【Texture】(150, 151)

Author: Wandering Traveler,
September 8, 2016,
first published on sis. Chapter 150:
After being helped by Guan Xue to the stone fortress, I led Huang Yandong, Xiao Suyan, and others to
the room where the stone carvings and murals were revealed.
Ma Guofu and the others were somewhat confused about the origins of Huang Yandong and Chunri and the others. Xiao Suyan and I did not
explain, so they did not ask immediately. They arrived at the stone fortress first and then witnessed part
of the battle between Xiao Suyan and me and the corpse demon horde from afar, and also witnessed Huang Yandong and the others eliminating the remaining corpse demons.
Based on this, they could judge that Huang Yandong and the others were friends, not enemies. The Taoist priest seemed a little flustered when he saw me again,
nodding and bowing repeatedly to apologize to me. Thinking that he didn't seem to have done it intentionally, I didn't
blame him and dealt with him with a few words. While Xiao Suyan and Huang Yandong were examining the stone carvings, I leaned against the door 　　and asked
Xiao Suyan with a puzzled look . 　　"Are you really sure this place is the legendary Kunlun Wonderland? Are you kidding me? If 　　it's a wonderland, how can there be so much filth?" As I spoke, I took out the 　　notebook Han Zhe had given me and started flipping through it. "My friend is quite knowledgeable. If this were Kunlun Wonderland, he 　　should at least have mentioned it in his notes. But there's absolutely nothing about Kunlun Wonderland here 　　!" 　　Looking at the shocking contents, Xiao Suyan's expression was solemn, as if he were pondering something. However, he 　　still answered my question. "The so-called 'fairyland' is just a name, something that comes to mind easily 　　! As far as I know, there's never been a unified explanation for what this place is called. Some believe 　　it's the Garden of Eden created by Jehovah in Christian mythology, some in esoteric Buddhism believe it's 　　the paradise spoken of by Buddha, and others say it's heaven itself! But as we all see, this place is 　　now teeming with demons. All those names are nonsense. 'Demon Realm' or 'Demon Domain' would probably be more accurate 　　. However, the name 'Kunlun Fairyland' is a name passed down from ancient times. I'm just following convention 　　!" 　　"...I don't know if you noticed this after you came in. The climate here is constant, comfortable, and the scenery 　　is beautiful. All kinds of plants and fruits are readily available. Moreover, when we came in, we 　　passed a small salt lake. The salt crystals there are almost completely pure, and can 　　be used directly as table salt. You could say that under normal circumstances, almost everything a person needs for survival is here. If it weren't 　　for those filthy things, calling this a paradise or a fairyland wouldn't be an exaggeration!" 　　Huang Yandong frowned as he roughly surveyed the stone carvings I had cleared. Then, like me, he picked up a tin can and, while speaking, began cleaning the other side of the wall. It seemed he wanted to 　　dig out 　　all the stone carvings to understand them clearly. 　　Seeing Huang Yandong start, Xiao Suyan didn't sit idle either, and also began cleaning the other side of the wall. 　　Of the five women who came with Huang Yandong, Chunri was outside with several armed men, keeping watch over the surrounding area. 　　Guanxue, as always, cuddled up to me, touching and rubbing me. Yonghui, Fanzhou, and Lanjian seemed to share Huang and Xiao's 　　curiosity about the stone carvings. Seeing Huang and Xiao begin cleaning, they all helped to clean them as well. 　　While cleaning, Xiao Suyan explained the second part of my previous question again. 　　"It's normal that your friend's notes didn't mention this place being Kunlun Wonderland. Even in our line of work, 　　there's controversy surrounding the existence of Kunlun Wonderland! Some believe it truly exists, while others 　　consider it pure nonsense. If I'm not mistaken, your friend must be an 　　extremely serious and meticulous person, right? Because the more meticulous a person is, the more they value physical evidence and material proof 　　. In their view, any claim without sufficient evidence is merely a legend. Since it's a legend 　　, its credibility is naturally low, and they certainly wouldn't easily record it in their research materials." "From what you're saying, you have evidence to prove this place is Kunlun Wonderland?" Huang Yandong 　　couldn't help but interject 　　while working, and judging from his subsequent words, he seemed to know quite 　　a bit about "Kunlun Wonderland. " "Kunlun Wonderland is known to everyone here! But where exactly is it? What's 　　it like inside? Nobody can really say! However, people from all dynasties have visited the Valley of Selling Corpses! But 　　no one has ever claimed that the Valley of Selling Corpses is Kunlun Wonderland. You're saying 　　this place is Kunlun Wonderland just because the Valley of Selling Corpses is here? There must be some reason, right?" 　　"Hehe... I wouldn't mind telling you! But I'm afraid you'll say I'm showing off my family's reputation!" 　　"Family's reputation? Does that mean your ancestors were very powerful?" Huang Yandong laughed. 　　"Of course... My surname is Xiao! My ancestral home is Linyi, Shandong!" Xiao Suyan raised an eyebrow. 　　"Linyi, Shandong? You're a descendant of the Lanling Xiao clan?" I was stunned for a moment, then quickly guessed Xiao Suyan's 　　family background! 　　"Haha, the Lanling Xiao Clan? That's ancient history! But historically, your Xiao family was indeed 　　very powerful! Two emperors, nine prime ministers, and even several empresses! Hmm, you could be considered a prestigious family. You certainly have something 　　to be proud of! But what does this have to do with the evidence of the Kunlun Immortal Realm?" Huang Yandong asked. 　　"Of course it's related! Imperial families and aristocratic clans are all later additions! Our Xiao family 　　was originally an exorcism family!" Xiao Suyan explained. "The true ancestor of the Xiao family is actually Shang Qi!" 　　"Shang Qi?...Isn't Shang Qi the ancestor of the ancient Shang people? Shang Tang and King Zhou of Shang are his 　　descendants! He's said to be the son of Emperor Ku, and an astronomer!" I blinked, quite surprised! 　　Because this was the first time I'd heard that the ancestor of the Lanling Xiao Clan was actually Shang Qi. This Xiao family 　　was truly remarkable! At least in terms of lineage, they were definitely of Chinese nobility! 　　"You know quite a lot... He's not only an expert in celestial phenomena, but also knowledgeable in feng shui! His true identity and..."

