Апрель

Глава 53

Shen Chen and Ling You were shocked, but they quickly calmed down and looked at the three people who appeared at the door.

As Xiao Xiao stepped into the room, she gasped. The small room was filled with the corpses of young girls, with severed limbs scattered everywhere, and a lingering stench of decay permeated the air.

"The Double Yin Blades truly live up to their name," Shen Chen said coldly.

Wen Su drew his sword and laughed, "If I remember correctly, Master Shen is not skilled in martial arts... and Master Lingyou should have already had his martial arts crippled. You two are both intelligent people, you should know what to do, right?"

Ling You laughed, looking at Wen Su, but speaking to Shen Chen, "Master Shen, I've said it before, the living are never reliable."

As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his hand. Suddenly, several corpses in the room stood up and staggered over.

"Kill," Ling You said, giving the simple order.

The girls immediately attacked. To everyone's surprise, while the zombies were usually stiff and lifeless, these girls were exceptionally agile, their every move precise and skillful.

Wen Su swung his sword and slashed down fiercely. An arm of a zombie was immediately severed, but the zombie felt no pain and continued its attack.

Xiao Xiao stood to one side, wondering where to hide, when she saw Lian Zhao being attacked by several zombies. Lian Zhao was certainly skilled, but he was suffering from internal injuries and hadn't had time to recover on the way here. If this continued, she feared…

Xiao Xiao immediately drew her protective short sword and leaped forward. Having fought the zombies before, she was now experienced. While separating Lian Zhao from the zombies, she shouted to Wen Su, "Uncle-Master, stab the Qiangjian and Tianzhu acupoints!"

Upon hearing this, Wen Su immediately changed his sword technique.

Lingyou's expression changed, and he stared straight at Xiaoxiao.

Wen Su slashed through the zombies around him, leaped up, and stood in front of Ling You and Shen Chen.

Shen Chen looked terrified and hurriedly asked, "What...what do you want?"

Wen Su's smile was icy cold. He raised his knife and slowly said, "Hand over the Three Corpse Divine Needles, and I'll leave you with a whole corpse."

Shen Chen frowned and said, "The Three Corpse Divine Needles originally belonged to the Shennong family. Donghai only obtained them by chance. What right do you have to demand their return?"

Wen Su's expression was cold as he said, "Enough with the nonsense."

Shen Chen took a few steps back, speechless.

Ling You pondered for a moment and then said, "Hero Wen, if I am not mistaken, about 30% of your disciples have been poisoned by my 'Snake Gu'."

Wen Su remained silent, offering no reply.

“Hehe, the 'Snake Gu' has a peculiar toxicity; only by using the Three Corpse Divine Needles to circulate blood can it be neutralized.” Ling You glanced at Xiao Xiao again. “Furthermore, the Snow-white Silver Light on this young lady's wrist also needs to be treated promptly…”

"Do you think I'd believe you?" Wen Su said.

Ling You narrowed his eyes and said, "You have no choice but to believe it." He raised his hand and pointed at Wen Su, "You are being used by that little bitch Shi Mi without even realizing it. Do you really think she would spare your lives? 'Longevity Gu' and 'Three Corpse Divine Needles' are both secrets. The Shennong family will definitely silence you."

Hearing these words, Xiao Xiao couldn't help but sigh. Knowing too much really does shorten one's life...

Wen Su smiled and shook his head. "Master Lingyou, do you really think that the Shennong Family is too powerful to offend the Seventy-Two Islands of the East China Sea?"

Ling You was stunned, somewhat puzzled.

"I had already taken into account the sacrifices of my disciples," Wen Su said leisurely, gripping the knife in his hand. "I am determined to obtain the Three Corpse Divine Needles. You two would be better off being sensible."

These words shocked not only Shen Chen and Ling You, but also Xiao Xiao and Lian Zhao.

At that moment, Xiao Xiao finally understood Wen Su's meaning. He hadn't entered Jiyu Manor to save his disciples; his promise to Shi Mi was merely a ploy to lower her guard. Wen Su's sole purpose was the Three Corpse Divine Needles. And likely, it wasn't just the 108 needles that Donghai originally possessed…

The Three Corpse Divine Needles can only be unleashed to their true power by the Shennong family. For ordinary people, those needles are utterly inadequate even for embroidery. However, the list given to her by "Qu Fang" includes many sects searching for these divine needles. She could vaguely guess the reason. Seventeen years ago, a "Ghost Master" infiltrated the Shennong family. The places the "Ghost Master" frequented all shared one thing in common: the Nine Emperor Divine Artifacts…

With the appearance of the Nine Emperors, the world is unified.

Xiao Xiao looked at Wen Su, feeling a little helpless. He possessed the exact same face as their master, yet had a completely different personality. There were such different brothers in the world...

