【Texture】(148, 149)

Author: Wandering Traveler,

September 1, 2016, first published on sis,

Chapter 148.

Just as the woman finished speaking and was about to turn away, Sun Cong said something else.

"Jingyi, I know what you mean. You and I both have partners now. Saying these
things is meaningless! What I want to say is, if...if not, would I have that chance?"

Hearing Sun Cong's words, Zhou Jingyi seemed stunned for a moment, her tone turning cold.

"Sun Cong, what do you mean by that?"

Zhou Jingyi's change in tone might have surprised Sun Cong, but after hesitating, he spoke again.

"...These past two days, we've gathered quite a few escapees. But
none have seen Yan Ping. Don't you think Yan...Yan Ping is probably already dead..."

"You're talking nonsense!" Before Sun Cong could finish, Zhou Jingyi's curse slipped out. Silence fell!

After a long while, Zhou Jingyi's voice rang out again, her tone returning to its initial state.

"Sorry, I couldn't control myself! But it's fine this way, it gives you a chance to see my true colors!
Hehe! To be honest, I have a very strange temper, and I guess apart from Yan Ping, no one can stand my real temper! So
, you and I are really not suitable. As for Yan Ping's current situation, I'm not worried at all! You don't know
, since we met, we've been through even more dangerous and desperate times than this. There were even a couple of times
when I thought I would never see him again, but he always miraculously appeared in front of me, giving me surprises and
leading me out of many predicaments! How should I put it? I guess he must have been blessed by some Lady Luck! I
know you didn't mean any harm by what you said, but I have faith in him! I believe that this time he will
appear in front of me at my most dangerous and helpless moment, just like the previous times, leading me out of the sea of suffering and
rescuing me from my pain and suffering!"

"...Is that so? Hehe, it seems that I've been deluding myself all along!" Sun Cong
chuckled self-deprecatingly, but still asked unwillingly. "I understand. No matter how hard I try,
it seems I can't change your mind. But I still want to understand one thing: what is it about him that I don't?
In your eyes, am I really inferior to him?"

"You're right!" Zhou Jingyi unexpectedly answered Sun Cong's question immediately. "
You saw it when we ran into the forest yesterday! Those motorcycles were originally coming to chase us,
but A-Ping fired his gun, leading the pursuers in his direction. If he hadn't sacrificed himself,
would we have all escaped successfully? To be honest, if you were in his shoes, would you have done the same?" "

...This..." Sun Cong hesitated for a moment, and ultimately didn't speak.

"He's not as rich, as well-mannered, or as handsome as you, and he's also considerably older. On
the surface, he certainly can't compare to you. But he has courage and a strong sense of responsibility. Since I've known him, he's risked his own safety for others
more than once ! I'm certain he'd
sacrifice his life for me. And you… if you could only choose between your life and mine, would you die for me?"
Zhou Jingyi concluded by posing her question.

Sun Cong hesitated for a long time before finally sighing. "Okay, I don't want to lie to you, but I guess it's difficult!"

Faced with Sun Cong's answer, Zhou Jingyi chuckled again. "Hehe, good to know!" She
paused, then added, "But your honesty now is a bit of a surprise. I guess it's increased my
favorability towards you a little. However, no matter how high the favorability, I'll only consider you a friend. Don't
overthink it! Finally, I might as well be frank with you: Yan Ping isn't my only man. Before him,
I had two other boyfriends. If something really happens to Yan Ping, I don't plan to find a new
boyfriend or consider marriage... because I don't want
to experience ..." Zhou Jingyi's voice gradually lowered as she finished speaking. "

Alright, that's enough. Our conversation should end. I'm going back. If you want to stay here alone, that's fine." 　　Hidden behind the demon pile, I peeked out, watching the two figures slowly walking away in the distance, silently planting two flames. Then I retreated, activating the Crimson Lotus Diagram in my mind! 　　Two pale yellow, candle-like flames appeared in the diagram. 　　"...Not those colorful, multicolored flames? Hmm, unexpected yet reasonable! But ..." 　　After thinking for a while, I finally rejected the idea and plan to go to the high ground to meet up with the others, and shifted my gaze to a dark grove of trees not far away... 　　After observing for a while, I got up and went into the grove. 　　The trees in this grove weren't very tall, and their branches were full of round fruits. I had vaguely noticed this before, which was why I ran over with a bit of anticipation and curiosity. I picked a fruit and examined it carefully, and I was immediately surprised! 　　This grove was actually an apple orchard, and the trees inside were all apple trees without exception. After repeatedly confirming that there was nothing unusual about the fruit in my hand, I mustered up my courage and took a bite, then showed an incredulous expression. 　　"This...how is this possible? It really is an apple? Although it's not sweet enough and a bit too watery, so it's not very tasty. But it's definitely an apple...What month is it? The New Year is just over a month away! How can there still be apples at this time?" 　　Although my household registration is in the city with my father, I grew up in a rural town and am no . I know almost everything: planting, raising livestock, cultivating fruits and vegetables! And all of this was taught to me by my grandmother when I was in my hometown of Qingyuan Town! My grandmother may look gentle and fair-skinned, but according to the older generation in the town , she used to work in the fields when she was young, and she was quite skilled at it. Back when the town was a people's commune, she earned more work points than my grandfather. She could do everything from clearing land, plowing, hoeing, accumulating fertilizer, sowing, transplanting rice seedlings, to harvesting, and she did it better than any other woman in the town.

