"Holy crap, why is this Black Gold Ancient Saber suddenly so hyped up? Did it fall for the bug on the other side!?" Fatty, carrying the saber on his back, was caught off guard as the vibrating hilt repeatedly struck the back of his head, almost making him curse out loud.
But then he reconsidered, feeling he should show some respect to Xiao Ge's beloved weapon, and thus began to worry about Black Gold's marital prospects.
However, it was clear the Black Gold Ancient Saber wasn't fond of being rushed into marriage. Wu Tianzhen watched with his own eyes as the dark blade paused, then slammed heavily onto Fatty's head again, clearly with a touch of the saber's emotions involved.
"Hey—! I don't believe this!" Fatty couldn't stand it anymore. He yanked the Black Gold Ancient Saber out and held it in his hand, baring his teeth and threatening, "Fatty here is going to teach you what it means to respect the old and love the young. If you don't learn to recite the 'Three Character Classic' today, I'll stop being called Fatty!"
There were so many points to critique in that statement that Wu Tianzhen didn't know where to begin, so he chose to mock without preamble.
Fatty: ???
"...Could it be that it wants to go into battle again?" After mocking Fatty, Wu Tianzhen also fell into contemplation. He recalled how the Black Gold Ancient Saber had used him as a prop to fight ferociously just moments ago, and he suspected it now wanted to repeat its performance.
"This might not be a good idea..." Wu Tianzhen glanced at the surrounding situation, feeling hesitant.
At this moment, only he and his brother were diligently keeping their feet on the ground. The other two celestial beings had already flown all over the place, showcasing their marvelous skills.
Wu Tianzhen watched Hei Yanjing and Xie Yuchen weave in and out of the bug horde, and he was very worried that if he released the Black Gold Ancient Saber, it would cause the regrettable situation of friendly fire.
...It wasn't that he didn't trust the Black Gold Ancient Saber, but rather he didn't quite trust their peculiar supporting acts.
The Black Gold Ancient Saber, wishing it could fly: ...Damn it, we have no chemistry! Let me go!
And just as the Black Gold Ancient Saber was about to strike Wu Tianzhen's head at an angle that defied the laws of physics to help him better understand its intentions—
A thunderous roar mixed with the sound of violently churning water swept in from the direction of the waterway!
In that instant, it was as if some incomprehensible power, or some invincible natural predator, had appeared in the waterway. Those centipedes, which had been densely packed together, instantly surged towards both banks with all their might!
Layer upon layer of centipedes, like a colossal fortress piled high, stood precariously on the edges pressed against the stone wall. Wu Tianzhen's sharp eyes spotted a patch of greenish-blue viscous fluid slowly seeping from beneath this "fortress." It was evident that the centipedes crushed at the very bottom had been gruesomely pulverized under the weight of gravity.
"What the—are they crazy?" Wu Tianzhen had even forgotten the itching and numbness from the centipede bites under this sight. He instinctively took a step closer to the centipede pile, then suddenly realized that although these centipedes were tightly packed together, they were eerily quiet.
Their frantically twitching antennae and legs were frozen like sculptures at this moment. They seemed to be pretending they didn't exist in this manner, appearing both clumsy and radiating a strong impact of a desperate desire to survive.
And amidst this oppressive silence, a sound of footsteps slowly approached from the waterway.
These footsteps were unhurried, as if strolling leisurely into the battlefield. The rhythm of each step was consistent, the crisp sound unique to thick-soled boots.
A bold idea slowly formed in Wu Tianzhen's mind.
Unlike his simple thought, Hei Yanjing, standing beside him, chuckled and took immediate action.
"Ha!" A snort was heard, followed by the sharp whistle of a blade cutting through the air!
Fatty felt a lightness in his hand as the Black Gold Ancient Saber was thrown out by Hei Yanjing as if it were a common, light dagger!
The sharp blade sliced through countless motionless black drum-bugs in mid-air, maintaining a sharp silver-white glow amidst the splattering ichor, unstained by even a speck of dirt.
And just as it spun into the waterway, about to fall due to gravity—
A pale, slender hand suddenly reached out, precisely gripping the rotating hilt.
Only then did the dismembered black drum-bugs fall to the ground, emitting a few muffled thuds, like the first chime of bells for a grand spectacle.
"Whoa~" Hei Yanjing clicked his tongue twice, breaking the strange silence. "This mute sure makes quite an entrance."
This exclamation jolted Wu Tianzhen, who had been stunned. He had called out "Xiao Ge" countless times along the way, and now that he had finally found the person, he rushed forward.
"Xiao Ge—!!!"
At this moment, Zhang Qiling had just waded through the water and stepped ashore. He shook the Black Gold Ancient Saber, finally regaining the familiar feel, and then looked up to see Wu Tianzhen hurtling towards him like a bowling ball.
At this speed, Wu Tianzhen would probably knock him back into the water.
Wu Tianzhen, running, probably also realized he couldn't stop. The expression on his face shifted, finally settling into one of terror.
Then, he finally added the latter half of the sentence after "Xiao Ge," which had just escaped his lips—
"Dodge, ahhhhhhh!"
Zhang Qiling: ...?
Zhang Qiling dodged quickly, and just as Xiao Wu was about to plunge into the water, he precisely reached out and grabbed Xiao Wu by the collar of his back.
The familiar feeling of being choked returned. As Wu Tianzhen landed, he even felt a strange sense of nostalgic comfort.
"Good heavens, you're strong, Tianzhen!" Fatty also caught up. He stood with his arms crossed, having watched the entire spectacle of Xiao Wu "assassinating" Xiao Zhang, and marveled, "Opening the door with such a grand gift. If Xiao Ge hadn't stopped you so quickly, would you have been asking for a red envelope the next second?"
Wu Tianzhen: ...
He felt a bit embarrassed and a bit annoyed, so he snorted at Fatty.
...You fatso, just keep laughing. Let's see if you can still laugh when you find out about Xiao Ge's lifespan!
At this moment, after prolonged self-consolation, he had calmed down slightly and could view the situation more calmly. Thus, thinking this, his mind even wandered:
...Wait, if Xiao Ge is very old... could he really give each of us present a red envelope?
A Wu Tianzhen suddenly fell into contemplation. Just then, a strikingly conspicuous patch of blue fluff flashed into his vision.
He saw a trembling mass of blue fur nestled by Zhang Qiling's waist, like a strange, oversized pendant.
Then the mass of blue fur suddenly flipped over, revealing a pair of eyes like red beans, which met Wu Tianzhen's gaze calmly.
It was clearly the blue rabbit that had followed Xiao Zhang all the way, acting arrogantly and invincible.
At this moment, considering itself to have discovered a new map, it looked Wu Tianzhen up and down with arrogance, facing the first monster it encountered in this new map, then decisively turned its back and presented its rear.
In that instant, every single hair on its body seemed to express its disdain for Wu Tianzhen.
Wu Tianzhen, who had just identified it as a rabbit: ???