80 - Dungeon Growth Log

Outside the green curtains, the sunset glowed crimson. Gu Peijiu set down the vermilion brush she held. Bixi lifted the curtain as she entered, saying, "Miss, today's documents are few. Why not tidy up and rest early?" Gu Peijiu softly murmured, "Mm." Bixi's lips curved into a smile as she tidied up while chatting leisurely, "Seems like you haven't had any nightmares recently?" Gu Peijiu rubbed her temples, "It's been okay." In truth, it wasn't that there were no nightmares. In her dreams, she could feel herself enduring terrifying ordeals, as if the world were collapsing, faith crumbling, leaving a landscape of desolation. However, upon waking, with the first light of dawn, the dream dispersed like a shadow, leaving her unable to recall any details. Only the despair and fear lingered in her heart, serving as a constant reminder of that night's nightmare. As dusk settled. Gu Peijiu suddenly spoke, "Bixi." Bixi replied, "Yes, Miss?" "What do you think... who am I?" "Miss is Miss, of course. Who else could you be?" Bixi was briefly taken aback, then said, "Oh," and laughed, "Miss is the pillar of Danfeng, the future of Danfeng, and the most outstanding senior disciple of Lingxi Peak!" The pillar of Danfeng, the future of Danfeng, the most outstanding senior disciple of Lingxi Peak. "...Is that so?" Gu Peijiu felt somewhat dazed. ...Was she? Perhaps she was. Perhaps... she wasn't. Bixi smiled, "Maybe you've been too exhausted lately? I'll tidy up, and Miss can go soak in the hot springs to refresh herself." Gu Peijiu absentmindedly murmured in agreement. By the time she came back to her senses, Bixi had already gone to make preparations. She opened a drawer under the small table beside her. Inside lay a green hair ribbon missing a corner, still vibrant in color and faintly scented with soapberry. Gu Peijiu picked up the ribbon, wrapping it around her finger, and quietly gazed at it for a long time. The Tianzhu Silk around her wrist silently emerged, resembling a graceful red snake. It slowly slithered onto the bed, coiling itself up as if preparing to rest. She glanced at it. The sky had darkened. She lit a candle, changed her clothes, and put on a snow-white robe. From outside, Bixi called, "Miss, I just checked. The temperature is perfect. Come after you change." Gu Peijiu replied, "Mm," thinking she should take a moment to relax and organize her thoughts amidst recent turmoil, then headed out. Once Gu Peijiu went to soak in the hot springs, Bixi entered the room and saw the resting Tianzhu Silk. She didn't think much of it and picked it up, saying, "You need a bath too." Tianzhu Silk, still drowsy, instinctively readied to attack upon being disturbed but relaxed again recognizing the familiar presence. It lazily resituated itself. Yeah, it could use a bath too. That little ribbon seemed to have gone to another strange place. Hmm... later. For now, a bath. = = ——One sword to shatter mountains and rivers! Blazing white light surged, swallowing everything in an instant. The ferocious sword light swept over with overwhelming momentum. The bamboo forest trembled as if in fear, the sound resembling exploding firecrackers. Wherever the sword light reached, nothing remained! The injured man in black gritted his teeth, thinking, "As long as the green hills remain, there's no fear of running out of firewood!" Suddenly, he crushed a teleportation stone! "Boom—" With the stone shattered, the man in black vanished, but the sword's momentum continued, smashing a small bamboo hut to pieces, slicing through the phoenix trees behind it. On the sword peak, a crescent-shaped white sword light illuminated the dark sky in an instant! One sword to shatter mountains and rivers! At the critical moment, the Red Ribbon extended, wrapping around the dazed and immobilized Xiage, shielding him from the fatal blow! System: "Are you an idiot?! Move! Run! How will you explain yourself when Chuyao finds you? Say you came sightseeing?!" Xiage felt hollow, his gaze empty, "I can't move… I feel awful." System: "Fool, let me help you this once. Remember to pay up!" Within the endless white light, the man in black wrapped in the Red Ribbon transformed into a small paper figure, shielded tightly by the now-thin Red Ribbon from the sharp sword light. The blinding white light faded, spiritual energy dispersed, and silence returned. Chuyao stood her ground, mountain winds sweeping through her flowing white robes. With her wooden