90 - Dungeon Growth Log

Chu Yao acted without hesitation, her longsword spinning in a graceful arc, neither dodging nor evading, as she faced the oncoming threat head-on! In the next instant, a whistling arrow pierced through the head of a bat, carrying a pungent metallic smell and swift, intense wind, brushing past Chu Yao’s ear. This was followed by a sudden scream from behind her! The force of the arrow, terrifying in its power, had driven straight through the skull of someone trying to ambush them. Falling from the sky, the bat’s head revealed a young face. His black hair fluttered, and a red ribbon danced in the air. The bowstring in his hand still quivered from the release of the arrow. His eyes remained dark and unreadable. Chu Yao didn’t look back; a sidestep was all she needed, and her sword, as fluid as autumn water, swept forward, slicing through a row of giant bats flying towards Xia Ge! In an instant, the bats’ bodies were torn apart, blood rained down. Chu Yao protected the boy in her arms, staining her blue clothes with splatters of blood. In a low voice, she said, “Good shot.” Xia Ge murmured in her embrace, "It seems I... killed someone." Feeling the slight tremble of the boy in her arms, Chu Yao softly replied, "No." She placed a wild goose into Xia Ge’s hands and said, “You just shot a wild goose.” After a pause, she added, "We’ll have it for dinner tonight." = = The massive bat assault evidently alarmed the Three Peaks, who quickly dispatched formations to quell the ferocious attack. Amongst the bat corpses littering the ground, Sword Peak disciples discovered the body of a young man, an arrow piercing his forehead. He was in his twenties, dressed in black, his face obscured. The arrow had pierced through his brow, killing him instantly, the shot mercilessly giving no chance for survival. “This is Sword Peak’s arrow… Have we identified who shot it?” Constant Blue looked at the corpse, feeling a headache coming on. A disciple nearby hesitantly replied, “…No.” Constant Blue rubbed her temples and decided to seek counsel from her neighboring peers, “What do you think, Junior Sister?” Gu Peijiu stared at the body below, her face devoid of expression. After a while, she glanced slightly away, looking out at the scenery, “I don’t know.” Constant Blue then asked, “Brother Bai Li?” Bai Li Qing squatted down, examined the person’s hand, and infused some spiritual energy, stating after a while, “He was a beast tamer.” “He likely aimed to control a large number of giant bats for his use,” Bai Li Qing considered thoughtfully, slowly unveiling the man's face, “but he couldn't provide enough spiritual energy for them, leading to the bats rebelling and driving him to Lianxi Mountain for more abundant spiritual energy.” As the mask was removed, the visage beneath was ghastly, even enough to make Constant Blue gasp slightly. Despite expecting such a sight, Bai Li Qing found himself somewhat startled. The black-clothed man's face was engorged with blue veins, his cheeks hollowed, resembling a zombie drained of life, horrifying to the extreme. After pondering for a moment, Constant Blue said, "So, Brother Bai Li, this means... it probably isn't linked to the demonic sect?" Bai Li Qing shook his head, covering the man's face back with the black cloth, “I can’t guarantee that, but generally, the demonic sect uses demonic puppets…” Constant Blue responded, “We also can’t rule out the possibility of this person being used by the demonic sect.” Bai Li Qing nodded, “That’s possible.” Constant Blue sighed, “The priority should be finding out who shot the arrow and ask about the situation. That’s the only way to address the issue appropriately.” Bai Li Qing said, “The demonic sect’s spy hasn’t been identified yet; it could be possible that a demonic spy within our ranks killed him to silence him.” Gu Peijiu suddenly spoke, “The situation at the time might have been