readytorunbook Chapter 866 Wangtian City (5)
Chapter 866 Wangtian City (5)
Chapter 866 Wangtian City (Part 5)
"I don't want either of them... okay..."
The little girl was extremely disappointed. She packed her things one by one and prepared to go back.
But her eyes were glued to the golden carp, as if it held immense attraction, and she always wanted to glance at it, still reluctant to leave.
“Since you insist…” A strange look flashed across the old man’s face, and he suddenly changed his mind. “How about this, I can give you the sugar figurine first, and I don’t need the money. As long as… you promise me one thing.”
As he spoke, his eyes darted around, his pupils flashing from the left corner of his eye to the right, never focusing on the girl in front of him.
"What is it?" The girl took a step back warily. "I won't do anything excessive."
"It's very simple."
The old man's eyes rolled faster and faster, and the two eyes did not roll together. One rolled down and the other rolled up, one suddenly bulged out and the other suddenly sunken in, frantically thrashing about in the whites of his eyes.
“Let’s play a game together… how about hide-and-seek?” His voice remained unchanged, still sounding kind and friendly.
"Hide and seek?" The little girl frowned, her attention completely focused on what the old man was saying, and she didn't notice the abnormality in the old man's eyes at all; it was not a human action at all.
“It sounds…it seems…” She was just about to agree.
She also enjoys playing hide-and-seek.
If you can get your favorite candy figurine while playing the game, it's double the fun, so why not?
"I..." The little girl was about to nod in agreement when she thought about it again and felt something was off.
Children of the same age can play hide-and-seek, that's fine.
How come an adult... wants to play too...?
How strange...
Suddenly.
A deep-seated disgust, like a brightly colored venomous snake suddenly appearing by the roadside, is an instinctive fear at the genetic level.
The little girl was also puzzled, not knowing what she was afraid of.
What could possibly happen when playing hide-and-seek, just a game?
It was as if someone was speaking in her mind, constantly warning her and urging her to leave.
The voice seemed to be a woman's voice, very soft and warm, like a mother's gentle humming as she lulls a girl to sleep, making the girl trust it from the bottom of her heart.
Mother…...
Thinking of her mother, the girl felt increasingly uneasy.
It seems like... she hasn't seen her mother for a very, very long time.
I'm feeling a bit homesick.
"No... I don't want to play anymore..." The little girl forced a smile, took a few steps back, "I... I want to go home, go home to find my mom."
Before the old man could reply, she turned and ran away in a flash.
Huff... huff...
The little girl felt so tired. Even though she had run a long, long way, when she looked back, she could only vaguely see the candy stall still not far behind her, very close at all.
She could no longer see that strange old man.
It's also possible that the elderly person was hidden behind the stall making sugar figurines, which is why they couldn't see it.
The girl comforted herself in this way.
"Little girl, would you like a bowl of fermented rice? It's fragrant, sweet, and thirst-quenching." A kind middle-aged woman's voice suddenly rang out above the girl's head.
"what?"
The little girl was startled and looked closely.
Before she knew it, she had come to another stall. The person speaking to her was a kind-looking middle-aged woman with crescent-shaped eyes and a smiling face.
"No...don't..." the girl breathed a sigh of relief and whispered, "I...I didn't bring any money."
After running for a while, she was indeed a little thirsty. Looking at the big pot of sweet, white fermented rice wine in front of her, which smelled sweet, she swallowed hard.
"I don't have any money..." the woman drawled. "It's okay... I don't need any money... I just want to play a game."
.....hide and seek......"
"?!"
I heard the words "hide-and-seek".
All of a sudden.
The little girl's eyes widened suddenly, her heart skipped a beat, and her face instantly turned pale.
Even though she was just a child, she knew something was wrong.
No time to think too much.
The girl turned and ran away.
"Delicious pear blossom syrup...it's free..."
"...Hide and seek...find me...and I'll give you a hibiscus pastry..."
"Delicious and fun Five Treasures Sliced Dish..."
On the bustling commercial and food street, the stall owners wore strange smiles, standing in front of their stalls and reaching out to the little girl as if soliciting business.
"Get out of the way! Get out of the way!!!"
The little girl screamed and cried out in pain, clutching her head, as she forcefully pushed away one hand after another and ran away into the distance.
She ran for a very, very long time.
Even though he was panting heavily, it felt like there was a small knife stuck in his throat, and the air was thick with the smell of blood.
She ran with all her might, her whole body trembling.
After rushing out of the strange food street, the girl turned a corner and came to a quiet street, running towards the location of her home in her memory.
The dim lanterns on both sides flickered eerily. A cold wind blew by, and the flickering light made the girl's face appear indistinct, casting an extremely long and distorted shadow.
