21. The Golden Maze: The Golden Toad 2
Tangxi couldn't sleep soundly. One moment she felt like she was running aimlessly in a maze, and the next she felt full of resentment, torn apart by various intense emotions in her dream.
Having finally escaped the pull of those intense emotions, I soon felt a heavy weight on my body, as if something heavy was pressing down on me.
wrong.
Tangxi and Mimeng opened their eyes, their big, golden-red eyes almost touching their eyelids.
Pipi's short, pointed beak opened and closed: "Having a nightmare?"
"..." Tang Xi lifted it up, "So heavy! You've gained weight!"
Pipi obediently rolled to the side, "I'm growing!"
My head is throbbing.
Tang Xihe got up, rubbing her temples. "Why do you feel even worse after a night's rest?"
Beside you, Gui Fang's voice drifted out, "Get up and take a look; it will only make you feel worse."
Tang Xi then realized something was wrong. Coming to her senses, she discovered that she was not resting on a soft mushroom pillow, but on a jade pillow.
What is that?
Tangxi sat up with a jolt, only to find that the mattress beneath her had mysteriously changed.
Last night before going to sleep, he clearly remembered sleeping on a large, soft mushroom-shaped sheet extending from the wall; now, the mattress beneath him had transformed into a cold, hard jade bed!
He was shocked. When did he become so oblivious? He hadn't even noticed such a big change happening in the room!
"My God! How did so many golden beans suddenly grow? It's like sleeping on a treasure vault!"
Only after being reminded by the ghost did Pipi notice the strangeness of the room. She cried out in fright, "How scary! Why did it change like this overnight? What if I sleep in? I'll drown!"
"The Golden Toad Elder said that the maze will produce gold and jade treasures, and the more it grows, the more other cultivators will have to help take them away."
Tang Xi rubbed her eyelids, still not believing it. As far as the eye could see, there was gold and jewels everywhere, a dazzling array of colors mixed with the brilliant gold, so dazzling that it made her dizzy.
"Bei Chen?"
Tang Xihe cried out and stood up. With a slight movement, half of her body was almost buried in countless tiny treasures. These treasures were like quicksand. If she wasn't careful, Tang Xihe would fall into the quicksand, and the height would be close to her waist.
Tang Xi called out again, "Bei Chen, you're not drowning, are you?"
"Stranded?" Gui Fang casually picked up a gold brick, weighed it in his hand, and tossed it in the direction of Bei Chen's entourage.
"Are you trying to smash me to death?!"
Bei Chen's attendant was so frightened that he rolled up, and in a fit of rage, he crawled out of the golden beans, grabbed two handfuls of golden beans, and hurled them at Gui Fang Wu Di.
"Still alive?" Gui Fang joked. "I kindly offered to wake you up, and this is how you treat me."
Tang Xi noticed the dark circles under Bei Chen's eyes and his tired face: "You're on night watch?"
"No, I was supposed to keep watch, but somehow I drifted off to sleep."
He woke up in the middle of the night, awakened by a hard, cold, and extremely uncomfortable sensation. Bei Chen Sui Xing initially thought he had rolled off the bed and bumped into something hard. In his dazed state, he tried to roll over and climb back onto the mushroom-shaped bed, but his hand instinctively braced itself against something below him, resulting in a crisp cracking sound.
Golden beans, the whole bed is covered in golden beans.
Bei Chen froze, unsure whether he was awake or asleep. Drowsiness and fatigue took over, and he rolled onto the bed, wanting to continue resting. In his half-awake state, he seemed to hear that faint mechanical sound again.
"Click, click, click..."
It's as if something is operating in a regular pattern.
clock?
Yes, what time is it now?
Bei Chen tried to get up, but then drifted off to sleep again.
Upon waking up again—after being hit by a brick by Gui Fang, Bei Chen was fully awake and sat for a long time to recover. “This maze is not right.”
Gui Fang retorted, "Did I smash you until you were stupid? This maze is definitely not right."
Bei Chen, feeling annoyed, retorted, "Your mouth is sewn shut, why do you still love to chatter on and on?"
Gui Fang raised an eyebrow: "Is it any of your business?"
"Don't fight!"
Tang Xi jumped out and stood between the two of them, saying, "What's wrong with you two? Why are you so angry so early in the morning?"
Yeah, what happened?
Tang Xihe's words were like a bucket of cold water poured on the two of them. Gui Fang and Bei Chen were silent for a moment, and then awkwardly turned to the side.
Bei Chen then asked, "Did you hear anything before you fell asleep last night?"
"No?"
Pipi glanced at Tang Xihe, then casually picked up a few gold beans and swallowed them. "I went to bed early last night. What did you hear?"
Beichen followed, lost in thought.
It's strange. He clearly remembers the alertness he felt when he heard strange noises while half-asleep, and he heard them twice, but now he can't quite remember what kind of sounds he heard.
"It's hard to describe. It's a bit like a wooden door creaking and shaking, or like a clock ticking."
Tangxi remained silent.
