99 - Dungeon Growth Log

**Chapter 99** "You're speaking as if it's a beautiful flower," Xia Ge remarked, removing the book from her face. She looked up and saw Mao Qing emerging from the hall. "Hey, you got kicked out too?" Xia Ge chuckled. "No," replied the girl in 丹枫素衣 (Danfeng attire), glancing at her. The morning sun was warm, but Mao Qing's gaze carried an inexplicable undertone. "The teacher sent me down the mountain to fetch something." "Oh…" Xia Ge watched Mao Qing walk away, then gazed at her book and the departing figure. System: "What's up?" Xia Ge: "Nothing… just feels like she's a bit off today." System: "Everyone has those days." Xia Ge: "…" She pouted and was about to continue reading when a sudden commotion caught her attention. She looked up to see a group of disciples in sword peak attire rushing towards the courtyard. The leading disciple didn't notice Xia Ge and yelled, "Surround the courtyard and seize Xia Wu Yin!" "Don't let that guy escape!" "…" Xia Ge: "…Huh?" Inside, the teacher, sensing something amiss, came out holding a scroll, his voice raspy, “What’s going on? What happened?” Xia Ge, clutching her book, hid behind the wutong tree with a foreboding feeling. "We suspect he's a spy for the demon sect!" declared the leading disciple, his gaze sharp as electricity. "We request the teacher to hand him over for investigation!" The teacher squinted his eyes, speaking slowly, "What did you say?" The disciple raised his voice, "I said that disciple Xia Wu Yin from Danfeng is a spy for the demon sect! Hand him over for investigation!" After a brief silence, the teacher suddenly swore, "Brat, how audacious!" "Since he's a disciple of Danfeng, he shall be dealt with by the head disciple of Danfeng. How dare you sword-peak brats meddle? Do you think Danfeng has no one to stand its ground?!" The chastised disciple looked down, unable to respond. Another disciple stepped forward, "Teacher, please calm down. However, your head disciple is currently at Kuzhu Village for the ghost tide, and catching a spy is an urgent matter. According to Lingshi Peak rules, in the absence of a head disciple, authority passes to Zhang Ling. If Zhang Ling is also absent, another peak's head disciple may temporarily assume responsibility. And our head disciple of Jianfeng naturally holds authority over all three peaks." It was unexpected for the teacher to stand up and speak, leaving Xia Ge rather surprised. System, baffled: "…How did you suddenly become a spy?" Xia Ge: "Maybe it's because of that explosive little puppet." System: "Huh? Wasn't that puppet with Chu Yao? Did she hand it over to the Jianfeng head disciple?" Xia Ge vehemently denied, "Impossible." System: "Then…?" "Perhaps there were others who saw the puppet besides Chu Yao." Xia Ge frowned. "But why… are they only pursuing the matter now?" System: "That disciple mentioned Zhang Ling… Zhang Ling… Could it be the token Bixi gave you this morning?" Just yesterday, after Gu Pei Jiu had left, Bixi came early in the morning with a small well-wrapped package, telling her to keep it safe. When Xia Ge asked what it was, Bixi only said it was a token without explaining its purpose. Xia Ge wasn’t convinced: "No way, Zhang Ling? Why would Senior Sister entrust me with something so important?" System: "Why not? Anyway, do you have it on you?" Xia Ge: "I left it in the dorm this morning… I didn’t think it was useful, so when I was told to keep it safe, I just put it in the dorm." System: "A token like that should be kept on you, dummy!" Xia Ge: "What if I lose it? Senior Sister told me to keep it safe!" System: "Did you consider it might be stolen from the dorm?" Xia Ge had an epiphany: "…That’s true." System: "…Speechless." Meanwhile, the teacher and the Jianfeng disciples continued their standoff. The teacher sneered, "You want to take a Danfeng disciple without evidence? That's some thick-skinned nerve you have." The leading disciple produced a token, "We have Jianfeng's search warrant." The teacher snorted, "I only recognize Danfeng's and Lingshi's search warrants. If your head disciple is so capable, let him produce