Transmigrated Into A Waste Who Married The Villain. Chapter 24: Embrace

Luo Jinxiao let out a breath and quickly followed.

“It seems like there’s no path around the demonic barrier,” Qu Weiyin said, her eyes narrowing as she glanced at the unexplored fork in the road ahead.

A wave of nervousness washed over Luo Jinxiao. She quietly stepped forward a few paces, drawing closer to Qu Weiyin, and peered over her shoulder at the pitch-dark path. “Master Uncle, what kind of thing is the demonic barrier?”

“Very large and very powerful,” Qu Weiyin replied, shaking her head.

“Stay behind me. If you happen to stick your head out and get bitten, it’s not my fault,” Qu Weiyin warned in an attempt to frighten her while confidently stepping forward.

As they entered the new path, the danger immediately became apparent. Not only did the road grow narrower, but it also reeked of damp, murky air that made one want to retch. The walls were sticky, glistening with what looked like the residue of some creature that had crawled through.

Luo Jinxiao tried to walk toward the center of the path to stay farther away from the viscous substance on the sides.

The two of them instinctively held their breath, concealing their presence, afraid of being detected by whatever lurked within. Luo Jinxiao stepped on something round several times and couldn’t help but look down, her gaze landing on a smooth skeleton.

There were clear bite marks still visible on the skull.

“Be careful; it’s coming,” Qu Weiyin suddenly warned. She reached out and grabbed the collar of Luo Jinxiao’s clothes, roughly pushing her against the wall. At the same moment, a massive creature zipped past in front of Qu Weiyin, missing them by mere inches.

Qu Weiyin, however, seemed unfazed. While holding Luo Jinxiao down, she herself pressed against the wall, waiting for the thing to pass.

Fortunately, it didn’t notice them. The long body of the creature slithered along the floor before quickly disappearing, leaving behind a thin layer of slime wherever it had passed.

Luo Jinxiao felt her stomach heave violently.

“What is that?” Luo Jinxiao asked, her heart still racing as she turned to Qu Weiyin. However, the light in the cave was so dim that she could only make out Qu Weiyin’s eyes with the help of some glowing plants.

“A giant python,” Qu Weiyin replied in a hushed voice. “There are many more inside, but it’s nothing to worry about.”

Luo Jinxiao finally felt relieved upon hearing it was merely a giant python, but before she could fully let her guard down, she heard Qu Weiyin follow up, “At the end of this cave, there’s also a Candle Dragon.”

Nothing to worry about, just the Candle Dragon… Luo Jinxiao nodded, but then suddenly realized what she had just heard, her mouth falling open in shock. “Candle Dragon?”

The Candle Dragon, according to legend, was an ancient god dragon, completely red, with a human face and no legs, stretching for thousands of miles. It was said that, “Its ignorance is obscurity; its sight is illumination. It does not eat, sleep, or rest; wind and rain are its visitors. It’s known as the Candle of Nine Yin, called the Candle Dragon.”

“How do you know about it, Master Uncle?” Luo Jinxiao asked.

“I’ve been here before,” Qu Weiyin replied tersely.

“If you’ve been here, does that mean we can find a way out?” Luo Jinxiao’s hopes rose.

Qu Weiyin shook her head.

Only now did she recall that in her previous life, she had indeed visited this place while searching for something. At that time, she had possessed demonic powers; although she hadn’t found the divine artifact, she could easily have killed the Candle Dragon.

Now, however, her cultivation was insufficient. Facing even a small Qiongqi was difficult, let alone a Candle Dragon that had lived for who knows how many years.

Though Luo Jinxiao had questions swirling in her mind, she didn’t dare to ask further.

“Let’s go,” Qu Weiyin said.

The cave was eerily quiet, with only the sound of their footsteps echoing. Occasionally, a giant python covered in slime would slither by, but they were blind, so as long as they stayed silent, they wouldn’t be detected. This allowed their movement to feel relatively manageable.

However, Luo Jinxiao could distinctly feel that there were more and more bones beneath her feet.

“Throughout history, countless treasure-seekers have come here,” Qu Weiyin remarked, stepping over a bone and noting its condition—it was still surprisingly fresh.

Luo Jinxiao felt a pang of sympathy and didn’t want to look any longer.

“We’ve arrived,” Qu Weiyin said, reaching out to gently grasp Luo Jinxiao’s hand. Her touch was icy, sending chills down Luo Jinxiao’s spine.

Qu Weiyin seemed to realize something and instinctively withdrew her hand.

