binnovel Chapter 114, 9th Lifetime: Crisis Appears in Mysterious Cave, Mad Doctor and Poison Master Slaughter
Chapter 114, 9th Lifetime: Crisis Appears in Mysterious Cave, Mad Doctor and Poison Master Slaughter
Chapter 114 A Mysterious Cave Faces Crisis; A Mad Doctor and Poison Master Runs Rampant
The door to the secret chamber slowly opened, and in that instant, outside light poured in like a surging tide. The members of the mysterious group, like startled birds caught in the blinding light, squinted sharply, their faces contorting into comical expressions, their features contorted like flattened dough. Yet, none dared utter a sound, silently cursing in their hearts, "This damn light, is it trying to blind us?" They stood frozen in place like puppets under a spell, looking both disheveled and helpless.
Luo Qingci stretched out a big yawn, her relaxed posture seemingly declaring to the world, "This entire world must obey my command!" Then, she shouted at the top of her lungs, "Everyone, get yourselves together! This adventure has only just begun; there are many more fun things waiting for us, so don't let me down!" Her shout was incredibly powerful, louder than a thunderclap, startling the surrounding birds into scattering in all directions, chirping and chattering as if to say, "This lady is too fierce! Let's get far away and definitely not mess with her!"
The skinny man in black, like a lapdog eager to please his master, darted to Luo Qingci in a flash. He bowed and scraped, his back almost touching the ground, his face plastered with a forced smile, a sickeningly sweet smile that seemed ready to drip honey at any moment—clearly a desperate attempt to ingratiate himself. "Grandma," he said, "you have no idea. The road to Black Wind Ridge is a hellish, thorny path. You have to climb over several mountains so high they could shatter the ceiling of the heavens. How about I immediately get you a pure gold sedan chair, inlaid with luminous pearls and diamonds, carried by eight men as strong as small mountains, so you can go there in style and honor, like a goddess descending from the heavens?" As he spoke, he secretly observed Luo Qingci's expression, his eyes like those of a puppy cautiously awaiting its master's reward, full of flattery and expectation.
Upon hearing this, Luo Qingci's eyes widened instantly, gleaming with a sharp light that seemed to pierce through people's hearts. "What, are you complaining that I'm walking too slowly, delaying your escape?" The moment she said this, the man in black trembled violently, nearly tripping and falling flat on his face. He frantically waved his hands in the air like two thrashing ducks, stammering, "No, no, I wouldn't dare! I'm just so worried about you, afraid that your precious feet will get blisters from walking too much. I'd be heartbroken, feeling like my heart is about to shatter into eight pieces!"
After walking for a short while, the burly man in black, carrying the treasure chest, was panting heavily, like a dehydrated salted fish. Large beads of sweat rolled down his face like broken strings of pearls, splashing onto the ground. He couldn't hold it in any longer and muttered, "Grandma, this treasure chest is as heavy as carrying the entire universe! It's a thousand times heavier than me! Can't I take a break and catch my breath? I feel like I'm about to break into eight pieces. If I keep carrying it, I'll fall apart, and then you'll be missing a valuable assistant!"
Upon hearing this, Luo Qingci abruptly turned her head, hands on her hips, her imposing aura like a supervolcano about to erupt, radiating a powerful aura that seemed capable of igniting the surrounding air. "What, can't even handle this little bit of hardship? If you keep nagging, I'll empty the treasure chest and make you carry an empty box on a 'crazy day trip' through the mountains, consider it a weight loss, body shaping, and detoxification treatment! I'll also find you a few mischievous monkeys as cheerleaders, jumping around and cheering you on, so you can truly enjoy this 'unique' treatment?" The man in black, startled, quickly shut his mouth, his teeth clenched tightly, his cheeks puffed out like two large balloons, inwardly groaning, "This old lady is too ruthless! I'd better just work honestly, or she'll really make me lose everything. What sins did I commit in my past life to run into such a formidable old lady!"
The man in the golden mask, like a cunning thief, lurked at the back of the group. His eyes darted around like two wound-up steel balls, constantly glancing furtively at his surroundings as he racked his brains for an escape plan. "This girl may be formidable, but I refuse to believe I can't find a chance to run away. Once I'm gone, I'll take all the treasure, leaving her crying her eyes out, only able to stand there helplessly! Then I can live a life of luxury and comfort!" he thought, secretly observing Luo Qingci's every move, his eyes like those of a lurking mouse, full of vigilance and calculation.
As if she had eyes in the back of her head, Luo Qingci suddenly stopped and turned around nimbly, her gaze sharp as two X-rays that could penetrate everything, shooting straight at the man in the golden mask. "What kind of crooked scheme are you plotting now? I think you're itching for a taste of my newly concocted 'Invincible Itch Powder,' so itchy you'll want to peel off your own skin and fly it like a kite, with 'I'm incredibly clever' written on it! If that's still not enough, I'll add something more, making you do a ridiculous dance while itching, giving everyone a good laugh! Hmph, you're all old foxes, why are you playing these ghost stories with me!" The golden-masked man's face turned deathly pale, even his lips lost their color. His hands waved frantically, like trying to shoo away a swarm of mosquitoes, stammering, "Grandma, I'm innocent! I was just checking if there was any danger around. I'm utterly loyal to you, as the sun and moon can bear witness, I'd practically rip my heart out for you to see! If I had any disloyalty, may I be carried around by a swarm of ants and made a fool of myself all over the world!"