It was good. Only after my father and uncle grew up and started working in the fields did she gradually reduce her farm work burden! Strangely enough
, while other women in town got tanned from farming, my grandmother was special; no matter how much sun she tanned,
she never got a tan! Therefore, she earned the nickname "The One Who Never Gets Tanned" among her peers…
…This nickname was said to have been used by other women in town for a long time, until my father and uncle's generation grew up and my
grandmother and her contemporaries became the older generation in town, at which point it gradually faded from memory.

After my father went to the city to work as an accountant and sent his salary home, and my uncle joined the army and sent his allowances home, the family
's economic situation gradually improved. Naturally, my grandmother no longer needed to work in the fields like she had in her youth, and
became a full-time housewife taking care of me. However, her household registration did not follow my father to the city, but remained in Qingyuan Town with my deceased
grandfather . After the reform and opening up, my grandmother was also allocated a private plot of land. Because our family had good interpersonal relationships and harmonious neighbors in
town , when the land was allocated, the town and neighbors fully considered my grandmother's
specific situation, and she ultimately received more than ten acres of orchard. Therefore, I'm
quite ! It's precisely for this reason that I have
an incredulous question about the apple I've taken a bite out of!

Modern agricultural technology is advanced; it's not surprising to cultivate and grow off-season fruits and vegetables using greenhouses and other artificial techniques
. But this apple grove is clearly naturally formed here… Although these apples
seem of extremely poor quality, with almost no economic value in cultivation or breeding! Yet, they are undeniably right in
front of me, edible, and thirst-quenching! Moreover, judging from the number of fruits hanging on the surrounding trees, I
could eat my fill...

At the same time, I suddenly realized something I had been overlooking...

"The temperature... That's right! From the time I arrived at the camp until just now! In these two days, I don't
seem to have felt any change in temperature! Whether it was at the base camp by the lake, in
the coniferous forest area inside the valley, in the maple forest area where the first camp is located, or here! The temperature seems to have
remained at this level, neither cold nor hot, making it extremely comfortable! And those
areas I passed through, theoretically speaking, belong to different climate zones, so how could the temperature be like this?"

However, I quickly calmed down.

"Hmm, it seems this place, like the area around Xia Yu City, is situated in a unique geographical and climatic environment!
The valleys around Xia Yu City experience all four seasons in a single day, while this place maintains a constant temperature year-round! Could it be that a
giant air conditioner is constantly operating, regulating the natural temperature of this area? If so,
it's not surprising that I can find these ripe apples in this apple orchard!
What exactly is this place?"

While I was pondering this in the forest, the newly appeared camp inside the narrow valley was
brightly lit. Over two hundred employees and workers of the Baihui Group, who had been held hostage and controlled by armed men , were inspecting various tools and machinery under the surveillance and instructions of

the armed men ... 　　Outside a tent, a woman with her hair in a bun quietly observed everything in the camp. When Daye Rinpoche came to her side, the woman with her hair in a bun sighed and said, "No wonder it's the legendary Garden of Eden, it's truly spring-like all year round. I was worried it would be cold here, so I brought a few thick clothes, but now it seems completely unnecessary!" 　　Daye. Upon hearing the woman with her hair in a bun, Rinpoche responded, "Whether it's Eden or not is hard to say. I'm more inclined to suspect that this is the Pure Land of Ultimate Bliss that Buddha spoke of! Of course, whatever this place may be, it's clearly the most suitable place for people to live and inhabit! What I don't understand is why people in ancient times would abandon such a comfortable life and environment here and flee to the outside world? Ms. Liu, your husband's research records don't mention this at all!" 　　The woman with her hair in a bun remained calm in response to Daye Rinpoche's question. "His research data and results are all in Sun Cong's hands. What you and I have are things I secretly photographed and copied when he wasn't looking! Although he married me, he has never truly trusted me or treated me as his wife! He only trusts his own son! Therefore, the data and research records we have are incomplete. Only by catching up with Sun Cong can we obtain the complete research results and data." 　　"I see," Daye Rinpoche nodded and remained silent. 　　After a moment of silence, the woman with her hair in a bun gave an instruction. "Once all checks and preparations are complete, the first team will depart. We'll need the people you've arranged, Master Daye, to take care of the reconnaissance and security ." 　　Daye Rinpoche replied calmly. "Don't worry, I'll handle all of that." 　　Then, Daye Rinpoche turned and walked towards an armed man not far away, giving him instructions in Tibetan: "Surba Dabu, you and Balanktu depart within an hour. Arrive at the first campsite established by the Baihui Group search and rescue . Mark the route, clear obstacles along the way, and search for and apprehend any hiding or escapees found along the way." The 　　armed man, addressed as Surba Dabu, clearly held Daye Rinpoche in high esteem. After confirming the instructions, he gave Daye Rinpoche a standard British military salute before turning and leaving. 　　Not long after, a convoy consisting of a light mountain tracked vehicle and more than ten motorcycles departed from the camp. Under the cover of night, guided by searchlights and accompanied by the roar of engines, they drove into the pitch-black dense forest … 　　“The seventh one…” 　　At this moment, I was like a lurking cheetah, crouching on a branch of an apple tree! Unconsciously, I had become accustomed to this posture, and to some extent, I had almost forgotten that I was human… 　　In my memory, this posture seemed to be Xia Jiang’s favorite posture. In the tall canopy of Liziping, when she spotted a zombie moving below, she would first use this posture to lock onto her target, then leap down, grab the zombie’s head with both hands, and then leap back onto the canopy, absorbing the corpse energy from the zombie’s body as it struggled with its feet in the air!