"We're the same, both exorcists! And after the Xia Dynasty was established, we served it, making us an
official exorcist family of the Xia Dynasty! Of course, as our family grew stronger, we inevitably got involved in politics! After the Cheng Tang revolution,
he established the Shang Dynasty and became the emperor. But my ancestral branch stayed away from political struggles and inherited
the various methods left by Shang Qi, continuing to fulfill their duties as exorcists! So to this day, they have left
behind many classics and materials! And according to the records passed down in my family, the place where the corpses were buried is
the legendary Kunlun Wonderland!" Xiao Suyan explained. Guan Xue, who had been leaning close to me,
whispered in my ear,
"Although I don't quite understand, his ancestors seem to be very powerful, producing many famous people! What about you?
Has your family produced any famous people?"
"Our Yan family?" I was stunned for a moment, blushed, but finally answered Guan Xue's question honestly.
"Well, well... I'm not too sure about the earlier ones. But my ancestral home seems to be Fenyi, Jiangxi. Speaking of
famous people from my family, in the last few hundred years, the most famous seem to be only Yan Song, the notorious traitor of the Ming Dynasty, and his son
Yan Shifan!"
"Really? His ancestors were emperors, prime ministers, empresses, and astronomers, and so on.
Your ancestors only produced a notorious traitor?" Guanxue pouted, her face contorted with misery. Clearly, she already
considered herself my woman! Hearing of Xiao Suyan's illustrious family background, she couldn't help but feel a competitive urge,
hence the question. But she hadn't expected that my Yan family hadn't produced any noteworthy figures, and
her disappointment was palpable.
Although Guanxue's voice wasn't loud, everyone in the room could hear our conversation clearly! Xiao Suyan
didn't seem to mind, but Huang Yandong couldn't help but burst into laughter.
"Alright, what does it matter to us descendants whether our ancestors were good or bad? Yue Fei was awesome, right? Yet his descendants
still surrendered to the Manchus. Qin Hui was a great traitor, but his descendants refused to submit! So, all this stuff
is just talk. Like me, Huang Yanpei and I are from the same clan and generation! But what's the point? Old Xiao,
why don't you hurry up and tell me what your ancestral records say?"
Xiao Suyan explained somewhat embarrassedly. "I really didn't mean to show off my family history, I just wanted to
prove the authenticity and credibility of the information left by my ancestors from another perspective! The document I'm talking about was
left by one of my Xiao family ancestors in the early Western Han Dynasty. Like me, he was a professional exorcist. According to
his records, the reason why many people in history didn't know that the Burial Valley was
the Kunlun Wonderland was simply because 'the time wasn't right'!" "
The timing wasn't right? Could you explain that more clearly?" Seeing Guanxue's dejected look, I was both
amused and exasperated. So I quickly shifted my attention to the topic Xiao Suyan had brought up.
"According to one of my ancestors, the Burial Valley and its surrounding area are actually a component
or outer region of the Kunlun Wonderland! Most of the time, those who enter this area can only reach the Burial Valley itself
, and there's no way forward! Therefore, many people believe that the Burial Valley is the end of this mysterious area.
No one associates the Burial Valley with the legendary Kunlun Wonderland! However, if certain conditions are met,
a passage leading to the depths of the Kunlun Wonderland will appear at the end of the Burial Valley. People can only enter the true
core area of the Kunlun Wonderland through that passage! But because meeting the conditions for opening the passage is extremely difficult,
the conditions have never been met in nearly two thousand years! No one has ever had the opportunity to truly enter the core area of the Kunlun Wonderland. Therefore
, many people have begun to deny the existence of the Kunlun Wonderland!" With the assistance of Fan Zhou and Lan Jian, Xiao Suyan
had basically finished clearing the stone wall in front of him. While explaining, he took a step back and used
the flashlight he had received from Chun Ri and the others to examine the newly appeared stone carvings.
"I see. Did any of your ancestors mention the specific conditions for opening the passage behind the Burial Valley
?" I asked, walking over to Xiao Suyan's side to examine the stone carvings with him.
Like the side walls, these newly appeared carvings depicted scenes of demons slaughtering humans, even
more gruesome and horrific than those on the side walls… Some carvings even depicted human infants
, mutilated and bitten by grotesque demons, who seemed unusually
satisfied…
"No! If he had left the specific conditions for opening the passage, our ancestors
would probably have already gathered the necessary conditions to open it and enter the core area of the Immortal Realm to explore!" Xiao Suyan stared at the carvings
, his face overflowing with resentment. It seemed his reaction to these carvings was different from mine; I
felt guilty looking at them, while his reaction was hatred!
"Legend has it that Kunlun Wonderland is the birthplace of humankind! But later, people of different races and skin colors
fled from there, eventually scattering to all corners of the world! I never understood why before,
but now these stone carvings and murals should explain it! Kunlun Wonderland was probably
occupied by all sorts of demons and monsters. Humans could no longer survive there, so they had no choice but to leave..." Xiao
Suyan sighed as he looked at the murals.
Listening to Xiao Suyan's explanation, I recalled the conversation between Sun Cong and Zhou Jingyi that I had overheard last night! I frowned
.
Yesterday, Sun Cong clearly told Zhou Jingyi that the only way to escape was to continue forward and enter the Burial Valley
to find a way out. Now, Xiao Suyan was saying that the Burial Valley was usually a dead end! If there was a passage
, it led to the core area of Kunlun Wonderland, and that passage would only open under certain conditions
...
