Secret Chamber (2)

"That's the one." Chu Shihan fixed his gaze tightly on the familiar opening and spoke with a grave expression.

This opening was much smaller than the hole he had forcibly broken open before. Moreover, the instant the thing inside was thrown out, the opening closed rapidly as though it were alive, leaving everyone no chance to enter.

Everyone's attention was quickly drawn to what had fallen. They gathered around to inspect it, only to discover in astonishment that it was Gu Xiaoyue, Medicine King Valley's chief disciple.

—More precisely, it was Gu Xiaoyue's lifeless corpse.

The corpse looked savage and horrifying, its eyes wide with fury as though he had suffered an immense fright before his death and died with his eyes still open. The terror on his face appeared especially sinister beneath the moonlight.

His clothes were tattered beyond recognition, as if countless sharp objects had slashed through them, or as if something had burned them. Blood stained the shredded fabric in mottled patches, each mark shocking to behold.

A closer look revealed wounds left by vicious beasts, along with distinct sword wounds.

"Uwah... that's awful. He's even been burned black. What happened to him?" Lin Mumu could not help crouching down. Carefully, she used her thumb and forefinger to lift the sleeve, now torn into strips. When she saw the arm beneath, blackened with burned and necrotic flesh, she sucked in a sharp breath, her voice filled with terror.

Chu Shihan crouched slightly and examined the mangled corpse with painstaking care. His brows were drawn tight, his gaze moving back and forth between the wounds. At times he leaned closer to inspect them; at others, he leaned back slightly to assess the body as a whole.

After a long while, he slowly straightened and said with certainty, "These