Book 11: Chapter 3: Bright Lips in a World of Darkness

In the dark tunnels, more cave barbarians quickly walked over. When they saw the two youngsters surrounded by the gatherers who returned, these cave barbarians were immediately shocked and confused, expressing powerful hostility.

However, after some quiet discussion, when they saw the green cloak in that Yunqin man’s hands, these cave barbarians also immediately quieted down, retaining respect towards these two youngsters who didn’t belong to this part of the world.

It was because after the great war last year, the leaders in the clan already transmitted the intentions of the deity they believed in to every cave barbarian’s ears.

From a long time ago, the cave barbarian ancestors who lived here already believed that the green-eyed green-haired cultivators behind Great Desolate Swamp were deities the heavens sent to help them. Even though the cave barbarians paid a heavy price in last year’s war, the many things Chi Xiaoye’s arrival brought made the cave barbarians unknowingly undergo a huge change, also seeing a different dawn. That was why they believed even more strongly that Chi Xiaoye precisely carried the will of the heavens, that she was a deity that appeared before them.

This was one of the most simple and most sincere types of faith.

It was precisely because of this type of faith that they didn’t believe Yunqin who saved their deity was a friend, but still maintained enough respect.

Following strange shouts, even more cave barbarians rushed out from the deep cave.

A cave barbarian elder whose gums had already been completely grinded flat by coarse food walked out from a group of cave barbarians, arriving before the two Yunqin youngsters.

“Are you the one who saved Fire King and Night Deity? Are you asking to meet with Night Deity?”[1]

This wrinkle faced cave barbarian elder whose body was covered in countless tattoos didn’t show any etiquette, only using Yunqin’s language he wasn’t familiar with to ask this young Yunqin man.

“Yes, I came to meet Chi Xiaoye.”

The young Yunqin man said calmly.

“Then what about her?” The cave barbarian elder raised his head to look behind this young Yunqin man, looking at that young lady whose face always had a serious expression, asking in a dignified manner.

There was only one person in all of Yunqin who had Chi Xiaoye’s cloak and knew her name, only he knew that contacting the cave barbarians here was possible. This young Yunqin man could naturally only be Lin Xi.

Meanwhile, the one whose face always had a serious expression no matter what she was looking at and even made this cave barbarian elder and the cave barbarian soldiers next to him sense a mysterious aura of danger, was naturally Nangong Weiyang who was similarly unique in Yunqin.

….

Yunqin Empire’s insistent war against the south began. After learning of this information, Lin Xi and Zhantai Qintang both subconsciously went to do some things with even more urgency.

As for Lin Xi and Nangong Weiyang, they didn’t take any time to rest. They directly crossed over Dragon Snake Mountain Range, deeply penetrating the Great Desolate Swamp, arriving here.

Great Desolate Swamp was always an entirely different world for Lin Xi. Meanwhile, Great Desolate Swamp’s underground, these earth caves the cave barbarians lived in, were once again a whole new world.

Giant mud pillars and giant tunnels that connected to who knew where made him couldn’t help but think about a dwarf built underground city. However, the large and tall cave barbarians didn’t share any resemblance to dwarfs, so this was a type of unusual clash of ideas, giving him quite the novel feeling.

When this cave barbarian elder who knew Yunqin language appeared, starting to size up both him and Nangong Weiyang, Lin Xi was also sizing up this cave barbarian elder.

He could sense that even though this cave barbarian elder was aged, his entire body’s massive bones almost about to fall apart, there seemed to be some type of special great power within this cave barbarian elder’s body, he was definitely a unique cave barbarian cultivator. Moreover, under this cave barbarian elder’s dignified shout, Lin Xi felt that the hostility in the surrounding cave barbarians’ eyes suddenly became brighter. This made Lin Xi understand that regardless of what happened, Yunqin people would always be enemies for the cave barbarians, that they wouldn’t change their beliefs because of him. Just adding one extra person would make them feel much more hostility.

“She is my companion, someone who can protect me.” As such, Lin Xi looked at this cave barbarian elder, immediately replying by saying this, and then added, “Moreover, the matter I need to talk to Chi Xiaoye about involves her too.”

“Follow me.”

The cave barbarian elder didn’t show any changes in expression, to the extent where he didn’t even nod his head when he turned around, leading the way. “You need to wait a bit.”

After Lin Xi separated with those women and children cave barbarians, he followed this aged cave barbarian elder and some exceptionally tall and sturdy cave barbarian warriors. After moving through who knew how many intersections, Lin Xi knew that even he might not be able to find the way back out on his own.

“These underground caves won’t collapse?”

Nangong Weiyang didn’t feel Lin Xi’s misgivings, even in this type of tunnel where they might not be able to find their way back, faced with this seemingly endless underground world, she still asked whatever she wanted. She looked at the damp earth that landed right next to her and Lin Xi’s side, asking this.

“It will.” The cave barbarian elder replied without turning around.

Nangong Weiyang frowned in displeasure. “What if it collapses and buries people?”

