Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 41: Desolate Evil Hall
The Buddhist Temple appeared out of nowhere, surely something strange was afoot. Ji Zichen turned to Lifeng and Fire Lion and asked, "Do you want to go in or do you want to fight?"
Lifeng glanced at Fire Lion, and the two exchanged looks. After a moment of contemplation, Fire Lion replied, "Go in? Why should we go in?"
Ji Zichen candidly stated, "You are pursuing us relentlessly because you want the beads, right? Going inside might get you what you desire."
Lifeng and Fire Lion were immediately intrigued, exclaiming in unison, "So the Buddhist Temple is a relic!"
Ji Zichen responded, "I don't know, but there are rumors that the Vermilion Bird has appeared here."
Fire Lion pondered for a moment and said, "I'm not afraid of your tricks. If there's nothing I want inside, it won't matter where I kill you."
Ji Zichen turned to Lin Chuyu and Chen San and said, "Let's go in."
The three of them approached the main entrance of the Buddhist Temple. The door loomed large and imposing, closed tightly, exuding an eerie atmosphere. Lin Chuyu's face showed signs of fear. "Are we really going in? This Buddhist Temple feels very strange; how can a temple just appear out of thin air?"
Ji Zichen stepped forward and pushed against the door, which slowly creaked open. "We've come this far; can we really turn back now?"
Chen San peered inside and was met with an endless darkness. A sense of dread crept into his heart. "Why is it so dark inside?"
Ji Zichen's eyes reflected the infinite blackness, and the doorframe resembled the mouth of a gigantic creature. He felt as though he was about to be swallowed whole.
Yet he stepped inside; as soon as Ji Zichen crossed the threshold, he was immediately engulfed by darkness. Seeing Ji Zichen enter, Lin Chuyu mustered her courage and said, "Uncle Chen, we should go in too."
With that, Lin Chuyu and Chen San crossed the threshold as well, their figures swallowed by the darkness.
Fire Lion took a step forward and said, "Fortune favors the bold!" The two of them entered the temple.
Yuxuan saw that Yu Ren had also gone inside, so he hesitated for a moment before stepping out from the woods and following them in.
After a brief moment inside the temple, two figures appeared outside the Buddhist Temple. They were cloaked, with a single character "Suffering" printed on their capes. Their faces were masked like eagles. The two exchanged glances, and in an instant, they leaped into the temple.
Suddenly, the Buddhist Temple flickered and vanished as if it had never existed.
---
Lin Chuyu let out a muffled groan and suddenly opened her eyes. She felt cold ground beneath her. As she propped herself up, she noticed a campfire beside her. "How did I...?"
Chen San returned to the campfire with several pieces of wood in his arms. He said, "You fainted."
Lin Chuyu asked in surprise, "I was fine; how could I have fainted?"
Chen San placed the wood down by the fire and replied, "I fainted too, but I woke up a bit earlier than you."
Lin Chuyu looked around in confusion. They were in a clearing surrounded by trees. Suddenly, she exclaimed, "What is this place? Didn't we enter the Buddhist Temple?"
Chen San, equally puzzled, said, "Yes, we clearly entered the Buddhist Temple, but how can there be a forest inside? I just walked around and found this place isn't behind Fangwen Mansion."
Chen San picked up a piece of wood he had just set down and said, "Look, this wood is dry."
Lin Chuyu realized that Chen San was right. After the heavy rain earlier, the ground here was indeed dry. She asked in surprise, "Then where are we? Where's Brother Ji?"
Chen San replied with concern, "I didn't see him when I woke up. He's gone."
Lin Chuyu was taken aback. "How could he just disappear?"
Chen San shook his head. "Don't worry about him. He's quite capable; he'll be fine. But we need to find a way to look for him."
Lin Chuyu thought for a moment and agreed. Just as she was about to stand up, a long howl suddenly echoed through the depths of the forest. The sound resembled some kind of animal, and Chen San exclaimed, "What was that sound?"
