WangXian Forever Book 8

Chapter 104 Blood

Zago and Hui Gai, Lan Zhan, Wei Ying and Rumi teleported to Zinked again.

It was first time for Rumi but the others looked around, for what, they couldn't say. It had been more than a month since they had last been here, enough for the seasons to change in Gusu.

But here...it still looked the same.

Grey and bleak like the hopes and dreams of those who had  come here before them.

"The Nether World needs change." Hui Gai remarked.

He still couldn't believe a place like this existed.

"You said it was a mining town...right?" Wei Ying asked him.

"Yes...it was giving me that vibe. Aren't these quarries? And these hills don't look natural...plus that smell." Hui Gai wrinkled his nose at the pungent phosphorus used in explosives.

"Where are the miners?" Lan Zhan asked.

Hui Gai shrugged, unconcerned for now.

"Probably down below...if there's anything left." Zago replied instead.

She had masked her amazement at what Hui Gai had said about change. Her life had been up and down with change...but this was the first person in her experience that she'd met, who was willing to do something about it.

She did admire Hui Gai, not only for being a great leader but being a really good person too.

Hui Gai was looking at Rumi now.

The boy was looking around the same as them, no hint of any recognition on his face or in his eyes.

Had he really forgotten everything?

Apparently Wei Ying was thinking the same thing, because when their eyes met, he nodded.

It was time.

They climbed up the path strewn with debris to the battered-in door, and Hui Gai pushed it open.

Wei Ying was carrying Rumi and they entered next. Wei Ying was feeling perhaps even more fragile than Rumi was, because he had been here before and it was just as disturbing as their previous visit. Now he was glad that Rumi could not remember anything.

The blood array was still untouched and without change.

Curiously, none of the demons had tampered with it, or attempted to use it, from what he could tell.

Wei Ying crouched down, trying not to make a face as his robes brushed over the dried blood.

"Rumi...my sweet boy...it is time. Please give me your hand?" He asked him softly, hating what he had to do.

He reached forward and kissed his sweet forehead.

"Love." Rumi pointed at him. He looked up to Lan Zhan and gave him the sweetest of smiles, taking his hand with his free one.

Then, he bit down with his sharp teeth on his littlest finger and watched as the blood dripped onto the array.

Wei Ying watched in shocked surprise at his brave, brave boy, and grabbed him just in time, as the array glowed a brilliant red and the three of them vanished.

**********

They were in an underground cavern.

The coolness was the first thing Wei Ying noticed, followed by the slighty musty, pungent smell. And there was a breeze, however faint...which meant there was a way out.

It was quite dark but there was a source of light which came from the far side, a glow of natural white light. Perhaps there was a hole in the ceiling of this cave...but they could not tell properly from this distance.

Something shone in the ground, moving. The light wavered, reflected in the...waters? Is that what they were seeing?

Wei Ying strained his ears, listening intently.

Sure enough, the gentle hush of water moving in lapping waves was heard.

Where had this water come from? Was it a natural underground lake...?

Rumi already sensed the drifting water and grabbed onto Wei Ying’s body. Wei Ying could feel him shaking and immediately picked him up. Rumi clung to his neck with his skinny little arms and Wei Ying was soothing him as the seconds passed.

"Lan Zhan...can you see? What is that? Under the beam of light?"

"It is too far away...but I can fly there." He summoned Bichen.

"Wait, wait!" Wei Ying said quickly, holding him back from getting on his sword.

Lan Zhan recognised his urgent tone and stopped immediately.

"Do you think it's a trap?" He asked, looking around for a threat.

"Nothing obvious...but it won't hurt to just think about this place. Do you see all those holes...in the roof and the sides of the walls?" Wei Ying flung a light talisman into the cavernous roof.

Tiny little black bats flew out from the holes, shrieking and screaming, aiming for the single source of light as they tried to leave what they perceived as a threat.

The noise was incredible, echoing around the chamber and creating the illusion that there were far more bats than there actually were.

"Um...unexpected...but even so...let's take a minute." He insisted.

Something was telling him not to rush into this...

Besides, Rumi was shaking worse than a brittle dry leaf ready for fall.

"Sweetheart...I've got you, lovely. Nothing can touch you while I'm here...okay?" Wei Ying rubbed his back soothingly, trying to calm him down.

"Those holes..." Lan Zhan was saying, as he examined them. "They look...uniform. Not random...therefore there must be a purpose to their existence..." He continued looking around. "And the walls...the surface of this cave..." His hand reached up to touch it, his fingers carefully stroking the cold stone. "It is too smooth."

"You're right! I knew there was something off about them. Let's see what else we can find." Wei Ying said enthusiastically. "They must have some sort of function...not just as living space for bats...right?"

"Mn."

"Also...let's assume that whatever is over there, under that light...if it's the end goal, why is it so obvious? If Rumi's mother went to so much trouble to hide whatever she wanted to give him...why put it in plain sight?"

"Unless it's a decoy!" Both Lan Zhan and Wei Ying said that together.