“Don’t we just need to dig them back out?” The cave barbarian elder didn’t feel more hostility because of these words, only feeling like Nangong Weiyang’s words were rather stupid, so he muttered in reply as if he wanted to reply, but didn’t really want to reply.

When she heard this, Nangong Weiyang stared blankly for a bit, but then realized that this indeed made sense, thus she shut her mouth.

Lin Xi instead couldn’t help but shake his head.

With just this simple sentence alone, it already fully displayed the cave barbarians’ fearlessness and valor.

In the dark underground world, there were cave barbarians who just happened to pass by from time to time. Some of them seemed to have been gathering food in the underground world and cave barbarian children would often come out of the dark caves out of curiosity, wishing to see what their enemies from Yunqin looked like.

Some light that didn’t look like flames suddenly appeared in the darkness.

After walking past a tunnel that became wider and wider, Lin Xi and Nangogn Weiyang followed this cave barbarian elder into a similarly crude walled cave that seemed to have been casually dug out, but was quite large. In this tunnel where all sides were uneven, Lin Xi saw shining beads that were embedded one after another.

These beads looked like pearls, but they released a faint green light. Moreover, every single one of them was the size of a fist.

On the ground of what seemed to be a great official business hall, but also looked like a simple temple were many extremely crude, but extremely soft beast skins.

“We will wait here.”

When Lin Xi looked at these shining pearls in astonishment, the cave barbarian elder sat down on a piece of beast skin. Those cave barbarian soldiers also walked out of this earth cave, hiding into the darkness.

There were heavy footsteps that sounded from time to time.

While waiting, there were cave barbarian soldiers that were even larger, clearly stronger than ordinary cave barbarian warriors who entered, as well as cave barbarians whose eyes flickered with some radiance of intelligence, their tattoos more numerous than those of normal cave barbarians who entered, sitting down on an empty spot on the beast fur.

The cave barbarians were primitive, as well as the race that revered strength the most. Judging from the endless stream of cave barbarians who entered, Lin Xi could clearly tell that the ones who rushed here were all the most important figures of these cave barbarians. Because of their attitude towards Chi Xiaoye, these cave barbarians truly worshiped them with respect and adoration like a deity. Moreover, judging from their auras, as well as their armors and decorations, this race that was extremely lacking in supplies also placed all of the best things on the most powerful and most useful individuals bodies.

That was why the cave barbarian soldiers with the most powerful auras, or those elders’ clothes and armors would be more complete.

Since the cave barbarian soldiers and elders’ builds were all tall and sturdy, that was why this cave quickly seemed a bit crowded.

A wave of heat suddenly transmitted from the dark passage. Under the mumbling of many cave barbarians, a tall familiar figure dressed in dark red chained armor appeared in Lin Xi’s line of sight.

“Fire King.”

Lin Xi stood up, looking at this cave barbarian man whose figure seemed to have become a bit more slim, but his armor was even more complete, presence even more shocking, a bit of warmth also appearing in his heart.

Fire King nodded towards Lin Xi. His thick lips moved a bit, as if it was a smile, but also seemed extremely complicated. He still didn’t know how to speak Yunqin language, so he spoke a string of cryptic words to that cave barbarian elder who knew Yunqin language.

“He told me to tell you that Night Deity will come soon.”

The cave barbarian elder turned around to translate to Lin Xi.

“Alright.” Lin Xi said.

Fire King sat down, speaking again. The cave barbarian elder used the Yunqin language he wasn’t familiar with to explain with difficulty, “In here, everyone’s way of thinking might not be the same. However, you helped us, so even if you are the enemy, there are no restrictions for words. You can say what you want.”

Lin Xi’s brows furrowed slightly, momentarily confused as to why Fire King would say these words, but he still nodded.

Just as Fire King said, soon afterwards, quite a few footsteps sounded. Following these footstep sounds, the expressions of all of the cave barbarians here became more solemn and respectful.

Lin Xi knew that Chi Xiaoye finally arrived. He thus raised his head towards the sound with a bit of curiosity and expectation.

Even though she only wore ordinary light green hemp clothes, with her long hair that was like a green waterfall, green eyes, as well as the respectful expressions of so many powerful cave barbarians, Chi Xiaoye who finally reappeared before Lin Xi’s eyes seemed especially mysterious and beautiful.

During that great battle that already seemed a bit distant in his memories, the impressions Chi Xiaoye left Lin Xi with was more anger, grief and difficulty. Because of her serious injuries, her complexion was always deathly pale. However, right now, Chi Xiaoye wasn’t wounded. Shining from her beautiful face was a gemstone-like brilliance.

In Lin Xi’s memories, even the heavily injured Chi Xiaoye’s lips were pale. However, right now, the once again powerful Chi Xiaoye who was even stronger than before had bright red lips. It wasn’t the darkest and heaviest type of redness, but rather like a dazzling flower petal that carried drops of dew, the type of bright red that carried a bit of pink.

1. ref Chi = pond, Xiao = little, Ye = night B8C37