Chapter 205 — Schemes Within Schemes
The Sword Questions the Heavens · Page 2 of 6
In the next instant, the figures of Lu Xueling, Zeng Shuyan, Li Xun, and the others appeared before the entrance of the Zhenmo Ancient Cave.
Zeng Shuyan cautiously peered into the deep darkness within the cave, his brow furrowing. Plainly he was uneasy about a place so thick with demonic aura and yet so strange and unfathomable. Beside him, Li Xun was somewhat similar, his brow slightly knitted as well, yet in his expression and eyes there surfaced a faint hint of surprise and astonishment. He slowly paced back and forth a few steps near the cave entrance, but all was calm; apart from the piercing, bone-chilling sinister wind, there was no other sound at all.
This seemed to leave Li Xun somewhat perplexed. He stared at the Zhenmo Ancient Cave, silent, as if pondering something.
Unlike the two men, after arriving outside the cave, Lu Xueling quickly shifted her attention from the deep darkness within the Zhenmo Ancient Cave to the mysterious, lonely female statue beside it. She walked slowly to the statue and gazed at it.
How many years of wind, frost, rain, and snow the statue of the woman had endured, no one could say; traces of erosion were visible everywhere from top to bottom. Yet as if by some strange resonance, Lu Xueling could clearly perceive that the woman's expression remained as vivid as life itself. Her face was faintly sorrowful, bearing a trace of grief; her eyes, too, seemed full of bewilderment, silently watching the depths of this mysterious ancient cave, as if awaiting something, or as if pouring out something.
Only, across a thousand myriad years, who had ever heard the words of her heart?
"Junior Sister Lu, Junior Sister Lu!"
Suddenly, a few startled calls came from beside her. Lu Xueling's whole body jolted; she could not help but step back, awakening at last from her inexplicable reverie, and looked to the side.
There was a measure of surprise on Zeng Shuyan's face, and a measure of worry as well. "Junior Sister Lu, I called you several times—why did you seem not to hear me at all?"
Lu Xueling's face went slightly pale. She slowly clenched the hand that hung at her waist, only to find that at some point her palm had become slick with cold sweat. She drew a deep breath, steadied herself, and said mildly, "It is nothing. Have you found anything?"
Zeng Shuyan shook his head. "No. Apart from the sinister wind that moans and gusts somewhat strangely, I have not seen even a trace of a demon beast." With that, he turned to Li Xun. "Senior Brother Li, have you found anything?"
Li Xun was silent for a moment, then likewise shook his head. "Nothing. But this place is truly very strange—"
Zeng Shuyan said in surprise, "Strange? What is strange about it?"
Li Xun started and hastily gave a dry laugh. "Nothing. I only thought: this is supposed to be a beast-demon's lair, so how is it that no beast-demons come and go? That is why I found it strange."
Zeng Shuyan smiled. "You have a point. I was thinking the same thing myself. What do you say, Junior Sister Lu?"
Lu Xueling did not answer at once. Light slowly flickered in her bright, clear eyes, and she glanced once more toward Li Xun. Li Xun, for some reason, suddenly coughed and turned his head to the other Fenxia Valley disciples. "You few, come here. Do not stray too far."
Lu Xueling was silent for a moment, then looked back once more at the stone statue of the woman and said, "In any case, we have come this far; there can be no question of giving up halfway. Let us go in."
Zeng Shuyan nodded. "Right." Then he turned to Li Xun. "Senior Brother Li, what say you?"
Li Xun's brow was still furrowed, as though some knotty thought were lodged in his heart and would not be dislodged. But after a moment he said, "Junior Sister Lu speaks rightly. Let us go in."