Chapter 53 Courage—Part Three

The ‘small island’ was moving quickly towards the shore.

The approach of the alien creature created an unspeakable tension among them. Except for a few people—Lan WangJi, Jin ZiXuan, Jiang Cheng, and Wen ZhuLiu—everyone kept staggering backward. Just when everyone thought the underwater creature would go on a rampage at any moment, it stopped.

The sleeping beast was awakened by Wei WuXian jumping onto its back. Now, Wei WuXian didn’t dare move rashly. He remained where he was and waited.

On the dark water surrounding the ‘small island’ were several maple leaves of an unusual bright red color, floating slowly.

Beneath the leaves, in the depths of the pool, was what looked like a pair of shining bronze mirrors.

The bronze mirrors grew larger and larger, drawing closer. Wei WuXian exclaimed softly. Dragging Wen Chao along, he stepped back just as the surface beneath his feet trembled and suddenly began to rise. The ‘small island’ rose into the air. A large, jet-black beast’s head, with a pair of maple leaves on top, floated out of the water!

Amidst the cries that changed in pitch, the beast slowly turned its head, staring with its large eyes at the two humans on its back.

The creature’s round head looked rather odd, resembling both a turtle and a snake. Looking at its head alone, it looked more like a giant snake, but looking at its body, which was mostly out of the water, it looked more like…

Wei WuXian, “… A huge turtle…”

This is no ordinary turtle.

If the turtle were to fall into the Lotus Pier training ground, its shell alone would fill the entire martial arts field. Even three burly men wouldn’t be able to embrace its dark crown. Furthermore, even a normal turtle wouldn’t be able to extend its long, winding snake head from its shell, within which was a mouth full of crisscrossed yellow fangs, let alone sprout four sharp, agile-looking claws.

Wei WuXian met a pair of large golden eyes. The pupils were just slits, their thickness changing, as if their eyes were constantly shifting focus, unable to fully see what was behind him.

It seemed the animal also had snake eyesight—not very good. As long as they didn’t move, it probably wouldn’t notice.

Suddenly, two streams of water vapor came out of his hole-like nostrils.

A maple leaf floating in the water happened to be near his nose. He blew out a breath, likely because it itched. Wei WuXian remained motionless, standing like a statue. However, that slight movement frightened Wen Chao.

Wen Chao knew the beast craved slaughter. Seeing it suddenly spew steam from its nose, he thought it was going berserk. Ignoring the sword stuck in his neck, he shouted at Wen ZhuLiu, who was on the riverbank, “Why haven’t you helped me?! Help me now! What are you waiting for?!”

Jiang Cheng cursed through gritted teeth, “You idiot!”

Of the two strange creatures before his eyes, one suddenly began twitching like a worm and emitting ear-splitting sounds. The beast was immediately provoked. Its snake-like head jerked back rapidly before it leaped. Its yellow and black fangs bared wide as it lunged at his back!

Wei WuXian flicked his arm, and Wen Chao’s sword shot out like an arrow toward  the beast’s heart  .

However, covered in black scales, the beast’s head was as hard as armor. As if it had struck a piece of iron, the blade of the sword emitted sparks with a clang  before  falling into the water. The beast seemed to hesitate. Its large eyes lowered to look at the slender object that shone even in the water. Seizing the opportunity, Wei WuXian pushed down with his feet and leaped into the air with Wen Chao, toward one of the other islands, thinking to himself,  Please don’t tell me this one is also a big turtle!

Suddenly, he heard Jiang Cheng shout, “Watch out! The Core Melting Hand is coming!”

Wei WuXian turned around and saw a pair of large hands looming over him silently. Subconsciously, he lashed out to block Wen ZhuLiu’s attack. He could feel the power radiating from Wen ZhuLiu, incredibly strong and dark, as if something was about to be sucked out of his arm. Wei WuXian instinctively pulled his hand back, while Wen ZhuLiu took the opportunity to snatch Wen Chao, landing back on the shore. Wei WuXian cursed under his breath and followed them to the shore. All the Wen Sect disciples lowered their bows and retreated, aiming at the beast. Arrows flew through the air like rain, clinking as they struck the beast’s scales and shell. Sparks flew everywhere. Although the battle seemed quite fierce, in reality, it was pointless. Not a single arrow hit its target. They did nothing but scratch the beast’s itch. Its massive head swished left and right. The skin outside its shell looked like a lumpy black rock. Even if the arrows hit it, they couldn’t penetrate any deeper.

Wei WuXian watched one of the Wen Sect disciples panting as he nocked an arrow to his bow. Trying hard to draw the bow, he couldn’t draw it all the way. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, Wei WuXian grabbed the bow and kicked the disciple aside. Three arrows remained in the quiver. He nocked them all at once, drew the bowstring fully, and took aim. The bowstring creaked near his ear. Just as he was about to release it, a shout suddenly rang out from behind him.

