23 - Dungeon Growth Log

The young girl across from him cast a light, indifferent glance at his left hand. Xia Ge stiffened for two seconds, then immediately laughed, "Nothing escapes Senior Sister…" His left sleeve moved slightly, revealing the bandage-wrapped hand. Gu Peijiu looked for two seconds and then turned her gaze away, "Because of this, you're not going?" "Yes, exactly because of this." Xia Ge quickly accepted the excuse offered. However— "Actually, that's just one reason." Gu Peijiu raised an eyebrow. "Oh?" Xia Ge sighed deeply, "Senior Sister, to be honest, I sold all my possessions to treat this injury." Gu Peijiu's voice was flat, "Three times the salary, and it still wasn't enough to treat a hand injury?" Xia Ge covered his heart with his right hand, his expression fragile like the classic beauty Xi Shi clutching her heart. "Senior Sister, physical wounds heal easily, but heartache is hard to cure!" Gu Peijiu: "......" System: "...... What heartache?" Just then, a tavern girl in a green dress brought over two empty wine glasses and a peach-blossom-embossed white porcelain wine jug. She placed the two glasses beside Xia Ge and filled them with wine. Xia Ge immediately cast away his feigned heartache and, resting his chin in his right hand, tilted his head and grinned at the tavern girl, "Sister, your eyes are so beautiful and you smell so nice." "Young master, you flatter me." The tavern girl, looking about fourteen or fifteen, covered her mouth and laughed, her long phoenix eyes holding a trace of mirth. "But this fragrance isn't as good as the peach-blossom wine." "Wine fragrance, book fragrance, beauty fragrance." Xia Ge's voice was flirtatious, his eyes filled with mischief. "I absolutely adore the wine and beauties of your establishment." Listening to the boy's playful words, Gu Peijiu picked up the wine glass from the table and took an absent-minded sip. The peach-blossom wine from the Mo family village had a delicate aroma and a lingering aftertaste. She frowned slightly. How could such a young boy talk so brazenly? "Though you talk so sweetly, young master, it won't reduce the price of the wine." The tavern girl smiled and said, bowing as she retreated. "Ah, what a pity." Xia Ge sighed as he gazed longingly at the tavern girl's departing figure, resting his chin in his hand, "Can't even get a discount through charm?" System: "...... Do you even have charm?!" It's already kind of her not to kick you out of the tavern for harassment! Gu Peijiu didn't pay much attention to Xia Ge's self-pitying mutter. The peach-blossom wine was indeed bewitching, no wonder the boy in front of her was so smitten. The taste, though initially sweet, felt overly dreamy and wasn't quite to her liking. She put down her wine glass and noticed something amiss. She glanced at the full white porcelain cups in front of the boy, then at her own cup. ...The one in her hand was the cup Xia Ge had pushed over earlier. The newly filled cups were both next to him. For a moment, her mind replayed the scene of the boy lightly sipping from the white porcelain cup with a teasing smile when they had first arrived at the tavern. The flair of youth was evident. Gu Peijiu calmly placed the cup back down. "Tasty, isn't it?" Looking up, she met his cat-like black eyes again. He smiled playfully at her, "The peach-blossom wine from Mo family village is quite famous." And also famously cheap. Xia Ge silently added to himself. Facing the boy's shiny black eyes and then glancing at the cups on the table, Gu Peijiu felt a slight unease but maintained her calm demeanor, returning to their earlier topic, "At your age, what heartache would you have?" Xia Ge covered his heart and shut his eyes in feigned sorrow, "How can I not be heartbroken when I've sold off everything I own?" Gu Peijiu: "......" As Xia Ge closed his eyes, Gu Peijiu quietly switched the cups by his hand. When Xia Ge opened his eyes again, he found that one of the originally full wine cups by his hand was now mysteriously empty. Perplexed, he heard Senior Sister's indifferent voice. "How can you be here drinking if you've sold everything?" Xia Ge snapped back, "Wine can heal wounds." "Oh?" Gu Peijiu raised an eyebrow, "Healing wounds?" "Yeah, haven't you heard?" Xia Ge coughed, beginning to spout nonsense with a straight face, "A person can endure without food, but they absolutely can't go without wine when they're in pain." "Utter nonsense." Gu Peijiu remarked, "Spouting absurdities." Though she knew he was talking nonsense, Gu Peijiu didn't feel truly angry for