RIIDMDR chapter 43

 

A moment later, the dark clouds in the sky dissipated, and Nan Xu saw light again. Two people approached the edge of the deep pit and looked down.

Both men were of distinguished appearance and appeared to be around eighteen or nineteen years old. One had sharp features and prominent eyebrows. He wore a dark satin robe that gave him a formidable demeanor. The other had narrow eyes and seemed to habitually raise the corners of his mouth, though his eyes held no smile. His long hair was tied up high with a red streak in the middle. Paired with his red and black outfit, he looked exceptionally flamboyant.

Nan Xu sat motionless in the pit, looking up to meet their gaze. The arrogant-looking young man squatted at the edge and asked, “Why aren’t you coming up yet?”

Nan Xu glanced at the depth of the pit and was speechless for a moment. How could he possibly climb out of a pit over ten meters deep?

“You won’t be able to get up, will you?” the young man asked.

Nan Xu didn’t feel particularly embarrassed. After all, the pit was so deep that there was no way he could climb out. He nodded calmly.

The young man scanned Nan Xu several times. When he looked at his hair again, he couldn’t help but laugh. There was no hint of mockery in his voice. He simply thought Nan Xu was hilarious. Nan Xu didn’t seem particularly angry.

“Wait,” he said.

Just when Nan Xu thought he would look for a rope or ladder, he saw him leap down with his hands on the ground.

Nan Xu: …

“You… Huluwa saving Grandpa[mfn]葫蘆娃 (Húluwá) = Calabash Brothers, a classic Chinese animated series. The phrase 葫蘆娃救爺爺 (“Huluwa saving Grandpa”) comes from the show, where the calabash brothers keep trying (and failing) to rescue their grandfather. It’s often used jokingly to complain about futile or repetitive rescue attempts.[/mfn]?” Nan Xu grumbled subconsciously.

The young man landed beside Nan Xu unharmed. He grabbed Nan Xu by the scruff of his neck and tossed him upward, shouting, “Little Qinglong, catch him!”

Before Nan Xu could react, he lost his balance, landing in someone’s arms and sending them both sprawling to the ground.

As the young man jumped out of the pit, he saw the little green dragon who had fought him in the sky for over a dozen rounds, yet still had some strength left, easily crushed to the ground by a half-grown demon. He couldn’t help but burst out laughing.

“Little Green Dragon, where’s your ability? How did you fall just from being hit? Have you taken a fancy to him and want to take advantage of him?” the young man jokingly asked.

Nan Xu climbed off the black-robed young man, scowling, and sat on the ground to the side. He scratched his messy hair, not knowing what to say.

He really didn’t want to apologize. The pit was dug by the two of them during their fight. He was the victim. After all, he had just been thrown out of the pit. He was the most unfortunate one. Why should he apologize to anyone?

Nan Xu suddenly realized something was amiss. Those two had just been fighting in the sky and making a commotion.

Also, he had just seen two heads in the dark clouds. Nan Xu’s mind buzzed and his pupils trembled as he stared at the two figures before him.

They looked like monsters!

Subconsciously, he thought this was nothing to be surprised about. It was as if he had seen monsters before; seeing them fight in the sky didn’t strike him as odd.

But how could he alone see a monster?

Nan Xu couldn’t understand, and shock filled his face. The young man behind him walked over and looked at Nan Xu. “What’s wrong with you? Are you scared? I’m just kidding. The Little Green Dragon doesn’t like weak demons like you.”

Seeing that the little demon was still silent, the young man became bored. Then, the young man in black spoke sternly, “Yun Yi, will you die if you don’t speak?”

The young man named Yun Yi was instantly furious. “Jing Yuan, do you still want to fight?”

Jing Yuan, dressed in black, said disdainfully, “Do you think I’m afraid of you? You’ve only been riding on the Bird Tribe’s coattails in the north for a few days. Do you think everyone else has to give in to you?”

“Then let’s fight. I’ll show you what we in the north are capable of,” said Yun Yi arrogantly.

As the two men began to fight again, a fierce wind blew and dark clouds gathered overhead once more. Regaining his composure, Nan Xu looked at the two figures before him—one red and one black—and asked, “Are you both demons?

The two were stunned by this unexpected question. The wind died down, and the dark clouds moved over the small lake, bringing scattered rain.

“Of course you’re a demon, too,” Yun Yi said.

Nan Xu replied seriously, “I’m not a demon. I’m human.”

Yun Yi laughed heartily. “Are you trying to trick us with all that demonic scent you’ve given us?”

Jing Yuan looked at the young man sitting on the ground, confused. He couldn’t be killed by lightning nor swept away by the wind. Logically, his power should be comparable to theirs. Yet, he couldn’t even climb out of a ten-meter-deep pit.

Nan Xu raised his arm and sniffed, but he couldn’t smell the demon scent Yun Yi had described.

Confusion lingered in his eyes, but he didn’t want to dwell on the issue any further. He climbed up, ungainly brushed the dirt off his buttocks, and said, “Oh, then wait until I’m gone before you fight. If this thunder strikes again, my hair will be ruined.”

As he was about to leave, the young man in red grabbed Nan Xu. He looked unhappy, as if he had been humiliated. “Why do you only talk about his thunder being powerful but not my wind?”

Nan Xu replied truthfully, “What’s so special about the wind? It was just a little strong. It made my face dry.”

Yun Yi was furious, but Jing Yuan let out a smug, reserved smile.

For this reason, Yun Yi refused to let him go, insisting on creating a strong wind for Nan Xu to see.

