Chapter 8, Take care of yourself
It is better to perish together
Two people were engaged in a low-key conversation, waiting for the next time the jade disc would be "served." In the meantime, Liang Xin jumped up and performed the Taizu Long Fist that he had practiced over the past four years.
After practicing boxing, Liang Xin regretted it. Now, there has been no news from Yu Bi, and he is feeling hungry first
Qu Qingshi has now become a frail old man. His originally delicate features are obscured by ugly wrinkles, and his eyes have become murky. His face is marked by numerous grayish-white, unsightly age spots, and his voice has turned old and hoarse: "When the jade disc releases the little ghost, it becomes insubstantial and unable to withstand force. That arrow passed through, and it was a wasted shot."
Liang Xin's expression changed repeatedly, feeling sorrowful at the sudden aging of Qu Qingshi, and also frustrated at being unable to deal with the jade disc, which left him trapped here. Unable to help himself, he reached out to support Qu Qingshi and gently advised, "It's alright, let's think of other ways. You should sit down and rest first"
Qu Qingshi's movement was extremely swift, weaving through the throngs of ghosts and monsters. He held his breath and sealed himself with red clay. The little ghosts seemed to sense his presence, yet they found it difficult to capture him, each spinning in place with an expression of utter confusion. In the blink of an eye, Qu Qingshi vanished into the jade disc, leaving not a trace of sound.
I fear that if we wait a moment longer, when all the little spirits return to the jade disc, the jade disc will solidify once more. At that time, even if Qu Qingshi and Liu Yi possess extraordinary abilities, they will only find themselves trapped within it.
At that moment, a sharp sound rang out, and sparks flew in all directions
Liu Yishuang remained silent, gritting his teeth, with his eyes wide open.
Among the three branches of the Kowloon Walled City, in terms of strength, the Tianzi branch responsible for the royal garrison is naturally the most formidable, followed by the Dizi branch, and then the Renzi branch.
The person also seemed to have become sluggish, their body slightly hunched. After frowning in contemplation for a moment, they suddenly reached into their bosom and pulled out a piece of red clay. Immediately, they let out a muffled grunt, and their clothes were completely torn apart, revealing a body aged and covered in wrinkles.
Just as the phrase "mutual destruction" flashed through his mind, Liang Xin shivered. While he was observing the gap between the jade disc and the stone vein, that vague thought suddenly became clear.
Upon taking a closer look around, Liang Xin's heart sank... In just a short while, the little spirits had already given up searching for food and began to gather and retreat, slowly returning to the jade disc
At the moment of opening his mouth, a heavy, lifeless scent of old age slowly permeated the air, and even those once pristine white teeth were now incomplete, yellowed and unsightly
Following this, Qu Qingshi respectfully placed the Yangshou Evil Bow in front of him, sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began to cultivate his spirit, no longer speaking. Liu Yi led Liang Xin to circle around the mine again; apart from some clear water, they could not find anything else of use, and the two of them also sat behind Qu Qingshi.
Qu Qingshi continued, "Hold Liang Xin down and do not let him act rashly! If there is a way out later, take him to my house and explain everything to my father!" After saying this, he applied the last touch of red clay to his mouth, gripped the Yangshou evil bow in reverse, gently nodded at Liang Xin, and then leaped up, darting towards the jade disc like the wind
The fine steel dagger in Qu Qingshi's hand had its edge rolled, yet upon examining the jade disc, there was not a single trace of a knife mark.
Qu Qingshi lightly swung his shoulders, shaking off Liu Yi's hand, and said with a murky smile: "The jade disc is an evil object that has become sentient. Regardless of its physical peculiarities, it must have a heart of flesh and blood! If we shatter it, the demon will surely perish. I will go in to search; you just need to wait here!" As he spoke, he used his palm strength to disperse the red mud and began to carefully apply it to his body.
Liang Xin's eyes widened in anger, yet his body was firmly pinned down by Liu Yi, who wore an equally fierce expression, leaving him unable to move an inch
Liang Xin let out a low exclamation, and Liu Yi's expression was also complex. Qu Qingshi waved his hand forcefully at them: "I have made up my mind; further discussion is pointless! After the fierce battle of the green silk, I can endure another fierce battle of the white hair; I will not die!"
Liu Yi also thought of this and nodded from the side: "Indeed, when the little ghost captures someone, as long as they gently send them into the jade disc, the person will be trapped inside. To deal with the jade disc, it is best to take advantage of its mischief and softness..."
Qu Qingshi sighed and said: "Next time the jade disc causes trouble, I will strike it with the bow of longevity, hoping to shatter this monster!"
Yet this arrow, swift as the wind and fierce as fire, pierced through the air with a sharp sound and, without any obstruction, vanished into the jade disc, disappearing from sight...
The sinister bow of longevity twanged ominously, as an arrow, slender as a hair, traced a brilliant golden arc through the air, shooting towards the jade disc!
The divine arrow pierced the jade disc, yet it did not explode as ferociously as imagined; the jade disc remained unscathed, still standing tall before everyone.
