The Abandoned Ancient Castle

After the thick fog that had blanketed all of Urquhart Bay dispersed, the lake returned to its former tranquility.

Based on his extensive experience, Sergeant William judged that the ship's keel had most likely snapped. Even if it hadn't sunk completely, there was no chance of repairing it.

After experiencing this "miracle," Alistair, a scholar who had spent his entire life pursuing the truth, had fallen into a state of religious fervor.

He knelt at the bow, facing the center of the lake, and chanted prayers of praise to the Guardian Deity in ancient Gaelic, tears streaming down his face.

"W-what do we do now?" Alistair had calmed down a little. He looked at William and Lin Jie, his eyes full of confusion. "The Guardian Deity has issued a warning. Shouldn't we... leave at once and stop disturbing its peace?"

"No. Quite the opposite, Mr. MacDonald," Lin Jie replied firmly, his gaze fixed on the stranded survey ship in the distance. "Our mission has only just entered its most crucial stage."

William nodded in agreement.

"Those people won't just let this go." The old soldier made his judgment according to his own particular logic. "One failure will only make them come back next time with more powerful weapons and a more thorough plan."

"Tonight, they lost an expensive ship and a lot of men, but that will only enrage the organization behind them."

"Unless we root them out completely, the Guardian Deity will never know peace."

Lin Jie's reasoning dovetailed perfectly with William's.

Fighting through the waves of headache brought on by his mental exhaustion, he began a precise, cool-headed analysis.

"Their ship is stranded, and all their heavy equipment has been destroyed, but there must be survivors." Lin Jie slowly traced shapes in the damp air with his finger.

"These survivors will never risk exposing themselves by asking the authorities in Inverness for help."

"They'll have no choice but to return to the forward base they established in this area to regroup and plan their operations."

There was no other possible conclusion.

A professional, well-equipped strike team like this couldn't possibly have put all its hopes in a single ship.

They must have established a sufficiently safe and concealed place to stay nearby before beginning their operation.

"That base must have several characteristics." Lin Jie's thoughts grew clearer and clearer.

"First, it has to be concealed enough to avoid the notice of the locals and the authorities."

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

"Third, and most importantly, it needs to offer an excellent strategic vantage point from which to monitor activity on the waters of Urquhart Bay over an extended period."

As he spoke, he unfolded the detailed regional map on the cabin table again.

His finger moved like a piece on a chessboard, passing over each location on the map that met all three conditions.

First, he ruled out the inhabited villages and farms, as well as the flat, open areas.

At last, his finger stopped at a place marked with dark contour lines and special symbols, a place steeped in history and foreboding.

There stood an ancient castle that had been abandoned for centuries. Its name was as famous as the legends of Loch Ness itself.

—Urquhart Castle.

This magnificent fortress had once witnessed several bloody wars in Scottish history. Now, only its crumbling ruins remained. Like a battered giant, it stood alone and silent on the most prominent headland along the shore of Loch Ness.

Its location was ideal: the lake surrounded it on three sides, while steep cliffs backed it on the fourth. It was easy to defend and difficult to attack, and commanded an unparalleled view of the waters of Urquhart Bay.

"This is the place." Lin Jie pressed the tip of his pencil hard against the outline of the castle and circled it.

"What could be more suitable as a secret cultist hideout than an ancient castle reputed to be haunted and abandoned for centuries?"

Alistair stared at the familiar name on the map, his face a mixture of shock and realization.

"My God... how did I not think of that? Urquhart Castle... In local folklore, it's never been a place of good fortune!"

"They say you can still hear the ghosts of English soldiers who died in battle centuries ago wailing on the walls at night!"

"Because of that, aside from the occasional brave tourist who visits during the day to pay their respects, not a single local would dare go anywhere within several miles of it after dark!"

A perfect natural barrier built from superstition!

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

His actions showed that he fully supported Lin Jie's theory.

The experienced old soldier knew that when this young "Interpreter" gave a conclusion with such certainty, there was little doubt that he was right.

Besides, it was so close. There was no harm in taking a look.

The plan was settled.

They chose not to act immediately.

Lin Jie's physical condition wouldn't allow it, and they also needed to wait for the organization's members who had escaped the shipwreck to return to their lair of their own accord, like startled rats.

They hid the fishing boat more carefully, then took turns resting and recovering their strength and energy.

Lin Jie seized every spare moment to force himself to eat high-calorie jerky and bread, and drink plenty of water, repairing his body as quickly as possible after the damage caused by his mental exhaustion.

Late the following night, when Lin Jie felt that his headache had finally eased considerably and he could once again manage some low-intensity Afterimage sensing, they set out.

Instead of taking the usual tourist path up the front, they chose to climb the steep, rubble-strewn cliff behind the castle.

The moment they silently crossed the ancient, moss-covered wall like ghosts and entered the abandoned castle, a dense stench, more unpleasant than that of a sewer, flooded their nostrils.

In the moonlight, Urquhart Castle looked like a skeleton sprawled across the earth.

The ruined towers pointed feebly at the sky like broken ribs.

The collapsed walls cast jagged black shadows across the ground.

The howling night wind swept through the arrow slits and windows, making a series of spine-chilling moans.

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

And amid these silent ruins, Lin Jie's keen senses caught the presence of living people who didn't belong here.

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

His deduction had been completely correct.

Somewhere in a corner of this ancient castle, a group of people were hiding.