141 Part 2
“Quick, come and see this!” Cong Xia called the others over.
“What’s wrong?” they asked, gathering around him.
Cong Xia extended his hand, showing them the incense ash. “Look closely inside the ash.”
Tang Yanqiu, with the sharpest eyesight, noticed first. “Are these… bug eggs?”
At first glance, it seemed like a mere pile of incense ash in Cong Xia’s hand. However, upon closer observation, they noticed the tiny particles were indeed moving slightly. Since the real incense ash and these extremely fine eggs looked nearly identical in color and size, one could only distinguish between the two if the eggs were in motion.
“So, that’s why the roasted bug skewers have a hint of a Buddhist scent?” Deng Xiao blinked.
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“Zlp, obld ol cwadle vbl cwtp vseyu, vblal oyp kdelle y qykdv qaytaydnl, cwv vbl pxlzz sq vbl cwtp oyp ps shlarsolakdt, yde ol olal olyakdt xypjp, ps kv oyp byae vs vlzz.”
“Gal usw pyukdt vblpl cwtp zyke vblka lttp kd vbl kdnldpl ypb?”
“Jwv vbspl cwtp yzps zyu lttp sd rlsrzl.”
“Gzvbswtb vbspl cwtp nyd zyu lttp sd rlsrzl, vblka saktkd xwpv cl blal, dsv sd bwxyd cseklp. Ysalshla, vbl cwtp ol vssj cynj vs vbl zyc qasx Zys Ckydfkydt dlhla talo yp ckt yp vblpl sdlp blal. Mblka pkgl oyp alewnle cu y vbkae, obknb xktbv cl alzyvle vs vbkp kdnldpl ypb.”
“Fs, vbkp kp y dlo prlnklp csad qasx vbl kdnldpl ypb?”
Usdt Dky pbssj bkp blye yde dseele, “Rv’p hlau rsppkczl. R’hl blyae psxl zltldep ycswv vbl Jkt Ekze Qsspl Vytsey. Mblu pyu vbyv vbl wdelataswde nbyxcla sq vbl rytsey bszep hyakswp Jweebkpv pnakrvwalp yde ralnkswp valypwalp caswtbv cynj cu vbl xsdj Dwyd Hydt qasx vbl Elpvlad Sltksdp. Jwv oblvbla vblal kp kdelle y bkeeld nbyxcla kd vbl Jkt Ekze Qsspl Vytsey byp dlhla clld ynnwayvlzu nsdqkaxle. R dlhla lmrlnvle vbyv vbl nbyxcla alyzzu lmkpvp. Gde…” Usdt Dky zssjle yv vbl dkdl kdnldpl pvknjp kd vbl cwadla, “obs zkv vblpl kdnldpl pvknjp?”
“Valnkswp valypwalp!” Mbl taswr sq xlanldyaklp blyae vblpl osaep yde vblka lulp zkv wr, zssjkdt yv vbl pnyvvlale osseld csmlp sd vbl taswde.
Twydt Zkdt pvladzu pyke, “Fvsr xlppkdt yaswde, altyaezlpp sq obyv’p kdpkel vbl csmlp, vblu yal swa nswdvau’p nwzvwayz blakvytl.”
Ko Seqi gave Huang Ying a hard pat on the back and laughed heartily, “Why so serious? I just want to take a look.” With that, he rubbed his hands together and walked towards the boxes.
“Hey, Ko Seqi, don’t be reckless.”
Before the others could intervene, Ko Seqi had already rushed to the boxes and picked one up. As he lifted the wooden box, it crumbled with a clatter, and Ko Seqiended up covered in dust, spitting and stepping back.
The group burst into laughter.
Cong Xia chuckled, “Those boxes are so old that they practically disintegrate with a touch.”
Ko Seqi angrily remarked, “And there’s nothing inside them?” He refused to accept this outcome and kicked open the rest of the boxes, only to find that every single one was empty. Feeling frustrated, he walked back to the others, “Do you Chinese people have a habit of keeping empty treasure chests?”
