TM CH43

Chapter 43 Prison in the Sea (3)

In the instant Rong Qi fell, he protected the candlestick in his hand. The area below wasn’t deep, but he still fell with a painful thud. Getting up from the ground with a dark expression, he unexpectedly came face to face with a skull.

Rong Qi: “!”

He hurriedly pushed off the ground to push himself back, creating some distance. When he realized the figure was just a skeleton, he couldn’t help but feel irritated.

Who would be so immoral as to die in a place like this? If it had been someone with a weaker constitution, they might have been scared to death on the spot.

He looked around the room and saw that it seemed to be a proper chamber, complete with furniture, bedding, and clothes. The only incongruous thing was the kneeling skeleton in the center of the room.

People from the demon palace were not particular about details, and that skeleton only seemed terrifying at first glance. Rong Qi approached and carefully examined it, deducing from the tattered clothes that this person had likely been a prisoner.

Who could it be?

The room was dim, and Rong Qi glanced at the candlestick in his hand, realizing that the candle was almost burnt out. He searched the room again and found a few unused candles in the wardrobe. After lighting one, the room became much brighter.

He replaced the candle and then intended to leave the room. Just as he pushed the door open, he suddenly heard a strange ‘creak-creak’ sound behind him. Rong Qi felt a chill run down his back. He turned around, only to be shocked to see the skeleton had raised half of its body.

Rong Qi: “……”

He fought back the urge to run, his eyes locked on the skeleton. However, the bone figure didn’t move again, still frozen in the position as if it were trying to rise.

Rong Qi frowned. He had never believed in ghosts or spirits, but he couldn’t help but feel his hair stand on end. Steadying his mind, he continued to push the door open.

Now, he saw it clearly.

As the door opened wider, the skeleton slowly stood up, turned around, and faced Rong Qi directly.

Rong Qi gritted his teeth. “Trying to scare me with these petty tricks.”

Holding the candlestick in one hand, he swiftly launched a few hidden weapons with the other. The skeleton crumpled and fell to the ground.

Rong Qi quickly turned to look at the door, only to find thin threads coiled around it, with the other end tied to the skeleton.

He pushed the door open, and the threads tightened, pulling the skeleton upright. With one hand free, he threw another set of hidden weapons. As the door shut, the skeleton returned to its original position.

A puppet trick.

He opened the door again and watched the skeleton rise once more. A wave of suspicion rose in Rong Qi’s mind.

Every trap had its purpose. But what was this one for? Was it just to scare people?

The skeleton, pulled up by the threads, lowered its head. Its spine was bent at an odd angle, and its right hand raised one finger in a strange, deliberate gesture. Rong Qi followed the direction of the bony hand and his eyes widened.

He saw that the dark ceiling was covered with dense writings and intricate patterns.

Rong Qi raised the candlestick high, and the flickering flame illuminated the words, slowly revealing the past of the room’s owner.

It turned out to be Qi Yange.

This Helian Sect’s Holy Protector, once renowned as the world’s greatest lightness skill master, had vanished over a decade ago. Rong Qi initially assumed all the prisoners inside were connected to the Fang family massacre, but it turned out that wasn’t entirely the case.

Qi Yange hadn’t participated in the Fang family massacre. He had merely been one of the people swept up in Fang Yuanqing’s quest for revenge.

Rumors in the jianghu said Qi Yange came from a prestigious family but had fallen from grace. He had once violated his junior sister, and when his deeds were discovered, he killed his master in a fit of rage. His fellow disciples hunted him for three years, after which he joined the Helian Sect. In the years that followed, he hunted down his former sectmates, and even those who had been on good terms with them were not spared.

“…The old thief was truly a beast in human skin, committing the despicable act of violating my junior sister, then trying to frame me… Everyone in the sect believed his one-sided account… Since my junior sister is dead, I have no more attachments. From this point on, all past ties are severed. I would rather be a villain and live freely in this world than associate with hypocrites…”

Rong Qi scanned the tightly packed words on the wall, feeling a stark contrast between the rumors and the reality.

“…I don’t know how many days have passed in this prison, but one day, a fellow came to the cell. Like me, this unlucky soul had no grievances or enmity with Fang Yuanqing. He was just passing by, yet his strange martial arts technique caught Fang Yuanqing’s attention when he witnessed him killing someone. Thus, he was brought here…”

Rong Qi: “Strange martial arts?”

He continued reading, but the handwriting soon changed. The strokes became feeble and unsteady, and many of the sentences were unclear, as if the writer’s consciousness was fading.

Just as he was about to take another look, the ground suddenly trembled beneath his feet, and countless iron arrows shot out from the gaps. Rong Qi quickly dodged to the side, but one arrow grazed his face and embedded itself in the stone wall nearby. The arrowhead quivered slightly, and the wall cracked in a web-like pattern.

Rong Qi continued dodging the arrows while retreating toward the door. As soon as he burst out of the room, the stone door slammed shut behind him.

The last glimpse he had of the room was the skeleton collapsing to the ground, completely still.

“Bang—”

The stone door sealed, and the surroundings fell silent.

The candlestick had been knocked over, but the candles on the outside of the door were still burning brightly.

Rong Qi stood in place, surveying the maze of winding corridors. After a moment, he moved toward the right.

Qi Yange had not only left words on the ceiling but had also drawn a simple map. The dungeon had three levels in total. The first level was guarded by Fang family disciples, while the two lower levels housed the prisoners.

After some thought, Rong Qi decided that, given the uncertain situation, it was best to first meet up with Gu Yunxing. He casually picked up a broken stone and began leaving marks of flame patterns on the walls as he progressed.