The scream was filled with fear. Turning around, Wei WuXian saw Wang LingJiao giving orders to three maids. Two of them were roughly holding MianMian in place, gripping her face tightly, while the other raised the branding iron in her hand and aimed it at her face!

The iron tip was so hot that it sizzled and glowed red. Wei WuXian was some distance away from them. Seeing what was happening, he immediately changed the direction of the arrow and released the string.

The three arrows shot out at once, hitting each of them. Without a sound, they fell sprawling to the ground. However, before the bowstrings could even stop vibrating, Wang LingJiao suddenly grabbed the fallen iron rod as well. Grabbing MianMian’s hair, she thrust it back toward her face!

Although Wang LingJiao’s cultivation level was very low, her moves were swift and ruthless. If she really did this, even if MianMian could keep her eyes open, her face would be completely ruined. A woman like her, even in a dangerous situation where people were ready to flee at any moment, still harbored the urge to harm others!

All the other disciples were readying their arrows, watching the beast intently. There was no one near the two of them. Wei WuXian had run out of arrows, and there wasn’t enough time to retrieve someone else’s. In this desperate situation, he rushed over, one hand swatting away Wang LingJiao’s arm that was gripping MianMian’s hair, and the other landing firmly on her chest.

After launching the attack, Wang LingJiao vomited a mouthful of blood and was thrown back.

However, the tip of the iron had pressed against Wei WuXian’s chest.

Wei WuXian smelled the smell of burning clothes and skin, along with the horrible aroma of roasting meat. Beneath his collarbone, near his heart, a searing pain arose.

He gritted his teeth, but still couldn’t hold back a roar of pain, and finally let it out of his throat.

The blow wasn’t weak at all. Wang LingJiao was sent flying, blood spurting everywhere, and she let out a wail as soon as she hit the ground. Jiang Cheng’s palm was aimed at the crown of her head. Wen Chao screamed, “MianMian! MianMian! Quick, get MianMian back here!”

Wen ZhuLiu frowned slightly. He said nothing as he rushed over, parried Jiang Cheng’s attack, and picked Wang LingJiao back up, throwing her at Wen Chao’s feet. Wang LingJiao rushed into his arms, still vomiting blood and sobbing. Jiang Cheng chased after Wen ZhuLiu to fight him. Wen Chao saw that his eyes were red and his expression was terrifying. The other disciples were also excited, and there was still a giant beast in the pool, its left front claw stuck in the edge. Wen Chao finally started to get scared, “Retreat, retreat. Retreat now!”

His servants had been desperately holding him back, waiting for his order to retreat. Hearing those words, they leaped onto their swords and took off. Wen Chao’s sword had been thrown into the water by Wei WuXian, so he grabbed another sword and jumped onto it with Wang LingJiao in his arms. With a whoosh,  they  disappeared in the blink of an eye. All the disciples and servants followed closely behind. Jin ZiXuan shouted, “Stop fighting! Let’s go!”

The disciples had no intention of continuing the battle, especially against a beast that resembled a massive mountain of rocks. However, as they raced toward the hole, they found the vines they had used to climb down lying on the ground like dead snakes.

Jin ZiXuan grumbled, “Those dog thieves! They cut the vines!”

Without the vine, they had no way to climb the steep earthen wall. The hole was a little over nine meters above their heads, its white light blinding their eyes. Soon, half the light faded, as if  a tiangou  had bitten the moon.

Someone shouted, “They’re blocking the entrance!”

Just as he finished speaking, the remaining white light was blocked out as well.

Deep underground, all that remained were a few burning torches, illuminating the faces of hesitant young people. No one could say a word.

A moment later, Jin ZiXuan’s curse broke the silence, “That damn couple can really do something like that, can’t they?”

One of the boys muttered, “It’s okay if we can’t get out… My mom and dad will definitely come looking for me. If they hear this, they’ll definitely come looking for me here.”

Several people agreed. Soon, someone replied in a trembling voice, “They must think we’re still undergoing indoctrination at Qishan. How could they possibly look for us… Besides, after the Wen Sect people fled, they definitely wouldn’t tell the truth. They’d definitely make up an excuse… And we can only stay here…”

“We can only wait here in the cave… without food… with wild animals…”

As Jiang Cheng slowly walked over, supporting Wei WuXian, they happened to overhear the “no food” part of the conversation. Wei WuXian, “Jiang Cheng, there’s a piece of cooked meat here. Would you like to eat it?”

Jiang Cheng, “Get lost! You really haven’t learned your lesson, have you? What kind of situation do you think we’re in? You have no idea how badly I want to sew your lips shut.”

