Chapter 18

Chapter 18

I pulled Lu Lingzhu back to the wall, where there was a huge hole-the very one I’d smashed open when I barged in earlier.

I pointed at the opening.

“This pagoda was built underground. Our senses are reversed in here.

“If we want to get out, we have to take the opposite path.”

As I spoke, I shoved Lu Lingzhu hard, pushing her down through the hole, then leaped after her.

Lu Lingzhu let out a scream. “Are you insane?! You- You-”

Lu Lingzhu opened her eyes and stamped her feet. The solid feeling of ground came through beneath her soles. The two of us were standing face-to-face at the staircase on the first floor of the pagoda, completely unharmed.

I demanded, “What were you about to say just now? What am I?”

Lu Lingzhu beamed. “You- You’re a genius!”

Song Feifei was on the first floor too. When she saw the two of us, she rushed over in a panic, hugged Lu Lingzhu, and started wailing incoherently.

It turned out that earlier, she had also stepped into empty air on the stairs and fallen. But unlike Lu Lingzhu, she didn’t have such advanced martial arts, so she had plunged straight into the abyss, thinking she was going to die. Unexpectedly, when she opened her eyes again, she was back on the first floor, just in time to see Huahua and Song Tianming there.

That left a bad taste in my mouth.

What was with this pagoda playing favorites? Was it specifically trying to kill experts like Lingzhu and me?

I handed the withered branch I’d brought out to Huahua and asked if it was Wriggling Grass.

Huahua took the branch and studied it for a while. Then she exclaimed in surprise that it really was Wriggling Grass-but why didn’t it have even the slightest scent of gu insects?

Lu Lingzhu cut in.

“Not only is there no scent, when I fought that fake Lingzhu just now, I yanked her hair. There weren’t any green leaves on top of her head either.”

I nodded.

“This thing is way too hard to deal with.

“We should find the others first and get out of here as soon as possible.”

We didn’t dare linger in the pagoda. We opened the main doors and had Song Tianming take us to the monks’ quarters to look for our other companions.

The layout of the entire temple was like a three-courtyard compound. The pagoda stood at the innermost section. One layer outward were the monks’ quarters on the east and west sides. Farther south stood a grand main hall, and only after passing through that hall could we leave through the front gate.

Now that Hua Yuling had determined those things pretending to be ghosts and gods were Wriggling Grass, and with this Miaojiang saintess here, we stopped holding back. We went straight for a quick fight.

Each of us kicked open the door to one monk’s room, shouting loudly as we searched for the others.

We caused such a commotion that soon, every door in both rows of monks’ quarters opened.

More than a dozen people walked out of each room, and at the head of every group was a bewildered-looking Song Tianming.

“Feifei, what are you doing here?”

I fell silent.

Then I held out my fingers and counted. “One, two, three-eight Song Tianmings?”

Lu Lingzhu said, “No, plus the one beside us, that’s nine. Oh, wait, that’s not right. Didn’t you kill one in the pagoda? Ten.”

Song Tianming completely broke down and grabbed at his hair.

“Why are there so many of me? Oh my god! What the hell are you people?!”

Every single Song Tianming broke down with him.

“Why are there so many of me? Oh my god! What the hell are you? Feifei, look at me! I’m right here! They’re all fake!”

Identical words. Identical movements.

The sight made my vision blur.

The four of us instinctively took a step back, putting plenty of distance between ourselves and the Song Tianming beside us. With so many Song Tianmings around, who knew whether this one was real or fake?

Song Tianming looked like he was about to cry.

“Feifei, sis, what are you doing? Even you don’t believe me?”

Song Feifei scratched her head anxiously.

“I’m sorry, but I really don’t know how to choose.”

Lu Lingzhu suddenly slapped her chest and volunteered. “I know!”

With that, she charged over and forcefully bent Song Tianming’s arm.

Song Tianming screamed again and again from the twisting. Then Lu Lingzhu chanted a thunder spell and struck him in the head. After taking a bolt of lightning, Song Tianming was almost dazed stupid.

Lu Lingzhu let out a relieved breath, looking thoroughly disdainful.

“This one’s real!

“I fought the Wriggling Grass upstairs just now. Because its true body is a plant, it moves very well, doesn’t fear pain, and can bend its body from all sorts of unexpected angles. It’s hard to handle with brute force alone.

“This Song Tianming is such a scrub. He has to be real.”

Song Tianming said, “Thanks so much!”