I never imagined that one day I would be like her, lying prone in a tree, searching for
my prey!

Normally, apple trees aren't very big, but this wild apple grove I was in had been
there how long, its trunks and branches were exceptionally thick! Thinking
that hanging from a thick branch in mid-air would be safer without any safety precautions, I
climbed use as my resting place for the night. Because the branches
were so dense and intertwined, I could even lie down without worrying about falling to the ground.

However, just as I adjusted my posture to find the most comfortable lying position, I saw
a very conspicuous white shadow moving rapidly across the distant grassland in the darkness!

After observing for only a moment, I realized that the white shadow was the
corpse energy or demonic energy manifested by some kind of corpse monster or demon within my Crimson Lotus Eye. Realizing that it was moving towards
the dark , I immediately tried to implant a flame into it! Because of the great distance, I had never
successfully implanted a flame into a target at such a distance before, so it was truly just an experiment. But unexpectedly
, after this attempt, a wisp of green flame reappeared in the mental image. This surprised me, but
also filled me with joy! Because I realized that my Crimson Lotus ability had clearly strengthened!

When I returned from Xia Yu City to test the Crimson Lotus flame, I had estimated
the distance . I didn't have a precise answer at the time, but I vaguely remembered that I could only
implant the flame into targets within tens of meters of me; anything further away wouldn't react. This was because
the target needed to form a clear image in my mind. Too far away, I
couldn't even what the target looked like, so I couldn't successfully implant the flame. But now, that white shadow
was probably two or three hundred meters away, and I had
successfully . This clearly showed that my Crimson Lotus ability had been further enhanced!

After confirming the implantation of the flames, I recalled my mental state when I annihilated the pack of wolf corpses. Then,
I successfully ignited my own flames within the Crimson Lotus Diagram, producing sparks that flew everywhere as before! As the sparks spread outwards from
the diagram , it dawned on me… I suddenly remembered that I
had also implanted flames within Zhou Jingyi and Sun Cong. What would
happen ?

But by the time I realized this, it was too late for regrets! The rapidly flying sparks instantly
came into contact with the three flames on the diagram…

The green flames exploded the moment they touched the sparks! In my vision, the distant white figure also
emitted a flash of light, then vanished without a trace.

The yellow flames, after contacting the sparks, did not explode; on the contrary, they burned even more intensely within
the diagram !

The sudden flash of light in the lowland plains clearly attracted
the attention ! In the darkness, their shouts and warnings reached my ears!

"Don't leave your positions! Don't go out to check rashly! Armed personnel, just stay at your posts!
No matter what happens! Don't leave the current campsite..."

Only after hearing the command from the high ground did I finally catch my breath, gradually
recovering from extreme panic!

"It's Sun Cong, that's right, it's Sun Cong's voice! He's alive... he's alright! Whew... he should be alive!
Yes, he should be alright! His and Jingyi's flames are still burning normally in my diagram! The flames haven't disappeared,
there's nothing unusual, so they should be fine! Damn it, that scared me to death!"

Overjoyed, I punched myself hard in the chest!

"You bastard, you get so carried away with the little things! You did it without thinking! Thank goodness!
It seems those sparks only ignited the green demonic flames, not
the yellow flames implanted in ordinary people! That's great, so lucky!"

"...Women, don't stay out in the open, come inside! Let the men keep watch outside!"

Only after hearing the following female command did my heart truly settle down! Because the
woman 's voice was clearly Zhou Jingyi's! It seems that in the past two days, she has unknowingly become
the leader of the female members of this team. While feeling relieved, I couldn't help but smile! In my opinion,
with her experience in the Phoenix Mountain prison and the Xia Yucheng adventure, she has far more experience in dealing with various abnormal situations and emergencies
than the other women in the team. Even in terms of experience in facing unknown demons
and monsters, she has more say than Guan Yueran and the others, so it is only natural for her to take the lead. However, soon, my
absurd reappeared in my mind. My thoughts involuntarily settled...

Not long after, another unknown monster appeared in my Crimson Lotus field of vision, and I unconsciously
implanted a Crimson Lotus flame into it again. Then, using the same method, I annihilated it in the wilderness hundreds of meters away!

Having confirmed that this new Crimson Lotus ability wouldn't harm ordinary people, in order to
extricate myself from that absurd idea, I don't know if it was intentional or unintentional, but I focused my attention on
dealing with the demons emerging from the darkness!

Of course, besides distracting myself, what also drove me to do this was the
thrill ! Moreover, after repeatedly annihilating the demons that appeared in succession using the same method, I found myself
becoming increasingly excited!

No more fatigue, no more sleepiness! My mind was solely focused on searching for
any demons that might appear! Even my posture became one of crouching, ready to pounce!

Unbeknownst to me, I had easily eliminated seven monsters burning with green flames in my diagrams
!