Thinking of this, I suddenly realized something and turned to shout at Huang Yandong and Xiao Suyan. "This is bad
... We have to set off immediately to catch up with Sun Cong and the others! If I'm not mistaken, Sun Cong probably already knows
the conditions and methods to open the passage at the end of the Burial Valley! He brought those people into the Burial Valley not
to escape from here, but to enter the core area of Kunlun Wonderland!"
As soon as I finished speaking, I turned around and tried to rush out of the room. However, because of the large movement when I turned around, I
slipped and fell face-first into the mud while trying to break free of Guanxue's support.
Guanxue hurriedly bent down to help me up, but Xiao Suyan took a step forward and came to my side first, grabbing my arm
and pulling me up from the ground!
"Yan Ping, what's the rush? You're saying Sun Cong might already know
how to open the final passage to the Burial Valley? That's practically impossible! Let me tell you, that passage hasn't been opened for at least two thousand years
! The Burial Valley may be secluded, but many people have entered it over the years.
Besides the one who left behind the written records, at least two or three other ancestors of our Xiao family have also entered it. And besides our Xiao
family members, there are many others who know about the existence of the Immortal Realm Secret Passage! So many experts and extraordinary people
haven't been able to decipher the conditions and methods for opening the Immortal Realm Secret Passage in over two thousand years! Do you think Sun Cong could possibly do it?" Xiao Suyan pulled me up
, patted my shoulder, and said dismissively.
"Sun Cong won't do, so what about Sun Chengzhang? From what I understand, although Sun Chengzhang is currently just a private researcher,
judging from his resume and previous work experience, he is
definitely a top-notch researcher in China in the fields of folklore, ancient bronzes, and ancient sites. I heard that he served as Peng Jiamu's
assistant in the 1980s..." Huang Yandong also put down the canned food box he was holding and came to my side, saying.
"Sun Chengzhang..." Xiao Suyan frowned.
With Guan Xue's help, I caught my breath and shouted loudly at the two of them, "Not the right time! Not
the right time! Don't you understand what your ancestor meant? What is the right time? 'Three flowers gather in the Kunlun Void,
and a fairy descends to earth!' That's what you told me!"
In that instant, I felt I suddenly understand
the connections between the events I had experienced over the past few months!
"It was my mother...it was all my mother's doing! And judging from the situation, her plan
began the moment I stepped into the Phoenix Mountain Prison!" As this thought crossed my mind, I also confirmed
one fact...Zhou Jingyi was definitely my demon mother's person; her actions were absolutely under my
mother's direction and control!
The most precious and important thing in the Phoenix Mountain Prison wasn't just the three silk paintings that the scholar later used to open the underground passage of Xia Yu City
! More importantly, it was a person—Xia Jiang!
I have no doubt that my demon mother knew about the existence of Xia Jiang, the spirit maiden, in the prison long ago
! Besides coveting those silk paintings, the main reason she had Zhou Jingyi persuade me to enter the prison
was that she probably knew I could bring Xia Jiang out!
The Phoenix Mountain Prison had been robbed many times in history, even leading to the escape of the Corpse King twice!
But even so, Xia Jiang never left the prison. This shows that even if others entered the prison, Xia
Jiang had no intention of taking the opportunity to leave. After I entered, Xia Jiang followed me closely,
eventually making it clear in the passageway outside the sacrificial hall that she wanted me to take her away…
According to Han Zhe, Xia Jiang was willing to come with me because she is a spirit maiden, possessing a pure Yin body, while I am
the Red Lotus, and the pure Yang energy contained within the Red Lotus's fire naturally attracts Xia Jiang! I'm a highly skilled
female demon; I certainly know that the Red Lotus possesses pure Yang energy! That's why she orchestrated my entry into the cage. Because
others entering the cage only get the silk painting, while I not only have the opportunity to obtain the silk painting but also to lure Xia
Jiang out of the cage! And this "lure," to put it bluntly, is "seduction"...
Although we unexpectedly encountered Boss Li and his group of "tomb raiders" during this process, causing unexpected complications,
her goals were ultimately achieved! In my opinion, even if Boss Li and his group hadn't appeared, Zhou Jingyi, who entered later,
would probably have tried to guide me to the Fuxi Passage and made me "accidentally" discover
the entrance to the prison...
The upcoming trip to Xia Yu City was her second step! Her objectives now seem to be twofold...
First, to obtain the Heavenly Demon Blood of the Mystic Maiden and the corpse of He Yanqiu, which housed the Mystic Maiden
's soul! Second, she probably wanted Xia Jiang to devour the so-called twelve fallen souls!
In this second step, she wasn't just using me... The group from the Academy, Wang Lie, and others
were probably all manipulated by her. Because of Xia Jiang's special Spirit Maiden physique, to prevent her from causing
a situation like the Transcendental Land, she had to stay with either Wang Lie or me. For her, Xia Jiang
could stay with either of them, because at that time she probably already knew about the Academy's plan to go to Xia Yu City!
By using Zhou Jingyi, she could somehow get me to Xia Yu City, and it was only a matter of time before Wang Lie arrived there because he was tracking the Academy
. So, whether Xia Jiang follows me or Wang Lie, she will eventually enter Xia Yu City
and devour the departed souls of the Twelve Fallen Heavens! As for Old Man Zhao and Aunt Lu who got involved along the way… it might be an accident
, but it could also be part of her clever plan. However, none of that matters anymore. What matters is that,
just like in the Phoenix Mountain prison… she succeeded! She obtained the Heavenly Demon Blood and the Heavenly Demon Corpse, and Xia Jiang
devoured the Twelve Fallen Heavens according to her plan!
And now her third step is in this so-called Kunlun Immortal Realm…
When I saw the celestial phenomenon the day before yesterday, I hadn't quite grasped it yet. During the escape with Xiao Suyan and the others,
I kept thinking about a question… the celestial phenomenon of the "Three Flowers Gathering in the Kunlun Void" seems rare, so why
did we happen to encounter it after arriving here?
