novelapdf Chapter 287 The Weeping Woman
Chapter 287 The Weeping Woman
The two demon slayers tore off a relatively clean strip of cloth and re-bandaged Feng Zhishan's wound.
Feng Zhishan was in so much pain that the veins on his forehead throbbed, but he gritted his teeth and didn't utter a sound.
He remained silent for a long time, then suddenly spoke:
"Even if Jiang Mu comes, he might not be able to save us. You two girls didn't see that monster just now, but it was at least at the eighth level. Jiang Mu is only at the seventh level, and in a place like this, it's hard to say who will win against something of that size."
He wasn't just saying that out of spite.
Just now, on his escape route, he did indeed glimpse a huge, despair-inducing black shadow in the distance.
The shadow cast by that dark figure alone covered half of the hillside.
In comparison, the two level-six black bears we encountered on the outskirts of Tree Village were not so scary.
Seeing that Chu Lingzhu completely ignored him, Feng Zhishan's face darkened, he gritted his teeth and stopped talking, feeling frustrated.
The cave was deathly silent, save for the crackling of burning firewood.
About half an hour later, a beam of light suddenly shot into the sky in the distance.
The beam of light, over ten feet thick and pure white, pierced straight into the depths of the sky, stirring the surrounding clouds into ripples of light. It was as if it had torn a rift in space itself.
Feng Zhishan was taken aback at first, then stood up abruptly.
Even though the pain from the aggravated wound in his abdomen made him wince, his pale face was filled with ecstatic joy.
"That's... the gate to a secret realm!"
Everyone in the cave was taken aback and turned to look at him.
Feng Zhishan trembled with excitement, pointing at the towering pillar of light and shouting:
"We can get out now. That's the passage leading to the exit of the secret realm! I saw it when I entered the secret realm with my master at Jiufeng Temple years ago. It's exactly the same as this one. There's no mistake!"
We're saved! We can get out of there!
Upon hearing this, the other demon slayers' previously extinguished flame of hope was rekindled, and they were all moved to tears.
I thought I was going to die this time.
Unexpectedly, things took a turn for the better, and God gave them another chance to be reborn.
Feng Zhishan, enduring the pain, stepped out of the cave and glanced at the location of the pillar of light. After roughly estimating the distance, he exclaimed excitedly:
"The gate to the secret realm isn't too far from here, maybe ten miles at most. As long as we sprint at full speed, we can definitely get through before it closes!" He turned his head, his gaze fixed intently on Chu Lingzhu, his tone unusually gentle, even carrying a hint of pleading.
"Miss Chu, you must listen to me this time."
I've been inside the secret realm, and I swear on my life, this is definitely the entrance to it. I would never lie to you.
"Come with us quickly! Once we step through that door, we'll be completely safe!"
Chu Lingzhu walked to the cave entrance, tilted her fair neck back, and stared quietly at the silvery-white pillar of light for a while.
After a long pause, she shook her head and resolutely refused:
"Forget it, I'm not going. You guys go ahead, Rou'er and I will stay here and wait for the master."
Feng Zhishan was stunned, then jumped up and down in a panic:
"Why are you so stubborn, girl? I admit, your judgment was correct regarding the incident in the cave."
But now the way out is right in front of us, everyone can see it, why won't you believe it? Staying here waiting for that Jiang Mu is truly waiting to die! Chu Lingzhu sat back down by the fire, picked up a stick and poked at the dying embers:
"I'm not going anyway."
The flames suddenly leaped up again.
The light reflected off the girl's pretty face, making it appear and disappear in the shadows.
Feng Zhishan gritted his teeth, knowing that this girl had a stubborn temper; the more he pulled, the less she would leave.
He turned to the other demon slayers, his gaze sweeping over their faces one by one: "What about you? Are you going to stay here and wait to die with a girl, or come with me out of this hellhole?"
Everyone was at a loss for what to do.
Having experienced several close calls and witnessed Chu Lingzhu's accurate judgments time and again, they had developed a degree of blind trust in this young girl.
But things are different now.
The gate to the secret realm is right before us; it is the only way to survive.
If we miss this opportunity, we might never be able to get out again.
Staying meant risking one's life on the judgment of a naive young girl. Following Feng Zhishan meant at least heading towards a tangible exit.
If we miss this opportunity, and the monsters surround us again, we might really lose our lives here.
Ultimately, when faced with a life-or-death decision, cultivators subconsciously prefer to believe the extraordinary phenomena they witness with their own eyes rather than the intuition of an ordinary girl without cultivation.
Finally, after a great internal struggle,
Only the older demon slayer and the other three demon slayers chose to continue to believe in Chu Lingzhu and stayed.
The remaining demon slayers silently stood behind Feng Zhishan.
I'm getting ready to try and find a way to survive.
