“Am I dead?” Yun Xi murmured with her eyes closed, seeming to savour something, yet also as if talking in her sleep, as though she had instantly fallen into some recollective state. “Not a single companion, not even one person to speak to. That loneliness of endless years, you cannot comprehend. Later, I developed mortal desires. At enormous cost, I refined and forged another self from my own body, a self capable of walking beneath the sunlight.
I went to the mortal realm. I breathed freely like an ordinary person, freely bathed in sunlight. Everything was so beautiful, worth the great price I paid. More fortunately, I met Feng Yang. He treated me truly well. It was only a pity the times were too chaotic. He was constantly at war. I was very afraid. I feared that one day… I wanted to bear him a child…”
Speaking to this point, Yun Xi outside the door covered her face with both hands. The warm and beautiful expression from moments ago turned in an instant into one of immense suffering. The speed of this emotional reversal left people dumbstruck.
The three brothers exchanged glances. Why did it feel as though this demon was somewhat mentally unstable?
Of course, they more or less understood. The Yun Xi in the outside world was actually a clone that this demon had refined from her own body.
“But I could not. My body was not perfect. There were flaws I could not refine and perfect. I could not bear him children. My body also could not survive too long in sunlight. Each time I contacted sunlight for too long I would become very tired. Later I fell ill. Feng Yang searched everywhere for people to treat me. Actually I knew, no one in the mortal realm could cure me…”
Speaking to this point, Yun Xi wept again, her face covered in tears, her expression despairing.
The three brothers had not expected this situation. Yu Qing secretly signalled with his eyes, pursing his lips toward the moonlight outside the window, indicating that if they could drag things out until dawn, until the sun emerged, that would be ideal.
Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie stared blankly, blinking repeatedly, their eyes full of incomprehension. They truly had not understood.
“I did not want to die. I wanted to accompany Feng Yang forever. Later I went underground to regenerate. Later Feng Yang’s remains arrived as well. It did not matter. I could also help him be reborn. Given time, once conditions were sufficient, I would certainly find a way to resurrect him. But all of this was destroyed by you, ah!”
Yun Xi suddenly became hysterical. Both hands gripped the bars on the door, shaking and shouting violently. Her gaze toward Yu Qing seemed about to burst into flames. At the same time, those massive tentacles outside also seemed emotionally agitated, writhing incessantly.
Yu Qing had wanted to argue that her husband had long been dead, and even if that corpse turned into a zombie was killed, it was not he who killed it. Yet upon second thought, if one insisted on accounting for it, it could barely be connected to him. The explanation would not be clear. Thus he only asked the question he wished to know. “That is to say, the one who died outside was actually your clone. Everything the clone experienced outside, you could also feel as if it were happening to you here in Little Cloud Space?”
A savage smile appeared on Yun Xi’s face. “Guess how I will deal with you?”
Yu Qing: “That is to say, the reason you so easily told me the location of Little Cloud Space was because you knew from the very beginning that even if I entered, I would gain nothing. It was because you knew from the very beginning that there was someone like you, a killer, waiting for me in Little Cloud Space. In other words, you never intended to give me a way out from the very beginning!”
Speaking of this, their questions finally aligned once more. Yun Xi seemed to blaze with anger again, practically gnashing her teeth. “I calculated everything perfectly, yet never expected to encounter such an idiot as you. At Jian Yuan Mountain, even unto death I never told anyone that you knew the location of Little Cloud Space. Who knew that you, this idiot, would make it known to everyone, actually attracting hundreds and thousands of people to run toward Little Cloud Space. What on earth was this idiot thinking?
Knowing the treasure location, knowing where the immortal’s cave dwelling was, and moreover knowing there were many ill-intentioned people coveting it, with one’s life and fortune at stake, should you not conceal it from heaven and earth and everyone? Harboring such momentous secrets, should you not be incomparably careful and cautious?
I do not understand what you were thinking. From the moment you entered Little Cloud Space, I have constantly sought an opportunity to ask you. Waiting until now, I can finally ask you properly. What on earth was this bastard thinking?”
Bang! She struck the door heavily with her palm in fury. Truly she could not comprehend it in ten thousand ways.
The consequences were truly too severe.
Normally speaking, these three fellows would sneak in to seek treasure, then conveniently fall into her hands, to vent the hatred in her heart.
Who knew he would bring such a large group of people, and moreover people from three great factions, masters as numerous as clouds. It actually made her afraid to act rashly.
It was obvious. Once she exposed her traces, that group of people who could find no clues anywhere in the immortal’s cave dwelling would certainly become excited, certainly attack her.
Yet she could not even sneak an attack. The fire crickets on Yu Qing’s body having a restraining effect on her could be set aside. The key point was that they prevented her from approaching. The moment she drew slightly near they would chirp madly in alarm.
Dealing with Yu Qing and the others would be simple. Once the three groups were alerted, that would be troublesome.
That was why she resorted to ghost-deceiving tricks to fool Qin Jue.
That was all well and good. The key point was that with Yu Qing causing this mess, the future troubles were endless.
The location of Little Cloud Space was essentially completely exposed. Would those outside factions really search Little Cloud Space just once and then give up? Once they understood the situation, later they would likely send even more people to search. Could one expect them not to search underground? She feared that even hiding underground might not be safe.
How could she not be furious, how could she not be enraged!
