Chapter 58: The Dilemma
Tianlang-jun patted Luo Binghe's shoulder lightly, and the arm broke again. He frowned, and Zhuzhilang immediately picked it up and presented it with both hands.
Luo Binghe didn't bother wiping away the blood; a fierce glint flashed in his eyes as he gripped the inner demon on his back. Tianlang Jun said, "It's a fine sword. It's a pity its usage is so chaotic."
Luo Binghe whispered to Shen Qingqiu, "Go!"
What are you trying to do? Do you think you can even leave?!
Zhu Zhilang said, "It's too late. Two hundred Black Moon Pythons and Rhinoceroses can only open the Holy Tomb barrier for a moment and let you in."
Luo Binghe said sternly, "Then let's use the two of you as blood sacrifices and open it again!"
Unexpectedly, before the Heart Demon Sword was fully drawn, it was abruptly sheathed again. Tianlang Jun had appeared behind him unnoticed, pressing the sword back into its sheath with a single finger, preventing him from drawing it. Luo Binghe reacted swiftly, turning to meet the attack. However, no matter how fast he moved, the Heart Demon Sword could only be drawn a maximum of three inches before being forced back into its sheath. After several exchanges, Tianlang Jun seemed to lose interest, flicking his wrist and ignoring the Heart Demon Sword, instead pressing it directly onto Luo Binghe's crown.
Luo Binghe suddenly opened his eyes, and a dense mass of purplish-black energy swirled above his head. Not knowing what Tianlang Jun was doing, he was speechless.
Tianlangjun closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and said, "So it wasn't just you; you brought two small fish with you."
He raised his hand, looked at Luo Binghe's face, and objectively commented, "He looks like his mother."
A cold voice came from the side: "Your eyes are like yours."
Tianlangjun slowly turned around.
The Xiuya Sword gleamed coldly, held against Zhuzhilang's neck. Shen Qingqiu said, "It wouldn't be worth losing such a good subordinate. Shouldn't Lord Tianlang consider this?"
Zhu Zhilang said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, I was negligent for a moment."
Even with a "moment of carelessness," he's still so difficult to handle! Shen Qingqiu had to exert a great deal of effort to subdue him. This man is just as slippery when he's not in snake form!
Tianlang said slowly, "If you treat Zhuzhilang like this, he will be heartbroken."
Shen Qingqiu said, half-jokingly, "I'm heartbroken when you treat your son like this. How about you let go of your son, and I'll let go of your nephew?"
Tianlangjun said, "I'm afraid I won't get that chance."
Shen Qingqiu's palms were actually covered in cold sweat, but his voice sounded extremely calm: "I'm giving you this chance."
Tianlangjun said, "I mean, Zhuzhilang won't give me that chance."
Before he finished speaking, Zhuzhilang suddenly charged headlong into Shen Qingqiu's sword tip!
The force of the blow was immense, a truly desperate act, with absolutely no doubt about it being faked. Shen Qingqiu was startled and instinctively withdrew his sword. As the sword was withdrawn, Zhuzhilang seized the opportunity to escape and flash back to Tianlangjun's side.
Tianlang-jun made a "see" expression and laughed, "If I were to be blackmailed for him, Zhuzhilang would seek his own death. Peak Master Shen, please don't underestimate him."
Shen Qingqiu was so angry she felt like vomiting blood. As a hostage, Zhuzhilang was utterly worthless. She'd finally managed to take him hostage, but felt no sense of accomplishment whatsoever!
Tianlangjun said, "My nephew suffered some injustice, and he should rightfully seek revenge on Peak Master Shen's disciple." As he spoke, he slightly clenched his five fingers.
Luo Binghe groaned, blood trickling from the corner of his eye, but his gaze still struggled to turn toward Shen Qingqiu. He gritted his teeth, suppressing the blood in his mouth, and said, "...Go! Anywhere is fine...don't stay here!"
Shen Qingqiu suddenly looked up and threw the Xiuya Sword straight ahead. Like a flash of white lightning, it swiftly pierced towards Tianlang Jun. He slightly tilted his head, and the sword's edge grazed his cheek before clanging and embedding itself in the distant mural behind him.
He said, "The accuracy isn't very good."
Shen Qingqiu slowly withdrew his hand, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Very accurate. Right on the bullseye."
Tianlang Jun was slightly taken aback, and immediately turned around.
The Xiuya sword was embedded directly in one of the eyes of the smiling woman's face in the mural. The gem that was originally set in the pupil shattered into several pieces, glittering as it fell down the stone wall.
