Chapter 11: Blood Splatters at the Pine Roots, A Narrow Escape into the Stone Ravine
The short blade, carrying the biting chill of the forest, thrust straight toward Chen Yi's heart, mere feet away.
Already severely wounded and utterly powerless, Chen Yi had his back pressed firmly against the rough trunk of the pine tree; he couldn't shift his body even an inch. Earlier, his surge of emotion had pulled at the devastating wound in his chest, tearing it open so that blood continuously seeped out. The warm liquid soaked through his gray combat suit, flowing down his waist and abdomen to the ground, spreading a large, dark, damp stain across the decaying leaves. Staring at the rapidly approaching blade with his clouded eyes, he felt no fear of death, only a crushing, heavy guilt. He had long anticipated that Green Face would set a trap, but he never expected that the three companions who came to rescue him would walk into this deadly snare alongside him. He had risked half his life to protect the token, believing he could fulfill his entrusted duty. In the end, he had only managed to drag others down to die with him. As this thought crossed his mind, he gently closed his eyes, quietly waiting for the fatal strike to fall.
Lin Yan lunged forward almost entirely on instinct. The violent motion of the dive yanked his injured left arm. A tearing agony exploded beneath the bandages, the sharp pain shooting up his entire arm to his shoulder. His nerves pulled taut, and he couldn't help but gasp, a layer of cold sweat instantly breaking out across his forehead. But he didn't stop. His right hand gripped the chipped short dagger in a death grip, holding it horizontally in front of Chen Yi.
Clang!
The assassin's short blade chopped fiercely into Lin Yan's dagger. The massive impact sent a numbing shock down Lin Yan's entire arm. A tearing, dull pain erupted in the webbing of his hand, and the dagger nearly flew from his grasp. The force propelled him backward, causing him to stumble two steps before his back slammed heavily against the rough trunk of the ancient pine. The shock to his chest trapped his breath, leaving him momentarily unable to inhale.
That hasty, desperate block had barely intercepted the lethal attack.
Seeing his strike miss, the black-clad assassin didn't pause. With a swift flick of his wrist, he swept his short blade horizontally, aiming directly for Lin Yan's neck. The killing moves of Green Face's death warriors were ingrained in their very instincts. The moment one attack failed, the next seamlessly followed, denying their opponents even a fraction of a second to breathe. Their strikes were vicious, each one a guaranteed claim on life.
"Careful!" Lao Chai roared. He desperately forced back the two opponents in front of him, trying to break free and rush to Lin Yan's aid. But the other two assassins immediately moved in perfect synchronization, attacking from both the left and right to死死 (firmly) pin him down. A blade flashed, carving a long, narrow wound across Lao Chai's forearm. Bright red blood instantly welled up, dripping down his arm onto the thick layer of decaying leaves, blooming into spots of dark crimson. Lao Chai let out a muffled groan, but his blade work didn't falter. Clenching his teeth, he continued to parry, his eyes locked desperately onto the battle unfolding near Lin Yan. He was consumed with anxiety, yet completely unable to break free.
On the other side, Xiao Ge tried to rush over to support Lin Yan. Seeing this, the remaining two assassins on the left flank pressed forward simultaneously. Their short blades unleashed a continuous, relentless barrage, completely sealing off his path. The old wound on Xiao Ge's shoulder was still bleeding, and after several rounds of hard clashes, his movements gradually slowed. He could only grit his teeth and desperately fend off the attacks. Every swing of his blade pulled at his wound, a burning pain continuously scorching him. His eyes were filled with frantic anxiety, yet he, too, was entirely unable to break away. The remaining two assassins in the encirclement moved slowly, steadily shrinking the space around them and sealing off every possible detour. The small, confined space beneath the pine trees was completely enveloped in the shadow of death.
Lin Yan had no time to catch his breath. He could only violently duck his head. The sharp blade whistled past the hair on top of his head, slicing off a few strands of black hair before chopping heavily into the pine trunk behind him. Fine wood splinters rained down. Using the momentum of his downward dip, his right foot hooked forward, attempting to trip the close-quarters assassin. But the opponent's footing was rock-solid. With a light tap of his toe against the decaying leaves, he effortlessly leaped over the tripping attempt and, reversing his blade, thrust straight toward Lin Yan's lower abdomen.
