prynovel Chapter 21: In-depth Investigation Leads to Crisis
Chapter 21: In-depth Investigation Leads to Crisis
The moonlight, like a ribbon, spilled across the dark green mountain ridges, coating the rugged rock edges with a layer of cold, moist silver frost. The forest was eerily quiet; even the chirping of insects had fallen silent. Only occasionally did the sound of the pine trees rustle by, like someone gently brushing silk in the shadows, disturbing the mind with a soft whisper.
On the platform jutting out from the cliff face, Lin Yan and Su Qingyao had been standing for nearly an hour. He was dressed in a black, close-fitting outfit, the hem of his clothes fluttering slightly in the mountain wind. His dark hair was tightly bound, with only a few stray strands of hair dampened by the night dew, clinging to his smooth forehead. Su Qingyao wore a moon-white short jacket, the hem of her skirt tucked into her waist, revealing her slender yet strong calves.
"The clapper should have struck three times by now." Lin Yan raised his hand to brush away a pine needle from his shoulder, his fingertips touching the cool dew. "Midnight is almost over. If we drag this out any longer, the sky will be turning pale." He lowered his voice as if afraid of disturbing the moonlight before him, but his gaze was locked on the direction of the cave like a hawk, his eyes filled with an unyielding calm.
It was originally agreed that before lighting the demon-attracting incense, we should go deeper into the wolf's den to find out three important matters.
Firstly, the information Lin Yan gleaned from the demon wolf's memories was from several days ago. Whether new members had joined the wolf den needed to be counted personally to be accurate. If there were one or two newly recruited wolf generals hidden in the den, the effectiveness of the demon-attracting incense would be diminished.
Secondly, the activity deep within the cave cannot be determined solely by the topographical map in memory. Now that Chen Fuhai knows the contract is lost, it's hard to guarantee that he and the Wolf King won't come up with some new schemes—if there are hidden sentries inside the cave, or the layout of the passageway has been altered, then recklessly sneaking in would be like walking into a trap.
Thirdly, and most importantly, the infiltration route must be scouted even more meticulously. Which protruding rocks on the cliff face can provide leverage, which vines can offer concealment, are there any new forks in the path at the turns within the cave—these minute details, even the slightest error, could alert the guards. After all, this is a dangerous place; one wrong step could lead to utter ruin, allowing no room for chance.
Su Qingyao nodded upon hearing this, and gently tucked a stray hair behind her ear. "This mountain is eerily quiet, even the howls of wolves have diminished. It's as if... we're being led into a trap." Her eyebrows furrowed slightly, and her usually bright eyes were now veiled with worry. Her lips were pale as she spoke.
Lin Yan felt the same way. The information he'd gleaned from the demon wolf's memories indicated that three or four patrols would circle the wolf den every night, their hooves rustling through the mountain grass. But tonight, after guarding for so long, they'd only encountered two groups of wolves, both appearing lazy and unfocused. Two more guards had been added to the cave entrance, but their vigilance was far weaker than he remembered; it seemed more like a deliberate act.
"It looks like a trap." Lin Yan tapped the scabbard of his long sword at his waist with his fingertips. The cool touch calmed him down a little. "That bastard Chen Fuhai lost the contract. He won't just sit idly by. He must have sent a message to the Wolf King. He deliberately opened the door, hoping we'd walk right into his trap."
"Then... shall we still go?" Su Qingyao bit her lower lip, her voice hesitant yet revealing a tenacious spirit that refused to back down.
"Go." A sharp glint flashed in Lin Yan's eyes, but it quickly softened. "Just don't go near the entrance. Go around to the ancient forest on the right and observe from a distance. If it's a trap, we'll turn around and leave; if it's just a bluff, then we can proceed as planned."
Su Qingyao was relieved and nodded, following him down the cliff face. Lin Yan led the way, his fingers digging into the protrusions in the crevices of the rock, his knuckles turning white from the effort, each step extremely steady; Su Qingyao followed behind, oblivious to the small tear her skirt had made by the sharp rocks, her eyes fixed on his heels, afraid of slipping.
That ancient forest was truly deep and secluded. The old branches intertwined like a net, filtering the moonlight until it shimmered like scattered silver stars, falling onto the thick layer of fallen leaves like a carpet of shattered jade. The leaves, accumulated over countless years, were soft and yielding underfoot, swallowing even the sound of footsteps. Yet, this stillness was more unsettling than any noise—who knew if beneath those soft leaves lay solid earth, a thorny trap, or a venomous insect lurking in the shadows?
Lin Yan broke off a dry branch about the thickness of his wrist and poked it every few steps, the sound of the branch hitting the leaves particularly clear in the quiet night. Su Qingyao, on the other hand, placed her right hand on the short sword at her waist, the hilt of which was hot from her grip. In her left hand, she held a brocade pouch containing specially made insect repellent powder, her fingertips pressing on the knot at the pouch's opening, ready to be untied at any moment.
