Time flowed by in silence, and in the blink of an eye, more than two hours had quietly passed.
Just then, Ma Liang stepped into the cave with an almost hurried stride, breaking the peace.
Chen Mu looked up, puzzled. "What's wrong? Why the rush?"
Ever since Ma Liang's temperament had changed, he had always been known for his steadiness, making his panic now seem especially abrupt.
Ma Liang had no time for explanations. He cupped his fists, his expression grave. "Fifth Brother, Sixth Brother, something terrible has happened!"
Chen Xiaojun, however, appeared comparatively calm, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Looks like what you saw there scared you."
Chen Mu grew even more confused. "Scared him? Sixth Child, where exactly did you send Third Child? You can tell us now, right? Stop keeping it under wraps."
Chen Xiaojun nodded lightly and gestured to Ma Liang. "Since Third Child has returned, let him explain."
Ma Liang took a deep breath and slowly began, "Fifth Brother, Sixth Brother ordered me to go to Eagle Beak Peak to investigate the wolf bandits. But when I arrived, all I saw was..."
At this point, he paused.
Chen Mu could not wait and cut in, "You went to Eagle Beak Peak? What happened there? What did you find?"
Ma Liang's voice was low and heavy. "Dead. All the wolf bandits. Not a single one left. Hundreds of them, all killed. Blood had gathered into rivers. It was horrifying. The entire mountain forest was dyed red."
When Chen Mu heard this, the wine in his mouth sprayed out. In shock, he shot to his feet, his eyes wide as saucers. "All dead? How is that possible?"
Ma Liang nodded heavily. "At least when I arrived, there wasn't a single survivor."
Chen Mu's gaze swept