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墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 4: The Plump Goddess Luo
Lin Chuyu felt both fear and curiosity. "Is there really an Underworld Passage here?"
Ji Zichen, hearing about the Underworld Passage for the first time, shared her reaction. She smiled dismissively. "I don't know. Just like Divine Dawn, no one has seen it."
Mentioning Divine Dawn left Lin Chuyu feeling lost. "Brother Ji, can we really find Divine Dawn?"
Ji Zichen didn't have complete confidence either. "Let's do our best."
Lin Chuyu looked apologetic. "You must hate me for being the reason you were expelled from The Divine Alliance Under the Covenant."
A pained look crossed Ji Zichen's face. The Divine Alliance Under the Covenant was his home, his roots, and he felt a deep reluctance to leave it behind. He didn't answer her question directly. "I never regret my actions."
Lin Chuyu felt useless; the journey to find the ruins was not an easy one. She had no ability to protect herself and always felt like a burden. She didn't want to be a liability any longer. "Brother Ji, can you teach me some skills so I can protect myself?"
Ji Zichen saw a spark of determination in her eyes. He thought about the dangers they might face in the future. If she could protect herself, he could relax somewhat. "Learning martial arts isn't something that happens overnight. It's easier to find a magical artifact than to practice martial arts. I don't have any spare artifacts on me right now, but once we get out of here, I'll help you look for one."
Lin Chuyu gazed blankly at Azure Moon. "When I was little, my father often held me while we looked out over the outer city from the gates of Corner Lodge. He told me I was the richest person in the world, and when I grew up, I could buy anything I wanted with just a point of my finger. Back then, I thought he was just trying to make me happy, but as I grew older, I realized he wasn't lying."
"When I was young, my father considered me the luckiest person in the world. But as I grew up, even though my father is no longer with me, I know he saw me as a curse. Wherever I go, someone will die fighting over me. In the past, all I wanted was to escape. Brother Ji, thank you for helping me confront my issues."
Ji Zichen remained silent for a moment before finally smiling lightly. "You're acting in a way that's quite unfamiliar to me."
Lin Chuyu smiled back, and the two exchanged playful banter.
Ji Zichen looked at Lin Chuyu's fluffy hair and couldn't help but praise her decisiveness. "I see a woman's face, and you have the courage to cut off your own hair without hesitation. You truly impress me."
Lin Chuyu suddenly panicked, covering her face and turning away. "I... I must look terrible right now."
Ji Zichen smiled approvingly. "Who cares? I think no one looks better than you right now."
Being complimented was always a delightful experience, and Lin Chuyu shyly scratched her uneven hair. "Really?"
Ji Zichen stood up and sat down beside Lin Chuyu. "Give me the Vajra; I'll help you fix your hair."
Lin Chuyu immediately blushed. "N-no, it's fine. I can do it myself."
Ji Zichen firmly snatched the Vajra from her hands. "There are no mirrors or streams here; how can you see yourself? Just sit still."
Lin Chuyu settled down like a monk, straightening her posture. Ji Zichen gently helped her fix her hair with the Vajra, self-deprecatingly saying, "I never imagined I would be helping a girl with her hair."
Lin Chuyu felt warmth in her heart.
The next morning, before Lin Chuyu had fully woken up, Ji Zichen gently called out to her, "Lin Chuyu, wake up."
Lin Chuyu opened her sleepy eyes. "Brother Ji, good morning..."
Ji Zichen made a shushing gesture, and Lin Chuyu followed him up to a higher spot to look down. She saw a large group of people moving through the forest below. Curious, she asked, "Who are those people?"
Ji Zichen did not see Fire Lion and Lifeng. He said, "It’s possible that another group is coming to capture us. If they can enter a remote place like Underworld Forest, then the situation on the main road must be dire."
Lin Chuyu, worried about their predicament, asked, "What should we do now?"
Ji Zichen pondered for a moment and replied, "I believe there are others coming from outside as well. There’s an Underworld Town within Underworld Forest. I haven’t been there myself, but I heard about it from Uncle Meng. I remember roughly where it is; if we follow the path through Underworld Town, we can reach the back mountain of Fangwen Mansion. It might be a bit tough, though."
Lin Chuyu had never heard of Fangwen Mansion. "Is that place safe?"
Ji Zichen smiled wryly. "Until we find the ruins, no place will be safe for us."
Feeling anxious, Lin Chuyu noted that Underworld Town didn’t sound like a good place at all. "Can’t we go around Underworld Town?"
Ji Zichen understood Lin Chuyu's concerns. "We can go around, but it’s unnecessary. If we set off now, we won’t arrive until evening. We have no food with us; if we don’t eat and don’t get caught by anyone, we’ll starve to death. Don’t worry; Uncle Meng has been there before. It just sounds scary because of its name. As long as we don’t cause trouble, no one will pay attention to us."
The two ventured deeper into Underworld Forest. The path was terrible; in addition to the gnarled tree roots protruding from the ground, there were vines blocking their way. They dared not stop, and Lin Chuyu’s Vajra along with Ji Zichen ’s Demon-Slaying Sword continuously cut through the obstructing vines.
The horses were already panting heavily, and they were no exception.
As the sun gradually shifted, they could finally see Underworld Town by evening.