clogs and wooden sword in hand, her eyes gleamed coldly. "Tch." He got away again. The charred, puppet-like remains fell to the ground, and she squinted her light brown eyes. ...Just now, she had seen another person in black holding a scythe. Not a puppet, not here for the key—a helper, perhaps. Seemed quite short too. Glancing at the bamboo hut she had reduced to rubble, Chuyao nonchalantly kicked some mask fragments on the ground. Her light brown eyes hinted at something. So, where was that person? A gentle breeze blew by. "Oh my, it's quite lively here, sister." Chu Yi lightly dusted herself, with a playful smile in her almond-shaped eyes, she gracefully emerged from the bamboo forest, looking harmless. Chuyao's brows furrowed instantly, "What are you doing here?" "Me? I came to help you, of course." Chuyi played with the blade in her hand, chuckling, "Thanks to your sword just now, I managed to arrive quickly." "The spy has already left," Chuyao stated emotionlessly. "You can go back." Chuyi chuckled softly, "Don't be like that, sister. I came specifically to help." Chuyao sneered, "Help? Or just to watch the show?" Chuyi toyed with her dagger, squinting, "A bit of both, I suppose." Xiage, unaware of Chuyi's arrival, remained still in his paper figure form, drifting down under the system's control, dazedly lying on the ground. System: "You really are dumb." Xiage: "Just let me be quiet for a while..." In the distance, a commotion could be heard. Xiage sensed something amiss, "Is that the guard patrol?" System: "Seems like it...?" Before Xiage could react, a massive boot stepped down on him, "Master Chu!!" "Sorry, we're late!!" Following the first boot, countless shoes trampled over the small paper figure without a care, "Ahh, Master Chu, are you alright?!?" "..." Repeatedly trying to get up only to be stomped back into the mud, Xiage the Paper Man lay there with hollow eyes, "Ah, this is life, isn't it?" System: "..." Let's consider you recovered. "Master Chu!" "..." Chuyi raised an eyebrow, "So, this is Sister's guard patrol? They all seem like useless trash." Chuyao replied, "None of your business." With that, she ignored Chuyi, lazily beginning to search for clues at the scene. The first thing she noticed wasn't anything else but rather the bombed, smashed remnants of a persimmon. Chuyao looked at the persimmon residue, lost in thought. Short stature, fond of eating, stealing persimmons at Sword Peak. ...Reminds her of someone. The guards hurried over, Liliu arriving the fastest, was the first to speak, his face anxious, "Master Chu, are you..." He paused, staring at the shattered, charred puppet remains and the small, devastated bamboo hut, speechless in shock. Yezhe, trailing last, walked a few steps before feeling something hard underfoot. He glanced down, pupils shrinking to pinpoints. A broken piece of dragon jade, unmistakably familiar, lying quietly on the ground. ...Xiage's jade pendant?! Xiage?! Why would Xiage's jade pendant be here? He quickly picked up the jade pendant, tracing its lines, confidence growing. This was definitely Xiage's jade! Realizing the implications of this jade's presence, he froze entirely, mind blank. Changnian, seeing him hesitate, asked, "What are you doing?... Hey, what's that in your hand?" Yezhe snapped back to reality, responding almost instantly, "This is mine." "I didn't ask whose it was! You claim it's yours just because you say so?" Changnian sneered, "Your attitude is suspicious! Could it be the spy's? Are you covering for the spy? I can't believe you, Yezhe!" "This is mine," Yezhe stated with a stern, calm voice. Unnoticed by anyone, not far away, a paper figure wrapped in the thin Red Ribbon, muddied, hid behind some wild grass, observing. System: "...can you handle this?" Xiage: "This is make or break." System: "What if he suspects you're the spy?" Xiage replied, "I'm not." System suddenly reminded, "You were just trampled by over ten people." Xiage: "Shut up." System: "I actually did it on purpose." Xiage: "..." The argument between Yezhe and Changnian drew the attention of others. Chuyao was engrossed in examining the charred persimmon, while Chuyi approached, idly playing with her dagger. Under her long eyelashes, her almond-shaped eyes half-squinted lazily. “What are you arguing about?” Changnian, emboldened by the sight of Chuyi, sneered and pointed at Yezhe, "I suspect he picked up something belonging to the spy!" He paused, then added maliciously, "No, I