Chapter 97 The Mass Grave.
I had originally thought that the so-called Desolate Abyss would be a barren and lifeless abyss, just like its name. But in fact, it was a forest, a forest that nurtured thousands of towering giant trees.
Countless creatures seem to inhabit this place. All things vie freely under the frosty sky. [1]
The boat docked, but Meng Chiwan didn't rush to disembark. Instead, she turned to the boatman and said, "Continue."
The boatman swallowed hard and said, "We fishermen in the Demon Realm have a legend: if you encounter a giant wave in a certain area of Yun'an Sea and die in it, you can make a wish to the goddess of the sea, and she will grant it."
Meng Chiwan's lips twitched, and she said helplessly, "Those people are all dead, so how did everyone know that someone saw the goddess?"
The boatman smiled mysteriously: "Because one of them wishes to be resurrected and never die again."
Meng Chiwan said, "Where can anyone live forever? Did he ascend to the upper realm?"
"Whether he's immortal or not, I don't know, but that person later became the Demon Lord's first Demon General and is still alive today." The boatman spoke of this topic with great reverence, as if he deeply believed in this story that sounded like nonsense to her.
Meng Chiwan had no interest in breaking someone's beliefs, but she was speechless at the absurd reason why someone wanted to harm her.
She was silent for a moment, then said, "If you want to die, why don't you do it yourself? Is it necessary to drag me down with you?"
The boatman said matter-of-factly, "Then you don't understand. There are other conditions for seeing the goddess. First, you have to be able to get to Panhai Island and successfully cross that island before you can see the giant waves. And Panhai Island is only open to people who are visiting Yun'an Sea for the first time."
"Pan Island? You mean that little island we were forcibly taken to?"
"Yes. That's why I brought you here." The boatman showed no remorse whatsoever.
Meng Chiwan instantly felt her fist harden. She smiled slightly, a smile tinged with danger: "Alright, I know everything. You can die now. You inside, come here..."
We should have asked him what his wishes were, but thinking about it carefully, they might not even be able to get out safely, so why ask?
When the boatman heard her call for the people in the cabin, he instantly stiffened and tensed up, like a dried fish.
Seeing his expression, Meng Chiwan couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing. What exactly had Yun Xianqing done to him while she was unconscious? The moment she finished speaking, the person in the cabin put down the pages of their book and stepped out of the cabin.
He stood tall and elegant, and when he stood on the boat, the dilapidated boat seemed less dilapidated.
However, Meng Chiwan certainly didn't have time to look closely. With her back to him, her gaze remained fixed on the boatman. She only spoke when she heard footsteps: "Where do you think we should drag him to feed the fish?"
Seeing the boatman's expression, he remained expressionless and said calmly, "I think it's better to throw him into the Desolate Abyss to feed the monsters."
Meng Chiwan casually cast a spell to freeze him in place. Then she stood up, drew Jinglan, and used it to press on his shoulder, pinning him against the dilapidated door frame of the cabin.
He lowered his posture again and again, until finally he could only look up at her.
She then said, "I asked you to answer my question. Who gave you the right to start thinking outside the box?"
Yun Xianqing looked up at her, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, his voice sounding somewhat hoarse for some reason.
He didn't say anything.
He seemed unsure whether he should speak or not, or how to speak so that she wouldn't get angry.
The boatman over there was naturally delighted with such a scene, but when he talked about feeding the fish, some images that he dared not think about in detail flashed through his mind.
It was a nightmare.
Meng Chiwan then asked the boatman, "Do you want to feed the magical beasts?"
The boatman shook his head vigorously, as if afraid that if he didn't shake it even slightly, he would be thrown into the desolate abyss.
Don't be fooled by Ku Jiyuan's seemingly harmless appearance; he has the principle of not judging a book by its cover ingrained in his very being!
Everyone laughed at his wrecked boat, but it still managed to weather the huge waves and get here!
Meng Chiwan wasn't curious at all about his little schemes; she was only interested in his promise to lead her out of the Desolate Abyss.
"If you can lead me out of here, I'll spare your life. But if anything goes wrong along the way, I'll immediately protect you." Meng Chiwan smiled, her eyes narrowed, appearing extremely sincere, but in reality, she was not.
The boatman had never heard the phrase "protect one's body" before and thought it was a new term invented by the people of the Demon Realm's central city.
He nodded repeatedly, "Yes, that's how you should protect me. I'll definitely get you out of this barren place safely..."
Seeing that he had misunderstood, Meng Chiwan kindly reminded him, "What I mean is, if things go wrong, you cover our retreat. If there's a chance, I'll immediately send you into the monster's mouth."
The boatman repeated his words twice, finally realizing that the person before him wasn't as kind as she seemed. She was clearly just a young girl, but her words and actions were always incomprehensible and nonsensical.
The boatman finally nodded resignedly and said, "I understand. You'll be fine with me."
Meng Chiwan nodded in satisfaction, but remained wary, as this person was ultimately untrustworthy.
After giving a general explanation, Meng Chiwan led her people off the boat, hoping for good luck and a smooth journey to find the Guiyuan Grass and the Wenbei Umbrella.
Old Chen said that the Returning Origin Grass grows in the swamp of the Desolate Abyss, but based on what she saw so far, this place doesn't look like a swamp at all.
