73 - Dungeon Growth Log

Xia Ge suddenly looked up. She was in a private room, from where she could see the scene below through glazed windows. When a guest in one of the private rooms made a bid, a spiritual array in the upper right corner of the window would light up with their number, indicating their bid. Because the assignment of private rooms was random, except for the organizers, no one knew the identity of the occupants. The window of the room opposite her had its array lit up with a faint glow! Ten million superior-grade spirit stones!? Rich! The whole auction fell silent for a moment at the shout of this exorbitant price. The voices of the colorful cloaked people below grew more excited, "Ten million, going once!" "Ten million, going twice!" "Ten million, going thrice—sold!!" "Congratulations to guest number 33!!" Xia Ge stared at the private room with the lit-up number, listening to the hypocritical voice of the host below. She couldn't help but sneer. Congratulations? What was there to congratulate about? Congratulating them on buying a fake or congratulating them on being targeted by the demonic cult? Whoever bought this thing was surely courting disaster. But it wasn't her concern; she'd rather worry about the black market bounty on her head than a bigwig who could throw around ten million superior-grade spirit stones like it was nothing. Xia Ge put on her fox mask and cloak, feeling a dull pain in her stomach. Taking a deep breath, she looked back and saw the elixir on the ground again. After a moment of thought, she picked up the elixir, a glint of green light flickering in her eyes. [Pain Relief Pill * Mystic: Crafted by an exceptionally skilled alchemist, this pain relief pill will immediately stop any pain, whether it's a broken arm, leg, gut, headache, or period pain.] Period pain being bolded? What a weird detail. Xia Ge frowned, "Xiao Kui, did you write this description?" The system replied earnestly, "I wrote it using simple, straightforward language for your understanding." Xia Ge: "It's very much in your style." Simple and straightforward, filled with a certain cheekiness. Xia Ge picked up the elixir from the ground, glanced at the tightly closed door, feeling conflicted. Who exactly was that person? Did she know her? Why was she so kind to her? Could it be someone she was familiar with? Thinking back... There wasn’t anyone she knew who had a reason to be so kind to her. Ye Ze? Ye Ze was up on Sword Peak and couldn't have come down. Besides, that person seemed to be a woman... A woman... Could it be Senior Sister Mao Qing? Thinking of Mao Qing, Xia Ge's headache worsened. If it were Mao Qing, then there would be even less reason for her to be kind, considering she had promised Senior Sister to secure a top-three place but ended up not even getting into the top six in the entrance competition of Dan Peak, failing miserably. Besides... Would someone like Senior Sister come to a place like the black market? And sit nonchalantly at a stall in the small black market all afternoon? Recalling their dismal business earlier... Stop, stop... No more thinking, or her persona might crack. Mao Qing... If Mao Qing had such abilities, she wouldn’t be bullied on Sword Peak, right? But aside from her, there didn't seem to be anyone else. Xia Ge looked at the elixir in her hand, feeling a headache and a stomach ache. Finally, she sighed, "Whoever you are... Consider this a debt I owe you." With that, she was about to swallow the elixir when the red ribbon wrapped around her left hand came to life with a "whoosh," snatching the elixir from her right hand. Suddenly empty-handed, Xia Ge was dumbfounded, watching the red ribbon twirl around her right hand, holding the elixir. "What are you doing?" The red ribbon, using one end to grab the elixir, carefully wiped it clean, then presented it to her like a treasure. It seemed like the ribbon wanted to clean the elixir because Xia Ge had dropped it on the ground earlier. Xia Ge: "..." The system sighed, "...So useful." For some reason, looking at the thin red ribbon holding the elixir, staring up at her, Xia Ge’s stomach hurt even more. Seeing her inaction, the ribbon nudged the elixir towards her eagerly. Not wanting to waste any more time, Xia Ge took the elixir and