“You…” Bai Jiu’s lips trembled slightly after hearing this. “You’ve realized it too… It’s very likely that you’ve already…”
“Jiu-jie.” Qiu Shiliu sighed. “Every step I’ve taken to get here—whether it’s major battles or narrowly avoiding falling into the abyss just now—has depended on every member of Cat. So don’t waste time with pleasantries. Let me figure out how to save everyone.”
“You…”
“At this point, the worst-case scenario is that we all end up inside Xuanwu’s body and eventually arrive at this small mountain village,” Qiu Shiliu said. “But we’ve already found a way out. Now is the time to go all in.”
Bai Jiu nodded after hearing this. Things in this world always worked this way.
If she told Qiu Shiliu that the other world was fake, Qiu Shiliu might start doubting. Even if she agreed at the time, it would inevitably create a rift in trust later. But if Bai Jiu abandoned that idea and tried to let Qiu Shiliu escape alone, Qiu Shiliu would instead choose to help the entire Cat team.
If there was one way to describe it, this was the mutual “trust” they shared.
“So, Jiu-jie, just tell me what to do.”
“Shiliu, first, I need to make something clear…” Bai Jiu said. “No matter what you’re seeing now, without evidence, we can’t confirm what’s strange about that world you entered, nor can we confirm whether it’s real. After all, in the ‘Land of Endings,’ there are many ways to make you feel like you’re back in reality.”
“I understand. Whether it’s dreaming, visions, illusions, or even clever artifacts—any of them could make me mistakenly believe I’ve returned to reality,” Qiu Shiliu said firmly. “So I’ve made up my mind now. The safest choice is to stick to Cat’s plan.”
“Good.” Bai Jiu nodded. “Since you understand, I think you should go back to the room you were just in and investigate. After all, the ‘most important door’ points to that building.”
“Got it. I’ll go now—wait.” Qiu Shiliu paused. “Jiu-jie, someone’s coming up the mountain.”
“Huh…?”
Qiu Shiliu flipped the “door” in her hand toward the only path up the mountain. A gaunt figure was slowly making its way up.
Bai Jiu was about to speak when a strange noise suddenly caught her attention.
In the distance, Xuanwu—who had been standing motionless—suddenly seemed to snap. With a swift motion, she struck Luo Shiyi with a brutal palm strike, sending him flying.
Fortunately, Luo Shiyi still carried “Forget Sorrow.” Even after being sent flying, he only let out a muffled grunt. He could feel several ribs breaking, but for now, he felt no pain.
“Dang it…” Luo Shiyi got up from the ground as if nothing had happened. “This crazy woman is so unpredictable…”
“Why…” Xuanwu suddenly spoke. “What exactly do you want?”
Before anyone could answer, Xuanwu swung her hand again—this time at Luo Shiwu. He had no time to react. His neck snapped instantly, and his body froze for a second before collapsing to its knees.
“This is bad…” Bai Jiu murmured. “Something’s wrong with Xuanwu… I need to check on it…”
“Jiu-jie! What about me?!”
“Shiliu, I suspect the person coming up the mountain is heading for the house behind you!” Bai Jiu said, locking eyes with Jiang Shi. “Hide inside and see what they’re up to!”
“O-okay!” Qiu Shiliu replied.
Bai Jiu stood up to leave, but Jiang Shi grabbed her sleeve.
“Little Jiang Shi…”
“Jiu-jie, take me with you,” Jiang Shi said. “Right now, I have both ‘Forget Sorrow’ and ‘Undying.’ I can still take a few hits.”
Bai Jiu naturally didn’t want to drag Jiang Shi into danger—it would only hasten his death.
“Besides… you still need to communicate with Shiliu,” Jiang Shi added. “The situation is already bizarre enough. Only my eyes can connect with Shiliu, and I can’t even see anything myself.”
“Fine…” Bai Jiu gave him a sorrowful look before nodding. “Alright… Hang in there…”
With that, she raised her hand and blew a sharp whistle. A figure descended from the sky.
“Jiu-jie, what do you need?” It was Wu Shisan, the “Hovering Sky.”
“Shisan, take Jiang Shi to the battlefield. We need to hold off Xuanwu.”
“But…” Wu Shisan glanced at Jiang Shi, who was barely clinging to life. “Is Shi-ge really in any condition for this?”
“No time for questions. Hurry up.”
Wang Ba, seeing Luo Shiyi get sent flying, quickly stepped in front of Xuanwu, shielding the others. His short, squat figure looked absurdly comical.
But in the next second, his body swelled like a gust of wind, instantly doubling in size.
“Xuanwu… The reason we’re standing here is to kill you, isn’t it?”
“Kill me…?” Xuanwu’s voice echoed faintly.
“Yeah.” Wang Ba—now resembling a giant—took a step forward, shaking the ground with his massive footfall. “What, having second thoughts? Not going to give us a chance anymore?”
Xuanwu didn’t respond. Instead, she vanished—only to reappear beside Wang Ba in an instant, delivering a brutal punch to his abdomen.
**Thud!**
Wang Ba barely managed to block the strike with his arms, but the force still sent him stumbling back several steps, his face twisting in pain.
Everyone watching frowned at the sight.
Meanwhile, in the other space, Qiu Shiliu—unaware of what was happening—quickly turned and sprinted toward the abandoned house.
After scanning the dilapidated interior, she spotted a few bundles of dry straw in the corner—the only possible hiding spot. Without hesitation, she ducked behind them, holding her breath.
She had no idea whether this space was real or if the approaching figure was even human.
For all she knew, it could be another faceless creature like before.
Soon, faint footsteps grew closer, and Qiu Shiliu’s heart pounded in her throat.
Then, the door creaked open.
A frail, disheveled girl stepped inside.
Her hair was matted and filthy, as if it hadn’t been washed or combed in years. The ragged clothes she wore barely covered her, making her look like a wild animal.
She carried a tattered little bag on her back. After setting it down, she walked to the stove and began lighting a fire.
Qiu Shiliu stared at the girl’s back, still struggling to process what she was seeing—until the girl suddenly spoke:
“You can kill me, but you can’t break me.”
……
“You can kill me, but you can’t break me.”
Xuanwu lifted her head and spoke to Wang Ba.
Her voice sounded distant, as if echoing from another world entirely.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage