Tang San turned at the sound, and saw a hunched-over man in a black robe wearing a familiar ape mask. Even without seeing his face beneath the mask, Tang San could discern displeasure from his voice.
They, or rather, *they*, seemed eager to kick him out. But why?
Tang San’s peripheral vision fell to the water mirror below. His eyes darkened, and he glared at them warily, his voice hoarse, "What did you do to Suisui?"
"What did we do? What else could we do? It's you, kid, if you keep staying here, you'll get contaminated," the black-robed man sneered at Tang San's defiant demeanor.
Contaminated?
Tang San froze. Before he could comprehend, the man in the red and white robes spoke with elegance, "Ah, but I'd rather see what he looks like after being contaminated. After all, I just injected power into him. It should be spreading now, right?"
"What?!" Tang San's pupils contracted sharply. The black-robed man clicked his tongue and looked displeased in the direction of the red and white-robed man, "You're making unilateral decisions again."
"I just wanted him to experience it too... that's all." The middle part of the man's speech was deliberately slurred, so much so that Tang San couldn't make out the words, as his consciousness began to blur again.
Suisui...
"Splash!"
The icy, suffocating seawater once again soaked his body, engulfing his head.
The slightly blurred voices of the two men drifted from above.
"Why did you throw him in again?"
The man seemed somewhat displeased, and another hoarse voice sneered, "Since you already made the first move, why wait for it to ferment? Wouldn't it be better to just let him be contaminated directly?"
"Even so... well... I wasn't the one who made the first move, you know."
The voices of the two men gradually faded, and silence returned to his ears.
His spirit, how could it have a consciousness of its own?!
The pressure of the seawater made it incredibly difficult for Tang San to even open his eyes, let alone move his arms to save himself.
But...
'External spirit bones are extremely rare and possess immense power. Little San, you must remember, this is your life-saving skill. Do not reveal it lightly unless in dire peril!'
The Master's voice echoed in his mind. Tang San's closed eyelids twitched. Beneath his smooth back, eight visible bulges formed, wriggling beneath his skin as if alive.
"Hoo—!"
Tang San opened his eyes, which shimmered with purple-gold light, in the extremely high-pressure seawater. Behind him, the eight-spider spirit bones extended, and the oppressive force that had been bearing down on Tang San vanished instantly, leaving only the surging, turbulent water to relentlessly batter his body.
Suisui!
With his eight-spider spirit bones deployed, Tang San did not ascend but instead chose to descend rapidly.
"Buzz buzz—"
As if sensing Tang San's intentions, the darkness submerged in the abyssal depths could no longer remain dormant.
In the deeper parts of the sea, an even more profound, pitch-black color coalesced into the shape of pairs of hands, desperately reaching out towards the white figure slumbering in the dark sea.
"Suisui, wake up quickly!"
Tang San opened his mouth, and streaks of black blood mixed with bubbling seawater dispersed into the murky depths.
Finally reaching his sister, Tang San firmly grasped Tang Sui's wrist and engaged in a tug-of-war with the countless hands below.
However, he was ultimately defeated by the sheer numbers and the terrain. Enduring the repulsive force directed at him, he was dragged into the abyssal depths along with Tang Sui.
'Let go, you are destined to fail to save her.'
Overlapping voices echoed in his ears, as if bewitching him.
Tang San bit his tongue. His black eyes, streaked with blood, flashed with a frenzied crimson hue. He struggled to maintain his consciousness, refusing to be swayed by the voices, and clung tightly to Tang Sui's slender wrist, unwilling to let go even if it meant being torn apart.
Not letting go!
He would absolutely not let go!
The only way he would let go was if he died!
As if sensing Tang San's resolve, the murmuring voices surrounding him vanished. The repulsive force from the abyssal depths intensified, but Tang San gritted his teeth, his eight-spider spirit bones behind him frantically churning the water as he swam, his hands tightly gripping his sister's, refusing to release her.
Tang San, with his eyes tightly shut in a desperate gamble, did not notice that Tang Sui's closed eyelids trembled upwards, not from the currents, but spontaneously, showing signs of awakening.
Brother...
A drop of blood-red tear welled from the corner of her eye and, carried by the violent currents, landed directly on Tang San's eyelid, bringing a burning heat that contrasted with the cold.
What is this?
Tang San struggled to open his eyes, only to meet another pair of eyes slowly opening.
Black-red light flickered in their depths. Tang Sui parted her lips and formed a word—
'Brother—'
Tang San's mind went blank as he met Tang Sui's gaze. In the next moment, his eyes seemed to catch the infection, blooming with a touch of black-red, and the repulsive force directed at him began to diminish.
Suisui...
"Will you also abandon me, like fate?" Tang Sui's voice, tinged with a hint of a sob, reached Tang San's ears, perfectly clear.
Tang San, in a daze, released Tang Sui's hand. However, the currents no longer pushed him away but instead began to circle around them, guiding Tang San's hand to rest atop Tang Sui's hair.
"No matter when, I will never abandon you..."
Because he had said he would protect his sister.
Unless he died.
"Buzz—"
In the depths of the unseen, the gaze that had been locked onto Tang Sui seemed to have weakened slightly.
—Author's Note—
Heavenly Dao: Eye contact confirmed, he's clearly favoring someone else.
Answer Revealed: The first to be devoured was one of the elders of the Spirit Hall. Qian Xunji's death was indeed orchestrated by Bibi Dong.
Note: After being devoured by the mask, the will belongs to the mask, while the appearance and personality are shaped by the devoured human. The previously devoured person is dead but not entirely, this is a foreshadowing, no spoilers for now~
See you tonight~