Thinking and thinking, I gradually connected the celestial phenomenon with Xia Jiang, who had previously transformed into a cocoon of Yin energy! If
my deduction is correct, the one who caused the "Three Flowers Gathering in the Kunlun Void" celestial phenomenon is most likely
Xia Jiang inside the Yin energy crystal! Han Zhe and Wang Lie believe that Xia Jiang's transformation into a Yin Qi cocoon is a prelude to her ascension to immortality! Xiao Suyan
also stated that the "Three Flowers Gathering in the Kunlun Void" phenomenon only occurs when a new Celestial Immortal, Celestial Demon, or Celestial Monster is born into this world
! Connecting the two situations... the relationship between them becomes unmistakably clear
before me! And the reason Xia Jiang was able to reach the stage of Yin Qi transformation is probably because she devoured...
The twelve fallen celestials of Xia Yucheng have departed their souls!
And the reason I took Xia Jiang out of the cage, and why I
wanted her to devour the departed souls of the twelve fallen celestials and further "ascend to immortality," I finally got my inspiration from Xiao Suyan!
"...The opportune moment to open the secret passage to Kunlun Immortal Realm!"
Sure enough, when he heard me shout at him, Xiao Suyan was stunned for a moment, then his whole body
trembled!
"...So that's it! The key condition for opening the secret passage in Buried Corpse Valley is the celestial phenomenon of the Three Flowers Gathering in the Kunlun Void!
I understand now... The appearance of a celestial phenomenon signifies the birth of a new deity! And Kunlun Wonderland, besides being
the birthplace of humanity, is also the abode of the so-called gods. Since a new god has been born in this outside world, the Wonderland
should open a door or something to allow this newly emerged god to enter the true Kunlun Wonderland! Now that you
mention it, I seem to recall that one of my ancestors' records did mention
witnessing some kind of strange phenomenon before entering Buried Corpse Valley, after the passage opened! However, his record was very vague, and it was written in his grandmother
's classical Chinese, extremely general, so who knows what phenomenon it specifically referred to! If what you've said is true, the strange phenomenon he witnessed
was probably the 'Three Flowers Gathering in the Kunlun Void'!"
As soon as Xiao Suyan finished speaking, Huang Yandong forcefully squeezed out of the stone house between us!
He shouted towards Chunri, who was resting at the entrance of the stone fortress slope!
"Spring Girl, pack your things, we're leaving right away!" He then turned to me and Xiao Suyan, his
tone slightly reproachful, and said, "You should have told me this sooner! If I had known, would I have needed to
rest here? I should have gone straight to the Burial Valley and intercepted Sun Cong and the others."
Hearing this, Xiao Suyan and I almost simultaneously turned and yelled at him!
"I only just realized the details! If Lao Xiao hadn't mentioned Kunlun Wonderland and that
secret passage, how would I have known the whole story?"
"Damn it, this is between you and Liangyi, what does it have to do with me! Others may be afraid of Liangyi,
but I'm not! I've been wanting to test my skills against him for a while now!"
After yelling, Xiao Suyan and I both paused, glanced at each other, and then simultaneously looked
away!
Guan Xue's eyes widened as she glanced back and forth between Xiao Suyan and me, muttering, "There's something fishy going on!"
Lan Jian and the other two women, overhearing this, covered their mouths and giggled.
Just then, Chun Ri arrived at the stone house door!
"We're in trouble. Should we leave or fight them? You guys decide quickly..."
Huang Yandong glanced back at her, his expression puzzled. Chun Ri didn't speak, but pointed to the eastern sky
. I immediately stepped out of the stone house and stared intently in the direction Chun Ri was pointing.
I vaguely saw a silvery-white object slowly drifting above the eastern forest. After
observing it closely for a moment, I finally recognized what it was...
"A drone."
"It's a multi-rotor drone that our group company purchased for filming this search and rescue operation!" Ma
Guofu, who had also arrived at our side, gave me a positive answer.
"Now?" I turned to look at him, and he nodded. "It must be those bandits
using it now !"
I squinted, estimating the distance between the drone and our current location, and asked,
"What's the type of remote control, the specific flight radius, and the performance?"
"It's radio remote control. The effective remote control radius is four to five kilometers. The flight duration is one hour, the maximum flight
altitude is three hundred meters, and the maximum flight distance is eighty kilometers! I unloaded the cargo myself yesterday, so I've seen the product instructions
!" Ma Guofu, after all, is a senior manager of Baihui Group, and he has a rather calm demeanor under pressure.
When the camp was suddenly attacked the day before yesterday, he took the initiative to lead people out to try to drive away the defecting security team, and then led people
to stay behind to cover the rear. He still maintained a calm state of mind at this moment.
"It's about three kilometers away from us now, and it hasn't come any closer. It's hovering...
...probably at the limit of the remote control range. If that's the case, the distance between the remote controller and us
is probably only six or seven kilometers..." I made my own analysis while observing.
"Six or seven kilometers is the theoretical distance. If the remote controller's position, our position, and the drone's current position
form a triangle... the straight-line distance between the remote controller and us is probably even closer!" Huang Yandong's brows furrowed
.
"Then what are we waiting for? Hurry up and pack up and leave! They outnumber us and have more guns. Do you think this broken stone
castle can stop them?" Xiao Suyan said, taking the lead and running towards the exit slope. As soon as he
moved, the resting group followed suit and ran down the hillside stone castle.
When we arrived at the place where Sun Cong and the others had gathered and set off, the faint sound of motors
could be heard in the distance!
Hearing this sound, Ma Guofu couldn't help but spit heavily on the ground and cursed angrily. "Shameless
bastards! They're using equipment that our group company worked hard to purchase! Judging from the sound, besides motorcycles
, they must have used the mountain tracked vehicles we prepared in advance!"
From the bottom of the slope, Huang Yandong's eyes never left the hovering drone in the distance! Before everyone was about to set
off, he ran to my side.
