79 - Dungeon Growth Log

Jianfeng. A few disciples dressed in blue and white sword uniforms chatted idly under a tree. Li Liu sighed, "Ah, I'm a bit sleepy." Chang Nian glanced at him but said nothing. A disciple next to them commented, "Just hang in there a little longer." They were all members of Chu Yao's guard unit. However, Chu Yao didn't really care about these duties and instead sent them patrolling Jianfeng, essentially turning them into Jianfeng's guard squad. Ye Ze leaned alone against a tree, not speaking to them. He held onto his iron sword, dark circles starting to form under his eyes, giving him a somewhat gloomy appearance. He slightly closed his eyes, then re-opened them, his voice hoarse as if suppressing something for a long time, "Whose bell is that?" Li Liu, who had been chatting, looked at him in surprise, "Bell? What bell?" A disciple remarked, "Why bother with him." Li Liu smoothed things over, "Hey, maybe Brother Ye really heard something." Ye Ze didn't say anything further, but he narrowed his eyes and stared at Chang Nian, who had a greatsword strapped to his back. Li Liu said, "But we really didn't hear any bell sound." The faint ringing of the bell had been constant earlier, but after a few chimes, it faded away as if it had never existed. Ye Ze hesitated before saying, "I must've misheard." Chang Nian snickered, mocking, "No need to draw attention to yourself." Ye Ze didn't respond and closed his eyes again. --- It's said that a dark, windy night is perfect for murder and arson. The mountains of Jianfeng were dense with lush trees and an abundance of wild fruits. Xia Ge, dressed in dark nightwear, had a pocket full of sunflower seeds and had collected a few ripe persimmons along the way. The wooden puppet and the jade dragon missing a corner at her waist clinked together noisily. The System: "…Why are you even here?" Xia Ge, exhausted from running, removed her black face veil and squatted on a tree to snack on sunflower seeds, "Ugh, I can't work on an empty stomach." The System held back, "You better stay hidden properly. That person is going to act tomorrow night." "Jeez, the emperor isn't anxious but the eunuch is." Xia Ge peeled a persimmon and took a bite, "It's so sweet." Finishing one persimmon, she stretched languidly. She had seen Ye Ze earlier, resting against a tree while others chatted; he seemed like the outcast in the guards but at least wouldn't be beaten up anymore. After finishing the large persimmon and the sunflower seeds given to her by Mao Qing, Xia Ge clapped her hands and, still unsatisfied, glanced at the remaining persimmon in her hand. "Hmm, I wonder if this one's astringent…" The System: "Enough eating, get to work." Xia Ge: "What's the rush? Little Red isn't here anyway." "Little Red" was the nickname Xia Ge gave the Red Ribbon, simplistic yet apt. The Red Ribbon was a strip torn from the Heaven Execution Silk by the senior apprentice-sister. Initially, Xia Ge thought it was just an extension of the Heaven Execution Silk, but its behavior made her think otherwise. ...Too clingy. Is the Heaven Execution Silk like this? The style of the senior apprentice-sister’s original silk and this one seemed entirely different! No matter the differences, when Xia Ge took Little Red somewhere, the senior apprentice-sister somehow knew her location. Yes, exactly like that. Such a terrifying thing! How could she skip class and escape detention with a straight face in the future? It was like the disciplinarian had placed a GPS tracker on the most mischievous student! How could anyone tolerate that? Absolutely not! The System: "…" So, you do understand you’re mischievous. Regardless of whether it’s an extension or a newly awakened consciousness, this needed to be discarded! The System couldn't determine if it was an extension of the Heaven Execution Silk or an independently sentient entity. Xia Ge didn't care either. She was determined to throw it away. System: "…It's here." Xia Ge: "Huh? Nonsense! I tied it securely to the bed!" Since it was given by the senior apprentice-sister, she didn't dare truly discard it. Instead, she tied it to a pillar with a dead knot. Always worked. But this time, it seemed to have failed. Xia Ge turned and spotted the Red Ribbon dangling from a nearby persimmon tree branch, pretending to be dead, unable to hide in time. Xia Ge: "..." The smile slowly faded from her face .jpg "Damn it!" Xia Ge darted forward like a shadow, grabbed the Red Ribbon, and hissed, "How did you follow me?! Did you—no—how could you follow me? What are you, cursed?" The Red Ribbon shrank back guiltily, then playfully wrapped around her wrist, nuzzling her hand, stretching out leisurely in delight. Xia Ge: "..." "Seems like there's a commotion