swallowed it. The elixir melted in her mouth, spreading warm energy through her body, instantly dissolving her pain. Xia Ge pushed open the door; the outside was empty. The cloaked person was gone, truly gone. She touched the fox mask on her face, unable to discern her feelings. Although the person’s intentions were unclear, their actions seemed genuinely without malice. "…But just because you are kind to me, does that mean I have to be kind to you?" Xia Ge seemed to be convincing herself, muttering, "In this world, where is such fairness?" "If I meet you again, I'll repay what I owe you." The red ribbon rubbed against her. "Do you have a name?" Xia Ge asked. The ribbon shook its ends. The system explained, "This is a fragment torn from a very powerful Yi Mei, but ordinary fragments wouldn’t have their own consciousness unless the Yi Mei placed its soul within. However, if the Yi Mei wasn't foolish, it wouldn't do that. This one seems to have generated its own soul." Xia Ge raised her hand, "What exactly are you?" Of course, the ribbon couldn’t speak, only nudging her. The system continued, "Yi Mei usually have their own names, either their original soul's name or a name given by its first owner. Once they receive a name, they won’t change it easily." "You can try naming it. If it rejects the name, it means it’s the soul of the original powerful Yi Mei. If it accepts, it means it’s a new soul that hasn’t bonded yet." Xia Ge looked at the ribbon. Under her gaze, the ribbon quickly curled up, resembling a shy mimosa. Xia Ge: "…What are you shy for?!" Filled with ill intentions, Xia Ge poked, "Hey, Doggy?" The ribbon didn’t move. Xia Ge tried again, "Eggy?" The ribbon seemed to twitch, then, as if fearing Xia Ge might think it responded, it pretended to be dead. Silence filled the air. The system remarked, "…If the name doesn't match the Yi Mei soul’s aesthetics, it will also reject it." "A red ribbon has aesthetics?" Xia Ge questioned. The system replied, "I also don’t think it has aesthetics; otherwise, why would it pick you?" Xia Ge: "…Just shut up." After struggling for half a day, Xia Ge couldn’t think of a suitable name that fit the ribbon’s aesthetics and gave up. She wasn’t keen on keeping this Yi Mei anyway; wearing it always reminded her of that unsettling cloaked person. Unsettling not because the cloaked person was bad, but because... he was too good. So, it felt unfamiliar. Once she left the black market, no one would know who she was. Xia Ge comforted herself: at that point, nobody would recognize anyone. She could just tie the ribbon to a mountain tree and sneak away. Who would find her? The fake Zhenhun auctioned off, Huo Bai was White Blade, elixirs sold, materials bought, this black market trip was quite fruitful. As for the unfortunate buyer of the fake Zhenhun... someone who could throw around ten million superior-grade spirit stones probably didn’t need her, a poor girl who saw a hundred medium-grade spirit stones as a fortune, worrying for them. Settling her thoughts, Xia Ge hid her left hand under her cloak and walked out of the private room. Below, with the hottest item sold, the audience's enthusiasm was fully aroused, and the colorful cloaked people began bidding on other items. Meanwhile, in room 33. "Young master..." In the exquisitely decorated private room, a young man dressed in black, with a heavy sword on his back, sat casually on a chair with his legs crossed. Beside him, a middle-aged servant in sackcloth with an iron blade cautiously said, "The item you wanted has already been packaged and sent over." "There should still be fun things below," the young man curled his lips. "I don’t want to leave. You take it and bring it back for me, and be careful. If it gets lost—watch your head!" "Ah... Young master, that item..." The servant pleaded, "How about letting the master send someone to fetch it..." "I told you to take it back, so take it back! Why so much nonsense!" The young man suddenly stood up. The heavy sword on his back drew out with a sharp motion, two feet wide and black with a sharp edge, holding straight at the servant's neck! Scared, the servant fell to his knees, "Mercy, young master, mercy!" The young man sneered, "Who the hell is your master?" "You are, young master!" The