Abandoned Ancient Castle

When the thick fog that had shrouded the entire Urquhart Bay dissipated, the surface of the lake returned to its former tranquility.

Sergeant William judged from his extensive experience that the ship's keel had likely snapped; even if it hadn't completely sunk, it was beyond repair.

Alistair, a scholar who had spent his entire life chasing the truth, had fallen into a state of religious fervor after witnessing this "miracle."

He knelt at the bow of the boat, facing the center of the lake, chanting prayers in ancient Gaelic to praise the "Guardian Deity" while tears streamed down his face.

"What... what do we do now?" Alistair calmed down slightly from his excitement, looking at William and Lin Jie with eyes full of confusion. "That Guardian Deity has already issued a warning. Should we... should we leave here immediately and stop disturbing its peace?"

"No, quite the contrary, Mr. MacDonald," Lin Jie replied firmly, his gaze locked onto the stranded exploration ship in the distance. "Our mission has only just entered its most critical stage."

William nodded in agreement.

"Those guys won't just let it go," the veteran said, using his characteristic logic. "One failure will only make them return with more powerful weapons and a more meticulous plan next time."

"They lost an expensive ship and so many men tonight, but this will only incite the anger of the organization behind them."

"Unless we dig them out completely, that 'Guardian Deity' will never know a moment's peace."

Lin Jie's train of thought aligned perfectly with William's.

He forced himself to endure the waves of headaches caused by mental exhaustion and began a precise, cold logical analysis.

"Their ship is grounded and all their heavy equipment is destroyed, but there must be survivors." Lin Jie's fingers traced slowly through the damp air.

"These survivors would never risk exposing themselves by seeking help from the authorities in Inverness."

"They will only, and must, return to the forward base they established in this area for rest and operational planning."

This deduction was inevitable.

An operation team this professional and well-equipped would never pin all their hopes on a single ship.

Before the operation, they must have already established a sufficiently safe and hidden foothold nearby.

"That base must possess several characteristics." Lin Jie's thoughts became increasingly clear.

"First, it must be sufficiently hidden to avoid the eyes of local residents and the authorities."

"Second, it must have enough space to accommodate their personnel and the complex alchemical equipment we haven't seen yet."

"Third, and most importantly, it must provide an excellent strategic vantage point for long-term surveillance of the activity on Urquhart Bay."

As he spoke, he spread the detailed regional map back out on the cabin table.

His fingers moved like pieces on a chessboard, beginning to sweep across the locations on the map that satisfied all three conditions.

He first ruled out the inhabited villages and farms, as well as the areas with flat, open terrain.

Finally, his finger stopped at a place on the map marked by dark contour lines and special symbols, a place filled with history and an ominous aura.

There stood an ancient castle that had been abandoned for centuries, its name as famous as the legend of Loch Ness itself.

--Urquhart Castle.

This magnificent fortress, which had once witnessed several bloody wars in the history of Scotland, was now nothing but broken walls and ruins, standing alone and silent like a scarred giant on the most prominent headland of Loch Ness.

Its geographical location was unique: surrounded by the lake on three sides and backed by steep cliffs, it was not only easy to defend and hard to attack, but also possessed an incomparable, excellent view for monitoring the entire surface of Urquhart Bay.

"This is it." Lin Jie drew a heavy circle around the outline of the castle with the tip of his pencil.

"Is there any place more suitable for a secret cultist base than an ancient castle that is rumored to be haunted and has been abandoned for hundreds of years?"

Alistair looked at the familiar name on the map, his face showing a mix of shock and realization.

"My god... why didn't I think of that! Urquhart Castle... it has never been a good place in local legends!"

"It is said that at night, one can still hear the wailing of the ghosts of English soldiers who died in battle hundreds of years ago on the walls!"

"Because of this, apart from the occasional brave tourist visiting during the day, no local would dare to come within a few miles of it after nightfall!"

A perfect natural barrier constructed from superstition!

Sergeant William had already begun checking the Colt Revolver at his waist and the Winchester Rifle on his back.

His actions already indicated his absolute support for Lin Jie's deduction.

The experienced veteran knew that when this young "interpreter" gave a conclusion with such a certain tone, there was almost no suspense left regarding the truth.

Besides, since they were so close, there was no harm in taking a look.

The plan was settled.

They did not choose to act immediately.

Lin Jie's physical condition did not allow it, and they also needed to wait for the organization members who had escaped the shipwreck to return to their nest like frightened rats.

They hid the fishing boat more securely, then took turns resting to recover their strength and spirit.

Lin Jie seized every second to force himself to eat high-calorie jerky and bread, drinking plenty of water to repair his body, which had been damaged by the overexertion of his mental power, as quickly as possible.

Late the next night, when Lin Jie felt his headache had finally eased enough to barely perform some low-intensity Afterimage perception, they began their operation.

They did not go up the mountain via the regular path used by tourists, but chose to climb from the steep, gravel-covered cliff behind the castle.

The moment they quietly vaulted over the moss-covered ancient wall like ghosts and stepped into the abandoned castle, a thick, pungent odor, even more unpleasant than a sewer, filled their nostrils.

Urquhart Castle under the moonlight was a skeleton crawling upon the earth.

The ruined tower pointed powerlessly toward the sky like a broken rib.

The collapsed city walls cast jagged, black shadows across the ground.

The howling night wind passed through the crenellations and window openings, emitting a series of hair-raising wails.

This place was truly a "ghost castle" in every sense of the word.

And right in the middle of this deathly silent ruin, the senses of Lin Jie keenly captured a trace of a living person's scent that did not belong here.

It was the faint, scorched herbal smell peculiar to a certain alchemical potion being heated.

His deduction was entirely correct.

Hidden in some corner of this ancient castle, there was a group of people.