over there!" "Quick!" Her actions were too loud and inadvertently alerted the guards. Xia Ge ground her teeth, stuffed the ribbon into her pocket where she kept the sunflower seeds, and moved stealthily, her shadow blending into the surroundings. She whispered, “If you dare snitch again, I’ll tie you to a candle.” After a pause, fearing it wouldn’t understand, she added softly, “A burning one, get it?” The Red Ribbon wriggled a bit in her pocket. ...Let's assume it understood. The System: "..." "Just here earlier…” Li Liu arrived under the persimmon tree, glancing around with a frown, "Nothing here, did I imagine it?" Chang Nian suggested, "Let's stay vigilant and stop chatting." Chang Nian then cast a look at Ye Ze, who had followed the group, and coldly remarked, "Stop closing your eyes all the time. People might think you're blind." Ye Ze remained silent for a while, then said, "Brother Chang...are you carrying a bell?" Chang Nian was taken aback and then became angry out of embarrassment, "Who's carrying a bell? I...” Li Liu also froze for a moment, looking at Ye Ze and then at Chang Nian, "This..." As Li Liu's gaze shifted, he caught sight of a few hawthorn trees to the east but quickly averted his eyes nonchalantly. “I heard the bell from your direction,” Ye Ze said without noticing Li Liu's glance. “Both times.” Chang Nian: "..." Under the gaze of the surrounding disciples, Chang Nian snorted, “So what if I have a bell? What’s it to you?” Li Liu was surprised, “Brother Chang, why bring a bell to the guards?” Chang Nian took out a small silver bell from his robes. Clearly designed for women, it made no sound when shaken. “See? Even though I carry a bell, it doesn't jingle! Stop making baseless accusations!” Li Liu: "…Brother Chang, why do you even carry a bell?" It looked like a woman's anklet bell. Chang Nian, annoyed, put the bell away, "None of your business." Ye Ze watched Chang Nian put the bell away, then glanced at Li Liu and fell silent. Li Liu said, “Since Brother Chang's bell doesn’t ring, then the sound Brother Ye heard…” Seeing Ye Ze silently clutching his sword, Li Liu paused, then pointed west, “It's quiet over here; let's check the west side.” No one objected, so they moved on. Ye Ze followed behind, but after a few steps, he paused and glanced at the hawthorn trees in the east. Still upset about being exposed for carrying a bell, Chang Nian saw Ye Ze lagging and wanted to pick a fight, "Why aren’t you moving? Expecting to see a deity?” Li Liu also said, “Brother Ye, why aren’t you coming? There’s some activity to the west; we should hurry and check it out.” Ye Ze nodded slowly, returning his gaze from the east without responding to Chang Nian, and simply said to Li Liu, "Let's go." The group then moved on. A while after they left, Xia Ge carefully peeked from behind the hawthorn trees, checking their direction. On her head, a small red ribbon mirrored her movements, hiding behind the tree and peeking out. Felt safe now, Xia Ge sighed in relief, "…Finally gone." She pulled the Red Ribbon from her head, glowering at it, “All your fault.” The Red Ribbon wriggled ignorantly, pretending not to hear. Xia Ge: "..." Alright, you think I can't deal with you? Xia Ge sinisterly smiled, lifting it to tie extra knots on a tree branch. The System: "Stop that, if Jianfeng's people see it, Danfeng will become a target!" Xia Ge: "..." She clicked her tongue, stuffed the Red Ribbon back into her pocket, "I’ll sort you out later." The System: "You better hurry and find Chu Yao's location, stop dawdling." Xia Ge frowned, "They're gone, but something feels off." The System: "What’s off?" Xia Ge: "...Was it my imagination, or did Li Liu seem to notice something earlier?" The System: "Probably imagination. If he noticed something, why lead the group west?" Xia Ge: "That's precisely what seems odd…" It's as if he knew something and intentionally went the other way. Could it be… Xia Ge's eyes widened slightly. She swiftly pocketed her remaining persimmons, "Let's go!" Caught off guard, the System asked, "What happened, what happened?" "Not sure if I'm right, but I have to check anyway!" Before coming, she had memorized the map of Jianfeng and had a rough idea of where Chu Yao might be. Generally, special individuals like senior disciples and potential leading disciples were given luxurious private quarters by the Lingxi Peak. Whether her suspicions were correct or not, Xia Ge felt a bit anxious, and thus, she searched quickly. Chu Yao's residence was a delicate bamboo building, perched against the mountain, with a small bridge and flowing water nearby. A towering phoenix tree spread its lush branches over the bamboo roof. Xia Ge gently landed on one of these branches, her entire being