Chapter Eight: The Forked Road Is Hard to Travel (Part Two)

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Shi Jun leaned in curiously and let out a soft "huh." Before his eyes lay a small, deep pool, its surface shrouded in a misty veil of emerald-green smoke, occasionally sparkling with tiny flecks of golden light. The verdant liquid appeared thicker than ordinary water, faintly shimmering with a strange metallic hue. A peculiar, subtle fragrance slowly drifted from this little pool, rendering the scene both beautiful and tinged with an inexplicable eeriness.

Seeing that Yasha was urging him again, Shi Jun couldn’t spare the time to observe further. Mimicking the posture of Houtu and the others, he moved above the pool and leapt down.

* * * * * * * *

“Thud!” Shi Jun fell hard, a sharp, indescribable pain searing through his internal organs. A wave of discomfort escaped in a soft groan. The journey just now had felt like a nightmare from which he could not awaken—his body spinning uncontrollably as he plunged downward ever faster. The sensation of weightlessness was already unbearable, but that was not the worst. Sharp, piercing noises blared in his ears, as if countless spirits screamed in unison, nearly driving him mad. His body felt as if it were being stabbed repeatedly by thousands of fine, needle-like hairs, each prick excruciating to the core. When he tried to touch the source, his hands met only a sticky, limp substance. His nostrils were filled with a sickly sweet stench, as if something was blocking his breath, choking him...

How long he struggled, Shi Jun had no idea. Almost suffocating, he felt his fall accelerating as he tried to use his spiritual energy to stabilize himself, but some force interfered, preventing him from focusing. There was nothing to do but fall uncontrollably, unsure of where or when it would end.

At last, the dreadful journey ceased. Though he had fallen hard, his body soon ceased to feel unusual—likely no internal injuries. Yet, darkness still surrounded him, pitch black, so dense he couldn’t see his own hand, unaware of his location.

Shi Jun tilted his head, listening intently. Silence. He wondered where Yasha and the others had gone. Hesitating, he tentatively called out, “Brother Yasha?”

“Don’t make a sound!” A cold hand suddenly covered his mouth.

Startled, Shi Jun vaguely recalled this voice—it seemed to belong to Xuan Shi. The hand lingered briefly, then quietly withdrew. Nearby came the faintest sound, like the rustling of armor. A subtle fragrance filled his nose, reminiscent of perfume.

Girls were always like that; no matter how much they disguised themselves as generals or looked like men, their love for beauty never truly changed. Shi Jun smiled silently and obediently sealed his lips. Suddenly, a thought struck him: despite knowing Chi Yang for so long, he had never seen her wear makeup. But she was so beautiful, she simply didn’t need it... A faint ache stirred within.

Did she truly love the Underworld Emperor? If so, perhaps all his feelings had been one-sided. To her, maybe he was merely a task to be completed. Shi Jun couldn’t help but ask himself: What am I to her? Unrequited love?

He hadn’t expected that the first girl he ever liked would be under such circumstances.

A faint bitter smile curled on his lips. Xuan Shi remained motionless beside him. Shi Jun sat quietly, lost in thought: What were Chi Shang and the others doing now? Motuo and Dahai were probably drooling, trailing some enchantress’s side! If they found out he had acted on his own, they might scold him for being disloyal. Besides, he hadn’t been to school in a long time—would he fail the exams?

* * * * * * * *

“Rustle, rustle,” the sound of someone moving through the grass interrupted Shi Jun’s wandering thoughts.

“Huang Sha?” Xuan Shi asked in a low voice.

“Yes, and me too.”

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A faint glow, as small as a bean, flickered softly. By its pale green light, Shi Jun saw Huang Sha’s tall figure and a slender, pale man beside him—Qing Yan.

“I checked everywhere. The barrier is intact and safe, as if it hasn’t been disturbed,” Qing Yan said with a weary smile.

Only then did Xuan Shi relax and rise, concernedly asking Qing Yan, “What’s wrong with you?”

Huang Sha patted Qing Yan’s shoulder and smiled “gently.” “Little Qing said he encountered a mad silkworm in the passage when he came down…”

Qing Yan shuddered and grumbled, “Old Huang, please don’t call me ‘Little Qing.’ I’m covered in goosebumps and almost losing them all.”

Huang Sha chuckled apologetically. “Hehe… it just slips out. Don’t be mad!” Then, turning to Xuan Shi, who looked thoughtful, he asked, “Where is Commander A Xuan? And where’s A Tu? Why haven’t they come down yet?”

Xuan Shi’s face showed no emotion as he shook his head slowly. “Wasn’t Houtu the first one down? Could it be…”

“Sent somewhere else by the Cuiwei Whirlpool?” Qing Yan’s expression gradually brightened. He absentmindedly stroked a large stone beside him, sat down cross-legged, and rocked gently.

“Don’t be ridiculous! A Tu is so skilled, there’s no way he’d be in trouble! The Commander is even stronger,” Huang Sha said softly, a hint of reproach in his tone.

Xuan Shi shook his head. “Still, I didn’t expect the barrier here in the Demon Realm to be so powerful. I’ll have to reconsider my estimates.”

