Chapter 35: The Ancient Cave
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Wen Leyang was feeling proud of himself; if it hadn’t been for Wen Lazi’s extreme form of cultivation that allowed him to use his body to sense everything in the world, Wen Leyang would have never discovered the invisible pathway that was winding up the mountain wall. He cheerfully reached out and tapped Wen Xiaoyi’s shoulder as he demanded, “Carrot!”
The little girl, on the other hand, had a serious expression on her face as she shook her head. She gestured for Wen Leyang to keep quiet as she aimed the big-muzzled blunderbuss in front of her.
A low, almost inaudible pattering sound of approaching footsteps echoed from within the cave.
Wen Leyang immediately took two steps forward and hid Wen Xiaoyi behind his back. Ever since he had left the Red Leaves Forest, this action has become a conditioned reflex. As soon as there was a sign of danger, his first reaction would be to s.h.i.+eld Wen Xiaoyi against the threat.
Mumu tossed Ah Dan onto the ground and pulled out her Spirit Needles. She held the needles against the inner side of her pale arms as she rearranged herself so that both she and Wen Leyang were grouped into an attack formation. Upon being tossed to the ground, Ah Dan was like an agile monkey and used all four of its limbs to climb up the wall of the cave and hid in the shadow of the bra.s.s lamp.
The sound of rapid footsteps became louder and clearer, it almost sounded as if the approaching person was rus.h.i.+ng towards them. A voice eventually called out to them, “You… is that you?”
Wen Leyang was astonished, for he was unsure of how to answer the question. It’s me? It’s not me?
The voice was as chilly as the autumn’s cold dew. The coldness penetrates the body from the ears all the way into the bone marrow. In the end, the three million and six thousand pores of the entire body would release a dense freezing sensation akin to frost and snow.
There was a feeling of anxiety and antic.i.p.ation in the voice. The eagerness of it made the hearts of the three young people clench painfully.
Finally, the light of the lamps flickered and a young maiden, followed by a delicately fragrant scent, came running out of the other end of the cave. Wen Leyang felt as if his vision had darkened for a moment, followed by a blaze of light that shone through all of a sudden!
She was as radiant and enchanting as the flas.h.i.+ng of the mirror lake, a maiden so beautiful she made the spring mountain appeared pale in comparison.
A conflicting look of surprise and apprehension were mixed in between the maiden’s bright eyes and white teeth. She looked so ethereal that aside from Wen Leyang, even the two girls could not help but breathe lightly, for fear that even a little force would shatter her fragile expression which was like fine porcelain.
The maiden was momentarily surprised when she saw Wen Leyang and Wen Xiaoyi, and her expression gradually turned into disappointment such that even the light within the stone cave seemed to dim along with her dejection.
The maiden’s entire body was wrapped in a snow white fur coat. She had a red scar which was over an inch long on the side of her slender neck. The red color of the scar formed a shocking contrast with her fair complexion. She had a slightly pointed chin, thin lips, a straight and sharp nose bridge, eyes like black gemstones, delicate brows, and long black hair that was draped over the fur coat. Her entire manner exuded a gentleness and grace that was almost difficult to look upon.
The fur coat covered all the way past her calves and ended at her ankles, revealing a pair of small bare feet. The girl looked to be older than Wen Leyang and Mumu by around one or two years; she appeared to be a twenty-something years old person.
The three girls were all beautiful in their own way – Wen Xiaoyi’s beauty was pure and a sense of innocence radiated from her very bones; Mumu’s real name, Luo w.a.n.gfu, was slightly awful but her burning hot charms was enough to seduce anybody; the third girl’s beauty was like magic, her radiance and enchantment was beyond imagination, akin to bright moonlight or like a sky full of stars.
A radiant and enchanting smile appeared on her face, was.h.i.+ng away her disappointment without leaving a trace, “Who are all of you… and what is this?” The young girl’s stared in fascination at the big-muzzled weapon in Wen Xiaoyi’s hand before continuing, “Is that a magic weapon?”
