29: Chapter 29 Midnight Crossing and the Mountain Demon's Fury

The leading shadow, whose build was a size broader than the others, gestured to the men behind him.

His movements were silent, yet carried an air of unquestionable authority.

That was Zhao Si, one of the house stewards for the Zhao family. At the Qi Refining Sixth Stage, he usually handled these unsavory, dark tasks for Zhao Mingde.

Their target was clear: the Liu family's small courtyard.

The three-day deadline had not yet passed, but Zhao Mingde had lost Face. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, so he grew impatient and sent men directly to "invite" Liu Ruxu.

If she was sensible, they would take both her and the scroll; if she was not, they were to break her limbs and drag her back, leaving that half-dead Liu Yuan to fend for himself.

However, when Zhao Si and his group crept like civet cats into that familiar, cramped alleyway, they all froze in unison.

The dilapidated courtyard, which should have been lit by a bean-sized oil lamp, was now pitch black, devoid of even a shred of light.

Zhao Si's heart skipped a beat, and a sense of foreboding welled up within him.

He held his breath and listened intently. There was only the sound of the wind in the alley, and the courtyard was terrifyingly silent—even Liu Yuan's signature, painful coughing had vanished.

"Go in and take a look!" he hissed, no longer hiding his presence, and kicked open the already rickety courtyard gate.

"Creeeeeak—Bang!"

The wooden door slammed against the wall with a harsh, loud crash, startling several night crows napping under the eaves.

The men filed in, and a heavy, musty odor mixed with the scent of medicinal herbs washed over them.

Zhao Si pulled out a moonstone for illumination, and its soft white light instantly lit up the entire courtyard.

The courtyard was completely empty.

They rushed into the two small rooms, which were equally deserted.

In the room on the right, only a disheveled straw mat remained on the bed, and the air still held a faint medicinal scent and a trace of… an extremely faint and unfamiliar fragrance of a Medicinal Pill.

"They've run off!" a guard exclaimed in a low voice.

Zhao Si's Face darkened, looking as if ink were about to drip from it.

He walked to the bed, pinched some residual medicinal dregs on the straw mat with his fingers, and brought them to his nose to sniff.

That's right, it was the scent of the "Spirit Nourishing Pill," but that faint, elusive fragrance… it certainly couldn't have come from a "Spirit Nourishing Pill"!

Could that bitch Liu Ruxu have found a new backer?

"Search! Search thoroughly!" Zhao Si roared, "They haven't gone far! Find them for me!"

Meanwhile, in the dark mountain forest several miles away from Liuyun Market, three figures were moving rapidly, one in front and two behind.

At midnight, following Lin Chen's instructions, Liu Ruxu had already carefully wrapped her father, Liu Yuan, in a worn but clean quilt. She had tied her few changes of clothes, that charcoal pencil, and a few sheets of scrap paper into a small bundle, which she carried tightly on her back.

She stood in the courtyard, her heart beating like a drum. The cold night wind made her cheeks ache, but her ears were pricked, catching any possible movement within the market.

When that familiar shadow vaulted over the courtyard wall as silently as a falling leaf, her tense body relaxed slightly.

It was Lin Chen.

He landed without a sound and said nothing unnecessary, merely nodding at Liu Ruxu with a gaze as calm as water.

He strode to the bedding, leaned down, and extended two fingers to rest on Liu Yuan's withered wrist. A wisp of Spiritual Qi probed inside to carefully check his condition.

Although that massive medicinal power was now reduced to a mere trickle, it was still tenaciously protecting Liu Yuan's damaged Meridians, firmly locking his vitality—which had been on the verge of collapse—within his body.

The effect was still ongoing.

Lin Chen felt reassured. He stood up and skillfully hoisted Liu Yuan, along with the quilt, onto his back.

Despite the extra weight, his back remained straight and upright, as if he were carrying nothing more than a bundle of hay.

"Stay close and keep your footsteps light," he said, turning his head to whisper to Liu Ruxu in a voice only the two of them could hear. "No matter what you see or hear, do not make a sound."

