Chapter 25: The Four Non-Images and the Dragon

  Suddenly, Wu Xin remembered something and stopped crying. She hastily asked, "Fairy sister! When you saved me, did you see a man in his thirties or forties with a dignified appearance and a square-shaped face?

  She saw him ask seriously, and she also wiped away her tears, saying in a low voice: "I didn't see anything! And you shouldn't always call me 'Goddess Sister' either. My surname is Guo, my name is Guo Li, just call me Ah Li. I've known about you from Grandpa for a long time, and I'm even younger than you! Is there something strange about that man?

  "Wu Xin gritted his teeth and said, 'Let's go find him, he's called Ren Tianqi, the murderer who killed Grandpa! I hate him so much that I want to peel off his skin and eat his flesh!'"

  "A Li listened and was shocked: 'No wonder you were injured that day? Can't you beat him?'"

  "Wu Xin nodded and said: 'He claimed to be his master's junior brother, with high martial arts skills. I was no match for him, so I had to fight to the death, but unexpectedly he still managed to escape!'"

  A Li heard this and said angrily: "Let's go find him!"

  Wu Xin suddenly became clear-headed, thought for a moment, and said quietly: "A Li! We can't be in a hurry now, we still don't know where he's hiding! I have some questions that I'm thinking about, it's very important!"

  A Li nodded and looked at him busily.

  Wu Xindao said: "You also know the master's last words, have you ever heard the master mention 'Dun Jia Tian Shu' before?"

  A Li heard this and suddenly remembered those words, shaking his head and saying: "Is that why you came here?"

  "Not bad! I think Master's words have deep meaning and must be very important, so I guessed that there is 'Dun Jia Tian Shu' and came to understand the meaning of Master's words. Unfortunately, that person also followed me, I think this is probably related to this matter!"

  "What if there is a 'Dun Jia Tian Shu', do you think it's in the Diamond Mountain? Is that person following you for the book too?"

  "I indeed thought so, now that I think about it, it's probably just like this. Otherwise, why would that person follow me here? And why would Master say such a thing? So, that person is planning to steal this book, and Master probably let us take the book so we can avenge him!"

  A Li listened and thought it made sense, so he said: "Then where will this book be hidden?"

  Wu Xin listened and asked: "You are more familiar with this place! Have you noticed any related or special places mentioned by Master?

  A Li thought for a moment, shook her head and said: "There's no such place! It's just that I was told not to go to the Wodragon Cave on the north side of the stone wall in the forest. They said it's extremely cold and gloomy there, and if a girl goes in, she'll be affected by the yin energy, which will cause her body's yang energy to collapse, leading to an imbalance of yin and yang energies, which is very dangerous."

  Wu Xin listened and thought for a moment before saying: "The Sleeping Dragon Cave you mentioned is near the swing, isn't it?"

  "Ahh, I see! I realized it was you when I saw you swinging on the swing in autumn. At that time, I saw that you were seriously injured, and when you waved at me with your hand, I saw the bracelet on your wrist and knew who you were!"

  "Could that be where the 'Dun Jia Tian Shu' is hidden?" Wu Xin thought for a moment and said, "That day I was led there by a strange beast, then I saw Ren Tian Qi. If that's where the book is hidden, he must have gone there!" Wu Xin suddenly realized and exclaimed, "A Li! How long did I actually faint for?!"

  "It's been a day and night! Will Ren Tianqi go there? Let's go find him!" Ah Li looked at Wu Xing, saying anxiously.

  Wu Xin's mind was getting sharper, and he calmly said: "Don't worry! Ah Li, you should know that I want to avenge Master as much as you do. This time, we can't let him escape easily, or it will be hard to find him again in the future! Besides, he may not be able to get in yet. Listen to my analysis: Firstly, during our last battle, although I was heavily injured, he was also severely wounded by me. Although his martial arts skills are stronger, he won't be fully recovered within a day or two; Secondly, that day when I was inside the cave, I discovered a stone door with many mechanisms on the side, which might be extremely dangerous and not something to be taken lightly! Even if he knows the secret to opening the door, it's not a guarantee. Thirdly, that day I saw a strange beast with very agile movements, leading me into the cave. If I'm correct, there must be other weird things inside. This cave is called the Sleeping Dragon Cave, who knows if there really are dragons inside! With those creatures watching, this cave isn't as easy to explore as you think! Fourthly, that old man said you can't go in, but with my current martial arts skills, I'm not confident I can defeat him alone. We need to join forces to have a better chance of winning. I know your martial arts skills are higher than mine, but it's still unclear whether we can beat him or not."

