Chapter Fourteen: Better Not To Think About It 4

  Autumn wind is bleak and mournful. The blue water stretches to meet the sky.

  Nalan Xixi followed Cheng Hai to the back of the mansion, which was as large as an imperial palace. The number of servants inside was countless, and yet she had never heard any news about them while living in this valley.

  Before long, Cheng Hai took her to a secluded lake. In front of the lake, there were high mountains and flowing water, with emerald green waterfalls cascading down. The sound of the lake's waves echoed endlessly.

  "Actually, I didn't mean to make things difficult for you, young lady. However, if you want the master to take action, it's necessary to pass through this waterfall, cross the mountain cave, and outside the cave is a high mountain with 99,999 steps, each half a meter high. Under the steps, you must kneel down one step at a time until you reach the top of the mountain. The master is in his residence on the mountain, cultivating his mind and body."

  Nalan Xixi slightly raised an eyebrow. She thought it would be much harder. It's just a test of physical strength after all.

  However, Cheng Hai continued: "The last hurdle... no matter what illness the patient has, the girl must use her own heart's blood as a guide, only then will Master agree to treat."

  He sighed and said, "It's always been the case that doctors should cure illnesses and save lives. Their master is good, having the ability to revive the dead, yet they refuse to rescue unless someone offers a life in exchange."

  And not to mention the unpredictable dangers behind this waterfall. Just those 999,990 steps can take a person's life. Not to mention getting that heart's blood. The pain is enough to kill people.

  "Good." Nalan Xixi glanced at the waterfall and replied softly.

  Cheng Hai was shocked. "Miss... what did you just say? This can be fatal..."

  Nalan Xixi smiled slightly. "Please instruct the kitchen to prepare some food for me, I will set off immediately."

  She had nothing to suspect anymore. If they had any intentions towards Dugu Han, with such a large mansion and hundreds of servants, it would be easy to do something untoward to him, just a matter of one word.

  Moreover, now it's the only way to take a gamble. No matter whether he is kidnapped or whatever, he is destined not to wake up. It's better to believe in the so-called "medical immortal" once. If he is really as they said, then there is still a 50% chance of waking up.

  As long as she has food, she has strength. As for the blood on her forehead, haha, it's just a matter of one knife cut.

  Cheng Hai looked at her without a single worry on her face, somewhat absent-minded, and subconsciously lowered his head to retreat. He instructed the kitchen staff to prepare some dry rations for her for several days.

  Nalan Xixi looked at the waterfall, her eyes narrowing slightly. Behind the waterfall was a cave, and what kind of rare treasures or strange beasts were inside, she had no idea. But it definitely wouldn't be easy to get through.

  It is said that the medical immortal was a disciple of Shangguan Qinyin. That Shangguan Qinyin used medicine extremely precious, thinking that one flavor of medicine would cost his life. Looking at the style of this medical immortal, it is no different from that of Shangguan Qinyin. If he doesn't torture people to near death, he won't give them treatment.

  Wait for her to go up. Be sure to ask clearly where Guan Qinyin is. Then leave here and find her Jin.

  Suddenly, Nalan Xinnuo came back to her senses. The faint rustling sound not far away caught her attention. It was Suo Ningbing. Nalan Xinnuo's expression eased up a bit. "You don't have to follow me."

  Distant. Life and death are unpredictable. Neither leaving nor appearing.

  Nalan Xixi smiled bitterly. Yes, they only obey their own masters. Even if the master is in danger, they will wholeheartedly complete the tasks assigned to them by their master.

  Such assassins are hard to come by. They only follow masters they acknowledge.

  "I won't let him die." Nalan Xixi looked at the waterfall, as if speaking to them, or perhaps just muttering to herself. "Absolutely not."

  She didn't know what it meant to have such power. She almost had the ability to control everyone's death, but she couldn't control their lives. She wanted to be in control, to control her own destiny. But in the end, she was no match for heaven, and couldn't defeat fate.

  "Miss." At this time, Cheng Hai hurriedly ran over with a big package in his hand, full of food inside.

  Nalan Xixi took over the package. "Thank you."

  Cheng Hai was somewhat worried, but didn't say much more. "Take care, miss. I'll be off then."

  Nalan Xixi nodded slightly. Cheng Hai sighed and turned around to leave.

  Nalan Xixi tied the package to her body and faced the distant, never-appearing Su Moye: "You can go too. He needs protection now."

  They were unmoved. Nalan Xixi stretched out her hand. The jade pendant on her chest emitted a warm glow. She took out the jade pendant and threw it in their direction: "Go."

  In the distance, a gust of wind flashed by. They held up the jade pendant with both hands. Without saying a word, Nalan Xianyu hesitated for a moment. "This is his thing."

  Suō Mìng Wú Cháng remained motionless, still holding the jade pendant in both hands. Nalan Xixi took over the jade pendant. Suō Mìng Wú Cháng flew away. On the jade pendant, two jade dragons rose into the clouds and spat out mist. At this moment, it was especially vivid.

  Double Dragon Jade Pendant. This jade pendant represents too much for Dugu Han. All his true feelings are invested in the pendant. His cherished loved ones, all had it, yet they all discarded it.

