"Don't know!"
"No one can guess the old楼主's thoughts!"
Xuan Xiao explained further, not saying much else. Today he wore a black Xuan-colored robe, his expression calm. He seemed much more reserved on his own territory, which was odd.
"Quite mysterious!"
Lü Yiyi mumbled.
Wei Ru Yun glared at Lü Yiyi. It was a rarity that this unlucky creature had survived to this age without being beaten to death.
"I won't disturb you any longer!"
After Xuan Xiao bid farewell, the few people returned to their rooms to rest.
Nan Shi Ying closed her door, shaking her ears. The buzzing sound by her ears was making her head ache. She pressed against her ear bone, but still could not stop the noise from invading.
Tsk~
Nan Shi Ying sucked on her teeth and took out the wooden box containing the mother worm from her embrace. The azure snake coiled around her arm slightly raised its head, its vertical pupils fixed on the box, emitting a 'hissing' threatening sound from its mouth.
Upon entering the inner perimeter of Wan Ku Lou, the sound waves emitted by the synchronized resonance of the蛊 worms became denser. What was initially just an occasional vibration had now become a hum, and the pheromones emanating from the蛊 worm's body spread like tendrils, permeating every corner.
The sheer number of蛊 worms within Wan Ku Lou was enough to make one's scalp tingle.
Why call it Wan Ku Lou? It should be called the Gu Chong Cave.
Nan Shi Ying, clutching the wooden box, walked to the bedside, lifted the bedsheet, and pressed her face against the bed board. The vibration frequency in her hand suddenly accelerated, and the humming sound amplified several times. The azure snake immediately sprang from her wrist and darted towards the head of the bed.
Nan Shi Ying, with quick hands and sharp eyes, grabbed its tail.
"Swoosh~"
It sprang back like a spring, its head hitting Nan Shi Ying's hand, making it see stars.
"Hiss hiss hiss~"
The azure snake was cursing profusely.
Nan Shi Ying pressed its little head, offering perfunctory "yes, yes, yes" as if it truly understood.
After calming the about-to-explode azure snake, Nan Shi Ying lifted the headboard. The dense mass of worm eggs made her spine crawl, and the disgust made goosebumps rise all over her body. The蛊 worm eggs were arranged in a dense pattern, some red, some black, and they exuded a viscous, paste-like secretion. The secretion seeped into the bed board. The initial visual impact was so disgusting that even Nan Shi Ying felt sick.
No wonder the humming sound was so deafening!
Nan Shi Ying opened the wooden box and placed it on the wooden board next to the worm eggs. Instead, she took out a dagger from her embrace, using it to pick up the worm eggs and place them into the wooden box.
The mother worm given to her by the old man was no match for the Gu Wang, but if it devoured enough child worms, it could also evolve. Since the楼主 of Wan Ku Lou was so hospitable, she wasn't one to refuse such a generous offer. Why would she decline!
It took time for the mother worm to devour the child worms. After Nan Shi Ying had completely cleared the child worms from under the bed and placed them in the wooden box, she closed the box, wrapped it with cloth, and then placed it back in her embrace.
After making the bed, Nan Shi Ying lay down fully clothed.
Her fingers tapped on the bed board, "dada dada~" the sound in her ears counteracted the humming.
"Bang bang bang~"
A knock on the door, along with Lü Yiyi's voice, sounded: "Sister Ying, shall we go out for a stroll?"
Nan Shi Ying happily accepted the invitation. Huang Yu Yao and Dai Zhi Qi also came out upon hearing the noise. Wei Ru Yun was unwilling to join the girls and remained in his room.
While strolling, they encountered Lin Jun Yi.
"Greetings, Alliance Leader!"
Lin Jun Yi performed a gentlemanly bow, inclining himself slightly towards Nan Shi Ying.
"Young Master Lin, no need for such formalities!"
Nan Shi Ying smiled at him.
Seeing that Nan Shi Ying did not wish to see him, Lin Jun Yi wisely did not linger for further pleasantries. He greeted Lü Yiyi and the others one by one, then tactfully took his leave: "Lin shall not disturb you!"
Lü Yiyi watched Lin Jun Yi's retreating back, tugged on Nan Shi Ying's sleeve, and for some reason, a hint of anger appeared in her eyes, her voice even tinged with frost: "Did the Lin family give you a hard time?"
Nan Shi Ying was slightly taken aback and turned to look at her.
"Why do you ask?"
"Because you don't like him!"
Lü Yiyi said with a serious expression, as if if Nan Shi Ying disliked someone, it was that person's fault.
Nan Shi Ying looked at Lü Yiyi seriously. In fact, from the beginning, she had been somewhat puzzled. Did people in this world truly hold complete goodwill towards another simply because they were good-looking?
She thought of something, but did not reveal any hint of it. Instead, she raised her hand and patted Lü Yiyi's head: "No, I just simply don't like him."
Lü Yiyi wrinkled her nose. Had she misread? Why did she just catch a trace of suspicion and scrutiny on her sister?
"Then I don't like him either!"
Lü Yiyi clenched her fists, as if her whole body was exerting force, her words filled with gritted teeth.
Dai Zhi Qi couldn't help but chuckle, while Huang Yu Yao couldn't bear to watch.
After strolling around, the four returned to their residence. To be honest, there was nothing much to see in Wan Ku Lou. Everything was unremarkable.
Before returning to their rooms, Nan Shi Ying gave Dai Zhi Qi and the others a few sticks of incense.
"Wan Ku Lou is somewhat damp, and bacteria can easily breed in the air. This incense can dispel moisture and kill bacteria!"
Lü Yiyi quickly took it, smiling happily and saying thank you. Dai Zhi Qi took the incense and sniffed it, her expression momentarily pausing before returning to normal.
"Use it tonight?" she asked.
Nan Shi Ying raised her eyebrows and replied: "Yes, use it tonight!"
Dai Zhi Qi nodded and said nothing further. Huang Yu Yao did not take it. Dai Zhi Qi took it for her and tucked it into her embrace, reminding her: "Remember to use it tonight!"
Huang Yu Yao let out a reluctant "mm."
Night arrived as expected. Nan Shi Ying calculated the time, and only when a faint, almost imperceptible fragrance drifted in through the gap in the door did she slowly stand up.
Lü Yiyi's room was filled with the scent of the incense. She was sleeping soundly, and even when Nan Shi Ying picked her up and placed her on the floor, she did not open her eyes.
Lifting the bed, she lifted the headboard and indeed found densely packed worm eggs underneath. The child worms placed in the wooden box in the afternoon had been almost completely devoured by the mother worm. She again used the dagger to pick up child worms and place them into the wooden box. Perhaps because the mother worm had become stronger after devouring the child worms, its devouring speed had increased significantly. Its size had also grown from the size of a grain of rice to the size of a green bean.
After clearing out the child worms under Lü Yiyi's bed, she put everything back in place and returned Lü Yiyi to the bed.
Having done all this, she pondered for a moment, returned to her room, went out the door, and knocked on Dai Zhi Qi's door. Upon hearing the knock, Dai Zhi Qi quickly opened the door. She was neatly dressed, her hairpins still in place.
Dai Zhi Qi made way and invited her in.