Chapter 136 – Nightmare Experience, Clue of the Elephant Deity

Fifteen minutes later, on the high-speed train from Suchuan to Weishan.

In the business class section.

Lu Jing sat in her seat, her expression somewhat complicated as she watched Lu Yuan, who was helping her with her luggage.

After more than four months without seeing him, it was as if she no longer recognized this Lu Yuan standing in front of her.

Besides the significant changes in his appearance, Lu Yuan’s personality had also become unfamiliar.

He still called her “Lu Jing” as he used to, but the forcefulness and unquestionable tone in his voice left her bewildered. She hadn’t even properly said goodbye to a few friends before obediently getting on this train with Lu Yuan.

Yes.

It wasn’t until after boarding that she realized Lu Yuan was taking her not to Jiaoyan, but to Weishan.

“Drink some water.”

A bottle of mineral water was handed to Lu Jing.

Lu Jing snapped out of her daze and followed the hand holding the bottle with her eyes, meeting Lu Yuan’s calm gaze.

It was just like the first time she saw him, in the excavated tomb underground… dark, deep, hiding too much unknown and mystery.

“Oh… thank you,”

Lu Jing said, taking the bottle and quickly lowering her head.

Lu Yuan sat down beside her, watching her absentmindedly unscrew the bottle cap.

After some thought, he handed her the bottle he had already opened.

“Drink this one instead.”

Lu Jing silently complied.

Lu Yuan pressed a button on the armrest. The partition next to their seats rose from the floor, quickly forming a small, temporary space.

“This train won’t reach Weishan for another hour and thirty-two minutes.”

Lu Yuan turned to look at Lu Jing calmly and said, “I’ve bought all eight seats nearby, so you don’t have to worry about being overheard.

During the upcoming time, feel free to ask any questions you have…”

After a pause, Lu Yuan added, “After you’re done asking, I will ask you some questions.”

Lu Jing was taken aback by Lu Yuan’s straightforwardness and sat there in a daze.

Lu Yuan looked at Lu Jing’s bewildered expression and shook his head. “Forget it, I’ll just tell you everything. If there’s something I miss, you can ask about it later.”

He then began to explain:

“Three months ago, I signed up for a martial arts class. You should remember, you asked me about it in a video call. It was the one Dad paid for.”

“My talent was exceptional, really exceptional. I progressed quickly in martial arts, which caught the attention of the coach at the martial arts gym. He recommended me to the higher-level martial arts school affiliated with the gym… Yes, the kind you read about in Wuxia novels, an Ancient Martial Arts sect. I think your friend’s boyfriend might come from a similar background. You can ask them privately to verify this…”

“I’m in Weishan this time to participate in an assessment for the sect. Luckily, I passed, and the sect leader decided to take me as a disciple. Tomorrow night is my official apprenticeship banquet.”

“Don’t worry, it’s a legitimate martial arts school. It’s not a criminal organization or a cult…”

“Oh, by the way, you’re the only one in the family who knows about this. I haven’t told Dad, Mom, or Grandfather…”

“Alright, that’s all I have to say.”

Lu Yuan closed his mouth and watched Lu Jing’s reaction.

It was clear that the amount of information and its impact was overwhelming for her. Lu Jing’s mouth hung open, her thin, dark face a mix of shock and confusion.

Lu Yuan wasn’t in a hurry. He casually pulled out the small table in front of his seat and took out some paper and a pen he had asked the attendant for earlier. He began to jot down notes.

After a while, he heard Lu Jing mumble softly.

“Xiao Yuan, does your sect have a lot of money?”

“Haha…”

Lu Yuan couldn’t help but laugh.

He glanced over and saw that Lu Jing seemed to have digested most of the information.

Half-jokingly, he replied, “They are very wealthy, but the money isn’t mine. Though in the future, most of it will probably become mine. In short, I’ve made something of myself. Even if you, Dad, and Mom don’t work and stay home all day, I can take care of you all, make sure you’re dressed in gold and silver, eating the best foods, living the good life without any worries…”

“You’re just bragging,” Lu Jing retorted. “Look at your mobile phone; it’s still the one I bought you ages ago, and even the screen is scratched. Your clothes are also the ones I got you last year… Yet you say you’re rich and can support the whole family…”

Her words seemed to melt away the barrier and unfamiliarity between them.

Seizing the moment, Lu Yuan brought up his first-in-grade achievement in the final exam again and even showed her a photo of his report card on his phone.

