novelraw Chapter 9 – Maybe it's a unique training method for sword cultivators?
Chapter 9 – Maybe it's a unique training method for sword cultivators?
As Wo Gan, the village chief, gave the order, countless simple villagers showed fierce expressions, wielding farming tools as weapons, ready to capture Qiao Yu and his group.
Qiao Yu silently counted the number of villagers and found it only slightly more than the number of students in their class, and the villagers were all about the same age.
"Wait! Chief Wo Gan, is there some kind of misunderstanding?"
Ma Fei stepped forward bravely.
"Misunderstanding? Haha."
Wo Gan's face was clouded with gloom as he sneered.
"Don't you know what good deeds you did last night?"
"Last night? Are you talking about us killing a Nightmare?"
Ma Fei thought hard, and the only unexpected event last night was when Qiao Yu and his group killed a Nightmare in their room.
"Shut up! That was the Guardian Spirit of our Nightmare Village!"
Wo Gan was so agitated that he was spitting.
"Surely you broke the rules of Nightmare Village last night, and that's why the Guardian Spirit punished you! And you! You actually killed a Guardian Spirit, you deserve to die, deserve to die!!"
Wo Gan glared at them with bloodshot eyes, as if they were mortal enemies.
After hearing Wo Gan's words, the classmates looked at Zhong Tianyu with a hint of blame.
If Zhong Tianyu hadn't opened the window last night, the Nightmare wouldn't have rushed into the room and wouldn't have been killed by Qiao Yu and the others.
At this moment, Ma Fei couldn't afford to oppose Qiao Yu; he couldn't just watch his classmates fight with the villagers of Nightmare Village. He hurriedly asked.
"Chief, is there any way to make amends for accidentally killing the Guardian Spirit?"
Wo Gan sneered.
"Of course there is! Those who angered the Guardian Spirit must stay outside when night falls! Can you do that?"
Ma Fei's expression was uncertain. No one knew how many Nightmare creatures were in the village, and who knew what other dangers lurked in the night.
Staying outside when night falls would be sending someone to their death, wouldn't it?
Just as Ma Fei was hesitating, Qiao Yu's voice came from behind him.
"I killed the Guardian Spirit Nightmare. I'll wait here for nightfall."
Ma Fei rushed over and covered Qiao Yu's mouth.
"Are you crazy? This isn't the way to show off! You're looking for death!"
Ma Fei turned to the village chief and said,
"Sorry, Chief, my classmate here isn't thinking straight. Please don't take it seriously!"
"Don't worry, class president, I'm not crazy. I have something I want to verify. Maybe it can help us leave this dungeon," Qiao Yu whispered.
Qiao Yu had already guessed most of the core secret of Nightmare Village, but he, who always acted cautiously, needed to verify one more thing.
"Hmph! Fine! You've got guts!"
"Hong Diao, Hong Mao, lock this kid up!"
With Wo Gan's order, two burly old men with iron chains locked Qiao Yu's leg to a stone pillar.
Seeing someone take the blame, the villagers left satisfied.
As soon as Wo Gan and the others left, Ma Fei hurriedly asked.
"Qiao Yu, what do you mean you can help us leave this dungeon? Have you found the core secret of Nightmare Village?"
"Most likely, yes," Qiao Yu nodded.
Ma Fei felt a bit frustrated. He had done nothing but sleep last night, while Qiao Yu not only killed a Nightmare but also got close to the core secret!
No way! I refuse to believe I'm worse than Qiao Yu!
"Qiao Yu, can you share your guess with us?" Zuo You asked.
"Have you ever thought that everything we're experiencing now is virtual?" Qiao Yu said.
"Virtual?"
The group exchanged puzzled glances, and Yang Xiangdi couldn't help but speak.
"But we're already in the virtual Inner World."
Qiao Yu was at a loss.
"I mean, we're in a virtual world within a virtual world, like a dream within a dream! Similar to being in a hallucination."
"You mean... the secret of Nightmare Village is that it's all fake?" Zuo You asked.
Qiao Yu nodded and looked at the rising sun.
"This is just my guess. We'll have to wait until tonight to know for sure."
Slap!
Suddenly, Zuo You slapped Zhao Ziyue's chest, causing a ripple that almost made Qiao Yu and the others have a nosebleed!
"What are you doing, flat chest! It hurts, you know!"
Zhao Ziyue angrily tried to slap back, but realizing Zuo You didn't have one, she could only curse.
"It hurts?"
Zuo You looked thoughtful.
"But it shouldn't hurt if we're in a hallucination!"
Qiao Yu awkwardly rubbed his nose.
"Um... Zuo You, I just meant similar. We're in the Inner World, so we can't judge by real-life experiences."
"Oh, I see."
Zuo You nodded and walked away nonchalantly.
"Flat chest, stop right there!"
The more Zhao Ziyue thought about it, the angrier she got. Why slap me and not yourself?
"So what if a cow gets slapped!"
"Flat chest!"
"Big cow!"
"Flat chest!"
"Big cow!"
***
The night erased the last trace of the setting sun, and the night fell like a velvet curtain in a theater.
The moonlight flowed over Qiao Yu like mercury as he opened his eyes, fully alert to his surroundings.
Here it comes!
Qiao Yu turned his head towards a deep darkness, where an ugly Nightmare crawled out.
It opened its foul-smelling mouth towards Qiao Yu.
Just as Qiao Yu was about to act, a figure holding a long sword descended gracefully in front of him like an immortal under the moon.
Under the moonlight, Ma Fei revealed a cold, handsome profile.
At this moment, Zuo You and the others arrived just in time.
"Sand Entanglement!"
After Yang Xiangdi finished chanting, he used a skill to control the Nightmare.
"Ma Fei, hurry up! I can only hold the Nightmare for a second!" Yang Xiangdi urged.
However, Ma Fei remained motionless, even flicking his stylish bangs.
"Don't worry, I, Ma Fei, will protect you all! As a true sword cultivator, one man and one sword can defeat all enemies in the world!"
Ma Fei delivered a very adolescent delusion line, waiting until the Nightmare broke free before confronting it.
But as soon as he engaged, Ma Fei realized something was wrong.
Duang!
The Nightmare charged, and Ma Fei raised his sword to block, but he underestimated the Nightmare's strength.
With one hit, Ma Fei staggered back, the powerful impact making his sword tremble, nearly slipping from his grasp.
Ma Fei was completely bewildered. Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
Did Qiao Yu really kill such a creature last night?
Seeing Ma Fei lose the upper hand with the first move, Yang Xiangdi asked Qiao Yu with a strange expression.
"Qiao Yu, do you think Ma Fei has some kind of adolescent delusion? I helped him control the Nightmare, but he insisted on charging in himself, and he can't even win. It's like singing without a tune—ridiculous!"
Qiao Yu: "..., maybe it's a unique training method for sword cultivators?"
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan