Chapter 167: The Truth: Wet and Cold [VIP]
"—Do you know us?"
Across the carriage, Xiao Yun asked cautiously.
"The Earl has prepared a feast for today's gathering. Please follow us to the castle and accept his hospitality."
The leading black knight uttered a low, emotionless voice.
"this……"
Xiao Yun lowered his head and held onto Yaris's increasingly cold hands.
[This Earl Kang——]
[Earl Kang should be the master of this independent dimensional space.]
Yaris's answer was full of caution.
【Wouldn't it be dangerous for us to visit His castle?】
[This is His dimension. If He wants to kill us, He doesn't need a reason.]
【--I see! 】
Xiao Yun took a deep breath and said to the black knights outside the carriage, "We are very happy to meet Lord Kang. Please lead the way for us."
"Yes, sir."
As soon as he finished speaking, the two black knights dismounted and harnessed their mounts to the carriage. Bai Ji sat in the driver's seat and, under the protection of the other black knights, drove the carriage forward in the rain.
The storm intensified again, and the ray of light that finally appeared in the east was swallowed up by the darkness. Lightning repeatedly tore through the darkness, bringing temporary brightness to the world.
…
Gurgle! Gurgle!
Gradually, the muddy fields where the horses' hooves and wheels passed turned into neat cobblestone roads. The two people in the carriage could see through the window that at the end of the cobblestone road stood a tall and majestic black castle.
The downpour continued, and no one except fate knew what was waiting for them in the castle.
[Xiao...]
[It doesn't matter. If He wants to harm you, I will challenge the God Slayer!]
Xiao Yun hugged Yaris comfortingly.
[No matter what happens, I am satisfied as long as I am with you. ]
Yaris whispered back.
…
…
The rain stopped the moment the carriage passed through the stone archway of the castle.
To be exact, there was not a drop of rain in the world behind the arch, but outside the castle, heavy rain was still falling.
The knights parked the carriage in the yard, opened the door respectfully, and invited Xiao Yun and Yaris to get out.
“Here…”
"This is Earl Kang's castle."
The Black Knights responded in unison.
Then, a man in an old-fashioned suit appeared in front of the two of them, holding a lamp and pushing a wheelchair.
"Welcome to Earl Kang's castle. The master has prepared hot water and clean clothes for you two. Your Highness Yaris, the master knows that you have difficulty moving, so he has prepared a wheelchair for you in advance."
"Who are you--"
"I am the master's steward. His Majesty King Aura I can call me Wolf."
The man looked up, revealing a strange and eerie face.
"Wolf?"
Xiao Yun frowned secretly.
The man in front of him not only had a huge body that reminded Xiao Yun of the jungle Shan people, but also looked more like a human transformed from a beast rather than a human. He had a flat and square forehead, bulging eyes with an animal red glow, thin and sunken cheeks, a flat nose, and nostrils sticking to his upper lip.
What made Xiao Yun feel most uncomfortable was that although Wolf had no beard, his face was covered with a layer of thick gray-white hair like an animal, making him look like a beast that had not completely transformed into a human.
His appearance...
Yaris quietly held Xiao Yun's hand.
[I don't want to criticize his appearance, but he does look more like an old wolf than a human.]
I have similar feelings.
Xiao Yun muttered to himself.
Wolfe sensed Xiao Yun and Yaris's vigilance, lowered his head slightly, and emphasized: "This is not the real world."
"so--"
"All the creatures here are not in line with the common sense of the world, whether it's me or them."
Wolf raised his hand and pointed at the black knights standing beside him: "According to the current world, they are already dead."
"The deceased?"
With the help of the lamp in Wolf's hand, Xiao Yun carefully looked at the black knights and found that their skin was not only as pale as a dead person, but also had a sticky and strange texture similar to that of a mollusk. The blue and red blood vessels were clearly visible, and their stiff eyes had only whites but no pupils or irises.
"Please follow me into the house."
Wolf repeated, holding up the lamp: "Change your dirty clothes and soak in the hot water to stretch your muscles... At least, His Highness Yaris's body is in great need of this warmth."
"I……"
Yaris was about to refute.
Xiao Yun nodded: "Yes, he needs hot water."
"But--"
"I've made up my mind."
Xiao Yun said this without question, pushing Yaris towards the gate.
…
…
Creak! Creak!
The sound of the castle gate opening was extremely harsh, as if it had not been opened for over a hundred years.
The spacious corridor was filled with the smell of dampness and mildew. There was a niche about one meter apart on both sides of the road. Small candles as thick as a little finger were lit in the niches. The faint candlelight swayed gently with the breathing of the living and the wind caused by their walking. The high ceiling was pitch black.
