I must say, places with lots of plants do have good air.
Early the next morning, Ning Xin got up and stood by the window, opening it wide. She took a deep breath, feeling incredibly refreshed both inside and out.
Nie Ran was still asleep. She went to the bathroom to freshen up, then headed to the kitchen. Skilfully, she opened the well cover and dropped the bucket down.
As the rope extended, the familiar sound of water hitting the bottom didn’t echo back.
She realized something was wrong and added more rope, but even when the rope reached its limit, the bucket still hadn’t reached the water surface.
What’s going on? Is the well dried up?
Ning Xin ran to the warehouse and found a bundle of long ropes, adding them to the existing one. She then dropped it down, letting out about seven or eight meters of rope in one go.
Thud—
Finally, the bucket hit the bottom, but the sound wasn’t the familiar one she expected. It sounded like… hitting the ground?
She leaned over the well, trying hard to make sense of it. Nie Ran came down from upstairs and saw the scene, hurriedly rushing over to grab her legs and pull her back.
“Sister, don’t do anything reckless! Come up quickly!”
Ning Xin was dragged quite a distance by him, getting covered in dust. Irritated, she said, “You’re the one being reckless! Let go!”
Nie Ran quickly released her, puzzled as he asked, “What were you doing just now?”
She got up and gestured towards the well, waving him over.
“Come and see this.”
He followed her and leaned over to look into the well, taking in a breath of cool air.
“The water in the well… it’s gone?”
Last night, it was still full when they were making dinner.
Where could all the water have gone overnight?
This was their only stable and reliable source of water, vital for their survival. This was no small matter.
The two of them pondered over every possible question, but still ended up feeling confused and helpless.
As the sun rose higher in the sky, they still hadn’t eaten.
Ning Xin lifted the empty bucket. “Let’s go out and take a look.”
With such lush vegetation around here, there should be rivers or streams, right?
Nie Ran nodded and grabbed a bucket as well. The two of them walked out of the madhouse.
Outside, it was still the forest, seemingly no different from yesterday.
However, as Ning Xin walked beneath the trees, she couldn’t shake off the feeling of being watched, which made her uncomfortable.
She stopped and looked around, but aside from trees, there was nothing else in sight. Nie Ran asked, “Sister, what’s wrong?”
“Have you felt…”
“Felt what?”
She couldn’t describe it and shook her head, continuing to walk forward.
They passed through the forest and arrived at the flower sea. The colourful wildflowers were still beautiful, but both of them were preoccupied with their thoughts and had no time to appreciate them.
After wandering through the flower bushes for two or three hours, their legs were sore, but they still hadn’t walked out.
They had to stop and rest for a while. Nie Ran couldn’t help but complain.
“This place is too big. Isn’t there anyone managing it?”
Ning Xin was also very sceptical. If it wasn’t man-made, how could the wildflowers coincidentally grow together like this?
After resting for a few minutes, they continued on their way.
This time, they walked for about an hour and finally emerged from the flower sea.
On the other side of the flower sea were forests and hills. Nie Ran immediately spotted something and exclaimed with joy, “There’s a riverbank over there!”
Ning Xin had grown up in the city and had the most contact with nature during her runs in the park. She had no understanding of these things and ran with the water bucket, panting.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. There’s a river in my father’s hunting ground, and the riverbank looks exactly like this.”
The two of them ran to the so-called riverbank. The soil indeed looked different from the surroundings, resembling the mud at the bottom of a pond and scattered with pebbles.
However, the mud was dry, and so were the stones. Cracks ran through the riverbed, and not a drop of water could be seen in the entire river.
They walked to the centre of the riverbed, and Ning Xin knelt down and used her hands to dig into the soil. She dug nearly half a meter deep, but the soil remained dry, layer upon layer of grey dust.
She looked up at the equally dry upstream, unable to understand how in such a lush environment with flourishing flowers, grass, and trees, not a drop of water could be found.
Seeing sweat beads forming on her forehead, Nie Ran used his body to shield her from the sun.
“Sister, let’s go back first. We still have drinks to drink, right?”
Due to the limited number of trips to the 21st century, Ning Xin had bought dozens of cases of drinks before. Coke, Sprite, milk tea, all kinds were available.
