Chapter 14: Escape Through the Crevice, A Blood Oath as Proof
Lin Yan yanked at the vines with a fierce tug. The withered tendrils, along with the moss clinging to the rock face, shattered and crumbled. Debris mixed with damp dust rained down onto the pile of scree beneath their feet with a rustling crash. The rock crevice, long concealed by the vegetation, was now fully exposed in the dim light of the stone alcove. The opening was less than three feet high and barely wide enough for an adult to crawl through on their stomach. Its inner walls were densely covered with sharp, interlocking stone ridges, their edges as keen as honed blades. Perennially soaked by cold water seeping from underground, the rock felt slick and icy to the touch. Water droplets fell ceaselessly from the tips of the stone ridges, striking the rock below with a monotonous, fragmented tick-tick sound that echoed continuously through the enclosed, silent space.
On the other side of the alcove, the crisp clash of weapons persisted. Two assassins had already stepped inside, locked in combat with Lao Chai. Tiny sparks from the colliding short blades flashed and vanished in the darkness, instantly swallowed by the heavy gloom. Three more assassins stood guard outside the entrance. They did not rush in all at once but remained stationary in the shadows of the doorway, observing the battle within with cold eyes, waiting for the optimal moment to strike. The instant Lao Chai collapsed from exhaustion, these three would immediately storm the alcove, sealing off every possible escape route.
"We must hurry; we cannot afford to waste a single moment," Lin Yan whispered in a low voice, his gaze constantly splitting its focus to monitor the fight at the entrance. His old injury in his left arm had been repeatedly strained by his recent actions. Beneath the bandages, a tearing pain surged in waves, growing stronger with each passing second. Fine beads of cold sweat slid down his jawline, dripping onto his clothes. He forcibly suppressed the dizziness caused by the pain and quickly moved to Chen Yi's side, preparing to assist Xiao Ge in moving the wounded man.
Xiao Ge clenched his teeth, carefully draping Chen Yi's arm over his shoulder. The wound on the youth's upper arm had been pierced by a blade earlier, and his coarse martial arts attire was already saturated with blood. The congealed scab had glued the fabric to his flesh and skin. Every slight movement of his arm sent a heart-wrenching, searing pain through the wound. His face was as pale as paper, his lips devoid of all color, and his forehead was covered in a layer of icy cold sweat. His vision had even begun to blur slightly. Yet, the determination in the boy's eyes remained unyielding, showing not a hint of retreat. With one arm wrapped around Chen Yi's back, he steadily supported the upper body, doing his best to avoid the fatal wound on Chen Yi's chest to prevent any jostling from worsening the blood loss.
"I'll support his legs. Lift slowly—whatever you do, don't jostle the wound on his chest," Lin Yan said. Squatting down, he carefully wrapped his hands around the bend of Chen Yi's knees. Working together, the two slowly lifted the unconscious Chen Yi off the freezing rocky ground. Lost in a deep coma, Chen Yi's muscles were completely relaxed, his body heavy and limp. His head lolled powerlessly to one side, his breathing faint and shallow. With every极其轻微的 rise and fall of his chest, fresh blood slowly seeped through his inner garments. Even in his unconscious state, the physical agony caused him to let out an almost imperceptible groan.
Step by step, they moved slowly toward the entrance of the rock crevice. A protruding stone spur on the wall gently grazed Chen Yi's chest. His body trembled slightly, and a streak of fresh dark red oozed from the wound. Xiao Ge immediately stopped, holding his breath as he adjusted his posture. He raised Chen Yi's body slightly higher to clear the sharp stone ridge, confirming that the injury hadn't worsened before continuing their slow advance.
"I'll go in first to lead the way and protect Brother Chen's head," Xiao Ge said. Bending over, he crawled into the narrow crevice first. Lying flat on the cold, damp rock surface, he propelled himself forward inch by inch using his elbows and knees. His bare forearms scraped directly against the sharp spikes of the rock wall, opening a series of cuts of varying depths. Blood quickly stained the rock face, leaving winding red trails against the grey-black stone. When the wounds came into contact with the icy water on the rock, a bone-chilling pain spread from his skin throughout his entire body. But Xiao Ge gritted his teeth, making no sound as he continued to inch forward, freeing one hand to steadily support the back of Chen Yi's head, preventing it from striking any protruding rocks.
