62 - Dungeon Growth Log

### Chapter 62 The night deepened, and the dream became less of a distressing nightmare and more lucid by the moment. She seemed to find herself before an ancient, unreachable city high in the clouds. The towering battlements stretched endlessly into the sky, and atop the colossal gate was an enormous plaque, pitch black, adorned with intricate patterns of gold. The plaque bore the gilded characters, prominent and shining under the brilliant sun— Yundu. "Hey, what are you staring at? Come up here!" A clear and lively voice rang out, tinged with amusement. "I've gone through so much trouble, and you're just standing there dumbfounded." At the sound, Gu Pei Jiu turned her head and saw a girl perched on the wall, with a piece of wild grass in her mouth. Dressed in simple hemp clothing, the girl had her legs crossed, her slender, snow-white legs dangling freely, clad in grass shoes. The sun highlighted the graceful curve of her little feet, her rounded toenails peeking out. Gu Pei Jiu's gaze traveled from the girl's feet to her slender legs, up to her narrow waist. Wanting to see her face, she found it all blurred, except for the wild grass that mischievously twitched as the girl spat it out. Using her hands for leverage, the girl jumped up with ease, her grass shoes landing where she had been sitting, nimble as ever. "Ah, still need me to bring you up. So troublesome, but I forgive you." Then, the girl suddenly disappeared. Gu Pei Jiu's pupils constricted slightly as she tried to move away, but found herself completely immobilized. …like she was bound to an unmoving corpse. Effortlessly, she was lifted by her collar. In a flash, she found herself atop the city wall. Before her was an expansive cloudscape. This city stood infinitely high in the clouds. From the high wall, Gu Pei Jiu could see the entire city below, bustling with people, shoulder to shoulder, an endless flow. There were vendors selling goods, yellow-robed Taoists, and even puppets and ethereal beings of clothing that should have been impossible to encounter! ...Puppets and those ethereal beings?! Gu Pei Jiu was slightly taken aback. A puppet with stiff limbs slowly picked up a sweet potato from a vendor's stand. Its wooden mouth opened and closed as if speaking. The vendor, one of those headless beings, with empty sleeves, seemed to be haggling. The being's sleeve flapped on the table, impatient, while the puppet took its time, finally placing two coins on the table before taking the sweet potato and walking away. Not far away, a seven or eight-year-old human boy waved cheerfully at the puppet. The puppet walked over, handed the sweet potato to the boy, who smiled brightly, holding the sweet potato in one hand and the puppet’s hand in the other, merging into the crowd. As the puppet left, the ethereal vendor, pleased, swept the two coins into a pouch specifically for copper coins, appearing quite happy. "This is the legendary Yundu." The girl who had brought her up still sat on the wall, holding Gu Pei Jiu's hand. Her toes curled slightly in her grass shoes, looking particularly cute. She tilted her head and said, "Actually, there's not much difference from below, but here, there's no war. People seem so happy." Gu Pei Jiu remained silent. "Sooner or later..." The girl murmured, "Pei Jiu, sooner or later, I'll make the world below just like Yundu." She called her name... Gu Pei Jiu couldn't see her face, but felt her heart pounding, desperately fast—every time she called her name. —How do you know my name? —Who are you? The girl turned her face as if looking at her. After a moment, she murmured, "Your eyes..." She slowly let go of her hand, gazing at the vast and boundless Yundu, her black hair fluttering, a hint of melancholy in her voice, "Ah, just like my brother's. They make me sad to look at." Brother? This person's brother? The girl seemed lost in memory, muttering to herself, "I wonder how Wu Yin is doing now..." Wu Yin? —Xia Wu Yin? Gu Pei Jiu's heart skipped a beat; the familiar image of the boy flashed in her mind. The next moment, she found herself gripping the girl's