The flashes of light that appeared intermittently across the open field also attracted the attention of the personnel on the high ground, unaware that
I was responsible. Therefore, each flash caused
a moment of .

I, however, remained completely unperturbed by the situation! The reason was simple: Wang Lie's request was one thing, but Ming...
My stated reason for accepting the Sun brothers' employment was to exterminate demons and protect them from their attacks. And
everything I'm doing now is simply fulfilling my duty and obligation! Whether this will cause them to spend the night in
panic is not something I should consider! In my opinion, being in a state of panic and
not getting enough rest is
far !

Through observation, I've also discovered the specific reason why these demons keep appearing here

…light!

The light emanating from the dark buildings on the high ground is clearly the lure attracting these creatures!
In contrast , Xiao Suyan, who spent the night at the first camp, seemed much more alert! Before the night, Song Kui and the others
suggested lighting a campfire in the camp for illumination and to scare away wild animals, but Xiao Suyan firmly refused
! Now it seems his actions were to avoid this situation.

Realizing this, I'm a little curious; heaven knows how they survived the previous night!

After waiting for a long time without seeing an eighth of these moth-to-a-flame monsters approaching the high ground, I
suddenly realized the change in the surrounding light!

Whether it was Xiao Suyan, or Wang Lie and Han Zhe in the past, they had all said that most
demons had a natural fear of sunlight to some extent! Therefore, very few demons appeared during the day,
and even if they did, they usually only existed in dark corners, avoiding contact with sunlight as much as possible. Therefore, when I saw
the first hint of white appear on the eastern horizon, I realized that the night had passed just like that.

The people who had spent the night on the high ground, having endured the night in fear, began to stir. Not long after, I saw
armed men leading seventy or eighty escapees pouring down from the building on the high ground. It seemed that
the strange flashes that appeared intermittently during the night had terrified them, so they couldn't wait to
leave at dawn. Zhou Jingyi and Sun Cong were naturally among them.

Looking at their unsteady gait, I once again had the idea of going out to join them. But
after much deliberation, I dismissed the idea once again.

I had overheard the entire conversation between Sun Cong and Zhou Jingyi yesterday. Although the main content of their conversation
was unrelated to the Nine Cauldrons, I could tell that even under the current circumstances, Sun Cong hadn't given up
his ambition for the Nine Cauldrons! I always remembered my primary mission here. In my view, temporarily remaining hidden and following them
might be more convenient for me to stop or change Sun Cong's greed for the Nine Cauldrons and his subsequent actions. Once I revealed myself and joined
the team , I wouldn't be able to act so easily or adapt to the situation!

Before, because I was worried about Jingyi's safety, I was eager to keep up with them. But now that I had implanted the Flame
within both , I could monitor their
every move and quickly locate them for at least three days. A deeper reason stems from my absurd conjecture…

“Judging from the situation with the flames in the diagram, that idea is indeed too ridiculous! But thinking carefully about
all the experiences I’ve had with Jingyi since we met, there are just too many suspicious points! Even if my previous conjecture was absurd
enough , it’s not impossible that there’s some kind of connection between Jingyi and that fairy! After all, no one knows a child
better than their mother! My mother has been secretly observing my every move, and her understanding of me may even surpass that of myself
! And the timing of Jingyi’s appearance in front of me is also too special!”

"...Because of my third heartbreak, I was utterly despondent and completely gave up on the idea of falling in love again,
intending to remain single for the rest of my life! During those three years, my supervisor, Lao Wu, and some friends and elders
, out of concern for me, introduced me to at least four or five potential girlfriends! But at that time, I was truly
hopeless . I knew they meant well, but in the end, I didn't even meet any of those girls! Moreover, during those three years,
I lived a near-abstinent life. Forget about dating, I didn't even go to a prostitute...
If Zhou Jingyi had appeared in front of me back then, I might have been amazed by her beauty, but I might not have fallen
madly in love with her like I do now... Because at that time, I was truly hopeless about women. I even had a somewhat
twisted fear of women!"

"...About six months ago, I felt like I was wasting my life. So I decided to change my lifestyle
a little That's why I accepted the job of working on the new webpage
and had the idea of applying to go to the Middle East as a war correspondent. To put it bluntly, I wanted to start over.
And Jingyi just happened to appear in front of me when I had just rekindled my hope for a new life... In this
situation , let alone her stunning beauty, even an ordinary girl could probably easily have me under
her thumb!"

"Now that I think about it, how far-fetched it was that she approached me under the guise of her company and the editorial department's so-called cooperation
? And I only realized this last night! And the reason is that I was
completely ... Sigh, I hope that in the end it turns out that all of this was just my own wild speculation. If Jingyi
really approached me under my mother's control and instructions, how should I treat her?"

Thinking about this, I curled up into the dense foliage. Everyone in the descending crowd could see
the apple orchard I was in, but no one noticed someone hiding among the branches and leaves above…

The crowd that had gathered on the low-lying hill didn't immediately leave the area; there seemed to be a dispute within the group about their
next direction. However, they eventually seemed to reach a consensus, and the group
began to head towards the distant rift valley!