Asking other questions was fine. Asked this, Yu Qing was somewhat embarrassed.
On this point, no one stood by his side. He lacked even the slightest courage to make excuses for himself.
On this point, he had betrayed everyone for the sake of a woman. Even this demon Yun Xi could not endure it.
Yet that woman would not even appreciate his kindness. The consequence of his actions was bringing a catastrophe upon the Wen clan!
He was like a mute eating bitter coptis, unable to voice his suffering.
Seeing him silent, Yun Xi ground her teeth and said, “Not speaking? Fine. In a moment you will speak obediently.” She then slowly retreated.
Yu Qing hurriedly changed the subject, shouting, “Let us all not be impulsive. Past matters are past. There is nothing that cannot be discussed. This way, as long as you can spare our lives, whatever conditions you may set, you can lay them out. Whatever the matter, we can discuss it.”
Yun Xi sneered as she retreated. “If I could still believe your devilish words, then I truly deserve death. The experience at Jian Yuan Mountain clearly reminded me that your words, not even a single character, can be trusted!”
In the ancient tomb, the situation of being repeatedly deceived remained fresh in her memory. More dangerously, she had treated the other party as an accomplice, yet the other party suddenly leaped down with a sword, directly severing her from her main body. Fortunately the other party had not known where her vital point was at the time. Otherwise, if a killing blow had been added, she probably would not have lived to die later.
As she herself had said, she no longer dared to believe Yu Qing’s words.
The tentacles around them squirmed. Suddenly many pointed tips of tentacles emerged, drilling into the gaps in the doors and windows, like spiritual snakes, intending to pull open the iron door’s bolt.
How could he let the other party succeed? Yu Qing immediately flashed forward and swung his sword, swiftly severing the pointed tentacle tips that drilled in, causing the tentacles that wished to reach in and attack to be unable to open the door.
Only at this moment did Yu Qing realise dawn was approaching, because visibility had improved greatly. Inside the room he could actually see clearly.
Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie guarded the windows on both sides, swiftly slashing with their swords at those probing tentacle tips.
Just then, a dull slithering sound came from the rooftop. Yu Qing’s expression changed. “Not good, the upstairs window!”
Soon a tentacle drilled down the stairs.
Nan Zhu flashed over, severing the tentacle with one sword stroke. The large piece writhed on the ground, not yet fully dead.
Bang! A window that had been lost was opened, and immediately a tentacle shot inside.
“You focus on guarding the stairs!” Yu Qing roared at Nan Zhu, while he himself flashed over, severing the tentacle that was rolling in with weapons through the window.
The door opened again. He quickly twisted his body and slashed toward the doorway with his sword, severing once more the tentacle intruding at the door.
Between the doorway and the window, he repeatedly twisted and turned, constantly drawing his sword to slash front and back.
Fortunately the windows and door were limited in width, unable to accommodate the thickest parts of the massive creature’s tentacles. Only the front portions of the tentacles could reach inside. The limitations were too great. Did they still wish to enter and wield swords? Their flexibility was restricted. Even with a thousand hands and ten thousand hands, they could not display their skills.
This undoubtedly illustrated one point. This iron house was truly sturdy. Even with the demonic strength of someone like Yun Xi, she could not destroy the doors and windows.
Soon half the room was piled with severed tentacle tips, each at least as thick as a large basket.
The massive creature outside suddenly shook its entire body. Countless ghost fetuses fell to the ground like splashed water droplets, each holding weapons and swarming toward the house that the tentacles pressed against the ground.
Inside the room immediately became chaotic. Upstairs windows, downstairs windows, the main entrance, countless ghost fetuses poured in without regard for their lives. The swords of the three brothers could not block them.
These ghost fetuses wielded weapons, hacking and slashing wildly. With absolute superiority in numbers, they threw themselves at you without fear of death.
Yu Qing suddenly abandoned defence, lunging forward to drag the overturned iron table, pulling it to the corner beneath the stairs and laying it horizontally in front. While slashing with his sword he shouted, “Come here!”
His intention was to call Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie over, to limit the area from which the ghost fetuses could attack them.
Who knew that at this very moment, all the ghost fetuses would transform into the appearances of “Yu Qing”, “Nan Zhu”, and “Mu Aotie”.
The three brothers were nearly stunned. Fortunately they had experience in the ancient tomb and immediately knew what was happening. They began fighting their “own people” on the spot. This feeling was unpleasant.
Fortunately the three of them understood each other too well. Especially the swords in each of their hands, they were all very familiar.
The real Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie quickly jumped into the corner beneath the stairs as well, relying on the narrow space to resist the siege from outside.
Yet several tentacles suddenly drilled out from beneath the ghost fetuses’ feet, wrapping around the table and suddenly dragging it away, also pulling down a group of ghost fetuses that had taken human form.
“Hold firm, do not be afraid. That bitch wants to capture us alive!”
Even at this moment Yu Qing did not forget to encourage his two brothers.
Outside, a table was pulled from the room. The massive tentacle flung it into the lake.
Yet just at this moment, the massive creature’s form suddenly unfurled, revealing the fleshy disc at the centre of its towering thousands of hands and arms. There, adhered to it, was a stark naked woman wearing not a strip of cloth. It was Yun Xi’s true form.
Yun Xi’s true form gazed into the distant horizon. A trace of unease flashed in her eyes, as though she had sensed something.