Chapter 928: News

Chapter 928: Tidings

"Thump, thump, thump—beneath the high mountains of the Red and Yellow sects, the four great serpents have departed Serpent Coil Mountain, a gust of wind has fled the high coffins of the tomb." Accompanied by the rhythmic beat of drums and the incantations of the spirit-soldiers, sharp claws swiftly tore a man in two.

Twisted, bestial faces veiled in red silk swirled around Bai Lingmiao, forming a protective perimeter to ward off the crazed things lurking in the shadows.

There were simply too many of them; even with the invulnerable white donkeys standing guard, some still managed to slip through the cracks toward her.

Along the wide, desolate road, Bai Lingmiao led her white donkeys, following Tuoba Danqing as they dodged the mindless lunatics trailing behind them.

The horde of madmen grew ever larger, surging toward them like a relentless, rising tide.

Though their individual strength was meager, their sheer numbers were overwhelming, and more importantly, in this wretched place, no amount of violence could truly kill them.

The two men just torn asunder by the twin spirits immediately dragged their spilled entrails, crawling toward her with spider-like speed, using both hands and feet.

"Take the side path! Hurry! This way!" The disheveled Tuoba Danqing shouted, leading the way with frantic urgency.

After half an incense stick’s time spent in that desperate chase, they reached a bend where Tuoba Danqing ducked low, diving into a drainage pipe hidden in a gutter.

Relying on her sensory perception to ensure no ambush awaited within, Bai Lingmiao followed him inside without hesitation. "Keep up!"

The tunnel was cramped and suffocatingly dark, but before long, the space opened up, revealing a passage that connected to a subterranean cellar.

Once all thirty-six white donkeys had scrambled through, Bai Lingmiao swung her spirit-driving whip against the tunnel mouth, causing the passage to collapse and burying the things that had just begun to emerge.

Dust billowed, forcing them to cover their noses and retreat; finally, the surroundings fell into an eerie silence.

Before Bai Lingmiao could catch her breath, Tuoba Danqing rushed forward, trembling with excitement. "Am I seeing things? You are Er Jiu’s wife, aren't you? You must be! We met years ago!"

"Greetings, Senior Tuoba. I am Bai Lingmiao," she said, offering a graceful bow.

"Did you come here to save me? You came to get me out, didn't you?" Tuoba Danqing asked, his voice thick with a weeping, desperate plea.

"Indeed, it was Er Jiu who sent me." Saving him was merely a matter of convenience, and she had no reason to refuse; besides, helping him might grant her direct access to information regarding the Heart-Elements trapped in this place.

Upon hearing this, Tuoba Danqing collapsed as if his strength had been drained, burying his face in his hands and sobbing uncontrollably.

Listening to his emotional breakdown, Bai Lingmiao realized that while he hadn't lost his mind yet, he likely wouldn't hold out much longer.

She pulled out a silk handkerchief and offered it to him, whispering, "Senior Tuoba, you have suffered much all these years, but I have come for more than just your rescue."

Tuoba Danqing, wiping his snot and tears with the silk, looked up at her.

"Senior Tuoba, you have been here a long time. Do you know where the Heart-Elements are kept, or have you heard any rumors of them?"

"Hm?" Tuoba Danqing blinked, then scrambled to his feet in a panic. "Let's get out of here first! Get out of this place before we talk about anything else! Forget the Heart-Elements! There are plenty of them outside! Once we're out, I’ll help you catch them!"

"No, there are none left outside. Let me explain from the beginning." Bai Lingmiao spent the next hour carefully detailing the situation to him.

When the full weight of the truth settled in, Tuoba Danqing sat in silence, his mind reeling; so much had transpired in just a few short years that he found it impossible to grasp.

"In short, to defend against the Kingdom of Tianchen, we must find those Heart-Elements. Do you understand, Senior?"

Tuoba Danqing, now more composed, nodded. "I understand, I do. It’s not that I don’t want to help, but I’ve been in this godforsaken place for so long, I truly don't know where any Heart-Elements are."

Seeing her expression darken, he quickly added, "Wait! I don't know, but there are others here who are well-informed!"

"Who?"

"Follow me. I’ll take you to them." Tuoba Danqing began rummaging through the cellar, preparing to leave.

To avoid being ensnared by the horrors outside, Bai Lingmiao proceeded with extreme caution, following him toward the city outskirts.

Soon, she saw who he meant: a collection of withered, severed heads hanging from the branches of a willow tree.

By all rights, heads severed from their bodies should be dead, but in this place, death did not exist; the skull-like heads on the willow were very much alive.

That they were alive did not surprise her; what shocked her was that they had not succumbed to madness.

"Lady Bai, you can ask them. These heads are the best informed. If there are Heart-Elements here, they will know," Tuoba Danqing whispered.

No sooner had he spoken than a head on the willow took up the conversation. "Heart-Elements? Those daydreaming lunatics? Heh, heh, heh... I know them, of course."

"Where are they now?" Bai Lingmiao stepped forward, her voice urgent.

At her question, the heads on the willow erupted into laughter, a sound dripping with mockery and triumph. She could not tell if it was the heads laughing or the great willow tree itself.

The white donkeys formed a defensive circle, scanning the surroundings with grim intensity, fearing the laughter might draw other horrors.

Finally, the laughter subsided. "And why, pray tell, should I help you?"

"How about this? Give me half of the heads of those thirty-six men behind you, and I’ll tell you. It’s been so long since I’ve had anything new."

"Absolutely not," Bai Lingmiao replied, her tone cold and final.

"No? Fine. Go find them yourself, then. Be gone." The heads on the tree slowly turned away, presenting only their hair to her.

The white donkeys crowded around, speaking to her with reverence: "Saintess, we are willing to offer ourselves!"

"Silence! This is not your place to speak!" the twin spirits snapped at them.

Bai Lingmiao watched the heads, her brows furrowed in deep thought, before she spoke again.

"My subordinates are human; they are not bargaining chips. But I can offer something else in exchange for the information."

"Hmph. In this hellhole, I need nothing but fresh heads to pass the time." The heads did not turn back.

"No, you need this. I will trade you death."

"Hm?!" All the heads swiveled toward her at once. "You intend to kill me? I would welcome it, but unfortunately, one cannot die in this place."

"True, death does not exist here. But that does not mean the Heart-Pan of the Death-Commanding Deity cannot bestow death upon you once more."

With that, Bai Lingmiao reached out with her slender right hand and, as if plucking a piece of fruit, gently plucked a head from the willow branch.