Half an hour later, after confirming that the entire group had completely disappeared on the distant horizon, I calmly
climbed down from the tree. While stuffing a few wild apples into my pocket, I looked up at the place where Zhou Jingyi and the others had camped
the previous night…

Chapter 149

After dawn, I finally saw the true shape of the dark structures clearly—several
stone houses built from smooth, massive stones. The houses reminded me of Stonehenge in England. However, it was clear that
these stone structures on the high ground were far more "advanced" than Stonehenge, as they formed habitable
stone chambers and rooms.

"Simple, but clearly man-made. Besides the camp set up by Baihui Group, this should
be the first man-made structure I've seen since entering this maze-covered area, right?"

"...Built on high ground in this hilly area, the stone houses are surrounded by scattered stone
walls... There's only a narrow ridge slope
leading , and the slope even bends near the entrance! This looks exactly like a
defensive stone fortress! And from a soldier's perspective, without firearms and artillery, it
would be extremely difficult to breach this fortress."

Thinking that I could track Sun Cong's team at any time, and considering that they weren't moving very fast,
I couldn't suppress my curiosity and followed the uphill path to the stone building complex. After seeing
the specific locations and orientations of the various stone houses within the complex, I became even more certain of my guess! This was definitely
a stone fortress used for military purposes, just rather simple and primitive!

I circled the dilapidated stone wall and then entered the interior of a stone hut.

The entire hut was almost entirely constructed of long, narrow bluestone blocks, making it appear quite large from the outside, but the interior was actually
very cramped. Because there were no windows and no ventilation, even though it was already bright outside,
the interior remained completely dark.

I extended my right hand and activated the Crimson Lotus Flame, barely illuminating the room…
It was completely empty , except for a few pieces of trash left behind by the previous campers in a corner, such as empty cans
. Just as I was about to turn around and check the other huts, I suddenly noticed
some faint patterns remaining on the walls of the stone chamber out of the corner of my eye.

I couldn't help but lean closer to examine them.

After seeing what the drawings looked like, I couldn't help but feel disappointed. The patterns were neither murals
nor stone carvings; they were merely irregular, chaotic lines carved with some kind of sharp, hard object—
not even graffiti.

But just as I felt my act of examining the drawing was pointless, the jumbled lines
seemed to flicker a few times.

I was startled and took a step back. Then I blinked… After calming myself slightly
, I focused my gaze on the lines on the wall again, activating my Crimson Lotus Detective
ability. A moment later, a smile crept onto my face…

I turned and grabbed a tin can, vigorously scraping the wall with the hard metal edge. Soon,
large patches of plaster crumbled off the wall, gradually revealing a rough, uneven stone relief!

"Just as I suspected! Someone plastered the entire stone wall of the room with mud, and it was
quite thick. If my Crimson Lotus Eye hadn't sensed something unusual inside that thick layer of mud earlier,
I probably wouldn't have discovered anything behind that mud wall. Zhou Jingyi and Sun Cong stayed here
for a whole night and didn't even notice this... Well, it's not surprising. They were busy escaping their
pursuers and those dirty things that could appear at any moment, and they were all panicking. Besides, the wall
was plastered so smoothly, who would have thought there was something hidden behind the mud layer? It was only because I was already somewhat inclined
to investigate that I noticed what was inside the mud layer. Those lines were probably just
casually carved by someone who stayed here yesterday out of boredom, but they didn't use much force and
stopped after making the marks because they felt it wasn't interesting..."

It was a bit difficult to scrape at
first it became much easier. Ten minutes later, on the small patch of wall I had scraped open,
several crudely carved reliefs were revealed before me…

After seeing the images in the reliefs, I was first stunned, then regretted my impulsive action!

The reliefs were extremely rough, devoid of any aesthetic appeal! And the content was even more horrifying…

The exposed reliefs were all filled with blood and violence! In one relief,
a naked human body lay prone on the ground, its head carved into the side of its body, clearly decapitated;
in another, also a naked human body, but incomplete, the incompleteness obviously intentional on the part of the sculptor
, intended to depict the fragmentation of the body; and in yet another image left me speechless:
a long wooden stick pierced through three upright human bodies, like a skewer of flesh,
with flames carved below the skewer…

“…What the hell is this? What is this? Is it some kind of depiction of the eighteen levels of hell?”

I stared at the reliefs, dumbfounded! However, I still hadn't learned my lesson and
continued to expand the area of the relief on the wall. I don't know how long I spent, but I only stopped after

scraping away the entire layer of mud from the wall in the room ! 　　Horrifying, tragic, and outrageous... 　　the relief on the entire wall depicted almost only one thing... humans being slaughtered and tortured! 　　But when the entire wall of relief was revealed, I finally saw that it wasn't just human mutilated limbs and corpses... there were also several strange creature patterns! However, it was clear that these strange creatures were chasing or devouring the human bodies in the scene! 　　One creature caught my attention. This creature resembled a human, but its posture was stiff, looking exactly like a humanoid zombie. In the scene, it leaped diagonally and bit the head of a human body in front of it... 　　Gradually, I realized what was happening. 　　"So that's it! This relief isn't some depiction of hell. It portrays various demons and monsters torturing, hunting, and cannibalizing humans!" 　　Looking at it, I couldn't help but feel a chill run down my spine, and unconsciously moved towards the doorway! Although the sculptor's technique lacked any real skill, it perfectly presented the bone-chilling horror to the viewer... 　　Even I, an exorcist possessing the power of the Crimson Lotus, who has never felt any fear of demons and monsters...