Lan WangJi’s bright eyes fell on them. Soon, they landed on MianMian, who was following behind them, at a loss for what to do. Tears streamed down her face as she sobbed, her hands clutching his robes as she repeatedly said, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” Wei WuXian covered her ears, “Hey, stop crying, okay? I’m the one who’s burning, not you. Don’t tell me you want me to comfort you? How about you comfort me? Okay, enough, Jiang Cheng, stop carrying me. My leg isn’t broken.”

The girls surrounded MianMian and started sobbing together.

Lan WangJi’s gaze returned as he turned to leave.

Jiang Cheng, “Young Master Lan, where are you going? The beast is still waiting in the pond.”

Lan WangJi, “Go back to the pool. There’s a way out.”

After the boys heard that there was a way out, their crying stopped. Wei WuXian, “What’s wrong?”

Lan WangJi, “There are leaves in the pond.”

Although the sentence sounded a bit strange, Wei WuXian immediately understood.

Above the dark pool where the creature resided, there were indeed a few leaves. However, inside the cave, there were no maple trees or traces of human activity, and near the entrance, there was only a banyan tree. However, the maple leaves were as red as fire, showing off their freshness. As they climbed the mountain, they also saw the sight of leaves drifting along the river.

Jiang Cheng also realized, “At the bottom of the pond, there’s probably a hole that connects to the water from outside. That must be bringing the maple leaves into the forest stream.”

Someone spoke hesitantly, “But… How do we know if the hole is big enough for a person to pass through? What if the hole is so small it’s just a gap?”

Jin ZiXuan frowned, “And that beast is still watching stubbornly above the pond.”

Wei WuXian lifted the collar of his robe, one hand fanning the wound beneath his clothes, “If there’s still hope, let’s get going. No matter what happens, it’s better than waiting here for our parents and doing nothing. So what if he’s watching the pool? We can lure him out.”

After some time of deliberation, a few moments later the group of young people set off again along the same path they came.

Hiding in a hole inside the cave, they secretly peeked at the beast.

Most of the body was still soaked in the pool. A long, snakelike body extended from its turtle shell. It approached the edge, opened its jaws, and gently gripped the corpse between its teeth before shrinking back, dragging the body back into its dark, castle-like shell. It seemed as if it wanted to feast on it there.

Wei WuXian threw a torch. The torch fell into one of the corners of the cave.

The sound was incredibly loud in the eerie silence of the underground. The creature’s head immediately slid out of its shell. Its thin pupils reflected the burning torch with fervent enthusiasm. Instinctively drawn to anything that gave off light and heat, it slowly craned its neck.

Behind him, Jiang Cheng silently dived into the water.

The YunmengJiang Sect resides near the water. Its followers are exceptional in swimming. As soon as Jiang Cheng dived in, the ripples disappeared. The surface of the water didn’t even ripple. Everyone stared at the water, occasionally glancing at the beast. Seeing the large black head hesitantly circling around the torch, weighing whether to approach or not, everyone’s hearts tightened.

Suddenly, as if finally deciding to feel what this really was, he brought his nose closer. However, he was slightly scorched by the burning fire.

The beast’s neck immediately shrank. Two jets of water vapor shot from its nostrils, extinguishing the torch.

At that moment, Jiang Cheng had just emerged from the water and was taking a deep breath. Feeling his territory being invaded, he shook his head and lunged at Jiang Cheng.

Realizing the situation, Wei WuXian bit his finger and drew something unreadable on his palm. He rushed out of the hole they were hiding in and slapped his palm on the ground. As he pulled his hand back, flames as tall as a man erupted from the ground!

Startled, the beast turned and looked up. Jiang Cheng took the opportunity to climb ashore, shouting, “There’s a hole at the bottom, it’s quite big!”

Wei WuXian, “How small is not too small?”

Jiang Cheng, “About half a dozen people can pass at once!”

Wei WuXian shouted, “Everyone, listen up. Follow Jiang Cheng and swim into the underwater hole. Those who are uninjured, be careful of the injured; those who can swim, be careful of those who can’t. Six people can go through at once, so don’t rush. Now, go!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the raging flames slowly died down. He retreated about ten steps in the opposite direction, then slammed his palms on the ground again, sending out another burst of flames. The beast’s golden eyes glowed red in the firelight. With a burning rage, it swung its limbs and climbed toward the flames, dragging its mountain-like body upward.

Jiang Cheng raged, “What are you doing?!”

Wei WuXian, “What are  you  doing?! Take them there!”

He had successfully lured the beast out of the water and onto the shore. If they didn’t leave now, what were they waiting for? Jiang Cheng gritted his teeth, “Everyone, come over here. Those who can swim on their own, stand on the left; those who can’t, stand on the right!”