He, a former reader, suddenly realized something: the "secret journey" that Beichen had been following since the Golden Labyrinth was wrong.
He was forced into the secret realm by the evil spirit master. Shouldn't he have gone to the tiger clan's territory to obtain the 'Giant Sword'?
Why did we end up in the Golden Maze?
Moreover, he actually rested in the maze for a whole night before belatedly realizing that the plot had gone off track. It was as if his brain had been ripped out, and he couldn't answer the question of "what does one plus one equal?"
Tangxi and Xie Nie Pipi suddenly reached out and grabbed Pipi's beak: "Stop eating!"
"You must have misheard me, I didn't hear it either."
Gui Fang Wu Di lay on his side, propping his head up with one hand and using the other to scoop up gold beans from the side of the bed and store them in his storage ring. It looked like he was performing a magic trick, tossing the gold beans in his hand. The gold beans in Gui Fang's hand decreased until they disappeared.
Pipi, with her sharp eyes, noticed Gui Fang's actions and strongly condemned him: "How could you do this! Tangxi and you are looking at him!"
Gui Fang scooped up a golden bean, pinched it between two fingers, and held it up to his eyes. From his distance, the golden bean just barely covered Pi Pi's figure.
“Gold is the most primitive material. It is corrosion-resistant and has good ductility. Moreover, the Golden Toad himself said that many cultivators would help take it away. I am just being charitable and helping the Golden Toad!”
Gui Fang's gaze fell on the back of his left hand, where the purplish-black veins looked like an indelible curse. He suddenly withdrew his left hand and sat up.
“I’ve been feeling restless ever since I entered the maze last night. It’s so cramped here, especially the corridors. Once I got to the guest room, I didn’t want to leave… There must be something in the maze that affects my mood.”
So you are one too!
Bei Chen, as if he had found a kindred spirit, looked at him with eyes that clearly said, "Why didn't you say so sooner?" His tone became a little agitated: "I felt something was wrong a long time ago! I've been feeling a little irritable since I came in, but after all, this is Jin Chan Lao's territory, so I couldn't say much."
As soon as he finished speaking, Bei Chen and Gui Fang looked at Tang Xi at the same time.
Tang Xi raised her hands, "I'm okay, but I feel weak and can't think straight... Since everyone started feeling unwell when they entered the maze, could it be a problem with the wishing cocoon?"
"A wishing cocoon?"
The two were taken aback, and Gui Fang suddenly realized, "How could I have forgotten this most crucial thing!"
It seems that Gui Fang's thinking ability has also been affected... Tang Xi pondered in her heart. The deeper she thought about it, the more she felt a chill down her spine. She couldn't help but say seriously, "Golden Toad Lao said that this place was originally an ordinary cave. Since the appearance of the wishing cocoon, it has started to grow pearls and jade."
"The wishing cocoon is most likely the source of the problem. It affects each outsider differently; some become irritable, while others experience physical discomfort."
"However, for more specific details, you'll have to ask Old Man Jinchan."
Gui Fang stood up upon hearing this and walked towards the door. The once spacious guest room was now piled high with gold and jade, forcing him to hunch over again. After a few steps, he felt annoyed: "How do I open this door? It was mud last night, and now it's a golden door. Will I have to pay for it if I force it open?"
"You can't even open a door?" Bei Chen's companion couldn't help but mock. "You should at least know how to walk through walls, right? Did you learn it for nothing?"
"Tsk..." Gui Fang rolled his eyes at Bei Chen. "Are you an idiot? Didn't you notice the formation in the wall? If you're so good at this, why don't you do it?"
Pipi cowered behind Tang Xihe, who, unable to bear it any longer, punched him once and then kicked the golden door to pieces.
"No! Fighting!"
·
The three people who had smashed the Golden Gate wandered aimlessly in the corridor. Jin Chan Lao, wiping his sweat, hopped over, clearly frightened by the commotion. As soon as he arrived, he saw the short immortal holding the evil crow and muttering to himself, "Getting sick from anger is something no one can take your place." The other two immortals, one burly and the other thin, were full of resentment.
"What's going on?" The Golden Toad suppressed his elation. "Did they have a fight?"
"Sorry, sorry, I was sleepwalking and broke the door," Tang Xi said innocently, pointing to the door. "Do I have to pay for this?"
The Golden Toad grinned and looked over, the toad slightly taken aback: "You...you didn't take any? There's still so much gold left."
Tangxi and Honestly spread their hands, "I don't have a storage ring."
Gui Fang Wu Di squatted against the wall, hugging his knees, his face dark: "I have plenty in my storage ring!"
Bei Chen glanced sideways at Gui Fang, snorted coldly, and rolled his eyes. "I don't take money that doesn't belong to me."
"Wow, you're so noble!" Gui Fang rolled his eyes, mimicking Bei Chen's gesture.
Bei Chen's entourage was immediately displeased, "You..."
"No arguing!" Tang Xi shouted. "If you keep arguing, we'll go our separate ways!"
The two turned their backs to each other at the same time, avoiding looking at one another.