one of self-defense by the disciple.” Constant Blue added, “Let’s first find the person, then come to a conclusion.” = = A secluded cave in Sword Peak. Xia Ge and Chu Yao crouched outside the cave, a jar of Bamboo Leaf Green wine beside them, with two persimmons on top. An archery bow was propped against the cave wall, and a clear mountain stream gurgled nearby. Xia Ge placed the grill, “This is a great spot.” Chu Yao sat silently, plucking feathers from the wild goose. Xia Ge asked, “Are you angry?” Chu Yao finished plucking the goose clean, bald and ready for washing, just as Xia Ge exclaimed, “Wait.” Chu Yao turned back, and Xia Ge rubbed his hands together, pointing to the side, “...There are still two mountain chickens.” Two colorful, head-tilted mountain chickens lay nearby, their heads a bloody mess as if struck by stones. Chu Yao: “…” Engrossed in her thoughts while plucking feathers, she hadn’t noticed when the boy used stones to strike down two more chickens. Returning to grab the chickens to pluck them too, Chu Yao was interrupted by Xia Ge, who said, “Give me one, I can do it too.” Chu Yao handed one over without arguing. Side by side, they squatted by the stream, plucking feathers from the chickens. Xia Ge admired the colorful tail feathers, “These feathers are so pretty.” Seeing Chu Yao remain silent and focused on plucking feathers, Xia Ge sighed, rolling his eyes and stealthily used the feathers to tickle the girl’s pale face. “Hey.” Chu Yao flinched at the unexpected tickle, “What are you doing?” Xia Ge replied, “Why won’t you talk?” Chu Yao paused, then clicked her tongue, “Focus on the task.” Xia Ge retorted, “Do you think I’m dumb? Even I can tell the difference between not talking out of anger and not talking to focus.” She paused, “What are you angry about?” Chu Yao plucked the last feather, then quietly took Xia Ge’s poorly plucked chicken, “It’s none of your business.” Xia Ge: “...” Clearing the feathers off her clothes, Xia Ge stood up, “I know why you’re angry.” Chu Yao responded, “I’m not angry.” Xia Ge looked at her, “You’re angry that I saved you?” Chu Yao: “…” A long silence followed as Chu Yao finished plucking the birds. Just when Xia Ge thought she wouldn’t answer, Chu Yao spoke up. “I’m not angry at you.” Chu Yao lifted her head, her light brown eyes holding a depth Xia Ge hadn’t seen before. “I even believe your shot was beautiful.” Chu Yao stood up, cleaned the chickens and goose by the stream, and returned to the grill, lighting the fire. As the sky darkened and the flames grew stronger, she skewered the chickens and goose, adding seasoning to the meat. Xia Ge joined her, sitting across, holding a persimmon, puzzled, “Then you…” Reflected in the flickering flames, Chu Yao’s light brown eyes softened, and she spoke softly. “I just think that I shouldn’t let someone like you...” ...pick up a killing bow so early. Leaving the rest unsaid, she fell into a silence, “I’m just angry at myself.” This child, at that moment, was scared. She could feel it. Even if he now acted indifferent, fear still lingered. Xia Ge, with a persimmon in hand, said, “You’re strange.” Chu Yao looked at him. Xia Ge tossed her a persimmon, which she caught with one hand. Xia Ge continued, “It was my choice; why are you angry at yourself?” Chu Yao glanced at the persimmon in her hand, “At that time, you were afraid.” The warm night enveloped them, the flames flickering, cumin and meat scents mingling. Xia Ge took a bite of the persimmon, “There are so many things I’m afraid of—ghosts, hunger, death…” Counting on his fingers, “Too many to count.” Chu Yao watched him, her light brown eyes reflecting the flickering flames. “But can we avoid doing things just because we’re afraid?” “So what if I’m scared.” She focused on the goose, the fire’s gentle licking, “At least, there are no regrets for doing it.” “Moreover, I’m… very happy.” Xia Ge looked up at