762: 281.
The cruel truth ca before him 762: 281.
The cruel truth ca before him Saint Ries Gorge.
The locals prefer to call it the Desiccated Great Rift Valley.
In the canyon, crisscrossed like river channels, strong winds blow all year round.
For miles around, there is no water source or oasis, and on the other end it’s surrounded by a narrow desert corridor.
In the afternoon, Lu Li stood on a low rock, gazing into the distance.
The landscape here reminded him of hell.
There were so natural bridges spanning across the canyons.
They have endured the wind and sun, strong enough—at least not collapsing under one person’s weight.
So canyons are like isolated islands, so are dead ends, with no bridges leading to other “islands”.
Lu Li has to look around each ti he steps on an “island” to find a path to connect deeper into the terrain.
But before stepping onto the last “island,” no one can be certain whether ahead lies a bridge to the desert corridor or a dead end that leads nowhere.
The strong wind swept through the bottom of the canyon, creating sharp and clear whistling and wailing sounds.
The Rope of Descent still influenced him.
Lu Li could vaguely sense it.
Instead of traversing the Grand Canyon and desert to reach the oasis where The Ti of Silence is located, going to the coastal port and renting a boat to travel directly through the river channel would be simpler and quicker.
But clearly, crossing perilous terrains and experiencing hardships to finally arrive before The Ti of Silence is more epic.
However, realization does not an resistance.
The ritual enforced by the Rope of Descent is not mandatory, but rationalized.
Choosing to go out for supplies after lacking food is rational.
Wanting to avenge a murdered family mber is rational.
Rustle, rustle—
The rocky bridge fell sand and stone as Lu Li stepped on it, revealing cracks.
Lu Li quickened his pace, crossing the bridge before the cracks spread further.
Almost as soon as he stepped onto the “island,” the bridge behind him collapsed and fell into the canyon bottom dozens of ters deep.
The rising dust was blown away by the strong wind, and Lu Li turned his gaze away, continuing to observe ahead.
The ritual imposed by the Rope of Descent turned Lu Li into a tragedy, but simultaneously protected him in moving towards the conclusion.
Whether the ending is heroic or tragic.
Three hours later, Lu Li stepped onto the desert corridor surrounding the canyon.
In the Saint Ries Gorge, where he could be stranded on isolated islands at any ti, he found the only correct route.
The yellow sands stretched into hills, the edge of the canyon and desert rging almost as one, resembling a gobi.
Wind blowing from the north carried sand, migrating south from the foothills of the Spine of the World Mountains to the coastline.
Lu Li unfolded the Parchnt map.
On the drawn map, the desert corridor was only twenty miles wide, crossing the desert, would be Lu Li’s final destination, a flat Old River Channel Plains.
The body of The Ti of Silence is there.
There are two hours left until dark, barely enough for Lu Li to traverse the corridor.
Lu Li took out a bundle of thin rope, tightened the trouser legs, pulled up the cloak to block the wind and sand, and stepped into the desert.
The clouds hanging in the sky made the desert easier to traverse, the sandstorm covering his footprints behind, but the compass pointed out the direction for Lu Li.
During which The Ti of Silence arrived, an ominous bell rang from the evil spirit broadcast in his arms, which did not stop Lu Li’s steps.
Two hours later, Lu Li reached the edge of the desert corridor, where hard ground replaced soft sand.
Ahead in the wilderness, a village erged on the horizon.
On the Parchnt map, it was a village called Lamp Village.
Lu Li stopped two miles outside the town, contemplating the evidently inhabited village for a mont, then crushed a Stone Badge to summon a rchant.
“Anna…” After a slight pause, Lu Li changed to say: “Has a new evil spirit appeared?”
“Seven hours ago it attacked the Deputy City Lord of Kande Classical City, three hours ago it attacked a Baron, one hour ago she attacked a councilman in a nearby region.”
“All noble class?” Under the shadow of the cloak, Lu Li’s brows furrowed.
“Yes.”
Anna didn’t hold grudges against the nobility.
Lu Li also didn’t think Anna did it out of hatred.
Perhaps it was just coincidence…
Anna was far away on the Main Affinity Continent.
After briefly pondering, Lu Li stepped toward the distant village.
Sothing was wrong with this village.
Lu Li was aware of this when the surrounding villagers had already noticed him.
Strange gazes fixed on him, whispers circulated.
“Look…he’s so peculiar…”
“Poor thing, is he a deformity…”
“Maybe a monster…”
The local villagers were gossiping about this unexpected guest.
They had slender and elongated necks, almost as long as arms.
This made their height all exceed two ters.
When conversing, necks stretched, two heads ca together, whispering while overlooking Lu Li.
Lu Li saw a pair of lovers, who had even thinner necks, entwined as they kissed passionately.
There were also villagers resting at their doorsteps, necks coiled like snakes, bloatedly supporting a head.
Lu Li did not fit in with them.
Perhaps it was ti to quicken his pace and leave the village.
But it was almost dark, the Mist of Strangeness was approaching, and there was no refuge on the flat wilderness to stay for the night.
Staying in the village seed to be safer.
Lu Li was not sure if this idea was his own or if the ritual imposed by the Rope of Descent was at work.
Despite the villagers’ odd appearance and their critiques of Lu Li’s body, they still relatively kindly vacated a house for him.
“The strange outsider” attracted villagers, who gathered outside the wooden cabin, the window crowded with spying faces supported by slender necks, eerie and horrifying.
Knock, knock—
There was a knock on the door, the door pushed open, a head poked into the room, connected behind by a neck.
The village chief placed a basin of foul-slling, muddy paste onto the dining table, his neck bent low, the head drooping to make eye contact with Lu Li: “Guest, please enjoy.”
“What is it.” Lu Li gazed at the wooden basin.
Stone-like fruits floated in the mud.
“The local Mud Fruits, will cure your ailnts.”
Lu Li slightly raised his brows: “My ailnts?”
This reminded him of the ritual from the Rope of Descent, but it was not.
“Yes, your deford body can only be cured by Mud Fruits…”
This was rely a fruit that would make Lu Li as bizarre as the villagers.
“I don’t need it,” Lu Li said.
The village chief’s head drew closer to Lu Li, eyes squinting, carrying a hint of coercion: “It is the village’s custom for outsiders.”
Lu Li reached into his arms, placing a Spirit-Calling Gun next to the wooden basin, calmly replying: “This is my custom against things I don’t want to do.”
The village chief retracted his head, peering down at Lu Li, his tone turning harsh: “We don’t force others… You can stay for a while, but must leave at dawn, and rember—”
The height carried a slight sense of oppression with the head.
“Do not go out after dark, nor look outside.”
Carrying the wooden basin, the village chief left, and after he departed, Lu Li latched the door.
The faces of the villagers outside the window showed aversion and resentnt before gradually retreating.
So discontented young people lightly tapped the glass with their foreheads to vent their dissatisfaction.
The sky was growing darker, dusk was arriving.
Lu Li lit the oil lamp, drew the curtains to cover the sights outside the street.
Hoping to spend the night safely.
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