"this……"
Xiao Yun and Yaris looked at each other and felt that this place was more and more suspicious.
"Welcome to Earl Con's castle."
Wolfe repeated in a low voice, pointing to a bend on the right side of the corridor. "Please go this way—the master's castle hasn't received guests for a long time, so it's inevitably a bit dull and even dark—please follow me this way. At the end of the road is the room the master has prepared for you two."
“…”
After a brief bitter smile, the two followed Wolf to the right and soon discovered that the castle was not dark nor dirty. Every corner was wiped clean and the metal frames of the portraits could even reflect the candlelight.
[Xiao, do you think it's the butler's outfit, the candlestick in your hand, the pattern on the picture frame, the style of the vase, the pattern on the carpet... the style is neither Eastern Continent style nor Western Continent popular style——]
[Yes, I just discovered that everything here...]
[Like being isolated from the world for at least several hundred years?]
【right! 】
Xiao Yun nodded.
Tai led the way, walked up the gentle slope that was accessible to wheelchairs to the second floor, and stopped in front of the wooden door.
"This is the master's study."
Wolfe whispered, "Would you two like to go straight to the guest room to rest, or say hello to the host first?"
"We want to see Earl Kang first."
Xiao Yun said without hesitation.
"Please wait a moment—"
Wolf raised his hand and knocked respectfully on the door.
"Owner--"
"What is it?"
From behind the door came the dignified and deep voice of a middle-aged man.
"Two distinguished guests have arrived at the castle. They wish to see you."
"Please ask them to come in."
As these words were spoken, the wooden door slowly opened and bright light immediately overflowed.
Xiao Yun grasped the wheelchair armrests and walked with Yaris into the unusually bright room compared to the dim corridor.
The lighting in the study was actually not sufficient, and almost every corner was plunged into deep darkness. However, compared to the corridor which was only lit by faint candlelight, there was at least a dim magic lamp here.
The middle-aged man in a silver-gray robe, who was known as Earl Kang, was sitting on the sofa next to the lamp, reading a book, with a slight shadow on his face.
Seeing Xiao Yun and Yaris, he stood up and said in a very polite tone: "I am very sorry that my negligence caused you to encounter such a severe storm."
"So that storm outside—"
"It was my fault."
Earl Kang lowered his head slightly and said: "I originally wanted to arrange a grand welcome ceremony for you."
"—What country are you a count of?"
Yaris suddenly asked.
"I am Earl Kang. My title does not belong to any country, and my territory does not belong to any country in the world."
"So this is your independent dimension?"
"Yes."
"Which god are you?"
"I have forgotten my name."
Earl Kang looked at Xiao Yun and Yaris gently, his attitude unusually kind: "Kang is the name I gave myself, and Earl because I think it's an interesting name."
“…”
"Although I've been living in seclusion in an independent dimension far from the real world for countless years, I've always kept an eye on the happenings in the real world, especially the progress of civilization in the East and West continents... Therefore, when I learned that you, who were causing turmoil in both the East and West continents, were about to return to the West Continent via the Dusk Avenue, I decided to meet with you."
Under the dim light, Earl Kang smiled gently at the two of them.
His face was dignified and handsome, and his temperament was noble and calm, easily reminiscent of a father's majesty and kindness. However—
"The vengeful spirit storms that erupt from time to time in the Twilight Kingdom, and the disappearances of demons that inevitably follow each vengeful spirit storm, are all caused by you?"
Xiao Yun looked at Earl Kang warily, with his left hand on Yaris's shoulder to prevent Earl Kang from suddenly attacking and hurting Yaris's fragile body.
"I'm sorry."
Earl Kang spoke slowly, with a wonderful smile flashing in his black eyes.
"The Twilight Kingdom's wraith storms and the disappearances of demons that inevitably follow each storm do have something to do with me. However, rather than pursuing the truth behind the wraith storms, what you need most right now is warm water and dry, comfortable clothes. Your Highness Yaris, you don't need to force yourself in front of me. I know you're so weak you could faint at any moment."
"ah?"
Xiao Yun lowered his head: "Yaris, you——"
"My situation is indeed a bit bad, but it's not as bad as He described. I, I..."
"Where are the guest rooms?"
Xiao Yun asked.
Earl Kang looked at the butler Wolf.
The butler nodded: "Please follow me."
…
…
After walking out of Earl Kang's study, Xiao Yun pushed Yaris for a while and finally arrived at the guest room where a warm fire was burning in the fireplace.
"The bathtub is filled with constant temperature hot water, and the clothes in the cloakroom are all brand new. Please feel free to use them."