Lin Yan followed closely, squeezing into the rock crevice. Kneeling on one knee, he supported Chen Yi's legs with both hands, slowly pushing from behind. The space inside the crevice was extremely cramped; they couldn't even turn their bodies sideways. Only three sounds remained: the continuous tick-tick of water droplets falling from the rock wall, the heavy, rapid panting of the two men, and the deafening clash of metal and weapons echoing from the stone alcove behind them.
Inside the alcove, Lao Chai single-handedly withstood the relentless, alternating attacks of the two assassins. The deep wound on the outside of his thigh completely tore open under the continuous strain of combat. Scalding blood flowed endlessly down his pant leg, soaking the fabric all the way down to his foot, pooling into a small, dark crimson stain on the scree beneath him. Every time he pushed off the ground, pivoted, or swung his blade, a bone-tearing agony shot through the wound, as if a blunt knife were repeatedly slicing through his flesh.
Lao Chai's palm was slick with sweat and blood, causing the hilt of his blade to slip slightly in his grip. Years of roaming the Jianghu had given him a solid foundation in hard martial arts, but massive blood loss was steadily eroding his stamina. His vision darkened in waves, accompanied by a constant ringing in his ears. His limbs grew heavy and sluggish, his reaction time noticeably slower than before. The two assassins were highly trained in coordinated combat. One feinted from the front to draw Lao Chai's full attention, while the other constantly flanked, searching for vulnerabilities in vital areas like his waist, abdomen, and thighs. The cold glint of their short blades flashed up and down, every strike aimed at taking his life.
"The people inside are trying to escape through the back crevice! You two, immediately flank around and seal the exit!" The leading assassin guarding the alcove's door spoke coldly, his voice piercing through the noise of clashing blades, clearly reaching the interior of the cave.
Hearing this, the two black-clad assassins who had been waiting at the entrance immediately turned around. Moving swiftly along the scattered rocks on the outside of the stone wall, they flanked toward the vine-covered entrance of the crevice. They had no intention of joining the melee inside the alcove; their sole objective was to seal the crevice, trapping the three people inside to die in the narrow stone passage.
Catching the two dark figures rapidly leaving the entrance out of the corner of his eye, Lao Chai's heart suddenly sank. He knew that once the assassins reached the crevice's entrance, the three people in the cramped space wouldn't even have room to draw their blades to fight back. He wanted to break away and stop them, but the two assassins in front of him pinned him down relentlessly. Short blades thrust from both the left and right, sealing off all his space to move. Lao Chai could only forcibly twist his body and swing his blade to parry. Clang! A massive shockwave rang out, numbing the webbing of his hand and sending a wave of soreness through his arm.
Seizing this opening, the assassin smoothly pushed his short blade forward. The blade grazed Lao Chai's waist, tearing open a long gash in his flesh. Scalding blood instantly gushed out. Lao Chai let out a muffled groan as searing pain washed over his entire body, his footing faltering as he stumbled back half a step. In that mere half-step of an opening, the two assassins broke free from the entanglement and rushed straight toward the crevice.
"Someone's coming! They're going to seal the crevice entrance!" Inside the crevice, Lin Yan heard the rapid footsteps crunching on scree growing closer behind him, his heart suddenly sinking.
The long, narrow crevice only allowed for single-file crawling; those inside had absolutely no way to turn around and fight. Once the assassins reached the entrance, they only needed to stand at the opening and thrust inward. The three people inside would be completely reduced to sitting ducks, with nowhere to run.
"Speed up! Crawl as fast as you can!" Lin Yan whispered urgently, pushing Chen Yi forward with all his might. Xiao Ge summoned the very last reserves of strength in his body. He pressed his elbows hard against the rough rock wall and pushed his knees against the scree, inching forward continuously. The fresh wounds on his forearms were rubbed raw by the rocks, the pain compounding with every movement. Cold sweat rolled down the boy's forehead, his vision beginning to blur, yet he still fiercely protected the unconscious Chen Yi in his arms, not daring to relax for a fraction of a second.
A moment later, the two assassins reached the entrance of the crevice. Bending down, their eyes pierced the darkness, spotting the three figures slowly moving deep within the crevice.
"Trying to run? Stop!" The leading assassin sneered. Bending his waist and knees, he shoved half his body into the crevice first, extending his short blade forward, intending to stab directly at Xiao Ge, who was crawling at the front. The narrowness of the crevice restricted his swinging arc, allowing only forward thrusts, but the distance was enough to reach the young man.
Just as the tip of the assassin's blade was about to reach Xiao Ge's back, a heavy dark shadow suddenly lunged from the side.
It was Lao Chai.
