The cave was deep and stretched downward. The cold air mingled with that fishy-sweet stench, forming a nauseating odor.
Lu Chen held Yun Qingyue close as he charged in first. Elder Ziyun followed close behind, while the three guards vigilantly brought up the rear.
The passage was narrow at first, barely wide enough for one person to pass. Its stone walls were slick with moisture and covered in moss. After descending several dozen zhang, the space suddenly opened up into a naturally formed karst cavern.
Countless stalactites hung from the ceiling, their dripping water echoing through the empty cavern. At its center lay a small underground pool, its water black as ink and radiating bone-piercing chill.
Yet the most eye-catching sight was a round stone platform rising from the middle of the pool.
Upon the platform, a woman dressed in plain, elegant green robes, her long hair hanging loose, was suspended in midair in the shape of a spread-eagle, her limbs bound by four thick black chains!
The woman's head hung low, her breath exceedingly faint. Her green robes were stained with blotches of blood, especially around her shoulder blades and wrists, where the chains had chafed through her skin, leaving bloody flesh exposed.
"Master—!" Yun Qingyue let out a heart-rending cry and was about to rush forward regardless of everything.
"Wait!" Lu Chen grabbed her, his sharp gaze sweeping across their surroundings.
Other than the imprisoned woman, the cavern was completely empty. Yet the more empty it was, the stranger it seemed.
Would Shen Qiu or the Shadow Council imprison Mu Wanqing here without leaving any guards?
The pool water, the chains, the entire cavern—all of it exuded an ominous air.
Elder Ziyun also stopped. His aged face twisted with fury, but he remained vigilant. "Qingyue, calm down! Be