Huang Sha agreed. “Yeah, it’s been many years since I was here. So much has changed… Ugh, my head got all messed up in the whirlpool passage—so annoying.” She took out a small mirror from her clothes and, by the faint glow, examined her reflection.

Seeing Shi Jun standing nearby, she softly cleared her throat, exchanged a glance with the others, and asked with concern, “Sir, are you alright?” She smiled alluringly.

After listening for a while, Shi Jun concluded that Huang Sha was a little unusual. What man called someone “good boy” so sweetly? Was she trying to charm a child? If he wasn’t straight, that would be a waste of talent. Feeling a chill down his spine, Shi Jun shivered like Qing Yan, his teeth tingling, his hands clenching into fists uncontrollably… yet he also felt embarrassed. After all, she was showing concern for him. Gathering himself, he smiled and replied, “I’m fine, thank you.”

“You’re too polite,” Huang Sha said as if only noticing Shi Jun’s youthful, delicate face now. Her eyes suddenly brightened with a strange gleam, giving Shi Jun an uneasy feeling.

Xuan Shi and Qing Yan clearly weren’t interested in Shi Jun, only tolerating him out of respect for Yasha, with a hint of curiosity. Watching Huang Sha chat with him, they exchanged a glance, their faces showing a faint, half-smile, but said nothing.

Shi Jun noticed but didn’t care, merely asking calmly, “Where is this place? What’s our next move?”

“This is a small barrier we set up in the Demon Realm for convenience in future visits. Didn’t expect it to still be usable after so many years,” Huang Sha explained enthusiastically.

Really? Shi Jun looked around. “Why is it so dark?”

“Too much time has passed. It’s dirty!” Qing Yan jumped up, rubbed his hand against a nearby stone, and then held it out to Shi Jun. “See? All dusty.”

“How did we get in directly then?”

“Everything was planned long ago,” Xuan Shi replied coolly.

Planned? Shi Jun was puzzled. He rummaged in his treasure pouch and pulled out a large flashlight—one from the city—and turned it on, shining it around.

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* * * * * * * *

Sure enough, the four of them were in a space roughly the size of a classroom, dark and gloomy. Yet, parts of the “ceiling” and “walls” were like glass, allowing a view outside. Squinting through the filthy glass, uncleaned for countless years, Shi Jun saw lush greenery with shapes moving in varying depths.

“What is this?” Xuan Shi asked curiously, eyeing the flashlight in Shi Jun’s hand.

“Ah? You don’t know? Seriously…” Shi Jun felt a bit dizzy but handed the flashlight over, casually answering, “It’s a flashlight, used for lighting at night.”

“Amazing!” Huang Sha exclaimed dramatically, joining Qing Yan to examine it with surprise. “Are these all human-world things?”

“Obviously,” Xuan Shi snapped, clearly unimpressed by Huang Sha.

“Way better than lanterns. Looks like there are still some good things in the human world,” Qing Yan said with a grin, twirling the flashlight.

Hearing Huang Sha’s sweet exclamations, Shi Jun suddenly felt like hitting someone but held back. Then he turned to Xuan Shi and Qing Yan and asked, “Brother Yasha, when will he arrive?”

“Don’t know,” Xuan Shi replied stiffly, glancing around. “But we can’t stay here long. Though the barrier protects us, our combined spiritual energy is strong and will attract monsters.”

“A Xuan is right,” Huang Sha nodded coquettishly. “Let’s split up now and rendezvous at the barrier set on Desire Mountain, as the Commander mentioned. Lord Underworld Hunter, shall I accompany you?”

“Ah?” Shi Jun was dumbfounded. No “battle plan” and just starting to move? Yasha really didn’t bother to share the details with him beforehand… Before he could reply, Qing Yan laughed and pulled Xuan Shi up. “Let’s go, time’s tight.” He glanced at the flashlight, reluctant to part with it.

“If you want it, you can have it,” Shi Jun said, seeing Qing Yan’s fondness for the flashlight. Resigned, he gave a glance at Huang Sha. “General Huang, how do we proceed?”

“Oh, don’t be so formal. Just call me A Huang.”

“…A Huang?” Shi Jun thought that sounded like the name of a neighbor’s dog but didn’t dare comment, nodding bitterly.

Xuan Shi and Qing Yan exchanged a glance, then produced a talisman which ignited by itself.

Isn’t this more convenient than a flashlight? Why bother admiring strange human-world gadgets when they have magic? Shi Jun found it odd. As the talisman burned, the two figures gradually blurred, transforming into two magnificent giraffes, each towering with legs nearly ten meters long.

“These are some of the lowest creatures in the Demon Realm, unlikely to draw attention. We must transform like this before we can go out,” Huang Sha explained quickly, seeing the surprise on Shi Jun’s face.

The two giraffes spoke human words: “We’ll go ahead. See you at Desire Mountain.” Then with a leap, they crashed into the dark wall and vanished in a blink.

Now, only Shi Jun and Huang Sha remained in the dark barrier. Shi Jun suddenly felt very uneasy.