Chapter 298: An Acquaintance
None of them wanted to beg for mercy.
Because the one in question was Jiang Che—just by looking at his territory, it was clear he didn’t care about how humans lived. Now, his land was the broadest, and his living area the most spacious.
But Leng Feng’s side was packed with people, while here it was still so roomy.
His entire territory was built for his wife; these landscapes weren’t meant for humankind to enjoy.
They knew Jiang Che and Xiong Jie’s intentions: this round, someone had to be sent away, it had to be made clear that no one could offend the Lord of Dungeon 9 in his territory.
A warning must be given, and someone had to play the chicken in "kill the chicken to warn the monkey."
"Mom, we’re not staying there—you know what’s over there? Evil spirits! The Lord! Sooner or later, everyone will die there!" someone said through gritted teeth.
As soon as he spoke, the bus screeched to a halt.
The sound of the brakes in the silence was especially piercing, like a razor slicing through the already tense atmosphere.
The speaker’s face was riddled with terror—he figured Xiong Jie was coming for him, but he soon realized the bus was dead silent, everyone staring in horror out the window.
Outside, in the Dark Forest, a monstrous being made entirely of tentacles blocked their path.
The creature seemed like a demon ripped straight from a nightmare, sending chills down their spines.
It looked like an enormous squid, with countless thick, slimy tentacles unfurling from its body, gripping and entwining the trees and branches of the Dark Forest, as if it was poised to seize control of the entire woods.
Those tentacles were slick with mucus, gleaming ominously in the faint light.
And its huge, revolting head was even more terrifying—it was covered in countless clustered eyes.
The eyes came in all sizes and shapes.
Every one of them emitted an icy, bone-chilling light, as if peering into the souls within the bus, ready at any moment to drag them into a bottomless abyss of darkness.
Xiong Jie took a deep breath, trying to steady the chaos in his heart.
His mental endurance was much higher now, thanks to the long hardships and challenges he’d survived with Jiang Che and Ding Ning.
He’d noticed that after spending so much time with Jiang Che and Ding Ning, his mindset had shifted drastically.
Now, faced with such horror, he didn’t feel so scared—instead, he could confront the situation calmly.
The old dread that used to paralyze his thoughts was fading, replaced by composure and decisiveness.
He immediately clutched the revival item Ding Ning had given him tightly in his hand.
That item seemed like his only lifeline now.
His fingers turned pale from gripping it so hard, but his gaze stayed steady on the monster outside the window.
He knew the passage was open, but never expected that the moment they arrived, disaster would strike so directly.
And this wasn’t just any evil spirit—this was definitely a Lord!
He remembered Ding Ning mentioning that the evil spirits hadn’t emerged en masse yet; even low-level ones couldn’t enter the Dark Forest. Now it was the Lords leading the charge to carve out territory—their minions would follow later.
Heh, Dark Bus? Human beings?" The voice that came from outside was razor-sharp, like dozens of blades scraping glass, shrill enough to make their scalps tingle.
The clustered eyes all focused on the bus, each one glowing eerily, as if able to pierce through the windows.
With so many eyes fixed on them, fear swept through the bus like a tangible, black fog, suffocating everyone inside.
Their breathing slowed almost to a stop—their hearts crushed, as if a huge invisible hand squeezed them so tight they could no longer beat.
The same person who’d just claimed the Lord would kill anyone in Jiang Che’s territory now stared at the monstrous creature, his eyes rolling white. His body shook uncontrollably, lips quivering, unable to utter a single coherent word.
His boldness to rail against Jiang Che for driving him away, to insist Ding Ning would kill them—
was all because when Ding Ning appeared, she looked so ordinary.
She appeared like any other girl—clinging to Jiang Che’s side, showing not the slightest trace of threat.
Her features were delicate, her gaze gentle; she did not emanate any powerful aura, nor did she possess the sort of awe-inspiring dominance that made people shrink away.
That’s why he dared to spew all those audacious words, convinced that in Jiang Che’s territory, he’d suffered a tremendous injustice.
And because of that, deep down he believed that even the Evil Spirit Lord wouldn’t be that bad.
Only now did he realize—in moments of sheer terror, humans become speechless.
Just like now, he couldn’t utter a single syllable.
Any anthropomorphic monster can inspire fear, but if it’s too human, that terror isn’t so overwhelming.
Already, there were people fainting in the bus; others looked paler than paper, cold sweat pouring off them like rain.
But Xiong Jie still held the item that could save his life—and once used, he’d revive back in the territory. Even if his condition would worsen, that was trivial compared to survival.
"Heh? An acquaintance, huh?" The monster looked at the mirror in Xiong Jie’s hand with a grotesque hint of amusement.
Its voice boomed like muffled thunder, rattling their minds until their heads buzzed.
Hundreds of eyes all converged on the mirror.
Ding Ning’s aura lingered there.
Ding Ning’s aura lingered there. The monster snorted coldly, and the clustered eyes dispersed once more.
The eyes, like countless lanterns, instantly extinguished; they stopped casting their chilling light.
No longer under the scrutiny of so many eyes, Xiong Jie felt his burden ease sharply—breathing finally came easier.
"Acquaintance?" He blinked in confusion—he was hardly familiar with this Lord.
His mind was full of doubts, brain racing to untangle what was happening.
"Since you’re an acquaintance, you may leave." For now, the Lord had no desire to spark further conflict.
Having spoken, its gigantic mountain-like body shifted slowly, melting back into the depths of the forest.
The enormous form faded into the woods, as if it had never been there.
Xiong Jie took a deep breath, staring at the item in his hand—he’d thought survival meant resurrection.
But he hadn’t expected that merely being shown favor would save his life too! So, earning someone’s goodwill could be lifesaving!
"I-It... it’s gone?" After a long while, a tiny voice spoke up inside the bus.
Even though the monstrous shape was out of sight, none dared to speak loudly.
"Probably gave the Lord of 9 some face—spared us," Xiong Jie murmured softly.
After his words, no one else spoke; the driver had already fainted, but after a long wait, he finally woke again.
And with so much time passed and the monster not reappearing, everyone was convinced—it truly wasn’t going to kill them.
So, does staying in the territory mean the Evil Spirit Lord won’t kill you?
Recalling the words of that man, everyone drew a deep breath.
Maybe at home, you won’t die—but go outside, and you’re dead for sure!