webnovelfull Chapter 115, 9th Lifetime: Four Perils in the Cave, See How the Mad Doctor and Poison Doctor Break t
Chapter 115, 9th Lifetime: Four Perils in the Cave, See How the Mad Doctor and Poison Doctor Break t
Chapter 115 The cave is fraught with danger; see how the mad doctor and poison master breaks the deadlock.
The man in the golden mask looked exactly like a cunning little thief, crouching at the back of the group. His eyes darted around like two wound-up steel balls that just wouldn't stop, constantly glancing around furtively, racking his brains to devise an escape plan. "This girl may be clever, but I don't believe I can't find a chance to slip away. Once I'm off, I'll take all the treasure, leaving her with nowhere to cry. She'll just have to stand there helplessly, stomping her feet in anger, enough to create a hellish scene! Then I can live a life of luxury, surrounded by beautiful women, living the carefree life of a god!" He secretly pondered while secretly observing Luo Qingci's every move, his eyes like those of a sly little mouse, constantly alert and calculating, hoping to spot even the slightest possible opportunity to escape.
As if she had eyes in the back of her head, Luo Qingci suddenly stopped in her tracks, then turned with the agility of a cheetah hunting its prey. Her gaze was like two X-rays that could penetrate all matter and reach the depths of the soul, shooting straight at the golden-masked man. "What kind of sneaky scheme are you plotting again? I think you're itching for a taste of my newly invented 'Invincible Itch Powder'! I guarantee it'll make you so itchy you'll want to peel off your own skin and fly it like a kite, with 'I'm a genius, trying to escape' written on it, making a fool of yourself in front of the whole world! If that's still not enough, I'll add something even more potent, making you do that ridiculously funny dance while you're itching, and have everyone entertained on the streets!" Upon hearing this, the golden-masked man turned pale with fright. His face instantly turned deathly pale, his lips drained of all color, and his hands flailed wildly in the air as if trying to swat away a swarm of mosquitoes that wouldn't leave him and kept biting him. He stammered, "Grandma, I'm innocent! I was just checking if there was any danger around me. I'm absolutely loyal to you, as the sun and moon can bear witness! I'd practically rip my heart out and chop it up for you to see! If I were disloyal or unfaithful, I'd be a disgrace to the world, a laughingstock for generations to come, and infamous for eternity!"
Luo Qingci curled her lips lazily and slyly, thinking disdainfully, "Hmph! Sincerity is priceless! The price of betraying sincerity is more than swallowing ten thousand needles! You're being very naughty, Golden Fox!"
The group finally reached Black Wind Ridge after a difficult climb, and arrived at the cave entrance. Luo Qingci gazed at the cave, her eyes gleaming with barely suppressed excitement, as if she could already see mountains 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 so hard they can't even find their tune, until their voices are hoarse! If anyone dares to 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 that will make everyone laugh out loud, turning them into a street performer!" With that, she swaggered into the cave with an arrogant, unapproachable gait. Upon entering, a damp, rotten stench assaulted the senses. The smell, a mixture of decaying fish and shrimp, along with all sorts of strange and repulsive things, made one want to vomit, as if a fierce world war was raging inside their stomach. Muddy puddles formed on the ground, and the sound of each drop seemed to whisper tales of the cave's mystery and eeriness, sending chills down one's spine.
Suddenly, a buzzing sound came from the depths of the cave, growing louder and louder, like a giant blower running at full power, or a thousand bees angrily swarming together, mixed with the eerie growls of some unknown creature. Everyone's heart skipped a beat, their hearts pounding as if they were about to leap out of their throats and burst from their chests. One member of the mysterious group, his voice trembling with fear, whispered, "Could it be some terrifying monster? I've heard there's a heart-eating monster in this cave, that eats disobedient people, chewing their bones until they crunch, and then swallowing their souls completely, leaving not a trace, and using the souls as toys! What are we going to do? It's too scary!"
Luo Qingci's lips curled slightly upward, revealing a confident smile that seemed to control everything under heaven. She said domineeringly, "No matter what kind of demons or monsters they are, they'd all have to make way for me today, or else they'll taste the power of this great lady! Just one drop of the stuff in this medicine bottle can make their souls scatter, leaving them unable to live or die, turning them into a puddle of mud. Then I'll mold that mud into my shape and make it my errand boy, at my beck and call! If it dares to resist, I'll turn it into a stone, leaving it to be exposed to the sun and wind, never to rise again, and then let all sorts of 'animal monsters' use it as a toy to trample on! I want to see which blind fool dares to block my way!" 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 containing endless destructive power, or like countless little demons baring their fangs and claws, ready to obey her commands and destroy anything that stood in her way.