"That drone might have already spotted us. Running like this won't get us anywhere!"
"You're right. They have motorcycles and tracked vehicles. Once they leave the forest and get onto the hills, they can catch up with us, the
slow-moving ones, in just a few minutes." Xiao Suyan tilted his head, also watching the drone
's flight status.
I sighed, turned around, took the automatic rifle from Song Kui, and said, "You guys go. I'll go to
the forest to intercept and ambush them! Buy you time to escape. As for the drone, I'm not absolutely sure I can
shoot it down, but I'll try my best to deal with it first!"
Hearing this, Huang Yandong grabbed my shoulder. "Are you kidding me? You can't go!
You still have to track down Sun Cong and his men."
"If I don't go, who will? Among the people here, I'm probably the best shot… If I don't get that thing
down, none of us will be able to escape from those people!" I said, looking down to check
my guns…
I knew in my heart that volunteering to intercept the pursuers and shoot down the drone was just an excuse.
Just now, after sorting through the events of the past few months, I was afraid…
I suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of dread… I was afraid to see Zhou Jingyi!
Chapter 151
I know myself very well…
To many people, I seem to be steady and reliable! But in reality, that's not the case…
During my service in the army, our battalion commander saw through my true character!
During his service, he always paid special attention to me, and was exceptionally polite to me in our interactions
! This is different from how he treated Li Feng and Liu Tao's group! With Li Feng and Liu Tao, he was enthusiastic and friendly, and sometimes he
would curse or even fight them when he was happy or angry! That's what you call warlord behavior. As for me,
even if he was dissatisfied, he never insulted or laid a hand on me. He would only criticize and educate me according to the regulations or give me appropriate punishment!
To outsiders, he seemed to value me highly, but on the night before our discharge, the battalion commander,
after having a few extra drinks on the night of our farewell party, revealed the real reason why he "looked at me differently"! I still
vividly remember our conversation at that time...
"Yan Ping, you've been under my command for five years, and I've always been very polite to you! Do you know why?"
"Everyone says you like me, but it seems you didn't help me much with my promotion!" Because we were approaching
discharge, we veterans had less respect for our superiors, and we dared to say and bring up anything
. So I just answered honestly with a smile.
"Promotion? Is that something the battalion can help with? Even the brigade headquarters doesn't have that capability! We asked you to stay as a volunteer,
but you didn't want to! So, stop throwing this mud at me. It's better you just quit. If you had stayed as a volunteer
, I don't know how many years I would have been watching you! You know, out of the three hundred or so men in the entire battalion,
you're the one I'm most afraid of!" The battalion commander was drunk at the time, and with me about to leave, he finally became "unpolished" towards me!
"Afraid of me?" I blinked at that moment!
"You're right! I'm afraid of you, genuinely afraid of you... You know what! Others may not know,
but I'm absolutely certain I'm not wrong about you! You call your personality reserved and dignified. But actually, you're someone who doesn't show their emotions
, someone who suppresses their feelings! When you finally explode, you're capable of anything... To put it bluntly, you're gloomy!
People with gloomy and repressed minds are prone to holding grudges! A trivial matter that others might not care about
could hold a grudge for a lifetime! It's fine now that there's no war, but if there is, and I offend you on the battlefield,
you'll definitely have the chance to stab me in the back! Tell me, how can I not be afraid of someone like you?"
After commenting on my personality and explaining why he "looked at me differently," the battalion commander patted my shoulder
. "Now that you're discharged, I have some personal advice for you. When you go back, read more books, cultivate your
character, and broaden your horizons! You're still young, you have a long future ahead of you. Don't always look at things negatively
, otherwise I'm truly afraid you'll do something you'll regret for the rest of your life..."
I was deeply moved by the battalion commander's words, and after my discharge, I did indeed follow his advice to some extent.
These past ten years have passed peacefully, and his words of advice certainly played a part in that.
However, the more I cultivated my character, the clearer my understanding of my own personality became, and the more frightened I became!
Over the years, I've rarely lost control of my emotions! But in the last few months, it's happened repeatedly
. Once, I was drunk, and Wang Lie appeared before me; I fought back fiercely! That time was special, since
there was alcohol involved. Another time, I went to a hotel to stop someone from drugging and raping Xu Yue; that was most likely because
the Red Lotus ability had just awakened within me, and I was struggling to adapt! Besides those two times
, there was the time I saw Zhou Jingyi giving the middleman a "sweetener" at the hotel. Shortly after leaving the hotel, I
started to lose my temper, jumping into the middle of the road and kicking cars. If Ye Tong hadn't happened to pass by, pulled me back, and deliberately calmed me down,
I would most likely have ended up in the police station. Then there was the time in Xia Yucheng, when Liu Jin tried to molest Zhou Jingyi
. I went up and tackled Liu Jin to the ground. If there hadn't been other people around, and Xiao Tian
pleading for me like a grandson, I might have actually pulled out a gun and shot Liu Jin in the head. Finally, there was the time Zhou
Jingyi met Sun Cong at the bar. After seeing this, I attacked Sun Cong and then turned and left…
Three times, because of Zhou Jingyi, I lost control of my emotions three times! What does this mean…? This means that
I love her to the point where I'm willing to disregard the consequences!
Before, I was attacked at the lakeside base camp, chased by motorcyclists in the forest, and even accidentally fell into the water
and drifted. No matter how bad or desperate the situation, I always maintained the belief to persevere. Why?
The reason is simple: I always believed that as long as I overcame the current crisis, completed the task Wang Lie entrusted to me
, I should go home, marry Zhou Jingyi, start a family, and live the happy life I imagined
!