  "A Li listened and said softly: 'Then what should we do? We can't just wait either!'"

  "Wu Xin listened and said: 'Let's go to the entrance of the cave first and try to explore it a bit before making any plans, how about that?'"

  "Uh-huh!" Ah Li nodded, stood up, her whole body was wet, her skirt also stuck to her body, revealing a plump and round figure. Wu Xin secretly felt shocked, didn't dare to look more, nor did he dare to reveal even a hint of a flirtatious expression, quickly turned his head away.

  The two of them tidied up their clothes, ate something, and then brought some prepared things to the Wulong Cave. Before long, they arrived at the entrance of the cave.

  Wu Xin glanced at Ah Li, not daring to waste too much true energy, and lightly calculated with his fingers: "There is no one within a radius of ten feet around us now. I think he should not be here. And indeed, the aura in this cave is oppressive, you must not enter the cave no matter what situation you encounter, okay?"

  A Li nodded.

  "Also, I'll go into the cave to take a look later. If you see him, don't make any noise, we need to work together to deal with him, or he might get away! If he's inside, I'll find a way to lure him out. If he's not inside, we'll wait for him around here. I'll also take a look and see if I can find the 'Tian Xuan' book." Wu Xin instructed repeatedly.

  "Don't worry, I know what's at stake. You can go ahead, just be careful yourself!" Ah Li said lightly.

  Wu Xin wanted to say something else, but didn't dare, and only softly said: "A Li! You... you look really beautiful!" After finishing, her face turned red, then she walked into the cave.

  "Be careful! I'll be waiting for you outside!" Ah Li heard that sentence, originally wanted to get angry, but thinking of the danger inside, she endured it.

  Wu Xin was overcome with emotion, and turned back to say with a bitter smile: "A Li! If you don't see me come out, then don't think too much about it. You must be strong, don't always think about avenging your master! Live a good life, don't go down the mountain. Outside, people's hearts are all treacherous, seeing that you're so beautiful, they'll have designs on you. It's not good... Absolutely do not go down the mountain, do you understand?

  A Li listened and smiled shyly: "How did you become so timid! What's the big deal, it's just a hole? Why are you so afraid?"

  Wu Xin stopped talking and still felt a little scared in his heart, so he went inside step by step.

  Just as he walked to the stone gate, he found that the stone gate had already been opened. Wu Xin was shocked and thought it was not good. Had Ren Tianqi arrived inside? He became more vigilant, always mindful, and careful everywhere, stepping forward step by step.

  This is actually a very strange stone gate, the stone gate is about three meters thick. After the stone gate pops out like a button, there is another door on its side, which leads directly to the "inside" of the stone gate. In other words, this stone gate is not solid at all, but rather hollow in the middle, like a drawer. After entering that small door and walking a few dozen steps further, turning a corner makes it bright and spacious.

  After walking for hundreds of meters, Wu Xin found himself in a very rare "hall".

  This hall is indeed worthy of its reputation! It's over a hundred meters high, with a length and width of two to three hundred meters. The four walls are all made of stone, and the area is large enough to build two standard football fields. Wu Xing had just finished scanning his surroundings when he heard a faint rustling sound, followed by a familiar flying shadow hurtling towards him. Wu Xing was startled, but as he prepared to take action, he recalled the strange beast's expression from the other day and stopped himself, waiting to see what the beast would do.

  The monster indeed had no malice, and with a leap it landed on Wu Xin's shoulder. It raised its small flat head, looked at Wu Xin, spat out an apricot pit, and revealed a "tender and touching" expression.

  Wu Xin looked at it and smiled lightly. The monster then jumped forward again, as if guiding the way like last time.

  Wu Xin felt that something was happening, so he followed all the way. One person and one object passed through the "hall" to a passage on the opposite side, which was also about ten meters wide and ten meters high. After passing the passage, it was another "hall" of the same size as before. But Wu Xin saw a huge creature, a truly terrifying monster in the center of the hall!