After walking for about fifteen minutes, Lin Yan, who was ahead, suddenly stopped. Su Qingyao almost bumped into his back, quickly stopped, and followed his gaze—about thirty feet outside the edge of the ancient forest was the entrance to the cave. The cave entrance was covered with dark green vines, which swayed gently in the night breeze, like wildly dancing ghostly hands, beckoning people into the dark cave.
"Shh—" Lin Yan suddenly turned around, making a shushing gesture, his fingertips pressed against his ear. Su Qingyao immediately held her breath, even deliberately slowing her heartbeat. She could hear it too—it was too quiet. The faint chirping of insects that had been audible just moments before was now completely gone, even the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves had faded, the entire forest seemed to be frozen in place, as if the air itself had solidified.
"Go, retreat immediately." Lin Yan's voice was so low it was almost inaudible. Just as he was about to turn around, he heard a soft "whoosh" behind him—the fallen leaves under Su Qingyao's feet had suddenly collapsed!
The fallen leaves looked thick, but they were hollow underneath! Su Qingyao gasped, her body plummeting straight down, about to plunge into the deep pit filled with sharp wooden spikes. Lin Yan reacted with lightning speed, almost instantly lunging forward to grab her wrist with his left hand. But the force of the fall was too great; he was pulled forward, and just as his right foot was about to push off to steady himself, the ground beneath his feet collapsed!
Another leaf slid down, revealing an even bigger trap below—this wasn't a trap at all, but a series of mechanized mechanisms! The wooden spikes at the bottom of the pit gleamed coldly, and several smooth slides connected to it, leading to a steep hillside that stretched out into darkness, its depth unknown. The two slid down the slides, their speed increasing rapidly, the wind stinging their cheeks, unable to stop.
"Hold on tight!" Lin Yan roared, drawing his long sword with his right hand and stabbing it fiercely into the rock at the edge of the slide. With a crisp clang, sparks flew as the blade embedded itself half an inch into the rock, finally slowing him down slightly. But the slide seemed deliberately designed, ending in a steep slope of nearly sixty degrees, below which lay a valley of jagged rocks, the wind howling up from the valley floor, carrying a chill.
Just as he was about to plunge off the slide, Lin Yan suddenly shouted, "Hold on tight!" He grabbed Su Qingyao's waist tightly with his left hand, abandoned his knife with his right, and grabbed a protruding rock on the edge of the slide with both hands. He twisted himself in mid-air and slammed his back against the mountain wall.
With a muffled thud, Su Qingyao's eardrums throbbed. She could clearly feel Lin Yan's body stiffen for a moment, and the warmth in his arms seemed to cool down a bit, but his arms tightened even more, and he managed to stop his fall with his peak-level body tempering. His feet left two deep footprints on the steep slope, and the gravel rolled down the slope with a loud crash.
"Cough cough..." Su Qingyao was shaken so badly that her blood churned, and her throat tasted sweet, but she gritted her teeth and didn't spit it out. The two of them hung there on the steep slope, with a bottomless valley below and the man-eating trap slide above. When the wind blew, their bodies swayed slightly, which was quite dangerous.
"Are you alright?" Lin Yan's voice was a little hoarse. Cold sweat trickled down his face, and his back was burning with pain, as if it had been branded with a red-hot iron. He knew he had broken at least two ribs, but he didn't loosen his grip on Su Qingyao's hand at all.
"I'm fine... How about you?" Su Qingyao looked up at him and saw his pale face in the moonlight. Tears almost fell, but she held them back—crying now would only make things worse.
"I won't die." Lin Yan smiled, a somewhat forced smile, but it reassured Su Qingyao somewhat. He circulated his Soul-Devouring True Essence, a warm current flowing along his meridians to his back, finally easing his injuries slightly. The two of them scrambled up using both hands and feet, their fingertips bleeding, finally reaching the entrance to the slide. But before they could even catch their breath, they heard a mournful wolf howl from above—"Awooo—"
There was more than one. The commotion caused by the trap eventually alerted the entire wolf pack.
"Hurry!" Lin Yan grabbed Su Qingyao and ran deeper into the ancient forest. Six demonic wolves, plus a wolf general at the late stage of Body Tempering—a direct confrontation would only lead to certain death and draw out all the demonic wolves from the den. He pushed off with his feet, moving at an astonishing speed. Su Qingyao gritted her teeth and kept up, her skirt torn to shreds by branches, her calves scratched in several places, but she didn't utter a single groan.
