Volume 3
151 A Dark Space
Unexpectedly, instead of hitting the ground, we entered a dark space.
Our surroundings changed in an instant, as if we were transported into another plane of existence.
“This…” I looked around me, frowning at this infinite blackness that met my eyes.
Why did this darkness feel so familiar?
“Gaoqin Jiuye?”
“Jiao S?”
I called out softly.
In this darkness, I couldn’t even see my fingers in front of me.
“I’m here.”
“I’m here.”
After hearing their answers, I was quite certain where we were.
“Where are you, Ah Shen? Why can’t I make out your position from your voice?” I heard Jiao S ask in the darkness.
“This is a space that distorts all senses, with the exception of the sense of touch. This means that right now, things like your hearing, your sense of taste, they’ve all become useless, and you can only rely on touch to dodge attacks.”
Without waiting for their reply, I continued, “Ta Lai, do you have to resort to violence as you meet an old friend?”
There was a ghostly silence.
“Ka—!”
A shrill and eerie laughter sounded. It felt terrifying, making all your hairs stand on end! This clearly belonged to Rong Jin, not Ta Lai!
“Rong Jin, what’re you doing?” I heard Gaoqin Jiuye’s cold voice in the dark.
The ghostly laughter stopped suddenly.
I snapped alert.
A deathly quiet surrounded us once more.
Pu-chh!
I then heard the sound of a knife stabbing through flesh somewhere!
“Who’s hurt?” I shouted immediately.
“I’m okay,” Jiao S said hoarsely.
I did not hear Gaoqin Jiuye’s voice.
I slowly drew Piercer with my right hand and activated my MF so I could feel the minute changes in the surroundings.
“Gaoqin Jiuye?” I tried calling out.
There was nothing but silence. I walked a step forward.
“There’s someone else here…” I heard Gaoqin Jiuye’s voice, which seemed to come from somewhere in front of me. He sounded like he was panting a little, as if he was injured.
No need for you to tell me that, I know there’s someone else here!
I lifted Piercer with my right hand, swinging it in front of me without hesitation! A violet light appeared momentarily, before being swallowed by the darkness.
“Ta Lai, can’t we talk in a brighter place? I’m tired of these games,” I said coldly as I faced the darkness.
“Kaka, this crazy girl never knows when to stop.”
A spotlight suddenly appeared in the darkness after Rong Jin spoke!
Gaoqin Jiuye was under this bright spotlight that had a diameter of about a meter. He was kneeling in a pool of blood. Gaoqin Jiuye was on one knee, a hand pressing on his lower left abdomen. It looked like a wound that was gushing blood.
He was looking down. His hair covered most of his features, but his lips were tightened in a straight line.
I wanted to rush over in a moment of worry, but rationality stopped me from doing so.
Even though I could see that spotlight, I was not able to estimate my distance from it. As long as we were in this darkness, we would probably not be able to use our sight effectively. He seemed to be right in front of me, but at the same time, it felt as if he was a thousand miles away.
There was no other sound apart from Gaoqin Jiuye’s heavy breathing, and nothing seemed to be happening at Jiao S’s side.
Right now, Jiao S might be able to see Gaoqin Jiuye just like me, but she is probably thinking of the next step. In such a situation where the odds are stacked against us, doing anything on the spur of the moment might cost us our lives.
Gaoqin Jiuye seemed to be in pain, and his hand seemed to press harder on his abdomen. “Careful, there’s a hand in this darkness. From the looks of it, you won’t be able to heal so quickly if you get stabbed by it.”
No wonder his wound did not seem to be getting any smaller, and the blood was still flowing out.
But, a hand in this darkness? Could it be those giants? No, from Gaoqin Jiuye’s wound, it did not look like that hand belonged to a giant. It should have belonged to an ordinary person.
“Kaka, Gaoqin, these girls are not going to save you. Are you still going to help them out by telling them this?”
Rong Jin’s voice sounded from somewhere.
Gaoqin Jiuye looked up with gritted teeth.
“Rong Jin, why are you doing this?”
“Do you dare tell me where Si Luo is now?”
“Si Luo’s with me.”
“Kaka, yes, he’s with you, and he’s not conscious because he’s hurt by someone from the Western District? Gaoqin Jiuye, you have the gall to come back here? Hand Si Luo over and don’t step foot into the Southern District ever again!”
