Chapter 158: Living apart, dying together in the same grave

After Zu An carried Chu Chuyan through the stone gate, he was surprised to find that while it had looked pitch-black from the outside, it wasn't as utterly vision-impeding as he had imagined once they were inside.

A dim, grayish-white light emanated from an unknown source within the world behind the stone gate. The air was hazy and gray, as if filled with smog or rural cooking smoke, yet devoid of any sign of life.

A cold, eerie wind gently blew, making Zu An's hairs stand on end. He felt a distinct sense of discomfort and a wave of weakness, as if he were losing too much blood.

Alarmed, he immediately realized that the environment here was likely extremely hostile to living beings. There might even be a continuous "bleeding" negative effect. Although not severe on its own, it could be fatal for both Zu An and Chu Chuyan, who were already heavily wounded.

Without delay, he grabbed a handful of medicine and shoved it into Chu Chuyan's mouth, while also taking a few pills himself. Only then did his spirits improve slightly.

He was grateful that he had found many healing medicines on the assassins from Jia Zhengjing earlier. Coupled with the wound medicine and antidote pills given by Ji Xiaoxi, he could barely resist the negative effects of this place.

Chu Chuyan had never been treated so roughly by a man, but she understood that he was trying to save her, so she wasn't angry. Still, she felt unaccustomed to the sensation. To distract herself from her embarrassment, she asked, "What is this place?"

She had noticed Zu An frantically running towards this place earlier, so there had to be a reason.

"This is the lair of a zombie army," Zu An replied. "I estimate it's a massive mausoleum..." He then briefly recounted what he had witnessed in the valley earlier.

"The lair of a zombie army..." Chu Chuyan's expression subtly changed. "Aren't you just walking to your death by coming here!"

She herself didn't mind; death awaited her regardless of where they went.

"Rather than falling into the hands of someone named Shi outside, it's better to take a gamble here. Perhaps there's still a chance for something to change." Zu An's face was relaxed, but his entire body was tense, wary of any danger that might appear at any moment.

Chu Chuyan sighed softly, "Why did you bother saving me? You could have escaped on your own. Now, we'll probably just die together."

"Dying together isn't so bad," Zu An chuckled. "It'd be nice for us to be fated lovers. Wouldn't you say we're a couple who can't share a bed in life, but will share a grave in death?"

A faint blush appeared on Chu Chuyan's pale cheeks. "Pah, at a time like this, and you're still trying to take advantage of me."

"I can't help it," Zu An replied. "If I don't say many things now, I might never get the chance." He noticed Chu Chuyan's eyes were half-closed, as if she might fall asleep at any moment. To keep her spirits up and preserve her life, he naturally tried to keep talking to her.

"Oh, right," Zu An said with a grin, "if we manage to escape this time, could we consider ending our separation and living together?"

"At a time like this, you're still thinking about such things," Chu Chuyan scoffed.

"One needs something to look forward to for motivation, you know. Besides, this eerie place is making me a bit scared too." Zu An said, while observing their surroundings. Because of the pervasive gray mist, visibility was limited. However, after walking for so long, he could determine that they were in a long tunnel.

The tunnel sloped gently downwards. They were clearly heading deeper underground, unsure if what awaited them was hell itself.

The stone walls surrounding the tunnel were dry and smooth, covered with various etched lines. A quick glance revealed them to be murals depicting a scene of brutal warfare.

Chu Chuyan, however, wasn't looking at the murals. Instead, she was pondering his words and said weakly, "Why are you so insistent on living with me? You clearly are..."

She stopped mid-sentence, clearly unwilling to hurt his feelings.

Zu An laughed heartily, "You're my wife! What kind of newlyweds don't live together? As for my physical condition, you don't need to worry. Divine Physician Ji has already found a cure for me. We just need one main ingredient to completely heal my hidden ailment, and then we'll be a happy couple."

Chu Chuyan's face flushed slightly, and she automatically ignored his last sentence. "Is it the Phantom Lotus of No Trace you mentioned last time?"

"Yes, exactly! Maybe I'll even find it here in a bit," Zu An replied.

Chu Chuyan remained silent. This place was filled with dark energy; how could a heavenly treasure like the Phantom Lotus of No Trace possibly grow here?

However, in their current desperate situation, she didn't want to dampen his spirits, so she replied, "Alright, if we manage to get out of here, you can move in with me."

She knew her own condition; she likely wouldn't survive to leave this secret realm. Given that, she might as well make him happy before she died.

"Really?!" Zu An was overjoyed. To be honest, he hadn't expected her to agree at all.

Just as Chu Chuyan was about to reply, her gaze suddenly fell upon the ceiling. "What... what is that?"

Zu An looked up and saw that the tunnel was much higher than he had imagined, perhaps twenty to thirty meters tall. The ceiling seemed to be studded with countless rubies, emitting a faint red glow.

"This... this is..." At first, the heavy mist obscured his view, but then a sudden, inexplicable breeze thinned the fog slightly. Zu An finally saw what was on the ceiling: they weren't rubies at all, but clearly the eyes of countless bats!

These bats were larger than any he had ever seen, each the size of a bathtub. Their grotesque appearances and sharp fangs indicated they were far from benevolent creatures.