Lin Yan swiftly twisted his body to dodge backward. His back was already pressed flush against the tree trunk; he had absolutely no room left to retreat.
In this hair-trigger moment, Chen Yi, who was slumped on the ground, suddenly summoned the very last remnants of his strength. Clenching his jaw and tightening his abdominal muscles, he forced his upper body up by a fraction. Trembling, he lifted the long sword leaning beside him and viciously thrust the tip toward the assassin's calf.
The assassin's attention had been entirely locked onto Lin Yan, completely unguarded against this dying, severely wounded man. The tip of the long sword pierced the black fabric of his pants, sinking deep into the flesh of his calf. Crying out in pain, the assassin let out a suppressed groan, his forward assault abruptly halting.
In that mere second of hesitation, Lin Yan instantly seized the opportunity. He drove his dagger straight toward the assassin's sword-wielding wrist.
Shhk.
The blade tore through flesh. Struck in the wrist, the assassin's grip instantly collapsed, and his short blade clattered to the ground among the decaying leaves. Stumbling back a step, he stared at his bleeding wrist, his eyes churning with violent fury. He quickly turned and retreated back into the encirclement to regroup.
Lin Yan didn't dare to recklessly pursue. He immediately spun around and bent down to check on Chen Yi. After delivering that single strike, the very last ounce of Chen Yi's strength was utterly exhausted. The long sword slipped from his grasp and fell into the mud. His body collapsed heavily back against the tree trunk as he gasped desperately for air. Threads of blood continuously spilled from the corners of his mouth, and his vision gradually grew unfocused and blurry.
"Brother Chen!" Lin Yan called out in a hushed voice, gently placing a hand on his shoulder, careful not to touch the severe wound on his chest.
"Go... seize the chance... get into the stone ravine..." Chen Yi's voice was so faint it was nearly swallowed by the wind in the forest. Struggling to lift his eyelids, he stared fixedly at the rocky ravine to his right. Summoning his final reserves of strength, he gave Lin Yan's calf a gentle push. "Don't... linger for me. Don't let... my sacrifice be in vain."
Paying the price of taking a slash, Lao Chai forcibly shook off the two assassins entangling him and rushed to the side of the two men. The new wound on his forearm was deep; blood flowed endlessly, soaking his sleeve, and his blade-wielding hand trembled uncontrollably. Years of combat had forged a cold calmness within him. He quickly scanned the positioning of the surrounding assassins and instantly assessed the situation. If they continued to fight here, everyone would be buried beneath the pine tree.
"There's no time to hesitate!" Lao Chai barked, his gaze sweeping toward Xiao Ge. "Xiao Ge, fight as you retreat! Close in toward the ravine! Brother Lin, lend a hand! We'll carry Brother Chen Yi with us! We can't leave him behind."
Hearing this, Xiao Ge clenched his teeth and unleashed a vicious slash to force his opponent back. He immediately broke away and retreated to Lin Yan's side.
Lin Yan instantly crouched down, carefully avoiding the wound on Chen Yi's chest. He and Lao Chai took a side each, steadily hoisting Chen Yi's arms over their shoulders. Chen Yi's body was dead weight, his mass pressing heavily down on their shoulders. Lin Yan's left arm wound was pulled once again, sending waves of agonizing pain crashing into his brain. Cold sweat dripped continuously from his jaw, but he clenched his jaw tight, stabilizing his stance and refusing to let go.
"Move!"
With a low command from Lao Chai, the three of them supported Chen Yi, moving swiftly toward the rocky ravine on the right.
Seeing this, the remaining six assassins immediately gave chase. Their footsteps were light and swift, their short blades gleaming coldly in the moonlight that filtered through the gaps in the branches. They still maintained their coordinated formation, avoiding a blind, chaotic charge. Some pursued relentlessly from behind, while two others flanked to the side, attempting to cut them off by racing ahead to seal the entrance of the ravine.
"No! They're trying to flank ahead and seal the entrance!" Xiao Ge shouted, glancing back to warn them of the pursuers' movements.
