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墨書 Inktalez
Mei Shuang also saw it, and her mind went blank. Instinctively raising her hand to block, she closed her eyes, thinking it was the end.
After a moment, there was surprisingly no movement.
The heavy pressure on her body made it hard for her to breathe, so she opened her eyes. As she looked up to assess the situation, she nearly bumped faces with Anriyan, even catching a glimpse of her own reflection in Anriyan's amber eyes.
Both of them were unharmed.
Wherever she looked, the previously aggressive Soulbinding Grass had retreated, now listlessly swaying in place, seemingly a bit wilted.
What the hell is going on? She stared at Anriyan in shock, who was looking at her hand with a meaningful expression in his eyes.
Mei Shuang glanced down at her hand and realized she was holding a short sword.
When she fell to the ground earlier, somehow the Zhanlu Sword given to her by the Empress of the Great Qin Empire, Xiao Luo, had slipped from her sleeve into her palm. In that moment of danger, she instinctively closed her eyes and swung the sword, and it was this short sword that saved her.
Perhaps fearing the entirely black short sword, the Soulbinding Grass nearby continued to flutter around but dared not approach any closer. The sword itself seemed to emit a cold light as if sensing the surrounding danger, exuding an impressive deterrent force.
As they say, one thing restrains another!
Mei Shuang looked at the treasured sword with excitement, and Xiao Luo's deep voice echoed faintly in her ears: "When you think of me, just look at this sword."
...
Pulling back her thoughts, the startled spirit began to settle back into place. She then realized that her position with Anriyan was quite ambiguous.
Anriyan had just been pressing down on her tightly; even through their thin clothing, they could feel each other's body heat and texture.
Anriyan's face was close enough to see clearly, his breath filled with the strong scent of a stranger. Mei Shuang suddenly felt a bit breathless. Avoiding his bright yet intense gaze that seemed to scrutinize her, she feigned calmness and said, "Alright, we're safe now; you can get up."
Deep down, she felt an unusual warmth towards Anriyan's earlier act of bravery. She sighed in relief, pondering how few people would risk their lives to save you in times of danger. If it weren't for this short sword, she might have already met her end, and Anriyan's fate wouldn't have been much better.
"Zhanlu Sword?" Anriyan squinted at the short sword in Mei Shuang's hand, seemingly incredulous. As he helped her up, he remarked, "Ah, gathering the essence of metals and the sun, it is indeed a divine sword."
It was clear that Anriyan recognized its value; he spoke with such eloquence. Mei Shuang nodded, "That's right, that's its name."
Anriyan glanced back at the Soulbinding Grass. "These things are extremely yin in nature. Now that the Zhanlu Sword is here, they must be afraid..."
The earlier danger still left Mei Shuang feeling uneasy. She took a breath and said, "This truly is a good treasure for warding off evil. With this, we shouldn't have to fear them anymore."
Anriyan thought to himself, you only just realized this is a treasure! However, seeing Mei Shuang alive and filled with joy after the ordeal stirred mixed feelings within him.
The Zhanlu Sword was unparalleled and indestructible.
Legend has it: "When the ruler is virtuous and the sword is by his side, the nation thrives; when the ruler is corrupt and the sword is cast aside, the nation falls." As the Sword of the Emperor, it was surprising that the emperor of the Great Qin Empire had entrusted this sword to Mei Shuang for protection. This contradicted what was said outside about the emperor's heartlessness towards her.
Those who had jumped into the cave were astonished to hear that Mei Shuang was unharmed when they thought she would perish. Yet, due to the fearsome nature of the Soulbinding Grass, none dared to venture out to see for themselves.
It was Cong Fei who hurried back upon hearing of the danger, anxiously inquiring about Mei Shuang's safety.
Mei Shuang felt a warmth in her heart as she replied, "I'm fine."
Once he confirmed that Mei Shuang was unscathed, he reported, "Miss Lin, I just checked; this cave leads upward and has good ventilation. It must lead to the mountain peak. We shouldn't delay any longer; we should leave quickly."
Upon hearing this, Mei Shuang carefully stowed away the Zhanlu Sword and entered the cave with Anriyan. Inside, it was relatively spacious; two people could walk side by side comfortably. The height was just right for Mei Shuang while Anriyan had to bend slightly.
Using the light from their torches to illuminate their path, Mei Shuang felt a chill as she looked at those who had fled without regard for themselves. She turned to Nangong Nuo and said calmly, "Zhao Prince, you can see the situation as well as I can. As we agreed upon, we've found the treasure. I'm afraid I won't be able to assist further... I need to return and report back. Let us part ways here."
Nangong Nuo certainly understood why Mei Shuang was angry. After all, who wouldn't resent their parents for not giving them two legs to stand on when it came to helping others?
Without a moment's hesitation, he swung his hand, and the black-clad man who had tripped Mei Shuang fell silently to the ground.
Mei Shuang was stunned into silence. Coming to her senses, she quickly crouched down to check; the man was already lifeless.
"What a good person you are. Why must you take his life?"
Nangong Nuo looked at the man's corpse with disdain and replied coolly, "Miss Mei Shuang, this man truly lacked foresight. In a moment of danger, he only thought of himself and disregarded you. He deserved to die!"
Mei Shuang was at a loss for words.