Everyone felt an extreme sense of terror! Unconsciously, cold sweat soaked through my underwear, and large beads
of sweat condensed on my forehead. Finally, I felt I couldn't bear the scenes depicted in the murals any longer,
and I staggered out of the stone house.

Only when I was in the bright outdoor light did I feel a sense of relief and gasp
for breath!

"Damn it…curiosity killed the cat! Did I have nothing better to do? Why did I scrape that wall? That creepy
stuff, no wonder the previous people plastered the entire room's walls with mud. I must have been bored
…right, right, how far have Sun Cong and the others gone? I should start following them
."

I frantically tried to distract myself and activated the Crimson Lotus Diagram in my mind. While checking
the location of Sun Cong and Zhou Jingyi's flames, I unexpectedly discovered that Song Kui and his group's six flames
were rapidly approaching my current location...

"Huh, they've gotten this way too? I was wondering whether to meet up with them first
or follow Sun Cong directly, but now that's solved. They're
about two or three kilometers away from where I am now, perfect for meeting up with them first. Han Zhe's research notes are still in my backpack
..."

Just as I thought of this, several gunshots rang out from the direction of Song Kui's flames on the map.
I paused for a moment, then quickly ran down the slope towards the location of Song Kui and his group's flames on the map
.

It shouldn't be pursuers! The area around the eastern valley is quite complex in terrain, besides the dense forest, and
the ground difficult to traverse. In addition to Song Kui leading the wrong way and wasting time, our group's overall movement speed
is not slow. Even if the pursuing armed men are faster than us, they can't be much faster. It seems unlikely that they've caught up to us at this time
. Therefore, I could almost certainly conclude that Song Kui and the others had
likely been attacked by demons or wild beasts.

After a night of recovery, I could no longer feel the pain in my left leg wound. Although my left leg
still felt somewhat weak, it didn't significantly affect my running speed.

In just a few minutes, I crossed
the nearly one-kilometer-long open hilly area between the high ground where the stone fortress was located and the eastern forest area, entering the edge of this forest zone. Along the way,
I gunshots, which became clearer and clearer. But thankfully, the six flames in my map remained and were
getting closer...

After going deeper into the forest by about three or four hundred meters, I finally saw the fleeing refugees. To my
surprise , there were more than just Song Kui and his six companions in my sight
. Led by Song Kui, Huo Zunhua, and a few others, the group had several more refugees, all wearing Baihui Group uniforms. I recognized two of them
. One was Ma Guofu, who had picked me up at the freight yard in Golmud; the other was Liu Min, the woman who,
along , discovered the remains of the monster in the broken pile of debris.

As I saw them, the fleeing people also saw me. Huo Zunhua
was leading the escape; he was the first to spot me and shouted,

"Brother Yan, is that you? Run! Monsters are chasing us!"

I was grateful for his warning and friendly reminder, but instead of turning and running as he suggested,
I immediately went to meet them, shouting for them to proceed in my direction! "Run
this way , you can leave the forest this way!"

After reuniting with Huo Zunhua and the others, I turned around and pointed out
the direction to escape the forest and enter the hilly area. As we moved forward together, I asked Huo Zunhua, "What kind of monster is chasing you?
Where is Xiao?"

"Corpse... Corpse demons! Hordes of corpse demons... Master Xiao is staying behind to intercept them!"

I guess Huo Zunhua and the others had already witnessed Xiao Suyan's abilities, and now they addressed him as
the respectful "Master." Before, I remembered Huo Zunhua calling Xiao Suyan "Brother Xiao"...

Soon, I led them out of the forest area. I pointed to the stone fortress that was clearly visible on the hilly highlands in the distance
. "Go there and wait for me, I'll go find Xiao!"

Huo Zunhua nodded as he saw the receding stone fortress, and without another word, he led the way and ran in that direction. As I turned around
, Ma Guofu, Liu Min, the Taoist priest, and the others passed by me one by one. From their expressions
, I could see they were surprised and taken aback by my sudden appearance. However, because of
the danger that might appear behind them at any moment, they didn't have time to talk to me and chose to follow Huo Zunhua immediately. This
included Zhang Lu and her son. However, as she passed by me with Xiao Rui, she paused and pointed behind her, saying,
"...This is your backpack."

I was stunned for a moment, then realized that Zhang Lu had taken the backpack I had left behind yesterday. I
immediately nodded to her and took the backpack after she took it off.

After Zhang Lu and her son, along with the last few escapees, ran past me towards the stone fortress, Song Kui, carrying a rifle, also
emerged from the forest. At this moment, his face was full of panic, but when he saw me, he showed an expression of wild joy. However
, precisely because he focused his attention on me and didn't look at the ground, he
stumbled and fell to the ground after only ten steps...

Immediately afterward, a white shadow darted out from the dark, deep forest, lunging towards the fallen
Song Kui...

I didn't see the white shadow's exact appearance, but the instant it appeared in my sight, I
implanted a flame into its body, then pointed... The white shadow in mid-air exploded with the movement of my hand
!

Pointing wasn't just for show; during my previous nighttime hunts of demons
, I discovered that the sparks erupting from the flames in the center of the Crimson Lotus Diagram could
be ! After a few attempts, I felt that attention and vision seemed to work... but the guiding
effect wasn't very good. Directly pointing with my hand allowed the flying sparks
to concentrate at the point my finger was pointing, converging and striking the flame in the diagram!