The entrance to the ravine was piled with rocks of various sizes. The stone edges were sharp, the ground uneven, and scattered with rubble and dried vines. The passage was extremely narrow; at its widest point, it barely allowed one person to pass sideways, flanked by towering, steep stone walls. Once inside, the assassins wouldn't be able to charge side-by-side, and their advantage of coordinated encirclement would be completely nullified. But conversely, the ravine was a long, narrow dead end. If both the front and rear were sealed by the enemy, they would be trapped between the rocks, with nowhere to advance or retreat, becoming sitting ducks. Danger and survival lay within this single rocky ravine.
Lao Chai reached the ravine's entrance first. His gaze quickly swept down the depth of the ravine to confirm there were no ambushers ahead. He immediately turned and urged, "Get inside! I'll stay at the entrance to briefly hold them off!"
Lin Yan and Xiao Ge, supporting Chen Yi, bent down and squeezed into the passage between the rocks. The sharp stone edges constantly scraped their clothes, cutting their exposed hands and forearms, drawing beads of blood from the tiny wounds. The loose rocks beneath their feet kept rolling, making every step treacherous and unsteady. Chen Yi was half-conscious, his awareness flickering in and out. His head hung limply against his shoulder, and he muttered brokenly under his breath, repeating a single phrase over and over: "The token... must reach the Jiangnan headquarters... it absolutely cannot fall into enemy hands."
Listening to Chen Yi's endless repetition of this entrustment, that hazy intuition in Lin Yan's heart rippled once again. Chen Yi had risked his life to hold the line. His greatest obsession had been to protect the token and ensure its safe arrival in Jiangnan. Now that the token had been safely delivered to the outpost, and Zhou Wu's team had already departed southward in the dead of night, this entrusted duty should logically be considered complete. Yet, the unseen guidance lingering in Lin Yan's heart hadn't dissipated in the slightest.
Did Chen Yi harbor a second, unspoken burden in his heart? Could it be that merely securing the token wasn't enough to fulfill his wish?
These chaotic thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant, interrupted by the crisp clash of steel from behind. Lao Chai was staying behind at the ravine's entrance, holding off the pursuing assassins alone. The narrow entrance restricted the number of attackers, allowing only one assassin to engage him at a time. Fighting one-on-one, Lao Chai wielded his short blade, fiercely guarding the entrance to prevent the enemy from rushing into the ravine. But the assassins employed a rotating tactic to drain his stamina; after fighting for a moment, one would swap out for the next, continuously pressing Lao Chai's limits. Already bearing multiple bleeding wounds, his stamina was depleting at an alarming rate. He couldn't hold out for long.
"Lao Chai, get in here!" Xiao Ge stopped, turning back to shout toward the ravine's entrance.
"Keep moving deeper into the ravine! Find a recessed stone alcove and take up a defensive position!" Lao Chai shouted back, immediately following up with a slash that forced an assassin back. "I'll be right behind you!"
Before his words had even faded, two assassins launched a coordinated, alternating attack. One feinted to draw Lao Chai's attention, while the other dropped low and slid forward, his short blade thrusting straight at Lao Chai's lower body. Lao Chai hastily raised his blade to parry, but he was half a second too slow. The blade tore a deep, long wound across the outside of his thigh. Scalding blood instantly soaked through his pant leg, and searing pain washed over his entire body. Stumbling back two steps, he seized the opening, spun around, and leaped into the ravine.
The assassins followed closely, attempting to rush into the stone ravine. But the passage was too narrow; they could only enter one by one, unable to surge in as a group.
"Follow them up the stone ravine! Intercept them in sections!" The cold voice of the leading assassin echoed from the ravine's entrance, reverberating back and forth between the stone walls.
Stumbling, Lao Chai caught up with Lin Yan and the others. Blood from his thigh flowed down his pant leg, dripping onto the scattered rocks and leaving a trail of intermittent bloodstains. Breathing heavily, his forehead covered in cold sweat, he endured the agonizing pain in his leg and pointed ahead down the ravine. "Not far ahead, there's a stone alcove recessed into the wall. The space can barely fit the four of us. It's the only defensible position in this stretch of the ravine. We must get there immediately and hold the gap."
The group continued their arduous trek through the scattered rocks. Inside the dark stone ravine, only scattered moonlight filtered down through the gaps in the canopy above, making visibility dim. Loose rocks rolled beneath their feet with a faint rustling sound. The footsteps of the assassins behind them grew increasingly distinct, hunting them down the long, narrow stone ravine. The low, rhythmic footsteps echoed repeatedly against the stone walls, like the drumbeats of death.