blending into the deep darkness, light and soundless like a stealthy cat. She held her breath. The System: "Is it here?" Xia Ge nodded, "This is the place." What surprised Xia Ge was that despite the late hour, the bamboo building was still lit. Amidst the still night, the bamboo building glowed warmly, surrounded by fireflies. Xia Ge swatted away a few fireflies flying wildly around her and relaxed a bit, making sure the two persimmons in her pocket were still intact, "Whew, ran so fast earlier, glad they're not squished." The System struggled to contain itself: "Why don't you just put them in your ring?" Xia Ge replied seriously, "Food feels safer in my pocket." The System: "..." Xia Ge looked around, "So late, and still not sleeping?" "Must be busy, I guess. Now that we roughly know where she is, we should head back." The System hesitated for a moment, "…Given that Little Red’s here." Xia Ge paused, glancing at the Red Ribbon in her pocket. The implication was… If nothing else went wrong, the senior apprentice-sister knew exactly where she was. But Xia Ge shook her head, "Something feels off; let's stay a bit longer." Since it followed her here, a little longer wouldn't hurt. Li Liu's earlier attitude was odd, making her uneasy. Shooing away the fireflies brought mosquitoes, and just as Xia Ge was about to swat one, she heard a "smack." The Red Ribbon slapped a mosquito off her neck, dropping its dead body. Xia Ge: "..." Xia Ge: "Who told you to come out? Back in!" The Red Ribbon discarded the dead mosquito and slowly retreated. Xia Ge squatted for a while, yawning several times. The clouds that hid the moon dispersed, but she saw nothing unusual. The room remained brightly lit. Just as Xia Ge thought she might've overthought things and was preparing to leave with her persimmons, the bamboo house door creaked open. There was movement! Xia Ge's spirits lifted, and she looked down. In the faint moonlight, a girl in thin clothes, wooden clogs, and a wooden sword hanging from her waist stepped out. Her loose white garments revealed a neck and shoulders like white jade. Her wide sleeves fluttered in the mountain breeze, black hair damp and lazily draped over her shoulders, and her feet in sturdy clogs exposed delicate toes. She appeared extremely languid. It was Chu Yao. She seemed to have just bathed and stepped out to cool off. Xia Ge: "…" Why carry a wooden sword right after a bath? Is she cosplaying? The System: "She looks stunning." Xia Ge shamelessly: "I look good too. I look equally good." The System: "..." Xia Ge: "..." The Red Ribbon peeked out from her pocket and very seriously nodded at her. Xia Ge shoved it back, indifferent, "You don’t count." Suddenly, Chu Yao snapped, "Who’s there?!" Xia Ge was startled. Did she get discovered?! Almost immediately, just as she was about to activate her Ghostly Shadows technique to flee, a shadow faster than her flashed by, a cold blade in hand catching the moonlight, and it attacked Chu Yao! Xia Ge almost dropped her persimmons in shock, "What the heck?!" Someone else was here too?! Who? Bai Ren? No, Bai Ren was supposed to act tomorrow! Who was this?! Damn it! "Clang!" Chu Yao reacted even faster. Her wooden sword, infused with powerful energy, single-handedly parried the attacker’s iron blade! "Tsk." Chu Yao's light brown eyes reflected the cold moonlight, "Trash here to steal the key?" The shadow remained silent, missing their first strike, quickly retreated, and unleashed a burst of energy, making their blade hum. In the next moment, countless shadows erupted from the bamboo forest, rushing towards Chu Yao! Xia Ge's eyes nearly popped out, "So many?!" She had been squatting here for so long and didn’t notice any of this! "Tsk." Chu Yao’s eyes gleamed coldly. Her wooden sword twirled into a beautiful motion, slashing down the shadows, her movements as swift as lightning, closely following the black-clad assailant! Unable to shake off Chu Yao’s relentless attack, the assailant abandoned their escape, directly engaging in combat! Only then did Xia Ge notice that the surrounding shadows all wore identical bronze masks, wielding various weapons, with a palpable demonic aura emanating from them—they were all demonized puppets! Amidst the fierce clash below, deadly intent flowed freely. Chu Yao, thinly dressed in her robe, every strike lethal despite being besieged by puppets and spies. The black-clad assailant grunted, their right hand flipping the long sword to viciously press down on Chu Yao’s wooden blade, while their left hand formed a seal, roaring, “Freeze!” The next instant, cold ice burst from the assailant’s sword, freezing the girl along with her wooden blade! Chu Yao hesitated slightly, taken off guard, and as she froze, a