The woman was clearly just a face painted on the wall, but the corners of her mouth curved up and up, as if she was laughing more and more happily, with one mouth stretching all the way to her ears, like the gaping maw of the Kuchisake-onna (Slit-Mouthed Woman).
Suddenly, a piercingly loud laugh erupted from within the tomb. And this laughter came from the mouth of the woman depicted in the mural!
The Palace of Happiness has security measures in place. One wall is inlaid with gemstones, but if you pry off even one, you can expect to be laughed to death by the Palace of Happiness witch's sonic weapon!
This laughter was especially effective against demons, since it was originally intended to guard against them; no one would be so idle as to raid a demon's tomb. The sound caused their hearts and minds to pound wildly, a sharp pain to shoot through them, dizziness to set in, and blurred vision. Zhuzhilang instinctively covered his ears, and Tianlangjun also pressed a hand to his temple. Shen Qingqiu, prepared, seized the opportunity, darting past, his left hand flashing, the Xiuya Sword returning to its sheath, his right hand grabbing Luo Binghe and running!
Rushing into the next tomb chamber, Shen Qingqiu's first action was to lower the gate and let the dead fall! The heavy boulder landed with a thud, stirring up dust. He had only found the mechanism to close the gate, not the one to open it. It was best if it couldn't be opened! He had just thought this and was finally relieved when he looked back and almost knelt down in shock.
Takeshiro blinked, his hand being held tightly by him.
I'm so done! How could he pick up the wrong person like that?! What kind of karma is this?! He actually left that father and son, who are currently committing domestic violence, in the wedding palace!
"What a sin! What a sin!" Shen Qingqiu shook off his hand and turned to smash the stone gate, but Zhuzhilang grabbed him: "Immortal Master Shen, don't go back. He has no chance of winning against the Emperor."
Shen Qingqiu was about to lose it.
How could they mistake one person for another when they were so close?! It's all because the painted woman's laughter in the Xi Dian was too overwhelming, the green candlelight was dim, and all three of them were wearing similar black clothes. Are they related so they have similar tastes in colors and styles?!
Shen Qingqiu was so ashamed of his own stupidity that he slammed his fist on the stone door, saying, "I originally wanted to be with Luo Binghe!"
Zhuzhilang was stunned upon hearing this.
After a long pause, he finally said, "Master Shen, didn't you and him... already get together a long time ago?"
"..."
There's no reasoning with this group!
Shen Qingqiu raised his hand to shut him up, turned around and took a few steps, when he suddenly felt that the ground was uneven.
Bamboo Branch followed, making a blocking gesture: "Don't move!"
A gigantic woman's face covered the entire floor of the hall. They were standing on the face's ears.
Unlike the woman in the Hexi Palace, this face had no charming features whatsoever. Instead, it was fierce and menacing, with eyes bulging outwards, narrow eyes and a wide nose, displaying the utmost ugliness, just like a female demon.
Shen Qingqiu said cautiously, "Don't step on my face."
Zhuzhilang: "..."
The ground is covered in faces; if you're not allowed to step on faces, where are you going to step...?
The three halls of joy, anger, and sorrow are arranged one after another. After passing through the first hall of joy, the next hall is the hall of anger.
In the original story, when Luo Binghe visited the Sacred Tomb and cleared this level, he used a specific movement technique. Unfortunately, Shen Qingqiu didn't remember exactly which steps he used. If he accidentally stepped on the wrong step, the Wrath Palace's anti-theft measures would be activated. Even flying on a sword wouldn't work; as long as you passed vertically upwards, it would count as stepping on a step.
That being said, of course someone would be angry if their face was stepped on! No wonder they were furious!
He dared to rush in because he thought he was going to capture Luo Binghe; he was sure Luo Binghe knew the proper positioning. Who knew he'd end up capturing the wrong person! It seems Xi Zhilang and Tian Langjun have only been active in the first level of the Xi Palace; they probably can't rely on him to clear the level!
The ground was getting hotter and hotter. Shen Qingqiu crouched down, tested the temperature, and immediately pulled his hand back. It was so hot it felt like a fire was burning the ground, and the people standing on it were like meat on a hot plate. The woman's cheeks on the ground were originally rosy, but were gradually turning a bright red as the temperature rose.
They probably stepped on his face a few times without him realizing it. Shen Qingqiu took a few steps back, trying to move as close to the side as possible.
Suddenly, a bright golden-red liquid erupted from the ground like a fountain.
