14 - Dungeon Growth Log

Blinded by the divine light emanating from Chu Yao, the little girl finally stumbled back home in a daze. Only then did Chu Yao realize she was still holding a fake hero in her hand. Xia Ge, with his eyes closed, was too exhausted after a whole afternoon of work. Listening to Chu Yao brainwashing the little girl with her "I'm the best in the world" spiel was even more draining, so he simply fell asleep under the moonlight. "Hey." Chu Yao's eyebrow twitched as she shook the person in her hand, "Wake up, Shorty." No response. Chu Yao: "..." Just a moment ago, he was so energetic about offering himself in gratitude. Now, he was dead tired? Chu Yao snorted, her eyes landing on the miserably clutched pancake in the little shorty's arms. Is that pancake even edible? Chu Yao set him on the ground, her almond-shaped eyes flickering over his casually tied green hair ribbon, frowning slightly. A green ribbon... Is this kid an outer disciple of Lingxi Peak? Generally speaking, core disciples of the Sword Peak wear blue robes, and outer disciples tie their hair with blue ribbons; core disciples of the Dan Peak wear red-ribboned clothing, while the Beast Peak disciples wear yellow-ribboned attire. When she sneaked into the Thought Pavilion last night, she didn't have a chance to see the color of this shorty's hair ribbon. Could he be an outer disciple of the Sword Peak? Given his ghostly speed and exceptional decisiveness, Chu Yao believed it was highly likely. The Sword Peak's assessment criteria differ from both the Dan and Beast Peaks, emphasizing speed, sharpness, stamina, and judgment. Considering his earlier speed and skills, this guy seems like a rejected candidate for the Sword Peak's core disciples. Chu Yao frowned, watching the ragged-clothed kid sleeping on the ground, unable to help but recall the frustrating encounter with this shorty last night. ... A shorty full of trickery and devious thoughts, no wonder he couldn't get into the Sword Peak. As she pondered, the little kid sleeping at her feet suddenly stirred. "Mmm..." Xia Ge smacked his lips, hugging the pancake tighter as he curled up. "Smells nice." Chu Yao: "..." No matter how dazzling he looked a moment ago, one glance at this face now made her want to punch it a lot more. Chu Yao's brow twitched as she squatted down to pull the pancake from his arms, "Let go, you can't eat this!" Chu Yao applied a bit of force, but Xia Ge's hand remained firmly gripping the pancake, his eyes closed, looking as steady as a seasoned dog. For some reason, Chu Yao felt like he was pretending to be asleep. "Heh." Chu Yao sneered, "As a top candidate for Sword Peak's core disciples, I can't even snatch a pancake from a boy who can't pass the inner disciple test? What a joke!" She then exerted more force, "Let go!" "Rip—" The pancake split in half, the sound of tearing oil paper abruptly piercing the night. Sesame seeds scattered, and Chu Yao held half of the tortured pancake, looking at the torn part in her hand, her gaze deepening as she glanced at Xia Ge curled up on the ground. A moment ago... that was some strong resistance. The pancake wasn't simply snatched; it was torn in half, meaning... Both of them exerted equal force. Chu Yao: "How long do you plan on pretending?" Xia Ge: "..." Might have been caught... Time to play the pity card. Seeing Xia Ge remain motionless, Chu Yao tossed the half-pancake aside, "Get up, I have something to ask...". Her words halted. She suddenly noticed the hand holding the pancake. It seemed the wound had reopened, blood slowly seeping from his palm, staining the torn white interior of the pancake. Under the moonlight, the blood-red hue was rather jarring. Chu Yao was momentarily stunned. —Under the weight of the zombies, the young boy in ragged clothes braced himself against the scythe's blade with one hand, protectively holding the child in his arms with the other. Turning his head, his gaze was sharp as lightning. She saw it when she arrived. He defended the weaker being before him with the stance of a guardian— Even though he himself was just a child. Yet he acted like a hero. "Always remember, whom you wield the sword for!" First commandment of Sword Peak's ancestors— "The sword in your hand exists to protect the weak." The night wind turned chilly. Chu Yao snorted, gently trying to take the other half of the pancake from Xia Ge's hand, "Let go, I'll buy you ten pancakes." Without opening his eyes, Xia Ge immediately responded, "Give me one tael of silver, and I'll let go!" Chu Yao: "..." She coldly laughed, "Weren't you sleeping?" Xia Ge kept his eyes closed, with an innocent look on his face, "I never said I was asleep." Chu Yao: "..." What did she say before? Hero? She takes it back; she must have been blind just now. Chu Yao snorted, "One tael of silver it is. Why won't you open your eyes?" Xia Ge heaved a sigh, "I told you, your heroic presence was too dazzling." Chu Yao's knuckles cracked slightly, her eyes narrowing dangerously, "Tell the truth." "Oh, just got some sand in my eyes. Can't open them." Xia Ge adapted swiftly. Chu Yao: "..." Why does this make me want to punch him even more? Taking a deep breath, Chu Yao tried to speak, "You..." Xia Ge promptly waved his injured hand in front of this 'hero,' cutting her off with a pained expression, "Do you think I can apply for work injury compensation from the mountain? Oh, and a bravery award..." Chu Yao: "..." What on earth are you talking about...? Xia Ge, thinking she might not understand, kindly clarified, "What I mean