Liu Ruxu nodded vigorously, clutched the small bundle to her chest, and followed behind him.

The three of them, like drifting phantoms, instantly merged into the deep night.

Lin Chen knew the terrain on the outskirts of the market like the back of his hand. He avoided every main road, choosing instead to travel through secluded, dark alleyways filled with debris and the shadows behind houses.

Liu Ruxu stumbled along, nearly tripping over stones or trash several times. Yet, whenever she was about to fall behind, Lin Chen's pace ahead would imperceptibly slow down, allowing her to catch her breath and keep up.

Soon, they reached the vicinity of a makeshift shack built of thatch and wood on the outskirts of the market.

Liu Ruxu recognized this place; it was a hidden sentry post set up by the Grey Wolf Gang, usually guarded by two or three vicious gang members.

But tonight, the shack was pitch black, and even the campfire that usually burned all night had been extinguished.

Lin Chen did not pause in the slightest, as if he had long known that it was empty.

He swept it with his Divine Sense and confirmed that the sentry had indeed been redeployed toward the valley, and the heavy stone in his heart finally dropped.

The first step of driving a tiger to devour a wolf had succeeded.

Passing through this area successfully meant they had completely escaped the market's surveillance.

Ahead lay an endless, pitch-black mountain forest shrouded in night.

Once they entered the forest, Lin Chen's speed actually increased.

Carrying Liu Yuan, he moved as if on flat ground, each step landing precisely on solid earth or roots, steady and powerful.

Liu Ruxu gritted her teeth, channeling the weak Spiritual Qi in her body to its limit and pouring it into her legs.

Although she was only at the Qi Refining Third Stage, her youth and the physical stamina she had built up from years of running errands for her father allowed her to barely keep up.

The mountain wind whistled in her ears, and the dark shadows of the trees flew backward before her eyes. Besides the chirping of insects and the sound of the wind, there was nothing else.

This experience of sprinting through the dark night gave Liu Ruxu a sense of unprecedented tension and… a strange peace of mind.

Just as she relaxed her mind slightly, a night owl on a treetop not far ahead was startled. With a "Caw—," it flapped its wings and let out an extremely harsh, piercing cry that shattered the silence of the night.

Liu Ruxu's heart constricted violently!

Lin Chen's body stopped the instant the cry rang out, his movements fluid and completely devoid of any awkwardness.

He slipped behind a massive boulder, gently leaned Liu Yuan against it, and made a downward gesture to Liu Ruxu, signaling her to crouch.

Liu Ruxu immediately obeyed, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Lin Chen crouched, eyes slightly closed. His Divine Sense, far surpassing that of a Qi Refining Cultivator, spread out like an invisible, fine net, silently covering the forest ahead.

In the darkness, everything became clear.

The rustling of wind through leaves, the faint sound of a wild rabbit gnawing on grass roots a hundred feet away, and… about a mile ahead, two strands of Demonic Qi mixed with blood and violence were entangled.

It was two low-level, Early Stage Yao Beasts—wolves—tearing at each other and snarling over the carcass of an unknown wild beast.

A moment later, Lin Chen opened his eyes, his gaze clear.

He turned his head and whispered to Liu Ruxu, "They aren't coming for us. There are two low-level Yao wolves fighting over food ahead. We'll go around."

His voice was not loud, but exceptionally steady, as if he were merely stating a trivial matter.

Watching his ability to accurately identify directions and danger in absolute darkness, the fear born of the unknown in Liu Ruxu's heart dissipated significantly, replaced by a more grounded sense of reliance.

They did not take the flat mountain path again but turned toward a steeper slope on the side.

Lin Chen continued to walk in front, carrying Liu Yuan. From time to time, he would reach out to push aside thorny brambles, or use the tips of his feet to find footholds on the slippery rock Face, carving out a relatively safe path for Liu Ruxu behind him.

Approaching dawn, a hint of fish-belly white appeared on the horizon; the deepest darkness was about to be dispelled.