He had taken a heavy blow from the assassin behind him, using the impact of the blade to propel himself desperately toward the entrance of the crevice. Bleeding from countless wounds, his face was already ashen gray, his stamina almost entirely exhausted, yet his gaze remained as sharp as a blade. Gripping his short blade with both hands, he summoned the very last ounce of strength left in his body and swung horizontally with all his might.
Squelch.
The sharp blade chopped viciously into the back of the neck of the assassin who had entered the crevice. The man's body instantly stiffened. The short blade he had extended forward clattered to the ground, and his body, stripped of all strength, collapsed heavily forward. His corpse jammed into the entrance of the crevice, perfectly blocking half of the passage.
Seeing this, the accompanying assassin let out a fierce roar, raising his short blade high and bringing it down with full force toward Lao Chai's back. Lao Chai had no time to turn and defend; he could only grit his teeth and take the blow squarely. The blade sank deep into the flesh of his back. The massive impact sent Lao Chai stumbling forward, and he顺势 (seized the momentum) to press his entire body firmly against the entrance of the crevice, using his own flesh and blood to completely seal the passage.
"You shall not pass!" Lao Chai roared hoarsely, blood continuously spilling from the corners of his mouth, his voice trembling from the excruciating pain.
The assassin swung his blade wildly, hacking at Lao Chai's back again and again. With every strike, a deeper wound was torn open. Blood gushed like a spring, soaking Lao Chai's entire outfit and flowing down the crevices of the rock, pooling into a dark crimson puddle at the entrance. Yet, Lao Chai planted his feet firmly against the walls on both sides, his shoulders locked tightly against the assassin's body. No matter how many times the blade fell upon him, his stance remained immovable. With his own life, he stubbornly blocked the pursuers, buying time for the people inside the crevice to escape.
"Go! Don't look back! Take Chen Yi and leave! Protect the token! Uncover the old case!" Lao Chai shouted with the last of his strength. His voice pierced through the narrow crevice, reaching Lin Yan and Xiao Ge with perfect clarity.
Inside the crevice, hearing the continuous sound of blades hacking into flesh behind him, along with Lao Chai's final shout, Lin Yan felt as though his heart were being ruthlessly gripped by an icy hand, a heavy suffocation washing over him. A powerful urge surged within him to stop and turn back to help Lao Chai. But the moment the thought arose, Chen Yi's dying, entrusting gaze flashed in his mind, along with that unseen pull of the dimension's mission.
If they turned back now, the escape opportunity Lao Chai had fought for with his life would be wasted. Everyone would be buried together in the stone alcove. Chen Yi's twenty-year obsession, the roster recording the names of the murderers, and the twenty-year-old injustice suffered by Secretary Su and his daughter would be buried forever, never to see the light of day. Lao Chai's sacrifice would become completely meaningless.
"We can't stop. Keep crawling forward!" Lin Yan suppressed the surging grief in his heart. His voice was low and restrained, carrying a faint, imperceptible tremor. "We cannot let down the chance Brother Lao Chai traded his life for."
Lying ahead, Xiao Ge heard Lao Chai's shout. His shoulders trembled violently, a suppressed sob catching in his throat. Hot tears mixed with the blood and grime on his face, dripping onto the freezing rock wall. The boy bit his lower lip so hard he could taste blood in his mouth, forcing himself to abandon the urge to look back. His elbows pushed forward again as he continued to crawl toward the exit of the crevice.
The crevice passage remained long and narrow, stretching endlessly forward. The stone spurs on the walls continued to slash at their exposed skin, opening wounds of various sizes that constantly seeped blood, steadily draining their stamina. The air grew increasingly stifling and stuffy, heavy with the mingled scents of mud, stone, and blood. Trapped in the tiny space, even breathing felt difficult. No one knew how long they had been crawling when, deep ahead in the crevice, a faint, dim ray of daylight finally began to show, accompanied by a breeze carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees blowing into the gap.
"Light! We're almost at the exit!" Xiao Ge's voice trembled slightly, the emotions he had suppressed for so long finally finding a tiny release.
Gritting their teeth, the two men summoned the very last of their strength to push forward. After a dozen feet or so, the crevice passage suddenly opened up; the exit was right before them. Outside was a steep mountain slope, littered with massive boulders. Below the slope lay an endless, dense primeval forest. The setting sun hung low in the western sky, dyeing the entire valley and the distant, rolling mountains in a heavy, dark crimson. Twilight was slowly swallowing the light across the mountains and wilderness.