"Ugh!"
Lin Chuyu suddenly felt nauseous and spat out a few mouthfuls of bitter liquid. "Why do I feel so sick all of a sudden?"
In an instant, the Vermilion Bird Pearl around Lin Chuyu's neck glowed with a blood-red light.
Lin Chuyu gasped in surprise, "The Vermilion Bird Pearl is glowing!"
Chen San was immediately startled. "This is the Vermilion Bird Pearl!"
Lin Chuyu felt both excited and alarmed. "The Vermilion Bird must be nearby! That call was from the Vermilion Bird!"
Chen San tensed up. "The Vermilion Bird is here...!"
Lin Chuyu said, "The sound seems to be coming from deeper in the forest. We should hurry!"
"Wait, let's find Mr. Ji first," Chen San said.
"If he is here, he must have heard the sound of the Vermilion Bird. If we find the Vermilion Bird, we might encounter him," Lin Chuyu replied.
---
Ji Zichen was indeed in this forest, but he was still unconscious on the ground. Yuxuan stood beside him, watching coldly. Holding a long sword, Yuxuan slowly drew it from its sheath and pointed it horizontally at Ji Zichen. With a single thrust, Ji Zichen would meet his end.
Yet Yuxuan remained motionless, silently gazing at Ji Zichen. Surprised by her own emotions, Yuxuan thought, "Why can't I bring myself to do it?"
Just as Yuxuan hesitated, Ji Zichen slightly opened his eyes. Upon seeing the sword aimed at him, Ji Zichen recognized Yuxuan and exclaimed, "It's you!"
Seeing that Ji Zichen recognized her at first glance, Yuxuan felt an inexplicable joy in her heart. However, as her thoughts shifted, she recalled the last time she had been in front of Ji Zichen, and her face involuntarily flushed.
Ji Zichen noticed Yuxuan holding the sword against him and narrowed his eyes. "If you want to kill me, why don't you just do it?"
Suddenly gritting her teeth, Yuxuan replied, "I won't take advantage of someone in a vulnerable state. Get up and face me in a duel!"
Hearing this, Ji Zichen smiled instead. "You’re quite interesting."
Ji Zichen slowly got up. Just as he stood, with lightning speed, he reached out and snatched the long sword from Yuxuan's hand. Startled, Yuxuan found herself with the sword pressed against her throat. "If you want to kill me, then do it! Why hesitate?" she demanded.
With a twist of her wrist, Ji Zichen flung the long sword towards a tree with a sharp thud as it embedded itself into the trunk. "You didn't take my life while I was asleep; now I won't kill you either," Ji Zichen declared.
Turning to leave, Yuxuan felt unappreciated and called out to Ji Zichen's retreating figure, "I won’t fall for that! If you spare me now, I won’t hold back next time!"
Without turning back, Ji Zichen responded with a victorious tone, "Neither will I!"
Ji Zichen's figure vanished into the darkness of the forest, and Yuxuan's face flushed with anger. "He only showed mercy because I'm a woman and looks down on me."
A chill ran down Yuxuan's spine, as if someone was watching her. Suddenly, she shouted into the trees behind her, "Who’s there!"
A strange laugh echoed from the woods, "Hehe, Princess Yuxuan, I thought you wouldn’t notice."
Yuxuan glared coldly at the source of the voice. "Who are you?"
The figure in the woods replied, "I am here to lend you a hand, sent by the Crown Prince."
Yuxuan was taken aback. "It’s... my brother! What’s going on? Does he not trust me?"
The person in the shadows said, "We dare not speculate on the Crown Prince's thoughts; we are merely following orders."
Gathering her courage, Yuxuan demanded, "Come out and let me see your true faces."
"Apologies, Princess," two figures slowly emerged from the shadows of the forest.
Upon seeing them, Yuxuan felt a wave of fear wash over her as she recognized one of them with an eagle-like face. "You are from the Desolate Evil Hall!"
Comment 0 Comment Count