Surviving the Ancient Angst Novel [Transmigration] - Chapter 6

Qiao Kaiheng seemed to snap back to reality. He raised his hand to wipe the tears from his eyes and roared, “Stop! You animals!”

The two “Green Jade” youths wielding knives remained unmoved. They pried open the jaws of two small children, preparing to strike.

Gritting his teeth, Qiao Kaiheng lunged forward. He slammed into the two men with sheer force and spread his arms wide, protecting the fragile young lives behind him like an old hen guarding her eggs.

The expressions of the two youths darkened. They raised their blades, preparing to stab him.

“Wait.” A feminine, effeminate voice rang out abruptly.

The two youths froze as if someone had hit a pause button. Their hands remained suspended high in mid-air for a few seconds before they quickly lowered their weapons and retreated to the side.

“Heh, animals,” Helian Mingcai chuckled, only to be seized by a fit of uncontrollable coughing. His cheeks were pale, and the white handkerchief in his hand was soon stained with bright red blood.

Yet, he seemed accustomed to it. He casually tossed the soiled silk to an attendant and took a fresh one from another. “Do you want to see what a real animal looks like?”

The words were laced with such malice that Qiao Kaiheng couldn’t help but shudder violently.

Instinctively, Qiao Kaiheng took a half-step back, but the thought of the children behind him forced him to root himself firmly to the spot.

From behind his mask, Helian Mingcai’s eyes locked onto him like a venomous snake crawling out of a gutter. His thin lips curled upward into a grotesque smile.

He patted the head of the giant hound beneath him and spoke in the gentle tone one might use to coax a child. “Chunguan, you’re tired, aren’t you? How about a full meal as a reward?”

A low growl vibrated in the beast’s throat. It licked its sharp fangs and slowly stood up.

Qiao Kaiheng’s face turned deathly pale. He couldn’t help but take another step back.

His heel stepped on a child’s hem. The child opened his mouth in terror, wanting to wail, but for some reason, the cry caught in his throat. Shaking, the boy closed his mouth, used his small hands to pull his clothes free, and crawled further away on the ground.

No one noticed him; every eye on the scene was fixed on the unfortunate “hero,” Qiao Kaiheng.

Seeing this, the other child followed suit, crawling until they both exited the perimeter of the crowd. Only then did the two children huddle together, sobbing softly in relief at their narrow escape.

Meanwhile, as the initial rush of adrenaline faded and his mind cleared, Qiao Kaiheng began to feel the weight of regret. He didn’t want to die.

He still had ties to this world—his mother, Yue’er… they were all waiting for him to come home.

However, though his lips trembled, he could not bring himself to beg for mercy. His ridiculous pride wouldn’t allow him to bow his head to a beast like Helian Mingcai.

Thus, he looked toward Bai Mo and the others with a silent plea for help.

All he received in return was their helpless retreat.

The light in Qiao Kaiheng’s eyes instantly extinguished.

“Cough, cough.” Helian Mingcai coughed again. He dismounted from the giant hound and called out a name: “Kong Xi.”

A figure slowly emerged from behind an ancient tree.

Qiao Kaiheng hadn’t realized someone else was hiding there. He followed the crowd’s gaze and froze upon seeing the newcomer’s face.

It wasn’t that the person was exceptionally beautiful though he was, but rather that he was incredibly unique. Long, silky white hair flowed down his back; his skin was white, his eyebrows were white, and even his eyelashes were as white as snow.

The only contrast was his eyes a deep, ruby red, like mellow wine in a glowing goblet. One could almost feel intoxicated by looking at them for too long.

Kong Xi revealed himself to the night air, his expression indifferent.

Beside his cheek sat a distinctive, tiny black mole. He looked neither sad nor happy, appearing as cold and ethereal as frost under the moonlight.

Is this a snow demon? Qiao Kaiheng wondered. Unintentionally, his gaze met the man’s eyes.

For a fleeting second, Qiao Kaiheng saw a flash of pity. It vanished so quickly he thought he had imagined it.

Kong Xi walked slowly to Helian Mingcai’s side. He appeared to be about eighteen years old, standing half a head taller than Helian Mingcai. A piece of green jade hung from his waist, indicating his status was lower than the other’s.

He kept his eyelids lowered, the picture of perfect obedience.

Helian Mingcai wiped the bloody froth from the corner of his mouth and said softly, “Aside from me, Chunguan only listens to you. Lead him over there. You know what to do.”

Kong Xi responded with a submissive nod. He took the leash and walked toward Qiao Kaiheng.

No matter how slow-witted he might be, Qiao Kaiheng realized that whatever came next would be horrific. He backed away a few steps, then suddenly bolted toward a gap between two attendants, attempting to break through the encirclement.

But for a country boy with no martial arts training, escape was a fantasy.

Within seconds, four Green Jade attendants seized his limbs and pinned him to the ground.

Then, the giant hound’s head appeared directly over his face. The dog opened its mouth and let out a wide yawn.

The pungent, wild stench of the beast filled his nostrils. He was completely overshadowed by Chunguan, as vulnerable as a lamb led to the slaughter.

Qiao Kaiheng stared into the beast’s eyes, trembling uncontrollably, terrified of what was to come.

Suddenly, the hound opened its jaws and bit down hard on his shoulder.

“AAAAAAAGH!!!!” Qiao Kaiheng let out a harrowing scream.

The hound tore away a piece of flesh and began to chew.