servant trembled. At this moment, a knock came at the door. The young man sheathed his sword and commanded, "Open the door!" The servant scrambled to his feet, opened the door. Outside, a man in white with a black mask carefully held a dark box containing the [Zhenhun]. His voice was low and hoarse, "Sir, your item, please accept." The servant carefully took the box with shaking hands. Behind the black mask, the eyes of the man in white were lifeless, "Apologies for the intrusion." After finishing, the masked man gracefully closed the door behind him. The young man with the heavy sword on his back grabbed the jail with one hand, his narrow eyes filled with disdain. "An ancient Yi Mei locked up in a black iron jail? What a joke." The servant stood by silently, not daring to speak. The young man lost interest after a moment and casually tossed the jail containing the Zhenhun to the servant. "Since the old guy loves ancient Yi Mei so much, consider it a present from his son. Now take it away." The servant hesitated. The young man glared at him, "What are you waiting for? Get moving!" "Yes, yes..." The servant, feeling miserable, hurriedly cloaked his face and put on a mask before leaving the private room with the jail. No one noticed the tiny, deliberately torn gap in the black iron jail containing the Zhenhun. With everyone gone, the young man snorted, casually flipping through the auction catalog. As he reached the last page, his eyebrows lifted slightly. "Hmm... Tian Du Young Courtesan?" In another room. "It has been delivered?" White Blade toyed with the wooden puppet in his hands, his black mask pushed up, revealing his pitch-black eyes and pale face. He sneered as he looked down at the person below who had delivered the Zhenhun to room 33. The man below lowered his voice, "It seems the occupant of that room has sent someone out with the Zhenhun." "Then find a way to kill them and take it back," White Blade's voice was icy and sinister. "Do I have to teach you everything?!" The subordinate hesitated for a few seconds before replying quietly, "The black iron jail... has been damaged." White Blade's grip on the puppet tightened, and he suddenly kicked the man away, "What did you say?!" Falling to the ground in a sorry state, the subordinate pleaded, "I failed the task; please punish me, Master!" White Blade clutched the puppet for a moment before slowly relaxing his hold. "But this might work to our advantage," he muttered, a smile slowly curling at his lips. "The messier, the better. Let everyone know Zhenhun has appeared." "Keep someone watching it. Inform me of any developments immediately." "Retrieve the clothes before they leave the black market." "Yes, sir!" = = On the other side, Xia Ge sneakily left the private room, encountering several controlled corpses along the way. These were clearly black market security, nervously looking for someone. "Keep an eye out for anyone around five to six feet tall wearing a bronze mask!" The tallest of the corpse puppets, evidently the leader, ordered in a shrill voice, gathering more puppets at the entrance. Xia Ge tiptoed, calmly walking out the auction area. A corpse puppet at the door glanced at her fox mask and height, noting something off. "Head, that one seems a bit short..." The corpse puppet leader turned, noticing Xia Ge. Xia Ge then realized the leader wore a rat mask, sneaky and furtive. Upon seeing her, it suddenly stepped back, "My apologies!" Xia Ge: "???" The rat-masked corpse puppet cautiously asked, "Are you leaving the auction?" Xia Ge: "..." After a moment, she nodded, "Uh... yes." "Please take care," the rat-masked corpse puppet said, opening the door for her. Xia Ge walked out, bewildered. A cursed baby puppet commented, "Head, that person is five to six fe—" The rat-masked puppet knocked its head. "Didn’t you see the mask? Fool, that’s an ethereal red-dyed mask! You see it, you let it pass!" "Let's go, quickly find the person!" Xia Ge felt something was off, touching the mask. It seemed that the cloaked person helped her again. Winding her way out, leaving was easier than coming in. Only a few steps from the light of the exit, a dense, pungent smell of blood filled the air. Xia Ge stopped abruptly. The next moment, a terrifying pressure enveloped