In an instant, Zhuzhilang transformed into his true form: a yellow-eyed, green snake with shimmering scales coiled on the ground, its upper body rising, head raised, hissing, and as tall as four people. It coiled Shen Qingqiu into a ball, tightly encasing him in its scales. Its gleaming white fangs pressed against Shen Qingqiu's head, and its large, golden eyes looked even more grotesque up close.
Tianlang-jun is absolutely right; Xizhilang really can't wrap his head around things. Doesn't he remember being teary-eyed from the realgar wine? Doesn't he remember being pointed a sword at him just now? And now he's protecting him so diligently, it makes Shen Qingqiu almost feel bad for tricking him.
Suddenly, a deafening roar erupted, and a section of the wall on one side of the Wrathful Hall collapsed. Amidst the billowing smoke, Tianlang Jun, while stretching his wrists, stepped down from the rubble and collapsed wall and entered the Wrathful Hall, saying, "I wonder if it's just my imagination, but Peak Master Shen seems to know this Sacred Tomb even better than I do."
Zhuzhilang transformed back into human form and cried out, "Your Majesty, don't come in!"
Before Tianlangjun could even show a hint of doubt, he had already stomped on the woman's face six or seven times.
Shen Qingqiu: "..."
Zhuzhilang: "..."
A colossal pillar of magma, large enough for four people to encircle, suddenly shot into the sky, instantly engulfing Tianlang Jun in flames.
Haha ...
Shen Qingqiu laughed inwardly. "Serves you right for not letting me finish speaking! Serves you right for beating your own son! Go ahead and pretend, keep pretending, or you'll get struck by lightning!"
But his smile quickly faded. Luo Binghe stumbled in from behind. One of his arms was loose and seemingly broken, blood was streaming down his head, and he couldn't open one eye.
That's terrible. It's far worse than when Luo Binghe was beaten by the original guy right after he arrived!
What's wrong with Luo Binghe's physique?! Why do his elders always resort to violence to discipline him? He's not from Hundred Battles Peak!
Zhu Zhilang was so engrossed in circling the pillar of fire that he had no time to pay attention to anything else. Luo Binghe took in the entire scene inside the hall, then looked down, jumped off the pile of rocks, and in an instant took five or six steps to stand in front of Shen Qingqiu.
That's unscientific! How could he know how to proceed without triggering any traps just by glancing at it?
Luo Binghe seemed to know what he was thinking and said succinctly, "Go to the acupoints on the face."
As they spoke, the two had already passed through the Hall of Wrath and entered the next level. When the stone gate closed, Shen Qingqiu couldn't help but glance at Luo Binghe a few more times to confirm that he hadn't chosen the wrong person this time.
Shen Qingqiu stood at the edge of the tomb hall, not daring to move rashly. The main hall of the "Hall of Mourning" was occupied by a witch who perched on the ceiling. Looking up, he saw a woman's face painted with tightly furrowed brows and a sorrowful expression.
Sensing an intrusion, the face opened its eyes wide, its features contorted, and its expression grew increasingly sorrowful. First, a few drops of water seeped from its eyes, and soon after, a dense drizzle began to fall from the sky.
He was about to speak to remind them that this was corpse rain and they shouldn't get it on them when Luo Binghe raised a hand to shield him beneath her, then carried the two of them straight ahead...
Shen Qingqiu: "..."
Where's your intelligence?! In the original story, you were supposed to be a technical expert, but this is way too simplistic and crude!!!
The Threefold Palace of Joy, Anger, and Sorrow was a 200,000-word chapter in the original novel, which now translates to less than one chapter?! The Palace of Sorrow dragged on for at least ten chapters, and now? Only three lines?! Are you in a rush?!
The system sent a notification: [Removed filler content, refined plot, +100 in style!]
Too many were cut!
After emerging, they found themselves in a dark and silent tomb passage. As soon as the two left the tomb chamber, eerie green flames began to flicker, stretching endlessly in rows.
The tomb's security measures were utterly insidious and ruthless; the extinction candles were placed haphazardly everywhere as if they cost nothing. The blind corpses that had been wandering aimlessly in the tomb passage drooled as they approached. Luo Binghe raised a hand, his expression cold and impatient. They hissed resentfully, their throats filled with low growls, and buried their heads, shrinking back into the darkness.
Luo Binghe didn't even glance at Shen Qingqiu before letting go of her hand and saying, "Let's go."
Previously, every time he caught Shen Qingqiu, he would stare at him intently, but this time he didn't.
