65 - Dungeon Growth Log

Xia Ge, amidst the uproarious cheers, found herself being designated as a special recruit of Dan Peak. However, her status as a special recruit was rather unique. In addition to attending classes like everyone else, she was also responsible for the daily chores of Dan Peak's senior disciple. After the eldest senior sister announced her as a special transfer student a few days ago, Xia Ge moved up the mountain. Yet, the place she resided in was different from that of the ordinary disciples. Becoming a special recruit meant Xia Ge was constantly on the move. Busy with relocating, she had transitioned from an outer disciple to an inner disciple and thus had to reside on the mountain frequently. The house at the foot of the mountain was to be left for the new outer disciples. Only Ye Ze, that silly fool, went and bought the house at the mountain’s foot with his own savings, claiming it was for nostalgia. He foolishly ran up and down the mountain frequently. If she had the money, Xia Ge might also have indulged in nostalgia. Having another place to stay wouldn’t be bad. Even if it was an old rundown place, it still had been her home for years. But, after checking her wallet, she resolutely abandoned the thought. Nostalgia is a luxury the rich can afford; the poor simply can’t. Before leaving, she meticulously filled the little holes and niches under the bed where she’d stashed silver and materials with soil, ensuring there were no traces left. Satisfied, she happily moved to her new residence. The new house was far more spacious than that shaky old structure and came with its own furnishings. Soft green curtains were drawn open, a pearwood table identical to the one she once admired was placed by the window, and the bed was large. Beside the bed was a screen about a yard long. Once she put on the bedding, the bed became as soft as a cloud. Excited, Xia Ge rolled on the bed a couple of times and didn’t fall off. The most surprising delight was discovering a large bathtub behind the screen! Back then, she had to bathe in stealth. Once, hearing from Ye Ze about a sparsely populated waterfall on Sword Peak, she had sneakily gone there, only to be chased away by fierce Sword Peak girls who beat her like a dog. That was one of the few times Xia Ge had to push her Ghostly Concealment skill to its limits. It felt like a thief sneaking into a sports school only to steal, but despite not getting beaten badly, the psychological shadow left was no less profound. Who said there were few people there? Since then, she had no choice but to sneakily cleanse herself by the creek at night. Fortunately, her days of hardship had finally come to an end, and she now had her own bathtub to bathe in! How could this not be moving? “Ah… It’s just like a paradise on earth!” However, no matter how paradisiacal, it wasn’t without its downsides. After indulging in the happiness of her new nest, Xia Ge squatted on a tree branch beside her new house, staring at the familiar pavilion not far from her room, lost in thought. Although she was tasked with some duties from the eldest senior sister, making her slightly more special than other disciples… her living quarters were a bit too close to the “boudoir” of the eldest senior sister, weren’t they? After staring at the pavilion for a while, where the vibrant crimson flowers bloomed gorgeously but without sight of the beautiful lady, Xia Ge reasoned that the senior sister was occupied with numerous tasks and likely wouldn't be around often. Shaking off her thoughts, Xia Ge jumped down the tree, took out her refined Gold Elixirs, and inspected them. She had three Life-Gold Elixirs, two Gold Dan, and one Scarlet Blood Elixir. She had exchanged one Gold Dan for ten points, feeling somewhat shortchanged. The remaining two, she decided to sell on the black market for some silver to buy materials for making puppets. “I remember the black market in the book being somewhere near Blackstone Cave?” Xia Ge pondered, “I haven’t been there yet. Little Puppet, do you sell maps?” The system