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墨書 Inktalez
I don't know how long we walked in the darkness. I struggled to keep up, while Qin Ling seemed completely unfazed, pulling me along without stopping. It felt like we had been away from here for a minute, which was probably a good thing.
He was tall and strong, taking long strides, and several times I nearly stumbled and fell behind. Finally, he could no longer tolerate my slow pace and picked me up on his back. I squinted and smiled, wrapping my arms around his neck without hesitation. "Thanks."
He didn't say anything, but I could sense his irritation. However, since I couldn't walk anymore, I decided to enjoy this rare moment.
"How long have we been walking? Why haven't we gotten out yet?"
"You came from the Underworld; do you not know where this place is?"
His cold snort was filled with disdain, unmistakably clear. I pouted in frustration, my teeth grinding in annoyance. He was definitely doing it on purpose. But against a man like him, being confrontational would only lead to trouble. I had to switch to a softer approach or play the fool.
The former was something I couldn't manage, especially not in front of Jun Chong's people, so I opted for the latter. After all, being a bit of a rascal had become our mode of interaction when dealing with Molin.
"I have amnesia; how would I remember? My mom always said my brain wasn't functioning well, so forgetting things is perfectly normal. Just consider me as having dementia."
"…"
Qin Ling didn't respond and quickened his pace. As I looked around at the gradually fading darkness, I noticed some light seeping in ahead. Qin Ling leaped up and jumped over the oddly shaped rocks, landing safely on the ground.
It was still daytime outside, which meant I hadn't been inside for long. I thought he would set me down, but he continued to move forward without stopping.
"Where are you taking me?"
"I'm not taking you anywhere; I need to reach the place where the Emerald Feather Box is kept and find those who intend to steal it. We can't let any ghosts or monsters get their hands on the Emerald Feather Box."
I patted his shoulder and said, "But I just saw the Emerald Feather Box."
Qin Ling suddenly stopped, putting me down without a word. His expression was fierce and somewhat terrifying. "Tell me, where did you see the Emerald Feather Box?"
It wasn't a question; it was a demand for an answer.
I pouted, reluctant to speak, but Jun Chong's plan couldn't afford any mistakes. Even though he would encounter Su Yi's remnants at the Emerald Feather Box, many things couldn't be avoided just because I wished them to be so. I had to learn self-control, even if it was difficult; I had to endure.
"It was right where you pulled me earlier. At that moment, I left the resting place and fell into the Magma. I thought I was done for, but unexpectedly, I ended up in a place called Emerald Valley. It was there that I saw the Emerald Feather Box."
"Are you sure the place you went to was Emerald Valley?"
Qin Ling looked at me with suspicion, clearly not believing me. I twisted my body and raised my hand to swear, "I swear by Lianchi's name, it's true."
From a distance, Lianchi suddenly sneezed and rubbed his nose. "Who’s thinking of me?"
Qin Ling squinted his eyes, the narrow slits showing some contemplation. With his hands clasped at his chest, he turned back to look at the path we had taken. He moved quickly; we had already covered quite a distance, and the winding roads made it easy to get lost. If I were to go back again, I would surely not find my way.
"What's wrong with you?"
Qin Ling rested his chin on his hand. "Emerald Valley is indeed where the Emerald Feather Box is hidden, but that valley is formed by thoughts and is unpredictable in its location. It could be in water, inside a cave, or even buried in the ground. That's why it's so hard to find; it's also why the Emerald Feather Box has remained hidden for so long."
"But didn't you say there's a Vengeful Spirit guarding it?"
"There is. In front of the Emerald Feather Box, there are three powerful Ghost Generals standing guard. It's said that even the first ruler of the Underworld cannot approach it. Many ghosts who became rulers confirmed their abilities and sought out the Emerald Feather Box but never returned. The ever-changing location of Emerald Valley makes it even more difficult."
"Three? But I only saw two."
"The third one is already dead."
"I saw a charred black mark on the ground; perhaps that's the dead Ghost General."
Qin Ling nodded. "The Underworld hides a powerful expert. I must find him and bring back the Emerald Feather Box to the King of Hell."
I listened, nodding along, considering that Su Yi's warning was not a lie. The area around the Emerald Feather Box was indeed dangerous, but she had also mentioned that she had a way to handle it, though she would only tell Jun Chong.
Although I secretly hoped they wouldn't meet, with a great enemy looming, Jun Chong's safety took precedence. Still, I needed to watch their meeting closely because I had to confirm whether Jun Chong knew that the box contained his body. What if he was unaware and got deceived?
Moreover, those two Ghost Generals were incredibly formidable, and I worried about Jun Chong getting hurt.
Most importantly, the King of Hell had ordered the retrieval of the Emerald Feather Box. It seemed that this time we would need a solid plan to succeed.
After some brief contemplation, I devised a strategy. I pursed my lips and nodded, but when I looked up, I caught Qin Ling's probing gaze. My heart skipped a beat, and feeling somewhat guilty, I asked, "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"You are a troublemaker."
"You are the troublemaker!" I retorted without hesitation, only to hear him continue, "But it’s also fortunate. From now on, you will lead the way and must find the Emerald Valley!"
"Me?" I blinked in disbelief. How could I possibly have such ability? "The last time I entered the Emerald Valley, it came looking for me. How could I find it?"