She bought them for indulgence, never expecting they would come in handy in this situation. If she had known, she would have bought mineral water instead. After all, rice cooked with cola wouldn’t taste good.
The sunlight was glaring, not suitable for staying outside for long.
The two of them regained their strength and turned back towards the madhouse.
In order to search for a water source, they deliberately took a different route back, but unfortunately, they still had no harvest even when they reached the doorstep.
The water bucket fell to the ground with a thud, and Ning Xin collapsed on the sofa, too exhausted to move.
Nie Ran brought bread and drinks from the warehouse and handed them to her to eat.
After eating and drinking their fill, she revived and ran to the edge of the well, trying to figure things out.
Could it be that when the world was switched, the well leaked and the water ran out?
That couldn’t be possible. This was an illusion, not the real world.
Nie Ran walked up to her and said, “If we really can’t find it, let’s go dig into the trees.”
“Dig into the trees?”
She had heard that in some trees in the desert, water sources could be stored in the trunks.
But this wasn’t a desert, did the trees here have such magical functions?
Nie Ran explained, “I’ve heard from the palace attendants before, whether or not you can dig a well in a place depends on the trees above. If the trees are tall, thick, and lush with green leaves, then there must be water underneath.”
It made sense to her, but with insufficient manpower and no tools, it would certainly be a strenuous task. They could only consider it as a last resort.
Without water for cooking, they relied on snacks to get through the day.
At night, they each fell asleep. Ning Xin lay in bed, looking at the bright full moon outside and the tree trunks thicker than her waist, feeling uneasy as if something had been overlooked.
As drowsiness overwhelmed her, she closed her eyes.
Outside, faint fireflies rose from the ground, absorbed by the flora and fauna, and the scene from the previous night repeated itself.
The branches of flowers and leaves of trees enveloped the small building tightly. A huge and ferocious field mouse, with its sharp claws sharper than knives, dug a hole in the blink of an eye and sneaked into the building.
The branches, flexible like snakes, slithered into the gaps of the window. Suddenly thickening, they distorted the aluminium alloy window frame and effortlessly removed the entire piece of glass, silently placing it on the ground.
The branches wandered into the room, exploring around, eventually stopping above Ning Xin’s body, as if they had grown a nose, lightly sniffing at her.
Ning Xin slept restlessly, tossing and turning.
The branches agilely avoided her movements, only approaching when she was still, aiming at the pulsating artery on her neck.
The tip narrowed to a sharp point, like a needle, swiftly piercing the skin.
Ning Xin whimpered in her dream, and it paused, waiting for her to adjust before starting to suck.
Blood oozed from the wound, dripping onto the blanket.
Ning Xin struggled in pain but couldn’t seem to wake up.
Her face turned pale, and the branches quickened their pace, continuously drawing fresh blood from her body.
Suddenly, the door was forcefully pushed open.
“Sister!”
The branches swiftly retreated, vanishing without a trace.
Nie Ran rushed in, leaning over the bed, shaking her awake.
Ning Xin groggily opened her eyes, seeing him and asked in confusion:
“Why did you come to me so late?”
“Sister, look!”
He pointed to her body, lighting a candle on the bedside.
Ning Xin looked down, and her light-coloured nightgown was stained black over a large area, as if ink had been spilled.
But upon closer inspection, it was not ink but deep, rich blood, the smell of which made her head spin.
She touched her neck, feeling a tiny round hole, the pain unbearable.
Blood continued to flow out, and Nie Ran grabbed a towel to stop it, intending to go downstairs to find the first aid kit.
Ning Xin grabbed his hand. “Don’t go!”
What on earth was happening? She had been sleeping peacefully, and suddenly there was blood everywhere.
With so much blood loss, she felt dizzy and almost collapsed.
Nie Ran held her, his peripheral vision catching sight of the glass on the floor.
“There must be something in the room. We can’t stay here. Let’s go downstairs, quickly!”
Ning Xin whispered against his chest, and Nie Ran nodded, lifting her horizontally and rushing downstairs.
The windows in the corridor had suffered the same fate, with all the glass removed.
There were huge footprints on the stairs, as if a beast had passed through here.
As they passed the warehouse, Nie Ran grabbed the first aid kit and was startled by the scene in the living room.
