National Guardian's Gone and We're Done

Chapter 49: Chapter 49: Has the Crisis of the Demon Cave Really Been Solved by You? Have All the Evil Spirits Disappeared?

Rage instantly ignited in Xiao Cangqing’s heart, blazing like an uncontrollable wildfire.

Chu He!

It was Chu He again!

The name echoed in his ears like a Curse.

He had only met the rotten man twice, yet he had already heard this name on both occasions.

He couldn’t understand why that man, who hadn’t even cultivated a Primordial Spirit, was so highly regarded—even compared to him.

Amid the despair of being consumed by rot, an unprecedented fury erupted within Xiao Cangqing.

He could not accept such humiliation, nor could he tolerate being so utterly powerless before this Evil Spirit.

He widened his soon-to-be-corroded eyes, trying to force out one last spark of life.

For Xiao Cangqing, who was about to be reduced to rotting flesh, this humiliation ignited a fire of rage that burned hotter than his fear of death.

’A good slap should shut you up!’

Seeing this, a flash of surprise crossed the rotten man’s eyes.

Even under such intense corrosive power, Xiao Cangqing could still muster such strong resistance.

He sneered, raising his putrid hand and viciously slapping it across Xiao Cangqing’s face.

With that slap, a torrent of corrosive power flooded into Xiao Cangqing’s mind.

His head was like a shriveled fruit, its skin and rotten flesh peeling off and falling to the ground.

”How could this be?”

Xiao Cangqing’s voice was filled with despair and indignation.

He had thought that while the Evil Spirits in the Demon Cave were difficult to deal with, he’d at least have a fighting chance.

But reality was too cruel for him to accept.

Before this corrosive power, he had almost no room to resist, able only to let himself be completely overwhelmed.

The rotten man suddenly spoke. ”Do you want to live?”

”Yes...”

Xiao Cangqing struggled to force the word out. One of his eyeballs had already rotted into a foul liquid, which trickled from its socket and down half his face.

His other eye was also being rapidly eroded by the corrosive power, his vision blurring until he could barely make out the rotten man’s face before him.

”Then let me take full control of your body.”

The rotten man continued to entice him. ”I can let you live on.”

As he finished speaking, the rotten man’s body began to rapidly decay, melting into a pool of thick liquid.

The viscous fluid quickly formed a small puddle on the ground, emitting a stench so vile it was appalling.

This foul liquid began to flow swiftly toward Xiao Cangqing’s mutilated body, then slowly seeped into him.

Miraculously, under the nourishment of this foul liquid, Xiao Cangqing’s mangled, putrid, and broken body began to slowly recover.

His skin became smooth once more, and his muscles grew back, granting him a new life.

But behind this rebirth was the sinking and damnation of his soul.

...

The gray fog suddenly grew thick, becoming almost solid. It pressed down on everyone’s senses, not only blocking their sight but also invisibly corroding their minds.

Zong Yajuan’s brow furrowed, a grim premonition rising in her heart. ”Why is this fog getting thicker? Are the Evil Spirits from the Demon Cave planning to separate us from Xiao Cangqing and then pick us off one by one?”

”We can’t just stand by and do nothing! We have to fight our way in! Otherwise, I’m afraid Xiao Cangqing won’t be able to hold off all the Evil Spirits in the Demon Cave by himself,” a member of the Time Girl Group named Xi Ziqiong shouted anxiously.

Within the swirling gray fog, strange figures began to appear and disappear.

The laughter of children and the low moans of an old woman intertwined, like a symphony from Hell.

Meanwhile, the clear ringing of a bell darted left and right within the fog, making it impossible to pinpoint its location.

These sounds blended together, making the Demon Cave seem even more sinister and terrifying.

Suddenly, Xi Ziqiong shuddered. A gleaming fishhook plummeted from the sky, piercing her chin like a bolt of lightning.

The hook, trailing bits of flesh and blood, emerged from her mouth, firmly snagged on her jawbone.

Immediately after, a powerful force yanked her violently into the sky.

In that brief moment, Xi Ziqiong’s skin rapidly turned ashen, and her lips became purple.

Muddy river water began to pour from her ears, nostrils, and lower body as her life force rapidly drained away.

”Xi Ziqiong!”

Zong Yajuan cried out in horror at the sight.