"Be careful, these are pig-faced bloodsucking giant bats," Chu Chuyan quickly warned. "They can drain a cow or sheep completely in just a few breaths." Although she no longer feared death, as a woman, she had a natural aversion to such disgusting monsters.

Staring at the dense mass above them, easily hundreds, if not thousands, of bats, Zu An swallowed hard. If these creatures swarmed them, they could probably be drained into mummies in an instant.

Wasn't this place supposed to be inhabited by a zombie army? Why were there also creatures like these?

Just then, the giant bats sleeping overhead began to stir. They had clearly smelled the blood in the air.

Seeing more and more giant bats awakening, Zu An knew they were in trouble. He and Chu Chuyan were covered in blood, making them as obvious to the bats as torches in the dark.

Just then, a long laugh echoed from behind them: "Hahaha, I've finally caught up to you."

Shi Kun and his group appeared about ten meters behind them, glaring with cold smiles. Dozens of wind blades had already materialized around Shi Kun, clearly indicating he would unleash a thunderous attack in the next second.

Knowing his current condition made it difficult to contend with Shi Kun, Zu An made a swift decision. He immediately shot an arrow straight up at the ceiling, then pulled Chu Chuyan down and lay flat on the ground.

The bats overhead were already awakening. The arrow hitting the ceiling caused a massive vibration that sent all of them into a frenzy, flapping their leathery wings and swooping down.

"What's that?!" Shi Kun was startled by the dark mass flying down. He instinctively unleashed the wind blades in his hands.

Clusters of blood immediately splattered in the air as more than a dozen giant bats were shredded by his wind blades. This action was like poking a hornet's nest; all the bats seemed to find a new target and swarmed towards him.

Shi Kun's expression drastically changed. His elemental energy surged, and more wind blades condensed around him. Qiao Xueying also paled, as countless green leaves swirled around her, enveloping her.

The other two fourth-rank cultivators also used all their strength, slashing at the swarming giant bats.

However, there were simply too many bats, and each possessed considerable strength. One of the fourth-rank cultivators, caught off guard for a moment, had his defense breached by a bat that bit directly into his neck.

With a piercing scream, he frantically reached to tear the bat from his neck. This action instantly collapsed his defenses, and more bats swarmed onto him.

His screams abruptly ceased. His tall, strong body withered at a visible rate, and within a few blinks of an eye, only a dried corpse remained.

Shi Kun was both shocked and enraged. Holding nothing back, he conjured multiple tornadoes around him, each composed entirely of wind blades. Wherever they passed, the giant bats in their path were shredded to pieces.

Qiao Xueying's face was also icy. Countless green leaves shot out, each like a blade, striking bats dead. At the same time, the braids on her head grew rapidly, transforming into numerous sprawling vines. Each vine was covered with green thorns, and every one lashed out like the sharpest whip, impaling countless bats and tearing their guts out.

The remaining bats finally realized they had encountered formidable opponents and fled in disarray. Soon, only a pile of mangled bat corpses remained in the tunnel.

This time, Qiao Xueying didn't retract her hair. Seeing numerous bloody bat corpses still hanging from the vines, she swung her sword with a look of disgust and cut off a large section of her hair. However, almost immediately after it was cut, her short hair grew back automatically.

Shi Kun looked around but saw no trace of Zu An or Chu Chuyan. He realized he had been used as a pawn and exploded in fury. "You, Zu An! Even if I have to chase you to the underworld, I will tear you to pieces today!"

Rage points from Shi Kun: +999!

"My Lord," Qiao Xueying hastily advised, "this place is too strange. I have an ominous feeling. Perhaps we should retreat first and then plan our next move carefully."

Shi Kun snorted. "What, now you're worried about your young mistress? Don't think I didn't see you secretly going easy on them just now. Otherwise, how could they have possibly escaped to this place?"

"I..." Qiao Xueying's face showed hurt. She was indeed worried about the safety of their expedition. Because she cultivated wood-element techniques, which symbolized vitality, she felt a strange pressure upon entering this place. It hindered the flow of her elemental energy, as if some terrifying entity was hidden nearby.

Shi Kun suddenly realized that his subordinates had suffered heavy casualties. It would not be wise to fall out with a fifth-rank cultivator like her at this moment. His tone softened. "Alright, Xue'er, I was too hasty just now and spoke too harshly. Don't take it to heart. Although this place is somewhat eerie, these are just pig-faced bats and the like. We can handle them easily if we're careful. You can't just stand by and watch Miss Chu die in Zu An's hands, can you? How about we leave this place immediately after we find Miss Chu?"

Qiao Xueying's heart softened. "Yes, My Lord. It was indeed my fault earlier; I was a bit soft-hearted for a moment."

Shi Kun laughed, "It's fine. This only proves your loyalty. If you were cold-blooded and ruthless towards Miss Chu, I would be disheartened."

Hearing him say this, Qiao Xueying, who had been preoccupied with worries throughout the journey, finally showed a hint of a smile. "Thank you for your understanding, My Lord."

Shi Kun nodded, then beckoned her to follow him deeper into the tunnel.