her! Instinctively, she summoned her scythe, and the clash of metal rang out as she staggered back three or four steps. She looked up to see a person standing there! This person’s mask was half-shattered, eyes bulging with blood vessels. But what was most peculiar was their attire—bloodstained white clothes wrapped over a cloak, as if this person had forcibly worn their usual attire over the cloak! They wielded an ordinary iron blade, yet it sparked fiercely against Xia Ge's scythe with immense power! "Roar..." The person growled, their sword swung powerfully! Their bloodstained white clothes fluttered as an overwhelming force exploded from their fragile iron blade! In an instant, the iron blade radiated a sharp aura, like a mountain-crushing force! Xia Ge couldn’t withstand it. Her scythe's handle curved and hooked onto the person's shoulder. Using the leverage, she sidestepped the deadly strike, circling around with Ghostly Phantom Step, and the chain segments from her scythe wrapped tightly around the opponent! The scythe's blade should've caused blood to spill, but it felt like hitting iron armor on the bloodstained clothes, not injuring the person at all! "It’s really a Yi Mei!" "Boom——" The person’s wild blade strike sent violent energy smashing into the stone behind Xia Ge, causing the entire black rock cavern to quake. The inscriptions on the stone walls lit up with a chilling light! The person's clothes flapped, and the sound of chains creaking reached Xia Ge's ears—her pupils tightened. She heard the chain in her scythe cracking! “Swish——” Xia Ge quickly retracted her scythe, leveraging her position for a strike, and then dashed towards the cave's exit with Ghostly Phantom Step! "Roar——" Freed from the scythe's chain, the Yi Mei-controlled body pursued Xia Ge more fiercely! As she fled, Xia Ge saw the seller with a toad mask who had taken her money dead on a platform, and stumbling out of the cavern, she was struck by a horrific sight! The once-bustling black market now lay in ruins, blood soaking the ground, severed limbs everywhere! Frozen by the ghastly carnage, Xia Ge felt paralyzed. The cold edge of a blade whistled by her ear, with the Yi Mei's blade aimed directly at her neck! "Swish——" The red ribbon on her left hand suddenly unfurled like a celestial dancer, thickly wrapping around the approaching blade, stopping it dead! The terrifying pressure dissipated as two Yi Mei confronted each other! Xia Ge snapped back to reality, stomach churning. She turned to see the Yi Mei retreating, ten meters away. Half its mask blood-stained, the iron blade entangled in thick red ribbon, the other end wrapped around her left hand! "Was all this... your doing?" Xia Ge, nauseated, stared at it, gripping the nameless red ribbon, "Was it you?!" The person controlled by the Yi Mei laughed grotesquely, a horrifying sight. "No, no, I don’t kill, I don’t kill—” His bulging eyes swiveled, and he screamed— “It’s all you—you killed them—they're your kills!! You forgot, you forgot hee-hee-hee—" “How could you forget, how could you forget—" Xia Ge’s veins bulged, the red ribbon tightening in her grasp, "Stop spewing bullshit!" But before she could continue, the man screamed, "You did it! You forgot!! Wearing me, you killed! You forgot! I hate you! I hate you—" Finished, the Yi Mei yanked the blade free from the bindings, the ordinary iron blade transforming into a fearsome, invincible weapon! It laughed manically, soaring and lunging at Xia Ge! “Remember, remember!” “Quickly, wear me and remember how powerful you were! You wore me, killing so many, everyone trembled, cried, begged you—” “Lies!! Who the hell killed anyone?! Full of crap!” Xia Ge lost patience, about to swing her scythe. Suddenly, they heard clapping. “Oh, so our little eavesdropper is here.” A chilling voice spoke, making Xia Ge’s pupils contract. She turned to see White Blade, cloaked and masked, clapping from a distance, his voice sounding amused under the mask, "Indeed, searching high and low, only to find you by chance." Her clothes changed, her mask altered, but... Not her cloak! No one else but the actual White Blade could recognize that! "Clang!" Iron Blade’s attack jolted Xia Ge back to her senses. She deftly flipped her scythe to parry, the clash of iron against