hand! "Huh?" The girl was startled, "Whoa, you can move?! You're moving! Holy cow, this is amazing, Pei Jiu! You're incredible! Haha, I finally have a leader!" Gu Pei Jiu had no time to process what was happening. The girl, radiating joy, grasped her hand, and with a light leap, they flew down towards Yundu! The fierce wind rushed past, the girl's hand was slightly cold, but her pride and joy were unmistakable, "I'll tell you everything I know! I'll show you this beautiful world! From now on, you're my only leader! I'll give you everything; I swear I'll never abandon you—you're amazing!" “Hahaha—” Above the infinite clouds, the girl’s laughter was clear yet wild. She leaped from the hundred-foot-high city wall with Gu Pei Jiu. As the formidable wind surged, the people of Yundu looked up in consternation. Someone faintly issued a sharp warning— "Intruders—" "Defeat the intruders!" Countless mechanical dragons with dark wings and sharp horns launched themselves towards them! "Intruders, my foot!" The girl laughed, drawing a jade-like bone flute from her bosom. Using the flute as a pen, she sketched a floating array in the air, then twirled the flute elegantly, bringing it to her lips, utterly unrestrained, "Pei Jiu, I'm fragile. You have to protect me—" The flute's sound resonated! Gu Pei Jiu's previously rigid body instantly became agile, her limbs and bones filled with terrifying power! Watching the mechanical dragons approach, she instinctively wrapped an arm around the girl and, with a wave of her sleeve— "Boom—" A powerful surge of spiritual energy burst forth, reducing the incoming mechanical dragons to ashes with a single sweep of her sleeve! With the world changing colors and deafening roars, Gu Pei Jiu held the girl tight. Though manipulated, she felt no discomfort, even instinctively wanting to press her hand over the girl's ears. —Such a loud noise might hurt her ears. That's what she thought and did. …Even though she wasn’t herself, her thoughts and actions aligned astonishingly. "Wow, that's amazing! You're incredible, Pei Jiu! As expected of my leader! Go destroy the City Lord's house! Haha—destroy it so that Yundu becomes mine!" "—Alright." The mechanical response seemed instinctual but carried a tinge of gentleness. For a moment, Gu Pei Jiu was dazed. She couldn’t discern if the "Alright" was her own voice or the body’s. She didn’t even know...who she was. But she knew she wanted to say that for the person in her arms. She wanted to fight to the death, to be covered in glory, to protect her, to be her army, to do everything in her power for her. To this end, boundless honor. This was her deity, her faith! Logic told her it was wrong. She was Gu Pei Jiu, the first disciple of Dan Feng… But now, it felt so natural. No! —Who is she? The one manipulating her, who is she? —Who is she? Why, why does she… Suddenly, a splitting headache! Everything turned into illusions, the endless mists dissipated. The girl in her arms raised her head and smiled at her. In an instant, the blurred face became clear! With her beautiful eyes and a delightful voice, the girl said, "Don't cover my ears. Did you just speak?" In that moment of clarity, Gu Pei Jiu's eyes widened, but the next second, everything vanished as if it never existed. She instinctively reached out, but grasped nothing. Her heart felt empty, as though she had lost everything. The cool touch of the girl's hand on her fingers still lingered. But upon waking, her hand was empty, the dream seemed like a fleeting illusion, a wisp of smoke. Yet the girl’s face, abruptly clear at the last moment, was deeply etched in her heart. Gu Pei Jiu got out of bed, drew back the curtains, and gazed at the faint glow of dawn in the east. “It's the fourth hour.” She murmured to herself, then felt a headache, pressing her temples until the pain subsided. The girl’s clear voice dissipated like smoke, but that face… That face, that face— It was…Xia Wu Yin’s face! = = The next day was the announcement of the results. Xia Ge had a good night's sleep, then got up in the morning to wash up. As she stepped out, she glanced at the tightly shut little