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墨書 Inktalez
Zhu Fei Er bit through the vines that bound me once again. "I can't help you with anything else, but I can make your escape a little more comfortable. If you get hungry or thirsty, just let me know."
For some reason, I felt a surge of emotion. In this world, where people often trample on others and kick them when they’re down, it was rare to encounter someone with a kind heart—especially when that someone was not even human, but Zhu Jing.
"Thank you. If I manage to escape, would you come with me?" I asked.
Zhu Fei Er pondered for a moment. "Let's wait until you can actually get out."
I chuckled softly; she was right. Right now, I could barely save myself, so thinking about anything else was pointless.
Fo Gua had been in a deep slumber, and no matter how much I called out, I couldn't reach him. I went through all my options again, but given my current situation, there was nothing I could do. Even if I regained my former strength, it wouldn’t be enough to face this Tree Granny.
The light gradually dimmed as night fell quietly around us. The forest became eerily silent, enveloped in a deathly stillness.
Faint points of light slowly gathered together, resembling a massive round lantern hanging in midair.
From within the gnarled tree trunk, Tree Granny emerged. She looked like she was on the verge of death and took her time walking over to me.
Her hands were as rough as dried bird claws as she touched my face. "It's been many years since I've encountered such pure Ding Lu. Child, are you still a virgin... heh heh..."
Her laughter sounded like a broken wind instrument—harsh and grating to the ears.
What’s so funny about that? Can’t a man keep himself clean? Besides, we’re both Ding Lu; what difference does it make whether I'm a virgin or not?
"Roar..."
Tree Granny stepped back a few paces, suddenly opening her mouth wide. Her lips split near her ears as tendrils began to emerge from her throat—green and vibrant like living vines, writhing as if they were the tentacles of an octopus.
The branch-like tendrils crawled toward me like snakes. I pressed my lips tightly together as thin branches slithered into my nostrils, ears, and eyes, trying to burrow inside.
What was even more unbearable was that one of the tendrils began to creep up my pant leg and made its way toward my backside.
I shivered all over, my muscles tensed. This branch wouldn't want to enter from behind, would it?
This was intolerable.
With a heart set on destruction, I silently recited the incantation. Even if I were to self-destruct at this moment, Grandmother wouldn't fare any better.
I glared with resentment at the hunched figure of the Silver-Haired Old Man before me.
As the green branch was about to penetrate my orifice, I closed my eyes. Eighteen years—no, now that the New Year had passed, everything from the past nine years flashed rapidly before me.
"Ah... ah..."
A piercing scream shattered the night's silence.
Suddenly, the restraints on me loosened. When I opened my eyes, a disheveled old man in tattered clothes was frozen in a pose as he chopped through the vine.
Then he tilted his head and winked at me. "What do you think of my pose? Pretty cool, right?"
I nodded in confusion.
My entire body was splattered with green juice. The severed branches struggled against me for a moment before losing their vitality and turning into dry twigs that fell to the ground.
"You old witch! How dare you harm the flowers of our homeland..." The Taoist pointed at Grandmother and scolded her.
All the branches retracted into Grandmother's mouth. "You foolish creature, let's see if you can escape my grasp this time..."
I thought to myself, so this is an old acquaintance? An old rival?
"Endless cage..."
Grandmother raised her hands slightly, calling out with urgency.
It seemed as if all the surrounding trees had come to life, constantly shifting as countless vines reached out towards us.
The Old Taoist chuckled, "With all this fuss, it’s just the same few tricks. If you’re not tired of it, I certainly am."
He then pulled out a pale yellow piece of paper, pinching it between his fingers; it appeared to be a talisman. A faint flow of spiritual energy surrounded us.
"Tai Shang Lao Jun, show your might, come forth as commanded..."
With a loud boom, flames erupted, illuminating the area in blinding light, the fire flickering with an eerie blue glow.
All the burning branches emitted squeaking sounds, reminiscent of a swarm of newborn mice.
"How about that? Are you convinced now, Old Witch?" The Old Taoist exclaimed excitedly, bouncing around like a child and clapping his hands.
"Burn! Burn fiercely! Turn this Old Witch into a bald one. A bald-headed Old Witch would be just perfect."
The Old Taoist kept muttering to himself.
Grandmother waved her hands continuously, her movements incredibly swift. The fiery vines surged towards us like roaring fire dragons.
Despite appearing somewhat eccentric, the Old Taoist moved with surprising agility, dodging all the fire dragons as if he were a monkey.
Each time he evaded an attack, he made faces at Grandmother—rolling his eyes or grinning widely. Eventually, he even started shaking his hips.
I felt three cold sweats break out on my forehead; it turned out that those with real skills could be so ridiculous?
The Talisman was ultimately just a Talisman; the flames gradually faded under the relentless assault of the fearless vines until they were extinguished.
"Is this all the strength you've gained after all these years? How dare you come here and make a fool of yourself?" Grandmother scoffed.
The vines slithered toward the ground like giant serpents. Under Grandmother's control, they moved like a Long Whip, sweeping and entangling... truly impossible to defend against.
In a moment of distraction, I felt a tight grip around my ankle, and I was yanked into the air.
Seeing me captured, the Old Taoist's face turned sour. "You old witch! Just wait until I summon lightning to strike you down, you old hag..."
He brandished his sword, pointing its tip at her while chanting a long string of incantations.
It was likely the Taoist's Lightning Summoning Technique.
By all accounts, plants like Grandmother, who had cultivated their essence for so long, were most afraid of lightning.
I hung suspended in midair, while Grandmother assumed a defensive stance, as if facing a formidable enemy.
With a mighty shout, the Old Taoist surged forward, swinging his sword toward Grandmother.
Out of instinctive fear, she raised her arm to shield her face and took a step back.
Seizing the opportunity, the Old Taoist flicked his sword and severed the vines that had ensnared me.
With a thud, I fell flat on my stomach, momentarily disoriented and unable to tell which way was up.
The Old Taoist clapped his hands in delight. "You’ve been tricked... fool..."
Grandmother glared at him with such fury that it seemed her face might burst into flames.
“Today, if I let you escape again, all my thousand years of cultivation will have been in vain.” The old woman’s figure began to fade away.
She directly merged into her true form.
The branches that obscured the sun rustled softly, as if cheering us on.
The Old Taoist, unfazed, laughed and said, “If you can’t fight, you just hide… You’ve embarrassed the entire fairy realm.”
The old woman didn’t respond. Suddenly, the scenery around us changed, and a green barrier trapped us within the range of the great tree.
“Where are we?” I shouted curiously. Just a moment ago, I was still in the forest!
The Old Taoist disdainfully remarked, “Making such a fuss over a little incident—what kind of demeanor is that? One must have poise. The poise of a master. The composure of facing a mountain collapsing before you…”
I replied somewhat speechlessly, “Then why are you holding my hand so tightly?”
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