Working together, Lin Yan and Xiao Ge carefully lifted Chen Yi out of the crevice and laid him on a relatively flat, wide, blue-gray rock. Chen Yi was still unconscious, his chest wound still slowly seeping blood, his life force so faint it was barely detectable.
The moment Xiao Ge left the crevice, his tightly wound nerves instantly relaxed. Having exhausted every ounce of his strength, he could no longer support himself. His legs gave out, and he collapsed directly onto the pile of scree beside the rock. Looking down at the dense network of scratches on his arms and the piercing blade wound on his upper arm, the blood had half-congealed, sticking tightly to his clothes. The boy hung his head, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably as tears silently fell into the bloodstains on his legs. Inside the crevice, with life and death hanging by a thread, he had been forced to stay calm, not daring to show a shred of grief. Only now, having escaped the alcove and distanced himself from that battlefield, did the immense sorrow of Lao Chai's sacrifice overwhelm him in a tidal wave.
"Brother Lao Chai..." Xiao Ge murmured softly, his voice so faint it was almost carried away by the evening mountain wind.
Lin Yan stood beside the rock, turning back to look at the pitch-black exit of the crevice. From the direction of the alcove, the sound of clashing blades had completely ceased; only the rustling of wind through the grass and trees remained in the valley. He knew in his heart that Lao Chai would never come out again. That steady, reliable escort guard, who had walked the Jianghu for half his life, had chosen to stay at the entrance of the crevice, using his own life to pave a path of survival for them.
Lin Yan slowly withdrew his gaze and reached into Chen Yi's embrace. Through layers of oilcloth, his fingertips touched the carefully wrapped token. The oilcloth was thick and tough, undamaged; the roster stored inside was perfectly safe. This was what Chen Yi had spent half his life protecting, the only evidence of the twenty-year-old case, and the wish Lin Yan absolutely had to fulfill on this journey.
"The assassins won't stay at the alcove for long," Lin Yan forced himself to detach from the heavy emotions, quickly scanning the terrain of the surrounding slope to calmly assess the situation. "After they clear the alcove, they'll soon send people out to search the mountain. This slope is open with no cover. We cannot stay here long. We must move immediately and hide deep in the forest below."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a long, sharp whistle echoed from higher up on the distant slope. The whistle pierced the twilight, reverberating back and forth across the valley. Immediately, a second and third whistle sounded in succession, scattered across different directions. This was the assassins' method of signaling; it meant they had left the alcove and were beginning to search for the fugitives in designated zones.
"They've come out to search the mountain," Lin Yan said, listening carefully. He could hear the chaotic footsteps on the distant pile of rocks, gradually approaching in their direction.
Xiao Ge raised his head and fiercely wiped the tears and blood from his face with his sleeve. Taking a deep breath, he forcibly suppressed the grief in his heart. Pain, exhaustion, and sorrow all pressed down on the young man, but his gaze grew resolute once more. Supporting himself against the rock, he slowly stood up, walked over to Chen Yi, and bent down again, preparing to carry the unconscious man on his back.
"I'll carry Brother Chen," Xiao Ge said in a low voice.
Lin Yan nodded, reaching out to help Xiao Ge hoist Chen Yi onto his back. He used strips of cloth to simply secure him, preventing the jostling from pulling at the wound on Chen Yi's chest. Lin Yan then picked up the remaining dagger from the ground, his eyes vigilantly scanning the surrounding forest as he took point in guarding and covering their retreat.
"We go. Deep into the valley, into the dense forest. The trees are thick—perfect for hiding our tracks."
The two men spoke no more. Stepping carefully over the scattered stones, they moved cautiously toward the dark, deep forest below. The setting sun had completely sunk behind the distant mountain ridges, and the heavy twilight swallowed the entire valley like a rising tide. The shadows of the surrounding trees stretched long, overlapping layer upon layer, concealing unknown dangers everywhere. Behind them, on the slope, the footsteps of the assassins searching and their low calls to each other were growing closer and closer.
The wish Chen Yi had entrusted to him—the old case recorded in the roster, the orphaned descendant of the Su family who had vanished for twenty years—still hung unresolved. The unseen pull in Lin Yan's heart remained firmly tied to this matter. As long as this debt of gratitude was not fully settled, he would never be able to leave this martial arts plane and return to his original reality.
Within the forest shrouded in twilight, the road of escape had only just begun.
