Volume 4
233 In Denial
Big gold rooster was again stunned at what Cang Ming said, but he regained that uncanny smile of his quickly. “I understand, Lord Cang Ming. I’ll help you capture all of them right now.”
He signaled to his precious daughters behind. The faceless creatures seemed to turn into those plants in the game Plants vs Zombies. Their heads turned to face Nie Zun, Gaoqin Jiuye and I as they readied their aim.
I raised my left arm in anticipation of an attack. My spine was tingling with unease as I saw these weird creatures taking aim at us.
“Hey, Cang Ming, you’re not planning to have this big gold rooster subordinate of yours attack us with those disgusting creatures, are you?”
This was merely a stalling tactic, but instead of answering me, Cang Ming spoke to Nie Zun. “I won’t go back on my word. But Piercer…”
Nie Zun smiled as he interrupted Cang Ming. “I’ve already given it to you earlier. You’ve also promised me, so this means it’s a done deal. It’s none of my business if you weren’t able to keep Piercer with you. I’m not planning on giving it to you a second time now.” Nie Zun waved Piercer in his hand as he spoke.
The old Nie Zun really seemed to be back this time.
Instead of getting angry, Cang Ming regained that devil-may-care attitude as he signaled to big gold rooster that he can go ahead with his attack.
Scorpion Ray was at the ready. No matter what those disgusting faceless creatures did, I was ready to riddle them with holes.
Sadly, things do not always go as planned.
Those creatures produced a blood-red mist from their mouths.
When I readied myself for an incoming attack, I suddenly felt myself floating into the air. Like a magnet, I was floating towards those creatures, as if I was being sucked in.
I saw Nie Zun in the same situation as I looked up.
Nie Zun looked slightly confused. It seemed like he didn’t know what caused this either.
“Hey.” I was about to be sucked into one of those mouths now. Nothing good would be waiting for me in that bloody mouth. I focused my MF as I grabbed Nie Zun’s hand. At the same time, I took that red teleportation pill in my other hand.
I didn’t know if this would work, but I knew that I needed that pill now.
Not only did I not want to enter that bloody mouth, my instincts told me that everyone here had their personal agendas. Though Cang Ming was here on Huai Du’s orders, my gut told me that his target was actually Nie Zun.
Things like the demon cave, demon cultivating vessel and demon cultivating tablet – all of them had something to do with Nie Zun.
Even if he had turned into a devil, I can’t let Nie Zun become a tool in this fight. I won’t let anybody manipulate or hurt him.
The red pill glowed faintly as I poured my MF into it.
A faint ruby light surrounded Nie Zun and I. We were no longer being sucked into those mouths as we levitated in midair.
“Teleportation pill…”
Gaoqin Jiuye sounded surprised.
Before I could turn to look at Gaoqin Jiuye, I saw confusion on both big gold rooster and Cang Ming’s faces.
“Where did you get this? This is something that belongs only to Si Luo,” Gaoqin Jiuye said coldly.
Something that belongs only to Si Luo…
But this was given to me by Jiao S…
There isn’t much to wonder about here. I believed that Si Luo loved her.
“Hey, Li Shen, where are you going?” Gaoqin Jiuye sounded anxious as he rushed towards Nie Zun and I.
The light seemed to condense around us before it exploded.
Though it felt like I was spinning way too quickly, I never let go of Nie Zun.
I heard Gaoqin Jiuye’s sorrowful voice from somewhere. “You’re still abandoning me even after I’ve shown you my heart? You’re still leaving me like this?”
I wanted to tell him that I simply wanted to keep Nie Zun away from danger, that I wasn’t choosing to abandon him.
But I didn’t. Even if I did, he wouldn’t have heard it anyway.
My head seemed to be spinning for more than ten minutes now, and it did feel like I was passing through time and space.
I was in a foreign place when I finally opened my eyes. Nie Zun’s left hand was gripped tightly in my right.
I met Nie Zun’s eyes as I looked up slowly.
Nie Zun’s gaze looked gentle, but his words were harsh when he spoke. “You should let go now. Or are you that hungry?”
I let go of him slowly as I took a look around me.
We were in a real palace this time. This wasn’t some stone room, it was really the hall of a palace.
This place was huge. It looked to be about a thousand square meters with pillars made of sandalwood, glazed walls and jade lamps. Pearls were used as floor-length curtains for the huge windows.
A bright pearl was shining in the middle of the hall, looking like a full moon as it levitated in the air. The floor was made of white jade with golden engravings of lotus flowers.
Looking inside, a silk gauze curtain seemed to be fluttering as it covered a golden throne that had a dragon engraving on it.
Such a beautiful palace was a rare find even in the real world.
Though it looked beautiful, there seemed to be no one else around.
“Where is this place?” Seeing that there was nobody around, I naturally lowered my voice, as if I was afraid of being caught.
Nie Zun’s hands were back in his pockets and he looked indifferent as usual. “I don’t know.”
“This is really nice. I’m not dreaming, am I? Or did that pill have with it powers of illusion?” I blinked as I took in the sights of this luxurious palace. I might have lost my mind.
Nie Zun sounded annoyed as he said, “You might really be dreaming. But I know that I’m wide awake.”
“If you’re awake, it means that I’m awake too.” I rolled my eyes at him.
“Let’s go and have a look.” I naturally pulled on his sleeve as I began to head towards that silk gauze curtain.
However, Nie Zun did not move.
I turned to him. “What are you doing? Don’t you want to find out what’s going on here?”
Nie Zun glanced at me. “What do I have to find out? It’s that pill of yours which brought us here. What else do we have to find out?”
“There are still many things we don’t know about this place. Just where is it? Why did the pill take us here? Could you work with me just once? Just sometimes?” I looked at him with furrowed brows.
If it was the Nie Zun of the past, he would have said in the gentlest of voices, “Alright, I’ll accompany you just this once.”
But he isn’t like this now.
“You can go explore on your own if you’re that curious.” Nie Zun brushed my hand away before walking towards the main entrance of the palace hall.
The palace hall was huge, and judging from his pace, he wouldn’t be able to reach the entrance that quickly.
This meant that I still had hope.
I rushed forward with the intention to block his path and get him to accompany me to go further in. However, something seemed to possess me when I saw that dark, lonely figure of his.
I ran straight into his back and took him in a tight embrace.
As the side of my face leaned against his cold back, I thought I felt him flinch a little.
I held on tight as I said, “Don’t leave me…” Oh, Li Shen, when have you become this pitiful?
Was this love?
I have never done something like this, even if it was towards Gao Qi.
Nie Zun did not move. He simply stayed still and let me hug him.
He remained silent and still, as if he was fossilized. This gave me slight joy.
If he hesitated at this point, it meant that he might still have feelings for me.
After what seemed like a long time, he spoke hoarsely, “You’re really, annoying…” Though his words were harsh, I found his voice warm and gentle.
I might really have gone mad.
People say women are idiots when in love. This might just be me hallucinating, and he might not feel anything for me at all. I might just be in denial.