  Wu Xin was stunned! Was that a snake? Indeed it was! But the "snake" didn't know how long it was, its body coiled around in circles, layer upon layer, with no end to its tail. Its head was placed on top, resembling a snake's head, but its eyes were as big as footballs, half-covered by eyelids like small window curtains. The head was at least ten meters off the ground. But was that really a snake? Not quite! Firstly, although its body resembled a snake, the patterns all over it were strange and unusual, with scales as large as bowls, shining brightly like armor from afar. Secondly, despite its snake-like body, it had a crest on its head, a bright red comb-like structure that stood out strikingly against its shiny head. And lastly, this monster actually had two legs, thin and bony, about three or four meters high, with prominent bones and scales covering them, somewhat resembling chicken feet, complete with claws at the ends.

  Wu Xin was shocked when he saw this monster, but suddenly a word flashed in his mind: Dragon!

  This is indeed unbelievable, could it be that the legendary dragon really exists in the world? But it looks like a dragon from legend, only its eyes are half-closed, and its gaze is dull and listless, as if its whole body is weak and on the verge of collapse. Moreover, this cave is called Wò Lóng Dòng (Crouching Dragon Cave), could it be that the name matches reality?

  Actually, Wu Xin thought that it wasn't too absurd after all. After all, legends tend to exaggerate the facts, but they wouldn't be completely unrelated to reality. Moreover, this monster in front of him, if you call it a snake, then it's a snake; if you call it a dragon, then it can be a dragon - just a name, why bother being so particular? Maybe it was just a rather strange snake, but what's wrong with calling it a dragon? And why bother whether it's the same as the dragons in legends or not? Wu Xin thought this way and secretly treated it as a dragon.

  That dragon saw Wu Xing come in, only slightly opening his eyes to look at Wu Xing, and then ignored him. The strange beast that had led Wu Xing here earlier jumped up, climbed to the side of the dragon's head, spat out an apricot pit, and gently patted it, showing extreme intimacy. It was only then that Wu Xing discovered that there were three small monsters lying beside the dragon's head, just like the previous one, tightly attached to the dragon's body, all staring at Wu Xing with their eyes.

  Those three monsters were roughly the same size, but each was different. One was all white like a rabbit, with blood-red eyes and a body that was very similar to a rabbit's, except for its long, snake-like tail; it also had some resemblance to a mouse, but it was obviously much larger than a mouse, and its ears were not quite right, being long and erect like a rabbit's. The second was the opposite, with a glossy black body like lacquer, and a shape that resembled a large crow, but without wings or feathers, instead having thick fur all over. The third was all bright red, with a shape somewhat like a dragon's.

  Wu Xin saw the five strange creatures huddled together, their eyes filled with genuine affection, which moved him deeply. His fear subsided, and he looked at them with warmth. However, he also felt the chill in the air, a damp and gloomy coldness that seemed to be like being in an ice cellar or standing in the snow. Wu Xin thought to himself that he had actually felt the cold air as soon as he entered the cave, but he had forgotten about it due to his curiosity at the time. Now that they were at a dead end, with no way forward and having reached the deepest part of the cave, where was this chill coming from? Wu Xin couldn't figure it out, but he vaguely felt that it might have something to do with the dragon.

  Those monsters saw Wu Xing looking at them with warmth, and their eyes no longer had a cold and vigilant heart, but instead added a few points of trust and gratitude. The monster that led him here earlier chirped to the other few, seemingly talking to them. Those few also chirped for a while, calling out in unison, quite lively, like children arguing. Wu Xing looked at them, feeling they were no longer ugly, nor terrifying, but more kind-hearted than humans, with more human emotions. They simply faced this strange creature with a pure heart, using simple thoughts to understand each other, to love, and to be grateful. How lovely they are!

  Wu Xin thought of this and felt even more fond of them, and couldn't help but smile slightly at them.

  Those little monsters called for a while, seeing Wu Xing's smile with true feelings, they all stopped and looked at him. The little monster that had just jumped towards Wu Xing suddenly, Wu Xing knew it was harmless and wasn't afraid. The little monster stayed on Wu Xing's right shoulder, first looking at Wu Xing, then making sounds at the other few monsters. Those few saw it, looked at each other for a moment, and instantly also jumped over. In an instant, a white shadow, a red shadow, and a black shadow all rushed towards Wu Xing. Wu Xing was shocked but didn't move, thinking that although those little beasts seemed ugly, their hearts were extremely innocent. In the blink of an eye, four little beasts, two on his left shoulder, two on his right shoulder, all looked at Wu Xing, making sounds, with the same expression.