Huang Ying patted his shoulder, “Forget about the treasure chests, let’s think about how to get out of here.”
Al looked at the nine long incense sticks and wondered, “Even such thick wooden boxes crumbled, why are these incense sticks still standing?” He couldn’t resist poking one with his finger.
He had expected the incense sticks to break just like the wooden boxes, but to his surprise, the incense sticks remained intact.
Cong Xia widened his eyes, “What are these made of?”
He picked up one of the incense sticks. The fragrance on the incense had long burned out, and the stick was as thick as a chopstick. The original incense must have been even thicker. He touched the incense stick, and its material felt unlike any ordinary incense stick he had encountered before.
It wasn’t plastic, broken wood, or bamboo. Instead, it was made of a material with a unique texture, extremely sturdy, showing no signs of breaking. When he gently pressed it, there seemed to be some elasticity, but he didn’t dare exert too much force. Since it was such a remarkable item, it should be taken back for further research; he didn’t want to accidentally damage it. He picked up all nine incense sticks and tucked them into his clothes.
At that moment, someone called from behind him, “Hey! What did you see?”
Cong Xia turned around, thinking the person was talking to him, but it was actually looking up at the sky. He followed its gaze and looked up, finding Tang Yanqiu flying at a height of three meters, perfectly positioned at the location where the Buddha’s hands held the stomach.
Tang Yanqiu said, “The Buddha has something in his hands.”
As the Buddha statue was too tall, they couldn’t see what was held in the Buddha’s hands. Shen Changze and Al were curious, so they flew up to take a look.
“There really is something, a black box.”
“Should we take it down and see?”
“Not a good idea, there are insects! The bugs are coming in.”
Everyone looked around, and swarms of insects were coming in from somewhere.
“Let’s fly up one by one.”
“Fly up? But there will still be insects up there.”
Shan Ming said, “Let’s first let Cong Xia treat the injuries of these few people.”
Cong Xia felt guilty, “I’m sorry, I was too preoccupied with looking at the Buddha statue…”
“It’s useless to say that now. Quickly, climb up to the Buddha statue; there are too many bugs!”
They helped the injured to their feet and climbed up to the lotus pedestal of the Buddha. Being at a higher position was better for defense than staying on the ground.
The insects climbed up frantically, and their weapons were mostly exhausted. They could only kick with their feet, hit with their rifle butts, or use their knives to fend off the bugs. However, the insects kept coming, and without the protection of their protective suits, they had no way to avoid them. Soon, most of them were covered in bugs.
The space on the lotus pedestal was limited. Shen Changze was ablaze and jumped into the swarm of insects with Deng Xiao, killing the bugs. Tang Yanqiu and Al flew to the palm of the Buddha, and Tang Yanqiu continuously shot arrows to drive away the insects.
However, the number of insects grew larger and larger, and they were about to be overwhelmed.
“Darn it, if we can’t handle it, let’s blow this place up!”
“Yes, blow it up! I’ll die together with these bugs!”
Cheng Tianbi constantly used wind power to blow away the bugs, and Cong Xia kept replenishing his energy, but there were just too many insects. Even at their best, they couldn’t hold out for long.
Everyone fell into a state of extreme panic. The bugs seemed endless, and they had nowhere to escape. Even if they flew up, they would still be met with countless bugs. The radio had no signal, and they couldn’t contact anyone for rescue. How could they escape from this bug-infested pit?
Would they all die here? After going through so much hardship and finally obtaining the Puppetry Jade, would they still die here?
They couldn’t accept it! How could they accept this fate!
Tang Yanqiu shot arrow after arrow towards the front of the lotus pedestal, futilely trying to drive away the bugs, but more bugs kept coming. He reached for another arrow, only to find the quiver empty. His heart tightened, and he stumbled, accidentally touching the black box in the palm of the Buddha.
In an instant, time seemed to freeze. All the bugs that were crazily surging upward stopped in their tracks, as if they were nailed to the ground and became motionless.
Everyone held their breath and didn’t dare to move. No one knew what had happened. They endured the pain of the bugs biting their skin, but not a single cry was uttered.
