Chapter 61

Deep in Shaoyang Mountain.

At night, when all was quiet, the moonlight occasionally shone through the treetops, casting a faint light on the dark forest.

Wei He, dressed in a fully armed black cloak, moved cautiously and swiftly, making no sound as he headed deeper into the forest.

The second level of the Flying Dragon Technique was indeed remarkable, paired with his specially made boots, his steps were almost silent, completely masked by the rustling of leaves in the night breeze.

The Flying Dragon Technique, fueled by abundant qi and blood, controlled every muscle in his feet and calves, allowing him to walk as if each step was a light nail gently piercing the ground, yet making no sound.

This was the first time Wei He had ventured this deep into Shaoyang Mountain.

In the past, he only reached the front of the mountain, stopping just before the peak. But this time, he not only crossed the peak but also quickly descended to the deeper, shaded side.

Ding Hai's words from last time had been like a thorn in his heart, always on his mind, reminding him that the Shaoyang Sect might be connected to his parents' disappearance.

After much patience, this time he was finally well-prepared and ready to investigate.

Amidst the rustling of leaves, Wei He moved swiftly, the dark underbrush and trees on both sides passing by quickly.

He could smell the dry grass and leaves, and occasionally, the scent of decaying meat and fruit.

After a few minutes of walking,

Wei He suddenly stopped, quickly hiding behind a dead tree, remaining motionless.

In the gap between the trees,

a square, high-walled courtyard, resembling a small earthen fortress, stood quietly in the dense forest.

Torches burned around the courtyard, their flames flickering in the wind, casting a dim, flickering light.

Several robust men in white robes, holding lanterns and swords, slowly patrolled in Wei He's direction.

Their faces were expressionless, their eyes lifeless, and their movements stiff and somewhat bloated.

Soon, they passed by Wei He, heading in another direction.

Wei He quietly emerged from behind the tree, carefully observing the small earthen fortress.

The fortress was about twenty meters long and ten meters wide, clearly not large enough to house many people, yet it still had guards patrolling at this late hour.

Wei He recognized the white robes the guards wore as those of ordinary disciples of the Shaoyang Sect.

Unlike the Shaoyang Sect disciples he had killed before, these were clearly of a lower rank, silent and breathing steadily, showing no signs of emotion.

He quietly approached the fortress, quickly retrieving several mice from his bag and tossing them forward.

The mice, which he had caught in advance, scattered upon landing, quickly disappearing into the darkness.

None of them headed toward the fortress.

Wei He tossed a few more mice, this time closer to the fortress.

This time, one of the four mice ran toward the fortress, circling around the wall.

Wei He followed the mouse, moving swiftly and silently.

His speed was incredible, his steps light, and he soon slipped into the shadow of the fortress, making only the faintest rustling sound.

Soon, a patrol team was drawn by the sound of the mice, and the squeals of the mice being killed echoed through the night.

Wei He did not act rashly. He was here to capture a more important figure to interrogate, and these outer guards would not provide any useful information.

Acting rashly might alert the others and reduce his efficiency.

He planned to succeed in one swift move, catching them off guard and uncovering the truth.

The patrol team remained silent, killed the mice, and then continued their patrol, marching away from the fortress.

Wei He pressed against the wall, using a long stick he had picked up to probe the ground, moving along the wall.

After a short while, he found no entry points and had to approach the entrance of the fortress.

The entrance had a heavy, round wooden door, with two white-robed, fat guards standing motionless on either side.

Wei He paused, then suddenly sprang forward like a bat, passing behind one of the guards.

He quickly moved, turning and passing behind the other guard.

Thud.

The two guards fell silently to the ground, dead.

Wei He grabbed one of the guards' bodies and rolled it forward through the entrance.

Thud, thud, thud!

Several muffled sounds followed, and the guard's body was riddled with small, fingernail-sized holes.

Wei He narrowed his eyes, recalling the speed of the hidden weapons. He felt confident.

If all the hidden weapons were of this speed, they would be no threat to him.

He stepped forward, lightly striking the wooden door with his palm.

The Five Ridges Palm technique left a deep indentation in the door, which then split open.

Wei He pulled the door open, breaking the lock.

Inside, two more white-robed, fat guards were playing dice. Upon noticing the intrusion, they roared and lunged at Wei He, each using a different Shaoyang Palm technique.

"Too slow."