Tang Xihe: "..."
"Arguing? Hahaha, it's normal for friends to have occasional friction, it's very normal!" the Golden Toad chuckled, his eyes darting around as he thought to himself.
It's strange. Since these three immortals didn't take the jewels, were they arguing about money?
Tang Xi squatted down and apologized to the Golden Toad Elder, "I'm sorry, Golden Toad Elder, I broke your door. Do you want to pay for it?"
Jin Chan Lao was flattered. The distance was too close, and Tang Xi's eyes were too sincere. Jin Chan Lao took half a step back.
It is ugly and obsequious. Although it has an inexhaustible wealth, it is not powerful enough to become the ruler of a blessed land. Therefore, most immortals are only superficially polite to it, and their real purpose is to get the treasure of the Golden Maze.
To put it bluntly, the Golden Toad was just lucky to stumble upon a cave that automatically produced gold and jewels, which allowed it to find refuge in this blessed land.
No immortal has ever knelt down to speak to him at eye level.
The old man with the golden toad was a little dazed and quickly said, "No need, no need, this maze is alive and will repair itself. After one night, the door will grow back on its own."
Tang Xihe: "We'd like to go find the Wishing Cocoon next, could you please help us?"
The Golden Toad couldn't help but have its eyes light up.
It knows!
Whether you're a god or a devil, as long as you're human, you're bound to be entangled with money!
The Golden Toad Elder feigned hesitation, rubbing his hands together: "Sure, let's find the Wishing Cocoon. I'll take you there right away. Do the immortals want something?"
Gui Fang stood up, but bumped his head from the sudden movement, cried out in pain, and his face darkened even more. He then hunched over and looked down at the Golden Toad: "We're just curious. Just lead the way."
Gui Fang Wu Di was quite tall, so he had to hunch over in the narrow maze passages. Even so, he still looked "tall and upright." His expression was most ferocious when he was unhappy, and his eyes would glare at him with an extremely menacing look. Jin Chan Lao was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat and said, "Yes, yes."
The group continued on their way with the Golden Toad.
This time, the three people and the bird were unusually silent, almost eerily so. The Golden Toad tried to bring it up several times, but the group remained somber, making the Golden Toad feel uneasy.
What's going on? That burly man and the bamboo pole don't get along?
The Golden Toad couldn't stand the oppressive atmosphere. Most importantly, the tall guy who had been walking at the back last night was now sticking close to him. Wherever the Golden Toad jumped, the guy followed closely. The Golden Toad was terrified, sweating profusely. He was also afraid that his sweat and slime would get on the immortal's robes. He was worried that if the immortal got angry, he would be torn to pieces by that strange white bone claw.
The Golden Toad quickened his pace, "We're here, almost there!"
The group followed the Golden Toad Elder through several more turns, and suddenly the view became more and more open. Pipi, whose mouth had been pinched by Tangxi and others, struggled to speak: "The space here has suddenly become so spacious, almost two stories high. So the maze wasn't always so narrow?"
"Yes, most of the maze's passageways were built to provide us toads with enough space to jump around. For a tall immortal like myself, this golden maze is indeed a bit short—"
The Golden Toad caught a glimpse of a pale golden light in the distance and breathed a sigh of relief. "We're here! This is the Wishing Cocoon!"
Thump, thump, thump...
A cocoon covered with pale golden silk threads floated in mid-air, catching everyone's attention.
The cocoon was enormous, a soft, pale gold color, and over a meter tall. It was pointed and slender at both ends, thick and robust in the middle. The cocoon was thick and sturdy throughout, and under the magnificent interior decoration, it seemed to radiate holy light. It throbbed rhythmically like a beating heart, and the sound echoed in the empty space.
Thump, thump, thump...
Tang Xi touched her chest, feeling a wave of nausea. Greed, anger, despair... all sorts of overwhelming negative emotions rushed through her like a brief gust of wind, vanishing in an instant.
This is abnormal; the emotions are out of control.
Tang Xi glanced quickly at Bei Chen Sui Xing and Gui Fang Wu Di. The two seemed to have the same feeling, and a strange look flashed across their faces.
Tangxi quietly moved closer to Beichen and winked at him: Was that the thud last night?
Feeling bewildered by Tangxi and Beichen's earnest winking and gesturing: ? ? ?
Tang Xi was somewhat discouraged and turned to ask the Golden Toad Elder, "Is this the Wishing Cocoon that inexplicably appeared in the maze? How long has it been there?"
"I don't know, it's been many years. This is a treasure naturally formed in this blessed land!" the Golden Toad said proudly. "This is the Wishing Cocoon!"
Gui Fang Wu Di caught a hint of unease in Jin Chan Lao's attitude, "That wishing cocoon that can conjure up a magical artifact capable of taking on a hundred enemies?"
Why does it seem so...proud?
"That's right!"
The Golden Toad Elder leaped to the Wishing Cocoon's side, his tone urgent, "Fellow immortals, quickly make a wish! If you don't, it will escape!"
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