Chapter 32 Bird in the Net

The collapsed rock layers completely buried Yun Bai.

Deathly silence and darkness enveloped everything.

It was unclear how much time had passed—perhaps a long time, or perhaps just an instant.

"Yun Bai—!"

A series of rapid, chaotic digging sounds and rolling gravel, accompanied by the hum of spiritual energy fluctuations, drew closer from afar, piercing the deep, deathly silence of the underground.

A dim yellow light flickered, illuminating Supervisor Zhou Shengtai's face, which was filled with unconcealable anxiety.

He led the team himself, followed closely by dozens of State Religion Cultivators, everyone looking solemn and moving as fast as the wind.

Using Spells in tandem with tools, they were frantically clearing the mountain of rubble ahead.

"Over here! The spiritual energy fluctuation is here, but it's very weak!" A Formation Master holding a compass, his eyes glowing with the unique light of an inspection Spell, suddenly pointed to a pile of thick rock slabs ahead and to the side, his voice trembling with excitement. "Right beneath this!"

"Quick! Move these stones! Watch out for a secondary collapse!" Supervisor Zhou Shengtai barked orders as he rushed forward. With a wave of his sleeve, his dense spiritual energy acted like an invisible giant hand, steadily lifting away several massive boulders weighing thousands of catties.

The other Cultivators cast earth-attribute Spells one after another, either transporting debris or reinforcing the passage with incredible efficiency.

Dust swirled as loose gravel pattered down.

As the final layer of compacted rubble was carefully cleared away, the unconscious Yun Bai was finally revealed under the swaying light.

"We found him! Quick!"

Supervisor Zhou Shengtai lunged forward, dropping to one knee to quickly check Yun Bai's condition. With just one glance, his heart sank.

Yun Bai's face was as pale as paper, his breath so weak it was barely perceptible.

His battle armor was already in tatters. On his exposed skin, crisscrossing wounds were everywhere, many deep enough to show bone. Some of the edges even had an unnatural purplish-black hue, still slowly oozing droplets of blood mixed with black Qi.

Cold, sinister remnants of Devilish Qi clung to his deepest wounds like maggots on a bone, preventing his life force from recovering.

It was a shocking sight.

Supervisor Zhou Shengtai placed his fingers on Yun Bai's wrist pulse, sending in a stream of pure, gentle spiritual energy to inspect his internal organs. His brow furrowed deeper and deeper.

His internal injuries were equally severe, with multiple Meridians damaged and his spiritual energy in complete disarray.

"Quick! Use a stretcher and lift him carefully! His injuries are extremely severe, he can't take any jolting!" Supervisor Zhou Shengtai made a swift decision and barked, "Notify the city to prepare the highest-grade quiet room for healing, and have Master Jiang on standby!"

He took a deep breath, his gaze sweeping over Yun Bai's battered body before finally resting on that young, bloodless face.

"Heal him at all costs! We must not let anything happen to this child!"

...

...

...

Chu Province City, three hundred miles away.

Inside a secret chamber of the Chen Manor, candlelight flickered.

Patriarch Chen Sheng sat upright in a red sandalwood armchair, playing with a black jade chess piece in his hand. The surface of the chess piece was carved with intricate demonic runes, gleaming with an eerie luster under the candlelight. He gently caressed the chess piece, as if fondling a rare treasure.

"Patriarch Chen has such elegant taste," the black-robed figure opposite him chuckled, eyes gleaming red beneath his hood. "I wonder how long this game of chess will last?"

If Yun Bai were here, he would be surprised to find that this person's black robe was identical to the one worn by the Black-robed Demon he had fought before, as if it were a standardized uniform.

Patriarch Chen Sheng did not answer, but gently placed the chess piece on the board with a crisp click. "Yesterday, Huang Shouren dismissed three more vice generals. All of them were our people."

"They are mere chess pieces; discarding them is of no consequence," the Demon Race envoy said dismissively. He picked up his teacup and took a light sip, the tea tinged with a faint bloody hue.