Gaoqin Jiuye laughed menacingly. “Rong Jin, how do you know all this? Your intel is pretty good these days huh? Or is it that you can’t wait for Si Luo to die, so that you can take over as the Southern District Commander?”
Rong Jin stopped his weird laughter as he turned angry. “Gaoqin Jiuye, you think everyone is heartless like you? Only I can save Si Luo, you lot will only harm him!”
“Is that so.” Gaoqin Jiuye smirked. He then gave a cruel smile as he said, “Come out, Shen Qi!”
From his waist, Shen Qi produced a black ray, and in a second, it transformed into another Gaoqin Jiuye beside him!
I knew that was another form of Shen Qi, and I held Piercer tight, ready to assist him in battle!
Rong Jin’s shadow suddenly appeared in that spotlight! It was reaching for Gaoqin Jiuye’s neck with an outstretched hand! Gaoqin Jiuye fell backwards to dodge it, and Shen Qi shielded him in front!
I realized that the spotlight followed Gaoqin Jiuye wherever he went! Without further ado, I moved as quickly as I can towards that light!
This isn’t right, why couldn’t I reach that light no matter how I moved?! Is it because we were still in this dark space?
My sense of direction was totally thrown off, and I just could not reach Gaoqin Jiuye no matter what I did! This was making a fool out of us! Letting Jiao S and I see Gaoqin Jiuye being attacked, but preventing us from reaching him?
“Jiao S, where are you?”
“I can’t go there. You probably can’t too.” Jiao S’s low-pitched voice sounded calm.
The fight between Shen Qi and that ghostly shadow has commenced. A living weapon is definitely extraordinary, and all of Shen Qi’s movements were so powerful, as if he was a blade on its own. Flashes of light surrounded Gaoqin Jiuye as Shen Qi moved with amazing speed.
Shen Qi was fast, while Gaoqin Jiuye did not seem to be healing. I could see beads of sweat on his forehead, and his blood continued flowing from that spotlight into the darkness!
This is bad, if it doesn’t stop bleeding!
I was feeling anxious, and I had to admit I would still worry about him like this.
Why did it turn out this way? Rong Jin was someone who could be easily manipulated, so someone must be behind this if he knew Si Luo was attacked and not conscious now. Just who could it be?
This was obviously Ta Lai’s ability, but why would Ta Lai help Rong Jin out? Or did Ta Lai already find out I went back on my promise with him and that I’ve decided to return to the real world?
“Ta Lai, no matter what you think, let’s talk about it.” I could only remain where I was since I could not go near that spotlight.
Nobody answered me.
Gaoqin Jiuye looked pale now, and he looked like he would faint anytime. Blood was pooled on the ground below him. That wound was like a dam, and blood just kept flowing out.
Shen Qi’s eyes were full of a reddish anger, and he grabbed Rong Jin’s shadow in a death grip with his hands, which seemed to produce firelight!
Crack!
It sounded like a light being switched off. We were met with an infinite darkness again! The light surrounding Gaoqin Jiuye was gone, and it was pitch black now!
Crack!
A weird sound again!
It was me this time! My surroundings lit up!
My expression was frigid. We were being targeted one by one?
Was there really no way to escape from this dark space of Ta Lai’s? How can we simply let them attack us like this?
As I was thinking about these things, my sense of touch subconsciously reacted, and I moved to the right! The spotlight followed me as I moved! I would definitely not be able to dodge it if it were not for my previous training in this space!
I could almost feel the kind of damage I would receive if that hand were to stab through me!
“It’s this hand!” I heard Gaoqin Jiuye in the darkness. He could see me now, just like how I could see him earlier!
I grabbed that hand with one of mine, and with my other hand, I swung Piercer at the individual, trapping the attacker! I pulled the individual towards me, and the attacker was right in front of me!
Hah, I smirked inwardly. I wonder who it is whose hands have such ability that it could even skewer Gaoqin Jiuye through the abdomen!
I was still smirking when I saw that face.
But I lost that smirk in a second.
I was stunned.
I was still grabbing tightly onto that hand which had attempted to stab me, and Piercer was still around his neck. We were face to face, looking at each other.
Our noses were almost touching, but I could not believe my eyes.
I moved my head back a little, and that face with scars of various sizes could be clearly seen now.