She drew her weapon, intending to rush toward Xi Ziqiong.

But just then, another fishhook fell from the sky, aimed directly at Zong Yajuan.

Clearly, the Evil Spirit wanted to stop her from rescuing Xi Ziqiong.

Left with no choice, Zong Yajuan could only swing her weapon around and slash at the hook hurtling toward her.

CLATTER! CLATTER!

In an instant, dozens of fishhooks rained down from the sky as densely as raindrops.

Zong Yajuan swung her weapon, desperately fending them off.

But she couldn’t be everywhere at once and struggled to block so many hooks simultaneously.

In that critical moment, Xi Ziqiong was pulled into the gray fog by the hook and vanished from sight.

SCHLICK!

Catching Zong Yajuan off guard, a fishhook pierced straight through her calf.

Zong Yajuan screamed in pain and was pulled to the ground.

Her calf quickly turned an ashen color and began to feel swollen.

A cold, foul water flowed from the pierced flesh, and her blood was transforming into this same cold water at an alarming rate.

At the same time, the nauseating stench of riverbed silt filled the air.

’This is bad!’

Zong Yajuan’s heart sank.

The other members of the Time Girl Group were also locked in desperate battles with Evil Spirits.

Their figures flickered in and out of view within the gray fog as they struggled against unseen threats, completely unable to help Zong Yajuan with her predicament.

Just as Zong Yajuan fell into despair, a dazzling white light suddenly shot out from the gray fog.

Like a meteor streaking across the night sky, it sliced directly through the fishing line attached to the hook binding her.

Losing her support, Zong Yajuan fell heavily to the ground with a THUD.

She gasped for breath, still in shock, and looked up. As the white light faded, Xiao Cangqing, who had vanished into the gray fog, reappeared.

His face was expressionless as he strode away, disappearing into the thick fog once more.

Just ten minutes later, something astonishing happened.

The gray fog over the entire Demon Cave began to rapidly disperse, retreating as if swept away by a gale.

Warm sunlight once again pierced through the clouds, spilling onto the land that had been shrouded in darkness.

In that short time, the Demon Cave had miraculously returned to the state it was in when the Time Girl Group first arrived—

a beautiful landscape of fragrant flowers, singing birds, and clear waters.

”Mr. Xiao, have you truly resolved the crisis at the Demon Cave? Are all the Evil Spirits gone?”

Seeing this, reporters swarmed forward, eager to get a definitive answer from Xiao Cangqing.

Xiao Cangqing, his face cold, nodded. ”The crisis at the Demon Cave has been completely resolved by me.”

...

Yongdeng City, the Great Jing Empire city closest to the Demon Cave, was now immersed in celebration.

Everyone, from high-ranking officials to common citizens, had been closely watching the livestream from the Demon Cave.

After all, if something went wrong at the Demon Cave, Yongdeng City would be the first to suffer the consequences.

When they heard Xiao Cangqing announce on the livestream that the Demon Cave crisis was over, the entire city erupted.

The sound of firecrackers rose and fell, echoing through the sky.

People poured into the streets, hugging each other and cheering in celebration.

This meant the people of Yongdeng City could finally be free from the threat of the Evil Spirits and live in peace.

In an ordinary residential complex, a couple was also caught up in the joyous mood.

They sat on their sofa, watching the handsome figure of Xiao Cangqing on the livestream, the woman’s eyes sparkling with admiration.

”That Chu He is such a disgusting guy, always boasting about himself.

If he hadn’t let us all down and disappointed us back then, he wouldn’t have ended up completely disgraced like he is today.

He even dared to say Xiao Cangqing couldn’t solve the Demon Cave problem. I bet he feels like an idiot now.”

The woman smiled, hugging her boyfriend’s arm and speaking in a sweet, coaxing tone.

”Don’t even mention that guy. It’s just bad luck.

Look, the reporters are definitely going to track him down for an interview because of his arrogant comments. Just wait and watch him make a fool of himself.”

The man said with a laugh.

The couple, immersed in their happy atmosphere, were completely unaware that the smell of riverbed silt and the chill of cold, foul water were beginning to silently permeate the room.

These ominous signs seemed to herald the silent approach of some unknown crisis...

[Five Chapters are done~ Thank you to all my dear readers for reading this book. I will update more often in the future to repay everyone. Thank you so, so much!!!]