Seeing Song Kui in danger, I didn't think too much and immediately used the skills I had just mastered to quickly eliminate the monsters that
had appeared ! Song Kui lay on the ground, staring dumbfounded at everything that had happened,
his face full of disbelief!

"What are you standing there for? Get up and run with the others, to that stone fortress where I'm waiting!"

...Watching Song Kui quickly get up and run towards the stone fortress, I bent down, opened my backpack, took
out a signal flare, and released one into the air!

The signal flare was originally used to communicate with Huang Yandong. However, I released it not to
summon Huang Yandong to join me. Those armed men firmly controlled the valley passage into this unknown area.
In my opinion, even Wang Lie wouldn't be able to break through that narrow valley
terrain he's only flesh and blood; if he gets hit by a bullet, he'll still die! So Huang Yandong, that
guy who's good at avoiding danger, is most likely still active in the outer area around the main camp. He can't see
the signal flare I'm launching here . So, this signal flare is actually aimed at Xiao Suyan...

He stayed behind the fleeing crowd to intercept the corpse demons! Huo Zunhua said there are many
corpse demons chasing them... Judging from the fact that only one corpse demon has appeared behind Song Kui and the others, Xiao Suyan, to cover
everyone's escape, most likely used the same method I used before, which was to use himself as bait to lure away
most of the demons. In this way, he is very likely to have taken a different route than Song Kui and the others! I didn't
implant a flame in his body, so I can't pinpoint his exact location in the forest! Therefore, it's difficult for me to enter the forest to meet him
and help him fight those monsters! For this reason, I suddenly had a flash of inspiration and thought of the signal flare in my backpack.

Although it's daytime, he shouldn't be too far away from me right now, and with such a strong
flash , he should be able to detect it even in the forest. Based on the intelligence index he left me before
, he should be a very smart guy. Seeing this flash should have meant someone was signaling,
indicating direction, and then turning towards me, allowing me to provide backup...

However, to my surprise, less than two minutes after my signal flare was launched,
a similarly intense flash appeared in the sky to the east, not far away. When I saw that flash,
I blinked, almost unable to believe my eyes!

"The exact same signal flare! Could it be Huang Yandong? Did this guy actually break through
the blockade of the armed men on the other side of the valley and get in? How did he do that?"

Just as I was filled with doubt, a large area of trees in the forest began to shake violently, and
the area moved rapidly toward my location...

Seeing this, the muscles on my face trembled uncontrollably! "...What...what's
going on ? Such a commotion?"

Three minutes later, a figure ran out of the forest—it was Xiao Suyan! He was stunned when he saw me, then
ran towards me, shouting at me.

"Run, run... There are too many of these bastards! I can't kill them all..."

The swaying branches finally moved to the edge of the forest, and white monsters emerged from the
treetops and the ground. I glanced at them and immediately turned and ran...

The monsters were corpse demons. These creatures, with near-human appearances, moved swiftly on
all fours, covered in white fur, with claw-like toes, ugly and ferocious faces, and
two prominent fangs protruding from their mouths...

If there were fewer of them, I might have planned to use my newly acquired skill to
wipe them out completely with Xiao Suyan! But when I realized there were dozens of corpse demons emerging from the forest, I was terrified
and turned to flee! The reason was simple: corpse demons were incredibly fast. Even though my new ability could instantly
kill multiple demons, the maximum number I could eliminate was limited to the number of flames I could unleash! Furthermore,
based on last night's experience of exterminating the demons, I discovered that the flames within the demons only
explode after colliding with my sparks on the diagram. The sparks on the diagram move in a straight line; unless the distance is
extremely close, they often fly straight out, missing the flames' positions. Moreover,
the number of sparks I generate at a time is the same as the number of flames—only thirty-six. At greater distances, or if the flight direction or
angle is incorrect, it's possible that not a single spark will collide with a flame. Therefore, after generating the sparks
, I need to guide them using various methods! Right now, there are too many demons for me
to exterminate . And if one or two manage to pounce on me and launch an effective attack, I can easily imagine
the consequences.

"Hey Xiao! What are you doing! Aren't corpse demons supposed to be inactive during the day?" Only now did I
realize this, and I ran while yelling at Xiao Suyan behind me.

"Damn it... Corpse demons don't usually come out during the day! How am I supposed to know
what's ? Maybe it's a new species?" Xiao Suyan was completely bewildered!

"A new species? Holy crap... do these things even have different species?" I shouted, glancing
back . One look, and I felt like I'd discovered something!

When I turned to run, I felt the nearest corpse demon was only about ten meters away from Xiao Suyan, but
now, after we'd run over a hundred meters,
the distance had increased to thirty or forty meters! Not only that, the corpse demons behind us, which had been incredibly agile when they rushed out of the forest, now seemed sluggish
, even though they weren't running slow . 　　Realizing this, I was overjoyed. I turned sideways, planted flames at the two leading corpse demons, and with a flick of my arm, both demons vanished into ashes! 　　Xiao Suyan saw my movement and turned to look back. Upon seeing me, he burst into laughter! 　　"Damn it, I thought they weren't afraid of the sun! In the forest, they were leaping and bounding like nothing, but apparently they can't run in the sunlight! You think you can eat me? You don't have teeth that strong! I'll slaughter you all when I get back!" With that, he turned and charged back, sword in hand!