Leaning against Lin Yan's shoulder, Chen Yi drifted in and out of consciousness. His lips moved slightly, still whispering his entrustment regarding the token.
Lin Yan looked down at Chen Yi, whose breath was growing weaker by the second, the doubt in his heart fermenting. He felt as though he was so incredibly close to the answer, yet he still couldn't grasp Chen Yi's true wish. Merely securing the token didn't seem to be the whole picture.
The four of them squeezed through an even narrower crevice in the rocks, and finally, the stone alcove Lao Chai had mentioned appeared ahead. The stone wall recessed inward, forming a natural, semi-enclosed cave. The opening wasn't large, just enough for one person to guard, and the ground inside was relatively flat.
"Get in!" Lao Chai whispered urgently. Working together, they carefully laid Chen Yi down on the flat ground inside the alcove.
The moment Chen Yi was settled, the pursuing footsteps echoing up the ravine reached the opening of the stone alcove.
Lao Chai stood horizontally across the opening, his back pressed against the rock wall, guarding the sole entrance alone. Xiao Ge stood beside him, his short blade gripped tightly, ready to support at a moment's notice. Lin Yan guarded the inside of the alcove, bending down to check Chen Yi's condition while keeping a close watch on the battle at the entrance.
Inside the dim stone alcove, the air was cold and damp, heavy with the mingled scents of mud, stone, and blood.
Outside the entrance, several black-clad figures slowly emerged into the moonlight. The assassins had reached the front of the alcove and stopped. They didn't rush into the cave immediately. They knew the opening was too narrow; a reckless assault would only result in them dying one by one. Instead, they planned to wait outside the entrance, quietly watching as the people inside bled out and exhausted their strength.
A dead, silent standoff descended upon the rocky ravine.
Lying on the ground of the alcove, Chen Yi slowly opened his heavy eyelids. Gazing toward the entrance, his lips trembled slightly. This time, he whispered a sentence he had never mentioned before.
"Delivering the token to Jiangnan... was only the first part. There is another matter... that I cannot let go of."
Lin Yan's heart jolted. He focused intently, listening. This was the second, unspoken burden hidden deep within Chen Yi's heart.
Already severely wounded and utterly powerless, Chen Yi had his back pressed firmly against the rough trunk of the pine tree; he couldn't shift his body even an inch. Earlier, his surge of emotion had pulled at the devastating wound in his chest, tearing it open so that blood continuously seeped out. The warm liquid soaked through his gray combat suit, flowing down his waist and abdomen to the ground, spreading a large, dark, damp stain across the decaying leaves. Staring at the rapidly approaching blade with his clouded eyes, he felt no fear of death, only a crushing, heavy guilt. He had long anticipated that Green Face would set a trap, but he never expected that the three companions who came to rescue him would walk into this deadly snare alongside him. He had risked half his life to protect the token, believing he could fulfill his entrusted duty. In the end, he had only managed to drag others down to die with him. As this thought crossed his mind, he gently closed his eyes, quietly waiting for the fatal strike to fall.
Lin Yan lunged forward almost entirely on instinct. The violent motion of the dive yanked his injured left arm. A tearing agony exploded beneath the bandages, the sharp pain shooting up his entire arm to his shoulder. His nerves pulled taut, and he couldn't help but gasp, a layer of cold sweat instantly breaking out across his forehead. But he didn't stop. His right hand gripped the chipped short dagger in a death grip, holding it horizontally in front of Chen Yi.
Clang!
The assassin's short blade chopped fiercely into Lin Yan's dagger. The massive impact sent a numbing shock down Lin Yan's entire arm. A tearing, dull pain erupted in the webbing of his hand, and the dagger nearly flew from his grasp. The force propelled him backward, causing him to stumble two steps before his back slammed heavily against the rough trunk of the ancient pine. The shock to his chest trapped his breath, leaving him momentarily unable to inhale.
That hasty, desperate block had barely intercepted the lethal attack.
Seeing his strike miss, the black-clad assassin didn't pause. With a swift flick of his wrist, he swept his short blade horizontally, aiming directly for Lin Yan's neck. The killing moves of Green Face's death warriors were ingrained in their very instincts. The moment one attack failed, the next seamlessly followed, denying their opponents even a fraction of a second to breathe. Their strikes were vicious, each one a guaranteed claim on life.