Wen Xiaoyi shook her head involuntarily before she hastily nodded in affirmation, “Yes, it’s a magic weapon!”
Wen Leyang tensed his body and the familiar heavy sensation began to settle all over him as he asked, “Who are you?”
The young girl answered with a smile, “I’m Chang Li.” As she spoke she saw the red scar on Wen Leyang’s cheekbone and couldn’t help but reach out to touch it.
It was a strange name and Wen Leyang repeated it name twice as he was unsure if there was anyone in China with the surname ‘Chang’, “What is this place and what are you doing here?”
Unexpectedly, as soon as she heard the question Chang Li’s gentle expression turned ferocious like a raging cat. Her enchanting features and her calm smile were shattered and replaced with disappointment as she asked hysterically, “Wasn’t it that person who allowed all of you to come here? Otherwise, how did you know of this pathway and how did you enter into the cave!” As she was speaking she swiftly extended her arm!
Wen Leyang and the rest were completely oblivious when Ah Dan, who had been hiding in the shadows preparing to attack the enemy, suddenly uttered a heart-wrenching cry and tumbled down at their feet. Five deep cuts were slashed across its back, showing bone.
Ah Dan’s capabilities, even without exaggeration, were stronger compared to how Wen Leyang was before he had left the Red Leaves Forest. But now it had been brought down with just one hit without even the chance of resisting at all.
Wen Leyang’s reflex was the fastest as he struck three continuous punches without uttering a word. His heavy body felt the familiar spike of power and became swifter and more violent by a hundred times. When he was defending the Wen family village against the Sun Dynasty Palace’s incursion, none of the priests were able to escape his quick as lightning punches.
Chang Li made a condescending ‘humph’ sound as her expression began to change according to her mood. She was still beautiful but her expressions were like a set of unrelated masks rapidly interchanging on her face. At this moment the ferocious mask has been replaced by one of arrogance. Wen Leyang’s three swift blows glanced off the thick fur of her coat as Chang Li sneered coldly and raised her delicate hand with her five fingers hooked like claws and struck with lightning speed.
Wen Leyang yelled abruptly as the force that had struck out stopped in midair without warning. His waist gyrated in a peculiar manner and his body twisted together like a hemp flower as his fists thundered towards Chang Li in an exact demonstration of the Wen family’s Faulty Punch. However, he did not notice that the other party had already raised her hand and as his fists started swinging, her five fingers tapped gently onto his face. An icy-cold sharp piercing pain immediately shot from his eyes to his brain.
However, seeing that Wen Leyang’s head was almost crushed like an eggsh.e.l.l, Chang Li uttered an ‘eh’ in astonishment.
Wen Leyang suddenly felt his head getting lighter as the five deadly fingers turned as light as the spring breeze and stroked his forehead gently. Both of his fists missed their mark and the power of a hundred poisons pounded into the air violently accompanied by the m.u.f.fled sound of an explosion from within. On the other hand, Chang Li was completely unaffected by his attacks and continued to stand prettily at the same spot.
Another raging shout was heard and Mumu directed the Spirit Needles forward. The needles were like a pair of forest-diving spring sparrows and they trembled frantically as they charged rapidly towards the girl in the fur coat.
Mumu’s reflex and movements were slightly slower than Wen Leyang’s. At the moment of her attack, Wen Leyang’s first round of The Faulty Punch had already completed its swing.
Chang Li’s eyes brightened and her arrogant expression was replaced with joy. It almost seemed like this girl could change her expressions without needing to move her facial features at all.
Chang Li extended her arm and lightly flicked the Spirit Needles as they approached her. Mumu made a dull sound as if she had been struck by lightning and the needles immediately dissipated. Wen Leyang managed to catch her in midair and rapidly retreated.