The three figures finally appeared before the hidden entrance to Luoxia Valley, perfectly disguised by vines and loose stones.

The vines at the entrance were gently pushed aside, and a figure walked out.

It was Su Qingyao.

She had already been waiting here, following the instructions from the communication talisman Lin Chen had left behind earlier.

She wore a simple cyan dress, her temperament as cold and aloof as the moon, yet she held a lantern fueled by beast oil that provided steady light.

Behind her followed Old Man Shi, who held a hardwood hunting bow and wore a vigilant expression.

Su Qingyao's gaze landed on Lin Chen immediately. Seeing that he was safe and sound, her eyes relaxed slightly.

Immediately after, her gaze swept over the unconscious Liu Yuan on Lin Chen's back, and then the pale, unfamiliar young girl behind him, whose clothes were stained with dew and mud. Her cold eyes narrowed slightly.

But she asked nothing, simply stepping forward quickly to offer help, joining Lin Chen to carefully assist Liu Yuan down from his back.

The moment she saw Su Qingyao, Liu Ruxu couldn't help but be stunned.

This was the Dao Companion Lin Chen had spoken of?

Her temperament was as cold and aloof as a lotus on a snow-capped mountain. Although her gaze was scrutinizing, it held no hostility, instead radiating a sense of gentleness and calm.

The faint medicinal fragrance on her, pure and natural, confirmed to Liu Ruxu immediately that this was definitely a true Alchemist.

After steadying Liu Yuan, Su Qingyao nodded gently at Liu Ruxu, her voice light and soft: "Let's get settled first; it's cold outside."

Old Man Shi said nothing. He walked to the valley entrance, crouched down, and used a handful of hay and branches to skillfully and carefully erase all the footprints and traces they had left along the way. Afterward, he re-laid a few simple warning traps made of thin vines and bells in several inconspicuous corners nearby.

Just as the group carried Liu Yuan into the valley, preparing to place him in a dry side-cave that Lin Chen had excavated earlier near the mine's stone chamber—

"Roooooomble!!!"

An extremely faint but clearly perceptible tremor suddenly came from beneath their feet!

Immediately following it, a dull roar of a beast, like thunder from the Nine Heavens, mixed with endless fury and pain, rolled in from the distant northwest of the valley!

The sound had immense penetrating power, as if it had exploded right beside their ears, shaking the trees of the entire valley until they hummed. Countless startled night birds let out shrill screams as they shot into the sky, circling chaotically in the pre-dawn air.

Old Man Shi's Face changed drastically, his weathered Face filled with horror: "It's that thing's roar! It's it! It's louder and angrier than any time before!"

Su Qingyao and Liu Ruxu were also frightened pale by the sudden, terrifying roar, their arms trembling as they supported Liu Yuan.

Only Lin Chen, the moment he heard the roar,

It succeeded!

The three Spirit Gathering Talismans he had carefully set up, along with the two beast summoning talismans using diluted Earth Milk Spiritual Liquid as bait, had finally succeeded in enraging the mysterious and powerful Iron-Backed Mountain Demon deep within the valley!

This Peak Early Stage Yao Beast had been provoked by the "Spiritual Qi needle-pricks" that incessantly harassed it, and lured by the faint yet tempting aura of the beast summoning talismans. It had finally charged out of its lair in a rage, and the direction it was charging toward was exactly Wild Wolf Slope, where the Grey Wolf Gang and the Zhao family were currently in a standoff!

The timing was a bit earlier than he had estimated, but judging by the ferocity of the roar, the effect seemed… even better.

"Qingyao, you and Miss Liu settle Mr. Liu in first," Lin Chen quickly made a decision, handing Liu Yuan over to their care. "Old Man Shi, come with me!"

With that, he took Old Man Shi and turned to quickly climb toward a high vantage point with a wide view that he had already selected within the valley.

The two moved extremely fast, ascending the protruding rock in just a few leaps.

By the increasingly clear light on the horizon, they looked toward the northwest.