"Careful!" Lao Chai roared. He desperately forced back the two opponents in front of him, trying to break free and rush to Lin Yan's aid. But the other two assassins immediately moved in perfect synchronization, attacking from both the left and right to死死 (firmly) pin him down. A blade flashed, carving a long, narrow wound across Lao Chai's forearm. Bright red blood instantly welled up, dripping down his arm onto the thick layer of decaying leaves, blooming into spots of dark crimson. Lao Chai let out a muffled groan, but his blade work didn't falter. Clenching his teeth, he continued to parry, his eyes locked desperately onto the battle unfolding near Lin Yan. He was consumed with anxiety, yet completely unable to break free.
On the other side, Xiao Ge tried to rush over to support Lin Yan. Seeing this, the remaining two assassins on the left flank pressed forward simultaneously. Their short blades unleashed a continuous, relentless barrage, completely sealing off his path. The old wound on Xiao Ge's shoulder was still bleeding, and after several rounds of hard clashes, his movements gradually slowed. He could only grit his teeth and desperately fend off the attacks. Every swing of his blade pulled at his wound, a burning pain continuously scorching him. His eyes were filled with frantic anxiety, yet he, too, was entirely unable to break away. The remaining two assassins in the encirclement moved slowly, steadily shrinking the space around them and sealing off every possible detour. The small, confined space beneath the pine trees was completely enveloped in the shadow of death.
Lin Yan had no time to catch his breath. He could only violently duck his head. The sharp blade whistled past the hair on top of his head, slicing off a few strands of black hair before chopping heavily into the pine trunk behind him. Fine wood splinters rained down. Using the momentum of his downward dip, his right foot hooked forward, attempting to trip the close-quarters assassin. But the opponent's footing was rock-solid. With a light tap of his toe against the decaying leaves, he effortlessly leaped over the tripping attempt and, reversing his blade, thrust straight toward Lin Yan's lower abdomen.
Lin Yan swiftly twisted his body to dodge backward. His back was already pressed flush against the tree trunk; he had absolutely no room left to retreat.
In this hair-trigger moment, Chen Yi, who was slumped on the ground, suddenly summoned the very last remnants of his strength. Clenching his jaw and tightening his abdominal muscles, he forced his upper body up by a fraction. Trembling, he lifted the long sword leaning beside him and viciously thrust the tip toward the assassin's calf.
The assassin's attention had been entirely locked onto Lin Yan, completely unguarded against this dying, severely wounded man. The tip of the long sword pierced the black fabric of his pants, sinking deep into the flesh of his calf. Crying out in pain, the assassin let out a suppressed groan, his forward assault abruptly halting.
In that mere second of hesitation, Lin Yan instantly seized the opportunity. He drove his dagger straight toward the assassin's sword-wielding wrist.
Shhk.
The blade tore through flesh. Struck in the wrist, the assassin's grip instantly collapsed, and his short blade clattered to the ground among the decaying leaves. Stumbling back a step, he stared at his bleeding wrist, his eyes churning with violent fury. He quickly turned and retreated back into the encirclement to regroup.
Lin Yan didn't dare to recklessly pursue. He immediately spun around and bent down to check on Chen Yi. After delivering that single strike, the very last ounce of Chen Yi's strength was utterly exhausted. The long sword slipped from his grasp and fell into the mud. His body collapsed heavily back against the tree trunk as he gasped desperately for air. Threads of blood continuously spilled from the corners of his mouth, and his vision gradually grew unfocused and blurry.
"Brother Chen!" Lin Yan called out in a hushed voice, gently placing a hand on his shoulder, careful not to touch the severe wound on his chest.
"Go... seize the chance... get into the stone ravine..." Chen Yi's voice was so faint it was nearly swallowed by the wind in the forest. Struggling to lift his eyelids, he stared fixedly at the rocky ravine to his right. Summoning his final reserves of strength, he gave Lin Yan's calf a gentle push. "Don't... linger for me. Don't let... my sacrifice be in vain."
