Naming Technique of the Night

Chapter 966: 602. Qing Chen’s Wonderful Journey

“Close all windows tightly, and no one should speak or make unnecessary movements during the train’s journey.”

During the steam train’s journey, Wang Dingye from the Parent Association patiently advised in the carriage, even checking each window like a flight attendant, just short of having everyone adjust their seatbacks and stow away their tray tables.

Ma Jingjing asked with some confusion, “What’s going on? Is there any danger?”

Wang Dingye laughed, “In 15 minutes, we will arrive at the natural barrier beside the Minnan Corridor, which is the Taboo Land No. 40 and No. 41. They enclose City No. 13 with only one passage, and this steam train will traverse through the Taboo Land No. 40.”

Another member of the Parent Association said, “We still don’t know the rules of Taboo Land No. 40, but don’t worry. As long as we close the windows and doors and hide in the steam train, there will be absolutely no issue.”

“Thanks for the reminder,” Ma Jingjing said softly. Although they were passing by here, their guide hadn’t really mentioned this matter.

If they had just opened the windows, and poisonous insects or snakes had flown in, everyone in the carriage would have been wiped out.

After two days of contact, Ma Jingjing and others suddenly felt that Wang Dingye’s group was truly warm and hospitable, down-to-earth, willing to befriend everyone, and kind-hearted.

Ma Jingjing found it hard to imagine that there still existed such people in the Inner World, much better than the person who collected their tickets.

At this moment, Yi Wenbo suddenly said, “This guy named Wang Dingye is very nice. How about we talk to him about the ticket issue and ask him to help get our tickets back?”

Xiao Yu and Li Mengyun’s eyes lit up, “Good idea. Brother Wang Dingye has many people with him; surely they can help us get them back.”

Yi Wenbo immediately stood up and walked over to Wang Dingye, occasionally pointing at Qing Chen and muttering about something.

Yet Wang Dingye’s expression gradually grew peculiar…

He finally understood where the three Gold Coins Qing Chen gave him came from.

“I’m sorry, we can’t help with that,” Wang Dingye shook his head. “You were supposed to pay Gold Coins to board the steam train anyway, so just consider it as paying for the ride, no need to dwell on it.”

Yi Wenbo asked puzzledly, “Brother Wang Dingye, are they some hidden experts? Are you afraid of them?”

“No, no,” Wang Dingye recalled his promise to help Qing Chen keep his identity confidential and quickly changed the subject. “They are not experts, just ordinary people. Sit tight, we’re about to enter Taboo Land No. 40. Aren’t you going to Taboo Land No. 10? After this leg, it seems like it will only take another day to get there.”

At this moment, everyone looked outside the window and saw the lush forest ahead.

On the outermost layer, the massive banyan trees, each over a hundred meters tall, had dense aerial roots cascading down like waterfalls.

As the steam train approached, countless birds in the forest suddenly took flight, flapping their wings in the sky, creating a rhythmic resonance.

A rumbling sound came as the steam train slammed into the pitch-black forest.

And in this forest, there was actually a small path specifically for the steam train, winding and bumpy.

Everyone sitting inside felt as if they were on a roller coaster, having to grip the handrails tightly to avoid falling.

Ma Jingjing turned her head suddenly, looking out the window, and to her surprise, saw an unknown creature in the black forest, clinging to the carriage, peering inside with green glowing eyes.

Locking eyes with Ma Jingjing.

Clang, clang, clang sounds came as the creature outside seemed to be trying to smash the steam train’s glass.

“Ah!” Ma Jingjing screamed in panic, fearing the mysterious creature outside would break in.

More and more creatures were clinging to the steam train, and both inside and outside were pitch black, with only pairs of eyes flashing dimly.

Unlike the next carriage…

Yangyang stood up, leaned closer to observe, “Hmm, I can’t really see what kind of creatures they are… Are they edible?”

Qing Chen: “…”

Qing Chen thought to himself, this girl is really carefree, treating this dangerous trip like a roller coaster ride.

Just like at Universal Studios, where many roller coasters have scary settings along the way, such as skeletons or ghosts.

But since you know they’re fake, they don’t seem interesting.

And now, everything outside the train is real.

Yangyang took out her phone and used the flashlight to observe the creatures outside, only to see little fuzzy monkeys with big eyes, covered in dense orange fur, adorably cute.

The only strange thing was that all these little monkeys had six ears.

Yangyang smiled, “It’s not that scary, and isn’t it more interesting than the roller coasters at Universal Studios? So many people in the Outer World like to go to amusement parks for thrills, they might as well come to the Inner World to ride the steam train.”

Shadow smiled, “I really like Yangyang’s personality more and more. These little monkeys are called Six-eared macaque, occasionally there are particularly powerful ones, but mostly they are just little cuties.”

Yangyang looked through the window and saw a Six-eared macaque clinging to the steam train with one hand, grasping a half-meter-long large insect with the other, gnawing it like sugar cane.

However, just at this moment, all the Six-eared macaques clinging to the steam train suddenly left, jumping onto the nearby giant banyan trees, swinging away on the drooping aerial roots.

