36 - Dungeon Growth Log

Gu Pei Jiu leaned over to pluck a green hair ribbon from the tree. Her fingertips tingled with the icy frost and dew that had settled on the ribbon. She lowered her gaze, staring at the ribbon twined around her snow-white fingertips, pausing as an unidentifiable emotion stirred within her. The rustling of leaves indicated someone's approach. Gu Pei Jiu's eyes slightly shifted. She tucked the hair ribbon and the jade pendant into her sleeve. At the same moment, a clear voice resonated, "Junior Sister, you're here too?" Glancing sideways, Gu Pei Jiu saw the newcomer clad in a blue and white sword outfit, a long sword at his waist, blue-bound deer-hide boots, and clear, bright eyes. He was none other than Chang Lan, the chief disciple of the Sword Peak. “Mm.” Gu Pei Jiu nodded nonchalantly. “Senior Brother, you’re here too?” “The wind seemed peculiar, so I came here to investigate.” Chang Lan smiled and then asked, “Since you arrived before me, did you discover anything?” Before Gu Pei Jiu could respond, Chang Lan glanced around and furrowed his brows. “It seems the demonic energy has dissipated. The disciples on patrol were careless—this is an oversight on our part at Sword Peak.” Gu Pei Jiu slightly tightened her grip on the jade pendant in her hand, though her voice remained calm. “Senior Brother, you need not blame yourself. Guarding the back mountain is part of our Dan Peak’s responsibilities. Unfortunately, our disciples at Dan Peak aren't skilled in combat. Handing over the full responsibility to you is a failure on my part to some extent.” “You’re being too harsh on yourself.” Chang Lan quickly interjected, then shifted the topic. "Did you discover anything?" “There’s a corpse puppet over there, cleaved in two.” As she spoke, the two of them walked to the spot where a cedar tree and the corpse puppet were split. The girl in the red and white attire showed no expression. Her voice was detached. “And this tree has been cut in half. I just don’t know who did it.” “…” Chang Lan glanced at the demonized puppet on the ground, cleaved in two, then at the enormous cedar tree, fallen and askew from a powerful slash. He bent down and picked up a half-mask from the ground. “This puppet... is it a guardian spirit?” “Yes.” The girl responded faintly. Chang Lan felt a moment of awkwardness. Although they were both chief disciples, and technically, he should be considered her senior, he always found himself at a loss for words in her presence. Though Gu Pei Jiu claimed before the Sect Leader that she depended on his help, outside of official duties, they barely had any personal interactions. ...Perhaps it was because his junior sister was inherently aloof. Chang Lan thought for a moment. “The guardian spirit was one of Ancestor Lingxi’s protectors. I wonder who disturbed them.” “…” Gu Pei Jiu was silent for a long time. “Senior Brother, a demonized ‘guardian spirit’ is no longer Ancestor Lingxi’s protector.” A soul that has lost its self cannot guard another’s soul. However, they were still symbols of Ancestor Lingxi’s guardianship. Lingxi Ancestor had slumbered in the back mountain; her soul had long since reincarnated, leaving behind an array of guardian spirits, sinister phantoms, and other creatures. To prevent disciples from getting harmed and to maintain reverence for Ancestor Lingxi, the back mountain was designated as a forbidden area. Chang Lan's face showed a trace of helplessness. "You're right, Junior Sister." Having said that, Chang Lan observed the scene more closely. The signs of battle were apparent. “It seems someone ventured into the back mountain, fought with the puppet, then killed it and escaped.” “Mm.” Gu Pei Jiu nodded slightly. She thought of the young man who had been all smiles a few days ago, her heart rippling with mixed emotions, though her face remained impassive. “This matter must be reported to the Sect Leader... It’s a critical time for recruiting new disciples to our sect. We can’t afford any mistakes,” Chang Lan suggested. “Mm.” Gu Pei Jiu nodded. “That’s appropriate.” "...I heard that you plan to personally mentor one of the selected inner disciples from this batch?" Chang Lan, hoisting the split puppet, walked alongside her. His tone was casual. "Have you found a suitable candidate?" For some reason, Chang Lan sensed that his junior sister’s expression had turned colder. The jade pendant in her hand seemed to burn. Her voice was unruffled. “None of them are suitable.” None that caught her eye, at least not in a good way. == By the