6 - Dungeon Growth Log

Xia Ge was abruptly pulled down from behind, her mouth tightly covered by a woman, and rolled under the table. As she hit the ground, sharp sounds of hidden weapons flying through the air whizzed above, embedding a slew of green-glowing shuriken into the spot where she had been comfortably lying just moments ago! The woman whispered in a low, menacing tone. "Otherwise, I'll kill you." Held hostage under the table with a dagger pressed against her neck, Xia Ge had no choice but to comply meekly to preserve her own life. Was it just her imagination, or did Xia Ge hear a flute's melody? She didn't have time to ponder who might be playing a flute outside in the middle of the night; her focus was immediately drawn to a strange, dazed woman in a gray vest who climbed through the wide-open window of the Reflection Pavilion. A muffled collision sounded above as the woman landed on top of the table. Xia Ge’s mind went blank. ...Wait a minute, she’d just spent the whole day copying Dan Rules! That idiot better not step on them! Perhaps sensing Xia Ge's restlessness, the woman behind her tightened her grip and hissed threateningly, "Shorty, don't move." The thin blade of the dagger against her neck was discomforting, and Xia Ge wisely stilled herself. But when she registered what the woman had said, her mouth twitched slightly. ...Shorty? Shorty?! Seeing Xia Ge staying put, the woman let out a breath. Meanwhile, the odd woman in the gray vest jumped down from the table and moved deftly; Xia Ge, trapped under the table, could only see her feet. Was it just her imagination, or did the flute's melody seem to quicken in pace? The woman holding Xia Ge didn’t seem to notice the strange flute sounds; she was entirely focused on the movements of the woman in the gray vest. The Reflection Pavilion was an important library built into the Dan Peak. It was a place where erring disciples repented by copying texts, while crucial books were stored inside the mountain itself. Only inner sect disciples of Dan Peak could enter through the main entrance with their identity tokens. Xia Ge thought the gray boots the woman wore seemed vaguely familiar, although she couldn't place where she had seen them before. The gray-vested woman circled the chair bristling with green-tipped shuriken, as if to ensure no one was there, moving slowly and mechanically. She did not detect the two people hiding under the table and, satisfied no one was around, began making her way deeper into the pavilion. Xia Ge could see the gray boots passing by one desk after another, heading towards the inner door. As the woman approached the inner door, she felt the woman behind her breathe faster, the dagger trembling slightly on her neck. Now! Xia Ge jerked back, her head striking hard, dislodging the dagger from her throat. However, she collided with something soft and, realizing she had hit a very private place, quickly grabbed the woman's wrist holding the dagger. With a powerful twist, Xia Ge flipped her assailant onto the ground, pinning her and taking hold of the dagger, triumphantly twirling it in her hand and grinning with a boyish pride. "Wow, sister’s chest is really soft." Subduing her captor, Xia Ge suddenly realized that the "woman" was actually just a slightly taller girl, perhaps fifteen or sixteen years old. “Damned kid!” Chu Yao, still dazed from the unexpected groping, couldn’t believe what had just happened. She wouldn’t even touch herself there when bathing, but now she’d been violated by this little brat?! And the brat actually admitted it?! In a fit of rage, Chu Yao swore to kill Xia Ge immediately! The woman in the gray vest, prompted by the noise, was at the table’s side almost instantly! Xia Ge, caught in self-satisfied glee, didn't notice until she saw those vacant, terrifying eyes glaring at her. “Oh crap!” Startled by the horror of those eyes, Xia Ge loosened her grip, and Chu Yao quickly flipped her over, slamming her to the ground. Borrowing momentum, she kicked the gray-vested woman's face forcefully. Fueled by anger, Chu Yao's kick sent the woman flying! “Boom—” Xia Ge felt herself hit the ground hard, her back aching as if crushed. She watched in stunned silence as the gray-vested woman crashed into several pear-wood desks before slamming into the wall, leaving a human-shaped imprint on impact. Xia Ge: "..." This was a real-life demonstration of beating someone until they couldn't be pried off the wall. Young lady, instead of being an assassin in night clothes, you should be in a boxing ring! Even martial arts competitions would benefit from your prowess! Being an assassin is truly beneath your talents! Wasting such skills on someone like me is even sadder! Was it just her imagination, or did the flute melody grow weaker, softer? However, compared to the eerie flute, Xia Ge was more concerned about her immediate safety. Xia Ge tugged at her lips, trying to smile innocently, "That kick was really impressive, sister." So, dear sister, could you please stop pressing on my