"Miss Chu, I'll ask you one last question."
Feng Zhishan's face was grim, barely suppressing his anger. "Are you leaving or not? The time the secret realm gate is open is extremely limited, it'll be gone in a flash!" Chu Lingzhu shook her head, replying crisply with two words:
"I'm not going."
Feng Zhishan turned to look at Lan Rou'er.
The girl sat quietly beside Chu Lingzhu, the firelight casting a warm glow on her pale, delicate face.
Feng Zhishan's tone softened somewhat:
"Rou'er, your friend is being foolish. Are you going to waste your precious youth here too? Trust me, as long as you stay close to me, we really can get out of here alive!"
Lan Rou'er gently hugged Chu Lingzhu's arm, her voice soft and gentle, yet without any hesitation:
"I'm sorry, Master Feng... I'll stay with Lingzhu."
Feng Zhishan's facial muscles twitched, as if he had been punched in the chest.
He stomped his foot hard, turned around, and waved to the few demon slayers who were willing to follow him:
"Walk!"
Now he doesn't dare to be forceful with Chu Lingzhu anymore.
It's not that I don't want to, but this girl is hiding all sorts of strange and unusual things.
If he angered her and she pulled out something even more ruthless, Feng Zhishan would be completely ruined.
Watching Feng Zhishan and his demon-slaying envoys gradually disappear into the shadows of the trees, Lan Rou'er withdrew her gaze, gently tugged at Chu Lingzhu's sleeve, and spoke with a hint of unease in her voice:
"Lingzhu, I hope nothing bad has happened to them."
Chu Lingzhu shook her head helplessly: "I don't know. Maybe it really is an exit, who knows? But anyway, I think it's too strange. Think about it, we just confirmed that there are powerful demons active nearby. Those demons have clearly discovered our presence. And then, at this critical moment, a secret realm gate suddenly appears out of nowhere?"
"There's no such thing as a coincidence; even a child would know something's wrong."
She turned to the remaining four demon slayers and asked, "Excuse me, what kind of person is this Hall Master Feng usually?"
The four men exchanged glances. The older man hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said:
"I'm not too sure, he was only recently transferred to Huzhou. But I think his character is alright, right? After all, he comes from a prestigious and upright family. We were very fortunate to have him protecting us along the way during this mission."
Chu Lingzhu frowned and thought for a moment, then decisively said, "No, we still have to leave here."
The older demon slayer paused for a moment, puzzled, and asked:
"Miss Chu, didn't you say this place was safe? We finally managed to settle down."
"It's very safe."
Chu Lingzhu had already started cleaning up the bottles and jars scattered on the ground, and sighed softly, "But I can't help having such a useless teammate."
The older demon slayer was speechless for a moment; he opened his mouth, but ultimately had nothing to say.
Chu Lingzhu packed her things and led everyone on their way again.
They encountered several small demons along the way, but the four demon slayers dealt with them all.
Chu Lingzhu continued to sprinkle medicinal powder and mark the route.
Guided by her, the mountain path twisted and turned, eventually leading to a rather steep mountaintop.
The mountaintop has a good location with a wide view in front.
You can see the cave on the opposite hillside where you just hid at a glance.
"I'll see what kind of person this Master Feng really is."
Chu Lingzhu sat cross-legged on a rock. "If we're captured by a demon, will it betray us?"
Upon hearing this, the elder demon slayer patted his chest and said confidently:
"Miss Chu, you can rest assured about that."
While my judgment of people may not be top-notch, I've certainly been doing it for quite some time. A young prodigy like Master Feng inevitably has a bit of arrogance in his bones, but it's precisely because of his arrogance that he values his reputation even more.
Such a person would rather suffer hardship than be easily threatened and forced to bow down by demons.
"Hard to say."
Chu Lingzhu shrugged.
Time passed slowly in silence.
About half an hour later, the pillar of light representing the "Gate of the Secret Realm" in the distance flickered a few times before slowly dissipating into the world. The four Demon Slayers watched the disappearing pillar of light with complex expressions.
It's unclear whether Feng Zhishan and his group successfully escaped or met with misfortune.
If they really leave, then the four of them might have personally ruined their only way to survive, making the worst choice of their lives.
However, only the time it takes for an incense stick to burn has passed.
The group of people who were observing from the edge of the cliff were instantly struck dumb, as if by lightning.
At the edge of their vision, a dark mass of demons surged toward the cave where they had just been hiding.
At the very front of the demon horde, several humans were bound hand and foot by vines.
It was Feng Zhishan and his group.
Feng Zhishan's face was ashen, his eyes filled with despair and fear as he tremblingly pointed the direction of the cave to the demon...
"This...this..."