Just as the atmosphere was becoming tense, Shen Chen suddenly lifted his foot and stomped down heavily.

A giant net descended from the sky, landing on Wen Su and his group.

Upon seeing this, the three immediately scattered and avoided the giant net.

Ling You took out a Three Corpse Divine Needles from his bosom and threw them to the crowd.

Needles again? A slight sigh escapes her lips; is she cursed by needles?!

However, to her surprise, while the Three Corpse Divine Needles were powerful, they only worked when struck on acupoints. Ling You's careless tossing them around seemed rather reckless. Her doubts lasted only a short time, as Shen Chen suddenly appeared in his hand with a small box. His expression was grim as he slowly opened the box. In an instant, all the divine needles seemed to come alive, moving on their own.

The magic needles in Xiao Xiao's arms also flew out and began to move out of thin air.

"A magnet?!" Xiao Xiao blurted out.

Legend has it that the Three Corpse Divine Needles are made of celestial black iron, and since it's iron, it's susceptible to magnetism. But the magnet in Shen Chen's hand is clearly no ordinary magnet. Shen Chen manipulates the small box in his hand, and the divine needles, as if controlled by an invisible hand, attack the crowd.

Wen Su and Lian Zhao were no ordinary people, but the divine needles were small and numerous, making them impossible to defend against. In just a short while, the two of them were immobilized by the divine needles.

Although Xiaoxiao was protected by "exquisite embroidery," preventing her from suffering serious injuries, she still sustained cuts and bruises on her hands and feet. The current situation is not optimistic.

Shen Chen's expression was slightly smug. He manipulated the magnet in his hand, about to deliver a fatal blow. But then the divine needles became erratic and turned against Shen Chen. Unable to dodge in time, Shen Chen was pierced by several needles.

Upon seeing this, Ling You immediately stepped forward, closed the small box, and the movement of the divine needles stopped instantly. He raised his hand, retracted some of the needles, then helped Shen Chen up, took a heavy step, and saw that the ground not far away had sunk, revealing a hidden passage.

Ling You, without lingering in the fight, retreated into the secret passage. As soon as the two entered the passage, the ground rose again, firmly blocking their path.

Wen Su got up to give chase, but his acupoints were restricted, making it difficult for him to move.

Of the three, Xiao Xiao's injuries were the least severe. She rushed over, trying to reopen the mechanism, but no matter how hard she tried, the secret passage did not reappear.

She sighed knowingly. Okay, trapped...

She turned to look at Wen Su and Lian Zhao. "Uh... the road is blocked..."

Wen Su's eyes were filled with resentment. "Damn it..." he gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath.

Seeing that he was staggering and unsteady, Xiaoxiao stepped forward to support him and said, "Uncle-Master, please don't get angry. Let me help you remove the needles first..."

Wen Su glanced at her, shook off her hand, walked to the side and sat down, and began to circulate his internal energy to force out the divine needles that had been inserted into his acupoints.

She scratched her head slightly, sighing, "This is just taking my anger out on others..." She smiled helplessly, turned around, and looked at Lian Zhao.

Lian Zhao's internal injuries were much more severe than Wen Su's; he hadn't even had the strength to speak since the beginning.

Xiao Xiao walked over to him, squatted down, and said, "Let me help you remove the needles..."

Lian Zhao nodded weakly.

Xiao Xiao reached out and carefully began to remove the needles. Unlike the "Sealing Needles," the "Three Corpse Divine Needles" posed no danger during removal. However, Xiao Xiao was far more nervous than when removing the "Sealing Needles." Her fingers trembled slightly as she carefully considered the pressure to apply.

Lian Zhao noticed her furrowed brow and hesitant expression. A warm smile instantly appeared in his eyes, and he said softly, "This little pain... Lian Zhao can bear it..."

Startled, she looked up, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Oh..." she responded, then lowered her head and focused on removing the needles.

By the time all the needles were removed from his body, Xiao Xiao was covered in sweat. She breathed a sigh of relief, stepped back a little, and let him sit up straight so he could regulate his breathing on his own.

Xiao Xiao sat to one side, hugging her knees. She looked up at Wen Su, whose inner strength was profound. He had already forced out all the divine needles and was meditating quietly.

She blinked slightly, thought for a moment, and then moved closer to Lian Zhao, sitting a little closer. As soon as she was settled, she looked up at Wen Su, thought for a moment, and then moved even closer... She repeated this until she felt that the distance between them was such that even if a magic needle flew at her, she could block it in time. Only then did she sit down with peace of mind, resting her head on her hand and smiling faintly.

She couldn't help but wonder, if all three of them were destined to never leave the underground palace and die here, what would future generations who unearth their remains speculate? Hmm… two men and one woman… a crime of passion? She was immediately startled by her own thought. She shook her head. No, there were so many young girls' corpses here… She continued thinking, "Hmm, 'fighting for treasure, killing each other,' that sounds good!"…

Xiao Xiao was thinking about it with great interest when she gradually felt tired. For several nights in a row, she didn't get a good night's sleep. Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and she fell asleep without realizing it.

