In the pitch-black night, only the sound of a raging storm could be heard. Amidst the flashes of lightning and roars of thunder, two figures could vaguely be seen moving at great speed.
Mount Jiuyin, located in the desolate outskirts north of Feng County, was rarely visited even during daylight hours. So why were there people traversing the thorny mountain paths amidst the stormy night?
A silver flash of lightning split the sky, striking a huge tree with such precision that it seemed like a sword from the heavens. Flames erupted instantly but were quickly extinguished by the downpour, leaving behind the acrid smell of burnt wood.
"Watch out!" In the midst of cries of alarm, both men simultaneously used their lightness kung fu to leap several meters away, narrowly avoiding the calamity.
In the flicker of lightning, it was revealed that these two were middle-aged men, wearing bamboo hats and straw raincoats, their solemn faces drenched by the rain.
One man pressed his chest, a glint of panic flashing across his eyes.
"Let's go," said the other.
Braving the storm and trudging through the mud for about half a day, they finally stopped at a narrow and deep cave.
Pulling out a fire starter wrapped in oilcloth, the faint flame danced lightly. They took off their hats and raincoats, revealing wet clothes clinging tightly to their bodies.
"Brother Li, are you sure Young Master Guo Xuyang is really imprisoned here?" asked the man in an elaborately stitched silk shirt, who despite deep wrinkles around his eyes, had a relatively fair and handsome face. He peered into the dark recesses of the cave, involuntarily swallowing hard.
"Leader Qiu, this matter originally belonged to me; you shouldn't have come. Brother Guo and I share a bond thicker than blood. Now that he's in grave danger, I would risk everything to ensure his safety!" declared the middle-aged man in blue coarse cloth earnestly.
"What are you saying, Brother Li!" Leader Qiu straightened his back: "Though my Loama Bang is just a minor sect in the martial world, we greatly admire Young Master Guo's character! I'm willingly offering my humble strength. Please don't try to dissuade me anymore!" He glanced towards the cave again, furrowing his brows: "I merely wanted to ask: Are you sure the letter you received was truly from Young Master Guo? It's better to be cautious; let's not fall into the enemy's trap."
The middle-aged man surnamed Li fumbled out a damp, crumpled letter from his chest, shaking his head: "Although I also have some doubts, given Brother Guo's martial prowess and intelligence, he wouldn't be captured easily. However... I recognize Brother Guo's handwriting; this is undoubtedly his personal letter."
With a metallic clang, Leader Qiu drew his steel saber, grabbing the arm of the middle-aged man named Li, "Since that's the case, let's hurry. Even if it's a dragon's den or tiger's lair, I will venture forth!"
Both gripped their weapons, focusing their qi to protect vital points on their bodies as they cautiously stepped deeper into the darkness.
After walking several hundred steps, a strange noise suddenly erupted inside, followed by something lunging out towards them!
"Who's there?!" Although startled and alarmed by the eerie sounds, being seasoned warriors, they quickly composed themselves, standing firm and swiftly brandishing their weapons to cover their faces and chests. But to their surprise, what emerged were merely bats flapping wildly.
Li and Qiu sighed deeply, smiling at each other.
"Brother Li, it's a relief none of my followers saw me acting so cowardly," joked Leader Qiu, lowering his saber with a bitter smile.
The man surnamed Li smiled but was interrupted by a low voice coming from deeper within: "You've arrived?"
"Who!" The duo was shocked once more.
Holding up the fire starter, the man surnamed Li took a few steps forward, only to be halted by an invisible force. Pointing his sword at the figure, he demanded, "Did you capture Brother Guo Xuyang?"
"Yes, so what? No, so what?" Each word spoken by the person in the cave was paused. Saying nine words without any emotion.
"Hurry up and release him! Otherwise..."
"Or else, what?"
"Otherwise, I won't forgive you!" The middle-aged man named Li channeled his energy into his sword, advancing two steps with all his might.
"Now that you're here, prepare to die." The person in the cave spoke slowly and deliberately.
Outside the cave, the rain continued to pour.
From the ink-black cave echoed two piercing screams, reverberating throughout Mount Jiuyin, washed clean by the torrential rain...