Paying the price of taking a slash, Lao Chai forcibly shook off the two assassins entangling him and rushed to the side of the two men. The new wound on his forearm was deep; blood flowed endlessly, soaking his sleeve, and his blade-wielding hand trembled uncontrollably. Years of combat had forged a cold calmness within him. He quickly scanned the positioning of the surrounding assassins and instantly assessed the situation. If they continued to fight here, everyone would be buried beneath the pine tree.
"There's no time to hesitate!" Lao Chai barked, his gaze sweeping toward Xiao Ge. "Xiao Ge, fight as you retreat! Close in toward the ravine! Brother Lin, lend a hand! We'll carry Brother Chen Yi with us! We can't leave him behind."
Hearing this, Xiao Ge clenched his teeth and unleashed a vicious slash to force his opponent back. He immediately broke away and retreated to Lin Yan's side.
Lin Yan instantly crouched down, carefully avoiding the wound on Chen Yi's chest. He and Lao Chai took a side each, steadily hoisting Chen Yi's arms over their shoulders. Chen Yi's body was dead weight, his mass pressing heavily down on their shoulders. Lin Yan's left arm wound was pulled once again, sending waves of agonizing pain crashing into his brain. Cold sweat dripped continuously from his jaw, but he clenched his jaw tight, stabilizing his stance and refusing to let go.
"Move!"
With a low command from Lao Chai, the three of them supported Chen Yi, moving swiftly toward the rocky ravine on the right.
Seeing this, the remaining six assassins immediately gave chase. Their footsteps were light and swift, their short blades gleaming coldly in the moonlight that filtered through the gaps in the branches. They still maintained their coordinated formation, avoiding a blind, chaotic charge. Some pursued relentlessly from behind, while two others flanked to the side, attempting to cut them off by racing ahead to seal the entrance of the ravine.
"No! They're trying to flank ahead and seal the entrance!" Xiao Ge shouted, glancing back to warn them of the pursuers' movements.
The entrance to the ravine was piled with rocks of various sizes. The stone edges were sharp, the ground uneven, and scattered with rubble and dried vines. The passage was extremely narrow; at its widest point, it barely allowed one person to pass sideways, flanked by towering, steep stone walls. Once inside, the assassins wouldn't be able to charge side-by-side, and their advantage of coordinated encirclement would be completely nullified. But conversely, the ravine was a long, narrow dead end. If both the front and rear were sealed by the enemy, they would be trapped between the rocks, with nowhere to advance or retreat, becoming sitting ducks. Danger and survival lay within this single rocky ravine.
Lao Chai reached the ravine's entrance first. His gaze quickly swept down the depth of the ravine to confirm there were no ambushers ahead. He immediately turned and urged, "Get inside! I'll stay at the entrance to briefly hold them off!"
Lin Yan and Xiao Ge, supporting Chen Yi, bent down and squeezed into the passage between the rocks. The sharp stone edges constantly scraped their clothes, cutting their exposed hands and forearms, drawing beads of blood from the tiny wounds. The loose rocks beneath their feet kept rolling, making every step treacherous and unsteady. Chen Yi was half-conscious, his awareness flickering in and out. His head hung limply against his shoulder, and he muttered brokenly under his breath, repeating a single phrase over and over: "The token... must reach the Jiangnan headquarters... it absolutely cannot fall into enemy hands."
Listening to Chen Yi's endless repetition of this entrustment, that hazy intuition in Lin Yan's heart rippled once again. Chen Yi had risked his life to hold the line. His greatest obsession had been to protect the token and ensure its safe arrival in Jiangnan. Now that the token had been safely delivered to the outpost, and Zhou Wu's team had already departed southward in the dead of night, this entrusted duty should logically be considered complete. Yet, the unseen guidance lingering in Lin Yan's heart hadn't dissipated in the slightest.
Did Chen Yi harbor a second, unspoken burden in his heart? Could it be that merely securing the token wasn't enough to fulfill his wish?
These chaotic thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant, interrupted by the crisp clash of steel from behind. Lao Chai was staying behind at the ravine's entrance, holding off the pursuing assassins alone. The narrow entrance restricted the number of attackers, allowing only one assassin to engage him at a time. Fighting one-on-one, Lao Chai wielded his short blade, fiercely guarding the entrance to prevent the enemy from rushing into the ravine. But the assassins employed a rotating tactic to drain his stamina; after fighting for a moment, one would swap out for the next, continuously pressing Lao Chai's limits. Already bearing multiple bleeding wounds, his stamina was depleting at an alarming rate. He couldn't hold out for long.
