Chapter 116: Two Jin Jiuchis?!

    Before anyone could react, the lid of the coffin burst open and two horrifying creatures slithered out.

    That’s right, ’slither’ was the only way to describe their movement. It was unknown what the two of them had endured in the temple last night, but right now they were nothing more than twisted remnants of the humans they once were.

    Their shriveled skin clung tightly to their emaciated frames as if the very life force had been drained from their bodies. Their limbs were contorted and misshapen like a person crammed into a box far too small, causing their bones to protrude at odd angles. It was a grotesque mockery of the human form, a macabre dance of contorted flesh and twisted bones.

    With feeble movements, the creatures wriggled and squirmed along the ground, their wiggling motions sending shivers down everyone’s spine.

    And worst of all was how their heads remained intact and the breath of life still clung to them like a fragile thread of spider web. "Help... Help us... please..." Despairing cries emanated from their mouths, but they could not even cry anymore, for every single drop of blood in their bodies had been squeezed dry.

    Just like Anna said, the two of them were still alive. But a wretched life like this was a million times worse than death itself.

    "Hmmphh!" Xinxin’s hands instinctively flew to his mouth, forgetting that he could no longer scream thanks to the bandages wrapped tightly around his face. His prediction was right; there must be something in the temple that would make him scream. He had done the right thing by enduring the horrible stench to have his mouth blocked, otherwise he would have screamed out loud for sure!

    Exactly what had transpired last night that caused the two of them to end up in such a deformed state?!

    Xinxin and Shen Nianzu automatically backed away from the two creatures. They neither knew these creatures’ capability, nor could they ascertain whether it was allowed to harm them or not. Thus, they did not dare to take any chances.

    Only Jin Jiuchi stayed rooted in place as he stared at the creature unblinkingly. "Wow..." he exclaimed in awe.

    "Da Shen!" Shen Nianzu hissed angrily. "Get your ass away from there!" Seriously, whether it was this Jin Jiuchi or the silver-eyed Jin Jiuchi, both of them gave him an immense headache!

    Surprisingly, the two creatures acted as if they did not notice Jin Jiuchi at all even though the man’s position was closest to them. Instead, they kicked their misshapen feet and crawled towards Fatty, who was in so much agony that he could no longer discern his surroundings. It was not until their twisted form loomed before him that Fatty snapped back to reality, and he let out another piercing scream, "AHH, GO AWAY!!! DON’T TOUCH ME!!"

    "Help..." the deformed creatures continued their desperate pleas as they dragged the struggling Fatty toward the coffin. "You will... accompany us..."

    "AHH—!!" Fatty’s desperate fingers clawed at anything within reach, leaving bloody trails on the ground. "Help me, I don’t want... please, someone help!"

    Xinxin’s breath came in ragged gasps, and his body trembled uncontrollably. His fists clenched so tightly that blood trickled down from where his nails embedded into the flesh. Tears flooded his eyes, blurring his vision. W–Was it really okay for him to only stand by and watch? Shouldn’t he do something to save that player?! He subconsciously took a step forward, only to hear Shen Nianzu shout at him in warning,

    "Don’t move!" His voice was sharp, forceful and left no room for refusal. "We know nothing about them. Acting rashly will only lead to more casual— Da Shen!" He had just taken his gaze off Jin Jiuchi for a second when the man suddenly took off running... towards the coffin!

    Shen Nianzu’s complexion blanched with a mixture of horror and anger. "What the fuck are you doing?!"

    "Sorry, Nian’er. I can’t wait any longer," Jin Jiuchi replied, his eyes gleaming with a deranged glint as a twisted grin stretched across his face.

    He leaped onto the edge of the coffin, peering down into the cramped space filled with hundreds, if not thousands, of white bones. It was unknown how many people had been dragged inside to produce such a huge pile. With renewed enthusiasm, Jin Jiuchi began to dig, sending bone fragments scattering around him until he finally found what he had been looking for.

    — The thing which had been calling out to him since the first second he set foot in the temple’s grounds. Also the source of mental pollution in this Cycle.

    It was an ancient headpiece that took the form of a majestic jackal’s head. Carved from glistening obsidian, its surface was meticulously polished to a lustrous sheen that reflected the eerie luminescence from the walls. And the moment Jin Jiuchi reached out to grab it, a powerful resonance surged forth, an invisible wave that seemed to shake the very foundation of Heaven and Earth.

    "Ugh!" Xinxin crumpled to the ground and clutched his head, his face twisted in pain. His muffled cries echoed beneath the tight bandages that sealed his mouth shut.

    The same crisis also affected Shen Nianzu. He swayed and clung to the wall for support, a groan of pain escaping his lips. Oh God, his head... it hurt so much! It was as if someone was plucking at the most delicate nerves of his brain with a force that threatened to rupture his skull. White noises rang beside his ears, and he felt as if his head was going to explode soon!

    W–What the hell was going on?!

    Through his blurred vision, he raised his head to see Jin Jiuchi, whose gaze was transfixed on the headpiece with a childlike fascination. He struggled to utter the man’s name, "Jin... Jiuchi..." but his voice barely came out as a feeble whisper, lost amidst the rising murmur of the wind.