Passing by rows of tall gates and courtyards, all dark and gloomy, the outlines of buildings barely visible, nothing discernible, the silence unsettling. At the very end of the street.
A heavy, massive black door stands here.
The rough patterns on the gate are interwoven, depicting various ferocious and majestic mythical beasts.
Bang bang bang! ! !
The little girl jumped up but couldn't reach the door knocker, so she could only pound on the door.
"Open the door! Open the door now!! Someone help!!!"
Her heart was pounding like a drum, and her face was pale. She kept glancing back to see if anyone was following her.
creak...
The heavy door slowly opened a crack.
The reassuring aura emanating from it immediately calmed the girl down.
"Found you!" Suddenly the door burst open, and two black arms grabbed the girl.
what! ! ! ! !
The girl let out piercing screams, frantically twisting her body in an attempt to break free, but to no avail. The arm was too strong, like an iron clamp, firmly binding her and dragging her little by little into the darkness behind the door.
The last glance before losing consciousness.
The girl could vaguely see a dark figure standing inside, seemingly smiling at her.
don't want! ! !
Tantai Xunzhen shouted and suddenly opened his eyes, sitting up from the bed.
Her forehead was covered in sweat, and the cold sweat that kept seeping out had already soaked the bedding beneath her.
Huff... huff...
She was breathing heavily, staring blankly at the dragon and fish playing in the water pattern on the quilt.
The bright moonlight shone in through the window, and the paint mixed with gold dust on the exquisite painting reflected the light slightly.
That golden dragonfish seemed just like the one I saw in my dream, so lifelike and radiant.
"Am I... dreaming?" Tantai Xunzhen took a deep breath, her face filled with lingering fear.
The dream felt so real; it was as if she had returned to her childhood, become a child again, been dragged into darkness, and felt a profound sense of despair from which she could not resist…
Her heart is still pounding.
"Holy Lord, are you having another nightmare?"
Hey.
The pale yellow oil lamp was lit, and its soft, warm yellow light illuminated the room instantly.
A woman with a serene demeanor appeared carrying a lamp stand, her fair face filled with worry.
"Are you okay?"
Tantai Xunzhen wiped the sweat from his forehead and breathed a sigh of relief.
“It’s Ruojing. I… I’m fine, it was just a dream. And…” she emphasized, “Ruojing, just call me by my name. We’re like sisters, not strangers.”
“Okay, Saint… Xunzhen.” Dong Ruojing paused, then asked with concern, “Are you really alright? This isn’t the first time, or… should we go find Brother Sheng…”
“It’s nothing…it’s nothing.” Tantai Xunzhen interrupted, “Big brother is so busy, it’s not worth bothering him with something as trivial as having nightmares. He’s probably just too tired and restless lately because he has too many things to do…he just needs some rest.”
“Okay…” Dong Ruojing hesitated for a moment, then stopped herself from speaking.
"What's the matter? Just say it."
Tantai Xunzhen casually threw on a coat, sat up, and gestured for Dong Ruojing to sit down.
It's already this late, and since she's already awake, she might as well not go back to sleep.
Dong Ruojing sat obediently opposite her and whispered, "I just feel... something's not right ever since the last disappearance. The atmosphere around us feels strange. Xunzhen, it was around that time that you started having nightmares..."
"What if..." She looked up, a hint of fear on her delicate face.
Her beautiful brows furrowed, revealing a softness that made one want to hold her close and protect her.
Although she didn't say anything, it was as if she said everything.
"Impossible!" Tantai Xunzhen shook his head decisively. "This matter... you're not the first to have this worry. Elder Wang warned about this before and was prepared. If anything unusual happened, they would definitely notice it immediately. Moreover..."
She organized her thoughts and continued, "Even if the dragon vein is temporarily damaged and the passage connecting the human and demon realms has a loophole, it will still take at least a dozen years to widen the gap and truly open it completely to accommodate a sufficient number of demon armies. I've calculated this with the Spirit Jade."
It should be understood that only when a demon army of a certain size appears can a demonic calamity be unleashed. When a few demons cross the border into the human world, the completely different environment is enough to reduce their strength by more than half, rendering them unable to cause any trouble.
Moreover, the outer perimeter of the passage has been completely fortified by the eldest brother, and any demons who attempt to smuggle themselves across will face certain death.
Even if some so-called powerful demon forces forcibly break through the barrier, as long as they hold out for a while—or even very long—the dragon vein array will be repaired, and the passage will be completely locked. They'll be easy prey.
"I see..."
After listening to Xunzhen's series of words, Dong Ruojing seemed to be deep in thought.
"So what will our future be like? Xunzhen, can you see it?" She asked curiously, her beautiful, affectionate eyes blinking, as if no one could bear to refuse her request.