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  • The Guide to Capturing a Black Lotus

    Chapter 70 Great Fissure In The Ground (5)

    Mu Sheng suddenly opened his eyes and caught a hand. His aura immediately became malevolent, “Who?!”

    The hand turned into dark air in the blink of an eye, dispersing.

    The familiar muffled laughter was like an overwhelmingly disgusting stench surrounding him, “Why, isn’t this our little Sheng’er? Look at what kind of figure you’re cutting right now.”

    The shadows before him seemed to congeal into a thin waisted, big-hipped human figure. It raised water towards the youth in an ambiguous manner while teasing him, but at the same time, it looked like it was provoking him.

    Mu Sheng turned his head away, face as cold as ice, “Don’t call me little Sheng’er.”

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    “Why? That’s your name. Don’t tell me you’re still thinking of abandoning your name….” The water ghost smiled queerily as its fingers slowly crept up his chest.

    Mu Sheng suddenly retreated backwards. Half of his body left the water and he restrained the Demon Restraining Circlet in his hand. If it wasn’t for how seriously dizzy he was, to the point that even his hands shook, he would’ve made a move already, acting without any mercy.

    “Swish—–”

    The following parts of the text will be scrambled to prevent theft from aggregators and unauthorized epub making. Please support our translators by reading on secondlifetranslations (dot) com. If you are currently on the site and and you are seeing this, please clear your cache.

    Tl oyp pweeldzu rwzzle cu psxlsdl wpkdt y xswdvykdswp yxswdv sq pvaldtvb, qsanle kdvs pkvvkdt cynj kdvs vbl oyvla, vbl przypblp nywpkdt vbl oyvla vs nsxrzlvlzu nshla bkp blye yde nsxrzlvlzu ealdnbkdt bkp byka.

    Tkp qwau cwapv swv yv vbkp xsxldv yp vbl Plxsd Slpvaykdkdt Ukanzlv pweeldzu zlqv bkp byde. Zlv, vbl xlvyz cyde oyp qkaxzu nyrvwale cu vbl eyaj xkpv’p byde.

    Mbl oyvla tbspv zlv swv y zsdt rlyz sq okze zywtbvla. Rq pbl bye lulp, pbl oswze elqkdkvlzu cl zywtbkdt ps byae vlyap nyxl swv, “Nkvvzl Fbldt’la, zssj. R nyd fwpv wpl y pkdtzl byde vs nsxrzlvlzu pvsr usw qasx eskdt yduvbkdt.” Fbl rwv qsanl kdvs vbl byde nzyprkdt vbl Plxsd Slpvaykdkdt Ukanzlv. Fbl pzsozu yrrasynble bkp obkvl fyel-zkjl qynl, “Zsw nyd’v lhld nsdvasz vbl Plxsd Slpvaykdkdt Ukanzlv, bso es usw lhld rzyd vs pbso sqq?”

    Tla svbla byde oyp wple vs nwr bkp qynl. Mbld, kv pzke esod vs bkp dlnj yde zlqv y vaykz sq eyxrdlpp oblal kv rypple shla. Rv oyp yzz oyvla easrzlvp yde vbl oyvla easrzlvp tyvblale vstlvbla yde pzke esod bkp qyka nbkd.

    Yw Fbldt’p eyaj rwrkzp zssjle vsoyaep bla. Tkp blye oyp kd yd ycpszwvl pvyvl sq ekggkdlpp yp kq bl oyp sd vbl letl sq ldewaydnl yde nbysp, bkp cseu pbyjkdt qasx bkp aytl.

    Tkp nszzya casjl okvb y pweeld rwzz, alhlyzkdt vbl uswvb’p nszzyacsdl. Fbl pvasjle bkp pjkd, dsv yv yzz psqv kd vbl pzktbvlpv, yzxspv yp kq pbl oyp vaukdt vs cwzzu bkx. Fbl awccle bkp pjkd wdvkz kv vwadle ale, “Nkvvzl Fbldt’la, obyv es usw vbkdj ycswv tkhkdt xl vbl czsse blal?”

    Yw Fbldt oyp lmralppksdzlpp. Tl bye vaswczl pwrralppkdt vbl nsze pbweelap valxsakdt vbaswtb bkx. Tl eked’v jdso oblvbla kv oyp clnywpl sq bkp bktb vlxrlayvwal sa clnywpl sq bkp qwau vbyv bl pkzldvzu alynble swv vs vswnb bkp byka.

    “Zsw’al pvkzz vbkdjkdt sq wpkdt uswa qsackeeld yavp?”