some reason, and she even unconsciously took another sip of the peach-blossom wine. The dreamy sweetness of the peach intoxicated her taste buds, effusing a seductive aroma. "Ah, Senior Sister, you really don't get it." Xia Ge squinted his eyes, taking a sip of his own wine, his face full of profound meaning. "Wine is a wonderful thing. When one is in distress, tossing and turning, unable to sleep, when one is so troubled that they can't even cry—at those times, they might not be able to eat, but they'll surely be able to drink." "And why is that?" Xia Ge grinned, "Because it's not the wine that intoxicates people; people intoxicate themselves." "......" His words were disjointed, pure nonsense. "When one drinks, they get drunk." Xia Ge concluded solemnly, "And people, when drunk, can forget anything. They won't feel pain, won't have nightmares, and will sleep soundly every night." Gu Peijiu slightly hesitated with her wine glass in hand. She looked at the boy before her, pretending to be an all-knowing scholar, and somehow thought of the time he was bound by her Hong Ling and wriggled like a red silkworm under the tree. No matter how debonair he seemed, he was still a fool at heart. No wonder he could sleep well when drunk. "Hey, Senior Sister, let me tell you the truth." Xia Ge leaned closer, his hands on the table, and whispered conspiratorially, "The reason I sold all my possessions to come here, pay for your share, and even stood you up today is because…" Gu Peijiu looked at him; he was so close she could smell the faint peach-blossom scent on him. ...A bit intoxicating. The boy's cat-like eyes held a sly smile, "Senior Sister, I sold off the Glazed Wood." Gu Peijiu: "......" Before she could respond, the boy's eyes suddenly widened, and his black jade-like pupils reflected her face. He tilted his head, "…Senior Sister… haven't you been sleeping well lately?" Maybe he was too close; his breath was audible. Xia Ge could see the light bluish shadows under her eyes and the hint of weariness in them. From a distance, this new Danfeng Senior Sister looked forever aloof, forever proud. Xia Ge could see no trace of fatigue in her. But thinking back— ...No matter how skilled, no matter how proud. She was just a sixteen-year-old girl after all. Also a mere mortal like him, who could get tired. Gu Peijiu sat back, putting some distance between them. She frowned lightly, her voice indifferent, "Xia Wuyin, sit properly." Xia Ge sheepishly sat back, mumbling, "Senior Sister, are you having nightmares and can't sleep…" Gu Peijiu paused slightly. Xia Ge's eyes brightened, seeing a glimmer of hope, and he enthusiastically shared his life hacks, "Senior Sister, I used to have nightmares too, every day, couldn't sleep at all. But then that rascal Ye Ze stole some wine and got me drunk, and I slept like a log." "Senior Sister, you should drink more. If you get drunk, you won't have nightmares!" Xia Ge patted his chest, "Drink up, I have plenty of money! Don't save on my account; if you get drunk, I'll carry you back!" He had a brave and self-sacrificing air about him. Gu Peijiu: "......" This look, just like when he said he'd copy the Dan Scriptures millions of times. But compared to then, this little rascal did seem… a bit more endearing. "...... It doesn't matter if the Glazed Wood is sold." Her voice was calm as she took another sip of wine, naturally ignoring Xia Ge's lifestyle tips and his volunteering, "I'll handle the materials for the Fasting Pill." Xia Ge: "......" No… Actually, I meant, if you get drunk, you wouldn't bring up the supplements… Why can't Senior Sister take a hint from my eyes! Distressed.jpg Putting the cup down, perhaps feeling a bit tipsy, Gu Peijiu's jade-like cheeks blushed slightly. She narrowed her black eyes a bit, looking at Xia Ge, her voice still smooth and calm, "And, I don't have nightmares." Xia Ge: "...... Oh." This wine, in the end, was too sweet. The aftertaste was heavy; it shouldn't be drunk in excess. Gu Peijiu didn't pour herself more wine. She stood up, her sleeve's crimson maple leaves swaying, "Xia Wuyin, it's time to go back." "Clack, clack, clack…" Just as Xia Ge regretfully started to rise and call for the tavern girl to settle the bill, an eerie laughter accompanied by a sudden surge of killing intent swept in. A thin white shadow darted towards Gu Peijiu! Gu Peijiu slightly turned her head, and the needle-thin white shadow missed her porcelain-like face, striking the peachwood table with a "twang!" The wine jug and porcelain cups shook together! Xia Ge stared