Chapter 215

The person who entered was none other than Zheng Weiqi.

Once a lively figure, Senior Sister Zheng now looked worn out, like a small pond turned into a salt flat land. Her haggard face could have directly played the role of an old zombie from western Hunan. Her dull eyes moved slightly, giving off a creepy, deathly vibe.

(T/N: In Western Hunan (Xiangxi), there is actually a legend related to walking corpses/zombies. According to Chinese legend, in ancient times, Chi You and Huang Di fought a fierce battle. In order to transport the bodies of the dead soldiers back to their hometown, Chi You ordered his military advisors to find a way to transport the bodies. It is said that the art of walking corpses originated from this. 

The legend of corpse-driving appears most frequently in western Hunan. When the corpse is not decomposed, the sorcerer drives it back to the hometown for burial.)

Ning Ning wanted to rush forward and hug her, but considering her senior sister’s frail condition, she gently helped her to a chair instead. “Senior Sister, what happened to you?”

Zheng Weiqi, her eyes bloodshot, glanced at her and then, looking pitiful, buried herself in Ning Ning’s embrace. “Junior Sister, I missed you so much!”

As she nestled into the fragrant, soft embrace, she lamented, “If I had known drinking Jiuzhou Spring Return would be like that, I’d rather drink muddy water! When I sobered up, not only did I lose my spiritual energy, but someone knocked me out and dumped me by an abandoned well. I almost fell in and couldn’t get out. The bump on my head hasn’t even gone down yet—wait, why are you all looking at me like that?”

Pei Ji, after a moment of silence, said in a low voice, “There should be a well in the City Lord’s mansion, right?”

Lin Xun grinned widely, his dragon horns swaying with his body.

“Of course there is!”

Ning Ning hugged her tightly, planting a kiss on her cheek. “Thank you, Senior Sister! You’re amazing! Are you hungry? Tired? Do you want anything? We’ll take care of everything!”

Senior Sister Zheng, you are an old tool.

(T/N: It means someone has been used as a tool for somebody to get something, to achieve something, or just to fulfill his or her purpose.)

Luan Niang first used her disappearance to lead everyone to the truth, and now, reappearing with Zheng Weiqi, she was clearly hinting at the location of the soul refining site through the place Zheng Weiqi woke up.

Even though she was a tool, Senior Sister Zheng was indispensable!

“Senior Sister, you don’t need to know too much. Just understand that you are the guiding ship leading us to victory, the undefeated goddess of triumph.”

He Zhizhou stood up from his seat, cracking his knuckles. “Brothers, I’m ready!”

A completely clueless Zheng Weiqi: …?

Who is she, where is she, what has she done, and why is she so “awesome”? And what were these kids planning to do?

“Although I don’t really know what’s going on.”

Zheng Weiqi looked around at them, still a bit groggy, scratching her head in confusion.

“But the person who knocked me out left a note in my hand.”

=====

With Luan Niang clearly hinting at the well and the four having deduced that the soul refining site must be within the City Lord’s mansion, they could easily pinpoint its exact location.

The group sneaking into the City Lord’s mansion had grown from two to four. As they climbed over the wall, they moved like a string of ninja turtles, their heads bobbing, resembling a scattered bunch of popping candy from afar.

Lin Xun was reluctant to even step on a weed. He had never been in a so nerve-wracking a situation. His eyes darted around as he whispered in a very low voice, “I know where the well is. Follow me.”

He Zhizhou was surprised. “How do you know?”

“I…I’m afraid of people.”

The young white dragon led the way, his voice barely discernible in the night breeze.

“No one talks to me at banquets, so I wander around the City Lord’s mansion alone.”

Ning Ning hummed.

As the young master of the dragon clan, Lin Xun shouldn’t have developed such an introverted, timid nature. It was said that he had fallen into a sea trench as a child and spent two days alone with countless fierce beasts. Although he was eventually rescued, he was so traumatized that he became overly timid.

Perhaps due to the influence of the Luan Bird statue, there were no guards patrolling the City Lord’s mansion at night.

The luxurious red walls were adorned with ever-burning lamps. Following this trail of lights and turning two corners, they found themselves in a desolate, quiet area, where they spotted an old well in a corner.

In costume dramas, secret passages typically had two main setups: one involved rotating a vase to reveal a hidden door behind a bookcase, and the other was a dry well.