house next door, rubbing her face into a sorrowful expression. "Sigh..." "There's really no one left to drink with me," Xia Ge lamented a bit wistfully. The system couldn't be bothered to respond to her. The results were to be announced at the arena where the competition had initially taken place. Xia Ge unhurriedly made her way there, munching on a pancake she’d bought at the village entrance. Disciples of various ages, some as young as eight or nine, others in their twenties or thirties, hurried towards the arena, their faces filled with trepidation. When she finally arrived, the arena was already packed. The alchemical furnaces, once neatly arranged, had all been removed, leaving a vast open space. At the far northern end, a tall, vibrant red list was unfurled, with the words "Dan Feng's Accepted List" boldly inscribed with a brush. "Ah! I made it in! 46th place!" "Congratulations!" "Why can't I find my name?..." Before the announcement list, people were shoulder to shoulder, bustling and lively. Xia Ge touched the recently scabbed wound on her stomach and looked at the crowd squeezing to get closer. For the sake of her own safety, she decided it was best to wait until later to check the results. Those anxious to see their results crowded the front, while those who had already checked, like Xia Ge, waited in the back to chat until the crowd thinned. "Sigh, so many participants this time. It’s all about the quality of the Fasting Pills. I wonder if I can get in..." This was from someone who hadn’t checked yet. "I just checked, and barely made it in—thank goodness." "Oh, I don't even dare to look! Don’t remind me. Let’s talk about something more interesting." A boy with a gourd hanging from his waist looked rather tense. "Did you hear that someone dismantled Jian Feng's council hall yesterday!" "Cough, cough, cough—" Hearing this, Xia Ge nearly choked on the pancake. Her vision dimmed, and she grasped her throat, determined to wrestle with the offending pancake. Seeing her choke, the boy immediately offered her his gourd of water with enthusiastic concern, "You skipped breakfast to come see the results? Same here. Who would’ve thought that once we got here, we'd be too scared to look!" **Author’s Note:** *Wuuu... okay, no more suspense. (Looks up at the sky)* *Wuuu, this lousy author has exams on Friday for statistics, Sunday for English economic law, and next Friday for Marxism. Cursed school, wuuu [crying].* *After the exams, I'll give you more updates and writing, wuuu.* = = Gu Gui threw a 'landmine' at 2018-06-26 00:00:50 Xiguan threw a 'landmine' at 2018-06-26 00:33:08 Chai Gui threw a 'grenade' at 2018-06-26 08:01:02 Youli Youxian threw a 'landmine' at 2018-06-26 12:35:29 Ah ah, thank you all for the landmines and grenades! Love you all!! = = Reader "Pang Ren", irrigated nutrient solution +10 at 2018-06-26 21:53:38 Reader "Your Wall is Too White", irrigated nutrient solution +30 at 2018-06-26 20:46:40 Reader "Su Ye", irrigated nutrient solution +10 at 2018-06-26 20:16:29 Reader "Yan Guo Diao Mao", irrigated nutrient solution +10 at 2018-06-26 19:50:41 Reader "Xue", irrigated nutrient solution +2 at 2018-06-26 19:21:22 Reader "De De", irrigated nutrient solution +1 at 2018-06-26 17:12:16 Reader "Ki-bo", irrigated nutrient solution +20 at 2018-06-26 16:59:54 Reader "Jiu Shi Gong Zi jsgz", irrigated nutrient solution +1 at 2018-06-26 16:02:09 Reader "...", irrigated nutrient solution +20 at 2018-06-26 15:21:18 Reader "Every Day Looking for Drama", irrigated nutrient solution +80 at 2018-06-26 15:13:04 Reader "Hua Liang", irrigated nutrient solution +6 at 2018-06-26 13:15:19 Reader "Mo.", irrigated nutrient solution +10 at 2018-06-26 12:28:51 Reader "Yaya Er Ya", irrigated nutrient solution +1 at 2018-06-26 07:40:58 Reader "Qin Duo", irrigated nutrient solution +10 at 2018-06-26 06:18:00 Reader "Running Snail", irrigated nutrient solution +10 at 2018-06-26 06:15:11 Reader "2151999", irrigated nutrient solution +20 at 2018-06-26 05:02:57 Reader "23687590 Pang Si", irrigated nutrient solution +10 at 2018-06-26 00:07:25 Thank you all for the nutrient solutions! Love you all!