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墨書 Inktalez
The wind howled and the rain poured, the dark night devoid of light. The torches in the dense forest were the only source of illumination, casting a cold glow on the gleaming swords, sending a chill down one's spine.
The torches moved like a long dragon, sweeping towards the northwest, and there were quite a number of people—at least a hundred.
This group was not moving quickly; it seemed they were searching for something. The entrance to the cave was concealed, and they had not noticed Ye Tian standing at the entrance, looking down.
Furrowing his brow, Ye Tian closely observed the crowd below. Apart from the light from the torches and swords, he could only vaguely see shadows moving, unable to discern anything clearly.
Suddenly, a thunderous sound erupted from the sky, and a brilliant flash of lightning illuminated the heavens, momentarily brightening the forest.
In that instant when the lightning lit up the area as if it were daytime, Ye Tian got a rough idea of the situation below.
The people were dressed in uniform tight-fitting night gear, with no patterns or insignias visible; they all looked alike, making it impossible to identify any leader among them.
Ye Tian shook his head internally, preparing to look away. Although it was clear these individuals were not up to any good, he preferred to avoid unnecessary trouble. Ye Tian was neither a saint nor a deity; he had no responsibility or obligation to save everyone.
Of course, if he were alone, he might have followed out of curiosity to see what they were up to. If they turned out to be malicious, he would likely step in to help. But at this moment, that was absolutely not an option; he had five or six friends behind him and could not easily bring danger upon them all.
However, just as Ye Tian was about to withdraw his gaze, one of the figures in black suddenly turned around to look. At that moment, the lightning's brilliance had just faded, but their eyes met for an instant.
Neither side could see each other clearly, but one thing was certain: Ye Tian and his friends' positions had been exposed.
"Stop!"
As expected, the person shouted, and the crowd below suddenly came to a halt.
Ye Tian strained to see, but due to the lack of light, he could only vaguely make out that the one who called for the stop was of medium build, currently making his way through the crowd.
The two sides were not far apart; the inability to see clearly was due to the dimness of the surroundings. However, with Ye Tian's keen hearing, despite the howling wind and pouring rain, their voices could not escape his ears.
"What’s going on?" Another voice rang out from the crowd. The tone was not very loud, but it carried an imposing authority. From the sound of it, this person was likely a middle-aged man.
"Fourth Master, it seems there is someone over there." The previous black-clad man pointed towards the cave. The earlier glance had been brief, so he was also unsure and spoke with uncertainty.
"Oh?" The black-clad man referred to as Fourth Master lightly exclaimed and then turned his gaze in the direction indicated by the previous black-clad man.
Although Ye Tian had retreated back into the cave, he was still watching through the gaps in the vines. By the light of the torch, he saw that the "Fourth Master" had sharp eyes that shot piercing glances towards him like an eagle.
"He's a tough character," Ye Tian thought to himself. A person's gaze can reveal a lot; from this man's eyes, it was clear he was not someone easy to deal with.
Of course, this did not refer to his strength alone, but it was certain that this person was cunning and decisive, with a ruthless approach.
"Fourth Master, maybe I misjudged." The black-clad man shook his head, beginning to doubt whether he had seen correctly. The cave was quite hidden; during the day, Ye Tian and others had nearly missed it. Not to mention now, with heavy rain pouring down and no moonlight in sight.
"Yuan Kang, take some people up to check." Fourth Master's gaze remained fixed on the cave location, but all he could see were the faintly swaying vines.
The one referred to as Yuan Kang was indeed the previous black-clad man. He received the order, turned quickly to signal a few others, and then headed towards the rock wall.
"What is happening?" Duan Liu quietly asked behind Ye Tian.
Ye Tian made a shushing gesture, his expression serious.
Seeing this, Cold Moon also approached Ye Tian, peering through the gaps in the vines outside, her face showing concern. Wine Kid hurriedly leaned closer, and Ye Tian turned to glance at him, as if wanting to say something.
"They're coming this way." Cold Moon immediately spotted about ten people approaching and turned to Ye Tian, indicating she wanted to discuss it.
Ye Tian pondered for a moment and said, "Sister Ningyue, you take them into the cave first. I'll handle things here."
Cold Moon nodded at his words but did not follow Ye Tian's instructions. Instead, she called over Yun'er and said, "You take them and hide."
Luoshanshan naturally had no objections to this, while Duan Liu and Bai Kuo looked awkward. Wine Kid protested uncontrollably, "Why should I hide? Do you look down on me?"
Wine Kid's question was also the reason for Severing Flow and Bai Kuo's embarrassment. They could accept that Ye Tian and Cold Moon would not retreat, but Cold Moon asking Yun'er to take them to hide clearly implied that in her mind, Duan Liu and Bai Kuo were not as capable as the young girl Yun'er.
"We all share the same difficulties; how can we hide?" Bai Kuo also spoke up. His tone was not displeased but carried a hint of an inscrutable oddity.