Ning Ning, familiar with these setups, looked down. There was no water, only an endless, dense blackness.

The entire well looked like a bottomless abyss or the gaping maw of a beast, waiting to swallow anyone who dared to jump in.

She had brought a rope and tied one end to a tree trunk, but before she could descend, she paused.

Pei Ji was afraid of the dark.

“It’s not a good idea for all of us to go down.”

Ning Ning knew he wouldn’t want the others to know about his fear, so she quickly made up an excuse.

“We need someone to keep watch—Pei Ji, you’re the most reliable, so how about you stay?”

“She’s so thoughtful! Even in this situation, she’s considering you!”

Cheng Ying was moved to tears. “She even made up an excuse to spare you any embarrassment. When did this fairy come down to earth!”

Pei Ji understood her intentions.

But with the unknown dangers below, he couldn’t bear to stay behind.

Ning Ning saw the young man in black silently glance at her. Though his gaze was calm, it carried a hint of stubbornness and embarrassment, the tear mole at the corner of his eye faintly red in the dim light.

“I’ll go first.”

Pei Ji stepped forward, straddling the edge of the well. He looked up at Ning Ning, his throat moving slightly.

“Don’t worry.”

This, this, this won’t do!

Ning Ning saw him grabbing the rope and quickly followed him down.

They were trespassing; naturally, they couldn’t light a torch. The depth of the well was unknown, and the further they descended, the darker it became. Ning Ning felt increasingly anxious.

“….Are you okay?”

Before she could think of a way to talk to him, Pei Ji spoke first.

Though usually cold, his voice was a clear, pleasant young man’s voice. In the inky darkness, it had a strangely comforting magic.

If only his tone wasn’t so strained, obviously suppressing his emotions and trembling.

“Of course, I’m fine!”

Hearing his forced composure, Ning Ning couldn’t help but laugh, her tension and fear evaporating. “Pei Ji, let me tell you a joke.”

They descended quickly, and by the time she finished speaking, their feet touched the bottom.

The well was filled with dried vines and branches. Worried she might stumble, Pei Ji lightly supported Ning Ning’s back. Although his palm did not touch her back directly, she still felt a faint coolness, which quickly passed through her spine, leaving a string of tingling sensations.

“All sides are closed.”

After thanking him, Ning Ning looked around.

As her eyes adjusted, she could make out the features of the well.

Ning Ning was familiar with the secret rooms in costume dramas, so she reached out and felt around the stone wall, and indeed, she touched a small protrusion.

Pressing it, the walls on either side swung open like doors.

He Zhizhou, who came down later, was stunned: “Strange, why are there two doors?”

“They probably serve different purposes.”

The oppressive darkness made Ning Ning feel stifled.

“We should split up.”

Pei Ji’s eyes darkened, his grip tightening on his sword hilt.

“Oh—he’s nervous.”

Cheng Ying chuckled.

“Afraid Ning Ning won’t choose to go with you, right?”

Pei Ji didn’t respond.

Before he realized it, the young girl beside him had tugged on his sleeve.

“I’ll go with Pei Ji.”

Seeing him stand there motionless, Ning Ning smiled and hooked the fingers of his free left hand: “Why, don’t you want to hear my jokes?”

“Tsk tsk tsk tsk, let’s guess how Pei Xiaoji feels at this moment.”

Cheng Ying exaggeratedly sighed, embodying an over-the-top, deliberately nauseating tone, showcasing what it meant to be an unrespectable elder.

“Isn’t it delightful how just one sentence can make someone happier than any joke?”

Pei Ji ignored Cheng Ying, allowing Ning Ning to lead him by the sleeve. Soon, he was in front, as if Ning Ning was scared and holding onto him.

“Let me think of a joke.”

Surrounded by the discomforting darkness, like a serpent coiling around him, exuding a sense of danger and suffocating tension.

Sensing his stiffness, Ning Ning subtly moved her fingers, lightly gripping his wrist.

Her presence drew closer, gradually merging with his.

He found himself wishing the path ahead would be longer.

“I got it! One day, Xiao Hong asked: Do you use your right hand or left hand to drink soup? Xiao Ming replied: Of course, my right hand!”

Ning Ning couldn’t hold back and laughed halfway through her joke. “Then Xiao Hong said: Wow, you’re amazing; you’re not afraid of burning yourself. I always use a spoon, haha.”

Pei Ji felt a chill down his back.