After about twenty seconds, the bugs started moving again.
Qiao Bo cursed in despair, “What the hell is going on!”
Tang Yanqiu snapped out of his daze, looked down at the black box beneath his feet, and kicked it again. Immediately, the bugs froze once more.
Cong Xia trembled with fear, “What… what is this… what is going on?”
Tang Yanqiu picked up the black box excitedly and shouted, “It’s this thing!”
The moment he picked up the box, all the bugs retreated from the lotus pedestal. They were unable to do anything to Tang Yanqiu in mid-air, and on the ground, they wandered around like headless flies, some climbing up the walls, others on the incense burner, all attempting to approach Tang Yanqiu, yet they didn’t dare to get too close.
Shen Changze exclaimed, “Could there be a mechanism inside that can control the bugs?”
Tang Yanqiu flew back to the lotus pedestal, his arm trembling slightly. “When I touched this box just now, they stopped moving.”
All the insects were crawling nearby but no longer advancing.
The group examined the black box up close. It was a simple wooden box with no decorations or paint, just natural black wood. Despite its appearance without any anti-corrosion treatment, it was well-preserved and showed no signs of damage.
Cong Xia exclaimed, “What… What’s inside?”
“Should we open it?” Everyone looked at each other.
Aiel said, “Open it. We’ve faced enough deaths; one more won’t make a difference.”
Cheng Tianbi also agreed, “Open it.”
Tang Yanqiu used his slender fingers to wipe off the thick layer of dust on the box cover. There was no lock, and he gently opened the box.
Everyone watched intently.
Inside the box was a smaller oval-shaped box made of the same material. This oval box had some Buddhist symbols engraved on it, making it look more exquisite.
The moment they opened the box, the bugs on the ground became agitated, scurrying around, but none of them crawled up.
The group held their breath as they saw Tang Yanqiu open the oval-shaped box. The box was not deep and padded with black velvet cloth. On the cloth lay a small section of white bone.
Everyone’s eyes widened as they looked at the tiny piece of bone.
Deng Xiao asked, “Is this… human bone?”
“It’s a human finger bone,” one of the mercenaries said with certainty, “I used to be a doctor.”
Cong Xia inquired further, “Which finger bone? Is it the thumb?”
“It’s the thumb bone.”
“What’s special about the thumb bone?”
“I remember another legend about the Big Wild Goose Pagoda,” Cong Xia said.
A frowned, “How many legends are there about this pagoda?”
“A tower that has stood for thousands of years, witnessing countless dynastic changes, naturally has numerous legends,” Cong Xia explained. “A few years ago, the bone relics of Master Xuan Zang were publicly displayed in the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. The exhibition showcased a skull bone relic of Master Xuan Zang, but according to the legend, after his Nirvana, his entire body turned into numerous large and small bone relics. Among them was the right thumb bone he used to count prayer beads and calculate. That bone was sealed as a precious Buddhist treasure, but no one knew its whereabouts.”
The group looked at the small bone inside the box. “Could this be the thumb bone?” they wondered.
Cong Xia closed the box, feeling a sense of heaviness in his heart. “Whether it is the legendary thumb bone of Master Xuan Zang or not, this item is a sacred artifact of Buddhism and a true divine object. I believe we’ve discovered why the bugs cannot leave the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Perhaps it’s because this bone exerts some kind of immense influence on them.”
Although this explanation sounded mysterious, seeing the restless yet hesitant bugs, no one could deny that this bone had a significant impact on them. The exact reason remained unknown; it could be related to the bugs’ origin from the ashes or some other unknown cause.
Currently, what concerned them the most was not the ashes or the bone relic; it was the fact that they were no longer at the mercy of the bugs, and there was hope of escaping the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.
Cheng Tianbi suggested, “Let’s carry this box with us. The bugs won’t dare to come near us then. Let’s find a way to leave here as soon as possible.”
Cong Xia agreed, “First, let me treat the seriously injured. Then we can brainstorm together.”
