No one knows when the dungeon of the Wu Family was built. Inside, it was dark and damp, filled with an indescribable moldy stench.
Mao Xiaoxiao and Nangong Shu were pushed inside.
Both of them were covered in wounds, barely a patch of uninjured skin left.
Mao Xiaoxiao fell to the ground, breathing heavily, but had no strength to speak.
Nangong Shu didn’t look any better.
He lay beside Mao Xiaoxiao, continuously gazing at her.
A fat rat crawled over both of them. Mao Xiaoxiao was clearly terrified, but she couldn’t even move.
She was completely devoid of energy, unable to move even a finger.
"Isn’t this place nice?"
A sweet-sounding voice rang out.
Soon after, the dungeon door opened, and Miss Wu walked in, dressed in a red gown.
With a sweet smile on her face, she seed as if she was entering her most comfortable boudoir, not a dungeon.
Mao Xiaoxiao glared at Miss Wu with anger.
Unbothered, Miss Wu approached Mao Xiaoxiao and Nangong Shu. With a wave of her hand, a chair appeared behind her.
She sat down, and a small table appeared beside her, laden with dried fruits and tea.
Miss Wu grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds, eating them and throwing the shells onto Mao Xiaoxiao and Nangong Shu.
Nangong Shu, a prince, felt humiliated and anger flashed across his face. He glared at Miss Wu with such intensity that he wished he could cut her into pieces.
Miss Wu chuckled, "Can’t handle it? Do you know how much you’ve made suffer? You don’t. Selfish and self-righteous people like you never understand others’ feelings."
After finishing her seeds, she smiled faintly, "Killing you would be too easy. You deserve to experience my suffering."
With that, Miss Wu stood up and left.
The mont she exited the dungeon, Mao Xiaoxiao and Nangong Shu fainted.
Anning’s group arrived at the next town and encountered so people who had escaped from the Deceit Realm.
Among them were rchants, scholars traveling to Shangjing for exams, and so visiting family. They looked unwell, carrying so yin energy.
One scholar, already weak, had absorbed yin energy in the Deceit Realm and was so frightened that he fell ill upon reaching town.
Coincidentally, he stayed at the sa inn as Anning’s group. Seeing this, Xiao Yuan lent a hand, dispersing his yin energy and helping him find a doctor for dicine.
The scholar’s family wasn’t wealthy. He was traveling alone for the exams, without even an attendant student. If Xiao Yuan hadn’t helped, who knows what might have happened to him.
The doctor prepared the dicine, and Anning asked Yue Niang to help brew it. Xiao Yuan delivered it to him.
The scholar’s surna was Zhang, called Zhang Yu, from a small town near Liyang City. His family owned several dozen acres of fertile land, considered quite good locally. If he hadn’t pursued studies, his family would live comfortably.
But Zhang Yu was intelligent from a young age, and his family struggled to support his education. In these tis, scholars required considerable resources, and nearly the entire yearly inco was spent on Zhang Yu, rendering their decent household poor.
With Zhang Yu’s illness, he spent much of the money he brought and was very anxious.
When Xiao Yuan ca in with the dicine, Zhang Yu hurriedly stood up, "Thank you, Brother Xiao."
Xiao Yuan placed the dicine on the table, pulled up a chair, and sat down, "Since we t, and you’re so sick, I can’t ignore it. You look much better today. A couple more days of dicine and you’ll be fine. Once you’re better, take your ti heading to Shangjing."
"Yes."
Zhang Yu smiled, "Brother Xiao is right, there’s no hurry."
Xiao Yuan, intending to fully assist, gave Zhang Yu a silver note, "Take this, get better accommodations and eat well on the road."
As Zhang Yu attempted to decline, Xiao Yuan said, "We’re fellow townsn. When encountering difficulties, we naturally should help each other. If I face hardships one day, wouldn’t Brother Zhang lend a hand?"
Realizing this made sense, Zhang Yu accepted the silver note, politely expressing gratitude.
He planned to repay the money once he knew which family Xiao Yuan belonged to upon returning to Yang City.
Examining Zhang Yu, Xiao Yuan sighed inwardly.
After so thought, he advised Zhang Yu, "Having just escaped the Deceit Realm, we’ve absorbed so negative energy, making us prone to attracting unclean things. Brother Zhang, make sure to find lodgings at night and stay away from beautiful won, avoid ddling in others’ affairs."
Zhang Yu was frightened upon hearing this.
"Brother Xiao, what do you an by this? Are there ghosts and monsters on the road?"
Xiao Yuan patted Zhang Yu’s shoulder, "With Demonic Qi growing day by day, demons and specters are increasing. We must be cautious."
This left Zhang Yu feeling anxious.
After further reminders and ensuring Zhang Yu took his dicine and rested, Xiao Yuan left.
Leaving Zhang Yu’s room, Xiao Yuan saw Anning daydreaming alone in the courtyard.
Xiao Yuan went and sat beside her.
The two sat shoulder to shoulder, looking up at the moon.
"The Heavenly Dao Laws have grown imbalanced. The Heavenly Realm acts more absurdly, fearing the Demon Clan might launch a full-scale assault."
Anning looked at the starry sky with concern, clearly seeing the spread of gray mist.
Xiao Yuan took Anning’s cold hands and ward them in his palms, "The Heavenly Realm can no longer control all the immortals, who see mortals’ lives as trivial. Chaos has spread across the land, providing the Demon Clan a perfect opportunity."
Both of them were worried.
The immortals and demons are inherently opposed. If the Demon Clan attacks and the Heavenly Realm’s immortals can hold them back, the mortal world could have peace. But Xiao Yuan and Anning noticed how the Heavenly immortals have no interest in cultivation now, only in forming factions and seeking benefits, never addressing legitimate matters. If the Demon Clan truly attacks, could those immortals withstand it?
If the Heavenly Realm suffers, the mortal world will face chaos. Natural and man-made disasters would arise, with demons and monsters running rampant, putting the Human Clan on the brink of annihilation.
"Do what we can."
Looking at the scattered stars, Anning finally spoke.
With tenderness in his eyes, Xiao Yuan gazed at her, "Upon returning, I’ll inform the East God Sect ancestors, then begin to gather disciples."
Anning smiled, "I’ll go with you."
She thought of the two Peony Flower Spirits she had taken in and ntioned them to Xiao Yuan, then said, "Do you think we can capture Miss Wu?"
Xiao Yuan looked a bit troubled, "That’s a rule of the Deceit Realm, unless we take over the Deceit Realm itself."
Anning playfully smiled, "Let’s take it over. It’s just a Deceit Realm."
Having comprehended much of the Heavenly Dao Laws, they weren’t intimidated by the Deceit Realm Law. If it could be changed, they’d change it. If not, they’d destroy it in ti.
Currently, Anning and Xiao Yuan’s cultivation was lacking, coupled with Anqing’s journey to Shangjing, they avoided trouble and spoke nicely to Miss Wu. If it were just the two of them, they’d try all ans to capture Miss Wu.
User Comments
0 comments from readers