chest? It’s already flat, you’ll make it disappear entirely! As if hearing her plea, Chu Yao released her chest, grabbing her collar instead and dragging her out from under the table. Yet, that grip on her collar felt more like an insult than anything else, Xia Ge thought. An insult, indeed! Just because she didn't have a chest! Some things are simply beyond tolerance! "Hey, Shorty." The girl’s voice, under the moonlight, was icy with an edge of impatience. Xia Ge, squinting up at the furious assassin, saw only her almond eyes, filled with anger. The girl, dressing in black with her face masked, lifted Xia Ge to her eye level. "You messed up my plans... how do you think I should kill you?" A pair of light brown almond eyes glared at her, brimming with killing intent and agitation. Xia Ge tried bargaining, "Sister, you’re so beautiful, you must have a kind heart and a good temper, there’s no way you’d kill me." "Hah." Chu Yao laughed coldly. "Sorry to disappoint, I'm good at everything except my temper!" "Come on, what’s there to be mad about? Anger gives you wrinkles. Look at me, I never get angry," Xia Ge said with a grin. "A young lady should be magnanimous. It was just a touch, really. I didn’t even use my hands." Chu Yao's grip on her collar tightened, veins popping. This brat still wanted to use his hands?! "You, dare, keep, talking?!" When was the last time Chu Yao met such an impudent person?! After a moment of hesitation, Xia Ge forced herself to speak again, "If it’s this upsetting, should I let you touch me back?" Xia Ge closed her eyes, her face showing a bitter, sacrificial expression, before adding, "Just say the word, but no killing after that promise." Chu Yao almost laughed from anger, "I think killing you would be more straightforward." "You already touched me, how can you still want to kill me!” Xia Ge's eyes widened indignantly, “That’s completely against your word!” Forget killing; Chu Yao was more enraged by the thought that this shameless brat had sullied her purity! ”Who touched you? I didn’t touch you!!” "Yes, you did! You’re touching me even now! Let me go! Stop groping me!!!" Xia Ge shouted, "You’re ruining my reputation!" Realizing she was still clutching Xia Ge by the collar, Chu Yao threw the shrieking brat away. Her face burned under the mask. "Who would dirty their hands like that! Even if I had to, I’d rather touch a stray dog than you!" She then snapped, “You’re so short! ...Wait—" Chu Yao could barely contain her rage, "You’re just a brat, who would ruin your reputation!!" Freed, Xia Ge quickly found her footing and smugly swung the stolen dagger in her hand, "Only a beautiful lady has that privilege." Chu Yao’s voice turned sinister, "You little brat!" “Pretty girls shouldn’t go around fighting and killing, you'll never get married that way," Xia Ge said with a cheerful smile, then added with a calculated look, "By the way, isn’t there a rule from the Lingxi Peak?" "Skin-to-skin contact and life-saving grace should be repaid with lifelong devotion?" "Lifelong devotion to you?" Chu Yao sneered, "Sounds troublesome. How about I quarter you instead?" Overhead, the previously faint flute music suddenly intensified to a piercing high! Xia Ge's eyes sharpened instantly! Her voice, however, remained light and teasing, "Quartering is too bloody, sister. I told you, you need to be gentler if you want to get married." Before Chu Yao could respond, the short figure on the table, whose feet didn’t even touch the ground, suddenly flipped her wrist and hurled the dagger in her hand straight at Chu Yao! This brat wasn't a simple one! Still, tossing a dagger so directly? How naive. Avoiding it would be easy— Chu Yao tilted her head to dodge the dagger, but before she could voice her mockery, she noticed the brat clapping her hands and smiling with a crescent-eyed grin. "Hey, sister, why not repay me with lifelong devotion for saving your life?" "Rip—" The sound of fabric tearing startled everyone. Chu Yao spun around, her pupils contracting in shock! Somehow, the woman in the gray vest had silently approached her from behind, a butcher knife raised high over her head. Her eyes rolled back, and her contorted face looked grotesquely menacing. And Chu Yao hadn't sensed anything! The dagger Xia Ge had thrown was now firmly lodged in the ground behind the gray-vest woman, having sliced through her shoulder seam without drawing any blood. ...A clothes puppet. The flute music abruptly ceased. Propping her chin on her hand, Xia Ge beamed at Chu Yao. "Tell you what, sister. Forget about that lifelong devotion. But with such pretty eyes, at least tell me your name, okay?" = = = Thousands of miles away. Under a starless, moonless sky, deep within an endless dark forest. A slender, white hand holding a smooth bone flute belonged to a girl in red, the blood-red tassel at the flute’s end fluttering in the breeze. “Did I fail?” She murmured, her voice clear and melodious, like pearls dropping onto a jade plate, the lingering notes slowly dissipating into the silent forest.