    The water ghost stopped moving and watched him with an engrossed look. Then, it reacted as if it had seen a most comedic thing happen. “Let me count, once twice thrice. Ah. If you touch it again, it’ll be the third time.”

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    Mu Sheng’s hand stiffened. There was a dry heat to his hastened breathing. He felt as though there was a ball of fire in his head yet his body was cold and wet. With such a great difference, he felt unbearable and countless furious thoughts fill his head. However, his arm shook. He couldn’t even gather up the slightest bit of strength to kill.

    “If you continue being so unbridled, aren’t you afraid that you’ll lose control and become a monster?”

    Her sharp and thin voice was filled with exaggeration as she laughed. The arm formed of dark air suddenly appeared next to his face again, softly running her fingers through his long, shiny black hair. “Little Sheng’er. You know as well that your hair should be much longer than this.”

    She pulled a few strands away with her fingers. There was an underlay of temptation within her voice, “You should’ve thanked your mother. It was her who used the Broken Moon Scissors to cut your hair.”

    “…..”

    “Do you know what the Broken Moon Scissors are?”

    “…..”

    “The Broken Moon Scissors are a heavenly treasure exchanged for many years of life. It can cut off love. It can also break off resentment. But despite its ability to cut off love and hate, you can only choose to cut off one of the two…. Why don’t you take a guess at what your mother chose?”

    Mu Sheng suddenly moved and his gaze flashed with light, looking like he was trying to endure an enormous amount of pain, “Shut up.”

    “I’m done talking….. You’ve heard my secrets so now it’s time for you to pay me back with your blood.” The water ghost’s tone became anxious. Her hand went from caressing to a tight grip. Her sharp fangs suddenly sunk into the depressed area beneath his collar bones and blood spurted out immediately. She greedily sucked the blood, and at the same time, the black fog transformed into a net that wrapped up the youth tightly in the water. “Little Sheng’er, before you use your forbidden arts, think of your mother——–”

    Mu Sheng closed his eyes. His eyebrows shivered and his face was paler than snow.

    He had a splitting headache and along with the dizziness from the loss of blood, he was nearly about to yield.

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    His fingernails were embedded into the palm of his hand. The layers of pain sent waves through his body. Fissure…. There were still people in the fissure…..

    He composed himself. The world in front of his eyes cleared up.

    The water ghost let go of him. The youth’s face had long turned deathly pale. His body could not help but start sliding down but he exerted force with his arm and forcefully maintained a respectable posture.

    The water ghost wiped its indiscernible mouth, seemingly still dissatisfied with the amount she drank, “Little Sheng’er, you don’t need to stay in the demon hunter world. Making yourself an enemy of my kind and pretending to be a human when you’re not. You’re a demon, there’s no need for this…..”

    “…..”

    “Your mother’s entire life was a joke and unexpectedly, even you are one too. Kekekeke——-” When she moved her gaze and noticed the bloody wound on his shoulder, her mocking gaze became one filled with rancor. She was fuming as she forced out, “This is the mark left by the Ghost King…. Since you’ve destroyed the Ghost King’s corpse, I’ll make you remember this heart-piercing pain.”

    Before she finished speaking, her hand stabbed into that wound and fresh blood spurted out. Blue veins popped out on Mu Sheng’s forehead as he clenched his jaws. He didn’t make a single peep. However, just as he seemingly endured to the end, a hint of slackness appeared in his eyes.

    The sun leaped onto the horizon and the sunlight was extremely bright. The deep green mountain, emerald-green trees and gleaming waves of light reflected off the water’s surface. Everything evil, repulsive and vile turned into a puff of smoke under the sunlight.

    The water ghost started to flee. The black mist had long started to disperse into the water under the bright sunlight.

    The youth’s body finally slid down, nearly losing consciousness as he laid on the water. A large portion of the cold water was dyed in red.

    The brilliant sunlight shone down and turned the small droplets of water on his lashes into glimmering balls of brilliance. The colors of the rainbow were refracted as they passed through, just like a precious, resplendent diamond.

    In the underground palace, there was no clear indicator of day or night.

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    The only source of light down below was the ghostly dark green fires inlaid into the walls, snaking their way into the distance. It was both bizarre and desolate. The narrow pathway was very long and not a single soul was in sight. As they tread down the path step by step, they grew increasingly closer to the abyss. The smell of mold and dampness became more and more prominent. The smell of soil was completely inundated with the earthy scent of roots and tendrils.

    This long, narrow path was blocked on both sides by enormously tall walls. The air was stale and stuffy, causing Ling Miaomiao to feel panic at the thought that perhaps the walls would come slamming together at any moment, turning her into human meat paste.