time Xia Ge snapped back to reality, she was drowsily following a bewildered deer down a stone stairway leading into what appeared to be an underground palace. The passage ahead, carved from stone, was lined with intricate murals and illuminated by large night pearls the size of fists, spaced every few steps, bathing the entire hallway in bright, steady light. "Hey—why did you bring me here?" Xia Ge stopped immediately, gripping her sickle. “I want to go back!” The bewildered deer, adorned with graceful horns, turned to face her. Its beautiful purple eyes sparkled like stars and moons. It nodded at her before gradually becoming blurry, until it vanished like a fleeting dream. "...Did it disappear?" Xia Ge blinked. "Gone?” ...What exactly was that deer? Collecting her thoughts, she shook her head. Regardless of what that deer was, she needed to get back quickly. Turning around, Xia Ge intended to retrace her steps. Yet to her surprise, the stone stairway she'd ascended had vanished, replaced by a solid stone wall. Xia Ge: "..." She tapped it with her sickle, producing a solid sound. It wasn’t an illusion, nor was it hollow. "Just now…there were stairs behind me." Xia Ge was baffled. "Why are they gone?” "You were ensnared by the bewildering deer's soul-capturing allure.” The system explained, “What you saw while following it was all deceptive.” Xia Ge paused, her mind a bit foggy. “Deceptive? ...The bewildering deer? The blue-spotted deer from earlier?” System: “Yes, that’s the bewildering deer.” Xia Ge: “What does it want? Why did it target me? Do I owe it money?” System: “I don’t know if you owe it money, but it certainly has a reason for seeking you out.” Xia Ge pondered. “A reason...? Could it indeed be because I owe it money?” System: “...” Must you always circle back to money? The system chose to explain in a different manner: “Have you ever heard of ‘returning after being lost’?” Xia Ge felt an odd sense. “Yes.” System: “Souls cycle through reincarnation. Each reincarnation treads a new path. Past lives are mazes for current lives.” Xia Ge half-understood. "I kind of get it." The system continued, "‘Returning after being lost’ typically means abandoning the wrong path to return to the right one, but here it has another layer." “It urges individuals not to linger on the experiences of past lives and to embrace their current existence.” Xia Ge nodded. “So, the bewildering deer… Did you warn me not to follow it earlier?” “Yes. The appearance of the bewildering deer signifies unresolved karma from your past life entangling with your present. It will lead you into confusion without yielding a good outcome." The system's voice lowered. "However, what's meant to come, you can’t avoid. Did you recently hear a phrase, ‘bewildering deer, no return’?” Xia Ge struck her palm. “Right! Last night I dreamt of a little girl singing a bizarre nursery rhyme, and this phrase was part of it!” Becoming tense, Xia Ge asked, "Did I owe a lot of debt in my past life? Has the bewildering deer tracked me down to collect? How much did I owe?! This is terrifying! It's definitely a maze!" System: “…” Choosing to ignore its host’s imminent debt-related panic, the system calmly explained: “If you heard that phrase in a dream, encountering the bewildering deer was inevitable.” Xia Ge: "???" The system elaborated, "Hearing that phrase in a dream signals the deer’s approach. Regardless of your location, it will find you… Also, the bewildering deer doesn’t seek you for money matters.” Xia Ge clicked her tongue, “That's a relief… If it’s not about money, I’m less worried.” System: “…” Money-related issues would actually be simpler. “What’s the consequence of it finding me?” Xia Ge wondered, “I don't recall seeing any plotlines involving the bewildering deer in the book.” System: "I’m unsure why it's guiding you here. It likely pertains to matters of your previous life...but not about money.” "My previous life?" Xia Ge’s eyes suddenly brightened, as if she’d remembered something. “Right, my previous life! Could it be linked to my experiences in the modern world?! That would be fascinating!” System: "…Don’t get too excited. I doubt it involves the modern era." Xia Ge sighed, uncharacteristically melancholic, “I’ve been stuck in this book for years now… Good thing I had the foresight to tell my ATM PIN to my little brother before leaving.” Hopefully, he wasn’t living in hardship. System: "Yes, that’s prudent." Xia Ge retained her melancholy. “Sigh, on further thought, maybe I shouldn’t have told him. Satiated people