Just then, flames suddenly erupted from both sides of the cave, instantly blocking everyone's escape route. The members of the mysterious group turned even paler with fright, and one of them cried out in a tearful voice, "Grandma, what are we going to do!" Luo Qingci frowned slightly, thinking, "It seems the treasure's protective mechanism is quite complex, but trapping me won't be so easy. I, Luo Qingci, am a master of both medicine and poison; what kind of problem haven't I seen? This little trouble won't stump me." She quickly scanned her surroundings and keenly noticed some strange runes flickering within the flames.
"Don't panic!" Luo Qingci shouted, her voice firm and strong, as if reassuring everyone. At the same time, she quickly rummaged through her medicine pouch and found a small jade bottle containing a liquid that emitted a faint blue light. As she sprinkled the liquid on everyone, forming a transparent shield to protect them from the flames, she said, "These flames look fierce, but they are actually maintained by the power of runes. As long as we find a weakness in the runes, breaking them will be a piece of cake." As she spoke, she squatted down, like a focused detective, carefully observing the faint rune patterns on the ground, her eyes so focused that it seemed she wanted to see through the runes, not missing a single detail.
The man in the golden mask seized the opportunity to sidle up, feigning concern, "Grandma, let me help you search too." But secretly, he thought, "If I can find a way to escape amidst the chaos, all the treasure will be mine." Luo Qingci glanced at him sideways, letting out a cold snort that sounded like it came from the deepest hell: "You'd better not try anything funny, or I'll give you a 'lava bath' in this fire, and show you why flowers are so red!" The man in the golden mask trembled, nodding frantically, obediently pretending to search, but his mind was still racing with escape plans.
After some research, Luo Qingci finally discovered a key node in the rune. A slight smile played on her lips as she stood up, dusted herself off, and confidently declared, "Found it! It's that simple. Did you think you could stump me?" With that, she pulled a slender golden needle from her robes and plunged it into the rune node. Instantly, the flames seemed to have their souls drained away, extinguishing swiftly. Seeing this, the members of the mysterious group cast admiring glances at Luo Qingci, mixed with a deep sense of fear. They thought to themselves, "This lady is amazing! She solved such a tricky problem so easily. We'll have to stick close to her from now on."
The group continued deeper into the cave. They hadn't gone far when a wide underground river suddenly appeared ahead. The water was as black as ink and emitted a nauseating, rotten smell. At intervals along the river's surface, there were huge rocks, seemingly deliberately placed footholds. The thin, black-clad figure looked at the underground river cautiously and said, "Grandma, this river looks eerie. How are we going to cross it? Are we going to have to swim across? This water looks terrifying."
Luo Qingci smiled slightly, a sly glint in her eyes, as if everything was under her control: "What's so difficult about this? Stay close to me, don't wander off. Watch me, I'll handle this easily." She took out a faintly glowing pill from her medicine pouch, chewed it, and then shouted loudly at the river: "Hey you at the bottom of the river, I know you're here, come out! Stop hiding, I don't have that much patience." As soon as she finished speaking, the river began to churn violently, and a huge black crocodile slowly emerged from the water. Its body was covered with sharp bone spurs, and its eyes, like two lanterns, stared fiercely, as if it would swallow a person whole at any moment.
The mysterious group members retreated in fright, with one of them muttering, "What is Grandma doing? Didn't she just lure out the monster? What does he want? Is he going to offer us up as food?" The man in the golden mask was even more terrified, his face turning ashen and his legs going weak, almost collapsing to the ground.
Luo Qingci remained calm and composed, saying to the crocodile, "I have no intention of offending you. I simply wish to cross the river on your back. I will repay you handsomely afterward." The crocodile seemed to understand her, letting out a low growl as if deep in thought. Seeing this, Luo Qingci took out a pill emitting an alluring fragrance from her medicine pouch and tossed it to the crocodile: "Consider this Nourishing Essence Pill a deposit." The crocodile swallowed the pill, the ferocity in its eyes gradually fading. It slowly swam to the shore, gesturing for the people to come ashore.
