Chapter 248

Chapter 248

"If everything goes as expected, it should be the first one who spoke," came a reply.

Xiao Siyu hesitated briefly, then continued, "But I have a feeling there might be a twist."

A wry smile crept onto Lyu Shuo's face. "… I think your feeling is spot-on."

After all, none of these anthropomorphic creatures showed any inclination to speak.

Fortunately, this wasn't a significant issue. There were other ways to identify the guide NPC.

In "The Eternal Lock", the one announcing, declaring, or revealing the rules and prohibitions of an instance could potentially be the guide NPC. However, there might be exceptions, like right now—

These humanoid creatures not only remained silent, but their movements were also eerily synchronized. They simultaneously raised their left hands, pointing to the right, signaling the group to head in that direction.

Seeing this, the participants had no choice but to follow their guidance, turning towards the right pathway.

After walking a distance, they came across several clear pools of water. None of the pools were particularly large or deep. Between each pool were palm trees and low shrubs, forming natural barriers that separated one from another.

Lyu Shuo couldn't help but chuckle, "This place reminds me of the hot spring bathhouses back in my hometown."

At his comment, the participants shot him curious glances.

The smile on Lyu Shuo's face faltered. He turned to the humanoid creatures, asking awkwardly, "… We aren't actually supposed to take a bath, are we?"

Their response was unanimous: they pointed towards the pools.

Their body language was as eloquent as any spoken word. Even without them uttering a syllable, everyone grasped their intent.

"Twelve pools, one for each of us," Lyu Shuo said with a rueful smile. "I suggest the ladies take the ones on the left, and the men on the right. It's more... comfortable that way."

Li Chanyi nodded in agreement. "Sounds good. Let's go with that."

None of the others objected. In truth, even if these creatures had demanded they all bathe together in a single large pool, none would have disagreed. In the face of life and death, modesty seemed trivial.

Xie Yin Xue chose the most secluded pool. He kicked off his shoes and waded in.

From the neighboring pool, a shout from Zhan Meng rang out: "Ah… the water's chilly!"

"Is it cold?"

Xie Yinxue's gaze lowered, lingering on the hem of his damp garment. He no longer felt temperature as he used to; be it the scorching heat of a desert or the cool embrace of an icy pond, both felt largely the same to him.

——After all, he couldn't feel much anymore.

Hence, there were certain things he had to observe with his still-functioning eyes.

As Xie Yinxue was about to bend over and scoop up some water to examine it closely, he suddenly heard a light patter of footsteps approaching from behind.

Without moving his body, he turned his head slightly over his shoulder to look.

The newcomer bore the head of a wolf-like creature. His appearance was reminiscent of Anubis, the ancient Egyptian god believed to guide souls into the afterlife. With an elongated muzzle, erect pointed ears, and ink-black fur and eyes, Xie Yinxue couldn’t help but notice the bushy tail behind him.

Raising an eyebrow, Xie Yinxue remarked, "Puppy?"

It's not uncommon for people who've never seen a wolf to mistake them for dogs. Of course, Xie Yinxue wasn't among them; he was just teasing on purpose.

The wolf-headed man twitched his ears slightly upon being addressed as "puppy", then continued to silently regard the young man.

Xie Yinxue's eyes trailed downward, passing over the man's sculpted, tanned chest, finally settling on the man's right hand, which held a scepter. On the ring finger of that hand was a plain gold ring, the only adornment on any of his fingers.

While other beast-headed individuals wore rings, none were as plain as this, and none wore them on that particular finger; or if they did, the rings were ornate, often encrusted with gemstones.

However, Xie Yinxue didn’t rely on such external markers to recognize Bu Jiuzhao. Even without his distinctive gray vertical pupils, a mere exchange of glances sufficed between them.

It was as if it was an instinct imprinted deep within their souls.

So, when Xie Yinxue spoke next, he had turned the tables, extending his hand, palm up, to the man and said with a commanding tone, "Come, my dear puppy. Let me pet you."

The initial "puppy" now carried a note of ownership.

Upon hearing this, the wolf-headed man did react, but instead of stepping closer, he lightly tapped Xie Yinxue's outstretched palm with the golden scepter he held, the very symbol of ultimate authority. The taps were gentle, not even leaving a mark on Xie Yinxue's soft, fair skin. It was reminiscent of a parent lightly reprimanding a mischievous child, a warning without any real intent to harm.

However, Xie Yinxue, who had always played the role of a parental figure to others, didn't consider such a gentle reprimand as anything significant. Pushing the scepter aside, he persisted in reaching out to the man, candidly expressing his wish, "I want to touch your ears and that tail. I've never seen you with them before."

"Please let me. I promise to be gentle."

His request grew stranger by the second.

The wolf-headed man paid no heed to the young man's shamefully flirtatious request. He simply lifted the curving end of his gas staff and used it to unhook the deep red robe buttons on the youth: one, two, three... Under his deft control, the staff worked like a nimble hand, adeptly revealing the crystal-clear skin beneath the crimson garment.

In the end, the man pressed the tip of his staff against the youth's chest, toppling him into the pool. Standing tall on the pool's edge, he looked down at the young man. Without uttering a word, his eyes seemed to rebuke, "Your gaze and words have offended the gods. Now they will punish you. Be obedient and do not act presumptuously again."

Soaked to the bone, Xie Yin Xue climbed out of the pool, squinting to wipe the water droplets from his face. He leaned on the pool's edge, looking up at the man, stubbornly saying, "I still want to touch."

