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A Li, hanging upside down behind me, was clearly slowing down. Her toes, locked together, trembled incessantly as if she might fall at any moment, causing the rope to shake as well. I couldn't tell if it was my movements or hers that caused the tremors.
I quickly stopped and encouraged her, "Focus! Don't look down or overthink. Just maintain a steady pace."
A Li nodded almost imperceptibly and then spoke, her voice still quivering, " Brother Qian Yi, about the wig... it was actually my idea first. When you all were discussing it, that master saw me take it out of my bag and put it back in. He knew my situation was awkward and that I couldn't speak up, so he brought it up for me."
For some reason, hearing this made me breathe a sigh of relief, though I feigned indifference with a casual "mm" in response.
A Li took a few deep breaths before continuing, "Do you remember when we first met at Emerald Villa? He was covered in injuries but still moved with such agility. He dropped Sister Kui's backpack and just left. At that time, I had just returned from Anle Village dealing with Huo Qiyun's matters. Before he left, he suddenly asked me if I had any news about you. Out of caution, I asked him who he was and why he wanted to know about you. He didn't say anything then, but his gaze was so determined and filled with concern... it was definitely not the probing of an enemy or an act. I told him you had been rescued and were safe... His expression relaxed immediately, and he turned around without saying another word."
I wasn't sure why A Li brought up Emerald Villa at this moment, but if it helped ease her anxiety, I wouldn't interrupt her. I just reminded her to keep moving; the longer we stayed here, the more dangerous it became.
A Li nodded and continued to crawl forward with me. " Brother Qian Yi, ever since we headed south to S, so much has happened. Your mood has been off; things that never used to bother you now make you explode with anger... I can sense that there's a wall between you and everyone else. You don't trust anyone anymore; you're always on guard against others—even against me, Dui, and Old Qiao... Especially after we entered the tomb; every time you look at someone, there's suspicion and hostility in your eyes. Have you noticed? Everyone is afraid to talk to you or get close... Brother Qian Yi, in the past, we were all tied together by the same rope—life and death together. No matter what grudges we had before or whether we were from New School or Old School, we should put aside our differences and unite as one. After all, we're still fellow disciples!"
My heart raced in shock; I could hardly find my voice. Shouldn't they have been the ones harboring animosity? Wasn't I the one suffering because of it? How had everything turned around for A Li? Was I really the one ruining the atmosphere?
" Brother Qian Yi," A Li continued, "I don't understand why you've become like this. Back in Spider Cave, you were affected by the Meteor Monster; your emotions were unstable. We all felt its influence to some extent back then—everyone was the same. But your mood hasn't improved; it's only gotten worse since that incident with Master bringing out the wig... So I'm thinking that if I can find a chance to explain everything clearly, maybe it'll help resolve your inner turmoil and bring back the kind-hearted and optimistic Brother Qian Yi we all know." A Li paused again.
Following her gaze ahead, I noticed lights about fifteen meters away—it seemed we were nearing the end of our climb. A Li likely hoped to use this moment alone with me to uncover the reasons behind my emotional turmoil.
But right now, I felt as if I were lost in a fog; I was utterly confused. Did Cold Bench really have such a significant impact on me? Were all my "abnormal" actions truly because of him?
No... no, that's not right. I can't let A Li pull me into this; it was clearly her who turned things upside down—everything has gone awry!
Upside down, upside down... Suddenly, a thought struck me. Old Qiao seemed to have said something similar in Li You's Bronze Armory. What had turned upside down? Could it be related to my current situation?
At that moment, my junior brother called us from ahead, urging us to hurry. I took a deep breath to calm myself and said to A Li, "I think I might have figured something out. Let's move forward first."
Just as A Li and I were about to start climbing, a dozen Corpse Bugs suddenly leaped up from below, biting into my back. Damn it! They were much fiercer than the ones before, their pincers nearly slicing into my spine.
A Li let out a startled cry as she was also caught. I quickly threw back the dagger she had given me earlier. "Catch!" I hastily pulled out my staff and swung it wildly behind me, but there were just too many Corpse Bugs; it was utterly futile.
These Corpse Bugs seemed to have some incredible jumping ability. In the blink of an eye, several had jumped onto the Safety Rope along my back. My heart sank—oh no, they weren't planning to leap at my face again, were they?
As I worried about this, I noticed that those that had jumped up weren't coming toward me; instead, they gathered at the spot where they landed, and more and more were joining them. How strange! Had they suddenly decided to become herbivores?
Then it hit me—damn it! These bugs were evolving! They intended to cut the rope and take us all down with them!
I shouted to A Li, "Forget about it! Hurry and climb forward! These Corpse Bugs want to bite through the rope and drag us all down!" A Li was chopping away frantically while saying, "It's too late! Look ahead!"
I looked up and felt a chill run down my spine. In just the second or two we had been talking, there were already hundreds of Azure Back Corpse Bugs jumping up less than five inches from my head. Each one was as big as a fist, crowding together to form a massive "wasp nest" across the Safety Rope. Their shells and large pincers emitted an eerie green glow that made me break out in a cold sweat... Some were continuously jumping up, riding on the backs of the weaker Corpse Bugs, pulling them down while they screeched in excitement.
At that moment, the rope suddenly shook violently. A Li screamed in surprise, and voices from my junior brother and the others came from the other side.
"A Li!" I couldn't spare a moment to respond; I just craned my neck to look at her. I saw that about two inches away from her feet was another "wasp nest," even larger than the one above my head. The Corpse Bugs on it were falling over each other as more bugs jumped up and were knocked down, creating a clattering sound as the rope trembled again beneath us.
My heart raced uncontrollably, pounding in my chest as a bad thought suddenly crossed my mind. Just then, the grip on my hands and feet loosened. Oh no! Was it really over?! It seemed that whatever I feared had come to pass!
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