Liu Yi extended his tongue and sighed, "So solid!" With the force of the curved green stone and the sharpness of the dagger, even a bronze cauldron could probably be split open by him, yet the jade disc remained unscathed
Take care of yourself
Liang Xin felt an extreme sense of suffocation in his chest; with each passing moment, his heart seemed to sink further. After waiting for a while, there was no movement from the jade disc. Just as he was about to turn back to look at Liu Yi, Liu Yi suddenly leaned in close to his ear and whispered, "The master will not return. I will fight for it; you should take care of yourself."
White hair, fierce
Perhaps it was an hour, perhaps a day; Liang Xin did not know exactly how long he had waited, nor did he realize when he had begun to doze off in a daze. He had just dreamt of a gentle breeze smiling as it took out an oiled paper bag from his bosom, and before he could even open it, he was gently awakened by Liu Yi.
This time, those responsible for breaking the mountain and dispelling the evil are all the green-clad individuals from the Nine Dragons Division. Qu Qingshi is one of the few experts in the Nine Dragons Courtyard, specifically summoned by the commander to stabilize the situation
Qu Qingshi, Liu Yi, the cave of despair, the malevolent jade disc... and that phrase, "I will fight for it, take care of yourself!"
When Liang Xin opened his eyes again, he saw Liu Yi's figure flash and disappear into the jade disc
Beside Liang Xin, the ethereal lamp was emitting a faint blue glow, enveloping him. After a moment of contemplation, Liang Xin understood that although Liu Yi had knocked him unconscious, perhaps due to a scattered mind or fear of causing harm, he had not been able to control his strength properly, resulting in Liang Xin only fainting for a brief moment before regaining consciousness.
Liang Xin was perplexed, while Liu Yi appeared anxious, reaching out to grasp Qu Qingshi's arm: "My lord, what... what are you going to do"
Liang Xin harbored aspirations for his ancestors and was particularly curious about the Jiulong Division, which was personally established by Liang Yi and Liang Er. Liu Yi now regarded him as a younger brother and quietly explained: "The Jiulong Division is divided into three institutes: Heaven, Earth, and Humanity. The Heaven Institute is responsible for the royal guard and cases involving the royal branches; the Earth Institute supervises officials and monitors military and political affairs; the Humanity Institute dispatches officials to various provinces to listen to the voices of the people."
Liang Xin pondered deeply, taking a full tea time before slowly raising his head to meet Qu Qingshi's gaze: "What is it, after all?"
After Qu Qingshi covered his entire body with red clay, he sealed his ears and nose with the remaining clay, and his tone suddenly turned extremely cold: "Commander Liu, heed my command!"
Qu Qingshi immediately deflated and replied irritably, "However, the jade disc also has its soft moments!"
Liang Xin was taken aback, realizing that Qu Qingshi, seeing that the external attacks were ineffective, actually intended to penetrate the jade disc to seek the flesh-and-blood heart of the demon!
Following Liang Xin's feeling of a heavy pinch on the large muscle in his neck, his vision darkened and he fainted
Liu Yi held a spirit lamp that was emanating a faint glow, and gently said to Liang Xin: "The jade disc has released the little ghosts again"
Qu Qingshi also smiled wryly and shook his head: "The lifespan bow may not necessarily be able to shatter it, but..." As he spoke, he cast his gaze towards Liang Xin, signaling him to take over the conversation, his face filled with encouraging expressions.
Do not say that Liang Xin is still a child; even the seasoned Qingyi Liu, who has experienced life and death, is in a state of confusion. The two of them do not know how to persuade him, only hurriedly exclaiming "No, no!" as they stand on either side of Qu Qingshi.
As soon as the words fell, Qu Qingshi beside me erupted with an angry shout
Standing up unsteadily while holding the spiritual lamp, the large veins in his neck throbbed, and his entire body remained numb. However, Liang Xin hazily realized that even if he wanted to struggle desperately, he was not qualified to do so; relying solely on his own strength would only lead to death.
Liang Xin was momentarily confused before realizing his situation, and he hurriedly got up. Looking around, he saw that the entire mine was engulfed in thick darkness
I suspect that within this jade disc, there is boundless malevolent energy that can harm others. Qu Qingshi, without waiting for his two companions to speak, suddenly quickened his pace and said: "I have protective energy surrounding me, and by sealing off the human aura with red clay, I can endure for a while even amidst the malevolent energy. There is no need for concern, and certainly no need to adopt this childish demeanor!"
Qu Qingshi has grown old
With a loud cry, Liang Xinwa realized that he was undoubtedly doomed, and a single thought filled his mind: to perish together!
Liang Xin waited for a moment, his palms sweating with anxiety, and finally confirmed that this arrow, which had taken away half of Qu Qingshi's lifespan, had no effect whatsoever
Those little devils were startled by this arrow, their faces suddenly contorting into grimaces, and they all quickened their pace, running and jumping chaotically in the mine, trying to find out who had shot the cold arrow