Wei He met their attacks with his own palms, releasing the power of the Five Ridges Palm.

Two muffled thuds echoed, and the guards were thrown back, their faces turning a deep red.

They clutched their hands, trying to retreat and call for help.

But it was too late. Wei He, moving with incredible speed, followed up, striking each of them in the chest.

The speed of the Flying Dragon Technique was far superior.

Soon, another patrol team rushed to the entrance, but Wei He threw a handful of lime powder, blinding them.

He struck out, and several more guards fell to the ground.

"I was planning to infiltrate quietly, but now it's too late," Wei He sighed, grabbing the bodies and throwing them into the fortress.

One flew through the air, the other rolled on the ground, triggering a series of hidden traps and weapons.

After clearing the traps, he cautiously moved forward.

It seemed this fortress had only a few guards, serving as a lookout post.

In the center of the fortress, on a floor made of black mud, stood a medium-sized iron cage.

Inside the cage was a man, huddled in a ball, covered in fur and dirt.

"This is..." Wei He frowned. Why was there a prisoner in this lookout post?

Why was this man here?

"Who are you?" he asked in a low, forceful voice. "Why are you here?"

The man inside the cage remained motionless, silent, as if dead.

But Wei He could clearly hear his breathing, confirming he was still alive.

Moreover, the man's heartbeat was strong, almost like that of a martial artist with advanced qi and blood cultivation.

Wei He narrowed his eyes and began to search the fortress, suspecting there were more people hidden inside.

But after a thorough search, he found no one else.

Returning to the cage, Wei He thought for a moment, then grabbed the cage and lifted it.

Beneath the cage was a hidden lever and a stone slab, revealing an entrance to a tunnel.

......

......

......

Woof, woof.

Several green-eyed black wolves suddenly lowered their heads, sniffing the air.

"Someone has intruded!"

Behind the wolves, several white-robed men spoke in low voices.

"Someone dared to invade the Shaoyang Sect's underground tower?"

"The underground tower has no response, so they must have been eliminated. What should we do, Inspector?"

The massive, three-meter-tall fat man, holding a black spiked war hammer, with eyes like copper bells and qi and blood surging through his body, replied, "Two inner disciples have no response, they must be dead. Follow me and kill them!"

The fat man licked his lips.

"Also, have the other two Inspectors come. Last time, that person escaped, but this time, he will surely die!"

"Yes!"

The inner disciples responded in unison and dispersed.

The Inspectors were the second-highest experts in the sect, with advanced qi and blood cultivation. Last time, the person escaped because only one Inspector was present, but this time, it was different.

With three Inspectors, they would surely succeed.

'If that person is misled by the tunnel, he won't discover that the fortress is actually a trap. Once we arrive, we can easily capture him and lock him in the underground bunker!'

The fat man shouldered his war hammers and moved swiftly toward the fortress.

......

......

......

Wei He frowned, looking at the opened tunnel.

The tunnel was dark, deep, and long, with no signs of recent use, no footprints, only some scratch marks.

He looked around again, sensing that something was hidden here.

The fortress was small, containing only a few tables and chairs, the iron cage, some wall-mounted torches, and a bronze brazier.

He approached the torches, examining each one carefully.

After confirming that the torches were fine, he checked the tables and chairs.

The tables and chairs were also fine, leaving only the bronze brazier.

Wei He approached the brazier, examining it closely. He gathered his qi and blood, gently touching the surface of the brazier.

"Hmm?" He noticed something odd.

The brazier had no stains, scratches, or ash.

Could it be...

A thought flashed through Wei He's mind. He quickly examined the tables and chairs, and the inner walls.

The walls were the same.

Wei He slowly moved around the fortress, eventually returning to the tunnel entrance.

He knelt down, touching the ground in front of the tunnel and bringing his hand to his nose.

A faint, bloody smell wafted up.

"Could this be!?" Wei He's heart raced.

Bang!!

Suddenly, the fortress door was violently kicked open. Several white-robed, fat guards rushed in, followed by the massive fat man with the spiked war hammer, his large belly blocking the entrance.

"Where is he?"

The fortress was empty, with only a row of bodies on the ground.

"The wind didn't carry his scent, he must have escaped!" the guards with the green-eyed wolves shouted.

"A bunch of useless fools!" The fat man slammed his hammer on the ground, causing the others to stagger back, afraid to speak.