For a moment, it felt like they had returned to their old, close sibling relationship.

Then…

Lu Yuan unexpectedly handed her a piece of paper.

“Lu Jing, take a look at this.”

“What is this? It’s drawn so poorly…”

Lu Jing habitually complained, but halfway through her sentence, her expression froze.

She stared at the paper for a few seconds, then suddenly looked up at him, shocked and puzzled. “Where did you see this?”

“I saw it on the blackboard behind you when we were video chatting. I memorized it.”

Lu Yuan looked at Lu Jing calmly. “Now it’s my turn to ask you.”

The piece of paper Lu Yuan handed her depicted the symbol of the Elephant Deity Sect and included the phrase involving “Demon Mountain.”

The high-speed train hummed as it sped along, the scenery outside the window rapidly receding, and a faint vibration could be felt through the glass.

Inside the carriage, Lu Yuan and Lu Jing sat facing each other, the atmosphere unusually quiet.

“Xiao Yuan, there are some things…” Lu Jing started to speak but was quickly interrupted by Lu Yuan.

“You just need to tell me about everything you experienced in Xixu. I’ll handle the rest.”

Lu Yuan’s words carried an undeniable forcefulness.

Lu Jing was silent for a moment before finally nodding.

She then carefully recounted her experiences over the past four months with the archaeological team.

Her story included many trivial details, but Lu Yuan did not interrupt. He listened patiently throughout.

“…At first, everything went exceptionally well. The temple was buried under the sand, and we tried excavating it. It didn’t take many attempts before we successfully found the entrance to the temple… Every day, a large number of ancient artifacts were unearthed. Everyone was very excited, and several archaeology professors were so thrilled that they couldn’t sleep at night. The work continued around the clock.

Until… that day…”

As Lu Jing spoke, she seemed to recall something, and a deep sense of horror and fear filled her eyes.

“…Monsters, insects…”

Her narrative became somewhat disjointed.

“…First, a lot of insects started emerging from under the sand, biting everyone.

At first, no one paid much attention to it, as similar incidents are not uncommon in archaeology. When a box buried underground for thousands of years is opened, strange things tend to come out.

But later, things got terrifying!”

“…We killed many insects and collected many dead and live specimens. We even contacted several well-known entomologists in the country, asking them to come and assist with the work.

But by the third night, the insects stopped coming out of the temple.

Instead, some monsters started emerging, human-eating monsters!”

The fear on Lu Jing’s face reached its peak.

Lu Yuan placed his hands on her shoulders, gently patting and comforting her. He handed her some water and encouraged her, “Can you draw what those monsters looked like? Show me.”

Lu Jing gulped down a few sips of water, and after calming down a bit, she nodded.

She picked up a pen and began drawing on the paper while continuing her story.

“…At first, the hired guards responsible for night watch started disappearing one by one.

We contacted the local police in Xixu, and they searched for a long time.

Then one day, those monsters started coming out of the ground in broad daylight, recklessly attacking members of the archaeological team.

It was a nightmare…”

Lu Jing’s voice and the hand holding the pen both trembled.

Lu Yuan gently patted Lu Jing’s back, watching as she sketched a creature that looked like a cross between a ladybug and an elephant, with tentacle-like appendages where its mouth should be.

Lu Jing had taken sketching classes in senior high school and was quite good at it.

“…The smallest of these monsters were the size of goats, and the largest were like tanks. They weren’t fast, but they were incredibly strong and impervious to regular bullets and explosives.”

Lu Jing handed one finished drawing to Lu Yuan but continued sketching.

“…The archaeological team suffered heavy casualties, with about a third of the members lost. The excavation was urgently halted, and everyone retreated several kilometers away…”

“Later, the archaeology professors called in the military. I saw several shuttles land, and from them emerged huge Mechas, along with people who could shoot fire and electricity from their bodies…”

“They were very powerful and killed many of the monsters…”

Lu Jing was now drawing the shuttles, Mechas, and the fire- and electricity-wielding individuals she had described.

Lu Yuan glanced at her sketches.

He recognized the shuttles; they looked about right. The Mechas resembled those he had seen in international news. As for the last type… it had to be Cyborgs like Zhou Ling from the Yellow Bear organization.

These Cyborgs had high-tech weaponry installed in their bodies, capable of both shooting fire and discharging electricity.

The only thing that surprised Lu Yuan was a sketch of a “normal person” with what looked like a spider-like exoskeleton attached to his back.

