CHAPTER 42

— The Wheel-Turning King —

"Does it hurt?" Though the wound on her neck wasn't deep, it oozed fine threads of bl0od. The slight stinging pain made her frown, her face twisted with discomfort—until that gentle voice by her ear made her forget everything. It was as if an electric current surged from that spot, seizing her entire being. A flush of crimson spread across her face, transforming her frightened pallor into a ripe, rosy hue.

"N-no, it doesn't hurt..." Tong Tong felt as if all the strength had been drained from her body, leaving her soft and limp in the embrace behind her. Overwhelming happiness dulled all her senses, leaving only a tingling, numbing itch at the wound on her neck... as if someone were gently licking it with their tongue.

"Mmm..." Tong Tong let out a soft moan, her eyes narrowing into crescent moons, her expression tender and blissful. Unbidden, memories of the Western dramas she'd once binge-watched surfaced in her mind—those mysterious, beautiful, and sinister creatures who loved the night and thirsted for bl0od. In a daze, another image appeared—Su Yan's peerlessly beautiful face, eyes half-closed, gently kissing a woman's pale neck. The woman's face was flushed, her eyes hazy with desire as she tilted her head back in cooperation, letting out soft, low moans... That woman's face was identical to her own!

Slowly, a flash of crimson flickered in Su Yan's narrowed, beautiful eyes. Beneath the pink lips kissing her neck, a sharp canine tooth was revealed, piercing sharply into the delicate bl0od vessel—bright red droplets of bl0od rolled down, tragic and bewitchingly beautiful...

—Snap!

What nonsense was this!

Had she watched too much of Twilight or gotten addicted to True Bl0od? Su Yan wasn't a vampire!

Tong Tong shook her dizzy head, suddenly remembering her mild anemia—no wonder she was hallucinating... But if it were Su Yan, being bitten didn't seem so bad after all... whimper whimper...

Raising an eyebrow, Su Yan was startled by Tong Tong suddenly covering her cheeks and giggling foolishly for no reason. She gazed deeply at her, her expression gradually softening, revealing a rare tenderness.

Lifting her uninjured arm, Su Yan gently placed her palm over the bleeding wound, slowly channeling spiritual energy into it. In no time, the bleeding stopped, healing and scabbing over at a visible rate until it was completely restored, not even a scar remaining.

Satisfied, she withdrew her hand and lightly flicked Tong Tong's fair, tender earlobe. Su Yan's voice carried a rare hint of amusement: "Alright, stop spacing out."

"Huh? Oh, oh!" Tong Tong covered her flushed earlobe, wanting to lower her head to hide the sudden surge of shyness, yet she couldn't help stealing glances at Su Yan. Peeking furtively from the corner of her eye, she was caught by Su Yan's sweeping gaze. Her thoughts scattered, and she immediately fell into those deep, ink-black pools.

They gazed at each other for a long time, as if forgetting the passage of time, unaware of the present moment.

Suddenly, a bright, cheerful female voice rang out by their ears, startling them both back to reality—like a spring thunderclap. Tong Tong immediately glared back, wondering who had the audacity to interrupt this perfect atmosphere, ripe for something to develop. In doing so, she missed the fleeting, elusive blush that flashed across Su Yan's flawless, pale face.

"Hey, I say, why haven't you two little brats left yet? I've already gone next door to King Pingdeng's [Equality King] place for a few cups of tea and played a few rounds of mahjong, and when I come back, I see you again? Where's that arrogant little punk? If he hasn't left yet, tell him to come out so I can give him a beating before he scrambles!" King Zhuanlun's [Wheel-Turning King] figure suddenly reappeared, leaning casually against her rosewood armchair as if nothing were amiss, as though the one who had vanished into specks of light moments ago was someone else entirely.

Tong Tong's eye twitched, and she asked irritably, "I should be asking you! Although I'm glad to see you're okay... can you at least explain what just happened? You made me worry for nothing!"

"Oh? You mean just now? That's just how it's set up!" The Wheel-Turning King shifted her posture, propping her chin on her hand with a careless smile. "He broke my Five Flavors Lock, cleared the challenge, and even slashed me once, so I had to play along and disappear... It's a customary victory scene! Don't overthink it..."

"How can I not overthink it, you jerk! And 'set up'? Who set it up? Do you think this is some kind of game? A victory scene! Why didn't you give me any cheat codes?" Tong Tong retorted angrily, then paused as something didn't sit right. "Hey! How do you know so much? Someone like Wheel-Turning King should be from ancient times, right? Why..."

"Stop, stop... Since you're asking so sincerely, and I quite like you two little brats, I might as well tell you... Listen up! I—no, this humble one—am not the actual Wheel-Turning King of the underworld. If I were the real Wheel-Turning King, just a flick of my pinky finger could crush that arrogant brat in the Core Formation stage! How could I let him act so recklessly? This King is just a phantom, one of her countless external manifestations, so of course my power is only a fraction of the real one's! That's why it doesn't matter if I get scattered—I'll just reform in a bit... In a way, I'm practically immortal!" said the phantom—one of Wheel-Turning King's manifestations.

"What about the hula hoop and the game-like challenges?" Tong Tong widened her eyes, having suspected the other might be a fellow transmigrator.

