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

Luo JinXiao exhaled a breath of relief and quickly caught up.

“It seems there’s no path that avoids the demonic traps,” Qu WeiYin said, squinting as she looked at the untraveled fork ahead.

Luo JinXiao felt a surge of tension. She quietly took a few steps forward, getting closer to Qu WeiYin, and peered over her shoulder into the dark passageway. “Little Martial Aunt, what exactly are these demonic traps?”

“They’re large and powerful,” Qu WeiYin replied, shaking her head.

“Stay close behind me. If you stick your head out and get bitten, I won’t save you,” Qu WeiYin warned, half-jokingly, as she confidently stepped forward.

Upon entering the new fork, the danger became apparent. The path was narrow and carried a damp, foul odor that was nauseating. The walls were sticky, seemingly covered with some kind of slime left by passing creatures.

Luo JinXiao tried her best to walk in the middle of the path, attempting to stay away from the slime.

Both of them held their breath, concealing their presence to avoid attracting the attention of anything lurking within. Luo JinXiao stepped on something round several times and couldn’t resist looking down, only to see a gleaming skull with clear bite marks on the cranium.

“Be careful, it’s coming,” Qu WeiYin suddenly said. She grabbed Luo JinXiao by the collar and pressed her against the wall. At the same time, a massive creature swiftly passed by Qu WeiYin, barely missing them.

Qu WeiYin remained calm, pressing against the wall with Luo JinXiao until the creature moved on. Fortunately, it didn’t notice them; its long body slithered away, leaving a thin trail of slime in its wake.

Luo JinXiao felt her stomach churn.

“What was that?” Luo JinXiao asked, still shaken, glancing at Qu WeiYin. The dim light in the cave made it hard to see anything except the glint in Qu WeiYin’s eyes.

“A giant python,” Qu WeiYin replied softly. “There are many more in here, but they’re not a problem.”

Luo JinXiao felt a bit relieved hearing it was just a python. However, before she could fully relax, Qu WeiYin added, “At the end of this cave, there’s also a Zhulong.”

No big deal, just a Zhulong… Luo JinXiao nodded, then suddenly realized and almost cried out, “Zhulong?”

Zhulong, according to legend, is an ancient divine dragon, entirely red, with no legs and a human face, spanning a thousand miles. It is said, “When it closes its eyes, darkness falls; when it opens them, light returns. It does not eat, sleep, or rest, and commands wind and rain.”

“How do you know about it, Little Martial Aunt?” Luo JinXiao asked.

“I’ve been here before,” Qu WeiYin replied briefly.

“If you’ve been here, can we not find a way out?” Luo JinXiao asked hopefully.

Qu WeiYin shook her head. She remembered now—she had indeed been here in a previous life, searching for something. Although she had not found the artifact, her demonic power at the time allowed her to easily kill the Zhulong. Now, with her cultivation weakened, she struggled even against the small QiongQi, let alone a Zhulong that had lived for countless years.

Luo JinXiao had more questions, but dared not ask further.

“Let’s go,” Qu WeiYin instructed.

The cave was eerily silent, with only their footsteps echoing. Occasionally, pythons slithered by, but since they were blind, as long as no noise was made, they went unnoticed, making the journey relatively easy.

However, Luo JinXiao could clearly feel the number of bones beneath their feet increasing.

“Throughout history, countless have come seeking treasures,” Qu WeiYin remarked, stepping over a bone that still looked fresh.

Luo JinXiao felt uneasy and chose not to look.

“We’re here,” Qu WeiYin said, lightly grabbing Luo JinXiao’s hand. Her hand was cold, causing Luo JinXiao to shiver.

Qu WeiYin seemed to realize this and instinctively let go.

“Up ahead is where the Zhulong resides. The exit is beneath it, barely big enough for one person. When I distract it, you escape through the exit. After that, you’re on your own,” Qu WeiYin explained.

Luo JinXiao quickly grabbed her arm. “What about you, Little Martial Aunt?”

Qu WeiYin frowned, pulling away and glancing at her. “Do you think I’d sacrifice myself for someone else? Don’t worry, I’m selfish by nature. Without you, I’ll find another way and won’t have to deal with your burden.”

Luo JinXiao was speechless, feeling once again disregarded.

“Stop wasting time. Once you leave, don’t look back. This Zhulong has been in the Divine Tomb for a thousand years and has become demonic. With your cultivation, if it finds you, there’s nowhere to hide,” Qu WeiYin warned with uncharacteristic verbosity. She then pushed Luo JinXiao aside, who stumbled into a corner, hiding behind a rock.

Before she could look back, the cave suddenly brightened. The Zhulong had opened its eyes, now like two large lanterns, glaring brightly.

Just as the legends described, Luo JinXiao covered her head, heart pounding.

Qu WeiYin merely squinted at the light without changing her expression. Her right hand opened, summoning the Crescent Moon Star Sword, which glowed with golden light, reflecting off the Zhulong’s gaze.

This end of the cave turned out to be a massive cavern, perhaps not a cave at all. The walls still bore colorful murals, though faded with age, and the ceiling was barely visible, vast and empty.

The Zhulong’s breathing echoed in the expansive, enclosed space, deafening.

Suddenly, Qu WeiYin leapt into the air, a beam of golden light shooting from her sword tip to strike the Zhulong’s left eye. The Zhulong opened its mouth with a mute roar, its body thrashing violently. Rocks began to fall, as if the cave might collapse.

The Zhulong raised its body, flames atop its head like a banner, then its massive head, resembling a human face, shot towards Qu WeiYin like an arrow.

Qu WeiYin cast a barrier and turned to flee. The Zhulong pursued, spewing fire as if to incinerate her.

Its body was indeed extremely long, like a giant coiled rope, shrinking as its head moved away, revealing a small exit covered by a golden stone, presumably left by predecessors. Luo JinXiao glanced at Qu WeiYin, steeled her resolve, and dashed towards the exit, leaping through it.

Meanwhile, Qu WeiYin sprinted, taking long strides, not using spiritual power yet moving quickly, drawing the Zhulong away. As the fire neared her, she casually cast another barrier to block it.

Seeing it couldn’t catch her, the Zhulong grew furious, slamming into the cave walls, causing the ground to tremble. Qu WeiYin stumbled, almost falling.

She quickly turned, her Crescent Moon Star Sword transforming into a golden light, striking at the dragon’s head. The Zhulong recoiled, trying to burn the divine sword with its flames, but the Crescent Moon Star Sword was fearless. In a blink, a wound appeared on the Zhulong’s face, bleeding profusely.

This completely infuriated the Zhulong. It raised its head high, causing part of the cave wall to collapse with a loud crash, blocking Qu WeiYin’s path. She realized the danger, pressing against the wall to avoid the oncoming flames.

In the confined space, flames roared, heat waves rushing towards her. Qu WeiYin cursed, raising her hand to cast another barrier, when suddenly, a hand grasped her shoulder.

Then, an external force pulled her into a dark passage. Unprepared, she was embraced tightly by someone.

“Shhh, Little Martial Aunt, don’t make a sound,” the person whispered in her ear, covering her mouth and nose.