Chapter 2 (1/2)
Chapter 2 : Shed One's Mortal Body and Exchange One's Bones (1)
He could only rely on his feet for the thirty miles, furthermore, he was carrying a person on his back, his advance was naturally very slow.
Fortunately, this person was not very heavy, perhaps it was because he was so burnt that what left was a withered body, carrying him was effortless.
All along the road was spick and span, even the snakes, insects, rats and ants were missing from sight.
Yet, the place they were heading was especially conspicuous.
From thirty miles away, Xu Xing Zhi could already see a gigantic tower meeting the sky at the southeast. It linked straight to the horizon with golden rays glistering. If you survey the area spread beyond one's eyes, there would only be the traces of the carver's blade on them. (2)
Even if there was no guidance from the black shadow, Xu Xing Zhi would still choose to head there.
Daytime did not exist in the wilderness and the sky was dull, like the leucoma(3) growing from the eyes of an elderly. It might have rained heavily earlier on. The initial shower had stopped and the sky was of a dusky color as the verdurous forest rippled like a green wave.
Xu Xing Zhi carried a dying burnt corpse, trekking in the forest.
However, the surrounding was really too quiet, so quiet that it brought fear to the heart and mind, Xu Xing Zhi simply started whistling.
The sound was bright and distinct, as if it could seep into the damp stones.
When he smoothly finished an old folk tune, he sincerely praised himself: ”It's so good.”
The person on his back slightly moved, a gust of hot air blew unto his neck.
……Seemed like he was laughing.
But when Xu Xing Zhi looked back, his head was quietly leaning on his back. There was no movement at all.
It was probably an illusion.
After pa.s.sing through the forest, rugged hills started appearing. Xu Xing Zhi's legs were getting weak and he was truly exhausted. He simply found a dry and clean cave and entered in.
The cave had a block of moss covered rock. Xu Xing Zhi wanted to put the person down and lean him against the rock, but he realized that this pair of arms were stiffened, as if it used all its strength to circle itself on his neck, leaving only some s.p.a.ce for him to breathe.
Fortunately, Xu Xing Zhi did not put him down. If he really put him down, he might be accidentally strangled by him.
Xu Xing Zhi had no other choice, yet he didn't dare to pat at his body. He was afraid that he might unintentionally shake the fragile limbs off: ”Hey, wake up. Can you wake up?”
The person behind squirmed his body.
Xu Xing Zhi said: ”We shall rest here for a while. Let go of me.”
The person behind struggled with difficulties to release his curled arms by a little. He did not actually let go of Xu Xing Zhi but grasped at the corner of his clothes.
His badly burnt voice was hoa.r.s.e and horrible: ”… You are leaving?”
Even if this face was truly horrifying, Xu Xing Zhi's heart was quite undisturbed.
On one hand, after meeting the monster and having to fight at close quarters, his face was splashed with blood. Thus, he remained calm regardless of what he looked upon now.
On the other hand, in the wilderness full of demons, for a monster who still maintained the shape of a human did not seem to be very scary.
Xu Xing Zhi settled the person down on the moss rock. He then attentively took off his outerwear and wrapped it on his body, saying: ”… Not leaving.”
The burnt empty eyes were staring right at Xu Xing Zhi and he weakly said: ”Why did you save me?”
Xu Xing Zhi tucked his clothes properly: ”Are there so many whys?”
He murmured: ”What if I died on your back, what will you do?”
Xu Xing Zhi found it quite hilarious: ”Naturally, I will carry you home. If not, do you think I will throw you on the road?”
With nothing else to continue, he stood up: ”There is a river outside, I will go get some water back. Don't remove the clothes, otherwise, you may peel off your skin and start shouting pain.”
That person, like a puppy, clenched tightly at the clothes Xu Xing Zhi had wrapped around him: ”… It is not painful.”
After Xu Xing Zhi left, he then grabbed at the sleeve of Xu Xing Zhi's clothes, greedily smelling.
The pieces of skin and flesh on his body dropped as he tugged about, but he didn't seem to have sensed any pain since the beginning.
He softly called: ”Senior Brother, Senior Brother.”
Xu Xing Zhi walked out of the cave and squatted at the riverside. His heart contained a sense of unrealness, lingering and refusing to dissipate.
He kneeled down and attempted to wash the blood stains off his hands, but the smell of blood was getting stronger as he washed. It was unbearable.
Xu Xing Zhi's kneecaps went soft and he retched a few times at the riverside but nothing came out.
He wiped his mouth and lay on the riverside, staring at the wild green sky. He reached out and touched his waist.
The dagger with the aura of heaven and earth was still there, reminding Xu Xing Zhi that he had an uncompleted mission.
Xu Xing Zhi did not notice that more than ten yards away in the forest was a snakehead as big as a dustpan slowly swimming out.
