Strayed into the Depths of the Stronghold

Shen Xiu suddenly came to his senses and shot out like a leopard, racing toward the Golden Rainbow Martial Arts School along the upper reaches of the Lishui River.

He did not particularly care about the others, but Instructor Duan had treated him quite well. There was no way he could stand by and watch him walk into the tiger's jaws.

With the boost of Third Realm Bone Marrow Cleansing cultivation, Shen Xiu's speed was no longer what it had once been. Crackling sounds burst from his bones as though he were trailing sparks and lightning all the way.

Before long, Shen Xiu reached the martial arts school, leaping over the gate and charging inside.

The moment he entered, Shen Xiu was stunned.

The school was silent. The vast training ground stood empty, without a single soul in sight; there was none of the bustling crowd he had imagined.

After a brief thought, he rushed into Instructor Duan's courtyard. He pushed open the door, but no one was there. He checked another instructor's courtyard, and there was still no one. The instructors and numerous disciples had apparently left at some point.

"Where are they? Where did they all go?!"

Amid his confusion, Shen Xiu spotted a school disciple passing through the training ground and immediately stepped forward to grab him for an answer.

Yet that disciple stared at him in bewilderment as well.

"Where else would they go? White Tiger Ridge, of course! They set out at the third quarter of the Hour of the Ox!"

"How could it be the third quarter of the Hour of the Ox? Didn't we agree on the Hour of the Tiger?"

"How would I know? All I know is that our Pavilion Master changed the time at the last minute and had everyone leave early."

Shen Xiu stood there for a moment, never expecting such a move. He had actually missed them in spectacular fashion.

He was almost certain that Pavilion Master Yang's problem went beyond merely possibly cultivating a demonic art. He was likely colluding with the Crimson Fire Bandits as well.

Without further hesitation, Shen Xiu returned to his room, drew the Hundred Refinements Saber from inside, and rushed out again.

Half an hour later, in the valley of White Tiger Ridge, mountain winds howled beneath the moonlight.

Amid a rustling sound, Shen Xiu pushed aside a patch of grass and emerged onto a lush green meadow.

Crimson Fire Stronghold lay somewhere deep within these mountains. Shen Xiu did not know its exact location, but he had roughly remembered what Pavilion Master Yang had said yesterday.

Now, he could only follow the memories in his mind and search the ground for any traces left behind, hoping to catch up with the main group ahead.

Yet there had been a slight deviation. Even though he had raced with all his might, he had not caught sight of that party.

Shen Xiu could only guess that he had strayed off the path.

Otherwise, with his speed, there was no way he should have failed to catch up. But there was nothing he could do about it. He could only follow his instincts and head in one direction.

As he walked, he suddenly realized that the place he was moving through was becoming increasingly remote—and increasingly strange.

After passing through a forest and entering a hollow, Shen Xiu suddenly discovered that he had somehow wandered into a stronghold.

Hearing voices, he immediately hid in the shrubs atop a slope nearby.

Through gaps in the branches, he could clearly make out the general layout of the stronghold within the mountain hollow.

The stronghold was situated in a mountain basin, encircled by towering peaks on both sides, with only a narrow pass to the south leading outward.

A sturdy gate bound from thick logs stood high above the ground, blocking the front of that pass.

Anyone entering or leaving had to pass through there.

As for Shen Xiu, he had crawled in through a gap in the fence on a remote slope, and was now near the middle of the stronghold.

As for the people—

Shen Xiu observed them for a while.

He found that most of them were inside the wooden houses deeper in the hollow, vaguely visible as they gathered together, stuffing themselves with meat and drinking wine.

From time to time, the sounds of drinking games, laughter, curses, and shouting drifted faintly through the air.

As he watched intently—

He caught sight of those dim figures wearing clothing matching the people who had come to Li Family Manor before. Who else could they be but the Crimson Fire Bandits?

He had not failed to catch up with the main group. Instead, he had somehow gotten ahead and entered Crimson Fire Stronghold first. Shen Xiu had to admit his luck was something else—he just did not know whether it was good or bad.

In the open ground behind the stronghold gate, one or two bonfires burned simply, with several lazy Crimson Fire Bandits drinking beside them.

From time to time, someone came over to replace them, taking turns standing guard.

Crimson Fire Stronghold was filled with clamor and excitement. Before dawn had even arrived, they had begun a feast in a manner almost bizarre, as though celebrating the arrival of freshly delivered fat sheep.

"Brother... you've been taking a mighty long shit!"

A drunken Crimson Fire Bandit rose from beside a rubbish heap nearby, his bleary eyes fixed on Shen Xiu.

Before he could say another word, Shen Xiu flashed forward and, with a crack, crushed his throat.

Dragging the corpse into the shadows, Shen Xiu directly changed into the man's clothes. He noticed a straw hat slung over the man's back, so he took it and put it on, pulling the brim low.

Just then, other Crimson Fire Bandits passed nearby. Shen Xiu casually walked over to a bonfire and picked up an empty bowl from the ground.

When the bandit pouring wine looked over, he held out the bowl without the slightest oddity. "Pour me some too."

The wine-pouring bandit gave him a glance as he filled the bowl. "Brother, your drinking capacity and spirit don't seem up to much, do they?"

Shen Xiu lowered the brim until it practically covered his whole face. Coupled with the way he imitated the drunken, staggering gait of the bandit from before, he looked remarkably convincing.

"Fuck... being dragged out of bed in the dead of night to drink at the fifth watch, who the hell would have any spirit?"

The moment he complained like that, a burst of laughter erupted from those nearby.

Shen Xiu raised the bowl and drained it in one gulp, feeling the blood throughout his body heat up.

"Another bowl."

That man poured him another bowl and said, "Brother, why do you look a little unfamiliar?"

Shen Xiu gulped down the second bowl clean, then mimicked the man's accent. "What do you mean unfamiliar? I only joined a few days ago. My brother-in-law even told me to work hard."

"Your brother-in-law has a good eye. Following our boss, you've got a bright future ahead."

Shen Xiu went along with it. "I was still half-asleep in the middle of the night. I don't even know what we're supposed to do."

"Hehehe, then you don't know, kid. Tonight, someone's bringing us an 'escort shipment.'"

Shen Xiu's heart stirred. Just as he was about to ask what kind of shipment, he saw a minor leader approach with a bowl of food. Without even looking, the man handed it to Shen Xiu beneath the lowered hat brim.

"Forget about shipments. Hurry and bring this bowl of food to the man in that room. That fellow's a real tough one—he's held out until now. Let him eat his fill before we send him on his way."

Seeing no one around that house, Shen Xiu happily took the bowl from the minor leader and headed toward it.

He opened the door. Inside the shabby room, amid dry grass, a gaunt and frail man hung from a sturdy wooden frame.

The man's head hung low, his features unseen.

Years of being bound in iron chains had worn blackened blood scabs into his wrists and ankles, making him look especially pitiful.

Shen Xiu crouched down and set the bowl and chopsticks aside. When he looked up, he saw a face he had never expected.