"Oh, that? I just saw people playing it before... Don't you know the underworld has gone digital now? They just got Wi-Fi last year..." The phantom continued dropping bombshells as if it were nothing, leaving Tong Tong stunned.

"So, as you say, the underworld can connect to different times and spaces? Does that mean I have a chance to go back?" Tong Tong seemed to have pieced something together and grabbed the phantom's wrist urgently.

Su Yan had been frowning as she listened to their conversation, suppressing her doubts, but when she heard Tong Tong mention wanting to go back, her body stiffened. A strange emotion welled up inside her, and the numb wound on her left shoulder began to ache again...

"Well, of course not! The underworld has to follow rules too. How can people come and go as they please? That would cause chaos! Not just you—even that person from back in the Tribulation Transcendence stage couldn't... Ahem, let's not talk about that. Hey, why aren't you worried about your little sweetheart? She's poisoned, you know! It's serious..." The phantom nearly bit her tongue in her haste, noticing Su Yan's face turning from pale to ashen, she quickly changed the subject.

Tong Tong, who had been listening intently, was indeed distracted by her. Glancing at Su Yan's pallid complexion, she unconsciously tightened her grip on the phantom figure. "What did you say? Poisoned? What kind of poison? Can it be cured?"

"Hey, ease up a bit... It's something like 'Buried Heart' or 'Heart-Severing'? Anyway, it's a slow-acting poison. It won't k!ll you right away, but if left untreated, the toxins will attack the heart, and you probably won't last more than a few months!" Pushing Tong Tong's hand away, she rolled her eyes and spoke casually.

"Just from the name, it doesn't sound like an easy poison to cure! I have Jiedu Pills (Detoxification pills), Qingxin Pills (Heart-Cleansing pills), Huanzhu Pills (Vermilion Restoration Pills)... Is there anything useful?" Tong Tong was so anxious that tears welled up in her eyes: She hadn't even confessed her feelings yet! How could the object of her affection be on the brink of death? This was no joke! She absolutely wouldn't let this happen!

"Hmm... none of them are much use!" The phantom figure shook her head disdainfully. Under Tong Tong's urgent gaze, she finally spoke unhurriedly, "Don't rush, I haven't finished yet. Once you leave here, search around. There's a medicinal garden, also used for disciples' trials. There aren't any particularly dangerous monsters, but the plant spirits that have gained sentience can be a bit troublesome... You need to find a strand of Kongluo Grass [Empty-Nether Grass] and pick eight to ten Siam Honey-Fruits. Refine them into a pill, take it, and rest for a few months. You'll be fine."

Waving her hand with a somewhat resigned air, as if having completed a task, she drew a line in the air and materialized a yellow page, handing it to Tong Tong. On it were illustrations of the two plants. Seeing Tong Tong thank her and hurriedly help Su Yan out, she couldn't help but add, "Those Siam Honey-Fruits are precious! They're in high demand! If you go too late, they might be gone!"

"Slam—" The door closed. The phantom figure opened her mouth, but her final words were trapped inside, unheard by the two. "Though they aren't strictly necessary for the antidote, they are top-tier for flavoring..."

Watching the two figures disappear, the phantom figure pouted and dissolved into countless specks of light, muttering softly, "Clearly, you've been using 'cheat codes' this whole way, little girl..."

Stepping out of the Hall of the Wheel-Turning King, they were met with an entirely different scene—a stark contrast to the dark corridor they had come through. Instead, a desolate plain stretched before them. Scattered across it were half-withered plants, though in the distance, lush greenery was visible. That, presumably, was the medicinal garden.

Holding Su Yan's hand, Tong Tong felt as if she were clutching a block of ice, the chill seeping straight into her heart... Her brows furrowed tightly as she gazed worriedly into the other's eyes, asking softly, "Senior Brother, how do you feel? Does it hurt?"

"A bit numb, but no pain. It's fine." Su Yan avoided her gaze, feeling as though her heart had melted into a puddle under those moist, earnest eyes... This wasn't like her.

Rubbing her cold, numb, and nearly senseless arm, Su Yan pursed her lips, summoned her longsword, and said calmly, "Let's go."

Then she took the lead, striding forward.

Seeing her avoid eye contact, Tong Tong felt a pang of disappointment, but her concern for Su Yan's injury quickly took over. She hurriedly followed close behind, summoning her own sword, Biling, with her right hand, and vigilantly scanning their surroundings. Gone was her former idle, aimless lethargy. After Su Yan was injured, Tong Tong felt as if she had suddenly gained a sense of purpose—to protect the other with everything she had.

With these thoughts, the emptiness and confusion of arriving in this world vanished, replaced by a sense of inner fulfillment and resolve. In that moment, she seemed to have found the meaning of life.

Just as Tong Tong, feeling her image suddenly elevated, heard an unusual noise and turned to see a massive, unidentified creature charging toward them, she let out a terrified shriek and whoosh— hid behind Su Yan, trembling like a frightened little rabbit as she peeked out cautiously. Her earlier heroic sentiments burst like a bubble pricked by a needle, pop— and vanished into thin air...

"..." How could I have thought this girl was reliable just moments ago?

Su Yan tightened her grip on Changhong, thinking silently: Must have been an illusion...

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