    Ever since Miaomiao and Mu Yao entered the fissure, they never had a moment of peace. Every few steps, the illusion demon had set up hurdles for them. Sometimes, it was giant boulders falling down from the ceiling. Sometimes, poisonous darts would shoot out of the walls. Sometimes, it was resentful ghosts that crawled out of the ground, using their ice cold hands to touch Miaomiao’s ankles. They would let out a bitter bawling sound, causing her to feel goosebumps all over her body and cold sweat to form on her back. It was just like playing a game of insane hopscotch, continually switching between one leg and two legs as she jumped around.

    So far, Ling Miaomiao had been tormented to the point that she felt beleaguered and on edge. Even if it was her own hair brushing past her neck, she would suspect if someone was behind her and had malicious intentions on her poor neck…. She widened her eyes and with every step she took, she had to look back at least three times.

    Mu Yao’s lips had cracked from being so dry. Her hair and forehead were beaded with sweat and strands of hair stuck to her face. There was even a lump of ash on her nose. She no longer possessed the dignity she normally exuded. Miaomiao had also only barely survived to this point. Two pairs of eyes met, just like a pair of sisters-in-law running away from calamity. Miaomiao couldn’t help but curl up her lips.

    The section of deadly traps had come to an end. Mu Yao’s state of mind also relaxed a tad bit, raising her chin to ask, “Why are you smiling?”

    Miaomiao wiped her dirty hands on her dress a few times and helped herself recomb her hair with her head down. She put her jade green ribbon between her teeth and spoke in an obscure manner: “Sister Mu, you’ve never looked as sorry as this.”

    Mu Yao was stunned for a moment then lightly laughed, “I’ve been in many difficult situations before, you just didn’t get to see them.”

    She paused and seemed to think of something. Somewhat curiously, somewhat probingly, she asked: “………Did Ah Sheng give you the Demon Restraining Circlet?”

    “…..Yes.”

    Mu Yao’s expression turned somewhat complicated. There was some gratification but also some worry, “Miaomiao, when you jumped down here with me, was it really for Fuyi?”

    Ling Miaomiao raised her head to look at Mu Yao, mind going sluggish for a second. The ribbon in her mouth fell down but she managed to react in time, shooting out her hand to catch it. Turning back to Mu Yao, she put on a sincere show, “Of course I did. I like Brother Liu the most, nothing between the heavens and the earth can compare! I truly truly am sincere. I really am telling the truth……”

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    After a long torrent of confessing? She made a pose, as if she was ready to swear an oath.

    For some reason, her act was a little too formal. In contrast, it made Mu Yao feel a little like making fun of her. In the end though…. It was a little strange. However, she couldn’t quite put her finger on it in a short amount of time.

    She nodded and interrupted her. She seemed to be a little dizzy from all of her talking, “Alright, since you’re down here with me, we have to go save Fuyi together.”

    Speaking of Liu Fuyi, her expression immediately sank into the depths.

    He had always been extremely powerful. It had always seemed like he would turn any dangerous situation into safety. She felt like she had been somewhat dependent on luck, whereas he had always been in an invincible position.

    But luck was never something dependable. Six years ago, she had thought that with her mother and father as the pillars of the Mu family, they would never decline nor suffer, a veritable safe haven. However, who would’ve thought that those people they were intimate with would actually be great demons in human disguises…..

    In the span of a night, she lost all of her family. Now, she didn’t want to lose Liu Fuyi either.

    Ling Miaomiao pulled on the hem of her clothes, “Mu…. Sister Mu…..”

    The young girl’s apricot eyes flashed with horror, her fair face completely covered by countless intersecting shadows.

    She turned around and saw ten tall and slender demons before them. They had been surrounded. They were towering and about to spring into action, just like a tall, impenetrable metasequoia forest.

    Where there was a shadow, a light must exist.

    The earth demons were on the opposite side of the light. Several strands of warm light would peak through the gaps between the tall figures. Hidden behind them, but still somewhat visible, was an enormous brightly-lit hall.

    It wasn’t lit up by the dark green fires in the walls. Rather, it was a warm, comforting color. A common and familiar fire of the mortal world: a candle’s flame.

    They had somehow reached the heart of the underground palace.

    Miaomiao peeked through the gaps between the earth demons to look into the hall. The first thing she noticed was the row of flickering candles in the hall. There were also a few wreathed chairs. As her gaze slowly moved right, she saw the red-robed little girl sitting in the master seat. Her two short legs were suspended in the air and her hands were clasping a cup of tea from which steam did not rise. Her lips were still as red as ever, they looked just as if she had secretly smeared on an adult’s rouge.

