Chapter Seventeen: Like Sea, Also Like Mirror

“Is it really here?”

“Yes, it is indeed here. It seems this matter is not simple.”

The two figures stood in a desolate, rocky landscape. One wore a tattered bamboo hat, obscuring his face, while the other was a middle-aged scholar with a stern expression. The scholar held a compass that was spinning wildly, occasionally letting out a strange humming sound.

“Master’s divination has never been wrong. The treasure is here, but… why do I feel uneasy?” The scholar frowned, his hand gripping the compass tightly.

The figure in the bamboo hat remained silent, his gaze sweeping across the barren terrain. The wind howled around them, carrying dust and the faint smell of decay.

“Let’s proceed with caution,” the scholar finally said, his voice low and serious. “This place gives me a very bad feeling. It’s as if the earth itself is rejecting us.”

They began to move forward slowly, their steps tentative on the unstable ground. The compass continued its erratic spinning, its humming growing louder, more insistent.

Suddenly, the scholar stopped, his eyes wide with alarm. The compass in his hand had shattered, and the ground beneath their feet began to tremble. A deep, guttural roar echoed from the depths of the earth, and the air grew heavy and thick.

“We need to leave, now!” the scholar yelled, pulling at the figure in the bamboo hat.

But it was too late. A massive fissure opened up in the ground, spewing forth a torrent of black, viscous liquid. A horrifying creature, its skin like polished obsidian and its eyes glowing with malevolent energy, emerged from the abyss.

The air crackled with power as the creature rose, its shadow falling over the two figures. The scholar stumbled back, his face pale with fear.

“What is this?” he whispered, his voice trembling.

The figure in the bamboo hat finally spoke, his voice surprisingly calm despite the terrifying sight.

“This,” he said, “is the guardian.”