There was a large hole in the center of the floor, almost two meters in diameter, with soil piled around it, and faint bite marks could be seen around the edges.
Ning Xin held a candle in her hand, the only source of light in the room.
The moon had been obscured by dark clouds, enveloping everything in pitch darkness.
Both of them shivered, afraid to make a sound. Ning Xin gestured with her hand, guiding Nie Ran as he carried her into the bathroom.
With no windows in the bathroom, they immediately locked the door upon entering.
The space was small, but the candle illuminated every corner, providing some sense of safety.
Nie Ran laid her down on the floor and knelt beside her, opening the first aid kit and searching for something to stop the bleeding.
The towel was completely soaked with blood, and Ning Xin felt utterly weak, breaking out in a cold sweat.
“Did you see what those things were?”
“Shh, don’t talk.”
Nie Ran covered her mouth and removed the towel, sprinkling powdered medicine onto the wound. His hands trembled, making a mess.
“Sister, you can’t die…”
If she died, who would care about his existence in this unfamiliar world thousands of years later?
Nie Ran emptied the entire bottle of powdered medicine and bandaged her with gauze.
After finishing in a rush, he held her tightly, afraid that she might vanish if he wasn’t careful.
Ning Xin wasn’t worried.
The Ghost Emperor had mentioned last time that during her tenure, she wouldn’t age or die.
Though she didn’t know the specifics, it shouldn’t be so easy for her to die.
It’s just that she had lost too much blood. Her head felt heavy and her eyelids seemed to weigh a ton, constantly drooping.
“Nie Ran…”
She grasped his sleeve, her lips as pale as paper.
“Let’s talk.”
“Sure, what do you want to talk about?”
A few tears silently mixed with the blood on her neck.
“When you grow up, what kind of person do you want to become?”
“I want to be like Father, a wise ruler, ensuring the people’s peace and prosperity. I also want to find someone I love to be my queen. I don’t want too many children, just one. I’ll give them all my love…”
Strange sounds could be heard outside, and the bathroom door shook, as if something wanted to come in.
In Nie Ran’s deep voice, the sky gradually brightened.
Light seeped in through the crack in the door, and outside fell silent.
Nie Ran carefully laid Ning Xin down and pressed his ear against the door, confirming that there was no movement before opening the bathroom door.
The small building was empty, bathed in the bright sunlight that illuminated every corner, including the large hole in the living room and the removed glass.
He looked at these things, feeling uneasy.
Ning Xin slowly leaned against the wall and said weakly, “See what’s missing.”
Her complexion was terrible, and Nie Ran was worried she might fall, so he hurried over to support her.
Ning Xin shook her head, insisting that he check first. He followed her orders and inspected both upstairs and downstairs.
Their bedroom was fine, with no signs of damage except for the windows.
However, the small storage room on the first floor, which doubled as a storage room since no one lived on the second floor, was in a mess.
He tried to figure out what was missing and finally realized that… it seemed like everything containing water was gone.
Drinks, canned goods, jelly, even mouthwash and alcohol, not a drop was left, only empty boxes and cans remained.
After standing in the warehouse for a while, Nie Ran suddenly remembered something and ran to the kitchen.
Sure enough, soy sauce and cooking wine were gone, while vinegar remained, which probably didn’t suit “them.”
He reported all his findings to Ning Xin, who wanted to focus and think but was too weak, her head buzzing.
“Go, help me get some chocolate.”
Nie Ran hurriedly ran into the warehouse and brought all the chocolate to her.
Ning Xin ate three large pieces of chocolate in a row, feeling her throat tightening from the richness, but the ample energy dissolved in her stomach, spreading into her bloodstream, rushing into her limbs and brain, slowly restoring her strength.
“I’m so thirsty…”
She held the chocolate, unable to swallow the remaining half in her throat.
Nie Ran wanted to find water for her to drink, but there was none left.
He searched around, finally stopping in front of her, looking at his wrist, an idea forming.
She had lost so much blood, and the saying goes “eat what you lack,” so…
Ning Xin glanced at his expression, vaguely guessing his thoughts, and shuddered.
“Don’t be impulsive, I’ve already swallowed it.”
“But you’re very weak, you need to replenish.”