Qiao Kaiheng’s body convulsed, his head covered in cold sweat. He turned his head, eyes nearly bursting from their sockets as he glared at Helian Mingcai. A level of pain he had never known shattered his sanity. “You animal! You’ll die a thousand deaths!!!”

The next second, his voice was muffled by a strip of cloth stuffed into his mouth by an attendant.

Qiao Kaiheng struggled desperately, but the giant dog pinned him down so firmly he couldn’t move an inch.

Just then, a hand descended from above, covering his eyes. It carried the faint, sweet scent of osmanthus flowers, which, like a wisp of smoke, instantly swept away all his pain and terror.

His body went limp, as if his bones had been removed.

“Don’t be afraid. I won’t let you die.” The person’s other hand brushed against Qiao Kaiheng’s sallow cheek, stroking it gently in a gesture that felt like both comfort and pity.

Kong Xi… Kong Xi…

Qiao Kaiheng repeated the name desperately in his mind, as if it were the last straw he could clutch to save his life.

A hot tear escaped from beneath the hand covering his eyes.

It was quickly and gently wiped away by Kong Xi’s finger.

I couldn’t take it anymore.

With a loud thud, I swept the book into a corner and crouched on the floor, clutching my forehead to stifle the discomfort. “Is this author even human? Why torture your own protagonist like this?”

【Cough, cough, cough.】 The system sounded like it was choking on something.

I lowered my hands and rested them on my legs, stinging the system with a mocking tone: ‘What, have you picked up that lung-eroded bastard Helian Mingcai’s habit?’ I was in a foul mood, so I didn’t bother being polite.

【Yin Chen, please calm down. The priority right now is to gather as much information as possible, otherwise…】 It didn’t finish the sentence, but the implication was clear.

I took a deep breath, feeling a knot of frustration in my chest. 【Why don’t you turn into a human so I can punch you once to vent?】 Back in the modern world, I had a perfectly fine “9-9-6” job and a stable routine. It was this damn system that dragged me into this garbage world of “misery-porn” novels.

The system stammered: 【…The human transformation feature will be available after a future upgrade. For now, I’m still at the primary level… I can’t transform…】

My face darkened, and I went silent.

The system suggested weakly: 【How about… looking at the book Root of Depravity?】

I narrowed my eyes, opened the book, and glanced at it great, the protagonist was Kong Xi, the guy who helped the villain.

I didn’t have the heart to read the details now, so I swept that one into the corner pile as well.

The system dutifully picked the books up and returned them to the shelf.

I checked the system time. It was 10:55 PM, which meant there were only five minutes left until the “Hour of the Rat” mentioned by the middle-aged man.

If he wasn’t lying, I just had to wait here for the “Guide” to pass the trial, receive the White Jade, and become an official disciple.

To be honest, I didn’t really want the White Jade. What I wanted was to get out—to leave this den of iniquity called the Eastern Wasteland Sect and run as far away as possible…

【Yin Chen, someone is coming!】

I immediately leapt into the nearby bushes, crouching down and holding my breath.

Footsteps approached. A familiar face appeared in my field of vision.

Mei Renteng?

His long hair was loose, and he was dressed in white robes, carrying a glass lantern as he wandered through the woods like a ghost.

He’s the Guide?

But it wasn’t the Hour of the Rat yet which corresponds to 11:00 PM (23:00) in modern time.

I looked at the 10:58 PM on the system panel, then back at him, unsure if I should show myself.

However, Mei Renteng was incredibly eerie. Even though he was about to pass my hiding spot, he stopped in his tracks, turned around, and peeled back the bushes. He greeted me with a smile: “Little Chen, we meet again~”

That intimate nickname made my skin crawl.

“Yes, we meet again.” I forced a stiff smile and stood up, looking down at him and the faint, ambiguous marks peeking out from his half-open collar.

They were so prominent it was impossible to ignore.

Mei Renteng smiled, reached out, and pulled his collar open even wider, brazenly showing me the hickey-covered expanse of his chest.

Embarrassed, I let out a light cough and shifted my gaze.

“Is Little Chen waiting for the Guide?” Mei Renteng closed his robes, smiling as if completely unaffected.

I looked back at him. “Yes.”

Mei Renteng fished a scroll out of his sleeve and opened it. Written in bold, wild calligraphy were three large characters: THE GUIDE.

Me: “…”

It still wasn’t 11:00 PM. I looked at the system displaying 10:59, debating whether I should be pedantic about this one minute.

Then again, this was a fictional ancient world created by a modern author. Being a bit literal shouldn’t hurt… right?

Seeing the blatant skepticism in my eyes, Mei Renteng didn’t give up. He reached into his sleeve again and pulled out a piece of white jade engraved with the words: The Guide.

Me: …

Mei Renteng looked at me, then yanked a sachet from his belt. He opened it to reveal a leaf inside, upon which was carved the words: The Guide.

Me: ???

Mei Renteng still wouldn’t quit. He leaned down and pulled a slip of paper from the bottom of his shoe. On the paper, written in gold powder, were the words: The Guide.

Me: !!!

“Did you… make all of these yourself?” I asked hesitantly.

“I did,” Mei Renteng answered quite frankly.

I felt like spitting blood. The guy actually admitted it.

Fine. Following him was probably better than running into some other dangerous, unknown character.

I pursed my lips, silently took the pile of “credentials” from his hands, and stuffed them into my robes. “Then… shall we go?”