Wolf said politely.
"Thanks."
Xiao Yun said this coldly, and after watching Wolf leave, he immediately carried the cold Yaris into the bathroom, took off his wet and cold clothes, put him in the bathtub with suitable water temperature, and was about to let go.
"Xiao——"
"Um?"
Xiao Yun was stunned for a moment.
Yaris raised his head with a wry smile and said in an almost pleading tone: "Come with you."
"No, I have to go to the cloakroom first and pick out some suitable clothes for us."
"But……"
Yaris bit his lips lightly: "My hands and legs..."
"What's the matter?"
"I'm sorry...but my body...especially my legs, can't feel anything right now...If you let go, I might..."
"……I see."
Xiao Yun nodded seriously.
He knew that Yaris always cared about his reputation. If his physical condition had not been extremely bad, he would never have asked Bai Ji for help.
"Is this the aftereffect of 'Magic Sleep'?"
"A small part is the aftereffects of 'Magic Sleep', but the majority of the rest is actually..."
Yaris sighed: "My body is almost at its limit."
"I won't put you in any danger!"
Xiao Yun blurted out.
"This isn't—"
"Don't talk too much for now. Let me take off my clothes first and then help you take a bath."
"Um."
Yaris nodded, and used his last bit of strength to hook his arm around Xiao Yun's neck, ensuring that Bai Ji would not slip into the water due to exhaustion, and that Xiao Yun could also hold Bai Ji steady while freeing up one hand to take off his clothes.
…
"...I have now become a complete burden to you."
Looking at Xiao Yun's slightly awkward movements due to the one-handed operation, Yaris suddenly said in a mocking tone.
"No matter what happens, you are the most important and irreplaceable relative to me. The connection between us is innate and has nothing to do with interests. Even if you can't move your body or even speak, as long as you are still alive and breathing, I will never abandon you, let alone think of you as a burden!"
Xiao Yun lowered his head and gently touched Yaris's forehead: "I will do my best to protect you and keep worry and fear away from you forever."
"Xiao..."
Yaris looked at him affectionately and tried to move his body to make it easier for Xiao Yun to enter the bathtub which was one meter wide and two meters long.
Crash——
The moment he sat down, the water in the bathtub overflowed, and the warmth flowed through his pores into his body. Xiao Yun couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief, then hugged the shaky Yaris in his arms, and said with emotion: "If we can live like this for the rest of our lives, it would actually be pretty good."
"That won't do."
Yaris smiled and poked his face with his water-soaked fingers: "This place is so weird."
"Well, it's really weird here."
Xiao Yunshen felt the same way.
"When Butler Wolfe led us through the corridor, I looked at the portraits on both sides. The people in the paintings were mostly dressed in extremely ancient clothes. Some even wore styles from over 3,000 years ago. In addition, Earl Kang himself was much more eccentric than expected."
"Why is it strange?"
"I can't explain it clearly...but His eyes..."
Yaris sighed, "I only have a small amount of vision left in my eyes, but that also allows me to see things that ordinary people can't. In my vision, Earl Kang is completely blurry, except for his eyes, which are exceptionally bright."
"oh?"
"Also, I could smell a faint scent of myrrh from Him, but this scent was different from any other myrrh I had smelled before. It was unusually light and had a hint of sweetness."
As he spoke, Yaris frowned, "Who is He? A god? Or a demigod? Why does He have to meet us?"
"No matter who He is, or what His purpose is in seeking us out, if He dares to hurt you—"
"No! I won't let you risk your life for me!"
Yaris looked at Xiao Yun with pity: "No matter how hard we try, I won't be able to live past thirty in this body. But you still have a very long future... I want you to live forever and achieve everything for me that I want to do but can't do in this life..."
"Yaris——"
"Remember what I said in the Tower of the Sun?"
"Remember."
Xiao Yun tightened his arms: "You said you want to declare war on the gods. You want to take back from the gods the power that humans are born with to decide their own destiny!"
"Yes, we have the right to decide our own destiny! Even if it means destruction, it is our own choice!"
Yaris's voice was slightly hoarse and choked.
Leaning on Xiao Yun's body, he slowly closed his eyes.
"Compared to their advanced civilization, which deserves to be crowned as gods, everything we have created so far is indeed foolish, blind, cruel, and fleeting... But even if they use their great power to build a warm and permanent cradle for us, humans will not stay in it forever. Besides... what they have given us is not a warm cradle..."
"Tragedies similar to the Eternal Empire have occurred more than once in the history of our planet... Whenever our civilization develops to a certain stage, the gods will..."
His shoulders trembled slightly, as if his body and mind were haunted by something terrible and terrifying.
