Chương 385: Ghosts of the Mine (XXXI)

Okay, Long Tao is definitely testing me. Considering that alchemist's reaction, digging out a core is something that just apparently doesn't happen. And now, that old bastard is asking me to do it? Nah, I'm good. It's okay, actually; now that I've jogged my memory a bit better, he also requested a soul weapon that one time, and I don't recall making that. I should set the limits early on, and they should be rather strict. This feels like a good place to start.... then again, there was the quest.

The more I thought about it, the weirder it got. Just like most other quests, it was perfectly vague--no, I shouldn't say that. The quest kids completed not too long ago was very straightforward, so it's not all quests. Speaking of it, though, I should probably hand Light or Wan Lan the 7th tier Demonic Core at some point as a reward, since the description is rather straightforward: it's either used in pill concoction or by Demonic Cultivators to massively increase their cultivation.

Aah, no time to think about that--not here, anyway. Shuren wasn't kidding when she said she could escort a mortal through this place; I could barely catch a glimpse of a Yin Spirit before it either got obliterated or scurried away in fear. Though the cave was quite tight, and navigating it a bit of a pain in the ass, it was quite... casual, the whole thing. On my end, at least. Though I slowly began to feel the creep of Qi as density increased, it was pleasant, more so than dangerous.

The air was crisp, the place was wild, and it was all going great until one fateful sentence.

"This is boring!" That was Light, announcing to everyone her thoughts. Though, judging by the kids' expressions, they seemed to agree with her wholeheartedly.

"Pretty lady, can you let some of those ugly things through so we can fight them?"... wow. What a suck-up. Did I really just think that? Wow. Just... wow. Shuren glanced at me, the look in her eye helpless; I mean, why not? It was a bit boring just being escorted, and I wonder if the core thingamabob might actually choose Shuren as its savior if we just keep being escorted like a group of celebrities. I shrugged, and she sighed, seeming even more helpless.

"How can I say no?" she must have been thinking, 'No, seriously, how can I say no?' Alas, there was no saying no to Light. The queasy feeling was abrupt, and the chill so sudden I nearly shuddered, just barely managing not to do it. The feeling was kind of familiar, yet not; it wasn't cold or even chilling, per se. It was distantly similar to that sensation I got when 'somebody gave me the creeps'. Like the body instinctually recoiling at the sight, smell, or sound of something.

Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. A languid, long, bony arm suddenly shot out of the dark and toward Xing Feng, likely thinking him the weakest; the boy reacted immediately, shuffling to the side and dodging it, all while Dai Xiu casually extended her hand and grasped the shadowy arm within her grips. The latter struggled, warping and writhing, but she simply pressed harder and 'snapped it', dissolving it into plumes of smoke and shadow. Oh, right.

I forgot to give that kid his reward.... damn.

"Feng'er," I casually called out to him and tossed the iron ruler. The boy grabbed it and looked at it curiously.

"It's your reward for breaking through."

"Ah!" he fiddled with it for a moment and immediately figured out how to change forms. As more and more hands and eventually even figures began to creep from the shadows, and as the kids began to form a wide net around the center, I noticed something rather odd. The size of the pathway kept... widening. It wasn't an illusion, and it wasn't some other form of array, but the pathway kept widening.

And yet, there were no 'visible' signs of it--no shaking, no debris, no extremely loud noise on account of the freakin' mountain moving, just... nothing. When it became evident that the pathway's width just about doubled, everyone--and I do mean everyone, Shuren and her five guys, Lao Shun, Long Tao, and the kids--they all whipped their heads towards me and stared knowingly, nodding.... yeah. What the hell do these people actually think of me?!!

Do they think I'm some sort of a magic man that can do anything and everything he wants?! Little Feng turned the ruler into a sword and started attacking alongside Xi Zhao, though the two couldn't really be further from each other style-wise. Xi Zhao was all about overpowering with a single strike, while the little boy was more about stacking smaller strikes and keeping his distance. They sort of contrasted in a way Dai Xiu and Wan Lan did, I suppose.

The path stopped widening where it was about fifteen feet across, with more than enough space for kids to fight and for me to leisurely walk, as they never allowed any of the hands of phantoms to reach me. Not that it would do them any good, as I kept channeling Yin-repelling art, regardless.

I tried not to look at the phantoms directly, truth be told; less so than just humans, but pale and ghostly-looking, they were vile and twisted, with eyes being omnidirectional slits and mouths gaping maws with jagged, tip-pointed teeth practically climbing over one another in a set of arrays and rows, totaling hundreds in number. The flesh of the faces was rotten and, more importantly, rotting. It would melt and snap, revealing further the boneless abyss beneath.

I was in luck, though, because kids being kids meant that they 'knew' I'd be queasy; for once, at least, I'm glad they think I'm a bit of a wimp. As such, any time a phantom would so much as glance in my direction, one of the kids--usually Xi Zhao or Rayce, as they were the only ones who had relative 'long range' capabilities (even if we're talking about 20-30 feet of distance here) to easily cull phantoms—would do so.

Rayce mostly stayed by my side, occasionally tearing up papers and summoning arrays of light that did one thing or another. The only reason I knew what they did was because he narrated every one of them, as though bragging. No, scratch that--he was bragging.

"This is Word of Inversion," hm?

"It was actually extremely hard to draw, Master, and I can't draw more than one per month. When I tear it up, I'll attach a tendril of mana to Senior Brother Zhao's weapon; any time he attacks, if he comes in contact with negatively charged energy, it will become twisted, turning into its opposite." No, wait, isn't that exactly what we need?

"Wait," I said.

"You only have one of these?"

"Yes, Master." He nodded.

"Could you lend it to me?" I asked.

"It might be useful a bit further down below."

"Lend? No," a stranger listening in would think he was too attached to it, but...

"It's yours, Master. If I work really hard, and I sacrifice a bit of my lifespan, I can probably write another one in a day!"

"... no, no, that's quite alright," I said.

"Just the one will do. Are you letting Dai Xiu influence you, too?"

"There's no need," he smiled.

"Your brilliance is more than enough."

"..." wow. The willpower it took to just not straight-up gag to that. I should be given an award or something, I swear... Is it evil to say I preferred him when he was depressed and a barely discernible presence? Yup. Pretty evil at that, actually.