He carried his long sword, nothing else, and was about to step forward when he suddenly remembered something extremely strange – the mission should have ended, but why hadn’t the system given any notification of successful order completion?
Of course, he didn’t overthink it, as the system sometimes experienced delays.
The scent of blood wafted with the mountain wind, sometimes strong, sometimes weak. Ren Yuanhao didn’t want to get involved, but curiosity struck him, and he was also a bit lost. He figured the mountain stream must eventually merge with a river downstream, and following the stream was surely the right way.
With this thought, Ren Yuanhao pushed aside the grass and stepped forward, soon reaching the stream bank on the muddy ground.
The stream was swift and rocky. The water, which had been crystal clear yesterday, had turned muddy yellow. It rushed downstream, crashing against the rocks and leaping high like galloping horses, creating quite a spectacle. On both sides of the stream, wormwood plants sprawled outwards, extending over the banks and into the shallow grass and gullies, forming countless puddles. One wrong step, and you’d find yourself in a mud pit reaching your calves.
However, Ren Yuanhao had no interest in observing the stream’s might. His eyes were fixed on the rock formation at the bend of the stream above. Perhaps due to the constant washing of the stream and the heavy rain overnight, the rock formation had collapsed. Craggy stones had tumbled down, and a dark cave had appeared on the mountainside!
“That’s strange, how can there be a cave in a place like that?”
Ren Yuanhao looked up at the sky. Dark clouds were gathering over the mountain peak, still gloomy. Although the heavy rain had stopped, it didn’t mean the downpour was over. Logically, he should be finding his way down the mountain quickly. Yet, driven by some unseen force, he waded through the shallow and deep mud puddles and approached the cave.
He took out his phone and called Ye Lan, just to report that he was safe. He also received news that she had managed to steal some information from Lionheart Group and was waiting for him to return. He mumbled an acknowledgment and hung up.
The scent of blood mixed with a strong earthy smell assaulted his senses. Ren Yuanhao was certain that the smell of blood was coming from this cave.
He raised his sword, Cunxue, using his phone’s light as a guide, and entered the cave without a moment’s hesitation.
The climate inside the cave was a stark contrast to the outside, like ice and fire. A warm breeze hit him. Although it was close to the stream, there was no trace of damp cold. No water dripped from the ceiling. What made it even more unbelievable was that the surrounding soil was very orderly and compact, as if excavated and built by modern tools.
This way, Ren Yuanhao didn’t have to worry about sudden attacks from long, slender objects.
The further he went, the stronger the fishy smell became. After walking about twenty to thirty steps, the space suddenly became very spacious. On each side, there were four cages made of reinforced steel. They were lined with dry grass and contained shackles and broken bowls. The cage doors were wide open, and there was not a soul in sight.
To see such symbols of humanity’s cruel civilization in such a desolate place sent Ren Yuanhao’s heart into his throat. At the same time, the fishy smell intensified. The light from his phone could only illuminate a limited area. With each step, the light spread forward, and this feeling of not knowing what lay at the end made him feel very insecure.
Perhaps it was the carcass of an injured animal? Or perhaps a person who had escaped from a cell but couldn’t break through to freedom and died of despair? Or perhaps food dragged here by beasts and stored away?
Any of these possibilities would be enough to give Ren Yuanhao goosebumps.
But what he was about to see would not only give him goosebumps but also fill him with dread and terror!
The gurgling sound of the stream now sounded like a thousand insects crawling madly on the ground, and as the cave was somewhat funnel-shaped, the echoes bounced off the large space from all directions, rushing towards his eardrums.
Ren Yuanhao had to sit cross-legged and circulate the Bìhǎi Cháoshēng Jue to resist the noisy, fragmented sounds feeding into his ears.
After a moment, his clothes were drenched, and his breathing grew heavy. The sounds, which had been like maggots clinging to his bones, finally disappeared. He got up and continued forward. After not walking for long, he saw a corpse, wrapped in a green robe, appear in the spreading beam of his phone’s light!
He was familiar with the green robe; it was definitely the everyday attire of a disciple of the Qingfeng Sect. However, the collar and waist of the green robe had embroidered pear blossoms!
“It seems this disciple held a not-low position in the Qingfeng Sect.”
The disciple’s back was to Ren Yuanhao, curled up like a shrimp. Black-shining shackles hung down from the rock formation, binding the corpse like two small snakes. From the back, the body appeared emaciated and bony, likely due to malnutrition.
He slowly approached and shone his phone light around, ensuring there was no immediate danger. Then, using a nearly rotten wooden stick he found nearby, he flipped the corpse over.
As the corpse turned, the fishy smell instantly turned into a foul stench. Ren Yuanhao covered his nose, his brows furrowed.
He turned his head aside, his stomach churning violently. After a few seconds of dry heaving, he slightly recovered.
The corpse’s head was bowed low, like a penitent sinner in the West. The black hair had lost its luster and covered the corpse’s face like weeds.
Ren Yuanhao’s hand holding the stick trembled slightly, his heart filled with a mixture of excitement like winning a lottery and the fear of facing an unknown event. As he finally used the stick to brush away the hair from the corpse’s face, he involuntarily took several steps back!
Although the woman’s face was gaunt and covered in rigor mortis, her features were dignified and beautiful, appearing to be in her late forties or early fifties. Her eyes were slightly closed, and even though she had suffered immense pain before death, she maintained such a peaceful and beautiful appearance, her fortitude being far beyond that of an ordinary person.
Just as he was speculating about the person’s identity, the dagger in the corpse’s abdomen suddenly reflected a dazzling beam of light. Ren Yuanhao was about to shield his eyes when, within this light, he suddenly glimpsed two small characters engraved on the blade, named—Mù Yān!
“Mu Yan? Fang Mu Yan!”
As this name appeared in Ren Yuanhao’s mind, he felt as if he had been struck by a heavy hammer, his ears buzzing.
However, a dagger engraved with a name could hardly prove anything, and Ren Yuanhao was reluctant to believe it. But at that very moment, another object slid from the corpse’s waist as if playing a joke!