✓𝐀𝐬 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐄𝐱𝐢𝐬𝐭 『𝑀𝑜𝑛𝑘𝑒𝑦 𝐾𝑖𝑛𝑔』

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 11

Closed-Eye Reveries

"𝑫𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒑𝒆𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝑰 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆, 𝒘𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒅𝒐𝒖𝒃𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒍 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒃𝒆𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆" -𝑬𝒅𝒈𝒂𝒓 𝑨𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒏 𝑷𝒐𝒆

≿━━━━༺❀༻━━━━≾

The vast expanse of mountains stretched toward the horizon, filling her view from a first-person perspective. Within the confines of the satchel rested a scroll adorned with intricate drawings, the most striking of which depicted a fearsome black dog wreathed in flames. The word "Huodou" was inscribed beneath the image, its meaning clear to her consciousness as if it had been etched into her very soul. She studied the scroll intently, the words and images resonating with a familiarity that belied her conscious understanding.

A shrill whistle pierced the air, drawing her attention away from the scroll. To her left, the source of the sound became apparent-a pack of Huodou wolves, their presence heralded by their eerie calls. Setting the parchment aside, she felt a surge of anticipation as two identical weapons glowed with an ominous red hue in her hands. They pulsed with an otherworldly energy, signaling the imminent clash that was about to unfold.

Without warning, a massive black dog leaped from the shadows of the nearby trees, its fiery eyes fixed on her with unbridled aggression. Reacting with lightning reflexes, she raised one of her weapons just in time to block its vicious assault. The force of the impact reverberated through her body, but she held her ground, unwavering in her determination.

As she dispatched the first attacker with a swift and decisive blow, another Huodou lunged at her from the opposite direction. She dodged its razor-sharp claws with practiced agility, swiftly countering with a lethal strike of her own. The creature fell with a pained yelp, its fiery fur casting an eerie glow in the dim light of dusk.

With each opponent vanquished, the intensity of the battle only seemed to heighten. The remaining Huodou circled her, their fiery eyes glinting with primal fury as they closed in for the kill. She assessed their numbers with a calm detachment, her mind sharp and focused despite the chaos unfolding around her.

Unbeknownst to her, one of the creatures had slipped behind her, its stealthy approach unnoticed amidst the chaos of battle. With a sudden realization, she turned to face the final assailant.

Ying Xiu awoke in a cold sweat, her heart pounding as she reached up to touch her head, relieved to find it still intact. The memory of her harrowing encounter with the dog demon at the temple still fresh in her mind, she couldn't shake the feeling of dread that lingered in the aftermath.

As she lay in bed, the remnants of her voided dreams were replaced by a new vision-one filled with images of the strange weapons she had seen in the temple. The resemblance was uncanny, and she couldn't help but wonder if there was a connection between the two.

Glancing down at her fingers that Pigsy helped bandage up when she got back yesterday, the thought of seeking medical attention crossed her mind, but the Great Sage's words echoed through the thought, urging her not to dwell too much on it. She ultimately decided to trust in the wisdom of the immortal being. After all, who better to understand the intricacies of supernatural injuries than someone who had lived for hundreds of years?