her scythe’s blade creating a burst of brilliant sparks. At the same time, countless people in white clothes and black masks surrounded her and the Yi Mei. “Quickly…wear me and you can kill them… break out.” The Yi Mei, controlling the middle-aged man with bulging eyes filled with greed, murmured temptingly, “It’s okay to forget, it’s okay to forget, I won’t hate you anymore. Just wear me and I will always submit to you, I won’t resent you anymore…” “Only by relying on me can you break out—” “Let me tell you…my name…” The voice became ethereal and eerie. Xia Ge’s pupils contracted, feeling a bit lost. The Yi Mei chuckled evilly, “My name is—” “Whizz—” The sudden, sharp sound of an arrow breaking through the air snapped Xia Ge back to reality. A long feathered arrow, origin unknown, had pierced through the middle-aged man’s forehead! His eyes widened in disbelief, dying with unfulfilled wishes. But the Yi Mei still tried to control him to speak, making the scene even more eerie! Xia Ge felt her skin crawl. With a swift motion of her scythe, she deflected the Yi Mei's sword and kicked the controlled body away, “Get lost!” She glanced up, spotting a cloaked figure with a conical hat, quietly drawing a long bow, the arrow’s tip pointing at her head. The gentle breeze highlighted the cold and aloof shadow of the figure. …It was them again?! The Yi Mei roared in fury, bloodlust surging. Controlling the corpse with an arrow in its head, it swung the long blade towards Xia Ge fiercely, “Ungrateful wretch!” Ignoring everything, Xia Ge activated Ghostly Phantom Step, leaping off the head of a person in white, darting towards another black rock cave. White Blade couldn’t care less who shot the stealthy arrow; his eyes were fixed on Xia Ge, the eavesdropping thief. He sneered, “Let’s see where you run! After her!” They chased after from behind! Xia Ge’s red ribbon sprang out from her left hand, multiplying into hundreds, wrapping tightly around the legs of the masked pursuers— “What the hell?!” “We’re tied up!” “Chase her—” Their calls were met with the ominous whistle of countless sharp arrows! “Ah—” “…” “Who is it?!” Turning sharply, White Blade released countless paper blades, but the cloaked archer simply vanished with a slight movement. The blades hit nothing but air. White Blade’s pupils contracted. By the time he looked back, both the Yi Mei and the eavesdropping thief were gone! “Damn it!” White Blade was livid, “Useless! All of you are useless!!” The ‘useless’ ones lay on the ground, the red ribbon bindings vanished, replaced by lethal arrows embedded in each lifeless body. He berated the few who hadn’t moved yet, “What are you standing there for?! Get after them!! Search!! Use your eyes!!” Meanwhile, the cloaked archer, holding the Yi Mei wrapped in red ribbon, entered a hidden spot in the black rock cave, stripping the red ribbon from the controlled person’s mouth. Bound like a dumpling, the Yi Mei, once freed, sneered, “Who’s there—” The archer’s voice was cold, “What’s your name.” This piece of clothing made her particularly uneasy. “Who are you?! Why do I have to tell you my name? But of course, if you would give me your—” It’s voice was hoarse and greedy, “it’s not impossible—” It was interrupted by the cold touch of an arrowhead at its soul’s core. The Yi Mei instantly became less arrogant, “How do you know where my soul core is?!” “I don’t know,” the archer answered coldly, “I also want to know why I know.” Why did the sight of this Yi Mei give her such a spine-chilling sense of familiarity, deeply ingrained in her being? “Tell me your name,” the archer’s voice was deadly, “or die.” The Yi Mei trembled, suddenly noticing the red ribbon binding it. The next instant, it shrieked, “It’s you——?!” The arrowhead pressed further into its soul core, and the Yi Mei's shrieks intensified, filled with a sinister sneer, “It’s you, haha, it’s you—so it’s you—hahaha, I’ll tell you, I’ll tell you who I am, hahaha—” The archer’s voice remained unchanged, “Who are you?” With a vicious and venomous tone, it uttered every word. “I am…Disaster Fate.” The archer’s gaze turned icy. The next moment, the arrowhead pierced through the soul core, Disaster Fate shattering into fragments, “You can’t kill me—you can’t kill me hahaha—” She