She had experienced the coldness of human hearts before. Her intention was never to harm anyone, but seeing Nangong Nuo so casually take a life made her feel angry, as if she had forced him into this act.
Mei Shuang immediately felt displeased. Straightening her back, she spoke firmly, "Zhao Prince, what do you mean by this? I merely said I have done what I needed to do; what does that have to do with him? Do you think killing him will change my mind? We are already worlds apart and have nothing to do with each other. To be honest, I have no obligation to do anything for you!"
As she spoke, Mei Shuang's tone was unusually resolute, and she had considered her words carefully.
If previously Nangong Nuo's men had the advantage in numbers, forcing them into submission, the situation was now quite different. With some dead and others injured, most of his remaining men were still trapped in the Underground Palace. Now there were only three left by his side. Given the skills of Anriyan and Cong Fei, they might not be unable to defeat them.
Nangong Nuo would not simply let them go free. Therefore, rather than being coerced, it was better to resist and seek an escape; otherwise, they would only end up dying alongside him.
Upon hearing her words, Nangong Nuo frowned deeply. He understood Mei Shuang's intentions immediately and snorted coldly, "Miss Mei Shuang, do you plan to abandon me and force your way out?"
Mei Shuang held her head high and remained silent.
"Heh heh, you can leave if you want, but leave the Zhanlu Sword behind..." Nangong Nuo's tone turned grim, his eyes glinting with malice.
“.....”
Mei Shuang realized that the other party had overheard her conversation with Anriyan, but such blatant theft was utterly despicable. She coldly replied, “This sword belongs to the Emperor of the Great Qin Empire. I can only borrow it temporarily for self-defense; how could I possibly give it to you?! Furthermore, if I lose it, I cannot bear the responsibility!”
Nangong Nuo was about to explode with anger when they heard a horrific scream coming from the already quiet Underground Palace.
The original Scorpion had been subdued by the Scorpion King; could there have been another drastic change?
A few people leaned out to look, only to see that the previously dancing Soulbinding Grass had somehow extended into that hole. The dreadful screams must have originated from this.
This shocking revelation was significant; they vaguely heard a muffled and terrifying voice from inside saying that the plant was growing longer and longer.
The sounds coming from within were chilling, sending shivers down their spines. Nangong Nuo turned to Mei Shuang and sternly demanded, “Will you hand over the Zhanlu Sword or not?”
Life and death were at stake. Although Mei Shuang was inclined to give him the Zhanlu Sword, Nangong Nuo's coercive tone was hard to accept. Before she could speak, Cong Fei intervened, saying, “Miss Lin, you must not! That is the Emperor's personal sword; it concerns the majesty of the ruler and cannot fall into anyone else's hands. Moreover, those people are aiding tyranny and digging for treasure with treasonous intent; they truly deserve their fate!”
The atmosphere in the Cave Passage suddenly became tense, both sides on edge. Anriyan shook his head in disagreement, “Although the Zhanlu Sword is powerful and can be used for self-defense, it is not sufficient to cut through the Soulbinding Grass. Furthermore, even if you take the sword to cut it, how can you guarantee that you won’t get any on yourself?”
Nangong Nuo maintained a serious expression, “What do you suggest we do?”
Anriyan crouched down, scooping up a handful of dirt from the hole. He held it in his palm against the light of the torch and examined it closely before bringing it to his nose to sniff.
The others were puzzled by his actions as he gently manipulated the somewhat brown soil with his fingers, looking grave. Then he forcefully tossed it toward the Soulbinding Grass.
Strangely enough, after the umbrella-shaped dirt was thrown at the Soulbinding Grass, the grass that got covered in dirt stopped moving and drooped in place.
Everyone was astonished; this was truly remarkable.
"I've said it before, wherever snakes go, there will be an antidote within seven steps," Anriyan said lightly. "The soil here contains the very thing that counters Soulbinding Grass."
It turned out that when the entrance to the cave opened, his sensitive sense of smell detected a faint scent carried by the wind. Most people wouldn't notice this scent, but after spending time outside the cave, he had only just begun to sense something unusual. It wasn't until he entered the cave with Mei Shuang that the smell became increasingly apparent, prompting him to recall this detail.
Nangong Nuo's people didn't have time to listen to Anriyan's explanation; they hurriedly mimicked his actions, scooping up dirt from the ground or walls and tossing it outward.
The Soulbinding Grass quickly drooped as if in a dormant state, remaining completely still.
In that brief moment, several more people from the Underground Palace were lost. By the time Elder Huang and the remaining members climbed up with grim faces, fewer than ten of them were left.
As they counted heads, Elder Huang noticed one person was missing. He leaned over to peer into the cave and vaguely saw a figure rushing back. Furious, he shouted, "Li Tou, are you crippled or blind? We're right here!"
The one called Li Tou hurriedly ran over, handing up something from his hands as he stepped onto the Cloud Ladder.
Elder Huang saw it was a long package and couldn't help but explode in anger, lowering his voice to scold him. "What are you doing at a time like this? Are you still thinking about that little treasure? Hurry up and get up here!"
Once everyone was up, they carefully avoided the Soulbinding Grass as Nangong Nuo and his group emerged from the cave.
"Zhao Prince, these are all that's left of our brothers who went down..." Elder Huang said in a choked voice, suppressing his grief.
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