Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 4: Capturing the Adult Vermilion Bird
Although Yuxuan felt fear in her heart, she knew that due to her status, these two would not harm her. She had no fondness for the people of the Desolate Evil Hall. "Go back! I don't need the help of treacherous and cunning individuals!"
One of them sighed, "We are here on orders, Princess Yuxuan. We apologize for any offense."
The other person twisted and stretched his figure, appearing behind Yuxuan in the blink of an eye. He raised his hand and struck Yuxuan on the back of her neck. As her vision darkened, she collapsed to the ground. The first man remarked, "She is a princess; is this really necessary?"
The second man replied, "It's fine. Let the princess rest for a moment. Our target is what matters most. Let's go."
The two figures twisted and vanished from sight.
---
Lin Chuyu and Chen San arrived deep within the forest, but there was no sign of the Vermilion Bird. Instead, they found a wall stretching like a mountain range before them. Standing beneath the wall, Lin Chuyu exclaimed in disbelief, "Is this a mountainside or a wall?"
Chen San looked around and saw that the wall seemed endless. "It's a wall. Look how smooth the surface is; it must be man-made."
The Vermilion Bird Pearl dimmed, losing all its luster. Lin Chuyu wondered aloud, "Why has it gone dark?"
As the Vermilion Bird Pearl lost its glow, a bright white light suddenly shone from the wall before them. The light was blinding, as if the sun itself had appeared right in front of them. They squinted and raised their hands to shield their eyes. After a while, as the brightness faded, they could see that a large door had appeared on the wall.
The door resembled a typical mansion entrance, complete with two pull rings at the top. Lin Chuyu exclaimed in astonishment, "There is a door!"
Then, with a creak, the door opened slightly. Suddenly, both Lin Chuyu and Chen San felt a strange forceful wind rushing through the gap, knocking them to the ground. As they shielded their eyes from the light once more, they soon saw a figure standing before them when the brightness dissipated again.
The girl appeared to be eighteen, with long purple hair styled in a way that framed her delicate oval face, accentuating her extraordinary beauty. Her fine eyebrows, cherry-red lips, and sharp nose complemented the white, curtain-like ornament hanging around her neck. She wore a flowing feathered garment.
Her enchanting eyes were captivating.
As soon as Chen San saw the girl emerge from within, he was struck with fear. He jumped up, brandishing his machete, and trembled as he asked, "Who goes there?"
The girl remained expressionless. She raised her right hand and pointed her index finger into the air. With a swift motion, Chen San felt a long gash appear on his arm, blood oozing out as he gasped in pain. "Ugh... Ah... Ah!"
With a cry of agony, the machete fell from his grip.
Lin Chuyu immediately exclaimed, "Uncle Chen!"
She pressed her hands against the long wound on Uncle Chen's arm, blood seeping through her fingers. Feeling the warmth of his blood, Lin Chuyu panicked and scolded, "Who are you? Why are you hurting people for no reason?"
The girl replied coldly, "This is what happens when you draw weapons here. It was my oversight for not watching the door closely enough that allowed you to enter. Since it seems you entered without malice, I won't kill you. Just forget everything you've seen here."
With a graceful motion of her slender fingers, Lin Chuyu and Chen San suddenly felt sharp pains in their heads. Lin Chuyu clutched her head and cried out, "My head... it's going to split open..."
Chen San felt the pain intensifying in his skull and covered his head with one hand while moaning in distress.
Lin Chuyu screamed desperately, "Stop! What do you want to do?"
The girl replied emotionlessly, "Don't resist; I'm just erasing your memories."
Just as Lin Chuyu felt like her head would burst from the pain, she noticed the Vermilion Bird Pearl on her chest glowing brightly. A curved barrier enveloped her, and the throbbing in her head subsided.
Lin Chuyu gasped for breath, her hands pressed against the ground. "My head... it doesn't hurt anymore..."
The girl noticed something amiss and furrowed her brows. "The Vermilion Bird Pearl?"
A hint of anger crossed the girl's face. "If you don't want to forget, then you might as well die."
Lin Chuyu was taken aback. "Die!"
Suddenly, the girl's enchanting eyes glimmered with a green light. With a wave of her hand, a beam of green light shot toward the protective barrier. Lin Chuyu let out a muffled sound as a sharp pain pierced through her insides, and she coughed up a spurt of blood, causing the barrier to dissipate.
The girl looked on with rare astonishment. "So this is the power of the Vermilion Bird Pearl; it can even withstand this."
Though turmoil brewed within her, the girl's expression remained impassive. "Your insides must be in agony now. I don't necessarily have to kill you; as long as you obediently allow me to erase your memories, you can avoid death. I advise you not to be stubborn; otherwise, your organs will shatter."
Lin Chuyu wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and pleaded, "I won't tell... anyone about this place. Please don't erase my memories. This is where... the Vermilion Bird is... I can't let you erase... my memories..."
"The Vermilion Bird is here?" A smile of amusement flickered across the girl's face for the first time. "There is no Vermilion Bird here. Have you thought this through? I’m giving you one last chance to answer."
Lin Chuyu stubbornly replied, "No... the Vermilion Bird must be here... the pearl shone before..."
Coldness flashed in the girl's eyes. "Stubborn fool!"
The green light in her eyes intensified as another beam shot toward Lin Chuyu. Without a protective barrier, Lin Chuyu's face drained of color at the sight of the incoming light, but suddenly, a towering figure appeared before her.
