Chapter 115: Page of Book Betrayed Him All Along

“It’s malfunctioning again.” Yang Kai listened to the static crackling through the custom-made communication device, his tone slightly disappointed but not overtly angry.

Ever since Mao Qisheng and others went missing inside, Yang Kai had been organizing various attempts with machinery or animals equipped with devices, yet most ended in failure.

Beside him, Zhao Mingcai frowned deeply, his face reflecting evident concern.

Just moments ago, Duan Yuanhui, accompanied by Yang Xiao and Tang Tianlu, ventured into the cave. Tang Tianlu couldn’t bear leaving the sole heir of the Duan family unguarded, despite Yuanhui’s insistence on going alone. However, feeling uneasy about his own disciple, he decided to leave him outside for safety.

As for Zhao Mingcai, based on previous incidents, sending anyone else seemed futile, so they were reluctant to risk members of the special forces. Each life was precious, and those selected for the special forces were exceptionally talented, chosen from countless candidates. Both Zhao Mingcai and Yang Kai felt heartbroken at the thought of needlessly sacrificing them in such a known perilous area.

After much deliberation, they decided to summon Yang Xiao.

Yang Xiao had been part of Li Dong’s team during their previous expedition. Through a series of coincidences, only he and Jia Yingxiong managed to escape. At least he possessed some knowledge of the interior, which could guide Young Master Duan to the location where they got separated last time.

Having written his will and made a final call home, Yang Xiao entered without hesitation. If anything happened to him, the special forces would deliver his will to his wife.

Inside the Deathly Still Area,

Yang Xiao pressed on the communication device by his ear, adjusting it multiple times but still receiving no signal, causing his heart to skip a beat. The same issue occurred last time; their communicators suddenly lost contact with the outside world. However, this time… Yang Xiao glanced sideways to see Young Master Duan casually looking around as if merely strolling through a park.

Frowning, a hint of concern surfaced on Yang Xiao’s resolute yet youthful face. His orders for this mission were clear: prioritize protecting Young Master Duan at all costs. Now, he fervently hoped that this young master wouldn’t act so arrogant, thinking himself second only to the heavens. In such eerie places, your status means nothing when danger strikes.

“The visibility is still so low,” Duan Wenxuan sighed.

Tang Tianlu was about to agree, emphasizing the need for everyone not to get separated due to poor visibility, when he saw Duan Wenxuan slightly lift his left hand. The dense black fog gathered and twisted, then seemingly disappeared as it was absorbed into his palm.

Yang Xiao, despite being a disciplined soldier with a serious demeanor, couldn’t help but smirk internally. He thought, Was Young Master Duan just showing off?

If Yang Xiao possessed such exceptional abilities, he too would want to flaunt them in front of others - the feeling must be quite satisfying.

As they continued, Duan Wenxuan consistently absorbed the mist, significantly expanding their field of vision and even reducing the eerie atmosphere considerably.

“You lead the way.” Duan Wenxuan looked at Yang Xiao.

”…Oh, sure…”

Guided by memory and intuition, Yang Xiao led Duan Wenxuan through the terrain. Although they initially took a wrong turn, the rest of the journey went smoothly. Along the way, they unexpectedly discovered two sets of skeletal remains.

Two skeletons lay sprawled in a muddy wetland, their flesh completely decomposed. Scattered around them were remnants of firearms, identifiable as belonging to members of the previous special forces team.

In reality, Yang Kai and his group had mentally prepared themselves for such losses among those who hadn’t yet returned.

Yang Xiao felt similarly affected, though it didn’t prevent a sense of sadness from clouding his mood. His eyes reddened slightly, but he sniffed back tears, managing not to let them fall.

Duan Wenxuan asked Tang Tianlu to help gather up the remains.

“Sorry, brothers,” Yang Xiao said, producing a large backpack. Carefully dismantling the bones, he placed them inside; there was no other way to bring them along, given the circumstances.

As they continued forward, Duan Wenxuan spotted Mao Qisheng and Li Dong ahead.

Wow, they’re still alive!

However, Li Dong’s right hand was missing. Perched on his right shoulder was a plump white candle, with a faint blue glow, about the size of two yellow beans, flickering at its wick. Above Mao Qisheng’s head, his brush floated high, emitting a protective crimson light enveloping him.