often indulge in lustful thoughts.” The system didn't hold back: “Oh? Does that mean you’re ‘hungry enough to become a thief’?” Xia Ge silently glanced at her night outfit and rubbed her nose, “You're always so blunt, Xiao Kui. Unerring as ever.” The system scoffed. “I appreciate it.” After their brief banter, Xia Ge struck the wall behind her with the sickle once more, feeling regretful. “It’s really solid… I wonder if my brother has managed to get a girlfriend.” System: "…Host, look there, a night pearl." Xia Ge: "!!!!” On the stone wall, the night pearls, as large as fists, were placed every three steps. "Whoa, those really are night pearls! I thought they were just illusions!!” System: “…” “I’m gonna be rich overnight!” Xia Ge shouldered her sickle and sprinted to the nearest night pearl. Its luminous glow lit up the dark corridor as brightly as daylight. “Xiao Kui, do you accept night pearls?” Xia Ge picked up two and tossed them into her silver ring. Eyeing the other pearls lining the corridor, she was brimming with thoughts of sudden wealth. “Do you? Do you?” The system’s voice was cold. “I don’t deal in items taken from the deceased.” Xia Ge hugged a night pearl. "…???” The system gently reminded her, “This seems to be the tomb of your ancestor, Ancestor Lingxi.” Xia Ge: "…How do you know?” System: “Look at the stele to your left.” Turning her head, Xia Ge saw a small stone stele on her left, resting against the wall. [Ancestor Lingxi’s Tomb] Xia Ge: "…” Xia Ge quickly and neatly put the night pearls back in their original places. Bowing her hands towards the end of the corridor, she apologized, “Disciple deeply regrets disturbing Ancestor’s rest in the middle of the night. I sincerely apologize. Is there any martial arts manual or miraculous elixir you could bestow upon me, so I can—uh, no, I mean, to expand our sect’s glory and bring honor to our ancestors.” System: “…” The corridor was eerily quiet, only echoing her words. Not even the sound of wind, let alone anything magical, could be heard. Xia Ge: "…” This was the moment there should be some miraculous occurrence, wasn’t it? Like holy light descending? Or a divine pet appearing? At the very least, even a trap mechanism would spice things up, right? Was Ancestor Lingxi’s tomb this low-key? How would she brag about this after leaving? Feeling a bit despondent, Xia Ge lowered her hands and glanced at the mural on the wall, illuminated by the night pearls. In the mural, a woman in a light robe sat atop the highest peak, her hair cascading like a waterfall, with a white flute hanging at her waist. She gazed at the dawn rising in the sky, one hand resting on her knee. Her posture was lazy, her demeanor relaxed yet inexplicably elegant and free. Mist swirled around her, and behind her was another woman, her face obscured. This second woman gently held the neck of the woman in the light robe, her head nestled close to her ear, in an intimate and unmistakable pose. She wore a golden dragon robe, its five-clawed dragons fierce and arrogant on her sleeves. Xia Ge’s eyes widened in astonishment. …Damn, even though she hadn’t much experience, she knew that the only person allowed to wear a five-clawed dragon robe back then was the emperor! Could the woman with the flute really be Ancestor Lingxi? Wow, to have hooked up with the empress—impressive, indeed! Although Xia Ge was a bit of a slacker, she had spent a lot of time in the Thinking Over Hall and often perused historical fiction and strange tales to pass the time. Hence, she had a rough understanding of the continent’s history. It was said that hundreds of years ago, there was a kingdom called [Zhao]. The emperor at the time, surnamed Chu, was highly incompetent. The southern barbarians were invading; the northern nomadic tribes eyed the kingdom hungrily, and heavy taxes left the populace destitute. The realm was in chaos. Though many pursued the Dao at the time, they adhered to one principle: the fate of mortal kingdoms was not their concern; it was the natural order. Xia Ge could totally understand. In essence, they enjoyed the benefits of the state but did nothing in return. They’d simply shrug and say, “I’m cultivating immortality. I’m different from you mortals, superior. Hmm? The country’s in trouble? Beg me.” No use begging; they wouldn’t help. Hmm? The state’s fallen and the benefits have stopped? No issue, they could concoct fasting pills. Dao practitioners at that time were pretty much hooligans. With external threats looming and the Dao practitioners hindering internal