The modifications were external.

Seeing this, the word “exoskeleton” popped into Lu Yuan’s mind.

“…Then we were sent back. We were quite lucky; among the group of intern researchers who went with us, only one person was injured.”

Lu Jing’s emotions finally stabilized.

Lu Yuan examined the drawings repeatedly, thought for a moment, and then asked, “Do you remember what you excavated from the temple before the insects and monsters started appearing?”

Lu Jing nodded. “We discussed this afterward. It all started after we unearthed those glowing stone balls.”

“Glowing stone balls?”

“Yes.”

Lu Jing roughly described them, “They’re about the size of a fist, with patterns like the ones you drew. The information you saw on the blackboard during our video chat was likely written during our discussions about them. There were eight stone balls in total, and they glowed at night. I saw them through the tent, and I wasn’t the only one…”

“And where are those stone balls now?”

“The archaeology professors took all of them back.”

Lu Yuan nodded. Then, looking directly into Lu Jing’s eyes, he asked her, enunciating each word clearly, “The most important question, tell me honestly, did you ever touch any of those glowing stone balls?”

…

“Bang!”

A heavy suitcase landed with a thud on the board inside the trunk.

“Can’t you put it down gently?”

Wu Xinlei scolded the glasses-wearing man irritably.

The glasses-wearing man’s face turned a bit red, unsure how to respond.

“And you still blame him? It’s because you packed too much and made it too heavy,” Sun Zhihua approached, smiling as he addressed the glasses-wearing man. “Alright, buddy, thanks for your help. Xinlei’s been giving you a hard time on this trip, hasn’t she?”

“It’s… it’s fine. We’ve been good friends for years…”

Sun Zhihua chuckled and swiftly finished loading all the luggage.

The three of them got into the car.

The glasses-wearing man sat alone in the back seat, while Wu Xinlei took the passenger seat.

“Lu Jing’s brother is something else too. He just took her away without a word. Lu Jing always said how well-behaved and polite her brother was… I didn’t see any of that,” Wu Xinlei couldn’t help but grumble as soon as they got in the car.

Sun Zhihua, who was driving, casually reassured her, “Martial arts practitioners are like that. The stronger they are, the more they do as they please. They act decisively and never consider others’ thoughts.”

“You practice martial arts too, and you’re stronger than him. Why do I think you’re so nice?” Wu Xinlei asked.

“That’s because you’re the only exception,” Sun Zhihua replied.

A hint of sweetness flashed across Wu Xinlei’s face. She gently grabbed Sun Zhihua’s hand and glanced at the glasses-wearing man in the back seat, who was curiously looking around. Her eyes flashed with a hint of “murderous intent,” making the latter quickly lower his head and play with his mobile phone.

With one hand holding Wu Xinlei’s and the other starting the car, Sun Zhihua casually asked, “I heard your archaeological trip was quite thrilling?”

“Yes, it was,” Wu Xinlei replied. She had been comforting Lu Jing at the airport, but now she looked as if she was still terrified.

“Biting insects, man-eating monsters, so many people died… Even the military’s Mechas and Cyborgs were deployed. It was like a scene from a sci-fi horror movie.”

As Sun Zhihua drove, he pondered aloud, “From your description, it sounds like you encountered an Ancient Evil Beast…”

“Ancient Evil Beast? What’s that?” Wu Xinlei blinked and asked curiously.

Sun Zhihua replied, “I’ve heard about them occasionally. They’re monsters mutated by the Evil Power of ancient cults. Some lunatics in the martial arts world also study these things. The officials have probably cleaned up quite a few, so ordinary people rarely encounter them. You were pretty lucky nothing happened.”

Wu Xinlei didn’t fully understand what Sun Zhihua was saying but didn’t ask further. She just pouted and said, “You call that lucky? We almost didn’t make it back…”

“Alright, I’ll make it up to you. Whatever you want to eat, wherever you want to go, just tell me. I’m your professional driver and bag carrier…” Sun Zhihua comforted her with a smile.

Wu Xinlei’s face lit up with sweetness, just as she was about to speak.

Suddenly, the glasses-wearing man in the back seat spoke up.

“Lu Jing said that she and Lu Yuan went to Weishan. Apparently, Lu Yuan has an apprenticeship banquet tomorrow, so they’re in a hurry to get there…”

The glasses-wearing man relayed the news he had just received, looking at his mobile phone.