Yangyang curiously said, “It seems like they are afraid of something.”

Xiao Mengqiu trembled in his seat, but seeing that everyone seemed utterly unafraid, he forced himself to pretend to be fearless…

The next moment, a rumbling sound came, and the steam train seemed to enter a gigantic cavern.

However, inside this cavern were not stone walls. Looking from the train, it was clearly writhing flesh walls, and Qing Chen and the others could even see the distinct blood vessels on them.

Qing Chen abruptly stood up, staring out the window in bewilderment: “The steam train has drilled into the belly of some creature? What kind of thing could be this enormous?”

A creature that could swallow a steam train in one gulp had opened its mouth right on the train’s path, waiting for it to enter its belly.

Incredibly horrifying.

Shadow frowned: “I heard before that there was a giant python hidden in the Taboo Land #40. Could it be this thing?”

As soon as he spoke, a crashing sound came from the front of the steam train, and the flesh walls around tightened, continuously squeezing the exterior of the train car.

Everyone inside cried out in terror, thinking they were going to die here!

“Don’t worry, the steam train hasn’t stopped,” Shadow said leisurely.

No sooner had he spoken than torrents of blood dyed the glass red, as if red rain were pouring down.

The steam train burst through the encasing flesh walls, and Qing Chen hastily turned to look back, clearly seeing a giant python thrashing in pain, its tail bearing a gigantic bleeding hole.

“This steam train is quite unbelievable,” Qing Chen marveled, “even against such astonishingly extraordinary creatures, it can pass through unimpeded. Whose Taboo item is this steam train extracted from?”

Shadow laughed: “Historically, it was extracted by a Demigod named Wang Congyang, though this Demigod’s reputation isn’t great.”

“Ah? Is he a bad person?” Qing Chen asked curiously.

“He’s not really a bad person,” Shadow carefully picked his words: “This Wang Congyang was one of the earliest Awakeners in the Transcendent era. After Awakening the steam train, he didn’t get involved in battles, instead spending his days delivering packages and smuggling between cities. It’s said that he spent his whole life aboard the steam train, avoiding danger, and although his strength was already formidable, at the slightest hint of trouble, he would immediately flee. People called him the ‘Holy Coward’.”

Shadow chuckled, “Other Demigods earned their titles through fighting, but he survived long enough to become one through sheer persistence… Of course, his talent was undeniably top-notch, otherwise, he wouldn’t have been among the first batch of Transcendents.”

Qing Chen remarked, “I think this Demigod is quite romantic; the routes the steam train traverses are filled with beautiful or mysterious scenery. Living like him isn’t actually a bad choice.”

Shadow mused, “That’s a bit different from what you might think; Wang Congyang spent his early years being hunted by Ren Xiaosu from your Knight Organization. Some suspect the routes the steam train takes now are his old escape routes.”

Qing Chen: “…”

This really was a strange yet interesting piece of bygone history.

He glanced back over his shoulder, the giant python had finally ceased its thrashing, and perhaps decades later, a new Taboo item would be extracted here.

Inside the train car, everyone was still shaken.

Everyone was pondering the potential consequences if Taboo Land truly covered the whole Federation someday.

Shadow smiled and said, “Remember this place, come for the Taboo items 32 years from now. Such creatures nearly becoming spirits will surely yield Taboo items.”

Qing Chen asked, “Is Taboo item ACE-003 Snake of Trickery extracted from a snake?”

Shadow shook his head, “No, for the origin, you’d have to ask your predecessors from the Knight organization; that thing is now in Taboo Land #002.”

Qing Chen thought, I only inquire about it because I know it’s in Taboo Land #002…

Given the renown inclusive nature of the predecessors, he would soon bring all his disciples to pay respects to the old ones.

“Have you ever been to Taboo Land #001?” Qing Chen suddenly asked.

Shadow nodded, “My only advice is, don’t go. There are incredibly terrifying creatures there, along with an abundance of rules, creating its own system.”

“What does ‘creating its own system’ mean?” Qing Chen asked curiously.

Shadow pondered and said, “It’s like someone has specifically crafted rules to create a massive and terrifying amusement park for the world. The rules of Taboo Land #001 aren’t secretive; there are even signposts telling you the rules inside, yet even if you know the rules, you might not come out alive. To this day, no one knows what awaits when you reach the end of the game.”

“My master seems to have walked out alive,” Qing Chen remarked with curiosity.

Shadow sighed, “Your master nearly lost half his life fighting his way out, and he never even made it into the heart of Taboo Land #001.”

At this moment, the steam train entered the void, and upon emerging again, the dazzling lights of City #13 could already be seen from afar.

The Parent Association Members disembarked, Wang Dingye subtly bid farewell to Qing Chen with his eyes before heading to their battlefield.

Qing Chen memorized the names and appearances of each one because he did not know whether these individuals would live to reunite one day.

Shadow stated, “Soon enough, the consortium will figure out what you aim to do, and that day, many will die.”

The steam train re-entered the void, and the next stop was Taboo Land #010.

…

There will be another chapter at 11 PM