progress, coupled with an immensely incompetent emperor who squandered the treasury, the kingdom was chaotic and ruined. In the end, the barbarians invaded, and the humiliated emperor decided to marry off his daughter for an alliance. This daughter later became the empress, known for her conquests and unifying the lands. She was revered as the [Literary and Martial Empress], Chu Shi. As for how Chu Shi turned the tides, from a princess waiting to be wed to a founding empress, the books Xia Ge read were vague, as if touching on taboo subjects. Xia Ge, curious as she was, couldn't grasp the full story. “…This Ancestor Lingxi was quite something.” Xia Ge rubbed her chin, her thoughts drifting to the unconventional ancestral edict about marrying anyone who saved a disciple. “Truly a character.” System: “…” Shut up! You’re the last person qualified to say that! There were more murals ahead, and since Xia Ge had nothing else to do and couldn’t leave yet, she decided to examine every one of them. “Wow, our ancestor certainly had a taste for the finer things.” Xia Ge sighed. The murals depicted a leisurely life. Mostly, the woman with the white flute enjoyed drinking wine and admiring flowers. Sometimes, she composed poetry with the woman in the dragon robe, the scenes full of relaxed elegance and apparent freedom. Rather sweet. Until Xia Ge reached the final mural—a sudden twist hit hard, taking her by surprise. In the painting, the woman wearing the dragon robe held an elegant garment, her delicate fingers gently caressing a tombstone, her face streaked with tears. The woman with the white flute was nowhere to be seen. Xia Ge was stunned by the abrupt shift. “...What happened?” Why had her ancestor suddenly turned into a tomb? System: “...That’s.” The tragedy was sudden and harsh. Xia Ge felt as if she’d been reading a sweet romance only to have the author abruptly force a tragic ending on her. This mural was hard to swallow. Couldn’t there have been more of a buildup? The abrupt fatal turn left the characters feeling like mere extras. Couldn’t there have been some ancestral dignity? Next to the tragic mural, an ornate line of poetry was inscribed. "Ten years of romance, never forgotten, a beauty accompanies, evoking elegy.” Xia Ge: “Is it just me, or does this poem seem to carry a sense of smugness…?” System: “It’s your imagination. It shouldn’t be written by your ancestor.” Xia Ge: “…Really?” Xia Ge was skeptical. “But isn’t this her tomb?” System: “…She’s depicted as deceased in the mural. How could she have written a poem herself?” Xia Ge: “Um, Xiao Kui, I think it would be more respectful to use the term ‘passed away’ in this context…” Especially considering they were in her ancestor’s resting place, it felt a bit eerie. Xia Ge glanced at the mural again, feeling perplexed. “Is this mound really Ancestor Lingxi’s grave? Why does it look like a simple earth mound? ...Wait, isn’t this the tomb?” System: “Her remains might have been moved here by later generations, or it could be a cenotaph.” Xia Ge: “Oh...” A cenotaph made it even more prestigious and grand. Ancestor Lingxi truly lived up to her ancestor’s reputation. Rubbing her arms, Xia Ge walked through the mural-covered corridor and arrived at a spacious chamber. It was a large stone chamber, with another pathway leading deeper into the tomb on the opposite side. The chamber floor was inscribed with formations Xia Ge couldn’t understand, so she cautiously stood at the entrance, peering at a stele in the middle of the room from a safe distance. "It seems to be inscribed with something..." Switching her sickle to three-section staff mode with a series of “thwacks,” Xia Ge said, "Let me see if I can hook it over." System: “...Wait, I think it’s better to find a more cautious method… Vandalizing artifacts isn’t ideal.” Xia Ge, having already thrown out her sickle: "Hmm? Is there another way?" "Snap!" The sickle’s chain extended, and its tip hooked perfectly onto the stele. Xia Ge looked serious. “I’m not vandalizing. I’m just bringing it over to take a look.” System: “…” To prove her point, Xia Ge lightly pulled the stele towards her. Without much resistance, the stele was cleanly sliced by the sickle, and with a cracking sound, its upper half tumbled onto the formation, the cut smooth as silk. Xia Ge: "..." System: "…” Well done. Calmly retracting her sickle, Xia Ge hummed a couple of times. "...I didn’t do it, I didn’t do it.” System: “Yes, you did! Yes, you did! Compensate! Compensate!” Author’s Note: Aargh! Damn the draft box!!!!!!