Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Chapter 9: The Village
Upon hearing that the Cult of the Hall of Malevolence was approaching, Yuxuan immediately reacted. She turned to Shen Bifan and said, "You all quickly leave through the back door. I'll hold them off for a while!"
Yuxuan stood firm like a rock at the palace door, ready to strike down anyone from the Cult who dared to step inside. Yukang noticed blood on Shen Bifan's arm and stepped forward, saying, "Let me take a look."
Yukang pressed his hand against Shen Bifan's wound and performed a rough treatment; soon the bleeding stopped. Shen Bifan thanked Yukang and moved to help Ji Zichen, who was still kneeling on the ground, consumed by guilt. However, Ji Zichen seemed dazed and unresponsive. Shen Bifan urged, "Brother Zichen, pull yourself together!"
While blocking the door, Yuxuan glanced over at Ji Zichen. Seeing him kneeling like a lifeless stone, she shouted, " Ji Zichen! Get up!"
Ji Zichen replied in a defeated tone, "You all go ahead. I'll stay here with her."
Yuxuan was multitasking when suddenly she let out a cry and fell backward, her chin striking the cold, uneven stone floor, causing blood to seep out. The one who knocked her down was Great Seat, who stood in the center of the doorway and sneered through clenched teeth, "You overestimate yourselves!"
Having seen the corpses of two of the Three Seats, Great Seat was filled with rage. He vowed to kill everyone present. His voice echoed ominously, like the tolling of a death knell.
As Yuxuan fell, dozens of Cult members surged into the hall. One shouted, "Kill them! Avenge our fallen comrades!"
The Cult members roared in unison, their voices filled with malice and cruelty. Yuxuan struggled to rise from the ground but was immediately kicked by Great Seat into the wall. He did not intend to kill her; rather, he sought to inflict pain and torment to alleviate his own inner fury. Yuxuan found herself powerless against Great Seat's assault as despair washed over her, yet she dared not cry out.
"Bang!"
Another kick struck Yuxuan in the waist, sending her tumbling against another wall with a painful thud that made her curl up like a shrimp.
Two individuals grabbed Yuxuan's arms from either side and lifted her off the ground. Someone shouted, "Stop playing dead!"
Yuxuan felt a throbbing pain in her forehead, her vision blurred with tears. She did not respond, but through her tear-filled eyes, she vaguely saw someone glaring at her with fierce eyes.
One person shouted, "Make her kneel and stab her!"
Great Seat raised a hand and said, "Wait." He did not recognize Yuxuan, but he recognized Yukang. Seeing the worry in Yukang's eyes as he looked at Yuxuan, Great Seat coldly remarked, "Yukang! It seems you care a lot about her life and death. Let me tell you, I can decide whether she lives or dies. Do you understand?"
Another Cult member holding Yuxuan shouted, "Why aren't you answering?"
Yukang gritted his teeth and said, "Don't hurt her! If you want Zhuque, I will open the door for you!"
As soon as Yukang finished speaking, a figure rushed forward. A Cult member kicked Yukang in the stomach, causing him to kneel in pain. Great Seat smiled slightly and said, "As long as you understand, then the deaths of the two from Three Seats will be worth it."
A Cult member asked, "Great Seat, what about those two?"
Great Seat looked at Ji Zichen and Shen Bifan and said, "Once we have Zhuque, what use do we have for them? Kill them!"
The Cult member replied, "Understood!"
Ten Cult members charged towards Ji Zichen and Shen Bifan with knives drawn. Ji Zichen was already filled with rage; now that the enemy was coming at him with murderous intent, his eyes burned red like fire. Even though he couldn't see, he was ready to strike.
Suddenly, patterns began to rise on Ji Zichen's body, transforming dramatically!
Centered around Ji Zichen, an unmatched force capable of devouring everything erupted forth. The power of Primal Vortex surged from within him. The patterns on Ji Zichen's face glowed brightly as they spread like lightning across his limbs. Seeing the strange patterns on Ji Zichen's body, Great Seat immediately sensed danger and shouted, "Fall back!"
Ji Zichen would not allow them to leave. The ground and walls of the palace were already cracking under the force of Ji Zichen's Primal Vortex, with countless shattered stones rising into the air and exploding. The sheer momentum was beyond the limits of any mortal, demon, or spirit present.
An unstoppable force, it seemed oblivious to everyone inside the hall. Ji Zichen shouted with a voice that could shake the heavens, "Primal Vortex!"
The entire Moon Viewing Peak trembled violently, debris flying through the air as the great hall swayed precariously. The Cult members inside screamed in panic, while the Great Seat stood frozen in shock. "What kind of power is this?"
Large stones began to fall from the ceiling, and Yukang was knocked to the ground. "What... is happening?"
Massive chunks of rock fell at the feet of the Great Seat, who had no time to think. Turning his head, he saw that the back door had collapsed, while a gap had been blasted into the right wall. The Great Seat shouted, "Let's escape through the gap!"
He rushed forward, grabbing Yukang by his collar and pulling him along as they dashed out of the hall. Seeing the Great Seat leave, the Cult members followed suit.
Yuxuan was also taken along.
Once outside the hall, the tremors of Moon Viewing Peak ceased. The Great Seat continued running down the mountain, thinking to himself, "With a hostage in hand, I have nothing to fear from Yukang refusing to cooperate. This way, the Evil God can be resurrected."
