Chapter 153 Never Left

"What the hell is this?!" Vander screamed in despair.

"I don't know!" Ji Huaisu replied in a hoarse voice, "The information given by our ancestors is too much and I'm still sorting it out. Anyway, it's not good stuff!"

"There's no need to talk about whether it's good or bad, which can be understood at a glance. The problem now is how to deal with it," said Chu Hengkong.

The three of them hid behind the ice wall, like three unlucky soldiers trying to survive in a trench. On the other side of the ice wall was the door that opened underground.

Seconds ago, a stream of bat-like dark energy, accompanied by a terrifying laugh, flew into the ground. Then, a large door swung open, and from the deep darkness beyond, a strange, inexplicable suction force erupted. This suction left no trace on ordinary people, no one. Not even a speck of dust moved around them, yet only the few of them were desperately scrambling forward as if they were being held captive. It was so strange it felt like a haunted place.

Ji Huaisu reinforced the ice wall behind them as quickly as possible, otherwise they would be pierced through the ice and sucked directly into the door in just half a second. In the distance, they saw familiar figures running towards them, each one moving as fast as a rabbit.

Fander was anxious and waved his tentacles vigorously: "Don't come! There's something strange!!"

"Have you grown the whites of your eyes?" Shax's face darkened. He thrust the Holy Lance into his foot like a cane, but even that had no effect on slowing him down. Qingye swung her arms vigorously, but lost her balance and stumbled headfirst into the ice wall. Ji Huaisu gasped as if he had been struck.

"Damn, Xiaoye, you're quite a heavyweight..."

"You're still making fun of my body at this hour. Sister Huaisu, you're really crazy!" Qingye screamed, "What the hell is this??"

Shizhong, still tied to her waist, was writing as quickly as he could: [Some ancient karma ritual...an attraction to a specific group of people, so that's all you need to understand!]

"Can you see this? How well-informed is the intelligence network of the Divine Tree Clan?! By the way, this particular group of people looks like us! Why are we the only ones in the whole city so unlucky?" Qing Ye screamed for the second time.

"Xiao Ye, wake up! We just had a fight with the devil of doom. Can you find anyone in the world more unlucky than us?" Ji Huaisu said.

"The more convincing your words are, the more disastrous it seems for us." Qing Ye covered his eyes. "We clearly beat Orlek... Aren't we the luckiest people in the world now?"

"We turned the tables by relying on bad luck," Fan Desheng said with despair. "We relied on transferring our misfortune to Chu Hengkong... and triggering the old man's own misfortune..."

"Now that you mention it, I feel like there's a more terrifying landmine lurking beside us..."

"It's a snake, after all. Its viciousness is well known in the industry." Shax sneered, "There was once a metaphysical killer known for his bad luck. He specialized in killing people through plane crashes, car accidents, lightning strikes, and other accidents with a one in ten million chance of happening. He was hired to assassinate Chu Hengkong."

"What's the result?" Vander widened his eyes.

"He came back crying."

"Haha." Chu Hengkong said.

"I fucked you and you still have the nerve to laugh! What are you laughing at?" Vander screamed.

At that moment, Gulibo floated in the air like a balloon, then crashed headfirst into the ice wall. Ji Huaisu gasped again; even the slightest external force could shake her. Gulibo slid down like a pancake, barely breathing.

"Seeing everyone still able to laugh and joke makes me feel like the world is going crazy and peaceful..."

Everyone's mood was positive, their shock and uneasiness superficial, and their actions were still as lively as if they were on a spring outing, chatting and laughing. After all, all their trump cards had been used up in the successive battles, all their willpower had been exhausted in the counterattacks, and even their passion had been largely depleted in the recent showdown between the knights and the devils.

Even Chu Hengkong didn't have the energy to struggle anymore. After the fight had gotten to this point, he had the right to applaud expressionlessly no matter what happened. He was completely exhausted, so he just had to leave it to fate.

He breathed quietly amid the sound of shattering ice, thinking about Huilong City, his past family, and the time he needed to talk to his partner. Then, the faint sound of footsteps reached him, and his weary heart suddenly began to beat. He widened his eyes, seeing blood-red hair fluttering in the wind.

"Qingxia!"

The red-haired demon stood amidst the rubble, her eyes still hazy from sleep. A small glimmer of hope ignited within everyone's hearts. This enigmatic demon was incredibly powerful and knew so many secrets. Her appearance was a sign of a reversal of fortune. With her around, who knew what else could be done?

Qingxia blinked sleepily: "Ah... is it morning yet..."

"It's past lunchtime now, stop acting like a college girl who just woke up!" Vander yelled, "Look at the situation clearly! You should know what's going on! I beg you to tell me there's something you can do!"

Qingxia looked at each person carefully, clenched his right fist and hit his left hand.

"Yes, we have won the battle against Dong Zhuo, and it is time to return to the Crusade headquarters." She said seriously.