It was Chen San. As he emerged, his abdomen split open as if bitten by some monstrous creature, flesh torn and blood spilling forth. Chen San let out a heart-wrenching scream before collapsing into Lin Chuyu's arms.
"Uncle Chen!" Lin Chuyu cried out in despair.
The girl coldly stared at Lin Chuyu and said, "Without the Vermilion Bird Shield to protect you, this is your fate. Look at him; he has less than twenty percent of his life left. Do you want to follow in his footsteps?"
Lin Chuyu's muscles twitched beneath her skin as she compromised. "I am willing to erase my memories," she conceded, not out of fear of death, but tears streaming down her face as she pleaded, "We can accept the erasure and confinement, but I beg you, you cannot let Uncle Chen die."
The girl glared at Lin Chuyu and asked, "Why must you be tortured before you are willing to submit?"
The girl's eyes narrowed as she approached Lin Chuyu, placing one hand on Chen San's abdomen. A bright light emanated from him, and when it faded, there were no signs of injury on Chen San's belly. He lay unconscious with his eyes closed. The girl stepped back a few paces and said, "He's fine now. Although the surface has healed, his internal organs need time to regain their vitality."
The girl spread her fingers wide. "Stop resisting. This is what you promised me. If you go back on your word, I will truly take your life!"
A sharp voice rang out, "Stop!"
The girl exclaimed in surprise as she noticed a figure in the distance among the trees. The figure was partially obscured by shadows, but the beads on its right wrist glimmered faintly. The girl's eyes widened as she seemed to recognize the light from the beads, and she trembled slightly. "Five Elements Pearl!"
The figure gradually emerged from the darkness. Upon seeing him, Lin Chuyu felt a mix of joy and sorrow. "Ji... Brother Ji!"
Ji Zichen looked resolute, without a trace of fear as he fixed his gaze on the girl. He turned to Lin Chuyu and asked, "Are you okay?"
Seeing Ji Zichen appear gave Lin Chuyu a sense of reassurance. "Brother Ji, you came!"
Ji Zichen's gaze softened as it landed on Lin Chuyu. He smiled gently and said, "I was drawn here by your cries."
Lin Chuyu wiped her tears and managed a smile through her grief. "You're okay; that's wonderful!"
Ji Zichen turned to the side and saw Chen San lying on the ground, his eyes filled with anger as he asked, "Is Uncle Chen dead?"
Lin Chuyu hurriedly replied, "Uncle Chen is not dead."
Lin Chuyu looked at the girl and said, "She injured Uncle Chen but then healed him."
Ji Zichen walked over to Lin Chuyu, now only three paces away from the girl. The girl fixed her gaze intently on Ji Zichen's Five Elements Pearl, waves of emotion surging within her. Suddenly, she gasped in shock and whispered, "Brother Zichen!"
The words "Brother Zichen" struck Ji Zichen like a thunderclap, hitting deep within his heart. His throat tightened, and he felt as tense as a bowstring pulled to its limit. His lips trembled as if desperately trying to speak, but no words came out. His face drained of color, leaving only his eyes flickering with disbelief.
Ji Zichen's gaze locked onto the girl's eyes, and he recognized those familiar orbs. In that moment, the image of a five-year-old girl’s face overlapped with that of the young woman before him.
Ji Zichen was in utter disbelief. "Who are you?"
A torrent of questions flooded his mind. "But how are you here? I thought you were dead!"
He suddenly dismissed his own doubts. "No, it makes perfect sense; that incident never added up!"
For reasons unknown to him, rage surged within Ji Zichen. Clenching his fists, he roared, "Shen Bifan! What is going on here?"
Shen Bifan stared at Ji Zichen in confusion. She was shocked by her own words. "You... who are you? Why do I call you Ji Zichen? How do you know my name?"
Shen Bifan and Ji Zichen locked eyes, and he saw the bewilderment reflected in her gaze. A jolt ran through him. "It seems she really doesn’t recognize me! But why can she call my name?"
Among the three of them, Lin Chuyu was the most astonished. A whirlwind of thoughts raced through her mind: "Do these two know each other?"
Ji Zichen looked at Shen Bifan, who did not recognize him. A mix of sadness and anger welled up inside Kiko. "You ask me who I am! Take a good look at me! Even though thirteen years have passed, you can't possibly tell me you don't recognize me!"
---
Moonlight gently fell upon Yuxuan's delicate face. With a soft gasp, Yuxuan opened her eyes. "My head hurts."
Suddenly, Yuxuan recalled, "Right, those two from the Desolate Evil Hall... they..."
Panic surged within Yuxuan. "This is bad; he’s no match for those two. I need to hurry and help!"
---
The two from the Desolate Evil Hall were already in the forest where Ji Zichen had appeared earlier. Standing among the trees, they could see Ji Zichen and Shen Bifan confronting each other. One of them said, "Demon Blade, it looks lively over there. Should we join in?"
Demon Blade replied, "Demon Sword, hold on a moment. Let’s observe a bit longer; showing ourselves now would only cause unnecessary trouble. Stay calm and wait for them to open the door—that will be our chance to strike."
Demon Sword asked, "Is the Vermilion Bird really behind that wall?"
Demon Blade confirmed, "Yes, we need to save our strength to capture the adult Vermilion Bird."
Comment 0 Comment Count