The sound of the final charge was a loud’ bang’ noise, Wen Xiaoyi’s ‘magic weapon’ made its move and black smoke rose upwards in the cave as a puff of suffocating gunpowder odor choked the air.
Chang Li made a ‘yuck’ exclamation as she chuckled, “This magic weapon of yours is quite dirty!”
The rock cave had some hidden ventilation shafts for the black smoke soon cleared up completely. Chang Li was still standing at the same place and was spotlessly clean. She smiled and them and said, “I’m such a muddled person! That baby corpse is obviously being guided by the Corpse Controlling Art, I only remembered this when I saw the Spirit Needles!” She stuck out her tongue cheekily towards the three and apologized with a cheerful expression, “I am sorry for what happened earlier, it was my careless mistake!”
Chang Li suddenly dodged out of the blue, Wen Leyang was caught unawares as he hastily pulled the two girls and retreated backwards. But Chang Li had only stooped down to help Ah Dan back on its feet. She pa.s.sed her fair and smooth palm once across its back and the five deep slashes disappeared immediately. Ah Dan, who had been sprawled on the ground with no movement whatsoever suddenly began to move rigidly. He turned his neck stiffly and a foolish smile appeared on his face.
Mumu could not care less about the danger as she hastily took a few steps forward and s.n.a.t.c.hed Ah Dan back to her bosom. Wen Leyang stood aside slightly dumbfounded, he was unsure what action he should take based on this turn of events. Wen Xiaoyi was busy with refilling the blunderbuss with gunpowder, but the little girl’s expression was gloomy. She had brought the weapon with her as she left the Red Leaves Forest and mingled with society. Since then, it had only hit its target twice, once on Yuan’s b.u.t.tocks and the other time was on half of Wen Leyang’s body; it did not manage to hit any of their enemies at all.
“Why didn’t you admit to knowing that person? The Faulty Punch and the Corpse Dance are both of his masterpiece moves!” Chang Li was like a joyful little girl, her eyes s.h.i.+mmered with a bright glow as she pondered for a moment. She then pointed to Wen Xiaoyi’s big-muzzled weapon and asked, “This item here is extremely peculiar, is this a new gadget that he had invented over the years?”
It only took the time of their conversation for Wen Xiaoyi to finish refilling the gunpowder, she raised the big-muzzled weapon once again with an eagerness for a rematch. Chang Li chuckled and waved her hand around, “Don’t shoot anymore, that item of yours is not effective, it just fills the place up with black smoke. Oh, right!” As she was saying that, her eyes brightened suddenly and she reached into her fur coat and procured a tiny embroidered purse, tossing it to Wen Xiaoyi, “You ought to try this in the future. Mix this with your stuff and put it into your magic weapon to fire!”
Ever since Chang Li saw the cultivation of the Faulty Punch and the Corpse Dance, her entire mood had transformed into the rising sun during springtime and she became especially friendly and warm towards the other three.
Wen Xiaoyi absent-mindedly opened the embroidered purse. Immediately, a ray of blue-colored arc light filled the place, flickering on her little face. The embroidered purse was filled to the brink with silver-colored powder.
“Remember that it is adequate to scoop up only a little bit with your nail every time you use it. This Thunder’s Heart Sand is extremely precious.” Chang Li anxiously gave a few other instructions before finally turning to Wen Leyang and asked, “His… Are all of you his disciples?”
Wen Leyang, hoping to understand her intention, asked in lieu of answering, “The ‘him’ that you are referring to…is he Grand Master Tuoxie?” Wen Leyang’s practice of the Faulty Punch and Luo w.a.n.gfu’s Corpse Dance were both inherited from Grand Master Tuoxie’s legacy.
Chang Li pursed her lips and puffed up her cheek as if she was angry, “Who knows what his real name is, he changes his name once every day yet none of them sounds pleasant. But…I do remember how he looks like!” As she was saying that, she raised her hand and began drawing rapidly on the rock wall.