, it was still better than bizarre dangers; they've had enough. Thus, the two decided to descend. The moment they entered through the door closed behind them, and when they reached out to push, the door had become a stone wall.
" Looks like our only way is downwards. " Xie Lian said.
" Ugh, alright. " Shi Qing Xuan sighed, " Give me a break and we'll continue to play that hateful Crimson Rain Sought Flower's game! "
The two once again descended down the long and 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're similar. "
Shi Qing Xuan noticed it too, " You're right. The first time we reached the stone wall after two hundred some steps, but not this time. "
Xie Lian said softly, " Looks like this time we're on the right path. "
Just as he finished his words the two came to a stop.
Not far before them in the darkness wafted the stench of blood. Accompanying the smell was the heavy breathing of a man.
The two didn't move a muscle and said no words. No light, no flames, yet the other had already sensed their presence, because right after they stopped, a cold voice rang out.
" I have nothing to say. " The deep voice of a man said.
Hearing that voice, Shi Qing Xuan immediately ignited a palm torch.