silently stared at the scattered fragments, a strange chill spreading through her heart. = = Xia Ge, utilizing Ghostly Phantom Step, ran into a black rock cave, blindly rushing. Turning a corner, she suddenly faced a white-masked pursuer! “Haha, I knew you would come this way!” The pursuer laughed, “These caves are interconnected; where can you run?” Turning back, she saw more pursuers closing in from behind! Trapped on both sides, cold sweat began to form on Xia Ge’s forehead. Quickly scanning her surroundings, she noticed the blood-red carpeting and the walls’ overlapping arrays emitting a faint light— An array?! Xia Ge retracted her scythe into the Silverflow Ring and leapt up, stomping hard on the wall’s inscription! She had seen it before—it seemed to have teleportation functions! Hence the “Do not step on the array” warning! But… it needed spiritual power! “Haha, what is she doing?” “That idiot, does she think just stepping on it will work? Hahaha, so dumb—” “Catch her!” A long sword slashed at her; Xia Ge dodged, biting her lip. The blade severed the black ribbon tying her hair, letting it flow loose. Ignoring this, she swiftly performed the Spiritual Gathering Technique. She had only just entered the inner sect and didn’t know much about manipulating spiritual power; the only time she used it was during a furnace explosion with an ancient spirit array! With death closing in, Xia Ge hastily completed the Spiritual Gathering Technique! The next moment, violent spiritual energy condensed in the small cave, the array underfoot lighting up with a blinding silver light. Everyone was momentarily stunned, and when they snapped back to reality, Xia Ge had disappeared. “Damn it!” “Where do these wall arrays lead?!” “This spiritual energy—it activated a wall array!? That’s a ground-level teleportation array!!” “Where does it lead to?! These arrays go to the goods!! Get to the auction in progress; don’t let this kid ruin it!!” Dizziness overtook Xia Ge. Activating Ghostly Phantom Step, she flipped in mid-air, landing gracefully. Catching her breath, she combed through her loose hair, looking around. It was a corridor, white walls, barren. The walls held several brightly painted paulownia wood doors. Xia Ge approached, listening carefully—silent. All doors tightly shut. She walked one by one, pushing them; the corridor twisted endlessly, every door firmly closed. Reaching the last door, she saw it ajar. Xia Ge hesitated briefly—open? Just then, voices came through, “The teleportation array brings them here. Search quickly!” “Bold as brass! How dare he come here? One missing item from the auction, and I’ll make him pay—no return!” “Quiet, the auction’s ongoing ahead…” Footsteps approached. Xia Ge didn’t think twice, pushing the door open and slipping in! The next moment, she felt momentarily blinded. The walls were covered in clothes, from red-orange-yellow-green-blue-indigo-violet, sequined, non-sequined, shoes, hats galore, though all in small sizes, resembling children’s attire. For a second, Xia Ge thought she had stumbled into a store selling ancient children’s clothing. An elusive, heavy scent filled the room. Xia Ge blinked through the dazzle, sneezing. Trying to look past the gaudy clothes, she spotted a delicate, elegant bed draped with soft curtains near a vanity. Wait! Xia Ge had a flash of realization, glancing back at the clothes, the vanity, the bed… “One missing item from the auction…” “...Tian Du Young Courtesan!” Outside, the pursuers were still noisy, “Not here! But they can’t escape! They must be in the storeroom!” “Search every door!” Could this be Tian Du Young Courtesan’s room?! Where was the Young Courtesan? With the sounds outside closing in, Xia Ge gritted her teeth. No time!! She activated Ghostly Phantom Step, quickly pulling a dress from the wall, diving under the bed's canopy, and stuffing her clothes, mask, and cloak messily into the Silverflow Ring. Starting to figure out how to wear the dress. She haphazardly grabbed a dark red wide-sleeved dress and slipped it on. Despite hearing that the Young Courtesan was only ten years old, the dress surprisingly fit Xia Ge well. The red ribbon on her left hand matched the red dress. Outside, the noise persisted as the searchers seemed to be checking each