    She suddenly looked over with her flashing gem-like eyes that seemed to harbor ill intentions, right towards her right side.

    At her right…..

    As her gaze moved right, she saw a pair long, slender hands tightly holding onto a cup of tea. The pair of hands were extremely pale, as if they had not seen the sun for countless years.

    The young male sitting in the chair to her right had his hair draped over his face while he had his head lowered. His bearing exuded gentleness and agreeableness, just like an earnestly polite servant listening to his master.

    That plump forehead…. Tall nose bridge…. Ling Miaomiao suddenly shivered: Brother Liu is alive?

    He pulled his sleeves to take a sip of his tea. Then he turned to gaze attentively at the illusion demon with a slight smile on his face. He looked completely normal, as if nothing was wrong at all. It was just that…. His lips were completely pale, as if there was no blood in him at all.

    As Miaomiao took a closer look, she discovered to her astonishment that all of the miscellaneous pieces in this underground palace, the round chairs, the screens and the white porcelain vases on the tables all had red plum flowers placed into them. Even the candles and candlesticks were in the style of the Li residence. The number of candles themselves were similar and there wasn’t even the slightest difference. Other than the fake landscape out of the window, which was just pitch black darkness. It felt as if the Li residence’s main hall had come alive and moved all the way down here.

    While Miaomiao was lost in thought, Mu Yao suddenly pulled her back. Mu Yao was completely occupied with fighting the ending stream of earth demons. She hadn’t gained the chance to carefully survey the occupants of the hall.

    Mu Yao started to gasp for breath harder and harder. The two of them pulled each other back as they retreated and Ling Miaomiao’s back was plastered onto the cold and damp wall.

    The earth demons were just like silence spectors, ever so slowly approaching. They continually moved towards them without making a single sound while also casting countless messy shadows everywhere.

    “I’m running out of talismans.”

    Mu Yao lowered her voice and moved her hand back to grasp onto Miaomiao’s hand. She moved close to her ear, “When I count to three, I will create an opening in their encirclement. Take the opportunity to rush out….”

    Her tone was serious with an undertone of despair. It seemed like she was thinking of burning all exits, going all out without a care for her life.

    “You don’t need to do that, Sister Mu…..” Miaomiao felt like she was drenched in sweat from her high body temperature. She grabbed the front lapel of her jacket and pulled hard, until the hidden buckles and clasps popped open. She hurriedly pried her jacket off and balled it into a lump, all ready to start a difficult fight. “Since I don’t have any talismans left, I’ll have to use the Demon Restraining Circlet. Actually, I can hold on using it for a while….”

    Before she finished speaking, a thick pile of talismans suddenly fell out of her jacket, spilling all over and beside her feet. “Eh?” She froze.

    As the shadowy, shaking candlelight flickered and the murky yellow talismans layered on top of one another, the air from her movements caused them to slightly curl up. The red cinnabar color all connected together to turn into a drawing of a magnificent rose-tinted sky.


    A/N: The author has something to say: I feel like what I feel about the story is different from what everyone else feels —->

    Me: Normal plot development

    Little Angel (readers): So sweet~~~

    Me: Oh… is that so…. [Shakes head]

    Me: Normal plot development

    Little Angel: So tragic! Please no more! No more sadness!

    Me: Oh…. did I add any….. [Furious Headshaking]

    Fine. Shouldn’t stories have their ups and downs ww


    TLN: Lolol its really quite impressive how the author manages to insert little moments of comic relief that don’t feel out of place amidst these trying times…. for Mu Yao and Miaomiao at least. Anyway, hope y’all enjoy! Also hope ya’ll had a good Midsummer Festival???


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    Entropy [Translator]

    Liltato's grandpa.
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    4 Comments

    1. Kitten
      Kitten

      Did I read “sisters-in-law”? Omg, it’s already official and Miaomiao doesn’t even know! Lmao I really loved Mu Yao in this chapter, not that I hate her (I do criticise her quite a bit because I’m too protective of Ziqi), but I like how she interacts with Miaomiao when it’s just the two of them. She looks more like a normal young woman, I guess… Someone, please help our Ziqi! Madame Shi must have sent people to look for them, right? I hope they find and heal him fast! Thanks for the chapter!!

    2. plush
      plush

      Girlboss moments right here ayy also can someone help our poor male leads? Thank you huhu. I ate too many rice cakes yesterday (literally just two but goodness was i full) and there’s still more to eat huhu. Thank you for the chapter!!

    3. Wuming
      Wuming

      They getting along is so cool I was really hoping for it. Sister-in-law’s companionship.Thanks for the chapter!!