Chapter 250: The So-Called Heaven's Chosen
"So the reason you did not become like that is because you did not make a wish?" Han Yu's voice was low and taut. "What exactly is going on with that wish?"
Xiao Luo hugged her knees. "I do not know either... but everyone who made a wish eventually turned into what they are now."
Han Yu's knuckles unconsciously tapped against his scabbard. "Then what is the matter with the 'notice' you mentioned?"
"This... this has to start with the outsiders who came here just like you in the past..." Xiao Luo's voice became intermittent, as if recalling something terrifying, with every word stinging her throat.
"Whenever outsiders come to Mount Kunlun, they are quickly and easily caught by the villagers, then sent to the Sacred Tree to receive the blessing... finally becoming a member of the village."
"But it is not all of them; among the occasional outsiders, there are also people as formidable as you..." Xiao Luo's eyes widened greatly, her pupils constricting. "My mother... once helped them, allowing them to successfully escape, but..."
Xiao Luo's voice gradually sank lower.
"Those outsiders who escaped took away many so-called 'precious spirit medicines' from here. They self-righteously believed that as long as they avoided the villagers at night, the resources here could be taken at will. So they came back, yet they did not know the rules here are not as simple as they appear on the surface."
"My mother advised them several times, but was instead injured by them. Thus... very quickly they were still discovered by the people in the village and came into conflict with them. At first, they successfully broke out of the encirclement just like you, but unfortunately... they were very quickly 'noticed' by the Sacred Tree..."
The temperature inside the cave was very low, and the breath of the three people condensed into white mist.
"And then, they discovered the road back had disappeared. No matter how they fled... they could not walk out of Mount Kunlun..."
A trace of pleasure lay hidden in Xiao Luo's eyes. "Moreover, no matter where they hid... they would be found... More and more villagers... and even people from other villages... would join the hunt..."
Han Yu's voice was unusually calm. "And after being caught? Were they forced to accept the blessing?"
"No..." Xiao Luo's voice was ice-cold. "They were put into a giant stone millstone by the villagers..."
Her voice suddenly became unusually clear, every word piercing into the eardrums of the three like an ice pick.
"Then, they were ground into meat paste... alive... The fresh blood flowed down the grooves of the millstone... The roots of the Sacred Tree drilled out from underground... like water-sucking insects... sucking that flesh and blood... completely clean..."
The light of the fire pile suddenly dimmed, and the cave fell into a weird atmosphere of half-light and half-darkness. Xiao Luo raised her head, her face carrying a desperate calmness.
"So... no matter where you flee... it is only temporary... Now... you have already been 'noticed'..."
The firelight in the cave swayed slightly, reflecting on the solemn faces of the three people.
Chen Xingcai suddenly grasped a key point. "You said those outsiders... how often are they encountered?"
Xiao Luo tilted her head, as if thinking about how to explain it in a way they could understand.
"Ever since obtaining the blessing of the Sacred Tree, time in Mount Kunlun has had no meaning for us." She paused. "But if calculated according to your time... roughly every few thousand years, a batch of outsiders will mistakenly intrude."
"A few thousand years?"
The three voiced out almost simultaneously, their eyes full of disbelief.
Chen Xingcai stared at her. "Then which wave are we?"
Xiao Luo shook her head gently. "I cannot remember clearly. If not a hundred, there must have been eighty or ninety waves."
The air instantly solidified. The three looked at each other, stormy waves rising in their hearts—if calculated according to this time, this seemingly young girl before them had actually lived for hundreds of thousands of years?!
Xiao Luo seemed to sense their shock; the corners of her mouth raised slightly, yet there was no smile.
"However, the time my mother died was precisely when the last wave of outsiders came. Those outsiders thought that by betraying my mother, they could obtain forgiveness... Hehehehe."
Her voice was very calm, yet revealed an unspeakable emptiness. "Therefore, to me, life after Mother died... has no meaning anymore."
The firelight reflected on her childish face, yet could not shine into those eyes that had long seen the vicissitudes of life.
However, the three all understood the second half of the sentence she did not say... which was the reason why, even though she had witnessed a betrayal with her own eyes, she still chose to help the three of them.
...
After listening to Xiao Luo's experiences, Chen Xingcai sighed gently, yet not a trace of fear was visible in her eyes.
Xiao Luo looked at the calm expressions of the three and could not help but ask, "Do you... not feel despair? Or do you think I am lying to you?"
The three shook their heads simultaneously. Jiang Che's mouth raised slightly, and a trace of interest flashed in his eyes. "Not bad, very interesting. No wonder the spiritual energy in this place is so dense."
Han Yu stood with his arms crossed and said indifferently, "If we can resolve those troubles, it would barely qualify as our Sect's Immortal Venerable Secret Realm."
Chen Xingcai blinked, her tone even carrying a bit of eagerness to try. "I originally thought it was a simple errand, I did not expect it to be so troublesome—that makes it even more interesting instead."
Xiao Luo: "..."
She stared at the three, not knowing what to say for a moment. After a long while, she pointed at Han Yu and Jiang Che, her voice trembling slightly. "Are they... not afraid? Or have they gone crazy?"
"Of course not!" Chen Xingcai's eyes twinkled with starlight, her tone proud. "You think those difficulties you mentioned can scare them off? That is impossible!"
She patted her chest, her expression flying high. "Because my Senior Brothers are all genuine Peerless Heaven's Chosen!"
Xiao Luo was completely stunned.
Jiang Che laughed loudly, battle intent rising in his eyes. "Junior Sister speaks correctly! It does not even dare to show its face, only knowing how to hide behind the scenes and manipulate these innocent villagers..."
He raised his hand to press on his sword hilt, revealing his sharp edge. "Then let us dig out this so-called 'Sacred Tree' and see exactly what kind of thing it is!"
Under the reflection of the firelight, Xiao Luo stared blankly at the three, as if seeing their appearances clearly for the first time.
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