The howling of wolves behind them grew closer. The demonic wolves moved through the forest as if it were flat ground, their hooves rustling through the fallen leaves, and the stench of blood grew stronger, almost filling their nostrils. "We can't escape like this!" Su Qingyao gasped, her voice trembling. "They know the terrain better than we do!"
Lin Yan was also anxious. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced around and suddenly noticed a pile of boulders not far ahead—the stones ranged in size from houses to millstones, piled up haphazardly, with a steep cliff behind them, offering no way out. It was a dead end, but Lin Yan's eyes suddenly lit up.
"Let's go to the pile of rocks!" He suddenly pulled Su Qingyao and changed direction.
"That's a dead end!" Su Qingyao's voice trembled with anxiety.
"Listen to me!" Lin Yan's voice was firm and decisive, brooking no argument. Su Qingyao bit her lip, asked no more questions, and followed him into the pile of rocks.
The two hid behind the largest rock, the howling of wolves almost touching them. Lin Yan lowered his voice and asked, "How much medicine powder do you have left?"
"Three packets of exorcism powder and two packets of bewitching powder." Su Qingyao immediately took out several oil paper packets, her fingertips trembling, but she handed the packets over steadily.
"Give me two packets of sleeping powder." Lin Yan took the packets and said, "Climb up to the highest rock and hide in the shadows. No matter what you hear or see, don't come down. Once I've lured them away, run down the mountain immediately back to Blackstone Town. Don't wait for me."
"No! We'll go together!" Su Qingyao's voice suddenly rose, and tears finally fell, landing on the back of her hand, which was icy cold.
"Listen to me!" Lin Yan's voice turned cold. "It's easier for me to get away on my own; taking you along would only be a burden. Have you forgotten our agreement? If we perish here tonight, at least one of us has to bring back the evidence and expose Chen Fuhai's true colors!" His words struck Su Qingyao's heart like a hammer blow. She knew Lin Yan was right, but how could she bear to leave him behind?
"You...you must come back alive." She choked back tears, stuffing the remaining medicine powder into Lin Yan's hand. "I'll wait for you in Blackstone Town. If you don't come back, I'll..."
"I will." Lin Yan interrupted her, smiled, and reached out to wipe away the tears on her cheeks. His fingertips were calloused, but his touch was gentle. He sprinkled the bewitching powder on the surrounding pebbles, then took out a small porcelain bottle and poured the kerosene inside onto his clothes—it was given to him by Uncle Zhang; it had a pungent smell, but it could lure away the demon wolves.
Without further hesitation, Su Qingyao scrambled up the nearby rock, found a secluded spot to hide, leaving only her eyes exposed as she stared intently in Lin Yan's direction.
She had just hidden herself when six demonic wolves charged into the pile of rocks. The lead wolf had eerie dark red fur, stood six feet tall at the shoulder, and had eyes like two burning will-o'-the-wisps. Its nose twitched constantly, and it quickly locked onto Lin Yan's location. It growled, and the other five demonic wolves immediately scattered, fanning out to surround her, their fangs gleaming coldly, saliva dripping from the corners of their mouths.
Lin Yan lay motionless behind the rock, letting them approach. Ten zhang, five zhang, three zhang... Just as the claws of the foremost demonic wolf stepped into the area of the bewitching powder, Lin Yan suddenly leaped out, not rushing forward, but sprinting towards the cliff!
"Awooo—" the wolf howled angrily, leading its demon wolves in hot pursuit. Lin Yan activated his Swiftness talent, moving like a gust of wind, dodging and weaving through the pile of rocks, squeezing into narrow gaps—his slender frame allowed him to pass through, while the massive demon wolves were a fraction of a second slower. But the wolves knew the terrain well, and soon two demon wolves circled around from the side, about to trap him at the edge of the cliff.
The cliff drew ever closer, the wind whistling through the valley below. Lin Yan suddenly stopped and turned to face the pursuing pack of wolves. Six demonic wolves surrounded him, with the wolf general at the very front, emitting low growls and its tail taut as if ready to pounce at any moment.
"Come on, you beast!" Lin Yan sneered, slowly drawing his long sword with his right hand, the blade gleaming coldly in the moonlight.
Enraged, the wolf howled and leaped into the air, its claws lashing out at Lin Yan's head. But just as it reached mid-air, Lin Yan was suddenly thrown backward and plummeted straight off the cliff!
"Roar?" The wolf pounced on empty air, landing heavily on the ground, tilting its head in confusion. The other demon wolves also rushed to the edge of the cliff, peering down—Lin Yan's body was falling rapidly, but when he had fallen about ten zhang, he suddenly reached out and grabbed a thick vine hanging down from the cliff face, swinging like a swing to the other side of the cliff!