door one by one methodically. Xia Ge's heart raced, pounding wildly. Without shoes, she hurried to the vanity table, sweeping a pile of rouge, lipstick, and powder onto the bed, and began applying makeup beneath the soft curtains of the bed. Before her transmigration, Xia Ge had been adept at makeup and had always enjoyed it—no girl resents making herself pretty. But since coming here, everything had changed. Xia Ge could never have imagined she'd find herself doing makeup under such circumstances. With a delicate touch, she applied the crimson lipstick to her lips, then applied matching eyeshadow, lightly accentuating her eye tails with an upward flick. Gazing into the small copper mirror, she added blush, transforming her appearance so much she barely recognized herself. “...Not matching the Young Courtesan’s allure, but should be enough to pass off,” she mused. Seeing no one had entered yet, Xia Ge swiftly put away the mirror, moving barefootly to return all the makeup to the vanity. Catching a glimpse of herself in the vanity mirror, she was startled. The girl in the mirror had a face like March peach blossoms, her lips carmine and eyes slightly upturned in a bewitching arc. However, with her disheveled hair and red dress, she resembled an eerie midnight ghost, beautiful yet unsettling. Xia Ge: "..." No time to tie her hair. Xia Ge frantically looked around, finally spotting a red bridal veil, which seemed like a coquettish accessory. She quickly grabbed and put it on, then scampered back to the bed. With the red veil over her head, the sounds of approaching footsteps made Xia Ge’s heart pound like a war drum. The tension felt akin to pre-wedding jitters, though this was far more nerve-wracking. Taking a deep breath, Xia Ge pulled the scythe from her Silverflow Ring, hiding it under the quilt, ready to strike if discovered. System: "Usually, there's an apple under the quilt for the bride, but you have a scythe." Who’s getting married?! How is this a wedding?! This isn’t even a ghost marriage! Xia Ge: "Shut up!" As she sat there, the room’s overwhelming fragrance started making her dizzy. Shaking her head, Xia Ge felt a feverish warmth spreading through her body. Realizing something was wrong, she tried to push aside the curtain to grab her scythe but felt her arms weakening. Glancing around, her eyes landed on a smoking incense burner! Green light flickered in her eyes. [Desire’s Addiction: Spring Poison] Simple and clear. Xia Ge's eyes widened in shock, “What the hell!?” The voices outside grew louder as they reached the door. Someone hesitated, “This seems like...that…” “That what, that? All doors must be checked! Kick it open!” “Bang!” The door was kicked open! The overwhelming fragrance wafted out. Leading the group was a beefy man wearing a ram’s head mask. He quickly scanned the room, his eyes fixating on the figure behind the embroidered bed curtains. “We're conducting a search...you, step out where I can see you,” he ordered gruffly. The others, eyes gleaming, clearly eager to witness the fabled beauty of the Young Courtesan. A delicate hand wrapped in a red ribbon lifted a corner of the bed curtain, revealing the head under the red bridal veil. The figure inside coughed lightly, her soft, childish voice tinged with hoarseness, “Brothers, I’ve caught a cold these days, not suitable for meeting guests.” “We’re looking for someone,” the ram-masked man insisted, “Can you show me your face?” The delicate hand hesitated. “Don’t worry, we just need a quick look to confirm,” the ram-masked man’s voice remained stern. “If the brothers are insistent, I guess I have no choice,” the soft voice replied. A hand tipped back the veil revealing half her face. Everyone sucked in a collective breath. Delicately arched brows, lightly shaded red eyeshadow, eyes upturned in a seductive arch, but the most captivating feature was the light purple eye! Every soul present was entranced by that purple eye, spellbound and motionless. As though breathing for one second more would shatter the divine illusion. The red veil dropped back in place, and the soft voice, calm but commanding, said, “After seeing, brothers should leave.” Heeding the words, the stunned men filed out one by one, the last one even considerately closing the door