All of them were injured to some extent, mostly suffering from external wounds caused by explosions and bug bites. Only two of them had fractures from falling, rendering them unable to move. Cong Xia promptly healed their leg bones. As for the others who could still move, they had to endure their injuries until they reached safety, as Cong Xia’s remaining energy was limited. He didn’t have the time to create jade storage talismans now as rushing to absorb the puppet jade’s energy might lead to losing control. Moreover, encountering more bug attacks would only make their situation more dangerous.
Shen Changze counted the number of people; there were sixteen in total. Strictly speaking, there were four people who could fly. Cheng Tianbi could float using wind power, but it consumed a lot of energy and could only carry one person. The remaining three with wings could carry three people each. Deng Xiao could crawl on any flat surface, but when climbing to the ceiling, he might fall if the weight was too heavy, so he could only carry one person. This way, they could take all sixteen people at once; otherwise, anyone left behind would be overwhelmed by the bugs.
Everyone discarded any unnecessary items to minimize weight. Whether carrying one or three people, they had reached the limit of what they could bear.
Cheng Tianbi carried Cong Xia, lifting them both with a gust of strong wind, slowly ascending into the air. Deng Xiao carried one of the mercenaries on his back and climbed up the wall. The other three with wings each held one person in their hands, one on their feet, and one hanging from their wings. The winged Dragonblood people flapped their wings with all their might, gritting their teeth as they flew toward the ceiling.
The group of sixteen people finally reached the ceiling and landed, immediately crawling and rolling toward the nearby door.
All the bugs retreated to both sides but kept chasing after them.
As they finally burst out of the door, it was like experiencing a long night and greeting the dawn. Although they had spent less than three hours inside the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, every moment of being attacked by countless relentless bugs felt like an unbearable nightmare. The pitch-black pagoda seemed like a bottomless abyss, almost leaving them trapped inside forever. After a harrowing experience passing through the gates of hell, they could once again bask in the sun of the mortal world, how could they not be excited?
“I made it out! I made it out!” Qiao Bo hugged the nearest Shan Ming and planted a firm kiss on him.
Deng Xiao also danced with joy. “We made it out! We finally made it out!”
Cheng Tianbi remained as calm as ever. He looked back at the gate. “The bugs followed us out.”
When they turned back to look, the bugs had indeed followed them out of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, but they still kept their distance. It was unclear whether they feared the thumb bone or were protecting it, or maybe both.
Cheng Tianbi suggested, “It seems this group of bugs will follow the thumb bone. Let’s lead them back to the foundation.”
“That’s great. I was worried they wouldn’t follow. I really didn’t want to blow up the pagoda,” Cong Xia said. “Let’s head back quickly. Zhuang Yao must be really worried since he hasn’t been able to reach us.”
After falling into the underground palace, their communication devices lost signal. To reduce weight, they discarded everything except their essential clothes. The communication devices were designed to be connected to the protective suits, and they had left them in the underground palace of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. They had lost all contact with Zhuang Yao.
“Let’s hurry. We don’t want them taking any other actions,” Cheng Tianbi urged.
They rushed towards the foundation.
As they ran, the bugs indeed followed, like a river of darkness, wriggling across the grass, relentlessly pursuing them.
They ran four kilometers non-stop until they finally reached the front of the foundation. From afar, they heard the sound of modern weapons.
“What’s going on? Why are they fighting?” The surrounding grass was too high, making it difficult for them to see the situation far away, so they could only hear the sounds.
Shen Changze flew up into the air and looked into the distance. “Is that… those three mutants?”
Ael also took flight. “Damn, is it really them?”
“What’s happening?”
Al replied, “They might have… fused together.”
Suddenly, Cong Xia’s face turned pale with shock. “No, we can’t lead these bugs over there!” He nervously turned his head, only to find that it was too late. The bugs seemed to be influenced by something and bypassed them, heading straight for the base. It was clear they were going to join the mutants.
The group had no choice but to follow the bugs as they ran forward. They all knew that this trouble was far from over.
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Translator’s note: I will add more bonus chapters, later. Thank you, crazy mama!
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