Noticing the commotion, the chubby white candle bounced on Li Dong’s right shoulder, causing him to open his eyes instantly.

Separated by approximately ten meters, Li Dong initially appeared startled but quickly realized the situation and shouted, “Don’t approach yet! There are man-eating pickled mustard greens nearby.”

Mao Qisheng also opened his eyes, spotting Duan Wenxuan and the others unscathed nearby, which stirred his emotions. He cried out, “Come here, hurry and save us, waaaaah… I need to get out of this place, come rescue me…”

Mao Qisheng now resembled someone who, despite being inexperienced and timid, had been forced to climb a thousand-meter-high mountain only to find himself unable to descend, leading him to weep uncontrollably.

Their commotion alerted Duan Wenxuan as he noticed the parched soil beneath his feet gradually becoming damp. With each slight step, a thick, dark red liquid slowly seeped out, accompanied by tremors, suggesting movement underneath.

Upon closer inspection, densely packed pickled mustard greens began breaking through the soil around them.

Normally, beneath a pickled mustard green plant lies its vibrant green root with leaves above. However, these roots here were different - dark and murky, with most of the leaves reduced to mere stalks. They resembled lumpy black clumps topped with wispy strands, like unkempt hair.

Individually, they had a somewhat quirky charm despite their ugliness. But en masse, as each emitted a crunching sound that made one’s teeth ache, it became genuinely unsettling.

As soon as Mao Qisheng saw the pickled mustard greens emerging, he started wailing again. This prompted the brush atop his head to descend unhappily, its bristles forcefully tapping on Mao Qisheng’s forehead. Simultaneously, Mao Qisheng raised his hand to shield himself. It was evident that this love-hate dynamic between them had played out numerous times before; one prepared to strike, the other ready to fend off the blow.

Duan Wenxuan chuckled softly and stepped forward confidently.

”…Be careful…” Li Dong began, but before he could finish, he noticed that instead of surrounding Duan Wenxuan, the pickled mustard greens parted with crackling sounds, creating a clear path for him.

“Let’s go.” Duan Wenxuan approached them, his feet remaining dust-free.

“Tsk tsk tsk tsk,” Mao Qisheng clicked his tongue repeatedly. “Young Master Duan… your skills are truly remarkable! Based on today alone, someone should write a novel titled ‘The Urban Strongest Young Master’.”

Duan Wenxuan turned and gave Mao Qisheng a slight smile.

Mao Qisheng abruptly stopped talking, ”…No, no, please don’t take it seriously. My legs have been numb these past few days, barely able to move. I’m getting up now; you wouldn’t believe… we’ve been starving terribly over these two days, and we couldn’t even get up to relieve ourselves…”

Their backpacks hadn’t been lost, containing specially prepared military rations inside. Thanks to these provisions, they managed to survive until now. However, to endure longer, he and Li Dong strictly rationed their consumption.

That was still manageable, but the main issue was using the restroom.

They dared not move at all, leading to inevitable… utter misery… a dark chapter in their lives.

After half an hour, Yang Xiao and Tang Tianlu each supported one survivor while finding two more alive individuals: one from the special forces and surprisingly, Gongsun Wulong. Unlike Mao Qisheng, these two were unconscious.

It was unclear what they had endured, but their bodies appeared emaciated like mummies, with skin darkened as if coated in ink. Nevertheless, they were still breathing.

Since they were alive, it was imperative to save them. In the end, Yang Xiao carried the special forces member on his back, while Tang Tianlu took Gongsun Wulong. During their final sweep before leaving, Duan Wenxuan discovered an intriguing person - Jing Rui.

Duan Wenxuan genuinely hadn’t expected to find Jing Rui here, but he always remembered him vividly. After all, the first door symbol he ever acquired was from Jing Rui, albeit through a series of coincidental circumstances.

Jing Rui’s condition wasn’t any better compared to others.

At that moment, Jing Rui lay face-down on the ground, with an unusually large preserved mustard green perched atop his buttocks area. Its dense network of roots extended across his back, embedded deeply into his skin, resembling veins, which looked quite unsettling.

They seemed to have established some form of symbiotic relationship this way.

On Duan Wenxuan’s signal, Li Dong and the others swiftly retreated four or five steps without hesitation.