Cold Moon glanced back at him but ultimately said nothing.
"Sister Ningyue, you go with them." Ye Tian's gaze remained fixed outside; at this moment, those people had already reached the base of the rock wall and were preparing to climb.
"The cave entrance is narrow and easy to defend but hard to attack. With so many people, it will be difficult to maneuver. I can handle it alone. If I can't hold them off, I will immediately retreat into the cave to join you." Ye Tian added as he turned back, looking at Yun'er as if giving her some instructions.
Yun'er understood immediately when her eyes met Ye Tian's. During their earlier exploration, there were several small interconnected caves inside; Ye Tian meant for them to retreat there first, which would not only provide cover but also allow for an ambush.
"Alright, be careful." Cold Moon looked around; the cave entrance was indeed too narrow. It was spacious enough for the two of them to stand still, but if they started to fight, they would inevitably hinder each other.
"We're leaving." Cold Moon said no more and turned to head deeper into the cave. Duan Liubai and the others hesitated for a moment, then exchanged a cautious word with Ye Tian before following.
Wine Kid quickly caught up with Cold Moon at the front, while Yun'er gazed at Ye Tian with concern, as if to give him a warning.
"Don't worry, just go." Ye Tian didn't give Yun'er a chance to speak and focused entirely on observing the situation outside.
Yun'er bit her lip and then hurried to Ye Tian's side, gently patting his shoulder.
Ye Tian turned around, and Yun'er quickly kissed him on the cheek…
"..." Ye Tian was stunned, his eyes wide and mouth agape, unsure of what to say.
Yun'er smiled softly and said, "What are you staring at? I'm leaving; you take care."
After saying that, Yun'er turned and walked away, leaving Ye Tian in a state of confusion.
"I'm crazy..." After a while, Ye Tian muttered in astonishment. However, he completely failed to notice Yun'er's worried glances back at him.
There were at least eighty black-clad figures in the forest. Even if it turned into a war of attrition, it would be enough to put Ye Tian in danger. Moreover, Yun'er understood Ye Tian's character; he would definitely push himself to the limit for everyone's safety. If the black-clad figures were weak, it would be one thing, but if they had skilled fighters among them, Ye Tian could be in grave danger. Therefore, how could Yun'er not feel heartache? How could she possibly feel at ease?
Swish!
Just as Yun'er's figure disappeared into the darkness, a sound like breaking air echoed outside the cave.
Ye Tian regained his focus and thought to himself, "Here they come."
In fact, they should have arrived earlier, but a minor disagreement had delayed them. No one wanted to be the first to enter, as it was highly likely that there were terrifying beasts lurking in the cave, even if it appeared empty.
The first one to arrive would either be the strongest or the weakest; this was a great opportunity to gauge the overall average strength of the group. Ye Tian concentrated, waiting for the moment when the vines would be pushed aside.
After a breath, the vines were lifted, revealing a large hand covered in black fur. If it weren't for the arm wearing clothing behind it, Ye Tian would have almost thought it belonged to a long-haired monkey.
"No one here," the Black-Furred Man shouted down the mountain but didn't bother to look inside the cave. It was clear he wanted to dismiss the matter quickly.
Ye Tian was quite satisfied with this outcome and held his breath, cooperating by hiding nearby.
"Then come down," called a man named Yuan Kang from below.
"Alright!" The Black-Furred Man responded cheerfully. The cave was dark and foreboding; it was great not having to go inside.
"Let's take a look!"
Just as the Black-Furred Man was about to jump down, that authoritative voice rang out again. Although there were no harsh words, the tone was unmistakable.
The Fourth Master wasn't the strongest in the village, but he was certainly the most ruthless. Everyone feared him, including the Black-Furred Man.
"Is anyone there..." The Black-Furred Man asked quietly as if he were an idiot, then pushed aside the vines and stepped inside.
The cave was pitch black, with only a faint light at the entrance.
"Is anyone there..." Black Fur cautiously stepped a few paces inside, looking extremely tense.
Ye Tian was currently hiding at the edge of the cave entrance, pressed against the wall. Black Fur had not turned back since entering, so he remained undetected.
"Yes..." Black Fur wanted to ask again when Ye Tian finally spoke up, "There is someone."
"Oh my!" Black Fur exclaimed, startled. He jumped and turned around, his eyes wide with fear as he scanned the area where Ye Tian was. However, just as he turned, a shadow lunged toward him.
The exclamation was muffled because Ye Tian swiftly moved forward and covered his mouth the moment he opened it.
"Shh!" Ye Tian made a gesture for silence and then released Black Fur.
Black Fur stared at Ye Tian in shock for a moment before nodding and saying, "I understand, I understand..."
"That's good," Ye Tian replied, stepping aside to clear the cave entrance. "You can go now, but don't let me down."
Black Fur nodded again and quickly leaped out of the cave. Moments later, a shout echoed from below; it was Black Fur's voice: "There is someone in the cave!!"
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