“There’s plenty of food in the warehouse, enough to replenish my body. Let’s first figure out what came last night.”
Indeed, this was important. Nie Ran let go and helped her to the side of the large hole.
The hole was pitch black, deep and unfathomable.
There were several claw marks on the edge, but they were too large, bigger than Nie Ran’s foot, and the shapes were strange, making it impossible to discern what they were.
If she jumped down to take a look, perhaps she could find more clues.
But…
The hole looked too frightening. Ning Xin had barely survived the night and didn’t want to risk her life here, so she didn’t mention it. Instead, she went upstairs to check the windows.
Several windows had been removed, and while the glass was intact, the aluminium alloy frames were deformed, clearly squeezed by something.
“How did you realize something was wrong last night?” Ning Xin asked, turning her face aside.
Nie Ran replied truthfully, “I didn’t realize it, it was the Dawnbreaker.”
He pointed to the alarm clock on the bedside table. “It suddenly vibrated and emitted light, waking me up. I heard the noise and quickly came to wake you.”
“Did you see anything?”
He shook his head regretfully. “I didn’t see anything.”
Strong, swift, agile, and even capable of digging holes.
What kind of creature was this?
Considering this was an illusory realm of the Purgatory, perhaps it could be… a ghost?
Despite the bright sunlight, she shivered. From the corner of her eye, she noticed something under the curtain and bent down to pick it up.
Nie Ran was very worried. “Sister, if you want to show me something, just tell me. Don’t move.”
Seeing her current state, he was afraid a gust of wind might blow her away.
Ning Xin didn’t speak, focusing on the small object in her hand.
A leaf.
Green and fresh, obviously freshly detached from a branch. But why was it here?
She leaned out and looked outside. Although there were many trees outside, from this angle, the leaf couldn’t have fallen under the curtain.
Ning Xin traced the patterns on the leaf, and a bold guess came to her mind.
“Come, follow me, bring a knife.”
“Huh? What are we going to do? Isn’t it too dangerous outside?”
She didn’t answer, simply walked to a large tree outside the door, feeling the trunk, and instructed Nie Ran, “Cut it down.”
Nie Ran was still confused. “But we still need firewood, and we have no water to cook with.”
Ning Xin said, “Don’t hesitate! Hurry!”
He had to steady himself, take a deep breath, grip the knife handle tightly, and with a shout, swung it down.
The Dawnbreaker was extremely sharp. With just one swing, it cut the tree in half, a tree so large that two people could barely hug it.
He was amazed at his own strength and wanted to take another swing to completely cut it down.
However, just as he was about to draw the knife, a liquid sprayed out, like cutting through a water pipe, with a large and swift flow that drenched him from head to toe, causing him to sit on the ground.
Ning Xin stood aside, timely dodging the spray.
The liquid continued to jet out relentlessly, and she was worried it might be toxic. She dragged Nie Ran to a safe place and hastily took off her coat to wipe him clean.
“How are you feeling? Does it hurt?”
Nie Ran wiped the liquid off his face and managed to open his eyes, feeling it carefully before shaking his head.
“It’s different, just a bit… salty.”
“Salty?”
Ning Xin carefully examined the liquid. It was turbid with no impurities.
She leaned in to smell it, detecting a hint of blood and a hint of soy sauce???
Suddenly, she realized what it was and urged Nie Ran, “Quick, go inside and get a bucket.”
Nie Ran grabbed a bucket and ran outside, following Ning Xin’s instructions to place it under the flow of liquid.
Soon, the first bucket was filled, and they brought out a second one. By the time it was half full, the flow of water gradually weakened until it disappeared.
The smell of blood in the air was strong, and the tree, cut in half at the waist, seemed to wither and shrink rapidly within a few minutes, its leaves falling to the ground.
Ning Xin scooped up a handful of water from the bucket and looked at it for a moment before tilting her head back and drinking it.
Nie Ran was startled. “Sister, how can you drink that? The water is so dirty!”
Ning Xin waved her hand and remained silent for a while before speaking.
“Just as I thought.”
“What do you mean?”
“The water from the well, my blood, and those drinks, canned food, they’ve all been consumed by them.”
She looked at the trees, their leaves rustling in the wind, appearing beautiful and serene.
But once night fell, these plants would transform into hungry beasts, searching everywhere for their source of life — water.