Wei WuXian was inspecting the cave area while retreating with the campfire. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his arm. Looking down, he saw that he had been shot by an arrow. It turned out that the Lan Sect disciple Lan WangJi had been glaring at had taken out one of the Wen Sect’s relic bows and shot at the beast. However, perhaps realizing how agile the arrow was, his hand slipped, and the arrow missed its target, landing on Wei WuXian instead. Wei WuXian didn’t have time to pull it out, and it slammed into the ground with his palm. He only cursed after the flames appeared, “Get out of my way!! Don’t bother me!”

The disciple had originally intended to hit the beast’s vital point with just one shot, so he could salvage the missing portion of his face. However, he never expected it to end like this. His face growing paler, he dove into the water and fled as fast as he could. Jiang Cheng urged Wei WuXian, “Come here!”

Wei WuXian, “I want to!”

Jiang Cheng still had three students who couldn’t swim with him. This could be considered the last group. He knew they couldn’t wait and would have to jump into the water without Wei WuXian. Wei WuXian only realized after he pulled the arrow from his arm, ”  Oh no!”

The smell of blood had lured the beast in. Its neck suddenly stretched even faster than before and its fangs bared wide!

Before Wei WuXian could think about what to do next, his body tilted as someone pushed him to the side.

Lan WangJi had pushed him out of the way.

On this occasion, the beast’s jaws closed and bit his leg.

Wei WuXian’s right leg ached just from watching the scene unfold. Lan WangJi’s face remained expressionless. He only frowned slightly. Then, he was dragged away!

Judging by its size and bite force, it could easily split a person in half from the waist. Fortunately, it didn’t seem to like eating broken things. After biting someone, it would shrink back into its shell, regardless of whether they were alive or dead, so it could slowly savor them. Otherwise, if its jaws had exerted even the slightest bit of force, Lan WangJi’s legs would have been broken. Its shell was incredibly hard, impenetrable by any knife. If it had dragged Lan WangJi inside, he would most likely never have come out again!

Wei WuXian ran fast. Just as the head was about to shrink inward, he fell down, holding on tightly to one of the teeth on his upper jaw.

His strength would never be able to match such a monster. However, in a life-or-death situation, a superhuman strength had exploded within him. His feet rested on the monster’s shell while his hands gripped its fangs, no matter what. Like a skewer, he used his body to block the monster’s path, preventing it from shrinking inward and savoring its deliciousness.

Lan Wangji hadn’t expected to be able to catch up even under such circumstances. He was completely shocked.

Wei WuXian was afraid that the monster would come out, either to eat him alive or bite Lan WangJi’s leg. His right hand kept gripping the upper fang, while his left hand gripped the lower fang. Both hands pushed in opposite directions simultaneously, exerting all his strength as if his life depended on it, the veins on his forehead bulging so much they nearly burst. His face was as red as blood.

Those two rows of fangs had already sunk deep into Lan WangJi’s blood and bones. Yet, his jaws were actually being forced open slowly!

Its jaws could no longer grip its prey. Lan WangJi fell into the pool. Seeing that he was now safe, Wei WuXian’s near-godlike strength instantly vanished. Unable to hold the monster’s jaws any longer, he suddenly let go. The protruding fangs from both rows bit into each other, creating an echo as loud as the cracking of boulders!

Wei WuXian also fell into the water, landing beside Lan WangJi. With just a single turn, he managed to position himself and, holding Lan WangJi in one hand, swam with the other. In an instant, he was propelled several feet forward, creating a long wave that swept across the pool. Rolling to the edge, he threw Lan WangJi onto his back and immediately ran.

Lan WangJi said without thinking, “You?”

Wei WuXian, “It’s me! Are you surprised?”

Floating on his back, Lan WangJi’s voice contained a rare fluctuation of emotion, “How can this be fun?! Put me down!”

Wei WuXian’s mouth refused to shut even as he ran for his life, “If I disappoint you just because you said that, wouldn’t that make me lose face?”

The roar of a beast coming from behind them vibrated in their ears and chests. Both of them felt blood rush to their throats. Wei WuXian hurriedly covered his mouth to focus on running away. To prevent the beast from pursuing him in a rage, he deliberately chose to duck into thin holes that the turtle shell couldn’t fit through. Without a break, he didn’t even know how long he had been running. He finally slowed down after hearing no more sounds.

His defenses were down, and as his speed slowed, Wei WuXian could smell blood. He felt behind his back with the back of his hand, and his right hand was covered in wet, red blood.

Wei WuXian,  Oh no, Lan Zhan’s injury is going to get worse again.

Translator’s Notes

Heart  : In China, the heart is often assumed to be located seven inches down the snake’s neck. Here, the Chinese noun “seven inches” is used to refer to the snake’s heart.

Tiangou  : Tiangou is a hunting dog passed down through Chinese folklore, which is said to cause the moon to wax and wane by eating it and then vomiting it out.