Chapter 28: The Second Trial

"Ready, children?"
"Yes, Captain!"
"I can't hear you!"
"Yes, Captain!"
"Oh~"
"Who lives in a pineapple under the sea~" Qin Xi pointed to the sky. "Let's set sail!"
Bu Weiwei whispered to Jiang Baiqiu, "What kind of madness is this? Why are we calling him Captain?"
"He said it's something like SpongeBob..." Jiang Baiqiu scratched her chin, also failing to understand.
A-Ling suddenly spoke up, "It might be some kind of ritual for coastal residents before they head out to sea. It seems the people living by the coast respect the captain above all else. Even some highly respected village heads like to be addressed as Captain."
"...That’s possible." Bu Weiwei nodded. Although it was strange, it was a plausible explanation.
"A-Ling, you’re so knowledgeable, knowing things that even the most learned Lady Jiang Baiqiu doesn't." Jiang Baiqiu looked at A-Ling with admiration.
A-Ling felt a bit embarrassed. "I just read quite a lot..."
"Ahem, what are you whispering about?" Qin Xi unfurled a scroll. "If you're ready, let’s go!"
"Yes! Captain!"
The four of them simultaneously pressed their hands onto the scroll.
A faint light shimmered on the surface. Moments later, the four felt the world spin, as if they were inside a tunnel, with bizarre and surreal images flashing before their eyes.
In just a heartbeat, the scene shifted from the inn's interior to a pitch-black location.
Even though it was midday, there was no sunlight here, only a dim, murky glow coming from an unknown source.
The trees were tall and dense, weaving together into an almost opaque barrier. Branches reached toward the sky like skeletal claws, and the occasional rustling sound drifted through the leaves. The trunks were covered in thick moss, appearing damp and slick in the dim light.
Between the trees, a few thatched huts were vaguely visible. Their windows emitted a faint shimmer, which seemed to be the source of the dim light in the area.
Everything about this scene was chilling, and the four of them instinctively huddled together.
"What’s going on? Isn't this the second stage?" Bu Weiwei looked around, taking deep breaths. "Is, is this really it?"
Although Qin Xi looked composed, he felt a bit of dread inside. "It was transmitted by the scroll; there shouldn't be a mistake."
A-Ling didn't speak, but she quietly shifted the stone tablet on her back to her front, striking a pose ready to swing it at anyone.
"Should I divine our fortune?" Bu Weiwei took out some copper coins. In the current environment, only her proudest skill could bring her peace of mind.
"Forget it. If you divine another 'Great Fortune,' I’ll just give up on the spot." Qin Xi stopped her. "If we don't divine, everything is still possible. But once you do, the result is set, and that defeats our subjective initiative."
Bu Weiwei thought his reasoning sounded fair, so she silently put the coins away.
"By the way, doesn't your School of Arts have anything for warding off evil?"
"The School of Arts only deals with divination and destiny; warding off evil is the business of the Taoist and Buddhist sects."
Seeing that Bu Weiwei was unreliable, Qin Xi turned his gaze to A-Ling and found that she was much bolder—at least she wasn't trembling like Bu Weiwei.
Of course, the most unflappable one was Jiang Baiqiu.
Qin Xi asked, "Aren't you afraid?"
"Me? My righteous energy is the nemesis of ghosts and monsters. Whatever demons or ghouls appear before me will only be scorched into nothingness!" Jiang Baiqiu crossed her arms, looking very confident.
"Then you take the lead."
"Huh?"
However, Jiang Baiqiu wasn't just boasting; she truly wasn't afraid, so she simply walked to the front of the group.
The four walked all the way to the thatched hut in the eerie woods.
Aside from the chilling environment, it was just a very ordinary thatched hut.
But Qin Xi was afraid there might be someone inside...
And he was even more afraid that what was inside wasn't a person.
Just then, the scrolls carried by the four began to glow.
Qin Xi unfolded it and finally saw the completion criteria for the second stage.
"The second stage is a challenge created by the cooperation of our Daqian Sect and the Soul-Refining Sect. The conditions are simple: follow the path in the woods to the very end and walk out of this forest to pass."
"It looks like... as long as we have the courage, we can pass?" Bu Weiwei analyzed. "Is the Daqian Sect testing our nerve?"
"..." Qin Xi's expression, however, suddenly turned serious.
"I don't think so."
"Oh? Then what do you think this stage is testing?"
"In the first stage, our enemies were at the Foundation Establishment level. While not extremely difficult, passing required high intelligence. If the second stage only requires us to charge to the end like reckless brutes, wouldn't that contradict the philosophy of the first stage?"
"Would the Daqian Sect allow contradictory elements in their trials?"
Qin Xi's words made everyone present, except for Jiang Baiqiu, fall into deep thought.
It was true; the goal of the first stage was to work together to defeat a Foundation Establishment expert, which was quite difficult. If the second stage only tested courage, it would be quite disappointing.
"So, you think the second stage is testing..." Bu Weiwei asked.
"I think the second stage is also testing intelligence!"
Having said that, Qin Xi smiled and gave Jiang Baiqiu a nudge on the back. "Hey, could you help us check if there’s anyone inside?"
"You talk with such bravado, why are you such a coward when it comes to action?"
"I'm afraid of ghosts," Qin Xi said righteously.
"But the ghosts haven't harmed you in the slightest."
"...Where did you learn that?"
Jiang Baiqiu finally listened to Qin Xi and swaggered toward the small hut.
But before she could step within ten meters of the hut, all four of them heard the crying of a child!
"Wuwuwu..."
The sound made the hair on the arms of the three others stand up, and cold sweat broke out on their skin!
"Damn it, whose kid is that?" Qin Xi struck a pose like a demon-slayer. "Stop being sneaky! If you have the guts, come out!"
"You asked for it."
The child suddenly stopped crying. Immediately after, a chill crept up Qin Xi’s spine, as if someone were climbing up his back.
It actually came out!
Just as Qin Xi was so terrified he was about to scream, his body automatically radiated a brilliant light!
"Con, Confucian cultivator? Arghhhhh!!!"
It wasn't Qin Xi who shouted, but the child's voice.
"Ahhh, the righteous energy! Argh!!!"
Only then did Qin Xi dare to look back, finding a little boy rolling on the ground, black smoke rising from his body.
The righteous energy that had automatically erupted from Qin Xi's body when he felt threatened had scorched the boy until he was semi-transparent.
His soul was fading.
"Ah..."
The four looked at each other. The situation was now a bit unclear.
Reasonably speaking, they should be afraid.
But the sight of the little ghost rolling on the ground was actually... somewhat comical.
Seeing this, Jiang Baiqiu condensed righteous energy in her palm, preparing to send the little ghost to the afterlife with one strike.
Just as she was about to act, a sharp shout rang out.
"Stop! Do you want to kill the examiner?"