The dried-up river was probably their doing as well.
Nie Ran couldn’t believe it, holding the bucket and looking at it again and again.
Ning Xin took a few more sips, despite the unpleasant taste, feeling much better as the water flowed into her stomach.
“Let’s go, let’s get a few more buckets and see what’s ahead.”
Nie Ran carried the buckets while supporting her.
The two of them walked out of the forest and into the sea of flowers.
Ning Xin gritted her teeth and pulled out a wildflower. The above-ground part looked no different from normal plants, but the roots underground were as thick as water tanks, so heavy that she couldn’t lift them.
With Nie Ran’s help, she pierced the skin and let the liquid flow into the buckets.
These liquids were clearer than before, almost pure water, tasting exactly like water.
The two of them quickly filled the buckets. Suddenly, Ning Xin raised her head, furrowing her brow as she looked at the distant mountains.
Nie Ran asked, “What’s wrong?”
“Do you see anything over there?”
He looked for a while and shook his head.
“I don’t see anything.”
Ning Xin had clearly seen something squatting there just now, but the distance was too far, and she wasn’t sure if she was seeing things.
Who was imprisoned in this world?
Were these plants under their control?
She currently lacked the ability to investigate thoroughly. She worked with Nie Ran to bring the water back home, cooked a meal, then used the remaining water to wash away the bloodstains from her body and change into clean clothes.
Standing in front of the mirror, Ning Xin tore open the gauze on her neck and gently wiped it with a damp towel.
The wound gradually became visible, small, no more than a centimetre in diameter.
But it was deep, piercing through all the soft tissue, causing pain with the slightest movement.
The surrounding flesh was as pale as dead flesh. She didn’t know how long it would take to heal.
She sighed, rewrapped the gauze, and walked to the living room.
Nie Ran was washing dishes, and she said, “Stop washing. Let’s get ready.”
With two living people staying here, and the water they needed, they would definitely come back tonight.
Who knew what dangers they would face then.
The bedroom was not a place to stay. The bathroom was the safest, but it needed reinforcement.
They first filled the large hole in the living room, using leftover cement and sand from the last renovation, mixing it evenly and pouring it in to seal it completely.
Then they dismantled a bed and reinforced the bathroom from inside and out, especially the door, nailing several wooden boards on it, leaving no gaps.
Closing the door, the two of them stood inside and felt it out.
Ning Xin worried that the air wouldn’t circulate, and they would suffocate to death.
But thinking about last night’s experience, suffocation was better than being sucked dry. So, she patted Nie Ran’s shoulder.
“Alright, tonight we’ll sleep here. Go get the blankets and pillows.”
Nie Ran complied, looking quite troubled.
Ning Xin had lost a lot of blood and had been busy all day. She was very tired and fell asleep in the bathroom.
As the sky darkened, Nie Ran nudged her shoulder.
“Sister, I’ll go upstairs and change clothes.”
She rubbed her eyes sleepily. “Why change clothes at a time like this?”
He didn’t explain, just walked out of the bathroom. Soon he returned, wearing a new set of clothes and carrying Dawnbreaker, along with plenty of snacks.
He double-locked the front door and then locked the bathroom door as well.
The two of them squeezed into the cramped space, knees touching knees, shoulders pressing against each other.
“Your feet are really big. I almost couldn’t find shoes that fit me.”
Ning Xin compared her feet to his, the difference was astonishing.
Nie Ran seemed tired, leaning against her shoulder and closing his eyes to rest.
Ning Xin felt nervous and bored, so she silently opened a bag of chips and started eating.
As night fell, they heard rustling outside the door.
She tensed every nerve, afraid to breathe too loudly.
The person resting on her shoulder opened his eyes and lifted his head, coincidentally meeting her gaze as she turned.
In the darkness, the two of them unexpectedly kissed.
Ning Xin said, “Um… unexpected, unexpected.”
“Where are we?”
Hearing his tone, her whole body tensed, as if she were back to the days when she was pinned down on the bed and unable to resist.
“I want to go out.”
Nie Ran stood up with Dawnbreaker in hand, ready to open the door. Ning Xin didn’t have time to deal with old grudges. She grabbed his hand and quietly explained the current situation.
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