"Yaris, are you—"
"Um……"
Yaris raised his eyelids and looked at Xiao Yun sadly with his eyes whose pupils and irises were pure black.
"I can hear ancient voices and see fragments of the future... In all the past and future I've seen, the only thing that appears repeatedly is the dark flames that destroy the world and the empty universe after all things die... I am afraid that if fate cannot be changed, everything we have now will be destroyed by the gods in the near future..."
"...I know that everything dies, and our civilization is no exception. But I refuse to accept that our civilization has no sovereignty from birth to destruction, held in the hands of the gods like a tailor-made toy!"
"Yaris, being too emotional is not good for your heart."
Xiao Yun comforted Yaris softly.
"I know... I..."
Yaris sighed softly and leaned against Xiao Yun's chest: "Perhaps, now I can only fall asleep peacefully by listening to your heartbeat."
"I'm glad I could be the key to your sleep, but—"
Xiao Yunyu changed the subject: "Soaking in water for a long time is not good for your skin."
"--All right."
Yaris glared at him aggrievedly, and with Xiao Yun's help, slowly got out of the bathtub and lay on a chair covered with two layers of bath towels.
"Your hair is so thick and heavy. If you don't dry it before going to bed, you'll definitely get a headache tomorrow."
As he spoke, Xiao Yun picked up a dry bath towel and wrapped Yaris's hair with it, then wrapped his body with two bath towels to prevent him from catching a cold.
"—You really intend to take care of me like a baby."
Yaris said sullenly.
"It would be easier for me if you were a little baby lying in swaddling clothes and couldn't move."
Xiao Yunbai sneered and took the wrapped-up Yaris into the cloakroom.
…
As Wolf had promised, the closet was filled with brand new clothes, but—
"These clothes look like they were made over a hundred years ago."
"These are undoubtedly from four hundred years ago, when men's trousers were often fitted with a pouch stuffed with straw at the crotch."
"This dress... reminds me of a robe from 2,000 years ago that was used to create fancy pleated patterns with string."
"Such baggy striped trousers... I've only seen them in paintings of court jesters from a thousand years ago..."
“…”
What surprised the two even more was that although all the clothes in the cloakroom were of ancient styles, some could even be traced back to three thousand years ago, most of the clothes were perfectly sized as if they were tailor-made for them, especially the clothes prepared for Yaris. Because Yaris's skin was so fragile that it could be broken by a baby's touch, not only must extremely soft silk be used in the production of Yaris's underwear, but special techniques must also be used when sewing it to prevent bruises or even scratches on the skin due to uneven seams.
“…It felt like He had made all the necessary preparations for our arrival long ago, and He knew us far better than we could imagine.”
"Yes, that's really strange."
But they finally put on the clothes that Earl Kang had placed in the cloakroom beforehand - before finding out his true intentions, they had to express due respect and gratitude for Earl Kang's generosity.
Just then—
Boom! Boom! Boom!
There was a knock on the door.
A cute boy with white hair and red eyes walked in.
Like the butler Wolf, the boy's clothes were made of new fabric but were of an extremely old style, and his skin had a faint metallic luster.
"Have you two rested enough? The master asked me to take you downstairs for dinner."
(Knocking on the door right after I changed my clothes...it was like a perfect timing...)
Xiao Yun thought unhappily and evaded the question, "Our hair isn't dry yet. It's probably not polite to attend the host's banquet with wet hair."
"If you think this is the point, then I have to leave for now."
The young man smiled and bowed as he stepped away, leaving space for the two of them.
Xiao Yun looked at the boy's shadow cast on the dim corridor and felt an inexplicable chill on his back.
“This place…”
He paused and emphasized, "Compared to the Demon Realm meticulously crafted by the Dragon Emperor, this place feels even more terrifying to me, because everything about it is shrouded in the unknown."
“The unknown is the greatest terror.”
Yaris repeated softly, suggesting, "Let's go downstairs now and attend the welcome banquet He has prepared for us. Let's see what He wants to do."
"But--"
"It's okay, my situation is not as bad as you think."
Yaris said calmly.
As soon as he finished speaking, the young man with white hair and red eyes reappeared, holding a lantern in his left hand: "I will lead the way for you two."
"Thanks."
With Xiao Yun's help, Yaris walked to the wheelchair and sat on it carefully.
Then, led by the white-haired, red-eyed boy, the three of them walked through a dim corridor covered with carpets with old classical patterns, followed a ramp specially prepared for wheelchairs, and came to a bright hall with an area of more than 300 square meters. The high ceiling was decorated with five gorgeous crystal chandeliers.
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