  Wu Xin was secretly shocked, these few small beasts looked so different, yet how could they be so similar to the dragon? And how could they all be so close to that dragon? Were they trying to tell him something? Wu Xin looked left and right, but didn't know what they meant. Slowly, Wu Xin finally realized that these small beasts were occasionally looking at himself, not at the dragon. Wu Xin was deep in thought, and cautiously approached the dragon, but his heart was still afraid, as the dragon's mouth could swallow him whole with one bite, and he couldn't afford to provoke it.

  The dragon saw Wu Xing walking over, its eyes slightly opened, and its head moved slightly, looking at Wu Xing. Suddenly, it stretched out its big head towards Wu Xing, but its eyes emitted a pitiful gaze. Although Wu Xing's legs were trembling, he didn't escape after seeing the gaze, as if he believed in it. The dragon's entire body suddenly became active, slowly crawling towards Wu Xing, but the lower part of its body didn't move. When the dragon's head reached Wu Xing's front, it let out a breath, and Wu Xing felt his whole body shudder, not because he was afraid, but because the dragon's breath was too cold. Only then did Wu Xing suddenly realize that this cave was so cold because of the dragon! He looked at what the dragon wanted to do next.

  The dragon looked at Wu Xing for a while, then suddenly lifted its head, raising it over ten meters high, and exposed the lower part of its body. The dragon looked at Wu Xing again, then looked down at itself, as if indicating something to Wu Xing. Wu Xing approached cautiously to observe, and was shocked once more! It turned out that the lower part of the dragon's body was packed with small creatures, each about the size of a mouse, wriggling and squirming inside its body. The dragon scales had fallen off, the skin had turned black, and the things inside were visible through the skin, like white insects slowly flowing out. The dragon seemed to have a helpless expression, looking at Wu Xing again and stretching out its head. Wu Xing thought silently for a moment, but his mind was already racing with questions. What did the dragon mean? Were those white insect-like things animals that had burrowed into the dragon's body or were they naturally produced by the dragon itself? Were these things devouring the dragon? Why hadn't the dragon died yet? Was the dragon's cold aura also caused by these creatures?

  Just as he was thinking, the dragon suddenly opened its mouth and spat out a round, snow-white ball, about the size of a ping-pong ball, similar to a pearl. After spitting it out, the dragon looked at Wu Xing. Wu Xing immediately went forward to pick up the white ball, holding it in his hand, feeling soft but not sticky, with a slight chill emanating from it. Wu Xing didn't know what this thing was and looked at the dragon in wonder.

  The dragon looked at Wu Xing, opened its mouth, then closed it again, making a swallowing motion. Wu Xing suddenly realized, "Is it asking me to eat this thing?" Looking at the four small beasts again, they were all staring at the dragon with tears in their eyes. Wu Xing felt unbearable and thought, "Could this thing be very important to the dragon?" At that moment, he also knew that the dragon was very intelligent, so he didn't decline, and swallowed the white pearl in one mouthful. After chewing a few times, it tasted like wax, then he swallowed it down. The dragon saw this and spat out another white ball, Wu Xing had to eat again. This happened several times, and the dragon spat out nine white balls in total, all of which were swallowed by Wu Xing. Wu Xing felt very full and also a bit unbelievable, wondering how he could swallow so many white balls without knowing if they would cause indigestion.

  After seeing Wu Xin's tears, the dragon's spirit became even worse, and it seemed very tired, so it stretched its head to the ground in front of Wu Xin and lay there. The few small beasts also left Wu Xin's shoulders, hung their heads and tightly gathered around the dragon, and suddenly all five pairs of eyes were staring at Wu Xin. Wu Xin was deeply moved, hurried over, gently stroked the dragon's forehead, and hugged it.

  The dragon saw this and gently lifted its head, pulled it back, stretched to the other side, bit something and brought it over, placing it in front of Wu Xing.

  Chapter 25