is... Do they give money for bravery acts? And do they give money for injuries? Oh right, you said you owe me one tael of silver, when will you pay up? All at once or in installments? Silver notes or cash? I'm not picky..." Excitedly rubbing his fingertips, Xia Ge said, "Or will you give it now?" It would be great if she gave it now! He could buy some liquor tonight to calm his nerves! "I have money." Chu Yao snorted, "First, tell me, which peak are you from?" Xia Ge's heart skipped a beat. Can't tell the truth! Is this person still under the influence of the [Soul Capturing], or did she start suspecting? In any case... One tael of silver could be forgone, but his identity must not be revealed! Xia Ge closed his eyes and started to fabricate, "Ah, I'm from the Beast Peak..." As soon as the words left his mouth. *Ding! Congratulations, you have gained the Sword Peak inner disciple candidate Chu Yao's impression of being a 'pathological liar.' This impression reduces your credibility with this person by 100%. Please take note.* Oh, so this person's name is Chu Yao. Wait, that impression... drops credibility by 100%? People should have more trust in each other, young lady! "I told you, you need to tell the truth." "Otherwise, none of that money you mentioned will be given." Xia Ge felt devastated, "So inhumane! Acts of bravery don't get rewarded?!" Chu Yao snorted, "If you're from Sword Peak, I'll give you money." Xia Ge wailed, "Doesn't Beast Peak give money?" "Beast Peak is very poor." Chu Yao said expressionlessly, her knuckles cracking, "Also, tell the truth, don't lie to me. You don't smell like the chicken dung of that Beast Peak trash." Fine, Beast Peak disciples are poor, but they don't smell like chicken dung?! Nonsense! Old Uncle Xu from the pancake shop at the gate is an outer disciple from Beast Peak, and his pancakes don’t smell like chicken dung! Wait... Could it be...? Chu Yao watched as Xia Ge's expression turned peculiar. Xia Ge: Although I've eaten almost anything as a beggar... thinking back, pancakes smelling like chicken dung are indeed peculiar... Chu Yao was about to continue probing his identity when she heard his pitiful voice, "So, did that pancake have a chicken dung smell?" So, that fleeting expression was just him contemplating if his pancake smelled like chicken dung?! Chu Yao clenched her fists, a menacing smile forming on her face as she glanced at the miserably mangled pancake, her smile slightly freezing. ...This goes beyond just chicken dung. Chu Yao changed her expression, "Yes." Xia Ge: "!!!" Xia Ge looked remorseful, "I'm sorry, Senior Sister... I've never eaten a pancake smelling like chicken dung..." Chu Yao feigned deafness, "Oh, so you're an outer disciple from Sword Peak." Xia Ge was horrified, "Senior Sister, I'm from Dan Peak!" Chu Yao looked impatient, "Stop lying, you're from Sword Peak, aren't you? Acting impulsive, thoughtless, there's no way our peak has a dunce like you... What's your name?" So you’ve already decided all Sword Peak disciples are muscle-brained simpletons... Xia Ge lowered his head, looking embarrassed, "I'm Xia Ge..." Chu Yao pondered. Xia Ge... Strange, never heard of him. "I'll remember you." Chu Yao stood up, tossing him a heavy silver piece, "Take it, find a doctor to bandage your hand, and be there for the next Sword Peak entrance exam." Chu Yao glanced at the shorty clutching the silver tightly, wearing an expression of disbelief, as if he had just struck it rich overnight. Her eyebrow twitched with impatience. ...It's hard to admit that this cowardly fellow is actually an outer disciple of Sword Peak. "Next time you go out, remember to tie Sword Peak's blue ribbon." Chu Yao's voice was irritated, "Xia Ge." That name, which hadn't been mentioned in a long time and which even Xia Ge had nearly forgotten, was suddenly called out. Struggling to emerge from the thrill of instant riches, Xia Ge was momentarily dazed. "...Yes." "And toss that pancake away." "Discarded things, don't pick them up again." Chu Yao turned away, her voice dripping with arrogance, "Xia Ge, lift your head. Remember, you are a disciple of Sword Peak!" —Xia Ge, Xia Ge. The summer's long song, quite a... melodious name. And he had an exceptionally beautiful pair of eyes. The resolute back and the blood shed for the weak cannot be measured with money. At the very least, they deserve to be remembered. As Chu Yao departed, the night was cold, but it could not chill the fervent blood. Under the moonlight splattered with silver, Xia Ge, hugging his sudden windfall, slowly opened his deep purple eyes. The girl with the sword walked away with a straight-backed confidence, her blue hair ribbon fluttering under the moonlight with an icy arc, exuding an air of unworldly freedom. Xia Ge's lips curved slightly. As expected. She is someone who naturally radiates brilliance. "I really don't want to lie to her." Xia Ge shook his head, making a deeply insincere remark. The system snickered, "That's the coldest joke I've heard this century." "Sigh, Little Puppet, you still don't understand me," Xia Ge said, feigning sincerity, "But what can I do if she doesn't believe the truth?" The system: "..." You should really work on your bankruptcy-level trustworthiness, host. Humming a tune, Xia Ge happily walked back, clutching his newfound fortune. The highest art of lying lies in mixing seven parts truth with three parts lies. Given the other party's one hundred percent distrust, even the truth would be taken as a lie. Sigh, lying is just too easy. It’s utterly addictive.