Choice

The light from the cave entrance stung Li Xuan's eyes.

Li Xuan squinted, the last one to squeeze out of the fissure.

His foot landed on loose stones, and he stumbled, catching himself against the rock wall to steady himself.

Behind him, Xu He bent over, gasping for air, his face pale and his lips trembling.

Su Ying slumped to the ground, her hammer discarded to the side. She propped herself up with her hands, emitting suppressed gasps.

Shi Yong stood in the center of the cave entrance, his back to everyone, gazing in the direction of the mountain.

His heavy saber was planted in the ground, black slime dripping from its blade.

No one spoke.

Only the sound of ragged breaths and the mournful whistle of the mountain wind through the rock crevices.

After a long moment, Xu He looked up.

"Whatever happened just now... don't say a word about it when we get back."

His voice was hoarse, as if his throat had been scraped.

He swallowed, then added, "Especially about the corpse opening its eyes. Just say we encountered a demonic beast, couldn't beat it, and retreated."

Shi Yong turned around, looking at him.

"What do you mean?"

"That corpse was wearing a Barbarian Shaman's robe."

Shi Yong's brow furrowed.

"I know."

"The chest was embroidered with a wolf's head totem, the mark of the Blood Wolf Tribe," Xu He said. "The Northern Territory battlefield has been raging for three years, and a Barbarian Shaman's corpse has never appeared this deep behind the lines. Do you know what that means?"

Shi Yong remained silent.

Xu He stared at him.

"It means someone brought this thing back thirty years ago. Hid it beneath this mine, sealed with runes."

He paused.

"It means someone in the sect knows about this. Possibly more than one person."

The mountain wind rushed in, making everyone's robes flutter.

Su Ying looked up, her eyes red, and asked softly, "Then... what will happen if we report it?"

Xu He sneered.

"Report it? To whom? The Enforcement Hall? Elder Heiyan?"

He lowered his voice, but every word was squeezed out through gritted teeth.

"What if the person who sealed this thing back then is still in the sect? What if they're in the Enforcement Hall? If you report it, the first thing they'll think isn't 'you've earned merit,' but 'how did this get dug up?'"

Shi Yong stared at him.

"What do you want?"

"I don't want anything," Xu He said. "I'll pretend I didn't see anything. Did the corpse open its eyes? I didn't notice. What did the runes look like? The fog was too thick, I couldn't see clearly. Was there a hidden compartment under the stone platform? Didn't find one."

He looked at everyone else.

"You all had better not have seen anything either."

Shi Yong fell silent.

The knuckles of the hand gripping his heavy saber turned white.

After a long pause, he spoke, his voice three-tenths lower than before:

"Do you have any proof for what you're saying?"

"No," Xu He said. "But having a brain is enough."

"I'm telling you not to court death."

The two faced off.

Su Ying looked up, her eyes red, glancing between Shi Yong and Xu He. Her lips moved, but she didn't dare to speak.

Zhou Wen and Zhou Wu stood to the side like stone statues, their faces expressionless.

Li Xuan leaned against the rock wall, watching them.

His gaze shifted from Shi Yong's face to Xu He's, then to Zhou Wen and Zhou Wu, finally landing on Ying—

Ying stood at the very edge, his back to everyone, fiddling with something.

His movements were subtle, and he deliberately hid his hands within his sleeves.

Li Xuan only saw his wrist move, and then something was tucked deep into his sleeve.

It was a small piece of stone.

black, with irregular edges, as if scraped from somewhere.

Ying put the item away and turned to meet Li Xuan's gaze.

His expression remained unchanged.

He simply nodded slightly.

Then he spoke, his voice as flat as if he were talking about the weather:

"Someone's coming."

Everyone looked up simultaneously.

Below them on the mountain path, five figures were rapidly approaching.

All dressed in black, with Long Swords at their waists, their steps were as synchronized as if they were one person.

They were Enforcement Disciples!

The person in front raised a jade slip and waved it at the group, a red light emanating from it.

"The sect's Soul Lamp is acting strangely. We are here to investigate." He scanned the seven people. "You lot, stay put. You will be questioned by the Enforcement Hall in half an hour."

Shi Yong opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but only managed to utter two words:

"...Understood."

The five disciples split up. Two guarded the cave entrance, while three began searching the area around it.

Xu He's expression flickered a few times, and he subtly took half a step back.

Shi Yong stood his ground, watching the backs of the Enforcement Disciples, and suddenly spoke:

"Li Xuan."

"You'll do the talking later," Shi Yong paused. "You're sharper than us."

"If they question us separately, just say what Xu He said earlier – we encountered a demonic beast, couldn't defeat it, and retreated. We don't know anything else."

Su Ying overheard and whispered, "I also think Senior Brother Li should do the talking."

Xu He snorted but didn't respond.

Zhou Wen and Zhou Wu remained silent.

Li Xuan nodded.

"If they question us separately, remember three things," he lowered his voice. "First, the corpse's eyes were closed, so you didn't see anything. Second, we couldn't see the runes clearly because the fog was too thick. Third, the thing beneath the stone platform—"

He looked at Ying.

Ying remained expressionless.

"—we didn't find it," Li Xuan finished, his gaze sweeping over the group. "If anyone can't remember, ask now."

No one spoke.

Shi Yong patted his shoulder and said no more.

Suddenly, Li Xuan remembered the stone shard Ying had put into his sleeve earlier.

His heart gave an inexplicable jolt.

But he suppressed the thought, intending to ask Ying about it when the time was right.

"You all rest," he said. "We'll have a tough fight ahead."

Everyone found a spot to sit.

Su Ying huddled in a corner with her hammer, Xu He crouched behind a rock, and Zhou Wen and Zhou Wu leaned back-to-back, resting with their eyes closed.

Shi Yong stood still.

He looked at Li Xuan and suddenly asked, "When you were inside just now, did you feel... like that thing recognized you?"

Li Xuan looked up.

"What?"

"I can't quite explain it," Shi Yong scratched the back of his head. "It's just that when the corpse's eyes opened, I saw it look towards you for a moment, and you..."

The mountain wind gusted in, drowning out Shi Yong's voice.

Li Xuan didn't answer.

He lowered his eyes, watching the black viscous fluid on the blade slowly dry in the wind.

Recognize him?

He didn't know.

But the dormant aura of the Wolf Soul within him had stirred at that moment.

It was like meeting an old friend.

Or like an enemy encountering an enemy.

Faint footsteps sounded from behind.

Ying walked past his side, stopping three steps away.

The two stood side by side, gazing at the same sky.

Neither spoke.

It was just that the cuff of Ying's sleeve hung down, inadvertently revealing an old scar on its wrist.

Li Xuan's gaze swept over it.

The scar's pattern resembled the marks left by wolf claws.

The mountain wind howled, scattering the last wisp of cold air from underground that had been brought to the cave entrance.

In the distance, birds took flight, flapping their wings toward the deeper mountains and forests.

Half an incense stick later, an Enforcement Disciple walked over, holding a record book.

"Shi Yong, come with me."

Shi Yong stood up. As he walked past Li Xuan, his steps paused, and he gave Li Xuan a meaningful look--

"Proceed as planned."

Then he followed the person down the mountain path.

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