a Lingshi search warrant, and I won’t say another word and hand over the person immediately." The disciple was speechless. Each peak’s head disciple could issue their own peak’s search warrant, but a search warrant for the entire Lingshi Peak could only be issued by the leader of Lingshi. Jianfeng’s disciples surrounded the courtyard tightly, while a few disciples inside the courtyard and the teacher were in a standoff. The disciples in the hall, who had been reading, craned their necks, speculating what was happening outside. "What’s going on out there?" "They're saying Xia Wu Yin is a spy for the demon sect?" "How could that be…" "Tsk…" "…" System: "What do we do? Have you thought of a way? That teacher can’t hold out much longer." Xia Ge: "Maybe I should go get that token and then see how things play out…" She wasn’t finished when an ear-piercing alarm rang out! "A shriek—boom!" Bright warning fireworks burst into a multitude of brilliant colors in the daylight. The leading disciple shouted in disbelief, "A demon sect attack?! How is that possible?!" The teacher's expression turned grave, and the disciples in the hall were in turmoil. "Silence!" commanded the teacher. Another Jianfeng disciple broke into a sweat, "What do we do?!" "Most of Jianfeng’s competent disciples are at the ghost tide!" "Could this be the demon sect’s scheme!?" Xia Ge paid no heed to whether it was a scheme or not and took the opportunity to bolt: "Wow, a godsend opportunity, I'm out of here!" "Who’s that running? Catch them!!" The teacher shouted to Xia Ge, "Lu Jie, fetch me some fuci grass from the mountain!" "Leave it to me, teacher!" Xia Ge responded loudly while sprinting away. However, the disciple leader immediately spotted the doll on Xia Wu Yin’s waist and sneered, "Teacher, I heard your Danfeng's motto includes 'trust is essential.' Why disgrace Danfeng further?" He then declared, "That’s not Lu Jie! It’s Xia Wu Yin! Capture him!" The teacher sneered back, "Maintaining trust requires discernment. For those baselessly arresting people, with eyes full of filth, Jianfeng brats certainly don’t match this principle." One disciple began to draw his sword but was stopped by the leader. He said coldly, "We're here to capture someone based on evidence. Once I apprehend him, you'll see clearly!" "Some of you follow me to capture him, while others guard the village at the foot of the mountain. They might harm a lot of people coming down!" Xia Ge dashed through the courtyard gate, kicking over a few surrounding disciples. Activating Ghostly Shadows, she sped off swiftly, making the pursuers even more certain she was a demon sect spy. "Who can control swords?! Make sure you catch him and take him to the mountain prison!" "Those who can control swords went to the ghost tide…" "Shut up!" "Yes!" After dodging several circles and shaking off her pursuers, Xia Ge reached her dorm, only to find it surrounded by Jianfeng disciples as well. She hid behind a beech tree, decisively tied her hair up, and let her black hair flow down. Little Acacia kissed her fingertips as she whispered, "See those people? Do this… and tie them all up." Little Acacia, following orders, immediately darted out. One of the guarding disciples, holding a sword, chatted with another. "That firework earlier… was it a demon sect attack?" "Stop talking so much. We’re here to keep watch. They said that guy would come this way. As for the demon sect… someone will handle it…" As he spoke, he seemed less certain, growing uneasy. Xia Ge narrowed her eyes slightly. Little Acacia had already crawled to their feet, silently burrowing into the ground like an earthworm. Its slender red ribbons snaked slowly underneath their feet. "Where did that brat run to!" "Search thoroughly!" "Could he have… returned to the dorm?" "Tsk, maybe. You, you, and you, go check the dorm area." "Yes…" The commotion grew nearer as people approached! Xia Ge's pupils contracted slightly. She sensed Little Acacia's position and whispered, "Pull!" At her command, countless crimson ribbons shot up from the ground, instantly gagging the few disciples who couldn't even