"Lao Chai, get in here!" Xiao Ge stopped, turning back to shout toward the ravine's entrance.
"Keep moving deeper into the ravine! Find a recessed stone alcove and take up a defensive position!" Lao Chai shouted back, immediately following up with a slash that forced an assassin back. "I'll be right behind you!"
Before his words had even faded, two assassins launched a coordinated, alternating attack. One feinted to draw Lao Chai's attention, while the other dropped low and slid forward, his short blade thrusting straight at Lao Chai's lower body. Lao Chai hastily raised his blade to parry, but he was half a second too slow. The blade tore a deep, long wound across the outside of his thigh. Scalding blood instantly soaked through his pant leg, and searing pain washed over his entire body. Stumbling back two steps, he seized the opening, spun around, and leaped into the ravine.
The assassins followed closely, attempting to rush into the stone ravine. But the passage was too narrow; they could only enter one by one, unable to surge in as a group.
"Follow them up the stone ravine! Intercept them in sections!" The cold voice of the leading assassin echoed from the ravine's entrance, reverberating back and forth between the stone walls.
Stumbling, Lao Chai caught up with Lin Yan and the others. Blood from his thigh flowed down his pant leg, dripping onto the scattered rocks and leaving a trail of intermittent bloodstains. Breathing heavily, his forehead covered in cold sweat, he endured the agonizing pain in his leg and pointed ahead down the ravine. "Not far ahead, there's a stone alcove recessed into the wall. The space can barely fit the four of us. It's the only defensible position in this stretch of the ravine. We must get there immediately and hold the gap."
The group continued their arduous trek through the scattered rocks. Inside the dark stone ravine, only scattered moonlight filtered down through the gaps in the canopy above, making visibility dim. Loose rocks rolled beneath their feet with a faint rustling sound. The footsteps of the assassins behind them grew increasingly distinct, hunting them down the long, narrow stone ravine. The low, rhythmic footsteps echoed repeatedly against the stone walls, like the drumbeats of death.
Leaning against Lin Yan's shoulder, Chen Yi drifted in and out of consciousness. His lips moved slightly, still whispering his entrustment regarding the token.
Lin Yan looked down at Chen Yi, whose breath was growing weaker by the second, the doubt in his heart fermenting. He felt as though he was so incredibly close to the answer, yet he still couldn't grasp Chen Yi's true wish. Merely securing the token didn't seem to be the whole picture.
The four of them squeezed through an even narrower crevice in the rocks, and finally, the stone alcove Lao Chai had mentioned appeared ahead. The stone wall recessed inward, forming a natural, semi-enclosed cave. The opening wasn't large, just enough for one person to guard, and the ground inside was relatively flat.
"Get in!" Lao Chai whispered urgently. Working together, they carefully laid Chen Yi down on the flat ground inside the alcove.
The moment Chen Yi was settled, the pursuing footsteps echoing up the ravine reached the opening of the stone alcove.
Lao Chai stood horizontally across the opening, his back pressed against the rock wall, guarding the sole entrance alone. Xiao Ge stood beside him, his short blade gripped tightly, ready to support at a moment's notice. Lin Yan guarded the inside of the alcove, bending down to check Chen Yi's condition while keeping a close watch on the battle at the entrance.
Inside the dim stone alcove, the air was cold and damp, heavy with the mingled scents of mud, stone, and blood.
Outside the entrance, several black-clad figures slowly emerged into the moonlight. The assassins had reached the front of the alcove and stopped. They didn't rush into the cave immediately. They knew the opening was too narrow; a reckless assault would only result in them dying one by one. Instead, they planned to wait outside the entrance, quietly watching as the people inside bled out and exhausted their strength.
A dead, silent standoff descended upon the rocky ravine.
Lying on the ground of the alcove, Chen Yi slowly opened his heavy eyelids. Gazing toward the entrance, his lips trembled slightly. This time, he whispered a sentence he had never mentioned before.
"Delivering the token to Jiangnan... was only the first part. There is another matter... that I cannot let go of."
Lin Yan's heart jolted. He focused intently, listening. This was the second, unspoken burden hidden deep within Chen Yi's heart.