lazily responded, “One-time transmission maps cost ten points; non-transmission maps need to be bought at the mountain’s base.” Xia Ge: “…” = = At Lingxi Peak, in the council hall. There was no sign of the elderly white-haired man, only Gu Pei Jiu, Bai Li Qing, and Chang Lan. “Recently, the demonic cult has been frequently active. We don't know what they’re planning,” Bai Li Qing said. Chang Lan, dressed in a fresh blue and white scholar’s robe with a long jade sword at his waist, frowned, “The [Order] sent word for us to keep an eye on the black market, Hundred Ghosts’ Cave, Dream-Chasing Tower, and some other places where they might appear, seemingly searching for something…” The black market is a realm of chaos, with all sorts of people selling all sorts of things. You can never be certain if your buyer or seller is a person, a ghost, a skeleton, a puppet, or an enchanted garment. The Hundred Ghosts’ Cave is a place where secrets are traded; many secrets in this world may be hidden from the living but never from the dead—or ghosts, to be precise. Dream-Chasing Tower is simply a brothel. It’s the most renowned, with branches all over the land, thus drawing a mix of people. “These places are indeed worth noting,” Bai Li Qing, wearing his usual animal-skin robe, paused as the red bird on his shoulder pecked him affectionately. “However, the Thousand Souls Cult has been quiet for so long, their recent actions seem too excessive.” “It’s likely due to the young master of the demonic cult who awakened a few years ago.” Chang Lan seemed a bit troubled. “Before their young master awoke, the high priest was in charge. When the high priest was imprisoned, I thought the Thousand Souls Cult would become leaderless. But within a few years, a new talent emerged. Their recent actions probably stem from whatever this new leader wants to pursue.” “Is nothing known about her background yet?” Bai Li Qing frowned. “Nothing specific,” Chang Lan shook his head. “Just that she emerged covered in blood a few years back, challenged an [Order] in the north, and single-handedly overthrew it without losing a single soldier. She then declared herself the leader of the Thousand Souls Cult. Beyond that, not much is known.” As they spoke, Gu Pei Jiu, who had been watching the clouds outside the hall, remained silent. “Does Junior Sister have nothing to add?” Chang Lan paused and asked gently. Without moving her gaze from the clouds painted in the sky, black hair tied with a red ribbon and her back straight, Gu Pei Jiu, as beautiful as a painting, replied, “Keep a close watch on the high priest.” Since the senior disciples took posts in [Order], the current disciples were only the three of them. Gu Pei Jiu, being the newest in her position and naturally reserved, spoke little during their discussions. Chang Lan nodded, “We should indeed keep a close watch.” No further questions were asked. The former high priest of the demonic cult was imprisoned in the Sword Peak dungeon. Initially, waves of cultists came to rescue, but with the leader overseeing, none could break through. With the emergence of the new leader, the high priest’s importance diminished, resulting in fewer rescue attempts. Thus, despite the high priest's unwillingness, he remained imprisoned. “The [Order] has advised us, and we should indeed monitor these places closely," stated Chang Lan. “Agreed.” With both nodding in accord, Chang Lan looked at Gu Pei Jiu, “Junior Sister should head to the black market, the other two places will be handled by your Senior Brother Bai Li and me.” Though the black market wasn’t ideal, it was preferable to a ghost cave or a brothel, which were clearly unsuitable for a woman. “Alright.” It didn’t matter where she was sent. Gu Pei Jiu looked at the floating clouds in the sky, her mind drifting to the mythical city of clouds and a girl sitting atop a parapet, kicking her straw sandals, her round toes peeking out. And, Xia Wu Yin. As the simple meeting concluded, Gu Pei Jiu left the council hall, gazing at her hand. Reflecting deeply— Her series of relentless