What was left of the snake was only a complete head, and its torso was all skeleton and bones, only some of its decaying flesh was remain joined.
The snake was silently heading towards Xu Xing Zhi's direction as it revealed its bright red tongue, it also moved its lower jaw.
If it opened its lower jaw, it was sufficient to swallow Xu Xing Zhi's head in one bite.
Xu Xing Zhi was clueless as he lay on the gra.s.s, daydreaming.
The snake was getting closer to Xu Xing Zhi, but it creased any movement at ten feet away from him.
Instantly, as if it smelled something terrifying, it turned back and slithered away. Frantically fleeing in disarray, the bones made screeching sounds as it swept along the ground.
After hearing the abnormal noise, Xu Xing Zhi instantly touched the dagger at his hip as he flipped over, and looked behind —
Behind him was an empty s.p.a.ce, only some strange marking wriggling to the forest, and then vanis.h.i.+ng off.
… f.u.c.k.
Xu Xing Zhi deduced that this place was not a place to stay any longer. He swiftly picked a piece of broadleaf from the tree at the riverside and washed it at the river. He simply curled it and collected some water.
As he was collecting the water, he unintentionally saw his reflection on the surface of the water.
Despite knowing that this place was filled with danger, Xu Xing Zhi still spent some time staring in a daze.
This face was really not bad, the build was tall and had the gentry style of a hero. It had the fixed facial expression yet when there's a movement, the face was full of ostentatious. The whole facial features were no doubt handsome this one word.
Perhaps the temperament was too conceited, the corner of the left eye rested a teardrop mole. When Xu Xing Zhi straightened his face, he could actually see a few suppressed cold expression.
Xu Xing Zhi thought that for heaven to actually gave this face to such a chatterbox like himself, this really was a reckless waste of G.o.d's good gift.
As Xu Xing Zhi was lamenting, the giant snake that went back to the forest was silently writhing in pain.
—Its joints were being broken one by one by a mysterious power, the sound rang brightly, like a piece of broken gra.s.s.
When Xu Xing Zhi returned back to the cave, he noticed the black shadow was already sitting up, his hands fiddling with a piece of withered gra.s.s.
Starting from the bottom of the withered gra.s.s, he had already folded out several broken marks.
He counted as he folded: ”…….5, 6, 7……”
He saw Xu Xing Zhi was coming back and placed his both hands to his back. He lifted his head and looked at the direction of Xu Xing Zhi.
… Obsession to obedience.
Xu Xing Zhi saw that his spirit was not bad, so after feeding him the water he added: ”Let's hurry go. There is something wrong with this place.”
Black shadow nodded, he put down the badly folded gra.s.s and reached out his two hands. The intention was very clear.
… Carry me.
Xu Xing Zhi sized him up: ”I see that your injuries are not very serious, walk yourself.”
Black shadow was not moving, he only looked up at Xu Xing Zhi.
Xu Xing Zhi looked at him for a few seconds, not making any movement: ”Get up.”
Black shadow's hands remained outreached, his chin slightly withdrawn, showing a face full of grievances.
Xu Xing Zhi faced the charred black human's blurred facial features and stood on his ground for a while, his eyebrow frowned with annoyance: “… Tsk.”
Once again exiting the cave, the black shadow was still laying on Xu Xing Zhi's back with Xu Xing Zhi's outerwear on him.
Xu Xing Zhi pulled at his trousers and waded across to the other side of the river. The black shadow turned his head back and looked at the dense forest before he gave a cold smile.
The skeleton snake collapsed on the ground, the bones were kneaded into a pile of mud and the ground was full of traces of struggles.
It lay on a sheet of gra.s.s field, no longer breathing.
A group of ants as big as broad bean came out from their nest, within a short period of time the skeleton snake was devoured cleanly.
The strange thing was that they evaded the footsteps left by Xu Xing Zhi. They were scared to the extreme, instantly finding another route to go about as if there was a terrifying beast that just pa.s.sed by.
Nothing was spoken in the thirty miles and it was indeed boring. Xu Xing Zhi spent close to twenty miles worth of distance tidying up the original owner's memories. He noticed that most of the scattered pieces were minor trifles and there were zero completed clips, even the face of Meng Zhong Guang was a blur.
Originally, Xu Xing Zhi felt that it was strange, but after a second thought, he felt that it was quite logical. This memory was obtained from a dead corpse, there was nothing surprising about any hazy memories.
The only thing he knew now was that Meng Zhong Guang had a cinnabar on his head.
To kill Meng Chong Guang, he had to aim there.
Left and right(3) were all boring, Xu Xing Zhi initiated a conversation with the person on his back: ”How did you get all these injuries?”
That person hoa.r.s.ely said: ”… Plotted by someone.”