Duan Wenxuan crouched down. Jing Rui was conscious but immobile. With his face turned sideways, he blinked at Duan Wenxuan, yet within those eyes, Duan Wenxuan discerned a myriad of emotions—shame, social embarrassment, despair, misery, sorrow… a vivid spectrum. It was the first time Duan Wenxuan had witnessed such a range of feelings in a single person.

“Your situation…” Duan Wenxuan began, but as soon as he spoke, Jing Rui blinked, and tears started streaming uncontrollably. Truly uncontrollable, for a grown man to weep with such intensity indicated profound heartbreak.

Even Duan Wenxuan could sense Jing Rui’s anguish; this young man seemed exceptionally unlucky, almost cursed by fate. Take his golden finger ability—the perfectly fine xenogenic ended up nearly killing him due to a simple breakfast tea egg. Ever since then, nothing seemed to go smoothly for him.

“All right, all right.” Duan Wenxuan gently patted Jing Rui on the shoulder.

Instantly, the symbiotic preserved mustard green, rooted at Jing Rui’s buttocks, withdrew its tendrils reluctantly before pulling itself off, seemingly unwilling. As it moved, it reattached atop Jing Rui’s head once again.

As soon as it attached, Jing Rui’s hair instantly fell off with a rustle, leaving him completely bald. Across his bare scalp, veins-like roots spread everywhere, and atop them sat a jet-black pickled mustard green head.

“That’s the best we can do for now,” Duan Wenxuan said, somewhat troubled.

They had already become symbiotic; as their bond deepened further in the future, the pickled mustard green head could potentially shrink, and then they could discuss where would be more suitable for the parasitic attachment. But for the moment, this was all they could manage.

Jing Rui’s fingers slowly regained movement, straining to tug at the hem of Duan Wenxuan’s pants. With a choked voice, he managed to say, “Thank you, thank you, thank you so much - words cannot express my gratitude.” However, as he spoke, something seemed to struggle within Jing Rui’s chest, even causing him to roll over involuntarily.

“What’s this?” Curiously, Duan Wenxuan reached out and pulled a book from Jing Rui’s grasp.

Jing Rui’s expression shifted, wanting to ask Duan Wenxuan to return it but ultimately holding back. He couldn’t move, and with Duan Wenxuan having the upper hand, he dared not insist. All he could hope for now was that the Page of Book would convincingly act like an ordinary book, although would it? If it could, why did it suddenly stir just now?

As Duan Wenxuan opened it, he discovered that the book contained only one page. On this blank sheet, a faintly sculpted human face emerged, slightly blurry and indistinct.

The mouth of the face began to move, and swiftly, lines of text appeared on the page:

‘Respected Master, your servant Page of Book has finally awaited your presence. Do you know how much anguish my heart endured during the long time I was lost away from you? Every moment, I yearned to return to your side and serve you faithfully. Naturally, none of this is your fault; after all, I am merely a humble servant, and overlooking me is entirely understandable.

While you may not care for me, please understand that your servant endured immense hardships for our reunion today. At last, seeing you now fills my heart with profound peace and joy! Ah, Master, you truly are as dashing and handsome as I had imagined, captivated by your talents, abilities, and appearance.’

Under Duan Wenxuan’s intrigued gaze, new lines gradually materialized on the page.

‘Master, your devoted servant has prepared a thoughtful gift for you. Although it may seem insignificant, please consider accepting it as a gesture of my sincere devotion.

Under my guidance, Jing Rui stole a sliver of power from the God of Death, Osiris, and subsequently entered this place. As expected, he was able to merge with the newly formed Otherworldly Preserved Mustard Greens within the land of the underworld. With smooth development, such a union could potentially grant control over this domain. By commanding him, Master, you can harness the full extent of this underworld’s power.

I trust that our great master is aware of the world’s ongoing resurgence. Currently, this merely appears as an ordinary Deathly Still Area, but in the future, it could develop into a true Underworld Hell. I believe even an Underworld Hell would hold some value for our master.’

Duan Wenxuan found amusement in reading these words - was Page of Book betraying Jing Rui now?

Putting away the page, Duan Wenxuan glanced at Jing Rui, “Can you get up now?”

Jing Rui had slowly managed to sit upright. Although he didn’t see the exact text on the Page of Book just moments ago, he began forming his own suspicions. It seemed as though the Page of Book…from beginning to end, was searching for a new master!?