On the other side of the alcove, the crisp clash of weapons persisted. Two assassins had already stepped inside, locked in combat with Lao Chai. Tiny sparks from the colliding short blades flashed and vanished in the darkness, instantly swallowed by the heavy gloom. Three more assassins stood guard outside the entrance. They did not rush in all at once but remained stationary in the shadows of the doorway, observing the battle within with cold eyes, waiting for the optimal moment to strike. The instant Lao Chai collapsed from exhaustion, these three would immediately storm the alcove, sealing off every possible escape route.
"We must hurry; we cannot afford to waste a single moment," Lin Yan whispered in a low voice, his gaze constantly splitting its focus to monitor the fight at the entrance. His old injury in his left arm had been repeatedly strained by his recent actions. Beneath the bandages, a tearing pain surged in waves, growing stronger with each passing second. Fine beads of cold sweat slid down his jawline, dripping onto his clothes. He forcibly suppressed the dizziness caused by the pain and quickly moved to Chen Yi's side, preparing to assist Xiao Ge in moving the wounded man.
Xiao Ge clenched his teeth, carefully draping Chen Yi's arm over his shoulder. The wound on the youth's upper arm had been pierced by a blade earlier, and his coarse martial arts attire was already saturated with blood. The congealed scab had glued the fabric to his flesh and skin. Every slight movement of his arm sent a heart-wrenching, searing pain through the wound. His face was as pale as paper, his lips devoid of all color, and his forehead was covered in a layer of icy cold sweat. His vision had even begun to blur slightly. Yet, the determination in the boy's eyes remained unyielding, showing not a hint of retreat. With one arm wrapped around Chen Yi's back, he steadily supported the upper body, doing his best to avoid the fatal wound on Chen Yi's chest to prevent any jostling from worsening the blood loss.
"I'll support his legs. Lift slowly—whatever you do, don't jostle the wound on his chest," Lin Yan said. Squatting down, he carefully wrapped his hands around the bend of Chen Yi's knees. Working together, the two slowly lifted the unconscious Chen Yi off the freezing rocky ground. Lost in a deep coma, Chen Yi's muscles were completely relaxed, his body heavy and limp. His head lolled powerlessly to one side, his breathing faint and shallow. With every极其轻微的 rise and fall of his chest, fresh blood slowly seeped through his inner garments. Even in his unconscious state, the physical agony caused him to let out an almost imperceptible groan.
Step by step, they moved slowly toward the entrance of the rock crevice. A protruding stone spur on the wall gently grazed Chen Yi's chest. His body trembled slightly, and a streak of fresh dark red oozed from the wound. Xiao Ge immediately stopped, holding his breath as he adjusted his posture. He raised Chen Yi's body slightly higher to clear the sharp stone ridge, confirming that the injury hadn't worsened before continuing their slow advance.
"I'll go in first to lead the way and protect Brother Chen's head," Xiao Ge said. Bending over, he crawled into the narrow crevice first. Lying flat on the cold, damp rock surface, he propelled himself forward inch by inch using his elbows and knees. His bare forearms scraped directly against the sharp spikes of the rock wall, opening a series of cuts of varying depths. Blood quickly stained the rock face, leaving winding red trails against the grey-black stone. When the wounds came into contact with the icy water on the rock, a bone-chilling pain spread from his skin throughout his entire body. But Xiao Ge gritted his teeth, making no sound as he continued to inch forward, freeing one hand to steadily support the back of Chen Yi's head, preventing it from striking any protruding rocks.
Lin Yan followed closely, squeezing into the rock crevice. Kneeling on one knee, he supported Chen Yi's legs with both hands, slowly pushing from behind. The space inside the crevice was extremely cramped; they couldn't even turn their bodies sideways. Only three sounds remained: the continuous tick-tick of water droplets falling from the rock wall, the heavy, rapid panting of the two men, and the deafening clash of metal and weapons echoing from the stone alcove behind them.
Inside the alcove, Lao Chai single-handedly withstood the relentless, alternating attacks of the two assassins. The deep wound on the outside of his thigh completely tore open under the continuous strain of combat. Scalding blood flowed endlessly down his pant leg, soaking the fabric all the way down to his foot, pooling into a small, dark crimson stain on the scree beneath him. Every time he pushed off the ground, pivoted, or swung his blade, a bone-tearing agony shot through the wound, as if a blunt knife were repeatedly slicing through his flesh.
Lao Chai's palm was slick with sweat and blood, causing the hilt of his blade to slip slightly in his grip. Years of roaming the Jianghu had given him a solid foundation in hard martial arts, but massive blood loss was steadily eroding his stamina. His vision darkened in waves, accompanied by a constant ringing in his ears. His limbs grew heavy and sluggish, his reaction time noticeably slower than before. The two assassins were highly trained in coordinated combat. One feinted from the front to draw Lao Chai's full attention, while the other constantly flanked, searching for vulnerabilities in vital areas like his waist, abdomen, and thighs. The cold glint of their short blades flashed up and down, every strike aimed at taking his life.