nightmares began the night she met Xia Wu Yin at the back mountain for the first time. Since then, it was a nightly occurrence. There was only one exception, the night she held Xia Wu Yin’s hand when he was gravely injured. That night was peaceful and calm. Closing her eyes, her long lashes quivering, Gu Pei Jiu remembered the words Xia Wu Yin said upon waking. Words that echoed those of the girl in her dreams. — Eyes, Wu Yin, so similar. And that face, identical to Xia Wu Yin’s. In the dream, everything seemed false yet true. Perhaps her recent anxiety and overthinking led to such an absurd dream. She clenched her hand, slowly opening her eyes. Yet, knowing it was a lie bound to be exposed, it was uttered with such justification. An infiltrated pawn from the demonic cult in Lingxi? No… If it were a pawn, they’d strive to infiltrate the inner sect to steal secrets, but that wasn't the case. Besides, stealing secrets would target the thriving Sword Peak, not the declining Dan Peak. Most suspicious was the trip to the back mountain. And… The youth’s slender body, that laughable chest band, the overly delicate face, and those large, dark eyes. And the somewhat frivolous remarks to the tavern girl in Ink Village. — Flirtatious by nature? When falsehood masquerades as truth, it remains unassured. While the dream was absurd, upon careful thought, many things hint at suspicion. However, the full mouth of lies might be a smokescreen, the flirtatious nature perhaps a cover, all because of the deeper, unspeakable secret carried by that child named Xia Wu Yin. The secret of this child. As Gu Pei Jiu gazed at the gradually dimming twilight, her pitch-black eyes slowly deepened. So... Is it him... or her? **Author’s Note:** Looks like suspicions are starting to arise. (Gazing at the sky) This chapter is really more of a transition, though. I'm making sure not to write filler! Next chapter we’ll dive into the black market plot. For those little angels taking exams, do your best! Aim to pass every subject! I...still have three more to go! =皿= = = **涼起647** threw a landmine at 2018-06-29 00:35:08 **請餵糖** threw a landmine at 2018-06-29 03:43:52 **英国短毛** threw a landmine at 2018-06-29 06:17:54 **梦想大大日更百章** threw a grenade at 2018-06-29 09:49:17 **顾归** threw a landmine at 2018-06-29 13:19:20 **游离悠闲** threw a landmine at 2018-06-29 13:37:56 **陈素** threw a landmine at 2018-06-29 15:40:27 **大狍仔** threw a grenade at 2018-06-29 22:30:12 **大狍仔** threw another grenade at 2018-06-29 22:34:30 Thank you all for your patronage qaq = = Reader "Zhang Gou Dan", irrigated nutrient solution 52018-06-29 19:28:48 Reader "never", irrigated nutrient solution 12018-06-29 19:01:02 Reader "Qiu Ran", irrigated nutrient solution 102018-06-29 17:21:48 Reader "Mo", irrigated nutrient solution 102018-06-29 16:24:24 Reader "Fusheng", irrigated nutrient solution 602018-06-29 15:58:16 Reader "Renyu Suita", irrigated nutrient solution 312018-06-29 14:19:22 Reader "Mang Sheng Liu Huo", irrigated nutrient solution 102018-06-29 13:37:46 Reader "You Gou Kuang Biao", irrigated nutrient solution 902018-06-29 13:30:38 Reader "Bai Huan Mo", irrigated nutrient solution 32018-06-29 12:28:20 Reader "Meng Xiang", irrigated nutrient solution 1402018-06-29 09:48:58 Reader "Old Rain", irrigated nutrient solution 22018-06-29 09:26:32 Reader "Goose?", irrigated nutrient solution 12018-06-29 08:22:03 Reader "Luo Ling", irrigated nutrient solution 502018-06-29 02:54:19 Reader "Ya Ya Er Ya", irrigated nutrient solution 12018-06-29 01:41:51 Reader "Wasabi Bean", irrigated nutrient solution 52018-06-29 00:29:57 Reader "Non-Fish", irrigated nutrient solution 32018-06-29 00:18:10 Reader "Proud Baby", irrigated nutrient solution 52018-06-29 00:07:00 Reader "Biu~Biu~", irrigated nutrient solution 12018-06-29 00:01:06 Reader "Little Cute", irrigated nutrient solution 12018-06-28 23:46:22 Thank you all for the nutrient solutions! Love you all! Since it’s exam week, I might not be at my best. If there’s anything you feel is off, let me know, and I’ll revise it thoroughly after my exams.