Their eyes widened while their pupils shrank as they stared at Xi Ming in shock. Indeed, when one would see the moving waves on the floor, they would think that there's something underneath the surface.
But, in fact, it is just –
"A monster that is good in camouflage." Xi Ming said as he guessed their thoughts while looking at the expression on their face that was illuminated by the light from the Thought Talisman. "Xiao Xing and I were also deceived. We thought, all along, that the monster was underneath the floor, and so at that moment, we thought it'd take a time for it to break through the floor and attack us. However, it was actually on the surface all along." He ruefully sighed. "It was too fast, and its movements too slick. Fortunately, we were on our sword, flying, and so its tail, that could actually grow longer, when it tried to reach us, it only reached my leg." He looked at his leg where his wound has finally closed after he drank healing potions and ate magic pills. "We flew higher, farther from the ground. When its tail couldn't reach us, it - " he sucked a cold breath, as if reliving what happened earlier to him and Xi Xing. " – it climbed up the pillar to reach us. When it couldn't reach us as we flew away from it again, it ran through the walls." He told them and looked around the pillars and the walls. "If xiao Xing and I weren't just on our sword, and had steady feet on our sword, we would've fallen from our sword after we've become dizzy due to the monster's movements encircling us." He sighed.
Kang Ce snatched the Thought Talisman from Xi Ming. "Then, why were you running on the floor when we saw you?" he asked.
Sun Yi took back the Thought Talisman. "They must be running out of qi, and so they chose to run with their feet to preserve their qi." he explained as he gave the Thought Talisman to Xi Miing.
"It is as second young master Sun said." Xi Ming nodded. "I am not a mage who relies on his qi to fight using talismans and other refined tools. I am a sword cultivator, so my body is strong." He explained. After saying all that he needs to say, he turned to Sun Yi as he returned the Thought Talisman. "Thank you, second young master Sun, for the talisman." He gratefully smiled.
Sun Yi nodded. "You're welcome."
Kang Ce snorted. "We won't end up mute like Wu Xi after we got out of here, right?" he asked as he placed some of his qi on the Thought Talisman to express his thoughts.
"That – " it was Xi Xing.
"What is it, xiao Xing?" Xi Ming asked as their thoughts were displayed on the Thought Talisman in Sun Yi's hand. "Did you notice something earlier?"
Xi Xing nodded. "As we escaped earlier, I noticed that my voice is still there." He answered before he paused. "In fact, sound is produced from vibration. As long as our vocal chords weren't removed, we can produce sound – our voice." He explained. "Thus, I think that it wasn't our voice that was stolen or removed from us. It is our sense of hearing. But – " his brows knitted as he pondered. " – this shouldn't be the case, too." He said.
"How so?" Gong Xian asked.
"My ears are ringing." Xi Xing answered.
They all fell silent as they finally understood. Their voice wasn't taken away from them, nor their sense of hearing. They weren't incapacitated by the monster. But, if that's so, then what is happening? Why can't they talk nor can they hear?
"It couldn't be – " suddenly, it dawned on Sun Yi. His eyes widened as he looked at them.
"What is it, second young master Sun?" Xi Ming asked.
"If there's nothing wrong on us, then there's something wrong on that monster." Sun Yi said.
Kang Ce snorted. "Of course there's something wrong on the monster. I think it's his head – " he sarcastically said.
Sun Yi's eyes narrowed. "It's head… eldest young master Xi, was there anything notable on the monster's head that you've seen?" he asked.
Kang Ce's jaw dropped as he gaped at Sun Yi. "I am 'joking'! Why did you take it seriously?!" he asked.
Sun Yi smiled at him. "Don't be humble and shy. Perhaps there is some truth in your words." He told him and ignored him as he turned to Xi Ming.
Xi Ming's handsome brows were knit as he pondered, trying to recall the monster's appearance earlier.
"There're only its whiskers." Xi Xing answered.
"The whiskers? What's wrong with it?"
"I don't know if I was just mistaken. When it attacked us, I opened my mouth to call out to Xi Ming. However, as expected that there was no voice that came out of my mouth." Xi Xing said. "What I noticed was that, that moment I spoke, the monster that was finally exposed to us, its whiskers is trembling." He told them.
It finally dawned on them. "So, you mean that its whiskers are stealing our voice?" Gong Xian asked.
Xi Xing nodded. "I think it has receptacles that could take away our voice from us. then, with our voice or any sound removed, we definitely can't hear anything, thus giving us the false impression we not only have become mute, but also deaf." He explained.
They stood agape at what they have read from Xi Xing's analyzation.
Xi Ming's eyes widened and sparkled as he patted Xi Xing's head. "Xiao Xing is so bright. Xiao Xing has now grown up." He happily smiled.
A row of ellipsis appeared on the Thought Talisman.
Sun Yi, Kang Ce and Gong Xian, their face darkened after they were fed a mouthfoul of dog food. Does Xi Ming have to put his praises for Xi Xing in the Thought Talisman to express his happiness that his younger brother has improved?! We don't need that! The Thought Talisman is for public use, so keep your thoughts away from us!