behind him. Xia Ge hadn't yet fully exhaled when she heard an elderly woman’s voice outside, filled with surprise, “Oh, what’s everyone doing here?” Before anyone could answer, she chuckled as if understanding something, “Oh, I see, how convenient. The child has just gone to entertain on stage—the Young Courtesan’s beauty won’t be seen here, better go to the front.” Xia Ge’s pupils constricted sharply. True enough, the ram-masked man snapped back to reality, “We were tricked!! Head back!” But as he turned back, his pupils dilated, and no words left his mouth as he died instantly. In just a moment, bodies laid everywhere. In the pristine corridor, the cloaked person slowly removed their conical hat, revealing a face as white as jade, black eyes flickering faintly with demonic energy. Calmly surveying the bodies, they held the blood-stained Heavenly Justice Ribbon without an ounce of guilt. Blurry memories began to surface. The person in the memories held her hand, chattering cheerfully. “小傀说我得多给你说说话，你才能开窍得快一点……” ("Xiao Kui said I need to talk to you more, so you can catch on quicker...") “哎呀哎呀慢点，现在我命令你哈，抬起左脚，哎，对，然后抬起右脚……噗。” ("Oh, oh, slowly, now I command you, lift your left foot, yes, then your right foot...pfft.") "......" Gu Pei Jiu's expression turned pale, the demonic energy in her eyes gradually dissipating. Closing her eyes, leaning against the wall, she was overwhelmed with confusion. Who was she? “——‘Who am I?’” "You are Gu Pei Jiu." “——‘Who are you?’” "Me? Uh, I suppose...your, uh, what should I say, ‘master’ sounds strange..." "Ah, it means the person you can trust the most!" "Anyway, always, always believe in me!" “——‘Will you believe in me too?’” "Of course, I will always, always believe in you!" Shattered memories ebb and flow, chaotic, yet there’s always one person. From creation to destruction, the one she always watched, never letting go, turning madness into obsession, that person. Author’s Note: Xiaobing threw 1 Landmine - 2018-07-05 23:49:59 Yangxi threw 1 Landmine - 2018-07-05 23:54:33 Gu Gui threw 1 Landmine - 2018-07-06 00:04:22 Chasing Fish Watching Lanterns threw 1 Landmine - 2018-07-06 08:50:56 Wandering Leisure threw 1 Landmine - 2018-07-06 12:12:59 Gu Gui threw 1 Landmine - 2018-07-06 23:47:23 Liangqi 647 threw 1 Landmine - 2018-07-06 23:58:24 Li Yin threw 1 Landmine - 2018-07-07 18:11:08 Forget Chuan Liuli Leng Mo Ling threw 1 Landmine - 2018-07-07 19:06:17 = = Reader “Ranyou” donated 10 Nutrient Solution - 2018-07-07 16:59:17 Reader “Liang Liang Liang Liang” donated 20 Nutrient Solution - 2018-07-07 11:37:18 Reader “Mo Shu” donated 3 Nutrient Solution - 2018-07-07 07:08:14 Reader “Two Layers of Clouds” donated 13 Nutrient Solution - 2018-07-07 00:28:03 Reader “Two Layers of Clouds” donated 1 Nutrient Solution - 2018-07-07 00:27:58 Reader “ ___ ” donated 1 Nutrient Solution - 2018-07-06 22:06:58 Reader “Falling Leaves Follow the Wind” donated 15 Nutrient Solution - 2018-07-06 18:43:02 Reader “Not Full” donated 4 Nutrient Solution - 2018-07-06 17:24:57 Reader “Big Mao” donated 40 Nutrient Solution - 2018-07-06 16:54:45 Reader “Summer Feather Music” donated 10 Nutrient Solution - 2018-07-06 14:59:04 Reader “biu~biu~” donated 1 Nutrient Solution - 2018-07-06 13:42:35 Reader "rén yú xiàn," donated 10 Nutrient Solution on 2018-07-06 11:12:49 Reader "aishiteru," donated 5 Nutrient Solution on 2018-07-06 08:09:05 Reader "yà shū xiū cr kòu," donated 10 Nutrient Solution on 2018-07-06 02:49:25 Reader "liúsuān bèi," donated 10 Nutrient Solution on 2018-07-06 01:23:47 Reader "bīng yáng tíng xuān," donated 5 Nutrient Solution on 2018-07-06 01:13:38 Reader "cūn yǔ," donated 1 Nutrient Solution on 2018-07-06 00:01:30 Thank you all for the landmines and nutrient solutions! As promised, here's an update _(:3」∠)_ = = Moreover… an explanation for Xia Ge's irritability in the last chapter: First, her stomach hurt, and second, she didn’t want to reveal she was a girl to anyone, so she was acting aggressively to scare people off. She actually knew the other person had no ill intentions… Otherwise, she wouldn’t have silently accepted their help later on. In all honesty, it's because this errant author’s writing lacks depth. I need more practice, that’s all. Okay, as promised, here's the extra update. Love you all.