They saw that near Wild Wolf Slope, about thirty miles away, above the normally dark mountain forest, several rays of light from Spells of different colors were flashing and colliding like festive fireworks!

"Boom!" "Clang!"

Faint shouts, the clash of weapons, and that deafening beast roar were all mixed together, still clearly audible despite the vast distance.

The distance was too great to see the specific details of the battle, but one thing was certain: a brutal three-way melee had completely erupted.

"They're fighting… they're really fighting!" Old Man Shi watched, dumbfounded, and couldn't help but click his tongue. "Goodness, this commotion is truly no small matter!"

Lin Chen's gaze was like a torch, calmly observing the battle situation in the distance.

He could judge that the scale of the conflict was not small; at least twenty or thirty people were engaged in combat.

And the fierce joining of that Iron-Backed Mountain Demon undoubtedly made the entire battle situation chaotic, completely disrupting the original rhythm of the Zhao family and the Grey Wolf Gang.

This was exactly the result he wanted.

"Old Man Shi," Lin Chen withdrew his gaze and ordered in a low voice, "In the coming days, strengthen the patrols at the valley entrance; do not slacken day or night. But remember, do not approach that side, and above all, do not let anyone discover you. If anyone flees in this direction, regardless of their identity, sound the alarm immediately."

"Understood, Family Head!" Old Man Shi nodded heavily, his eyes full of awe.

When they returned to the mine area, Liu Yuan had been safely placed on a stone bed covered with thick hay. Su Qingyao was wiping his cheeks with a warm, damp cloth. His breathing, nourished by both the Medicinal Pill and the earthly Spiritual Qi, appeared much steadier.

Liu Ruxu kept watch by the bed, staring blankly at her father. Her eyes were slightly red, but her clenched fists had relaxed halfway.

Seeing them return, Su Qingyao straightened up, took a bowl of hot water that had been prepared earlier, and handed it to Liu Ruxu.

Lin Chen walked to Liu Ruxu's side, his voice softening slightly: "This is Luoxia Valley. It is extremely hidden and safe for the time being. But the situation outside is complex, and an unknown, powerful Yao Beast is entrenched deep in the valley, so we must be careful in everything we do."

He pointed to the stone chamber of the mine not far away: "That is where we usually Cultivate and practice Alchemy; the Spiritual Qi is slightly denser than outside. You and your father will stay in this side-cave for now; it is ventilated, dry, and very safe. Regarding the contract between you and me, as well as your father's follow-up treatment plan, we will sit down and discuss them in detail once his condition is more stable."

He turned to Su Qingyao, his gaze becoming gentle: "Qingyao, this is Miss Liu Ruxu. She has an extremely high talent in the way of Formation, which might be of great help in strengthening our defenses here. You two should get to know each other."

Su Qingyao's gaze landed on Liu Ruxu, and Liu Ruxu also subconsciously raised her eyes to look at her.

The two women's gazes met in the air.

One was cold, aloof, and gentle—the lady of the house; the other was stubborn and vigilant—the newly arrived guest.

Each of their eyes held a trace of complex emotion—scrutiny, curiosity—but in the end, it all turned into a polite, slight nod.

Outside the mine, the faint sounds of slaughter and the beast's roar in the distance seemed to have become the sounds of another world, further contrasting with the hard-won, fleeting peace inside the cave at this moment.

Lin Chen stood at the cave entrance, listening to the overture of chaos he had ignited with his own hands, his heart cold.

This chaos had only just begun.

And the Lin family, which he had established with his own hands, must firmly grasp its own Opportunity amidst this storm that would devour others.

He glanced at Old Man Shi, who was busy near the valley entrance, and a thought surfaced in his mind.

Merely watching from afar was not enough; he needed a more precise understanding of the specific situation on the battlefield to formulate the next step of his plan.

Old Man Shi was experienced and familiar with the terrain…

The morning light completely illuminated the valley. Old Man Shi wiped the sweat from his brow and was just preparing to go inspect the traps when he saw Lin Chen walking toward him.