NOVEL WEB Chapter 77: Uprising
Chapter 77: Uprising
Outside the Auspicious Cave, danger lurked everywhere, yet the people inside couldn’t remain completely quiet. Many were whispering to one another.
Occasionally, some cultivators brought in scattered civilians, causing small commotions each time.
After all, these were ordinary people, and talking was their best way to comfort each other. Most of them had never personally witnessed the horrors of evil spirits—they simply followed the cultivators’ instructions and hid here.
In their minds, this wasn’t the end of the world. Some even naively thought it was like an earthquake or flood—just hide here until the disaster passed.
As a result, in many groups, people secretly used their saved-up food as stakes for gambling games. The managing cultivators tacitly allowed such relaxing activities, knowing that excessive suppression of emotions would only backfire.
Even more surprisingly, an elderly man in long robes held a folding fan and quietly began telling stories.
He wasn’t far from You Su’s group, attracting Liu Nengwu, Huang Shi’an, and others over. As for You Su and Ji Lingruo, with their sharp hearing as cultivators, they didn’t need to sit close to hear clearly.
The story the old man told was familiar to You Su—it was the second half of The Legend of the White Snake, which he and his junior sister had collaborated on.
The storyteller spoke passionately, spittle flying, while the audience listened intently. But the more You Su listened, the more something felt off…
When did Xu Xian start having an affair with Xiao Qing? And when did Bai Niangzi become the aggrieved party?
It was true that Xiao Qing played the role of a savior, rescuing her sister and brother-in-law from under Leifeng Pagoda. But how did the ending turn into Xiao Qing and the brother-in-law living happily ever after, leaving the elder sister to tirelessly raise their children?
This clumsy and bizarre plot twist left You Su utterly confused. He couldn’t help but quietly ask Ji Lingruo, “Junior Sister, why does this storyteller’s version of The Legend of the White Snake differ so much from what I told you?”
Ji Lingruo, who had been listening with rapt attention, paused and blinked in confusion at You Su’s question. “Huh? Does it?”
“I clearly told you that Xu Xian and Bai Niangzi are the original couple. How did it suddenly become about the brother-in-law and younger sister being truly in love?”
“Maybe… maybe I remembered it wrong?” Ji Lingruo smiled awkwardly.
You Su thought about it and didn’t find it too strange. His junior sister wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, and she’d only heard each story once before writing it into a book to sell. Misremembering and adapting the story was understandable.
What surprised him, though, was how such a nonsensical plot could still earn praise from bookstore owners and sell well. Surely the spiritual entertainment of the Five Continents wasn’t so impoverished?
The storyteller snapped his fan shut, took a sip of water to maintain his scholarly demeanor, and declared loudly, “To find out what happens next, stay tuned for the next chapter.”
At this point, someone in the crowd chuckled. “Master Xue, why is your version different from what I’ve read? Did you skip parts while reading?”
Master Xue’s face stiffened, flushing red. He feigned calmness and replied, “This humble scholar has no interest in licentious matters. All I see are the dramatic entanglements between humans and spirits, not the carnal desires you’re imagining.”
Some men who had purchased the latest edition of The Legend of the White Snake immediately caught on, exchanging knowing looks filled with mockery. They inwardly scoffed: Men pretending to be pure! This author, whose pen name is ‘Junior Sister Supreme,’ writes convoluted plots with lofty themes, sure—but isn’t the real reason her books sell so well because of those vivid bedroom scenes?
Still, these seasoned readers didn’t press Master Xue further since they still needed him to entertain them with his storytelling later.
You Su raised an eyebrow. He had never read, nor could he read, the books Ji Lingruo wrote based on his stories, so he knew nothing about their specific content. He had always assumed the published versions wouldn’t differ much from what he’d narrated. Hearing Master Xue’s explanation, he grew puzzled—where did lascivious elements come from in his own tales? Even if there were some risqué scenes, he and his junior sister had automatically censored them during retellings.
Just as he was about to inquire further with Ji Lingruo, a piercing scream echoed through the cave, drawing everyone’s attention.
You Su turned toward the sound and saw, to his shock, the figure of a woman with a blood-red octopus-like fiend attached to her head. She looked deranged and eerie, her body rapidly shriveling until the fiend drained her dry.
And it wasn’t just You Su who saw her—everyone in the cave did. Loud screams erupted, and frantic footsteps thundered as people fled in chaos. Someone tripped and was trampled, wailing in agony.
One moment, the Auspicious Cave had been considered a safe haven; the next, a bone-chilling fiend appeared, plunging the entire cave into pandemonium.
You Su instinctively shielded Ji Lingruo, hiding in a corner. The sudden change caught him off guard, leaving him tense as he carefully observed the octopus fiend’s movements.
Ji Lingruo frowned slightly, also gazing at the fiend.
The cultivators reacted swiftly, surrounding the fiend in moments. Two sect leaders stationed nearby rushed over, trapping the fiend with no escape route.
To You Su’s astonishment, the fiend inexplicably grew several times larger, resisting formidable spells with ease. His brows furrowed deeply as doubts swirled in his mind.
The protective measures in the Auspicious Cave were excellent—the mist inside was so thin it was almost invisible. So how did this fiend appear here without the mist?
Only one possibility came to You Su’s mind: this fiend didn’t originate from the mist!
He glanced at Ji Lingruo again, and a lightning-fast thought struck him—It’s a Dream-Eating Ghost!
Neither the Tai Sui nor the Dream-Eating Ghosts were born from the mist. That blood-red octopus likely belonged to the same category of fiends!
The battle in the center intensified. Unlike the low-level fiends lurking in the mist, this one fought evenly against the two sect leaders.
Suddenly, amidst the fleeing crowd, several more blood-curdling screams erupted. From two clusters of panicked people emerged two identical blood-red octopus fiends!
The fleeing masses scattered like waves crashing against rocks, only to rebound and flee again.
These fiends moved like predatory beasts, devouring cultivators with suction and casually flinging civilians aside to die.
The Auspicious Cave, once the stronghold of Chuyun City’s populace, had unknowingly been infiltrated by fiends, transforming into a scene straight out of hell.
No—this wasn’t unnoticed infiltration!
You Su suddenly gripped Ji Lingruo’s hand, anger surging within him. These fiends had entered openly alongside Wu Cheng!
But these foolish cultivators, having defeated Qi Daodong—an opponent they once deemed invincible—had underestimated the risks Wu Cheng posed!
Just then, someone shouted in astonishment, “The cave entrance is open! Run for your lives!”