...

...This is a scene divider = =+...

Beneath the underground palace, Yin Xiao and his group were walking through a dark passageway.

The tinderbox's dim light was barely enough to illuminate a patch of ground beneath their feet. The three of them moved with extreme caution. Yet, they encountered no danger along the way. The reason for this, of course, was inseparable from Miss Shen. Although Shen Yuan was a woman, physically weak, she had been exposed to the methods of arranging formations since childhood. Many mechanisms were deactivated before they could be activated.

At this moment, Shen Yuan's unease deepened. She had indeed heard rumors in her childhood about an underground palace beneath the manor, but only the successive owners of the manor were allowed entry. She had never really taken it to heart. However, today, she witnessed firsthand the vastness of the underground palace, the intricate and winding paths, and the treacherous traps. She had a growing feeling that the Jiyu Manor, where she had lived for eighteen years, held far too many secrets she didn't know.

She suppressed her fear and trembling as she walked through the pitch-black passage, her mind racing with wild thoughts.

Suddenly, Yin Xiao stopped and reached out to stop Shen Yuan and Yue Huaixi from going forward.

Yue Huaixi curiously peeked out, but quickly withdrew after just one glance.

"Ugh, more bugs!" she said helplessly.

The ground in front of the three was crawling with Gu worms, their tangled and writhing repulsive.

Silver Owl raised the tinderbox, looked at it, and said, "Let's go."

Yue Huaixi sighed and nodded.

Yin Xiao seemed to realize something, turned around, and looked at Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan had never seen so many Gu worms before, and was already terrified. However, she stood straight, not taking a step back, her eyes filled with stubbornness.

“Miss Shen…” Yin Xiao smiled and handed the tinder to Shen Yuan, “Shall I take the loss and carry you over?”

Upon hearing this, Shen Yuan's eyebrows furrowed in displeasure. However, with so many Gu worms covering the ground, she, a mere woman, certainly couldn't possibly get past them. Now, she had no choice but to submit. Trembling, she reached out and took the tinderbox from Yin Xiao's hand.

Yin Xiao smiled with delight. He took a step forward, easily picked up Shen Yuan, and used his lightness skill to leap into the air.

Shen Yuan's body was tense, her brows furrowed, and her teeth clenched.

Silver Owl leaped and bounded, covering more than ten feet. Suddenly, he stopped abruptly and took several steps back.

A figure could be vaguely seen ahead. Silver Owl held his breath and waited quietly.

Shen Yuan's heart raced involuntarily as she gripped the tinderbox, trying to make out the details. However, when she finally saw it clearly, she froze.

Those were a dozen or so girls... no, strictly speaking, with such mutilated limbs, they could no longer be considered girls.

"Walking corpses!" Yue Huaixi exclaimed in surprise.

Yin Xiao sighed and said to Shen Yuan in his arms, "Do you see... these are the missing girls..."

Shen Yuan was too frightened to speak, remaining stiff and silent.

Yin Xiao freed one hand and took out several "Snow-Refined Silver Lights" from his robes, shooting them out. Yin Xiao was a master needle user; the silver lights pierced the walking corpse's Tanzhong acupoint without deviation. The walking corpse, struck by the needles, instantly stopped. Gu worms then emerged from the walking corpse's mouth and nose, writhing and struggling.

It is tempered with a silvery light, subtle and cold, and has the special effect of "circulating through the meridians," so it is expected that the Gu worms cannot withstand it.

Silver Owl chuckled disdainfully, crushed a few Gu worms to death, then leaped up and continued forward.

Seeing this, Yue Huaixi looked at him with admiration and followed closely behind.

The three had traveled for a short while when they came to a dead end. Yin Xiao stopped, put Shen Yuan down, turned around, and looked behind him. From the dark path they had come from, mournful cries echoed continuously.

After landing, Shen Yuan was unsteady on her feet for a while. She gripped the tinderbox tightly, frowning as she suppressed her fear. She took a few deep breaths, turned around, and looked at the wall blocking her way. She spread out the map, pondered for a moment, and then reached out and pressed down on a few bricks in the wall. The heavy stone wall trembled and slowly opened to both sides.

Yin Xiao and Yue Huaixi were both on high alert, but the scene behind the stone wall astonished them. Compared to the dark and gloomy passage, this room was bright and clean. Such cleanliness seemed almost sacred against the backdrop of the Gu worms and walking corpses along the way.

Yin Xiao raised the corners of his mouth and smiled. He stepped inside.

After the three entered, Shen Yuan closed the stone wall for safety.

"Wow, this place is beautiful," Yue Huaixi exclaimed after looking around.