"What the hell did you say?" Shax almost gasped.

Chu Hengkong couldn't hold it in any longer. Even though the other party was his savior and mysterious, his emotions still burst out in words at this moment: "Why can't I understand you whether it's the Egg Stage or the Centaur Stage?!"

"Don't worry, I know exactly what I should do. So~"

Qingxia trotted over and came to the confused Miss Qingye with a smile.

He extended two neural-controlled bone knives and cut the ropes that bound the stone seed.

Lift up the stone.

In the empty sight of everyone, the red-haired banshee picked up the stone seed with one hand and blew a kiss to Chu Hengkong: "If we set out in a group, we may encounter garbage. We suggest that you brave warriors set out in batches. I will go ahead and take my leave!"

【save】

She ran out, holding the stone seed, smashing through the ice wall, and rushed into the darkness like a wild horse. After running for only two steps, she slipped and the bone-white eggshell grew from her back, enveloping her and the stone seed together, transforming her back into the shocking giant egg form.

The egg rolled happily into the ground and rolled behind the mysterious door.

Ji Huaisu's ice wall crumbled under the impact, and some of the people's faces turned as pale as paper. Chu Hengkong stood up and rushed in. "I can't stand this anymore! I'm going to blow her up!"

"Hold on, buddy. Putting aside the saying that a good man doesn't fight with a woman, she is also your savior." Vander said.

Chu Hengkong's expression was ferocious: "I'll repay her kindness after I beat her!"

"Akong, wake up! You can't beat her!" Ji Huaisu grabbed his partner who was rushing forward. "If you go up now, you'll just get beaten into a squid! Once you've recovered some strength, we'll attack together and definitely take down that monster!"

"You talk about a two-on-one fight so confidently. You are such a righteous knight."

By this time, everyone had finally recovered from their shock and realized the reality of what had just happened. Gulibo was the first to act, leaping out of the cave with a howl: "God, God, Lord Sacred Tree! Ahh ...

It was swept into the torrent and flew towards the door.

The next person closest to the cave was Shax. He tied the Holy Lance to himself and seemed to want to curse, but also seemed to want to laugh.

"It's like saying goodbye to a boring life."

Qingye watched Shax fly away. She hugged the nearest ice block and cast a sad look at the two of them, asking for help. The trio responded with a look that said, "I want to cry too."

“I, I…” Miss Qingye covered her face with her hands. “I just ran away from home. Why did it turn out like this?! Please give the knife back to me!!!”

Chu Hengkong threw the borrowed dagger back, and Qingye rushed forward bravely with two swords in his hands, running out with the momentum of a heroic charge to his death.

The ice wall could no longer hold. The large hole created by Qingxia's collision continued to crack, and the broken ice dissipated in the receding wind. Chu Hengkong suddenly felt extremely tired, both physically and mentally exhausted.

"In the end, it became like a funny cartoon." The killer smiled bitterly.

"Have you finally realized it?" Vander's eyes were expressionless. "We are the indestructible trio in the comic strip. No matter what difficulties or obstacles we encounter, they can be crushed by our invincible comedic personality."

"I feel a little sleepy..." Ji Huaisu said weakly.

"Don't raise the flag of death at this time." Chu Hengkong responded in the same calm tone.

They sat side by side, leaning against the crumbling ice wall, thinking nothing, lost in these final, fleeting seconds of peace, granted by heaven. Fander curled up in his pocket, exhausted, almost asleep. Chu Hengkong could sense the sleepiness too. In such extreme exertion, both the physical body and the spirit body fell into a slow, panting breath. It was like sinking into a warm, muddy bed, half asleep and half awake, a second stretching like an eternity.

Perhaps a second or three passed before he heard Ji Huaisu say, "I want to try to save you..."

"I thought we were partners."

"……oh."

Gently and delicately, like grass sprouting from the ground, the girl's fingertips touched the bottom of his palm. He didn't move, and she repeated it tirelessly, her increasing force indicating her growing impatience. He lifted his palm, leaving a little space. The girl's hand nimbly slipped inside, pressing against his palm in return.

“…”

It was rare, and the killer felt distressed; he wasn't good at this sort of thing. His partner gently bumped his shoulder. He bent his fingers a little, and the girl cooperated, hooking them together. As their fingers intertwined, his and Ji Huaisu's hands joined. The girl's hands weren't as delicate as those of a lady from a wealthy family, but they held a reassuring warmth.

"Really?" Ji Huaisu leaned on his shoulder.

He laughed softly, feeling his body lighten. Finally, the ice wall shattered, and they were swept up by the chaotic wind and flew into the unknown beyond the dark door.

Chu Hengkong heard the door close and opened his eyes before he fell unconscious. The blonde girl flew beside him, holding his hand tightly.

Her eyes were as beautiful as purple crystals.

(End of this chapter)