draw their swords in surprise. The ribbons quickly wrapped around, binding the men like zongzi! "Bingo!" Xia Ge emerged from behind the beech tree, darting into her dorm. She moved her bed and unearthed a small box from beneath the ground, "Ah, it’s not stolen…" System: "…Of course, it’s not." Xia Ge tossed the box into the flowing silver. System: "And then?" Xia Ge: "Wait… I feel like I’m forgetting something…" Through the window, she saw the shadows of three disciples who had clearly noticed their bound comrades. Shocked, two hesitated to approach while another rushed back, seemingly to report. Even though she felt like she was forgetting something, this was clearly not the time to quietly recall it. **Chapter 99 Continued** Xia Ge grabbed a brush from the side and, with a swift and accurate move, struck the man's leg. Controlling her strength, she didn't hit too hard, but the brush's impact on his calf caused him to yelp and drop to his knees embarrassingly. Leaping out the door with Ghostly Shadows, Xia Ge made it to the roof, beckoning Little Acacia back to her. The men below, whose faces were red and bound like zongzi thanks to Little Acacia, scrambled to their feet, disheveled and bewildered. "Get up," said a voice filled with sinister intent. The kneeling disciple looked up to see several pairs of boots, and upon lifting his head further, he spotted the leading Jianfeng disciple approaching. The kneeling disciple stood up, brushed off his clothes, and glared at Xia Ge with resentment. Perched on the rooftop, Xia Ge, with Little Acacia wrapped around her fingers and the red ribbon now dirtied, gently wiped it clean, remarking, "Aww, it's all dirty…" She then looked down at the pursuers, tying her hair up again with Little Acacia, and said with a leisurely air, "Why aren't you going down the mountain to eradicate demons? What are you chasing me for?" "Xia Wu Yin, stop your nonsense!" one of the disciples shouted. "Come down and go with us!" "Hey, I’m Lu Jie, not Xia Wu Yin. Don’t block my way. I need to go down the mountain to get something for the teacher…" Xia Ge spoke slowly as she took out the small box from her storage ring. She unwrapped it and retrieved the token inside. It was a crimson token with a maple leaf drawing, inscribed with two characters: 【掌令】(Zhang Ling). It really was the Zhang Ling token... "Pah! You're Xia Wu Yin! That doll on your waist is your puppet, right?! You're a demon sect puppeteer, a spy!" cursed the man below, "A disgrace to all humanity!" Xia Ge ignored him. There was no point in responding to baseless accusations. Staring at the Zhang Ling token in her hand, her mind momentarily went blank. The Zhang Ling token made her the temporary head disciple of Danfeng. It meant she would enjoy the privileges but also bear all the responsibilities and duties of Danfeng. Senior Sister gave this to her…? Xia Ge's pupils contracted sharply! She muttered, "Wait, wait… the demon sect came from down the mountain?" System: "Attacking the mountain obviously means attacking from the bottom up." In a flash, she recalled Mao Qing’s last words to her earlier— "The teacher sent me down the mountain to fetch something." The cursing Jianfeng disciple saw a blur and in the next moment, there was no one on the rooftop, just the afterimage from her incredible speed! "Where is she?!" "She ran again!!" "Damn, it’s like seeing a ghost!! Chase her!" "She ran down the mountain!" "Shit! Don’t let her join up with the demon sect!!" Pushing Ghostly Shadows to its limit, there was no landscape, just a continuous afterimage in a blur of colors. System: "Where are you running to?!" Xia Ge gripped the token tightly, shouting, "Down the mountain, Mao Qing!" --- *Author’s Note:* Ahhh, this is a race against time, so intense! == Gu Gui tossed a landmine at 23:54:22 on July 30, 2018. 色即是空空即是色 tossed a landmine at 13:01:59 on July 31, 2018. Taozi tossed a landmine at 18:36:22 on July 31, 2018. Taozi tossed a landmine at 18:36:35 on July 31, 2018. 今天也有认真上班吗 tossed a landmine at 23:38:47 on July 31, 2018. Thank you, little angels, for the landmine patronage! Love you all!