"Then let it continue looking for you."
Without further ado, Qin Ling grabbed my arm and pulled me forward. I stumbled on my feet and clung desperately to his arm just to keep up. "You jerk! Can't you walk a little slower? What if it doesn't come looking for me?"
Qin Ling shot me a sidelong glance that sent chills down my spine. His tone turned ominous as he said, "Then I'll kill you; that should guarantee a breakthrough."
"…"
In his eyes was nothing but bloodlust—no hint of redemption. This worried me greatly because he was completely different from Molin. Molin wanted to save people; even if they were ghosts, if they meant no harm, he would spare them. Molin had a kind heart.
Thinking of Molin made me feel uneasy. I fell silent and followed Qin Ling step by step as we walked forward. This continued for an entire day until night fell and I was genuinely afraid of the cold. After pleading with him for quite some time, he finally found a place for me to rest.
Moreover, the food was that hard flatbread. I had come out unprepared, without even anything to eat, but the small bag on Qin Ling seemed a bit fuller than before, and the flatbread he took out was still warm.
"Warm?" I exclaimed joyfully, taking big bites and mumbling, "Thank you, Qin Ling."
Qin Ling didn't eat anything. Instead, he drew a circle in the air with Sword Tip beside me. Suddenly, I felt the cold around me lessen significantly. Qin Ling sheathed his sword and said, "I'm going to check around. Don't come out; otherwise, I won't save you."
"You're stingy," I muttered, then added, "Hurry back; I'm scared here."
He ignored me and gradually walked away. After finishing the flatbread, my stomach felt uncomfortable, but there was nothing else to fill me up. Leaning against the rock, I grew drowsy and dozed off. Just then, I heard a roar not far away, identical to the one I had heard on the first night—a heart-wrenching roar as if a beast were approaching.
I immediately woke up, sitting up straight and straining my neck to look in that direction. In the dim night, I saw Qin Ling facing off against two monsters alone. They looked aggressive and coordinated well, pushing Qin Ling back step by step. But ultimately, they could not withstand Qin Ling's ferocity; he struck one back with a single blow and destroyed another with his sword. The one he had repelled quickly entangled him again, refusing to leave.
At that moment, I noticed a third shadow creeping up on Qin Ling from behind. A glint of cold light flashed in the darkness, and I screamed, "Qin Ling! Watch out behind you!"
But it was too late. The creature struck him from behind successfully; he leaned back and performed a backward flip while slashing at its soul with ruthless precision.
Suddenly, the ghost behind him vanished. I blinked in confusion as the chill intensified around me. As I raised my head, a beautiful face appeared right in front of me, grinning ominously and revealing sharp elongated teeth.
The blood-red hue between her brows stained her eyes completely red—no white visible at all. Her tongue extended long as she spoke with a rancid stench emanating from her gaping maw along with a heavy taste of blood.
"I will kill you, Lord of the Ghost Fetus."
My eyes widened in shock. Besides the Giant Bug knowing that I was the Lord of the Ghost Fetus, were there other spirits in the Underworld aware of this? At that time, Qin Ling hadn’t asked much about it, so I kept quiet; now hearing it from her mouth felt entirely different.
It was highly likely that the Giant Bug had revealed my existence and the child within me to some spirits in the Underworld; perhaps this was why I had been receiving continuous threats.
"Eat you and gain eternal life."
Her sharp claws elongated like needles and lunged toward me fiercely. Fortunately, I dodged quickly; her claws pierced into the hard ground as if stabbing into cotton—soft and yielding—and easily pulled out again.
I saw Qin Ling kneeling on the ground, surrounded by countless ghosts attacking from all directions. Although he was brave and skilled in battle, he still needed some time, and I couldn't afford to wait.
"I can't be a burden to him; I can protect myself."
I pulled the Qilin Hairpin from my head. It emitted a pure glow, and the half-open petals of the lotus flower stirred slightly. Then I distinctly felt a small vibration in my palm, a very subtle tremor.
"Qilin Hairpin?"
I noticed the tiny bead at the center of the Qilin Hairpin move slightly. After a few moments, it returned to stillness. At that moment, a female ghost lunged at me. Before I could react, my right hand swung out instinctively.
In an instant, the Qilin Hairpin radiated brilliant light, illuminating the entire darkness. The female ghost let out piercing screams and quickly retreated far from me. I felt a sharp pain in my arm and looked down to see blood flowing without me realizing when it had started.
Jun Chong had warned me not to let myself bleed carelessly, so I immediately covered the wound with my left hand, but blood continued to seep out, dripping onto the ground.
"This scent—" Suddenly, the ground shook beneath me. In my panic, I clutched a nearby rock as the earth trembled, causing my legs to quiver uncontrollably. "This blood has traces of an old friend's; it's from the Lord! Little Girl, are you the Lord's woman?"
I was so frightened that I almost screamed, completely unaware of what kind of monster I was standing on. They had only told me that the Underworld was home to Vengeful Spirits and Malevolent Ghosts; they never mentioned any monsters!
Fortunately, my nerves weren't tested for long as its true form soon revealed itself—a black stone creature resembling a Green Giant.
"Girl, don't be afraid; I won't harm you."
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