It can be said that my longing for love, my yearning for marriage, and my desire for a family supported me step by step
to this point! But when I realized that everything I had experienced might have been a trap set by someone else, I was confused
…
Although I don't know what role Zhou Jingyi played in all of this, her actions were undoubtedly
intertwined with my cunning mother's plans and schemes! There must be
some connection between her and my mother; she is very likely someone my mother deliberately placed by my side to influence me! I heard what she
said to Sun Cong yesterday… but I really don’t know how credible her words are.
Therefore, I don’t know how to face her when I see her again… Should I
feign ignorance and pretend I know nothing? Continue being affectionate with her? Or should I press her
about her relationship with my wicked mother? Try to extract her true intentions?
I even had an impulse, because I felt I had been deceived for months
, through repeated lies and manipulations… I had practically become a puppet to be manipulated! I
even considered killing Zhou Jingyi!
But could I really kill her? I loved her to the core… If she died, I
felt I had no reason to remain in this world…
Faced with this feeling, I couldn't help but feel a deep fear of tracking her and Sun Cong! I didn't want to
meet her in this state… I'd rather face those fully armed pursuers with a rifle, face
that drone hovering in the sky!
In my opinion, all of this is a hundred times easier than facing Zhou Jingyi's situation...
"Alright, stop whining! I'll stay here to handle the aftermath, you all go! I'll try my best to buy you
time so you can run as far as possible and see if you can catch up with Sun Cong and the others! Anyway, they're heading towards
the Burial Valley. Whether I'm there or not, it's all the same route!"
I made my position clear without hesitation, lest someone else steal the "mission" I desperately wanted right now!
Seeing my resolute attitude, Huang Yandong looked helpless! Although he, like me, had accepted Wang Lie
's commission, Wang Lie had clearly stated in the commission that I was the main person in charge, and he was participating as my assistant
and support. In dealing with specific situations, he should accept my arrangements! And it wasn't
just him; Chunri and the others, as backup hired by Wang Lie for me, also needed to carry out my instructions.
Of course, this wasn't mandatory, but disobeying meant breaking the commission contract...
After checking the firearms, I also took the bullets from Song Kui. Turning to Huang Yandong,
I said, "There's something else I want to tell you. This time, all of us—the Baihui Group, and even
those guys behind them—have very likely fallen into someone's trap! Everything we've encountered and experienced
was already part of this person's calculations!"
I ultimately decided to give them a limited warning, lest they be used as cannon fodder by my mother
to roll the dishes for her. Of course, I didn't intend to reveal any details about my relationship with my "fairy mother." Because
if I did, I would inevitably become the object of their suspicion and distrust… After all, I'm my "fairy
mother's" son; the relationship between mother and son can never be cleared!
"What did you say?" Huang Yandong was shocked and pressed for an answer. "Someone orchestrated and manipulated this
situation? Did I hear that right? Do you know who it is?"
I took a deep breath and asked. "It's hard to say exactly, but if I'm not mistaken,
the guy behind it all is the one who mailed all sorts of materials and documents to Sun Chengzhang. Old Xiao knows
that!" I said, glancing at Xiao Suyan, since he was the one who told me about the materials being sent to Sun Chengzhang
.
Xiao Suyan nodded, touching his chin, and continued, "Yes, Yan Ping
is right. The reason Sun Chengzhang's expedition team was able to find their way here is because someone has been providing them with
various clues and information related to the Nine Cauldrons. This person might indeed be secretly manipulating the current
situation! But are we really going to follow Sun Cong and the others into the Burial Valley...? I feel like if
we do that, we'll really be being led by the nose."
Xiao Suyan's words caught the attention of me, Huang Yandong, and the others around us!
"Run, run, run, escape, escape, escape... We're constantly being chased, running into filthy things everywhere,
and there's never a moment's peace! I was thinking, are we really just going to keep running away?" As he spoke,
a sly glint appeared in Xiao Suyan's eyes...
A minute or two later, I grabbed my rifle and turned to run towards the forest, with Chunri and Guanxue close behind.
As I ran, I used the sound of engines to try and guess the direction and approximate
distance of the pursuing convoy.
"Judging from the sound, they're coming from the same location as Lao Xiao and his group, from the second camp to the due east
... They're about three kilometers away as the crow flies, but there
are a lot of ditches and hills coming from there. Taking a detour would take twice as long as going straight, and they're not moving fast, so they seem
cautious! We should be able to make it in time!" As I ran, I relayed my analysis to Chunri
and Guanxue. I wasn't trying to show off my military knowledge; it was just that they were traveling with me and
needed to understand our current situation.
"Not cautious, but calm and collected! Listen, their engine noise is getting faster!
They're obviously picking up speed... They've spotted us! Oh no, the drone's altitude is starting to climb
..." Chunri was also paying attention to the sounds in the distance, and she had also observed the drone's status.
Hearing Chunri's reminder, I quickly looked up at the drone's movement. The drone was still
hovering, but its altitude had clearly increased significantly. The drone's flight altitude had more than doubled from the initial thirty or forty meters
.
"How arrogant... They didn't even turn around and fly away when they saw us coming. They just increased their altitude...
" Guanxue's tone was tinged with indignation.
I have the Crimson Lotus physique, while Chunri and Guanxue possess some Heavenly Demon bloodline and also have extraordinary physiques,
so the three of us were moving very fast at this moment. From the stone fortress slope down to the forest , a
distance of more than one kilometer, we only took a little over four minutes to reach a position only thirty or forty meters away from the forest...
Suddenly, Chunri stretched out her hands and grabbed Guanxue's and my arms... Then I felt a darkness before my eyes! When my
eyes regained light, the three of us were already surrounded by the dense foliage of the forest!
Looking up through the gaps in the branches, I quickly reconfirmed the drone's high altitude position, which
was more than two hundred meters away from us, and at this moment it seemed to be adjusting its observation angle, with the fuselage making slight adjustments and rotations!
It seems that the instantaneous teleportation that Chunri suddenly used with Guanxue and me earlier had worked. For drone pilots
The pilot was clearly incredulous that the three of us had vanished from his surveillance of the hilly plains in an instant
. He was frantically adjusting his angle and range of observation to try and find us!