As those from the Hall of Malevolence escaped Moon Viewing Peak, Lin Chuyu's body lying on a stone platform suddenly burst into light. Shen Bifan found his eyes covered and unable to open them. In an instant, he felt himself being pulled through a wall and out of the collapsing hall.
The Great Seat brought Yukang and Yuxuan back to the Hall of Malevolence's dungeon. Both Yukang and Yuxuan had scratches on their faces from falling debris. The Great Seat and several Cult members pressed them down as they walked through a section guarded by four or five Cult members before reaching the area where prisoners were held—two rows of cells near the gate, each containing over ten prisoners.
After passing a staircase, the Great Seat signaled for someone to open the last cell. Yukang and Yuxuan were unceremoniously shoved inside like bundles.
"Stay put!" commanded the Great Seat.
As soon as she left, Yuxuan collapsed to the ground with a thud.
Yukang was startled and checked on her. Seeing that Yuxuan's breathing was steady, he realized that she had simply been too tense and exhausted.
Time passed, and a voice pierced through to Yuxuan's ears, calling her name, "Yuxuan... Yuxuan..."
Startled, Yuxuan thought she was still in the swaying great hall and quickly sat up.
As she opened her eyes, she saw Yukang. Her eyes turned red as she exclaimed, "Third Uncle..."
Yukang sighed, "You finally woke up."
Yuxuan looked around in confusion. The walls of the cell were peeling, and the entire prison was eerily quiet. The cell door was tightly shut, and not a single shadow could be seen outside. An oil lamp hung on the wall, casting a dim light that made the prison feel even more lifeless.
"Third Uncle, how long have I been asleep?" Yuxuan asked.
"Three days," Yukang replied.
Yuxuan was taken aback. "I slept for three days?"
Hearing footsteps outside the cell, Yukang said, "Someone is coming."
Outside the cell stood two Cult members; one was unlocking the door while the other held a tray filled with an unexpectedly rich assortment of food and tea.
Cult placed the tray in front of Yukang and said, "The Arbitrator instructed us to treat you well, but for three days now, you old man have refused to eat or drink. If you want to die, don't make it hard on us. I warn you, if you don't eat today, I'll have someone pry your mouth open and feed you."
With that, Cult left.
Once the jailer was gone, Yuxuan noticed how emaciated Yukang had become. Feeling a pang of sympathy, Yuxuan said, "Third Uncle, why aren't you eating?"
Yukang forced a smile and replied, "Then let's eat, lest we be forced to have our mouths pried open later."
After they finished their meal, Yuxuan felt the pain and fatigue dissipate. Unable to hold back, Yuxuan insisted, "Third Uncle, no matter what, you cannot open the door."
Yukang sighed deeply, his voice tinged with a sense of heroism mixed with despair. "If I don't open the door, Second Imperial Brother will surely kill you."
Yuxuan replied earnestly, "Yuxuan is not afraid of death."
"But I am afraid of watching you die," Yukang countered.
He paused for a moment before continuing, "I am already old and only wish to see you live safely. I've been locked up for three days; Second Imperial Brother still hasn't allowed me to see him. He is testing my patience. You need not worry about this; I suspect he is more anxious than we are. In a few days, he will let me see him. Rest assured, until I am completely certain that you will not be harmed, I will not open the door for him."
---
To the west of the Desolate Central Plain lay a small village with just a few dozen residents. On the eastern side of the village was a High Slope where a large farmhouse stood. Ji Zichen resided in this farmhouse but was currently still unconscious.
"Sister Lin?" The owner of the farmhouse opened the door but found no one inside. The owner, Uncle De, was in his early forties and had a simple and honest demeanor.
Uncle De stepped outside to look for someone. The yard was enclosed by a fence, and a large yellow dog lay panting outside its doghouse. Uncle De did not see anyone around and muttered, "Where has that girl gone?"
Just as Uncle De finished speaking, Lin Chuyu pushed open the gate and entered. She held a basket filled with fresh fruits and vegetables, likely just picked from the field. The produce glistened with water, having been washed in the river.
Lin Chuyu had regained her youthful vitality. Although she wore farm clothes, her beauty was undeniable and shone through.
Despite his age, Uncle De felt his cheeks flush at the sight of Lin Chuyu's beauty. He chuckled awkwardly, "So you went out to pick vegetables."
Lin Chuyu approached Uncle De with a bright smile and said, "Yes, the weather is nice today, so I decided to take a stroll."
Meanwhile, Shen Bifan was in the village market buying some minced meat and rice, which she carried in a large burlap sack on her back. As she walked, she overheard villagers discussing recent events.
"I heard that Desolate Evil Hall has taken Southern Town," one villager said.
Another villager replied anxiously, "I've heard about it too. All the men, women, and children in Southern Town were killed—none left alive."
A third villager gritted his teeth and said, "Those from Hall of Malevolence are like demons; wherever they appear, that place becomes hell."
"Southern Town isn't far from us. If those Hall of Malevolence people come here, what will we do?"
The villagers continued to chatter about the situation. Shen Bifan listened quietly without approaching to ask for details. Her expression grew heavy as she slowly made her way to Uncle De's house.
Comment 0 Comment Count