suspect he's in cahoots with the spy!" Chuyi glanced up, seeing the tall, composed boy holding a piece of dragon jade with a missing corner, glittering under the moonlight. He looked at her, his eyes like stars, and spoke firmly. "This is mine." In the bright moonlight, the dragon jade with a missing corner was something she had seen countless times in her midnight dreams. The meteorite blade, wrapped in its jade sheath, abruptly fell to the ground. "Clatter—" The sound of the sheath shattering on the stone was as crisp as a dream. In an instant, a myriad of dreams and realities intertwined, but none compared to the moonlit night shared with this boy. Chuyi murmured, her voice trembling, "You are... A'Ze...?" Yezhe, holding the jade, was taken aback by her words. The sound of the meteorite blade falling alarmed many, drawing the curious gazes of the guards. Changnian, sensing something wrong with Chuyi's demeanor, furrowed his brows, "…Yi Yi?" ...Why would Chuyi call Yezhe… A'Ze? Chuyi snapped out of her daze, quickly regaining her composure. "…It's nothing, nothing." As she bent down to pick up the meteorite blade, her face remained calm, but her hand under the wide sleeve trembled uncontrollably. She tried several times to pick up the dagger, only to drop it again. Under everyone’s gaze, her face flushed with embarrassment, her mind a blur. One moment she saw the boy as a refreshing breeze under the clear moon, the next she saw the shattered sheath of the dagger, and then the piece of dragon jade in his hand that she had touched countless times and secretly placed on him, now with a broken corner. None of it made sense. Suddenly, her vision went black; the jade, the meteorite blade, the boy, all turned to nonexistent phantoms. Chuyi froze entirely. …It was happening again. She couldn’t see anything. —I can't see again, nothing at all. The jade, no, where’s the meteorite blade, where is it? Hurry, I need to pick it up! So many people watching, it will be discovered! …The second daughter of the Chu family, a blind person? What a joke! How can this happen? Just as she grew increasingly panicked, blindly groping on the ground, someone grasped her wrist, "...Stop moving, you’re gripping shattered jade." The meteorite blade was silently picked up and placed into her hand by the person holding her wrist. A low voice from the boy, "...Hold onto it." The meteorite blade seemed to carry his warmth. As if infected by something, the darkness in her vision gradually dispersed. She raised her eyes slowly, holding the meteorite blade, her pitch-black pupils reflecting the boy's face. She could see again. Suddenly, she could see again. Why? In the past, it took at least an hour to recover... Why now? Chuyi shook off his hand abruptly, stood up, and took three steps back, looking down at him stiffly. Yezhe stood up, his expression calm. He looked at her and then took out the jade to show her, repeating seriously, "This is mine." Changnian's face turned sour, "Who gave you permission to touch the second miss?!" Yezhe didn’t even glance at him. Chuyi closed her eyes, and after a moment, a slight, familiar smile tugged at her lips. She opened her eyes and looked at him, "…Thank you. Now, what is your name?" —He probably doesn't remember her anymore. Yezhe hesitated, "…Yezhe." Yezhe… A'Ze, the dragon jade. Her A'Ze… elder brother. Chuyi lowered her gaze, a smile on her lips, and a profound look in her eyes. "It is yours." The right corner of the dragon jade at her chest radiated searing heat, resonating with its counterpart. It was his ghost dragon jade. It was her A'Ze. Changnian looked incredulous, "Yi Yi..." "Brother Chang, it's just a piece of jade. No need to be so petty." Chuyi gave him a gentle smile, as calm as a light breeze, "I've seen this jade on this brother before, no need to dwell on it." Changnian: "..." Chuyi didn't even know who Yezhe was before this, merely aware of someone new from Danfeng. How could she have seen his jade pendant? She was clearly giving Yezhe a way out! Xiage, crouching hidden in the grass, watched the entire scene unfold. System, uncertain: "Does this... count as achieving your goal?" Xiage: "Mm, it does." After a pause, Xiage added with conviction, "Three birds with one stone." In these past few months, while monitoring spies, drinking with Chuyao, and causing a stir at Sword Peak... No, aiding, Xiage had three primary goals. Leave the ghost dragon jade with Yezhe, help Yezhe and Chuyi