Chapter 1: The Riddle (1) (Part Four)
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At the Main Peak of the Small Thousand World.
It had already been the fifteenth day of the “Self-Exploding Beasts” attacking in droves.
Those giant toads, with their bright red bodies and skin riddled with lava cracks, had only one truly annoying skill: they went boom!
So, after days of battling these hot messes, the Heavenly Sword Sect Disciples had officially dubbed them the Self-Exploding Beasts.
After an initial panic and some serious losses, the surviving folks began to figure out how to counter these explosive critters. Although they just kept coming like a bad sequel, it seemed the numbers popping out of the Lava River were fluctuating within a certain range every day.
As long as they could push back their assault and take out more of these boomers, exceeding the maximum numbers would make the Lava River stop producing them. Then, they could catch a breather!
But no backing down too much! If they allowed the Self-Exploding Beasts to gather for over two or three days, the Main Peak could very well be obliterated in an instant by an explosive stampede!
Even so, the Heavenly Sword Sect still suffered massive casualties daily, with at least dozens of poor souls meeting their end in a not-so-graceful manner.
Without the Heavenly Sword Sect’s substantial resources, especially the mountain’s stockpiles of supplies, they might have crumbled under the relentless assault by the monsters.
After the untimely demise of Ling Xiaozu, Wang Qianshan had temporarily taken over as Sect Leader. And, wouldn’t you know it? Right off the bat, the Heavenly Sword Sect ran smack into this major crisis, and judging by current events, the enemy’s onslaught showed no signs of dwindling, although it wasn’t quite the full-scale attack they faced on the first day.
The Monster-Catching Tribe’s elder, Lei Wanying, was stuck in the Small Thousand World too, feeling sorry for himself alongside Wang Qianshan.
After observing for days, Lei Wanying believed it to be a scheme from the enemy; it felt like they were just keeping them trapped on the Main Peak without going for the k*ll. They clearly had the strength to, but didn’t.
Wang Qianshan couldn’t help but nod in agreement with that thought.
Yet, the Heavenly Sword Sect was too scared to send out its elite troops to scout the perimeter, fearful that leaving their back empty would let the enemy ramp up their assault, putting the Main Peak in jeopardy.
With that in mind, Wang Qianshan sighed. If only Luo Ying were still around!
Sadly, on the first day of battle, the Self-Exploding Beasts had completely occupied the law enforcement hall prison halfway up the Main Peak. Luo Ying, Bai Tao, and the others had probably gone to the great beyond, their bones turned to ash long ago.
But what’s the use of thinking about that now? She really did some outrageous stuff, and the outcome was practically karma.
For now, all they could do was hold on a little longer and then reconsider their plans.
What Wang Qianshan and his crew didn’t know was that about ten kilometers away at the top of Phoenix Mountain, Luo Ying and the others had been enjoying a surprisingly cozy life for almost ten days after narrowly escaping disaster.
The Gang of Misfits — Male Character, Fatty, Luo Ying, and Bai Tao — decided that their initial choice to come to Phoenix Mountain was kind of a gamble.
After five arduous days of trekking, during which they had to patiently dodge the watchful eyes of the Self-Exploding Beasts, they finally arrived at the foot of Phoenix Mountain and discovered, to their amazement, that the mountain was indeed untouched by those pesky critters. Meanwhile, the other peaks, including the Main Peak, were well on their way to being blown to bits.
The four didn’t quite understand why this was happening, but at least they had found a peaceful spot in the Small Thousand World, free from conflict.
Too bad they left in such a rush; they didn’t bring anything for living.
Thank goodness none of them were ordinary folks. In just half a day, they built a couple of makeshift wooden huts and laid down heaps of dry branches and leaves to serve as bedding.
With a climate like eternal spring, even if they slept in their clothes without blankets, it wasn’t too big of a deal. They were managing like champs for these few days.
“I’m going nuts without any booze!”
Luo Ying had been struggling with her cravings and kept pestering everyone about making a trip to Falling Sunset Peak to see if they could scavenge some wine jars from the ruins.
So, Male Character stepped up as the designated supervisor, giving her motivational speeches every chance he got.
“Master Sister, don’t you find it odd that the crisis in the Small Thousand World came out of nowhere?”
Luo Ying lay on the ground with a dazed look, staring blankly at the smoggy sky, “I don’t care, I just want wine.”
Male Character sighed, “As long as we can leave the Small Thousand World, I’ll buy you every drop of alcohol in Sky Sword City.”
Luo Ying flipped over, “No way, I want it now!”
After some back-and-forth, Male Character finally gave in. This wine was like rocket fuel for Luo Ying; without it, she was as useful as a broken broom.
“Alright, let’s go tonight,” he proposed, using it as a temporary stalling tactic.
Luo Ying jumped up in excitement, “Yay! Wait, why do I need your permission to go get the wine?!”
Thanks to that little disaster back at the East Sea, the lingering shadow of the spirit that took over Lin Nan’s body still hung over her. Every time she saw Male Character, she felt this weird urge to heed his suggestions and orders.
Luo Ying shot a glance at Male Character, who now wore an unusually serious expression.
But since returning from the East Sea, he seemed slightly different. Was it because he had been repeatedly invaded by other spirits, causing his mind to assimilate into theirs?
On the top of Phoenix Mountain, Bai Tao was swinging her treasured blade, the swiftness of her movements creating a wind that rustled the distant trees.
Fatty was nearby with a sword of his own, cheering her along with exaggerated battle cries.
After finishing her set of moves, Bai Tao wiped the sweat off her forehead and tossed her blade to Fatty, who eagerly slid it into its sheath, following her around like a loyal puppy.
“Thirsty? Here, have some water.”
Seeing Bai Tao nod, Fatty beamed as he hurried over to a nearby spring, using a large leaf as a makeshift cup and splashing some clear water towards her.
Bai Tao took the leaf and gulped it down.
“Too bad you’re a guy, or I’d totally take you back to Flowerless Palace.”
Fatty chuckled, “Why not just have the Second Palace Master stay instead? Why do you need to go back?”
Bai Tao sighed, “I took the fishermen out to catch fish and then ran into you guys on the way back to the Heavenly Sword Sect. I’m curious to see what’s happening back at the Flowerless Palace since then.”
Fatty quickly replied, “If you ask me, there’s really no need. The Flowerless Palace is absolutely deserted. You’re not planning to go back as a lonely commander, are you?”
Bai Tao blinked, “Lonely… commander?”
“No, I already told you! The Great Palace Master took everyone deep into the East Sea and hasn’t come back. Why are you still chasing shadows?”
Bai Tao looked a bit melancholy, “That’s true. The Great Palace Master has always had a rocky relationship with me; she sent me to lead the fishermen while taking everyone else with her when she left. Not that it’s the first time!”
“Exactly! So don’t be too bummed. Besides, we’re stuck here, and we don’t even know if we’ll ever leave the Small Thousand World!”
While Fatty was saying this, he shot an exaggerated wink at Male Character.
Luo Ying sighed softly, not really sure if Bai Tao’s current situation was good or bad.
The memories from the East Sea felt like they had been wiped clean from her mind, or, perhaps she just didn’t want to think about them.
Maybe forgetting is the best outcome after all.
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P.S. I can’t do this anymore… today’s four updates wrapped up, now to take it easy. End of month please vote!