  The last time he lost it was when everyone thought Dugu Jue had fallen in battle. When this jade pendant returned to his side, Dugu Jue truly left this world.

  This time, he lost it in her hands again. The unpredictable fate did not dare to bring it back to his side once more. Each time it returned, it would make him feel as if he was dying all over again. No one else knew, but they knew.

  Nalan Xixi put away the jade pendant. The jade pendant was once again warm to the touch. She suddenly thought of that night in the Luotian Imperial Palace.

  She didn't know why she would ask such a stupid question... How could this jade have temperature?

  Jade knows cold and warmth. On a person's body, there must be a human temperature. She asked that way, perhaps in her heart, Dugu Han is a person without temperature.

  That kind of thinness. Like an iceberg snow lotus, cold and proud. But he, like his jade, has temperature.

  Nalan Xixi took a deep breath, then leaped towards the waterfall. She slightly raised her wrist and two sword winds shot out, cutting open a gap in the waterfall. She quickly dodged to the side and jumped in.

  Jumped over the waterfall, it was a pitch-black cave, couldn't see any light. The sound of the waterfall echoed in the cave, a damp and gloomy atmosphere. Nalan Xinnuo took out a night pearl from her bosom, illuminating the surroundings.

  The cave was very clean, but there were water droplets everywhere. Narlan Xino walked to one side and saw that the entire wall of the cave was made up of rare stalactites. The stone walls were carved with various patterns.

  Nalan Xixiao brought the night pearl closer to the stone wall. The pattern on the stone wall started from the entrance and extended inward, depicting people wearing ancient costumes, as well as forests and animals.

  They were all some strange beasts she had never seen before. Those strange beasts were all extremely huge, hundreds of times bigger than humans. Some could ride the clouds and fog, some could spit fire, and some could even make rain.

  People wearing strange costumes ride on even larger alien beasts. Those alien beasts are like the king of longevity. Other alien beasts look at it with reverence.

  Nalan Xixi suddenly stopped in her tracks. The people riding on the back of that giant beast had the same emblem on their clothes. Suddenly, Nalan Xixi's breath caught in her throat. That emblem was actually the two characters "Shangguan". The crown on top of the character for "officer" was drawn as the character for "above".

  Shangguan. She had heard more than once about the legend of the Shangguan family. Could it be that this mural was telling the story of the Shangguan family?

  Nalan Xixiao followed the murals and moved forward. Along the way, in the cave, there were only her footsteps and the sound of water droplets. She breathed carefully and concentrated on listening to the sounds in the cave. She thought that this cave should have some danger.

  She stroked the mural, moving forward all the way. It was unclear what time it was in the cave. But the feeling of hunger reminded her that she had been walking for a long time, always walking, never turning a corner, and never reaching an end.

  Nalan Xixi stopped in her tracks. If she wasn't mistaken, she had been walking in circles inside the cave. And strangely, it seemed like she was getting further and further away. Just a moment ago, she could still hear the sound of the waterfall, but now all that was left was the sound of water droplets hitting the stone floor.

  She let out a sigh and leaned against the wall, turning her head to stare blankly at the similar patterns on the wallpaper.

  Suddenly, she was startled and took out the night pearl to shine it on the stone wall opposite the painted wall. Indeed, there were many patterns on the stone wall opposite as well. However, she had been following the patterns on this side and hadn't taken a closer look at that side.

  On the opposite wall painting, a story is being told with many strange beasts, but the ones above are different from those on this side. The beasts in the painting are trampling people, and the remains of human bodies are broken under their paws. Blood flows like rivers.

  People's homes and houses were trampled into a desolate land by the alien beasts. And looking down again, people were killed by the alien beasts. However, the alien beasts were also gradually decreasing in number, from the initial dozens to disappearing one after another along the way, until humans reappeared, marking the beginning of another cycle of the story.

  On one hand, it's the glorious coexistence of monsters and humans. On the other hand, it's the cruel struggle to the death between monsters and humans. What does this all mean?

  He who gets the Mandate of Heaven will get the world.

  Suddenly, the phrase "Those who obtain the divine beast will obtain the world" flashed into Nalan Xixi's mind. She turned her head and looked at the painting on the wall again, wondering which side had obtained the world.

  Either wipe out all humans in the world with the alien beast or coexist with the alien beast.

  If it's coexistence, then what is the significance of the existence of heterobestiary? If killing all people in the world, wanting a world with blood flowing like rivers and corpses everywhere, what is the significance of such a world?

  Nalan Xixi furrowed her brow. What exactly was this mural trying to express?

  Suddenly, Nalan Xinnuo's eyes lit up. It was a matter of direction. In this magnificent mural, all the exotic beasts were facing east. The east had the King of Ten Thousand Beasts and the people of the Shangguan family.

  And on this side, they face the west and turn their backs to the east. One side represents light and justice, while the other represents darkness and evil. The western monster walks towards destruction, and she faces exactly that direction. That's why she can't get out.

  Nalan Xixi's heart was determined. She turned around and walked in the direction where the King of Ten Thousand Beasts was located.