"Awooo—" The wolves finally realized they had been tricked. They paced back and forth on the edge of the cliff in anger, their claws scratching the rocks and sending sparks flying. They could only watch helplessly as Lin Yan landed on a narrow platform on the other side. The platform was a full twenty feet above the cliff top, and the cliff face was as smooth as a mirror, making it impossible for them to get down.
Lin Yan stood on the platform, looked up and waved at the wolves on the cliff top, deliberately making a provocative gesture. The wolves were furious, but helpless, and could only howl incessantly on the cliff top. Lin Yan ignored them and moved down the mountain along the platform—he had already discovered a crack on the side of the cliff while observing the terrain; although steep, it was barely climbable.
The climb was even more treacherous than before. The cliff face was slippery, and the footholds were only the size of a fist. Lin Yan's fingers were rubbed raw and bleeding, the wounds stinging with dew. But he dared not stop, and it took him a full quarter of an hour to finally reach the bottom of the valley. The valley floor was a dry riverbed, full of pebbles. He found a sheltered crevice in the rocks to hide in, and sat cross-legged to regulate his breathing—the wound on his back had reopened, his ribs ached terribly, and his true energy was almost completely depleted.
But he dared not linger. The wolf might take a detour to chase him down, or notify other wolves to intercept him at the foot of the mountain. He rested for a moment, feeling his strength returning slightly, then got up and walked down the mountain along the river. He hadn't gone far when he saw a flickering light at the bend ahead—not the chaotic firelight of a wildfire, but the warm glow of a campfire, particularly conspicuous in the darkness.
Who would light a fire in this desolate wilderness? Lin Yan's heart tightened. He tiptoed and silently circled around. When he saw the scene before him, he clenched his fists tightly, his nails digging deep into his palms, the pain excruciating, yet he felt nothing—
In a clearing deep in the valley, a bonfire was burning, sparks occasionally leaping upwards, illuminating the surroundings in a crimson glow. In the center of the firelight stood a three-foot-high altar, constructed entirely of bones! The bones varied in thickness, some containing the sharp teeth of beasts, others the claws of monsters, but most were human skeletons—some skulls still embedded with broken arrows, others leg bones broken off, piled together like a grotesque little mountain.
The altar was covered with twisted runes, which seemed to come alive in the firelight, glowing with a dark red light as if blood were flowing within them. What was most chilling were the dozen or so fresh corpses piled up in front of the altar—they were ragged, their faces bearing the fear and pain of their deaths, some with wide-open eyes, others with gaping mouths, as if silently accusing each other.
Lin Yan's gaze suddenly froze—he recognized one of the corpses. It was the mute old man from the refugee camp, who sat in front of his shack chopping wood every day, grinning at everyone he met, his hands calloused. But now, a large hole had been ripped open in the old man's chest, his heart missing, his body carelessly tossed on the ground, the smile on his face still frozen, yet tinged with an indescribable sorrow.
"This is... human sacrifice..." Lin Yan's voice trembled, his teeth grinding together. He had known for a long time that Chen Fuhai and Zhao Mang were committing heinous acts, but seeing the altar of bones and these innocent corpses still ignited a fire of rage within him, making him tremble all over. These refugees had fled from the north, enduring countless hardships along the way. They had thought they would find peace in Blackstone Town, but instead, they died at the hands of their own kind, becoming sacrifices to the demon wolves.
He suppressed the urge to rush out and continued to observe. There were no demonic wolves or people around the altar, and the bonfire was almost burned out, leaving only a pile of glowing embers. It seemed that this was where the wolf pack processed the offerings; after the ritual, the corpses were transported here, either to feed the wolves or to refine the blood crystal.
Lin Yan was about to turn and leave when he caught a glimpse of something glowing in the soil beside the altar. He carefully walked over and brushed away the soil—it was a palm-sized black bone fragment, covered with tiny demonic runes, exactly the same as the one Su Qingyao had mentioned before. Beside the bone fragment, several dark red crystals were scattered, blood crystals.
This is irrefutable evidence! With this bone fragment and blood crystal, plus the contract and ledger we obtained earlier, Chen Fuhai and Zhao Mang couldn't deny it even if they had a hundred mouths. Lin Yan quickly put the bone fragment and blood crystal into his pocket, hiding them close to his body, and then glanced back at the white bone altar and the corpses.
He bowed deeply to the corpses, his voice as soft as a sigh: "Rest in peace, I will avenge you."
Having said that, he turned and disappeared into the darkness. Not long after he left, several demonic wolves came running from the direction of the cave, dragging the fresh corpses into it. Under the moonlight, the white bone altar gleamed with a chilling light, like a gaping, demonic mouth, silently mocking the evil of the world. But they didn't know that this gate of evil would soon be closed by Lin Yan himself.