Love & Redemption
Chapter 128: Volume 3 Heartless Xuanji - 35 Betrayal (Part 2)

Chapter 128: Volume 3 Heartless Xuanji Chapter 35 Betrayal (Part 2)

Although Zhong Minyan had just said that even if they didn’t show him the way, he knew where their lair was, he hadn’t expected it to be this close. It was simply a matter of walking out of the woods, turning a corner, and arriving there.

It was a gigantic cavern approximately half a mile in circumference, comically sprawled on the ground with its mouth agape, its interior pitch black and swirling with cold winds, bottomless to the eye. Anybody who saw this hole would generally not wish to approach it.

The man in front made a welcoming gesture and said, "It’s down there."

Zhong Minyan didn’t question further and took the lead to head down. Xuanji, seeing the eerie and sinister surroundings, couldn’t help feeling uneasy and softly called out, "Sixth Brother..."

No one knew what awaited them in the cave; perhaps these people had deceived them, and hidden inside were man-eating demons lying in ambush; or possibly a group of demons had taken residence, ready to tear them to shreds upon entry... The unknown made it all the more terrifying.

Yu Sifeng quietly clenched her hand and whispered, "Remember the way once we go down. If anything happens, don’t worry about anything else; immediately flee the way we came in, understand?"

Xuanji remained silent for a while before she slowly nodded; however, she was resolute in her heart that if the others didn’t escape, she would rather die with them.

Yu Sifeng, muddled by his concern, didn’t realize she was lying and, feeling reassured, took her hand and entered the cavern with the others.

Inside the cavern was a flight of stairs about two feet wide, barely accommodating one person, which became darker and more profound the lower they went, eventually losing any hint of light. Yu Sifeng, holding Xuanji’s hand, walked one after another at the end, listening to Zhong Minyan in the front asking, "Isn’t there any candlelight?"

Someone immediately responded, "Normally, lighting candles isn’t allowed, but since it’s your first visit, making an exception wouldn’t hurt."

As soon as these words fell, indeed, a fire stick was lit in front. Those people carried small torches coated in pine resin on them—each person lit one and held it in hand, revealing the ruggedness within the cave for the first time. This cavern was several times wider than it had appeared from above, with immense space inside. Irregularly aligned from top to bottom, many smaller caves decked the walls; each had a stone step about two feet wide leading to it. At a rough glance, there were no fewer than hundreds of these, clustered together like a spider’s web.

Yu Sifeng had thought there was only one path here, but the actual sight was greatly different, prompting him to look up hastily, only to see the cave entrance was so distant it was out of sight, and he had no idea which fork in the path they were on. The earlier intention to memorize the route was clearly impossible, and his heart sank.

Zhong Minyan was also surprised by the expansive grandeur here and paused before he praised, "Impressive!"

Several people from the Xuanyuan Sect took his genuine compliment with some pride and laughed, saying, "The impressive part is still further down. Now you must understand that they are not just a disorderly mob, right?"

Yu Sifeng let out a soft, derisive laugh, but inwardly he was shocked. Indeed, they had underestimated these demons before.

Zhong Minyan commented indifferently, "Now, I see why the Xuanyuan Sect would choose to side with them. Such grandeur and order—it’s even more organized than the five major cultivation sects."

The few of them didn’t quite grasp the implication of his words and could only manage an awkward chuckle as they continued downwards.

With many forks in the road, remembering one path meant forgetting another, and as they twisted and turned, Xuanji’s head spun, forcing her to pinch Yu Sifeng’s hand and whisper, "I... I can’t remember the way."

Yu Sifeng gritted his teeth, "No need to remember! Just use Sword Control to fly straight up!"

These pathways were designed to confuse the eye, so rather than looking at them, one might as well fly straight up with Sword Control, quickly reaching the cave entrance. However, it was unknown what things lay within those numerous paths that ended in caves; perhaps they led elsewhere, or maybe each cave was guarded by demons ready to strike at the orders of their masters, setting off to attack the Cultivation Sects. If that were the case, then their bold intrusion, thinking they could snatch Linglong’s soul, was nothing but a fool’s dream. No wonder Brother Liu and Ting Nu had such solemn expressions when they parted...

Yu Sifeng felt a cold sweat trail down his spine, both itchy and numb. This place was no less dangerous than the proverbial Dragon Pond and Tiger Cave. By entering here, life and death were no longer in his control. He felt some regret at having rashly intruded.

Glancing back at Xuanji, there was no trace of fear on her face; instead, she stared blankly at the caves. Her characteristic calm somewhat eased his concerns, and he squeezed her hand firmly.

After unknowingly wandering around for who knows how long, they finally stopped in front of a cave. Looking back, they said, "Going through here will get us there. But we can’t light the torches anymore."

Having said that, they extinguished the torches and darted into the cave. Xuanji felt the sweat pouring from Yu Sifeng’s palm and quietly moved closer to him, whispering a sentence in his ear. His body shook violently, and it took a long while before his rigid posture gradually relaxed.

"You always... act recklessly," he said, smiling, but his throat felt a burning sensation, and he could no longer speak.

Before he could finish his sentence, suddenly a light appeared, and they had walked out of the cave. They faced a sudden expanse of open space, a small sloped clearing. Up the slope was a rock mountain, and within a crack in the mountain, there nestled an awe-inspiring architectural structure, quaint with upturned eaves and decorated in vibrant colors, extremely delicate and intricate. It hardly resembled the lair of demons but instead seemed more like a leisurely retreat for emperors and nobles.

The Xuanyuan Sect people, seeing their captivated expressions, proudly introduced, "This was once the resting courtyard of Shen Tu and Yu Lei, and now it has become our Hall Master’s great hall."

It sounded as if even Shen Tu and Yu Lei dared not contend with the demonic Hall Master. It was uncertain what kind of person the so-called Hall Master was.

A staircase about a yard wide had been carved into the rock mountain, leading straight to the grand entrance of the pavilion, with four guards wielding swords stationed at every tenth step. Their solemn and austere demeanor was by no means less impressive than Shaoyang’s.

The four of them followed the Xuanyuan Sect up the staircase until they reached the great doors, when Xuanji suddenly stirred slightly, looking around curiously—something was off about this building; it seemed to be enveloped by something, forcibly isolated, impervious to easy access.

After the Xuanyuan Sect members announced themselves, a figure emerged from within, dressed in black with a White Iron Ring hanging from his waist. Xuanji and Yu Sifeng were shocked to recognize that this was the demonic leader who had led the Bifang Bird chasing after them at Gao Mountain!

The figure also recognized them, a cold smile curling on his lips as he tossed several rings their way, saying, "The Deputy Hall Master awaits you inside. Please wear these rings to follow me inside."

Xuanji saw that the rings were black and heavy, seemingly forged from Xuantie, densely inscribed with text, and about an inch wide. She poked at it with her finger, feeling inscriptions on both sides but unsure of their purpose.

"There is a Barrier around the hall to prevent enemy incursions. These rings are tokens that allow free entry and exit."

As the man spoke of enemy incursions, his gaze inadvertently swept over Xuanji and Yu Sifeng. Unfortunately for him, they displayed no sign of guilt or fear.

At this stage, retreat was impossible; their only option was to advance and see for themselves what the feared demon hideout truly looked like. Yu Sifeng held Xuanji’s hand tightly. Just like the sentence she had whispered into his ear earlier: to live together, to die together. With each other’s company, even death was nothing to be feared.

Indeed, if death was not feared, then what place in the world was there not to dare venture into? (To be continued, for further developments, please log on to www.qidian.com, more Chapters available, support the author, support genuine reading!)