“Up ahead is the domain of the Candle Dragon, and the exit lies beneath it, just wide enough for one person. I’ll distract it, and then you can slip through the exit. After that, you’re on your own,” Qu Weiyin explained.

Upon hearing this, Luo Jinxiao quickly grasped her arm. “What about you, Master Uncle?”

Qu Weiyin frowned and avoided her gaze, then said, “Do you think I would sacrifice myself for you? Don’t worry; I’m quite selfish. If you’re not here, I’ll find another way. It’s better without you as a burden.”

Luo Jinxiao was momentarily speechless, feeling as if she were being dismissed again.

“Stop wasting time. When the moment comes, do not look back. This Candle Dragon has been in the tomb for a thousand years; it has long been corrupted by demonic energy. With your level of cultivation, if it notices you, you won’t even have a place to hide.”

Qu Weiyin rarely spoke this much. After finishing her warning, she pushed Luo Jinxiao aside with a firm hand. Luo Jinxiao stumbled a couple of steps and quickly crouched down in a corner, hiding behind a rock.

Before she could look back, the cave suddenly lit up brightly. The Candle Dragon had opened its eyes, which gleamed like two bright lanterns, glaring intensely.

Just as described in the legends, Luo Jinxiao shielded her head with her arms as a wave of terror washed over her.

However, Qu Weiyin merely squinted slightly at the light, her expression unchanged. With a flick of her right hand, the Moonlight Star Sword appeared in her palm, radiating a golden glow that intertwined brilliantly with the Candle Dragon’s gaze.

The end of the tunnel opened into a vast cavern. It might not even be a cavern, as the walls still bore remnants of colorful murals, faded and weathered by time. The ceiling was so high that she could barely see it, rendering the space incredibly expansive.

The sound of the Candle Dragon’s breathing echoed throughout this vast and enclosed space, booming like thunder.

Suddenly, Qu Weiyin soared into the air, sending out a beam of golden light from the sword’s tip, striking directly at the Candle Dragon’s left eye. The creature opened its massive mouth in a silent roar, its body swaying violently as rocks began to tumble from the ceiling, threatening to collapse around them.

The Candle Dragon reared its head, flames igniting like a banner atop its skull, and then lunged at Qu Weiyin, its gigantic face racing towards her like a spear.

Qu Weiyin swiftly conjured a barrier, then turned around and fled. The Candle Dragon’s head followed closely, flames roaring from its mouth, as if it intended to incinerate Qu Weiyin to ashes.

Its body was indeed extremely long, coiling like an enormous ball of string. As its head moved away, its form gradually shrank, revealing a small opening behind it moments later.

The cave entrance was covered by a slab of golden stone, likely left behind by those who came before. Luo Jinxiao glanced back at Qu Weiyin, steeled her resolve, took a few brisk steps, and leaped down.

Meanwhile, Qu Weiyin was moving quickly, her long legs taking three strides for every two steps. Though she wasn’t using her spiritual energy, her speed was still impressive as she patiently led the Candle Dragon away. Just as its flames were about to singe her, she managed to conjure a barrier to block the fire effortlessly.

Seeing that it couldn’t catch up to her, the Candle Dragon became enraged, thrashing violently against the cave walls, causing the ground to tremble beneath Qu Weiyin’s feet, nearly causing her to lose her balance.

In response, she swiftly turned around, wielding the Moonlight Star Sword, which transformed into a beam of golden light, slashing toward the dragon’s head. The Candle Dragon recoiled sharply, attempting to burn the divine sword with its flames. However, the Moonlight Star Sword remained unfazed, and in an instant, the Candle Dragon received a deep gash across its face, blood streaming down.

This successfully provoked the Candle Dragon into a frenzy. It reared back its head, and the cave walls couldn’t withstand the commotion—it collapsed with a thunderous crash, blocking Qu Weiyin’s path. Qu Weiyin inwardly cursed, hurriedly pressing herself against the wall to evade the flames erupting from the dragon’s mouth.

In the confined space, the fire raged fiercely, and the scorching waves of heat hit her face. Qu Weiyin let out an angry shout and raised her hand to cast a protective barrier around herself, but she suddenly felt a hand cover her shoulder.

Then, with a swift force, she was yanked toward a dark passage. Taken by surprise, she was pulled into a cave and found herself being embraced by someone, held securely against them.

“Shh, Master Uncle, don’t make a sound,” the person whispered, covering her mouth and nose while speaking softly into her ear.