her, “Very happy that you trust in me.” When he shot that arrow, Chu Yao didn’t dodge. Even with the arrow aimed at her, she moved towards him, unwavering. It was like entrusting her life to him—a kind of trust. “I trust you because my intuition is always spot on.” Chu Yao said, “I believed you wouldn’t do the wrong thing.” Xia Ge fell silent for a moment, “...What do you think I wouldn’t do?” Chu Yao pondered, “Not sure.” Xia Ge facepalmed, “Hey!” “But is it really okay to just leave after what happened?” Xia Ge remembered the giant bats and felt uneasy. Chu Yao replied, “Don’t worry. I’ll tell them that I shot the arrow.” Xia Ge: “…” Chu Yao added, “This matter has nothing to do with you. Consider it my thanks for that arrow.” Though she said this, Xia Ge still felt a bit uneasy. “Never mind all that, let’s eat! I’m starving.” Xia Ge, eager to change the topic out of embarrassment, eyed the goose and stealthily extended his hand, only to have it smacked away by Chu Yao, “It’s not cooked yet, what are you rushing for.” Xia Ge: “…” Finally, when the meat was ready, Chu Yao handed the goose to Xia Ge and didn’t take any for herself. Taking a bite, Xia Ge found the roasted skin crispy and the meat inside tender, bursting with the flavors of cumin and sauce. It was so delicious that she felt she might swallow her tongue. Tears streamed down her face almost instantly. How long had it been since she had eaten something so good? It was so damn good!! She could kneel before it! “What’s wrong?” Chu Yao saw Xia Ge burst into tears after a bite and was suddenly alarmed, “Is it bad?” "No, no, it’s not bad, it’s just too good! So good I can’t find the words to describe it!" Xia Ge: “Wuwuwuwu…” Chu Yao felt a sudden headache, "Why are you crying? Is it good or not? I haven't…” grilled in a long time. "Stop crying, if it's that bad, I'll stop you from eating and get you some persimmons instead..." Xia Ge, between bites, waved his hand, “Mmm-mm-mm—no, no—” "It’s so delicious!! Lord Chu!" Chu Yao: "..." Xia Ge gnawed on the goose, saying with a mouth full of food, “Lord Chu, have some mountain chicken, it’s super tasty!” "I hit them especially for Lord Chu!" Chu Yao: "…Don’t call me Lord Chu." Xia Ge argued, “But everyone calls you that.” Chu Yao took a bite of the persimmon and thought for a moment, “You can call me Senior Sister Chu.” Xia Ge quickly adapted, reducing the roasted goose to bones in seconds. Then, with some restraint, he gazed longingly at the crispy, tender mountain chickens, his hands twitching, “Senior Sister Chu, aren’t you going to eat the mountain chicken?” Chu Yao held her persimmon and shook her head, “You eat it all, I’m not hungry.” Xia Ge, holding one chicken in each hand, replied with feigned modesty, “Ah, this is really too embarrassing.” Chu Yao: “…” The starry sky was bright, and the night was gentle. Seeing Xia Ge eat so happily, Chu Yao inexplicably felt a sense of joy too. However, there were still things she had to ask. "Xia Wu Yin." Xia Ge was gnawing on the last mountain chicken drumstick, skin crispy and meat tender, delicious beyond words. “Hmm?” Chu Yao slowly took out a fragment of a small, black wooden puppet, assembled haphazardly but still vaguely recognizable. Looking at Xia Ge, she softly asked, “Do you know this?” Xia Ge’s hand holding the drumstick stiffened momentarily. You can escape the first day, but not the fifteenth, so… it's come to this, hasn’t it? --- Author’s Note: Light Breeze Threw 1 Landmine at 2018-07-22 09:26:45 Si Yi Threw 1 Landmine at 2018-07-22 23:22:29 Si Yi Threw 1 Landmine at 2018-07-22 23:25:07 Si Yi Threw 1 Landmine at 2018-07-22 23:33:16 Little White Cat Meow Meow Threw 1 Landmine at 2018-07-22 23:50:03 Si Yi Threw 1 Landmine at 2018-07-23 17:04:19 Mo Ran Chang Threw 1 Landmine at 2018-07-23 21:34:08 --- Thank you all for the landmines! The list of nutrition solutions is already up in the previous chapter =3=