Upon reaching the foot of Black Wind Ridge, the group looked up and saw the steep peaks piercing the clouds, like a golden cudgel casually tossed down by the heavens, imposingly blocking their path. Luo Qingci, however, had a gleam in her eyes, like a wolf starved for three days and nights seeing a plump lamb. She excitedly shouted, "The treasure must be up there! Everyone, hurry up! If anyone dares to slack off, I'll throw them down to feed the wolves, and let the 'wolves' devour them until not a bone remains, then grind the bones into powder for fertilizer! If even the wolves reject you, I'll make you a specimen and hang you on the mountaintop so everyone who passes by can laugh at you!" The mysterious group trembled with fear, daring not to slacken their efforts. They immediately began climbing, using both hands and feet, looking like a swarm of ants scalded by boiling water—frantic and comical, their movements resembling a chaotic, unstructured dance.
Halfway up the mountain, disaster struck. Suddenly, a pack of wolves leaped out of the woods, their fur bristling like steel needles, their eyes gleaming with bloodlust, and they let out low growls that seemed to shake the entire forest. They pounced on the group with the ferocity of a black storm. The members of the mysterious group turned deathly pale, their legs trembling, their teeth chattering. They scurried behind Luo Qingci like headless flies, muttering, "We're doomed! We're going to die in the wolves' jaws! I don't want to die! I haven't lived enough! I haven't had enough of the world's delicacies, I haven't slept in enough! I want to play a little longer, I want to see more of this wonderful world!"
Luo Qingci remained calm and composed. She unhurriedly pulled a packet of "Wolf-Bewitching Powder" from her medicine pouch, her movements as graceful as a peerless swordsman. A confident smile played on her lips, as if to say, "You little minions are no match for me! Before me, you are nothing but insignificant ants!" She then forcefully scattered the powder at the 'wolves'. A miraculous thing happened: after inhaling the powder, the 'wolves' instantly seemed frozen in place. Their ferocious appearance vanished, replaced by utter docility. They obediently lay on the ground, wagging their tails as if pleading, seemingly muttering, "Boss, please spare us! We'll run errands for you from now on, we'll do anything you ask, just please don't use poison again, we're really scared!"
"Hmph, you think this little trouble can stop me? That's wishful thinking, delusional, and delusional! You're all still too green!" Luo Qingci snorted, her voice full of disdain, practically screaming "You're hopeless!" The members of the mysterious group, witnessing this, felt their fear of Luo Qingci deepen. They thought to themselves, "This lady is no ordinary person. She can easily tame even a fierce wolf. We absolutely mustn't anger her, or we won't even know how we died. We might be sold out and still have to count the money for her, and then be grateful in return. If she tells me to go east, I absolutely won't go west; if she tells me to beat a dog, I absolutely won't scold a chicken! If I disobey, I'll probably be reduced to ashes, and she might even torture me in all sorts of bizarre ways. Just thinking about it is terrifying!"
After a difficult climb, the group finally arrived at the cave entrance. Luo Qingci, her eyes gleaming with excitement, looked at the cave as if she could already see a mountain of treasure beckoning to her. She shouted excitedly, "Treasure, here I come! Nobody can take it from me! Otherwise, I'll teach them a lesson they won't forget, make them regret ever being born, and leave them crying incoherently! If they dare disobey me, I'll turn them into a toad, making them squat by the roadside eating mosquitoes every day, and force them to perform all sorts of hilarious antics to entertain everyone!" With that, she strode confidently into the cave. As soon as she entered, a damp, rotten smell assaulted her senses. It smelled like centuries-old, foul-smelling socks mixed with rotting fish and shrimp, making her want to vomit and her insides churn. Water dripped from the cave ceiling, forming puddles on the ground, each drop seeming to whisper tales of the cave's mystery and eeriness.
Suddenly, a buzzing sound came from deep within the cave, growing louder and louder, like a giant blower running at full speed, or like thousands of bees angrily swarming. Everyone's heart tightened, their pulse racing as if it would leap out of their throats. Someone in the mysterious group, their voice trembling with fear, whispered, "Could it be some terrifying monster? I've heard there are man-eating monsters in this cave, that they devour disobedient people, chewing their bones until they crunch, and then swallowing their souls completely, leaving not even a trace!"
Luo Qingci's lips curled into a confident smile, a smile that seemed to say that everything in the world was under her control. She said domineeringly, "No matter what kind of demon or monster it is, it will have to obediently give way to me today, or else it will taste my power! Just one drop of the stuff in this medicine bottle can make its soul scatter, leaving it unable to live or die, turning it into a puddle of mud. Then I'll mold that puddle of mud into my shape and make it my errand boy! If it dares to resist, I'll turn it into a stone and let it be exposed to the sun and wind, never to rise again! Or I'll turn it into a talking doll that will make me laugh every day and amuse me!" As she spoke, she took out a small bottle from her medicine pouch. Inside was a liquid that shimmered with an eerie light. The liquid churned and surged in the darkness, as if it contained endless power, or as if countless little demons were baring their fangs and claws.