Using that brief moment, I ran nearly a hundred meters towards the drone's location,
adjusting the firing sight as I ran. I finally set it to the 100-meter mark. After spotting a natural
"skylight" formed by branches and leaves, I knelt down, raised my gun, and aimed at the aerial target, taking a deep breath
…
Shooting at aerial targets is different from shooting at ground targets because there are no terrain references to aid aiming or distance
estimation. It's entirely based on experience and intuition; I had no confidence that I could hit it accurately!
"...The actual distance is definitely over 100 meters, estimated to be between 120 and 150 meters.
The sights need to be raised... Northwest wind, but not strong... should be around level two. The ballistic
deviation caused by 200 meters is negligible! I can always make minor adjustments with the second shot..."
After the sights pointed to my intended aerial position, I pulled the trigger without hesitation...
At the same time as the gunshot, a crisp "clang" rang out in the air! The drone
spun and wobbled violently in the air a few times, but did not fall. After stabilizing its flight attitude, it immediately
flew rapidly towards the direction from which the engine sound was getting closer and closer!
"Damn it! It only grazed me... This thing is going to get away!" I was extremely annoyed and quickly aimed again,
firing three shots in succession!
In the panic, I had lost the calm mindset I had with the first shot, and all three bullets went
undetected! Seeing that the drone was getting faster and faster, Chunri leaped up to the top of a nearby tree, jumped to the top of the canopy with
a few leaps, and then disappeared in an instant.
When she reappeared, she was already forty or fifty meters above the ground...
"Haruhi-nee!" Kanyuki couldn't help but exclaim! Before she finished speaking, Haruhi's figure disappeared again,
then reappeared in the airspace only ten meters away from the drone...
Haruhi appeared unusually calm in the air, adjusting her body posture as she plummeted downwards, calmly
observing and predicting the drone's flight path... Then she disappeared from Kanyuki's and my sight for the third time.
Haruhi reappeared directly above the drone... With a loud "bang" from the air,
Haruhi stepped directly on the top of the drone, and at the same time, she swung her right hand, instantly severing
two of the drone's three rotors with her signature hand chop... The drone then spun and fell to the ground...
Haruhi also fell to the ground, adjusting her body posture in the air, and when she was about to land in the forest canopy,
she once again disappeared from Kanyuki's and my sight like a ghost.
Accompanied by the continuous scraping sounds of the drone hitting the branches, and finally the thud of its landing. Spring Day
quickly appeared before Guanxue and me, running from the forest.
Seeing her safe and unharmed, my previously anxious heart immediately calmed down! Thank goodness Spring Day had
come; if she hadn't decisively used her "Moment" special ability, this plan would likely
have failed.
"Quickly send a signal to Brother Huang and the others…it's up to Yonghui and the others now!" Spring Day rushed to my side
, saw my still relieved expression, frowned, and immediately reminded me.
"Oh, I know, look at my brain!" I realized, quickly unfastened my backpack, frantically
pulled out two signal flares, and launched them into the air!
A few seconds later, a signal flash rose in the direction of the stone fortress!
Seeing Huang Yandong and the others' response signal, I slung my backpack over my shoulder and led Spring Day and Guanxue
towards the western hills.
"Haruhi-nee, you used 'Moment' five times in a short period! Can your body handle it?" Sisterly affection was evident
as Miyuki ran alongside Haruhi, asking about her condition.
"No problem, I'm still within the adaptation range! After a few hours of rest, I'll be fully recovered."
Haruhi spoke lightly, but I could clearly hear the heavy breathing in her voice. I couldn't help but glance back
at her; her face was pale, and her steps behind me were heavier.
Without thinking, I reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her forward. At first, I could feel
resistance in her arm, but then she let me pull her along.
The sound of mechanical engines grew closer, and just as I pulled Haruhi and Miyuki out of the forest,
a dozen motorcycles suddenly appeared from the other side of the forest, two or three hundred meters away! Seeing the three of us
, they immediately changed direction and sped towards us…
I inwardly cursed! On a whim, I turned and pulled Haruhi and Miyuki back into the forest!
"Go, south, follow the edge of the forest south! Let's try to shake off these motorcycles first... then we'll
detour and meet up with Lao Huang and Lao Xiao. I left some fire on their men, so don't worry about not finding
them!"
As I ran, I released Chunri's arm and raised the rifle hanging on my chest. Once
we entered the flat area of the hills, the motorcycles, no longer hindered by the trees, sped up.
Fortunately, not all of the dozen or so motorcycles chased after the three of us. After about a hundred meters, they split into two
groups, with most heading towards the hill fortress where Huang Yandong and the others were. In the end ,
only three motorcycles were left to pursue us.
A few hundred meters is only twenty or thirty seconds for a speeding motorcycle. The three
motorcyclists quickly caught up with us, riding along the flat area outside the forest and
firing at us as we ran into the woods!
I, not to be outdone, raised my rifle and returned fire. Most of the bullets flying back and forth were blocked by the trees in the forest
. However, my counterattack was quite effective! Realizing I had
the ability to retaliate, the three drivers simultaneously reduced their speed, becoming more cautious in their pursuit.
Knowing that leaving the forest would expose me completely to enemy fire, I had no choice but to temporarily abandon my pursuit.
The thought of leaving the forest and taking a detour to meet up with Huang, Xiao, and the others crossed my mind. I had to call on Chunri and Guanxue to continue
deeper into the forest.
The motorcyclists, realizing we wouldn't enter the hilly area, finally turned around and drove into the forest! However
, this meant they couldn't travel at high speeds.
Like the five motorcyclists who chased me near the valley exit, they had to carefully close
the distance between us, dodging tree obstacles and wary of a counterattack.
Noticing Chunri's increasingly heavy breathing, slower pace, and unsteady steps, I realized
it was impossible to shake them off. I slowed my pace and began observing the surrounding
environment and terrain. A small mound appeared before me, and I immediately pulled Chunri
behind it.