Afterward, Rong Qi explored several rooms, finding various skeletons in different states of decay, but he still had not located the Tianyuan Manual. He couldn’t help but wonder if Fang Yuanqing had destroyed the manual after mastering it. The once-renowned cultivation method might have vanished along with Fang Yuanqing’s death.

But he had to get the Tianyuan Manual!

In Lihuo Palace, there was no room for failure. If he wanted to survive, he had to defeat Xu Yan and Shen Qi.

Unfortunately… his influence had not yet reached the coasts. The moment he set sail, he had already stepped into the deadly trap set by those two.

Even without the storm at sea, his journey to the East Sea would have been fraught with danger.

Thinking of the boat that had been hijacked by Zhou Yuan and his apprentice, Rong Qi’s heart inexplicably surged with a strong killing intent.

If those two had not been killed by the freak, perhaps Xu Yan or Shen Qi would have already received word and led their men straight to the small island.

Searching all fourteen immortal islands yielded no results, but beyond them was an unnamed small island. How could that not raise suspicions? At that point, he would be all alone. How could he possibly fight against them?

Fortunately, Zhou Yuan and his apprentice were dead. Fortunately, it was he who had found the clue to the Tianyuan Manual…

“Who?”

Rong Qi suddenly looked ahead. The stone wall at the intersection reflected a slanted shadow elongated by the candlelight.

Someone was hiding behind it!

Rong Qi raised his cilin, his face twisted in a fierce snarl. “Come out!”

The figure stepped out from the fork in the path. Dressed in flowing white robes, with a paper fan swaying gently in his hand, he was wearing a smile between his brows. “Long time no see, Rong Qi.”

Rong Qi was taken aback. “Shen Qi?”

Shen Qi smiled, walking toward him with a graceful stride. “The sea is vast, and yet you’ve paved the way for us. Now that I’ve found the Tianyuan Manual, for the sake of our years as fellow disciples, I’ll let you live out the rest of your life on this island. How does that sound?”

Rong Qi froze. “You’ve found the Tianyuan Manual?”

Shen Qi pulled a book from his robe and opened a page right before Rong Qi’s eyes. He chanted slowly, “From the vast and boundless Void, the roots of transformation were born. All things took shape from this origin. The Five Movements completed the Heaven’s cycle….”

“No, it’s impossible!” Rong Qi’s eyes widened in rage. He leapt forward, attempting to snatch the book away.

Shen Qi didn’t move to evade, still smiling, murmuring the words.

Before Rong Qi could get close, he suddenly felt a dull pain in his chest, and he fell to the ground, coughing up blood.

Shen Qi stopped reciting, his dark pupils casually watching him as he took a light step back, retreating down the passage.

“Don’t leave!” Rong Qi gritted his teeth and chased after him. “Come back! Come back!”

As long as he killed Shen Qi, he could take back the Tianyuan Manual, and that meant he hadn’t lost yet!

“Rong Qi… Rong Qi!”

Rong Qi suddenly jolted awake, gasping for breath. His eyes met Gu Yunxing’s worried gaze. He immediately grabbed the other’s sleeve. “The… Tianyuan Manual…”

Gu Yunxing quickly reassured him, “Alright, alright. I’ll find it for you.”

Rong Qi’s voice was weak. “Shen Qi took it… hurry, hurry and chase…” He struggled to point toward the passage, only to find, to his shock, that there was no passage ahead, only a solid stone wall standing silently.

Gu Yunxing placed his palm against Rong Qi’s chest, his voice low. “You’ve been poisoned.”

Rong Qi looked at him in confusion, then after a long pause, asked, “Then what about Shen Qi?”

“It was just an illusion caused by the poison,” Gu Yunxing replied. “There’s only the two of us here.”

Rong Qi let out a breath of relief, slowly becoming aware of the strange sensation in his body. “Why… do I have no strength?”

Gu Yunxing pulled him into his arms, suddenly switching from a palm to a finger, tapping several key acupuncture points on Rong Qi’s body.

Rong Qi immediately coughed up a large mouthful of black blood, choking and coughing uncontrollably.

Gu Yunxing wiped the blood from his mouth with a sigh. “Fortunately, the poisoning isn’t deep.” He gently supported Rong Qi’s head, resting it on his shoulder, and took out a water flask, offering him a few sips.

Rong Qi silently looked at him, asking with his eyes: Where did this come from?

Gu Yunxing: “There’s a fresh water source on the upper level that connects to the outside. It should be where the Fang family disciples used to fetch water.”

The cool, sweet water slid down his throat, washing away the lingering taste of blood.

Gu Yunxing: “If I’m not mistaken, you were poisoned by the Poison Maiden’s technique.”

Rong Qi thought for a moment. “I entered a room earlier, and there were indeed women’s clothes inside.” He gripped the corner of Gu Yunxing’s clothing. “By the way, how did you find me?”

Gu Yunxing briefly explained how he had arrived.

It turned out that there were specific passages connecting the upper and lower levels, likely used by the Fang family disciples to transport food and water. In contrast, the stone brick controlled by mechanisms was far more suspicious.

Why, in a prison, would there be a direct passage leading to the prisoners’ quarters?

Gu Yunxing: “Among the prisoners listed in the Criminal Record, there’s Tang Feijia from the Qiangji Pavilion. He might have modified the mechanisms or made new arrangements.”

Rong Qi felt weak all over, yet his mind was unusually clear. He relayed the information he had seen in Qi Yange’s cell to Gu Yunxing. “He said that chaos had broken out in the Xixin Prison. Within a month, more than a dozen experts had died one after another due to the exhaustion of their internal energy. Although Fang Yuanqing set up a hunting ground to force them to kill each other, they weren’t fools. Naturally, they had no intention of actually fighting to the death. The deaths of those dozen experts alarmed Fang Yuanqing, and a few days later, Fang Yuanqing returned to this island.”