Chapter 298: 286

Chapter 286 – Untitled

Translated by Gumihou

Edited by Gumihou

 

The sun gradually rose, turning from a warm orange to a more cheerful yellow as the sky grew warmer, touching everything with its warm rays. Only Dawn City remained cold and overcast. The black mist around it had turned into a black fog and seemed to be growing denser and denser by the minute.

Whatever the fog touches, humans and animals alike were all deprived of their vitality. First, the elderly and the children, followed by women and finally the stronger men. When the black fog covered their bodies, they all turned into dried, leather-covered skeletons.

The faces of these wretched people were forever frozen into terrified grimaces. Some died where they fell or collapsed at the threshold of their houses. The tragedy was endless.

Ding Qi huddled within the blood formation, [1] blind to what was happening outside until he found a small hole as wide as the tip of his finger. Through the hole, he could perceive a small bit of the outside world.

Though the wooden barrel prevented his sight, it could not stop the endless screams of sorrow and despair from reaching him.

He seemed to have heard the calls for help from his maid and personal servants but they were soon overwhelmed by the screams of sorrows from others.

Suddenly, a loud noise startled him and the light beyond the hole shook. Someone had fallen in front of him. He peeked through the hole and saw that he knew this person. It was the steward of the City Lord’s Estate.

When Ding Qi saw him, he thought about asking what was happening outside but a black mist descended and the steward rapidly shrivelled up into a skeleton right before his eyes.

“Ah!” Ding Qi shrank back in horror, his hand slapping over his mouth to prevent further screams.

The steward of the Ding Clan was someone with a good level of Cultivation. Because the man had received City Lord Ding’s favour once, he repaid this kindness by serving the family even though his Cultivation was only a step behind the City Lord. For someone this strong to die so miserably… what about his father and grandfather? What happened to mother and the others?

Ding Qi suddenly understood why his grandfather ordered him to stay put within the formation.

Unable to bear it anymore, he quickly lifted the barrel and was about to rush out when a black mist floated towards him. The black mist condensed and reformed into a distorted human face. The mouth portion moved and a mournful howl shook the air.

“Grandpa–!” Ding Qi tried to call out. [2] [2] There was no one in the room.

[3] No one alive, that is.

 

[3] The steward’s body was still nearby even as he tried to ignore it. He called again, his voice echoing in the room.

 

[2] Suddenly, the room seem to grow darker as the black mist condensed in the air. Had the mist responded to his voice?

 

The condensed mist eventually merged into a black skeleton. [2] Before Ding Qi’s frightened eyes, the lower jaw of the skeleton unhinged and it rushed forward. As though about to swallow Ding Qi.

Ding Qi was so frightened that he froze in place.

With a sudden ‘bang!’ the skeleton crashed into an invisible wall just an inch in front of him, before scattering and dissipating into the air like inky smoke.

Relief flooded Ding Qi’s veins and he collapsed to the ground, his back soaked with sweat.

The black mist continued to hover menacingly outside the formation and Ding Qi could only quiver in fear.

He dared not leave.

He was afraid of death.

He was a coward.

Ding Qi’s fingers dug into the ground as his heart shrivelled to a tiny ball.

He hated his timidity and weakness. If he has even the tiniest bit of bravery, he would rush out of this formation and die with his family.

But, he was too scared.

Every second, every minute spent inside the protective barrier was like setting fire to his heart. His lips were bitten raw, his fingers left bloody streaks on the ground. He suffered bitterly but was unable to do anything.

Just then, a man in a black cloak suddenly appeared in front of him. Their eyes met and the hairs on Ding Qi’s skin rose.

He’s about to die!

This person will kill him.

Ding Qi’s heart thundered wildly as the man stepped closer. Even as the man approached him, hope was already dissipating.

Enough. It is not bad to die, at least he did not have to suffer anymore.

[4] He was staring at nothing, waiting for death to claim him when darkness fell. He… was still alive?

 

[4] It took him a moment to understand that he was under the barrel again.

