novelraw Chapter 189 : The Tomb of Rain Concubine
Chapter 189 : The Tomb of Rain Concubine
189: The Tomb of Rain Concubine
"The inheritance of Rain Concubine?" Yuyin’s heart trembled.
"The Rain Concubine," the Ghost Princess began, "was an ancient she-demon goddess in the wilds of this Prison Abyss. Legend says she was exquisitely beautiful and immensely powerful. Her tomb lies several hundred li to the north of here. It is said that her inheritance is hidden within that tomb. However… although Rain Concubine has been dead for who knows how many years, her methods are still vicious and terrifying. The tomb is protected by seals she laid in advance, which no current power can break."
"Rain Concubine, the beautiful and powerful ancient she-demon goddess…" Yuyin knew nothing of Rain Concubine, but for some reason, a sense of awe welled up within her.
"However, strange phenomena have occurred frequently in the Prison Abyss recently. Even the seals of Rain Concubine’s tomb, dormant for countless years, have opened. Her Majesty received this intelligence and immediately dispatched me, with the strongest of the Green Ghosts, to the tomb of the goddess Rain Concubine to seize her inheritance. The tomb must contain, besides the inheritance, a great many other treasures, all of which are essential for us to fight the Li Su of the Prison Abyss," the Ghost Princess said, her gaze fixed on the distant mountains, in the direction of the Li Su’s Realm Gate, her heart resolute.
"But, that is the resting place of an ancient she-demon goddess. Is it right for us to disturb her?" If it were the tomb of any other ancient deity, great demon, or alien beast king, Yuyin would have gone without hesitation. But for some reason, she felt a pang of pity for the beautiful, deceased she-demon goddess.
"We Ghosts have always revered Rain Concubine as a deity. Every year, we hold the Rain Concubine Festival, and all tribes must make offerings to her. How could we be disrespectful?" the Ghost Princess said, looking up seriously at Yuyin. "Besides, if Rain Concubine left an inheritance, it was because she intended for it to be passed down. And… you saw it yourself. The Li Su are massing their forces here, even their army, in this barbarian land. If not for the inheritance of Rain Concubine, what could it be? If we do not take it, and an alien tribe does, that would be the greatest insult to Rain Concubine!"
"The alien tribe…" A cold glint appeared in Yuyin’s eyes. "Never."
Only then did the Ghost Princess nod in satisfaction. "Even with the tomb’s seals open, it is filled with various traps and guardians. One cannot enter without sufficient power. If we join forces, we can seize Rain Concubine’s inheritance before the Li Su. When the time comes, the treasures and the inheritance will be distributed according to each person’s contribution. We Ghosts will never cheat anyone."
On this point, Yuyin believed her. Though the Ghost Clan was crude and fierce, once they made a promise, once they considered you one of their own, they would never betray you.
"Understood, Your Highness the Ghost Princess. I will join you in this great undertaking," Yuyin said, her gaze gentle but her will firm.
"We leave at once. We must get there before the Li Su."
The Ghost Princess immediately ordered the Ghosts to advance with speed while suppressing their auras. As long as they kept their aura at the level of the Purple Domain Realm, they would be similar to the packs of alien beasts in the mountains and would not attract too much attention.
Once they had run a sufficient distance, beyond the perception range of the powerful beings at the Realm Gate, the Ghost Princess ordered them to proceed at full speed toward the tomb of Rain Concubine.
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · · · · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
Ten thousand li to the east of Yuyin’s group.
Inside an incomparably deep and dark cave.
A young woman, dressed in a thin, ancient white skirt, her white ponytail falling all the way to her ankles, held an old bronze lantern, illuminating the faded murals on the cave wall.
"Lianyue, I found it. The latter part of the cultivation method for the Flying Sky Scripture," Hua Yuanjing said with a hint of enthusiasm. Her chest, covered by the thin gauze of her dress, swayed with the movement.
Lan Lianyue’s skin was still as white as snow, but her long black dress was already in tatters, unable to conceal her beautiful legs as she walked. Still, she wore the tattered dress, unlike Hua Yuanjing, who was more optimistic and had simply removed her outer dress, wearing only the short, alluring skirt beneath.
Lianyue walked over, looking at the mottled, ancient murals on the rock wall, which depicted one celestial maiden after another dancing and cultivating. She gently stroked her long, dark blue hair, her gaze deep and dark, as if reflecting the celestial maidens, turning them into dark demonesses.
"What… does she truly want? To have those ghosts imprison us here. Hmph, they are clearly lecherous and ugly monsters, with endless desire for us, yet she forbids them from touching us. She won’t let us out, but then she conveniently locks us in this cave, which is full of secret methods, spirit crystals, and overflowing with Primordial Energy. Does she have some kind of fetish for raising young women in captivity?"
"It’s truly… a disgusting and vulgar interest," Lan Lianyue said, turning around. She gently straightened her back and embraced Hua Yuanjing’s waist, but her gaze was fixed on a dark corner of the cave’s ceiling.
"Lianyue, in my opinion, our situation isn’t necessarily so bleak… Although, we’ve been locked in here for half a year now, right? But in this cave, there is water, and a small grotto-heaven where we can see the sky. The fruit trees in that grotto-heaven grow back quickly after being eaten. And in the only exit, there are powerful Stupid Ghosts guarding it. We can’t get out without defeating those Stupid Ghosts, but they don’t come in either."
Hua Yuanjing gently kissed Lan Lianyue’s forehead and held her tightly. "It’s as if she intentionally wants us to cultivate here. Lianyue, as long as we cultivate diligently here, once we have mastered all the secret methods of the celestial maidens from the murals, defeating the Stupid Ghosts and fighting our way out will be more than easy, won’t it?"
"Hmph, I have my own path of cultivation. I will not be forced by others. Jing, you are too kind. Don’t always judge others by your own standards. Perhaps she is just bored. If those ghosts had simply attacked us directly, that would have been better. We could have given up our lives together, become wandering spirits, and flown across the Prison Abyss to find Yuyin, wouldn’t that be nice?" Lianyue said, rising slightly onto her toes before lowering them, her body rubbing against Hua Yuanjing’s.
"Lianyue, why must you always be so pessimistic? Who knows if wandering spirits even exist? I feel that things aren’t so bad. Perhaps… she truly has good intentions."
"Good intentions? Heh, I think she just wants to give us some hope, and then watch us fail again and again, until we are completely in despair. Like a caged bird," Lianyue said, turning away from Jing’s body and resting her head on Hua Yuanjing’s fragrant chest.
"Come, Lianyue, let’s go back and bathe. We’ll absorb some of those Source Crystals for a while. After we’ve adjusted our condition, we can return to these murals and continue cultivating the Flying Sky Scripture, okay? No matter what the truth is, this is our only choice," Hua Yuanjing said. Even in this darkness, she seemed to radiate a sunny aura. She took Lianyue’s hand, and the two girls ran like spirits through the dark cave.
A moment later, light appeared ahead of them. They ran out into a small, wild garden, a natural patio surrounded by towering boulders. The garden was filled with exotic flowers and plants that were beneficial to the body, and fruit trees that bore an endless supply of food. There was a clear mountain spring for bathing. However, the top of the stone patio was sealed by a formation; even if one managed to climb and leap, it was impossible to break out.
On a section of the rock wall were carved marks, which Hua Yuanjing used to keep track of time.
In truth, Hua Yuanjing had grown rather fond of this place, aside from the loss of her freedom.
"A caged bird? Yuyin, my little sister… where are you flying now?" Hua Yuanjing took Lianyue’s hand. Their clothes fell to the green grass as they stepped together into the pool of water.