recognize each other, and... restore Chu Yi's eyesight. She couldn’t find an excuse to meet with Yezhe herself, and Yezhe was awkward. To return the ghost dragon jade, she had to resort to this clumsy plan. As for Chuyi... System: "I thought you didn't acknowledge her, that you wouldn't care anymore." Xiage: “Hey, I still have to care a little… what good would it do to acknowledge her? Not to anyone.” Sky-eyed grass can restore sight to the blind, but in the later stages, it requires the presence of the destiny’s child to maintain its effect. She wasn’t the destiny’s child. The destiny’s child, the protagonist of this novel, was Yezhe. Only by staying near Yezhe could Chuyi keep her eyesight intact. Moreover, with Chuyi's protection, no one would dare to bully Yezhe again. Three birds with one stone, albeit with some hardship, but it’s worth it. “Ah, I’m really like Lei Feng,” Xiage lamented, “why hasn’t anyone given me an award?” System: “...Don’t celebrate too early. What makes you so confident that Chuyi won’t notice something’s wrong? Yezhe has no idea about any of this.” Xiage: “Hey, take a look at her now.” System turned its focus to Chuyi. Although Chuyi’s face remained unchanged, faintly smiling, her beautiful eyes glanced sideways, too afraid to look directly at Yezhe. Xiage: “What do you see in her eyes?” System: “…” Tension, tension, tension. And maybe a bit of fear. Xiage, feeling confident, “She probably won’t find out anything’s wrong for at least ten or half a month.” System: "..." Xiage: "By the time she suspects something, Yezhe won’t be as clueless. And besides..." Chuyi is smart. When she realizes her eyes don’t malfunction near Yezhe, she should figure out what to do without needing Xiage to explain. System paused, “…So, what will you do now?” Xiage, still a small paper figure, said pensively, “Finish and leave, concealing my name and fame.” “Go get everyone up.” Xiage didn't boast for long before hearing Chuyao's voice, seeming to have finished inspecting the crushed persimmon, “From now on, the entire Sword Peak is on lockdown. Not even a mosquito gets out!” “Find Senior Brother Chang, ensure Danfeng and Shoufeng join in, and have him issue the Lingxi Order immediately.” Having finished with Liliu, Chuyao added, “Lock down the entire peak, search thoroughly, drag out every disciple who didn't return at night!” Xiage shivered, "What the...?" System: "Get back quickly!" Xiage tried her best to rise, only to despairingly realize she was too muddy to float. System: "..." Xiage: "...I didn't realize you were such a hindrance." System: "You were in bad shape earlier. I was trying to help you recover." Xiage: "Maybe you should materialize, get knocked out, and I can throw you down to be trampled. That might expedite things." System: "..." The Red Ribbon on her body suddenly trembled. The system quickly reacted, "Did you name it?" Xiage: "Xiaohong (Little Red)." The system paused, "Name it properly, no matter what it is." Xiage: "I said Xiaohong... Naming demands responsibility." System: "..." System coldly, "Tomorrow, when they find you missing, responsibility will be the least of your worries." Xiage glanced at the dirty Red Ribbon tangled around her fragile paper form, carefully protecting her. But… why would it protect her so devotedly? It was a sentient garment spirit, without familial ties or bonds. Why would it lend her its power, willingly endure being trampled in the mud to ensure her safety? All because… Senior Sister told it to protect her? "...You don’t have to do this," Xiage spoke to the Red Ribbon, still skeptical, "Senior Sister’s one command shouldn't make you go this far." Mainly, responsibility is exhausting. One Chuyi was more than enough; more could be too much. The scarlet ribbon evidently couldn't grasp Xiage's contemplations. Instead, it nuzzled her gently. In that instant, Xiage experienced a resonance, almost as if something was whispering softly to her. - "Pick more of these, as they embody longing." A fleeting moment of surreal visions. In her daze, Xiage seemed to enter someone's soul, where shifting light and shadows flickered before her eyes. She found herself in a dark cavern filled with endless bone fragments and howling spirits. A girl stood barefoot, her clothes soaked in blood, back facing Xiage. On her wrist was a gash, deep enough to see the bone, bleeding profusely. The blood dripped rhythmically, “drip, drip,” faster and faster, forming a line of blood on