 

[4] That mysterious person had covered him with the barrel…

 

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Aih…

[4] Was that… a sigh?

 

[4] But why…

 

 

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Under the eaves of one of the many houses in the city centre.

A woman was holding a girl child in her arms. The child, about seven or eight years old, nestled in her mother’s arm. Her breathing was very weak.

“Mother, didn’t you say there are immortals in this world? Why won’t they come and rescue us?”

The mother did not answer, she had long since died.

A wave of black, hazy mist floated over and soon, even the child had turned into a grotesque skeleton.

Above Dawn City, the thick dome of black mist persisted until noon before it began to slowly dissipate. For a time, nothing but anguished howls of grief could be heard. The ordinary people outside could only guess what terrible thing was happening inside the city.

Many of those howls of grief came from the people kneeling and crying beyond the walls of the city. That’s because they have friends and relatives inside. Some tried to barge through the mist. However, the moment they touched the mist, they turned into skeletons.

The black mist persisted until the sun dipped westward. As the rays of the sun retreated, so did the black mist. The grey cloaked man studied his Soul Drawing Flag with satisfaction. He could feel that his flag was about to advance further.

Greed filled eyes swept over the kneeling figures of the common people below him and he addressed his entourage, “Those three beasts did not come. Those people have paid for their sins with their lives. It’s time to leave.”

His followers did not reply. They merely assemble close to him and soon, the cloaked figures disappeared from Dawn City.

Three miles from Dawn City, three Panda Beasts were tied down by vines. Even their mouths were gagged by creepers and [5] no matter how they chew, they could not free themselves. The only thing they could do was glare in the direction of Dawn City and shake with suppressed frustration.

“Wu wu……” tears of blood ran down their cheeks. The three brothers now understood why their grandfather refused to let them enter the Ninth Realm.

If they had known… they would never have come.

If they did not come, would those innocent people be spared?

However, there’s no use dwelling on the many ‘if they had knowns’. In the end, only the breeze heard the sound of their whimpering.

Many years later, the three Panda Brothers still love human-made delicacies. However, they never attach themselves to ordinary humans anymore. They would rather sleep outdoors in desolate areas than implicate another fragile human.

It was not out of hate, rather, they finally understood that in the face of absolute strength, ordinary humans are too helpless. This lets them understand that the price of getting along with ordinary humans was too high. So high that they will carry this guilt on their shoulders for the rest of their lives.

 

By the time Dawn City’s news reached Shiyu, it was already the morning of the second day. She had been selecting gifts for Madam Shi and the three Panda Brothers in a small shop when talk about the ‘Dawn City Massacre’ reached her.

For a moment, her vision darkened and she felt faint.

Abandoning the idea of presents, she immediately hurried towards Dawn City.

 

When she reached Dawn City, she saw that it was surrounded by people. They were all talking and gesticulating at each other, their expressions sorrowful.

Shiyu did not bother to try and listen to their talk. As long as she could see Madam Shi, all will be explained.

If she could see Madam Shi…

The moment she crossed into Dawn City, resentful energy began pressing down on her, ruthlessly attacking her mind.

 

We now have Glossaries for Character, Cultivation Terms, Clan Names, Restaurants & Places

 

[1] Author only mentioned the hole, as though he had been looking through it easily all this while. Kind of unlikely? So added ‘found’

 

[2] Adjusted Detail for Dramatic Purpose: Split paragraphs to slow down the narrative. Increase the number of details for dramatic purposes. Added a bit more detail to the black mist.

 

[3] Adjusted Detail for Logistic Purpose: The steward had ‘fallen in front of him’, but then he ‘yelled into an empty room’. Overlooked details detract from the dramatic narrative.

 

[4] Adjusted Detail for Dramatic Purpose: Seems like a crucial scene but left vague in odd places and oddly stressed in others. Adjusted for a smooth transition and less in-your-face drama.

 

[5] Added Details for Dramatic Purpose: Add more details to make sure the scene is not overlooked.

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