demonized puppet leapt, its massive scythe gleaming coldly in the moonlight, aiming for Chu Yao’s pale neck! Xia Ge's pupils shrank rapidly, almost dropping her persimmon! [One Hit, One Kill]! "Prepare to die!" The assailant sneered, Chu Yao’s eyes flashed coldly, but before she could act, a “boom” echoed. The demonized puppet let out a horrific scream as something sticky and sharp exploded on its face, shattering its mask and head! A sweet, cloying scent of persimmon filled the air. "Who?!" The assailant was stunned, then puzzled, "…A persimmon?" Chu Yao’s lips curled into a cold smile, "Why do you care? Keep your eyes on me!" The ice binding Chu Yao shattered instantly. Her wooden sword, glistening with frost, slashed sharply at the assailant’s neck! “Boom—” A demonized puppet rushed in to shield the assailant, being cleanly bisected by the wooden blade! More puppets charged at Chu Yao relentlessly, pressing the assailant to retreat, while the horde of puppets encircled Chu Yao! The System: "It’s chaos down there. Where’s the guard squad?" Xia Ge thought of Li Liu, "Maybe, probably, they were led away?" Chu Yao was bogged down by the relentless puppets. Xia Ge gave a rough count and was astounded at the lengths the demonic cult went to for the key—a small army of B-class puppets. Luckily, she had upgraded her one-hit skill; otherwise, her persimmon might not have done the job. Watching Chu Yao occupied, the assailant made a dash towards the bamboo house. Xia Ge quickly covered her face with a black cloth, leaping down and swinging her scythe at the assailant’s head! "Hold it right there!" "Clang——" Cold steel clashed with a scythe blade. Though the sword looked slender, its power was immense. Despite her natural strength, Xia Ge was knocked airborne! She barely managed a few flips in mid-air, stabilizing herself and mentally cursing. Who knew it’d be this powerful? Chu Yao had been countering it with ease using a wooden sword. She had underestimated its force and paid the price by being knocked sky-high. Embarrassing. The assailant sneered, their blade reflecting the cold moonlight, flashing towards Xia Ge with deadly speed! "Stop meddling!" "Swish—" Xia Ge hadn’t even swung her scythe before the sword blade was upon her, icy cold grazing her neck. At that sharp moment, the Red Ribbon suddenly shot out, crisscrossing into a blood-red spider web, blocking Xia Ge’s front. The sword struck the web, sparks flying. The assailant hesitated, then noticed countless red threads bursting towards them, trying to wrap their blade and lunge at their head! Sensing danger, the assailant quickly formed a seal with their left hand, ice radiated from the sword, freezing the Red Ribbon. The ice crackled, and in an instant, the blade broke free of the web’s trap! Using ice to brittle the cloth and then break free? All this happened in a flash, and just as Xia Ge realized it, the assailant had perfectly executed every move, ready to retreat. Such cunning maneuvering, clearly an elite from the demonic cult, impressively skilled. The Red Ribbon, greatly frozen, quickly retracted. Xia Ge comforted it, letting it coil around her wrist that held the scythe, and then charged towards the black-clad figure. But suddenly, a chilling wind blew, and Xia Ge instinctively sidestepped. A massive scythe, matching hers in ferocity, slashed past her side, nearly severing the massive sycamore tree behind her in half! Damn, another demonized puppet! The cut branches of the sycamore tree crashed down, scattering across the bamboo house's roof. The puppet missed its mark but quickly followed up with another horizontal slash in Xia Ge’s direction! A single swipe from an A-class puppet—she certainly couldn't withstand that! The scythe came swift and fierce, giving Xia Ge little time to react or evade. As she instinctively raised her scythe to block the impending strike, an unfamiliar sensation coursed through her wrist— ...Power. A mountain-splitting, indomitable power. "Clang——" Xia Ge intuitively applied force, producing a shower of intense sparks. The demonized puppet's tightly gripped scythe was abruptly severed, and the puppet itself was flung into the sky with a single blow from her. Xia Ge widened her eyes, looking down at the Red Ribbon on her wrist. No, it was no longer just a Red Ribbon. The originally crimson ribbon now bore intricate golden patterns, coiled around her wrist. Its two ends rhythmically moving, almost like breathing. Xia Ge had seen this state before. During her senior apprentice-sister's activation of the Flaming Heaven Execution, the entire sky was covered in red silk adorned with golden patterns. Now, it was wrapped around her wrist, transferring some strange power. Holding the scythe, Xia Ge felt