Seeing Xiao Suyan turn and charge again, I immediately stopped. Crimson lotus flames appeared in my hands as defense
, and I simultaneously planted sparks into three corpse demons dozens of meters in front of me…

After I raised my hands again to guide them, the three corpse demons turned into shattered ashes. Soon, I
found new targets, three more…

While retreating to maintain distance from the horde of corpse demons, I selectively and purposefully eliminated
the demons closest to me! The thrill of slaying demons constantly stimulated my entire body, and I almost couldn't control myself
trembling! At first, I felt excited and full of energy, but after I had killed more than
ten , an indescribable fatigue suddenly descended upon me!

I felt my hands suddenly become heavy, and each time I raised them to guide the sparks, it became increasingly difficult! Not only that,
I also realized that my vision was starting to blur, and the images in my mind were becoming unstable
...

"What's going on? Last night, when I was killing those demons, I was getting more and more energetic as I killed them. Why is this happening now
? What went wrong?" Realizing this, I began to
regret so rashly!

Fortunately, I wasn't alone at this moment... Xiao Suyan was the real main force

in slaying demons! I saw him charge into the horde of corpse demons without hesitation, dodging their
obviously . His sword, enhanced with the power of talismans, flew up and down, cutting down several
corpse demons in just over ten seconds!

Although the corpse demons moved slower under the sunlight, their hard skin and bodies didn't seem to have
changed much. After killing several corpse demons, the blade in Xiao Suyan's hand began to turn red and showed
signs of chipping. Fortunately, he had many swords. When one was worn out, he immediately tossed it aside and drew another to continue hacking away…

The battle lasted for several minutes, and Xiao Suyan and I killed more than forty corpse demons.
However the situation became increasingly dire.

Xiao Suyan was indeed brave, but he wasn't invincible. Earlier, to buy Song Kui and his men a
chance , he had led the corpse demons in a large circle through the forest. Now, turning back to fight,
he had exhausted a lot of his stamina in a short time! His movements and speed gradually slowed down… Although
he could still hold on against the sluggish corpse demons, it was clear that he was running out of strength!

“Damn it, miscalculation! You retreat first, I'll cover you…” Even though there were less than ten corpse demons left
, Xiao Suyan still made an unfavorable judgment and shouted for me to go first! He noticed my
exhausted state and decided to prioritize covering my escape.

I was very touched by his decision to take the lead, but I was now in such a
state that I could barely stand! I had forced myself to kill two more corpse demons, but after that, my legs
started trembling and going weak. The feeling was extremely similar to having sex with a bunch of women in a row.
Then it dawned on me!

"So, killing demons is similar to having sex with women! If you have
breaks it's great, not too tiring, and afterward, a short rest can even make you feel refreshed and even
excited! But after continuous attacks, fatigue accumulates, and you feel like your body has been hollowed out… Now I
understand! But it seems a bit too late."

Seeing Xiao Suyan retreating towards me while I was too weak to turn and run away,
several people emerged from the forest!

The first one was tall and extremely burly! He noticed the
perilous and immediately rushed towards us. However, the person behind him was even faster, moving like a ghost
… flashing twice, and appeared beside Xiao Suyan! He threw a talisman at a corpse demon
. The talisman exploded and sent the demon flying several meters…

When this person's face came into view, my mouth involuntarily gaped open. "
…Shh…Shh! Is…is it Haruhi?"

Then, my whole body relaxed uncontrollably, my legs went weak, and I collapsed to the ground…

Kanyuki, supporting my shoulders, smiled and fed me water from the water bottle. Then, with an ambiguous expression,
she sat close beside me, scrutinizing me repeatedly, and even rubbing my chest and back. Her enthusiastic actions made me
extremely embarrassed.

Fortunately, after examining the remains of the corpse demons and confirming they were
all walked up to me, looking down at me with a grin!

"So you're Yan Ping? This is Huang Yandong. I've heard Ye Ge'er and the others talking about
you on the phone for the past few months. These women have been nagging me about you ever since we met up. Now I've finally met you!"

"Phew..." I gasped for breath, shaking my head weakly. "It's a good thing you guys arrived in time,
otherwise we might be done for!"

Huang Yandong smiled and gestured with his chin towards the stone fort on the distant hill, asking, "
Are the people on that stone fort Sun Cong's gang?"

I shook my head. "No, they just happened
to ! The Sun brothers and their gang should be on their way to the Burial Valley right now, they might
have already entered the canyon!"

While I was talking to Huang Yandong, Xiao Suyan was sitting diagonally opposite me, panting. But when I said
the words "Burial Valley," he immediately interrupted...

"What did you say? Burial Valley?"

"Yeah, it's to the southwest of here! It's not very clear during the day, but at night, you can see it
from far away! It's brightly lit, probably similar to the sacred lamps of Mount Emei!" I
replied weakly to Xiao Suyan's question.

I noticed the muscles in Xiao Suyan's face twitching!

"Damn it, what kind of place is this? So many demons and monsters? That guy surnamed Sun actually led
us into the Kunlun Wonderland..."

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