intently and saw that the thin, needle-like white shadow was actually a piece of white paper cut into the shape of a long needle! The paper needle, embedded deep into the peachwood table, was still trembling with sword energy, penetrating three inches deep and humming slightly. "Are you Gu Peijiu, Danfeng's first disciple? What a rare and marvelous sight." The voice was childlike, clear yet imbued with an eerie demonic air. Gu Peijiu's gaze turned icy. Xia Ge sensed trouble and both of them looked toward the source of the voice. "Clack, clack, clack…" In an inconspicuous corner of the tavern, two short figures draped in straw raincoats sat facing each other, hats of woven bamboo shading their faces. The one sitting to the south held a string of white paper strips, each one shaped like the needle on the table, while the one opposite him held a thin, deathly white flute. The unsettling laughter emanated from one of them. For a moment, the tavern fell silent before descending into chaos— "Paper Blade and White Flute—it's Bai Ren Bai Luo, the Twins of the Thousand Souls Sect!!!" "Run—" The figure with the paper needles chuckled, the sound crisp yet laden with an indescribable eeriness— "No rush… what are you running for? All of you must go to hell." The tavern devolved into pandemonium, with people screaming and rushing toward the exit. The one with the hats seemed to get excited, laughing even more crisply, "Brother, Brother, look at this, they're all scared of me! I'm really amazing, aren't I—I can kill them all, right?" Even before the other could respond, he flung the string of paper strips with a fierce killing intent and malice toward the panic-stricken crowd. The tavern girl who had just poured wine for Xia Ge was also in a frantic dash for the exit, but tripped over a chair and fell! The paper blade almost instantly aimed at the back of her head— Xia Ge's pupils contracted, and instinctively, he activated his Ghost's Shadow technique, lunging to push the tavern girl aside. The paper blade grazed her green hair ribbon, taking a piece of cloth with it, and then embedded itself into a peach wood chair, splitting it in half with a loud "clang"! "Clang, clang, clang—" With the tavern girl in his arms, they tumbled awkwardly to one side, with the sharp sounds of impact all around them. Xia Ge was bruised and in pain, and hearing the countless whizzing noises, he sensed danger. He instinctively shielded the girl beneath him, and looked up painfully. Before him was a swath of warm red silk, forming a powerful barrier that deflected all the incoming paper blades! The sounds of impact were from those blades hitting the red silk! The girl in red silk and white sleeves stood alone at the tavern entrance, where the floor was covered with the sharp remnants of paper blades, inserted into the ground like blooming white lotus flowers, making her snowy-white skin and piercing eyes even more striking. Xia Ge was momentarily spellbound, an enigmatic thought captivating his mind. ——A single figure standing firm, defeating a grand army. Author's Notes: Xia Salted Fish: Ah, Senior Sister, you're amazing, ah, you're awesome, ah, amazing. Senior Sister: Shut up. Xia Salted Fish: _(:3) ∠)_ == Thanks sakiru for throwing 1 landmine. Thanks liangqi647 for throwing 1 landmine. Thanks All Beings for throwing 1 landmine. Thanks basket for throwing 1 landmine. Thanks Sherry for throwing 1 grenade, thank you all veteran members! (hugs legs) Thanks to reader “Singing in Enthusiasm”, for donating nutrient solution 30 on 2018-05-23 12:58:43. Thanks to reader “sakiru”, for donating nutrient solution 30 on 2018-05-22 23:48:59. Thanks to reader “Potato is a Spud”, for donating nutrient solution 5 on 2018-05-22 23:46:55. Thanks to reader “Lily Tax Collection”, for donating nutrient solution 80 on 2018-05-22 22:13:15. Thanks to reader “External Object”, for donating nutrient solution 1 on 2018-05-22 21:58:49. Thanks to reader “mico”, for donating nutrient solution 20 on 2018-05-22 21:39:22. Thanks to reader “Your Dad is Always Your Dad”, for donating nutrient solution 5 on 2018-05-22 19:15:18. Thank you all for the nutrient solution!!! == Exclusively dropping 4,000 words today for everyone to enjoy, with another 10,000-word update coming tomorrow√ Unless there's a special situation, updates will still be every day at 11:30 PM because this wretched author starts huffing and puffing at 9:30 PM, and by 11:30 PM, the work is just right for release. _(:3 ∠?)_ The top ten commenters on this chapter will still get red envelopes, love you all