an illusion—as if she could split the whole mountain with a single strike. This cloth demon willingly lent her its power. Every cloth demon had its characteristics and unique power. Cloth demons arise from a myriad of origins, sometimes born from curses or the malevolent or benevolent thoughts of a person. An individual's immense deeds of goodness can birth a cloth demon spirit on a monk’s robe, symbolizing pure goodwill, while an entirely different cloth demon might form from blood-soaked, cursed clothes, embodying nothing but malice. Others arise from human souls unwilling to reincarnate and end up attaching themselves to garments. They could be mighty heroes, notorious spirits, or even legendary deities, showcasing a wonderful variety. Some say a person with a strong will can control a cloth demon and harness its power, while those with weak wills might end up as the demon's puppet. But there is another way. A cloth demon willingly lending you its power. Not control, not manipulation. For cloth demons are alive. They have emotions, beliefs, likes, and dislikes. Though they don't cry or laugh, they can still be saddened or elated by certain events. Because they are alive, cloth demons desire a name; they can only have one name. It's their proof they exist in the world. Some cloth demons name themselves, and upon recognizing their master, they bestow their name and lend their power. Others wait to meet the right person who will give them a name and follow them for life. This cloth demon… Even though she didn't know its name, it was willing to lend her its power? By the time Xia Ge regained her senses, the black-clad man was already about to enter the bamboo house! Xia Ge instinctively reached for another persimmon in her pocket, shouting, "You! Stop!" [One Hit, One Kill]! With the Red Ribbon wrapped around her wrist, she threw the ripe persimmon with terrifying force, aiming it straight at the assailant's head! "Boom——" Reacting quickly, the black-clad man flipped his sword, producing a strange soundwave. In the next moment, a demonized puppet appeared behind him, just in time to take the full hit from the persimmon, exploding its head into nothing. Dripping hot persimmon juice scorched the thief's face; he froze for a moment in disbelief and looked up at Xia Ge. She sensed his incredulity, as if he were saying, "Seriously, a persimmon?!" What's wrong with a persimmon? Don't look down on it! But before Xia Ge could continue her attack, the thief glanced at her once and then dashed towards the bamboo house with renewed determination, seemingly confident about where the key was hidden. Seeing him nearly at the house, and with more demonized puppets blocking her way, Xia Ge powered forward with the added strength of the cloth demon, slicing through a puppet. Normally formidable A-class puppets now fell like mere obstacles under her blade, creating a blood-paved path to her target. She couldn't let him inside! Xia Ge desperately reached for another persimmon, but her pocket was empty. She suddenly remembered she only had two from Jianfeng. One was used to help Chu Yao, and the other was just thrown. She had no more projectiles. How could she stop him? Wait, no projectiles? …No projectiles? She still had other items! As the black-clad man pushed the door open, he spotted something flying his way. Expecting another projectile, he dodged quickly. To his surprise, the "projectile" changed direction, heading straight back at him. With no other options, he drew his sword to intercept it. The force behind the object was immense, numbing his hands with a single clash. As the object halted mid-air, the man stared in confusion at the black-haired, black-eyed doll glaring back at him. He instinctively reached into his pocket, touching a wooden doll identical to this one, momentarily bewildered. He reached out for the doll in mid-air. In that instance of distraction, as he grabbed the doll, Xia Ge swiftly accessed her puppet panel and hit [Explode] without hesitation! "Boom——" The moment the doll exploded, Xia Ge’s pupils constricted, and a pang tore through her heart. She froze mid-air, unable to move. A deep pain spread from her heart. It felt like losing someone deeply important to her. Like losing a dear friend, a loved one, someone who had accompanied her… for a very, very long time. Xia Ge felt something wet on her face. Touching it, she found her hand soaked with tears. The System immediately understood, "…Are you an idiot?!" The ensuing explosion left the black-clad man bloody and battered. Though stunned by the surprise attack, he quickly regained his composure and tried to enter the house, only to hear a chilling, almost infernal whisper. “…One strike to shatter mountains and rivers.”