Chen Wuya's hand was still pressed against the wet mud, his fingertips feeling the roughness of that charred-black soil. The movement deep within the rock crevice had not stopped. It sounded as though something were slowly shifting—or as though bones were knitting themselves back together inside flesh. He slowly withdrew his hand, yet the numbness in his palm had not faded. Misaligned Force coursed through his meridians like a snake unwilling to sleep.
Chen Xuan stepped forward half a pace, keeping his voice low. "Father, there's a sound inside... like someone knocking on stone."
Chen Yao leaned closer as well, her nostrils twitching slightly. "Not a person. It's the sound of iron chains dragging across the ground. And there's the smell of old copper rust mixed with damp moss."
Chen Wuya said nothing, his gaze darkening. Within his sea of consciousness, a system interface quietly surfaced:
[Explore the demon lair. May trigger a hidden quest. Reward unknown.]
The prompt had come abruptly. Unlike the immediate feedback he received during battles, it felt more like some dormant mechanism had been stirred awake.
He turned to look at Bai Zhi.
She stood slightly behind him, her flexible sword still drawn, silver ribbons hanging over her shoulders. Her gaze was cool yet resolute. They met each other's eyes for a moment, and she gave a slight nod, her voice barely audible. "I'll protect the children."
Chen Wuya rose to his feet and took three strips of cloth soaked in medicinal liquid from his medicine basket, handing them out for the others to tie over their mouths and noses. He himself walked in front, lightly tapping the ground with his toes as Misaligned Force seeped through the soles of his feet into the stone, vibrating in reverse to scout the way ahead.