Luo Qingci jumped onto the crocodile's back first, then called back, "Come on up, everyone! Don't dawdle!" The others hesitated for a moment, then cautiously followed. Once everyone was on the crocodile's back, it slowly swam towards the other side of the river. During the crossing, the thin man in black couldn't help but ask curiously, "Grandma, how did you know this crocodile could understand you?" Luo Qingci smiled smugly, "This crocodile has cultivated here for many years and has developed a certain level of intelligence. My Nourishing Essence Pill is extremely attractive to it, so naturally I can negotiate with it." Hearing this, the others' admiration for Luo Qingci increased even further.
Finally, the crocodile carried everyone to the other side of the river. Luo Qingci patted the crocodile on the back and said, "Thank you very much. When I find the treasure, you'll definitely get your share of the rewards." The crocodile flicked its tail and slowly swam back to the other side.
As soon as they reached the shore, before they could even catch their breath, a group of puppet figures wielding sharp blades suddenly appeared and surrounded them. These puppet figures were at least two meters tall, exuding a chilling aura, their eyes empty and lifeless, yet revealing a terrifyingly strong killing intent.
The masked man turned deathly pale, stammering, "Grandma, what...how are we going to deal with this?" Luo Qingci, however, remained calm. Her eyes sharpened as she quickly and carefully observed the puppet's movements, her mind racing like a high-speed computer, rapidly calculating a countermeasure. Then, she swiftly pulled a handful of powder from her medicine pouch and forcefully threw it at the puppet. The powder dispersed in the air, forming a colorful cloud of smoke. After inhaling the smoke, the puppet's movements noticeably slowed, like a robot whose actions had been slowed down.
"Listen up, everyone! Attack their joints now!" Luo Qingci shouted, her voice echoing through the cave. Under her command, the members of the mysterious group mustered their courage and charged towards the puppets. In an instant, shouts of battle and the clanging of metal reverberated throughout the cave.
Luo Qingci moved with lightning speed, weaving through the puppet horde like a ghost. A sharp dagger appeared in her hand seemingly out of nowhere, and each strike was as precise as a guided missile, aimed directly at the puppet's joints. With a swift leap, she nimbly landed on a puppet's back, the dagger plunging deep into its neck joint. The puppet snapped with a crack, its head lolling to one side, rendered immobile, and collapsed to the ground with a thud.
Led by Luo Qingci, the group engaged in a fierce battle with the puppets. After a grueling struggle, they finally defeated all the puppets. The members of the mysterious group were exhausted but wore smiles of relief and joy.
"Grandma, you're amazing! If it weren't for you, we would be finished today," the skinny man in black said with admiration. Luo Qingci wiped the sweat from her forehead and smiled slightly: "Alright, enough talk, the treasure is just ahead, let's keep going!" Hearing this, everyone perked up and followed Luo Qingci deeper into the cave.
As they ventured deeper into the cave, the atmosphere grew increasingly mysterious and eerie. Suddenly, a massive stone gate appeared ahead, its surface covered with strange patterns and characters, seemingly telling an ancient and enigmatic story. Luo Qingci approached the gate, carefully examining the designs, her mind racing as she tried to figure out how to open it.
The mysterious group surrounded her closely, barely daring to breathe, as if afraid of disturbing the enigmatic atmosphere. The thin, black-clad figure couldn't help but whisper, "Grandma, how do we open this door?" Luo Qingci didn't answer; her gaze was fixed on a pattern depicting the movement of stars on the stone door. A thought struck her; she suddenly remembered a record of star formations she had seen in an ancient book.
"Everyone back off!" Luo Qingci shouted. The crowd scrambled back like startled rabbits. Luo Qingci rapidly formed hand seals and chanted incantations, her voice sounding like an ancient, mysterious spell. With her movements, the patterns on the stone gate began to flicker and glow, and the strange characters seemed to come alive, dancing joyfully on the stone.
Suddenly, a blinding light shot out from the stone door, as dazzling as a sun exploding, and everyone instinctively closed their eyes. As the light gradually faded, the stone door slowly opened, and a rich aura of treasure rushed out, as if enticing everyone to enter this mysterious world of treasure.