Shen Qingqiu noticed that Luo Binghe's face was bright red, which looked extremely conspicuous in the dim green candlelight. But it was definitely not because of shyness. Shen Qingqiu suspected that he might have been poisoned or had suffered a stroke, but his steps were still quite steady, so that didn't seem to be the case.
He wanted to ask a question, but he didn't know how.
Just as Shen Qingqiu was about to utter a sentence, Luo Binghe spoke first.
It seemed that every time the atmosphere became tense, he was the one who broke the silence first.
"How well are the spiritual meridians circulating in this body?"
Shen Qingqiu was taken aback by his first question and paused for a moment before replying, "Normal."
He remembered that Luo Binghe had spent five years repairing the spiritual veins of this body, bit by bit.
Luo Binghe nodded and said, "That's good. I tried to preserve the other body for a few days, but I really couldn't keep it any longer."
Lu Huazhi died the moment her body and soul separated; she withered and dissipated instantly. Yet Luo Binghe was able to hold on for several days and even dared to come to the Holy Mausoleum alone afterward. Shen Qingqiu was increasingly at a loss for words.
Tianlang Jun seemed to have mentioned earlier that Luo Binghe "brought two small fish with him." Shen Qingqiu asked, "Who else did you bring?"
Luo Binghe finally glanced at him and said, "I came alone."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "Those two were not easy to deal with. Even if Master doesn't want to stay with me, I hope he won't travel with them."
Shen Qingqiu asked, "Have you met them before?"
Luo Binghe said calmly, "I encountered that snake in the Southern Frontier before, and we fought several times. I almost suffered a loss. I haven't seen the other one, but I can't beat him."
Zhu Zhilang hails from the southern borderlands, so naturally he'd be more diligent there. Tianlang-jun also mentioned that the plague in Jinlan City was originally caused by the need to solve the food problem in the southern borderlands. It was expected that Luo Binghe would have fought Zhu Zhilang a few times in the southern borderlands.
However, Zhuzhilang didn't seem to explain his identity to Luo Binghe, nor did he regard him as the young master. Tianlangjun also seemed to have no such intention.
It seems that neither his father nor his cousin acknowledged him.
Shen Qingqiu was filled with mixed feelings and was hesitating awkwardly when the candlelight suddenly flickered, the tomb passage darkened, and Luo Binghe's body pressed against him.
Damn it, I was just starting to feel a little sympathy for this kid, and now it's happening again! Again!
This time, Keluo Binghe didn't hug him or touch him, but instead completely leaned against him and then remained motionless.
Shen Qingqiu finally discovered the strange thing. He was also very tired and couldn't support the two of them. He leaned against the stone wall with a thud, while Luo Binghe leaned against him, limp and weak. His head hit the wall with a loud thud, which made Shen Qingqiu's heart tremble and his teeth ache.
He quickly stood up, wrapped his arms around Luo Binghe, and groped around until he found his way to Luo Binghe's back. Luo Binghe's clothes were tattered, soaked by the rain of corpses from the Hall of Sorrow. Delving deeper, the skin beneath felt strange, showing signs of ulceration, and emitted a foul odor.
After all, corpse rain is no good thing.
According to Shen Qingqiu's habit of addressing people, he liked to start by giving them two light slaps on the cheeks, but as soon as he stretched out his hand, he hesitated and instead gently patted his cheeks twice, his voice unconsciously softening: "Luo Binghe? Luo Binghe?"
Luo Binghe kept his eyes closed, his eyelashes not even trembling, and his face was becoming increasingly red and unnatural.
Shen Qingqiu reached out and touched his forehead and cheeks; they were burning hot, as if he had a fever. But Luo Binghe would never have a fever. He touched his hand again, and it was ice-cold. It was as if his head was in a microwave oven and his body was in an ice cave.
In Shen Qingqiu's mind, even if the male protagonist occasionally falls into a slump or is trapped, it will not last long, and he will not lose consciousness.
Shen Qingqiu placed a hand on the back of Luo Binghe's head and rubbed the spot where he had just bumped into the wall.
"Luo Binghe, can you hear me?"
There was no response.
Shen Qingqiu did the math. In order to protect his physical body from withering, Luo Binghe consumed several days' worth of spiritual energy (and still couldn't protect it in the end); he went to great lengths to catch Black Moon Python Rhinoceroses everywhere; after arriving at the Holy Mausoleum, he was first punched and kicked by Tianlang Jun, then hit by the sonic attack of Xidian, continued to be punched and kicked by Tianlang Jun, and finally drenched in corpse rain.
It's much more serious than a fever, no matter how you look at it.
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