“Dong dong dong~ Beneath the high mountains of the Hong and Huang sects, four large pythons and snakes leave the serpent mountain, and a gust of wind departs from the high tomb.”
As rhythmic drumbeats and chants filled the air, a sharp claw swiftly tore a person in half.
Twisted beast faces hidden beneath red veils surrounded Bai Lingmiao, encircling her to prevent sneak attacks from the insane creatures around them.
There were too many of these beings. Despite the defense of the White Donkeys, a few still managed to slip through and reach Bai Lingmiao.
Bai Lingmiao led the White Donkeys on the wide road, following Tuoba Danqing from behind as they dodged the crazed mob that had lost all reason.
More and more lunatics gathered behind them, surging toward Bai Lingmiao like a tidal wave.
Although their individual strength was weak, their overwhelming numbers made them dangerous. More importantly, they were immortal in this place.
The two people that the Second Deity had just torn in half were now dragging their spilled intestines and crawling toward her on all fours like spiders.
“Take the small path! Hurry, this way!” Tuoba Danqing said. He urgently led the way forward, his hair disheveled and whipping through the air.
After a tense but brief chase, Tuoba Danqing took a sharp turn and crawled into a drainage hole.
Bai Lingmiao used her senses to quickly scan the area, ensuring there was no ambush lurking within. Satisfied with her findings, she wasted no ti and hurriedly followed him inside, urging the others to keep up.
The tunnel was dark and narrow. After a short while, Bai Lingmiao felt the space before her widen unexpectedly. It was connected to a cellar.
As the thirty-six White Donkeys crawled out from the tunnel, Bai Lingmiao lashed her ritual whip at the entrance, causing the entire passage to collapse and crush the creatures that had just begun to erge.
Dust filled the air as Bai Lingmiao and her group stepped back, covering their noses. Finally, silence returned.
Before Bai Lingmiao could catch her breath, Tuoba Danqing rushed toward her excitedly. “I... I wasn’t mistaken, was I? You’re Er Jiu’s wife, right? We t a few years ago, didn’t we?”
She greeted him with a bow. “Senior Tuoba, long ti no see. I am Bai Lingmiao.”
Tuoba Danqing’s voice trembled. “Did you co here to save ? You must have co to take out of here, right?”
“That’s right, Er Jiu sent to rescue you.” Bai Lingmiao had no reason to refuse—saving him was just a secondary task. In fact, by helping him, she might even obtain the information she needed about the Strayed Ones.
Tuoba Danqing seed to deflate. He collapsed to the ground, his hands pressed against his face. His shoulders shook with raw, uncontrolled sobs.
Bai Lingmiao recognized he was emotionally overwheld. Though he hadn’t gone mad yet, he was dangerously close to breaking down after being trapped in this place for so long.
She handed him a handkerchief and gently said, “Senior Tuoba, I know you’ve suffered a lot, but my purpose here goes beyond just getting you out.”
Tuoba Danqing looked up at her while holding the handkerchief to stem his tears and snot.
“Senior Tuoba, you’ve been here for quite so ti now. Do you know of any Strayed Ones in this place? Have you heard rumors about them?”
Tuoba Danqing hesitated before urgently standing up. “Let’s get out first. We can talk about Strayed Ones later. Forget the Strayed Ones for now—there are plenty of them outside! I’ll help you catch so once we’re out!”
“No, there are none outside anymore. I’ll explain everything to you from the beginning.”
Bai Lingmiao spent half an hour explaining the situation outside to Tuoba Danqing. Upon learning everything, Tuoba Danqing sat in stunned silence. His mind struggled to process the sheer volu of events that had unfolded in just a few short years. 𝐑�
“In short, to defend against the Tianchen Kingdom’s attack, we must find the Strayed Ones. Do you understand, Senior Tuoba?” Bai Lingmiao asked, her tone growing more serious.
Tuoba Danqing had cald down now. He nodded. “I understand, I understand. It’s not that I don’t want to help. But after all these years in this damned place, I honestly don’t know where to find Strayed Ones here.”
Tuoba Danqing quickly changed his tone when he saw Bai Lingmiao’s expression change. “Wait, don’t worry! Although I don’t know, there’s soone here who’s well-inford!”
“Who?”
Tuoba Danqing imdiately started to rummage through the cellar and prepared to leave. “Co with . I’ll take you to them.”
Bai Lingmiao followed him cautiously as they headed toward the city’s outskirts. She did not want to be entangled by those creatures again.
Soon, Bai Lingmiao saw what Tuoba Danqing ant. There were withered human heads hanging down from a willow tree.
These decapitated heads should have been dead, but in this place, they remained alive.
While Bai Lingmiao wasn’t surprised that they were still alive, she was shocked that the heads hadn’t gone mad.
Tuoba Danqing whispered, “Miss Bai, you can ask them. These heads are the most well-inford beings in this place. If there are any Strayed Ones here, they’ll know.”
One of the heads hanging from the tree took over the conversation. “Strayed Ones? You an those daydreaming lunatics? Heh heh... of course I know.”
Bai Lingmiao imdiately stepped forward and asked urgently, “Where are they now?”
The heads on the tree burst into laughter, filled with mockery and glee. Bai Lingmiao couldn’t tell if it was the heads laughing or the enormous tree itself.
The White Donkeys quickly ford a protective formation around Bai Lingmiao. They scanned the surroundings in case the laughter attracted other threats.
Finally, the laughter subsided. “Why should I help you? What’s in it for ?
“How about this? Give the heads of half of the thirty-six people behind you, and I’ll tell you. It’s been so long since I had any new company.”
Bai Lingmiao’s refusal was firm. “No!”
The heads slowly turned away. “No? Fine, then search on your own. I won’t be helping.”
The White Donkeys gathered around and said, “Saintess, we are willing to offer ourselves!”
“Silence! This is not your decision to make!” the Second Deity said.
Bai Lingmiao frowned in deep thought for a mont. “My subordinates are human—I will not use them as bargaining chips. However, I can offer sothing else in exchange for your information.”
“Hmph... In this wretched place, other than new heads for amusent, I need nothing else,” the heads retorted without looking back.
“No, you do need sothing. I can offer you death.”
All the heads turned to face her at once. “What?! You think you can kill ? I’d love that, but this place has no death.”
“True, there’s no death here, but that doesn’t an the Twisted One of the Siming of Death can’t grant you death.”
Bai Lingmiao finished speaking and then gently reached up, plucking a human head from the tree as though she was picking a fruit.
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