The demon slayer who had just been so confident in vouching for Feng Zhishan now looked as if he had swallowed a fly, his face flushed red, his head buzzing from the slap in the face.
The other three were so angry that their eyes blazed with fury that they immediately started cursing:
"You beast! That spineless bastard Feng Zhishan actually brought a demon to capture us!"
"I've worked in the Demon Slayer Division for so many years, and I've never seen such a spineless and disgusting official."
What kind of bullshit young prodigy is this? Pah! They've really blinded me!
"When I get back, I'm going to report this to Commander-in-Chief and skin that bastard alive!"
As they cursed angrily, they turned to look at Chu Lingzhu.
At this moment, the way they looked at the girl could no longer be described as admiration; it was downright worship.
This girl is amazing; she always makes the right choice.
If they hadn't left, they would probably be trapped in the cave and surrounded by monsters by now.
Lan Rou'er, who was standing next to Chu Lingzhu, couldn't help but steal a glance at her.
Having known each other for so many years, she certainly knew that Lingzhu was very intelligent, but to have it proven time and again in these dangerous situations was another matter entirely. She quietly reached out and gently placed her hand on the back of Chu Lingzhu's hand, which was resting on her knee.
He didn't say anything, he just gently squeezed it with his fingertips.
Chu Lingzhu, however, did not show any smugness.
She patted her dress and stood up:
"Those monsters missed their target, so they'll definitely use this as a base to search for us. The view from this mountaintop is good, but it's also easy to be spotted. It's not safe. Let's move quickly."
At this moment, no one had any objections. They completely regarded Chu Lingzhu as their pillar of support and nodded in agreement.
After walking through the dense forest for a while, the terrain gradually descended, and we arrived at a deep canyon.
The roars of beasts coming from the surrounding woods grew more and more frequent.
The frequency of encounters with monsters on the road has also increased dramatically.
Although Chu Lingzhu was intelligent, she was, after all, an outsider. In this intricate and complex secret realm, she was like a blind man groping an elephant, relying entirely on her intuition to find a way out. "Pfft!"
The older demon slayer cleaved a rabbit-like demon that pounced down from a tree in two with a single stroke, then retreated breathlessly to Chu Lingzhu's side, anxiously saying, "Miss Chu, there are more and more demons around here. Why don't we turn back the way we came? Perhaps those demons that were searching the cave have already left."
Chu Lingzhu stopped, looked around at the towering cliffs and the increasingly narrow passage, and shook her head:
"It's hopeless; going back is a dead end."
Upon hearing this, everyone felt a sense of despair.
Even this amazing little girl is helpless?
Chu Lingzhu stood on a protruding rock, quickly surveying the surrounding terrain.
My gaze swept across the steep rock walls on both sides of the canyon, finally settling on a natural rock recessed into the rock face.
The rock rises about ten feet above the ground and is surrounded by cliffs on three sides.
Only a narrow, steep slope remains on the front.
The girl pointed to the stone: "Go there, defend against the monsters as much as possible until the master finds us."
If we don't live to see him, then let's die here. I've done my best.
The older demon slayer looked in the direction she was pointing, remained silent for a moment, and wiped the blood from the hilt of his sword onto his sleeve.
He raised his head, looked at Chu Lingzhu, and said in a deep voice:
"Miss Chu, if it weren't for you, we would have been eaten to pieces by the monsters along the way."
"Rest assured, as long as I, Old Zhang, have a breath left, I will never allow any demon to harm even a single hair on your head or Miss Lan's!"
The other three demon slayers also spoke up.
Chu Lingzhu didn't say anything, but just pursed her lips and held Lan Rou'er's small hand, which was already a little cold.
Lan Rou'er's fingers trembled slightly, but she gripped her hand tightly.
The group retreated to the cliff face. Chu Lingzhu took out several small porcelain bottles from her medicine pouch, handing one to the middle-aged demon slayer and another to a younger one, explaining:
"Sprinkle the powder from the white bottle in the middle of the slope beforehand."
"Don't move the red bottle yet. Wait until the monsters rush to the top of the slope before throwing it out. Make sure to throw it as far as possible."
After saying that, she began to set up traps around the area.
On the other side of the secret realm.
A figure was moving through the dense forest.
Jiang Mu naturally noticed the silver pillar of light that pierced through the heavens and earth.
He wanted to rush over and find out what was going on.
But halfway there, the beam of light suddenly disappeared.
He tried to continue walking in the direction he had just memorized, but as he walked, Jiang Mu realized something was wrong.
It seems to be going around in circles.
To confirm his suspicions, Jiang Mu carved a conspicuous mark on a tree trunk and then walked forward in a straight line.
But less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, he returned to the tree with the knife marks.
"Being trapped in a maze..."
Jiang Mu frowned.
Just then, a faint sobbing sound drifted into my ears.