“……”

"I want to touch."

Great, the point isn't about "whether I can touch," but "I will touch."

Bu Jiu Zhao, unable to resist him any longer, grasped his arm, pulling Xie Yin Xue out of the pool. First, he placed his own tail in Xie's hand. He then fetched a jar containing a dark brown liquid from a low table nearby, spreading the viscous substance evenly on Xie Yin Xue.

Occupied with the tail, Xie Yin Xue stood still, uncharacteristically docile, allowing Bu Jiu Zhao to tint his skin to a bronze hue with the mysterious liquid.

Moments later, Bu Jiu Zhao offered Xie Yin Xue a waist-skirt to wear, followed by a choker, bracelets, armlets, belts, and other intricate adornments. By the end of the dressing, Xie Yin Xue resembled a figure from ancient Egyptian wall paintings, only missing the final touch – makeup.

Ancient Egyptians, both men and women, adorned themselves with cosmetics. They believed that beauty earned the sun god's favor, and unadorned eyes were susceptible to malevolent influences.

Xie Yin Xue observed the eyeliner, eyeshadow, and lipstick handed to him by the man, pausing in thought. After a moment, he resignedly accepted the makeup tools, and Bu Jiu Zhao "helpfully" held up a mirror for him.

"You did this on purpose, didn't you?" Xie Yin Xue arched an eyebrow, "Golden eyeshadow and golden lipstick?"

Ancient Egyptians had a variety of eyeshadow colors, but the most popular was a deep green made from malachite because the Eye of Horus was green, and they revered Horus.

All the makeup tools Bu Jiu Zhao presented came from the low table beside the pool. Among them were blue and green eyeshadows. Yet, Bu Jiu Zhao specifically chose gold, even the lipstick was golden. Clearly, there was a hidden intent.

Nevertheless, Xie Yin Xue eventually indulged him.

Once his lips were fully painted gold, Xie Yin Xue pursed them, and with a lazy smile, whispered, "Your ear."

The wolf-headed man gazed deeply at him, then bent down on one knee, leaning his head toward Xie Yin Xue, who leaned in to "bite" the tip of the man's pointy ear.

The thin, sharp ear wiggled subtly in his mouth. When Xie Yin Xue released it, a shimmering gold imprint gleamed on the ear's tip, gleaming like a seal under the light.

Caressing his own lips, Xie Yin Xue's words hinted at another meaning, "Mmm, golden lipstick is indeed beautiful."

Reacting to his words, the wolf-headed man lifted his hand, touching the center of Xie Yin Xue's lips with his fingertip, as if bestowing a kiss.

After that brief moment of warmth, it came to an end. The man with the wolf-headed cane pressed its tip against the young man's spine from behind, silently urging him to move forward.

Xie YinXue and the other participants were "herded" back to the inner courtyard garden.

All of them had donned garments inspired by ancient Egyptian fashion, made from linen, complemented by ornate jewelry. Their skin was tinted bronze by a deep brown liquid, eyes accentuated with thick black eyeliner. Gold, blue, or vibrant green eyeshadow adorned their eyelids. Most chose a consistent shade of red for their lips, except for Xie YinXue and QianXi. Xie YinXue sported gold, while QianXi, with her fondness for gothic culture, wore a striking blue-black that surprisingly suited her well.

"Do you know what they had us apply?" Yao XiaoGuo inquired, sniffing her arm. "It smells like pine."

Xiao SiYu suggested, "Perhaps it's sunscreen?"

He would apply sunscreen when at the beach. The sun is fierce in the desert, and with the soaring temperatures, one's body moisture can evaporate swiftly. Applying some oil can help prevent excessive skin dryness and dehydration.

Zhan Meng tried a joke, "Or maybe it's color-changing ink. It won't turn us into [censored], but it might make us look like faux ancient Egyptians."

The weather was so hot that no one laughed.

Lu Shuo, trying to lighten the mood and show off his heavy gold bracelet, joked, "Look at us, draped in gold and silver, we might as well be ancient Egyptian nobility."

"This nobleman would like to know what exactly we're supposed to do," Tu WenCai said, arms crossed and eyebrows furrowed. "We've been in this instance for quite a while, and these NPCs are as silent as if they're mute. The guiding NPC is nowhere to be found. Moving aimlessly is not only inefficient, but it's also dangerous. Any ideas?"

Just as he finished speaking, the humanoid figures with animal heads, as if responding to Tu WenCai's query, raised their hands to point them in a direction.

This time, they pointed to a stone path on their left.

"They're showing the way!" Zhan Meng exclaimed, rallying everyone, "Come on, let's go check it out."

"Wait a moment—"

Li ChanYi abruptly gestured for everyone to stop, "Have you all noticed? Among these animal-headed beings, there's one that stands out."

Zhan Meng asked, "The one with the dog's head?"

Chen Yun corrected him, "That's a wolf's head."

"Yes, he's quite renowned," Li ChanYi said with a solemn demeanor. "In ancient Egyptian mythology, we all know who the god with a wolf's head and human body is, right?"

MingSheng, who was familiar with the concept of death due to his family's funeral business, adjusted his glasses and said, "Of course, it's Anubis, the guide of the underworld and its guardian."

Author's note:

Xie YinXue: Doggy~

Bu Jiu Zhao: "Did you get my name wrong on purpose, or was it an accident?"

Xie Yin Xue: "It was intentional."