Standing outside the gates of Underworld Town, they looked around and saw dilapidated houses scattered about, creating an atmosphere of desolation and abandonment.
Upon seeing such a scene, Lin Chuyu felt her scalp tingle. "Brother Ji, you weren’t kidding when you said this place just sounds scary?"
Ji Zichen frowned and said, "Uncle Meng shouldn't be lying. Every house and street in Underworld Town is so clean that you can point it out, and at night, colorful lanterns are hung everywhere, making it very beautiful."
But the scene before them was completely different. Lin Chuyu could only see a dim and gloomy sight. "Forget about the lanterns; look at these houses. They've been abandoned for a long time."
Regardless of whether their descriptions were inaccurate, they couldn't turn back now. Ji Zichen said, "Since we're here, let's find a clean place to stay for the night."
The two stepped through the gate, and as soon as they crossed it, the scenery changed dramatically.
Brilliant lights filled their vision; Underworld Town was indeed not frightening, just as Meng Hai had said.
Underworld Town was far from the desolate and abandoned atmosphere they had encountered earlier. The streets were exceptionally clean, with walls alternating between white and rainbow colors—the white was the wall itself, while the red came from the glow of the lanterns. By evening, the entire Underworld Town was adorned with lights, and it was unclear what festival or celebration was taking place here.
The scene before them looked nothing like what they had seen earlier in Underworld Town. Lin Chuyu exclaimed in surprise, "It's so beautiful here!"
Ji Zichen felt something was off and took a step back outside the gate. He saw once again the same desolate and dilapidated town from before. Stepping back through the gate, the brightly lit Underworld Passage appeared before him once more.
Only then did Ji Zichen realize that there was a Formation in place.
The focal point of the Formation was the gate itself; someone had intentionally concealed the entire Underworld Town. However, this was also beneficial—if one did not cross through the gate, others would not know that a town was hidden here, and the festive lights would not attract anyone else.
They walked into the main street of Underworld Town.
On either side of the main street were inns, with red and green lanterns hanging outside that looked quite appealing. In front of one inn stood a plump woman dressed in a loose-fitting bright red gown. She extended her short and thick index finger to scrape along the doorframe, dusting off some fine particles. Raising her thick eyebrows, she exclaimed, "How can there still be dust here!"
A plump woman pointed an accusing finger, causing the man to turn pale. Trembling with fear, he begged for mercy, "Y-yes, I'm sorry, Goddess Luo. My colleagues and I have cleaned this place inside and out three times already. We... we will clean it again right now."
Ji Zichen, standing some distance away, couldn't help but chuckle. "Goddess Luo? She looks more like a roasted sweet potato."
Kiko's teasing went unheard by the woman.
Luo pulled out a clean knife and wiped it several times with a handkerchief. The moment the man saw the knife, his legs went weak, and he fell to his knees. Luo, with her plump face and wide mouth, sternly asked, "Tell me, who is the most beautiful woman in the world?"
He quickly flattered her loudly, "Of course, the most beautiful woman in the world is Goddess Luo!"
Luo's round face broke into a wide grin as she replied, "As long as you know that. I absolutely detest dust, spider webs, grease, moss, and wriggling insects. With my beauty, my living space must be spotless. You lowly creature, your only purpose in this world is to clean for me."
"Yes, yes! It is our honor to clean for Goddess Luo," he trembled in flattery.
Luo laughed heartily, her body shaking with mirth. "Very good, very good. I will spare you this time." She put away the knife and turned to a guard clad in shiny armor beside her. "Send out the order: a thorough cleaning of Underworld Town! Anyone found with dust in their home will have their hands chopped off!"
The guard proclaimed loudly, "Yes, Goddess Luo!"
A palanquin was parked beside the tavern, spotless as well. Luo entered it, and the bearers struggled to lift it as they made their way down the main street.
Once Luo had left, the man collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.
Ji Zichen approached the tavern with another person and hurriedly jumped up from the ground to greet them. "Ah! Esteemed guest, please come inside!"
The two entered the restaurant, and the server greeted them, "What would you like to eat?"
Ji Zichen asked, "What delicious dishes do you have?"
Peipei chimed in, "Oh, we have plenty! For example, roasted chicken thighs with chestnuts, stir-fried meat with green peppers, stewed beef, braised lamb chops, and ribs..."
The server went on to introduce dozens of dishes.
Ji Zichen's eyes widened in surprise. "You can make all these delicious dishes here!"
The server smiled and said, "Don’t be fooled by the fact that we’re deep in the mountains; our chef is quite skilled."
Ji Zichen replied with a grin, "That sounds great! Let's have a plate of stir-fried chicken thighs, some sweet and sour fish fillets, stewed beef, and finally a vegetable dish and a soup."
"Please wait a moment," the server said before leaving.
Lin Chuyu ran her fingers over the spotless table surface and exclaimed, "What a clean table!"
At that moment, Ji Zichen remarked, "Now I finally understand what Uncle Meng meant by how clean it is here. I've never seen a restaurant table so pristine. It seems we owe it to that big red sweet potato. But who is this Big Sweet Potato?"
The server returned with tea, his face tense as he said, "Ladies, in Underworld Town, you can eat whenever you want and sleep whenever you wish. Goddess Luo is the daughter of the Yomi Town Judge; if she hears you talking too much, she might have your tongue cut out."
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