It was the sound of a woman crying.
Jiang Mu listened intently for a while, then walked towards the direction from which the crying was coming.
This time, however, he didn't just spin around in place.
After passing through a miasma-filled area, the view ahead suddenly opened up.
A tranquil pool lay quietly in a forest clearing. The water was clear, yet the bottom was invisible, as if a deep abyss lay beneath the surface. A woman dressed in white sat on a rock by the pool.
The woman covered her face with her hands and wept, her shoulders trembling slightly.
Her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders, the ends of which dangled onto the water's surface, gently swaying with the ripples of the breeze.
Jiang Mu focused his senses for a moment, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
He didn't sense any demonic aura from the other party, nor did he sense any malevolent aura like that of a demonic cultivator.
The other person appears to be human?
Jiang Mu remained vigilant and stepped out from the shadows of the bushes: "Young lady, who are you?"
Upon hearing voices, the woman in white suddenly stopped crying and raised her head.
The woman's cheeks were beautiful but pale.
She stared in surprise at Jiang Mu's sudden appearance, then shrank back warily, her voice wary:
"Who are you? Did that scoundrel Yang Mo send you?"
Jiang Mu frowned slightly: "What Yang membrane?"
The woman in white carefully observed Jiang Mu's expression. Seeing that he seemed genuinely unaware, she relaxed her guard slightly and tentatively asked, "Are you really not sent by Yang Mo?"
"Then how did you manage to get in? This is the Netherworld, the underworld of this secret realm; living people can't enter here at all."
"The underworld?"
Jiang Mu chuckled, "Judging from your words, are you perhaps a ghost, young lady?"
Tears welled up in the woman's eyes. She gave a self-deprecating bitter smile and said sadly, "If we're talking about it now, I really am a wandering ghost."
As she spoke, she raised her slender hand and pointed to the pool.
Jiang Mu looked in the direction she pointed, her pupils contracted, and she felt a chill run from the soles of her feet to the back of her head.
The once clear pool now holds more than a dozen corpses floating in it.
The corpses were all dressed in long white dresses, which floated in the water, and their long, black hair was spread out like seaweed.
Every single one of their faces looked exactly like the woman in white in front of them.
"These are all my reincarnations."
The woman lowered her hand, her voice soft and low, as if it were floating up from underwater.
Jiang Mu was completely bewildered: "A reincarnated body?"
The woman nodded slightly and said sadly:
"My name is Mo Li. I was originally a creature born from this secret realm, what you call the 'Spirit of the Secret Realm.' Many years ago, a severely injured man accidentally wandered into this secret realm and was on the verge of death."
Seeing his pitiful state, I was moved with compassion. Not only did I revive him with the elixir from the secret realm, but we also fell in love during our time together. I was blinded by love and gave him the "Spiritual Key" that controlled this secret realm as a token of our love. Who would have thought…?
Moli's voice suddenly became harsh and venomous.
"After that beast obtained the Spirit Key and took control of the secret realm's hub, he murdered me and seized this secret realm for himself. Since then, demons have roamed this place."
He ruined a beautiful and serene place beyond recognition.
I am a spirit of this secret realm, sharing the same origin as this world. Even in death, my remnant soul will wander here for a long time, and every year, it will re-form a new physical body in the pool.
However, since that person has become the master of the secret realm, he knows every plant and tree here like the back of his hand.
He always manages to find my newly formed reincarnation before I do, and then kills me again...
This cycle repeats endlessly, with no day of peace.
"What a melodramatic plot..." Jiang Mu said after listening.
"I've never heard of a secret realm actually giving birth to a native master before. I've learned something new. But I have a question for you: how do I leave this secret realm?"
Moli shook her head and sighed:
"I have lost all my spiritual power and am now just a remnant soul. I no longer have the ability to help you get out."
Since you were able to enter this place alive, it seems Yang Miao deliberately let you in, intending to trap you here and kill you using the secret realm. I'm sorry, young master, I'm powerless to help.
Jiang Mu thought for a moment, then asked curiously, "Who is this Yang Mo you mentioned? Is he a member of the Red Umbrella Sect?"
Moli shook her head blankly:
"I have been trapped here for many years and know nothing about the Red Umbrella Cult. However, his natal magic weapon is indeed a red paper umbrella." So it seems to be the Red Umbrella Cult.
Jiang Mu changed the subject: "You just said that every time you reincarnate, that person named Yang Mo will definitely appear and kill you, right?" "Yes."
Moli nodded gently, "He won't miss any opportunity, because once I successfully reshape my body, he can reclaim the power of the master of the secret realm in three days at most."
Jiang Mu asked again:
"So, when will you be reincarnated and reborn with a new physical body?"
Moli said, "If we calculate the time, there are still six days left."