the ground. Wide-eyed, Xiage instinctively tried to rush forward, “Hey! You’ll... die!” Yet with just one step, everything before her vanished abruptly, replaced by another scene. The same girl, in her blood-stained clothes, with a scar on her wrist this time, but no blood flowing. Xiage: "..." Was that blood before? Not water, right? With that much blood, how could she be alright? Xiage observed the girl's back, who knelt quietly before an unnamed tombstone at the foot of a mountain, hands clasped together, back straight, exuding piety. Xiage widened her eyes slightly, noticing a red thread-like line entwined, coiled, and twisted around the girl. She knelt like this for a very long time, so long that the mountain went through verdant spring, chirping summer nights, autumn whispers, and finally, snow-covered slopes. The dream accelerated, and seasons changed rapidly, but the girl's pious kneeling before the tombstone remained unchanged. No matter the torrential rain or scorching sun. The red thread grew longer and thicker over time, becoming more solid, resembling the annual rings of a steadfast kapok tree, recording her devout years. One year. Two years. Three years... So many years passed that Xiage couldn't count them. Finally, one year, the autumn leaves filled the forest; the blood thread had grown immensely long, densely winding around the girl, now entirely corporeal, like an unending yearning. Xiage wanted to approach, to make her turn around, to ask who she was, but before she could take a step, the world turned dark, clouds gathered! The girl sensed something, and the blood thread instantly gathered. A terrifying roar resounded from the mountain, the blood-stained robes fluttering in the wind! Xiage opened her eyes wide, “Hey—” The girl didn't turn around. As thunder crashed down, the gathered blood thread dispersed, blocking the thunder strike aimed at her! "Boom—" One failed strike, and the lightning surged towards the unnamed tombstone! This seemed to enrage her instantly. The blood thread gathered, tightly intertwined, fiercely soaring into the sky! "If Heaven punishes me." Her ethereal voice declared, "Then I will, punish Heaven." "Boom—" The endless blood thread surged towards the heavens, intertwining with the lightning! "...Pick more." Amidst the flashing lightning and thundering, the barefoot girl, back facing Xiage, spoke softly, a few blood threads gently entwined around the tombstone, guarding its peace. "This embodies longing." Author's Note: Without red beans, I must use my blood to express my longing. — Anonymous. = = 22930476 threw a landmine at 2018-07-13 23:41:29 One person threw a landmine at 2018-07-14 08:59:48 my__ threw a landmine at 2018-07-14 13:04:33 Yao threw a landmine at 2018-07-14 13:35:40 Rui Ce threw a grenade at 2018-07-14 13:50:37 28237441 threw a landmine at 2018-07-14 14:05:29 Liuli Su Yu threw a rocket launcher at 2018-07-14 14:43:32 Bai Ge threw a landmine at 2018-07-14 19:06:12 Equilateral Right Triangle threw a landmine at 2018-07-14 19:47:49 Qing Piao Sui Yu threw a landmine at 2018-07-14 20:33:09 I Am Tired threw a landmine at 2018-07-14 20:40:20 Wandering Leisurely threw a landmine at 2018-07-14 23:02:15 Thanks for the duck necks, everyone _(:3)∠)_ = = Reader "Fallen Leaves With the Wind", irrigated with +102018-07-14 21:44:43 Reader "Jun", irrigated with +12018-07-14 18:29:21 Reader "", irrigated with +52018-07-14 18:27:42 Reader "233", irrigated with +102018-07-14 15:13:20 Reader "Liuli Su Yu", irrigated with +502018-07-14 14:33:47 Reader "French Horn Doesn't Fail", irrigated with +202018-07-14 14:17:41 Reader "Dimwit Rui Ce", irrigated with +12018-07-14 13:50:37 Reader "Drama Queen", irrigated with +12018-07-14 11:31:04 Reader "Yu Xi", irrigated with +302018-07-14 11:12:22 Reader "Gu Jing", irrigated with +202018-07-14 11:11:16 Reader "Bai Qing Mo", irrigated with +12018-07-14 11:09:37 Reader "One Person", irrigated with +402018-07-14 08:55:27 Reader "Chuunibyou Gate", irrigated with +12018-07-14 08:31:50 Reader "Zhou You", irrigated with +22018-07-14 06:50:42 Reader "biu~biu~", irrigated with +12018-07-14 03:07:53 Reader "Li Jing Tian", irrigated with +12018-07-14 02:11:07 Reader "sisisisim", irrigated with +202018-07-14 02:02:26 Reader "Thirteen", irrigated with +52018-07-14 00:24:00 Reader "Thirteen", irrigated with +52018-07-14 00:23:13 Reader "Mo Mo Qing Han", irrigated with +42018-07-13 23:36:02 Thanks for the nutrient solutions, everyone! Love you all!