    In that split second, the murals he had examined earlier flashed behind his eyelids with vivid clarity. Fueled by terror and despair, a devoted worshipper had rebelled against his deity and seized the divine power for himself. And for some unknown reason, Jin Jiuchi’s silhouette gradually overlapped with the stick figure in his mind.

    Shen Nianzu’s eyes widened as a foreboding sense of unease gripped him. He had a sudden inkling on what Jin Jiuchi was about to do. Alas, it was too late by the time he reacted for the next second, Jin Jiuchi put the headpiece on himself.

    ***

    At the same time, in the underworld.

    "So, you... um, died of a heart attack?" Jin Jiuchi asked curiously as they traversed the hallway adorned with unsettling murals. Under the pressing urgency, he had brought Fatty along with him to hear the story from the other side.

    With the mummy minister leading the way, Fatty was as meek as a quail as he stuttered out,

    "I–I think so, my Lord. When those strange creatures grabbed me, my mind instantly turned blank but I remembered feeling so terrified that I couldn’t breathe. Then the next second, here I am..." he glanced down at his flabby belly with a despondent look. "My mother warned me countless times to start exercising lest I develop heart disease, but I didn’t listen to her at all! Boo-hoo... if I had known that I would die in this place, I would have hit the gym earlier!" Fatty buried his face in his hands and wept in bitter regret.

    "D–Don’t cry!" Jin Jiuchi tried to console him though he had no idea what ’gym’ was. Suddenly, a brilliant idea illuminated his mind like a lightbulb, and he eagerly shared it with Fatty. "Your mother is still alive, right? If she comes here later, I will arrange for you two to meet. How about it?

    Contrary to his expectations, Fatty cried even harder instead. "I–I don’t want her to come here waaah!!"

    "We have arrived, my Lord," the mummy minister announced, interrupting their conversation.

    Once again, Jin Jiuchi found himself in a cave of stalactites, but the lake at its center no longer shimmered with its former beauty. That’s right, this was the exact place he had emerged from. He could even see his own discarded and soiled clothes by the lakeside! Oh no!

    Swiftly, Jin Jiuchi blocked the mummy’s view and put on a cheerful expression, "Mummy minister!"

    "...Yes, My Lord?"

    "So, err..." Jin Jiuchi surreptitiously kicked his clothes aside and babbled out the first thing that came to mind, "Are you saying that a living soul trespassed here and contaminated the lake?"

    "You are correct, my Lord," the mummy bowed his head, and the next words he said caused Jin Jiuchi to break out in cold sweat. "But fear not. Our soldiers are searching for the intruder as we speak. However, the lake holds great significance. I implore you to use your power to purify it once more!"

    Jin Jiuchi’s heart abruptly sank to the pit of his stomach. Use his power to... what? What kind of power were they talking about? He had no power whatsoever except for his ability to transform into a dog! What was he supposed to do?!

    He stared at the filthy lake, sweat rolling down his back. He had to do something before they became suspicious of him!

    Wait a moment...

    If he had entered the underworld through the lake, would diving back in allow him to return to life?!

    The more Jin Jiuchi thought about it, the more plausible the idea was. He reached out to clasp the mummy’s shoulder, nearly causing the poor man to crumble to his knees, and declared passionately, "Okay, leave this to me!" Either way, it was a do-or-die situation. He had to test his theory no matter how absurd it seemed!

    The mummy minister trembled violently as he forced out through chattering teeth, "...Our Lord is benevolent!"

    Performing a few stretching exercises on the spot, Jin Jiuchi wasted not even one more second and leaped into the lake, creating a resounding splash that sent the mummy scrambling backward. He held his breath and kicked his powerful legs, his lithe body weaving through the current. All along, the haunting cries of the spirits echoed beside his ears, but he tried his best to ignore it.

    Bubbles of air escaped from his mouth. The deeper he went, the more the temperature plummeted, sending shivers down his spine. How long has it been? One minute? Ten minutes? Jin Jiuchi could no longer count. Just as his lungs were hurting and he was starting to lose his breath, he suddenly caught sight of a glimmering ray of light!

    Jin Jiuchi’s eyes lit up and he eagerly swam there.

    As the light engulfed his whole body, he found himself standing on his two feet in the midst of an infinite void. "W–Where am I?!" Jin Jiuchi looked around in shock. Frustrated, he threw a punch into the air. "Damn it, this is not the way out! Don’t tell me that I’ve gotten lost again!"

    "You are standing at the border of life and death."

    A voice echoed from behind him. Jin Jiuchi spun around and his jaws instantly dropped to the ground when he saw the carbon copy of himself there!

    W–What was this? How could there be two Jin Jiuchis?! Wait, that’s not right. The man before him, albeit identical to him in appearance, possessed a pair of deep onyx eyes that were as dark as the void around them, it was a stark contrast to his own silver ones.

    Jin Jiuchi stared at him in wonder. "You are..."

    The man tugged the corner of his lips into a thrilled grin, "I can finally meet you again... brother."