Hua Xianle

Chapter 81:

Three days felt like an eternity while trapped in the darkness of the Xuanwu cave. While working to recover their strength, Hua Ying and Lan Wangji also scouted the pool for any sign of the hole that Jiang Yibo had spotted. Unfortunately, neither of them could spot anything, which suggested that their massive prey was blocking the exit, cementing their need to destroy the thing to escape.

As the fourth day dawned, the two cultivators gathered what weapons they could to aid them in their efforts. While Hua Ying had Suibian, Lan Zhan only had the sword abandoned by Wen Chao. Like its owner, the spiritual sword was stubborn and weak, meaning it would not be a suitable weapon for the fight ahead of them.

Luckily, Wangji was a clever boy and quickly found a workaround. During those three days, he collected all of the abandoned bows, stripping them of their strings so he could use the Chord Assassination Technique. It was a special technique established by Lan Yi, the only female Sect Leader of Gusu Lan and granddaughter of its founder, Lan An.

After witnessing his zhiji testing the technique out on a stalagmite and watching it get sliced into pieces, Hua Ying couldn’t help but whistle.

“To think such a deadly technique was created by a leader of Gusu Lan,” he mused. “Then again, a woman in power would need such a tool in her arsenal to maintain her standing.”

Lan Zhan just nodded, coiling the strings into his sleeves before checking on Hua Ying. The young man was tying back the sleeves of his borrowed robes, making sure nothing would drag behind him before also securing his hair in a full bun. Suibian was in the form of a bracelet, one that was flush against his skin to prevent him from losing his precious sword.

“Alright, so we both know the plan?”

“Mn. Breach from within.”

Hua Ying nodded, double-checking his sleeves. “Your technique will work better in the open space of the cave, so I think it would be best for you to stay out here. Plus, even after three days, that wound on your leg isn’t fully healed yet.”

Lan Zhan couldn’t help but grimace, knowing his zhiji was right on both counts. He could, and would, still fight, but his movements would be hindered, meaning it would not be a wise idea to have him be the one to do what needed to be done.

“Luckily for us, this thing fell back asleep after eating the bodies of the fallen,” Hua Ying recalled, shuddering at the memory of the grotesque chewing noises he had overheard during their few attempts to search the pool. “That means that when I lure it from its shell, I will have a moment of a head start to escape before it attacks me.”

The Second Jade of Lan just nodded, though his brow was furrowed with worry.

“Be careful…”

Hua Ying flashed him a signature smile, then dove into the water. Most of the Xuanwu’s shell was submerged in the pool of water, which included the six holes for its various limbs and other appendages. As it rested to digest its small snack, it had fully retreated into its shell, leaving these holes as perfect openings.

Moving quickly, Hua Ying swam through the head opening in the shell. Luckily for him, the inside was only partially submerged in water, so he was able to break the surface. Unfortunately for him, when he gasped for air, he was met with perhaps the most foul stench he could have ever imagined.

The bottom of the shell was lined with what could generously be described as rotten, water-logged mud. However, it wasn’t sediment that made up that mud, but the remnants of the Xuanwu’s victims. The disgusting thing clearly cared nothing for cleanliness and simply let its leftovers rot within its shell. Hua Ying nearly threw up then and there, horrified by the stench of it all. Still, he swallowed it down and pressed forward.