Nan Xu was helpless and could only wait for Yun Yi to cast his spell. The wind was much stronger than before, sweeping the lake water several feet high and blowing away large boulders. However, Nan Xu stood still and motionless. He looked at Yun Yi with a puzzled expression as if waiting for him to push harder.

Yun Yi: …

Yun Yi had never felt more defeated.

What was this little demon like? Could it have taken root in the ground? A tree demon?

Taking advantage of Nan Xu’s unpreparedness, he feigned instability and shoved him. Nan Xu fell toward the black-clad youth beside him. The young man tried to steady himself, but Nan Xu managed to do so first. However, the young man was knocked to the ground a second time.

Jing Yuan: …

Yun Yi, knowing Jing Yuan’s abilities, found it difficult to laugh. His gaze lingered on Nan Xu’s feet for a moment, but he didn’t notice anything unusual. Facing Nan Xu’s glare, he clutched his chest, feigning exhaustion.

In reality, this was the limit of his abilities. Yun Yi felt his spiritual energy being drained. Finally, he lost his temper. Once it subsided, his attitude toward Nan Xu improved. He spoke seriously. “I’m Yun Yi, the Golden Crow of the North. I wonder where you’re from and what your name is?”

Nan Xu smoothed his wind-blown hair and replied, “My name is Nan Xu. I guess I’m from the Central Plains!”

“What kind of demon are you?” Yun Yi asked.

Nan Xu thought for a moment and said, feeling rather embarrassed, “I truly am a human.”

Yun Yi was taken aback by this answer, but figuring Nan Xu didn’t want to talk, he stopped asking questions. He pulled over the young man in black who had just risen from the ground and introduced him: “He’s…”

Before he could finish, the young man in black chimed in. “Qinglong[mfn](青龙 / Qīnglóng) means Azure Dragon or Blue-Green Dragon.[/mfn] Jingyuan, from the South China Sea,” he said.

Nan Xu suddenly remembered. The head that had just popped out of the clouds was a dragon’s!

Damn, I saw a live dragon!

His eyes lit up as he stared at Jing Yuan. “Is it really a dragon?”

Jing Yuan replied, confused, “How could it be fake?”

Nan Xu became even more excited. Yun Yi, watching from the sidelines, said sourly, “What’s so special about an Azure Dragon? Our Golden Crow is also very powerful.”

Nan Xu didn’t know much about the Golden Crow, but dragons hold a unique symbol in Chinese mythology.

Nan Xu took Jing Yuan’s hand and touched it several times, reluctantly withdrawing his hand only when it made his face look strange.

Yun Yi didn’t notice the change in atmosphere between them. He only felt left out, which was unpleasant.

“You’re from the Central Plains. Have you ever been to the South Sea? After all, you’re in the Little Green Dragon’s territory. Why not visit it?” Yun Yi asked.

Jing Yuan glanced at Yun Yi sideways but didn’t refuse.

Yun Yi gushed about the delicious fish, shrimp, and scallops of the South Sea the whole way, as if he were the overlord of the sea. He had completely forgotten about the fierce battle he’d had just half an hour ago.

Nan Xu had never been to the southern seas. He had only ever eaten seafood at buffets, often at his boss’s expense during company team-building events. After hearing Yun Yi’s descriptions, Nan Xu started to crave seafood.

He followed behind Jing Yuan, with Yun Yi chattering incessantly behind him. Nan Xu then realized that, at just over 5’8″, Yun Yi was half a head shorter than the two of them. What did monsters eat to grow so tall?

The three of them headed toward the South Sea. Nanxu contemplated the delicious seafood when he suddenly felt a pain in his chest. He clutched his chest and crouched down. When he opened his eyes again, it was already dawn.

Characters pulsed in his mind.

1. Alarm clock – wake up by ringing, failed.

2. Alarm clock – wake up by trigger, failed. (Five minutes later)

…

6. Alarm clock: Wake up by heart. Successful. (Thirty minutes later):

Nan Xu clutched his aching chest. Yun Yi and Jing Yuan were no longer by his side. Zhi Xing, however, was leaning on his arm. Only then did he realize where he was.

Despite having the system alarm set, he slept half an hour longer than expected. Normal sounds and sensations were no way to awaken the slumbering soul within this formation. Nan Xu dreaded the thought that, without the system, he would have remained in that strange dream forever.

The dream was so real and gave him a deep, peaceful feeling. He felt as if he had seen every scene and person in it with his own eyes.

Their features, their voices, and even the subtle details of their folds were all clear in his mind.

Fearing he’d slip back into sleep, Nan Xu stood up. He had already examined the wounds on his knees. They were just scrapes and bruises from stones. In the hour and a half he’d slept, thin scabs had formed over the wounds, and he felt somewhat stronger.

Now that daylight had broken, Nan Xu carried Zhixing on his back and continued walking. His stomach, still grumbling with hunger, made its emptiness clear. He thought of the seafood feast he’d had in a dream but hadn’t been able to enjoy, and he felt particularly regretful.

Unlike at night, daylight gave Nan Xu clear vision, but he realized that his only path led down the mountain. He tried to turn around and head back up, but he couldn’t move. The formation restricted his movement, leaving him with no other options.

There was no way to stop there, so Nan Xu continued along the mountain path.

Still, there was no mountain breeze and no sound of birds or insects. The trees and grass appeared motionless, like sculptures. He passed a spring, but the water didn’t stir.

Nan Xu stared at the frozen stream and had a thought—he felt like he was in a painting.

Everything around him seemed fake.