"Chess pieces?" Patriarch Chen Sheng sneered, a sinister glint flashing in his eyes. "Do you know that he even dared to touch my nephew, Chen Yuan? He is a sixth-rank Centurion of the Huben Army!"

"That old scoundrel, does he really think Chu Province City is his Imperial Capital?"

The door to the secret chamber was suddenly burst open, and General Yang Cang strode in. Mud still clung to his armor, showing he had rushed over in a hurry. His face was filled with anger and anxiety, and fine beads of sweat stood on his forehead. "Chen Sheng! Why didn't you tell me about Niwa Village sooner?!"

Patriarch Chen Sheng looked up, his gaze sharp as a knife as he coldly swept it over General Yang Cang. "Commander Yang, what grand airs you put on."

General Yang Cang froze, stung by the gaze, but quickly flew into a rage again, his fists clenched tightly as veins bulged. "The State Religion discovered anomalies in Niwa Village during their sweep of the Cang Plains! They might discover what's underground very soon!"

"So?" Patriarch Chen Sheng unhurriedly set down his chess piece, a cold smile curling on his lips. "Are you going to turn yourself in..."

He cast a meaningful glance at the Demon Race envoy, a trace of insidiousness flashing in his eyes.

"Why does everyone else know, but not me?! You are keeping me in the dark!" General Yang Cang's hands trembled slightly, whether from anger or fear, it was hard to tell.

He recalled that rainy night years ago when the demon tide besieged the city, and how he had opened a corner of the city gates under Chen Sheng's persuasion. Back then, he had told himself it was to save more lives. But now...

"Commander Yang," the black-robed figure suddenly spoke, his voice like a viper's hiss, carrying a chilling coldness. "Did your son not tell you about that day?"

"Mo'er?!" General Yang Cang took a sharp step back, knocking over the candlestick behind him. In the flickering firelight, his expression shifted between light and shadow, his eyes filled with struggle and pain.

"The Demonic Technique he Cultivates—did you give it to him?" Only now did General Yang Cang truly take note of the "person" opposite Patriarch Chen Sheng. Seeing the black robe, he understood a great deal in an instant.

He lowered his head, staring at the dancing shadow on the ground, as if watching the last ember of his conscience burn away.

The secret chamber fell into a dead silence, save for the crackling of the candle flame. General Yang Cang's breathing grew rapid, his chest heaving violently.

"To tell you the truth, it was only a matter of time before the underground laboratory at Niwa Village was discovered by the State Religion. Or, to put it another way, what the Grand Marshal wants is precisely for them to see it!" the black-robed figure said nonchalantly.

"Commander Yang, there is no turning back. Your son not only has an extraordinary background, but is also crucial to this mission. Once it succeeds, you can enjoy a peaceful retirement. As for whether it is with the Demon Race or the Human Race, what difference does it make?"

"I..." General Yang Cang's voice was hoarse, as if squeezed from the depths of his throat. "Do I still have a choice?"

Patriarch Chen Sheng stood up, walked slowly to General Yang Cang, and patted his shoulder, his tone carrying a hint of enticement. "A wise man submits to circumstances. Since Huang Shouren wants to move against us, why shouldn't we strike first?"

General Yang Cang closed his eyes, and scenes of that rainy night flashed repeatedly in his mind. He remembered how his hands shook when he opened the city gates; he remembered turning his head away, not daring to look, when the first demon entered the city; he remembered the innocent civilians screaming in the demon tide...

He also remembered that he had personally sent all the female members of his household to the underground of Niwa Village.

Including his first wife.

Before the State Religion took control of the Northwest Region, he had secretly captured human women and children multiple times, gathering them to be sent to the Demon Race for experiments.

In a city sandwiched between the borders of the Human and Demon Races, being a soldier or a general has always been the most dangerous occupation. For decades, only General Yang Cang had survived to this day completely unscathed.

The storms Huang Shouren had stirred up during his time in Chu Province City had all been witnessed by General Yang Cang. His own deeds would be exposed sooner or later; he, Yang Cang, had no other choice.

Just like back then.

"Fine," General Yang Cang opened his eyes, the last trace of light in them extinguishing, replaced by a deathly stillness. "I'm in."