"You two lie down, I'll handle them!"
Without a word, Chunri and Guanxue, who had followed closely behind, hid behind the mound as instructed.
I had just set up my rifle when three motorcyclists appeared in my field of vision. After I fired,
they jumped off their motorcycles without hesitation, guns in hand, and swiftly flanked me from three directions…
Noticing their running posture and evasive maneuvers, I couldn't help but feel a chill! "Soldiers…
well-trained professional soldiers!"
Soon, the three gunmen each occupied a favorable position from three directions. From their
positions, I realized that although they were spaced apart, they could communicate and support each other. While
observing the movements around me, the man on my left occasionally gestured to the other two! The
gestures were very different from the military communication hand signals I had learned during my service, but clearly a different, more systematic communication
language!
Without me continuing to fire, none of the three gunmen made a move. They seemed extremely patient
, communicating through hand signals, obviously discussing how to attack me…
I frowned. Their bodies were well concealed, and I wasn't confident I could hit their outstretched hands instantly
. I realized that I was at a significant disadvantage in the fight against the three of them, like a
condemned prisoner awaiting his death sentence! For a moment, the forest was so quiet that only the rustling of leaves in the wind could be heard
.
While waiting, I tried to implant flames into the three gunmen. I knew their locations perfectly well, but
I couldn't make out their features, so I didn't have high hopes at first. However, to my surprise,
all three flames were successfully implanted. Then I tried to activate a spark. As I expected, the spark
collided with the three yellow flames, but to no avail…
"It seems the methods used to deal with demons don't work on humans! Against these three, I'll ultimately have to use
guns…"
Just then, I heard Haruhi lean close to me with difficulty and ask, "Can you pinpoint their location
?"
I was taken aback. "Yes, what do you want to do?"
Haruhi asked breathlessly. "Let me see if I can activate the 'Moment of Destiny' again and try to take one of them down!"
Upon hearing this, Kanyuki immediately stopped her, saying, "No, Haruhi-nee, you're already like this! You absolutely cannot activate 'Moment of Destiny' again!
Otherwise, even if you don't die, it will accelerate your demon transformation. You might even lose
your true nature as soon as you activate it!"
"But now..."
"Absolutely not, I'm in charge here! You two hide! I'll handle these three!" I immediately
stopped Haruhi's words. I pointed the gun out, aiming at the location of the gunman on the left...
Perhaps it was my machismo, or perhaps it was out of a sense of responsibility! My reckless gambling nature
erupted at this moment...
I pulled the trigger! At the same time, I activated the Crimson Lotus Chart in my mind. At least through the chart, I
could sense the movement trajectory of the three flames immediately.
As the bullet struck the target hiding in the tree trunk on the left, the flame of the gunner on the far right flickered in the diagram
. Clearly, they had discussed and planned this: while I attacked one, the other two
gunmen would emerge and fire at me. The flicker in the diagram meant the gunner on the right was peeking out from behind cover
…
Without hesitation, I turned my gun and fired at the position I remembered the gunner was hiding in. In
my mind, on the diagram, I simulated the bullet's trajectory, guiding the sparks
towards the flame on the left! But to my surprise, when my gaze actually shifted to the gunner's location on the right,
I saw the exposed half of his body tremble violently.
"Did I…did I hit him? How is this possible…I only caught a glimpse of him out of the corner of my eye
, and the direction of my gun was just a feeling! And I hit him?"
Before I could even process this shock, the flame in the middle also began to flicker. Without the slightest hesitation, I
turned my gun again, pointing it at the central gunman. Just like before, I pulled the trigger, my mind
once again simulating and guiding the trajectory of the bullet—a trajectory impossible to visualize on the chart.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw red and white splatter from the head of the central gunman…
At that moment, the flames from the gunman on the left also flickered violently, but I remained strangely calm.
I moved the gun back to the left and pulled the trigger.
The gunman on the left leaned against the tree trunk, his eyes wide, staring at me in disbelief, but his body quickly and slowly
slid down the tree trunk to the ground, his eyes still open in death.
After these four consecutive gunshots, the forest fell silent again…
Guanxue, supporting Chunri, followed me to the gunman on the left! I felt that these three gunmen
were quite different from the five gunmen Xiao Suyan and I had killed in the forest outside the valley, and I couldn't help but come over to investigate.
The gunman was wearing camouflage military uniform, but the style was unfamiliar to me. He had dark skin and a strong build.
Judging from his appearance, he seemed to be Tibetan. But I quickly noticed a uniquely designed
short knife tucked into his belt! I bent down and drew the knife…
Then, the muscles in my face began to tremble uncontrollably.
"A scimitar? This... how is this possible?"
Just then, I suddenly heard a slight noise not far away! Turning my head, I saw that the gunman on the far right
was still alive, lying on the ground, supporting himself as he raised his rifle, the muzzle pointing directly at
Miyuki and Kasuga beside me. I shouted "Watch out!" and without thinking, lunged
between the two guns.
At that moment, the gunshot rang out again, and I felt a heavy
impact on my right shoulder blade, causing my body to fall uncontrollably. As I fell, I saw the gunman's hateful gaze.
In the fleeting exchange of glances, I seemed to see his actions over the past few days… the pursuit… the killing… the capture
… At the same time, the gunman screamed and dropped his weapon, his body convulsing violently,
billowing smoke and emitting a blinding red light…
Before the intense pain completely robbed me of consciousness, besides the cries of Chunri and Guanxue, I seemed to
hear a piercing, mournful cry that echoed through the sky… The sound was exceptionally shrill,
enough to make one tremble and their heart stop!
"That sound is terrifying… even more terrifying than the screams of the Mystic Maiden in Xia Yu City! My heart can't take that
kind of stimulation…"
The instant my heart stopped, I was plunged into darkness…

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