"Do you know where the Rejuvenating Grass is?" Meng Chiwan thought for a moment, then decided not to torture herself anymore and directly asked the boatman, who had the most authoritative knowledge here.
"Of the ten people who come here, five are looking for the Returning Origin Grass, but very few of them actually manage to get one."
"Then what are the remaining five people doing here?" Meng Chiwan asked humbly.
The boatman sneered, "Of course they came in here to die."
Meng Chiwan continued, "Like you?"
"How can that be the same!" The boatman felt insulted and said, "I was seeking death in Yun'an Sea, I never thought of coming to the Desolate Abyss to die."
"Oh," Meng Chiwan replied indifferently, seemingly giving her face.
The boatman, exasperated, retorted, "What do you mean by that?!"
Meng Chiwan clicked her tongue softly: "I asked you if you knew where the Guiyuan Grass was, why are you asking so many questions?"
Boatman: "...Didn't you change the subject first?"
Meng Chiwan glanced at him.
The boatman swallowed hard, deciding to keep his anger to himself: "The Rejuvenating Grass grows in the swamp."
Upon hearing that there was something to talk about, Meng Chiwan became interested and took a few steps closer, intending to listen carefully.
But after waiting for a long time, there was still no further news.
She paused, then asked incredulously, "That's it?"
"Of course it's gone. If it were that easy to find, with so many clues, wouldn't everyone be able to get the Rejuvenating Grass?" the boatman said matter-of-factly.
Meng Chiwan immediately grabbed the boatman by the collar and headed into the depths of the forest.
The sound of crunching dry branches and leaves was noisy but not irritating, blending with the crisp chirping of birds and insects all around, adding a touch of life to the place.
The boatman, being grabbed by the collar, was clearly not being respected. He was furious, his beard bristling and eyes wide, repeatedly reaching back to grab her hand and try to free himself: "What are you doing!"
Meng Chiwan sneered: "You don't know anything I ask you. What use is a guide like you who knows nothing and even has the intention to harm me? I might as well send you to the monsters for a good meal as soon as possible."
Upon hearing this, the boatman wished he could just glare at the ground and kick his legs to die.
My life is over!
Seeing his expression, Meng Chiwan stopped, even though she had only meant to scare him.
"Ask me again, and that's all I know," the boatman finally caught his breath and said, panting.
Meng Chiwan glanced at him twice, then handed him over to Yun Xianqing.
The original intention was for Yun Xianqing to catch him, but unexpectedly, whether he thought it was dirty or simply didn't want to catch him, he didn't reach out and dodged it, letting the boatman's old bones fall to the ground. The branches and leaves were pressed down and made a noisy sound. Along with it, there was a muffled groan and a low curse from the boatman.
The boatman cursed for a long time, but when he looked up, he saw the culprit staring at him quietly, unsure whether he had heard a word he said.
The man's dark eyes appeared calm and undisturbed, yet the depth within them was more profound than anyone he had ever seen, like a bottomless abyss.
He mumbled a couple of words, then stopped talking and got up on his own.
What kind of mess is this... He could have accepted the money respectably and sat leisurely on the boat waiting outside the Desolate Abyss.
For the first time in his life, he tasted the bitterness of regret.
...
The group continued walking forward.
Meng Chiwan had originally planned to scout ahead herself, but Yun Xianqing insisted on taking the job, which was fine with her, and she was happy to be free.
She strolled slowly at the back, feeling that this place was nothing like the vicious and dangerous place described in the book.
Here, there is nothing but forest, and the forest is filled with gentle sunlight, brimming with vibrant life, with not a trace of danger.
She doesn't seem to be here for an adventure; she seems more like she's here for a vacation.
Meng Chiwan casually picked a foxtail grass and looked ahead absentmindedly.
Before long, she realized something was wrong.
"Wait a minute," Meng Chiwan said.
She took two steps forward, looked at the clump of foxtail grass, and said, "We were here just now."
This clump of foxtail grass looks exactly like the patch she just plucked.
As soon as she finished speaking, she formed a hand seal and unleashed a spell, soaring into the sky.
Her strength is unknown; she inexplicably unlocks some skills automatically without her teammates using them.
Okay, actually, it was the Illusion-Breaking Technique that her master taught her when she was studying at the Immortal Alliance.
The moment the Illusion-Breaking Technique soared into the sky, the entire world seemed to tremble, thousands of giant trees rustled their leaves, and birds and beasts scattered in fright.
Meng Chiwan raised her hand, her fingertips touching a leaf that had just fallen.
The fallen leaf instantly turned into a wisp of gray smoke at her fingertips.
A gust of wind arose. A strong, earthy smell suddenly filled the nostrils, and in an instant, the sunlight was completely blocked out by something, the soft, withered leaves on the ground quickly decayed, and the place fell into a silent darkness.
In the darkness, her hand was gently taken, followed by a lamp that he had pulled out from somewhere.
Under the dim light, she slowly turned her head. Not far away, among the decaying leaves, lay half a skeleton wrapped in tattered cloth, its finger bones tightly gripping a fallen leaf.
The birdsong abruptly ceased, and the towering ancient trees vanished without a trace.
Countless tombstones are rising from the soil.
Directly ahead, in the distance where her gaze fell, a few large, crooked characters were carved on a stone tablet covered in moss: Desolate Abyss.
This is a mass grave.
This place may truly be a desolate abyss.
The author's note: [1] This is from "Qinyuanchun: Changsha"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com