"The people inside are trying to escape through the back crevice! You two, immediately flank around and seal the exit!" The leading assassin guarding the alcove's door spoke coldly, his voice piercing through the noise of clashing blades, clearly reaching the interior of the cave.
Hearing this, the two black-clad assassins who had been waiting at the entrance immediately turned around. Moving swiftly along the scattered rocks on the outside of the stone wall, they flanked toward the vine-covered entrance of the crevice. They had no intention of joining the melee inside the alcove; their sole objective was to seal the crevice, trapping the three people inside to die in the narrow stone passage.
Catching the two dark figures rapidly leaving the entrance out of the corner of his eye, Lao Chai's heart suddenly sank. He knew that once the assassins reached the crevice's entrance, the three people in the cramped space wouldn't even have room to draw their blades to fight back. He wanted to break away and stop them, but the two assassins in front of him pinned him down relentlessly. Short blades thrust from both the left and right, sealing off all his space to move. Lao Chai could only forcibly twist his body and swing his blade to parry. Clang! A massive shockwave rang out, numbing the webbing of his hand and sending a wave of soreness through his arm.
Seizing this opening, the assassin smoothly pushed his short blade forward. The blade grazed Lao Chai's waist, tearing open a long gash in his flesh. Scalding blood instantly gushed out. Lao Chai let out a muffled groan as searing pain washed over his entire body, his footing faltering as he stumbled back half a step. In that mere half-step of an opening, the two assassins broke free from the entanglement and rushed straight toward the crevice.
"Someone's coming! They're going to seal the crevice entrance!" Inside the crevice, Lin Yan heard the rapid footsteps crunching on scree growing closer behind him, his heart suddenly sinking.
The long, narrow crevice only allowed for single-file crawling; those inside had absolutely no way to turn around and fight. Once the assassins reached the entrance, they only needed to stand at the opening and thrust inward. The three people inside would be completely reduced to sitting ducks, with nowhere to run.
"Speed up! Crawl as fast as you can!" Lin Yan whispered urgently, pushing Chen Yi forward with all his might. Xiao Ge summoned the very last reserves of strength in his body. He pressed his elbows hard against the rough rock wall and pushed his knees against the scree, inching forward continuously. The fresh wounds on his forearms were rubbed raw by the rocks, the pain compounding with every movement. Cold sweat rolled down the boy's forehead, his vision beginning to blur, yet he still fiercely protected the unconscious Chen Yi in his arms, not daring to relax for a fraction of a second.
A moment later, the two assassins reached the entrance of the crevice. Bending down, their eyes pierced the darkness, spotting the three figures slowly moving deep within the crevice.
"Trying to run? Stop!" The leading assassin sneered. Bending his waist and knees, he shoved half his body into the crevice first, extending his short blade forward, intending to stab directly at Xiao Ge, who was crawling at the front. The narrowness of the crevice restricted his swinging arc, allowing only forward thrusts, but the distance was enough to reach the young man.
Just as the tip of the assassin's blade was about to reach Xiao Ge's back, a heavy dark shadow suddenly lunged from the side.
It was Lao Chai.
He had taken a heavy blow from the assassin behind him, using the impact of the blade to propel himself desperately toward the entrance of the crevice. Bleeding from countless wounds, his face was already ashen gray, his stamina almost entirely exhausted, yet his gaze remained as sharp as a blade. Gripping his short blade with both hands, he summoned the very last ounce of strength left in his body and swung horizontally with all his might.
Squelch.
The sharp blade chopped viciously into the back of the neck of the assassin who had entered the crevice. The man's body instantly stiffened. The short blade he had extended forward clattered to the ground, and his body, stripped of all strength, collapsed heavily forward. His corpse jammed into the entrance of the crevice, perfectly blocking half of the passage.
Seeing this, the accompanying assassin let out a fierce roar, raising his short blade high and bringing it down with full force toward Lao Chai's back. Lao Chai had no time to turn and defend; he could only grit his teeth and take the blow squarely. The blade sank deep into the flesh of his back. The massive impact sent Lao Chai stumbling forward, and he顺势 (seized the momentum) to press his entire body firmly against the entrance of the crevice, using his own flesh and blood to completely seal the passage.
"You shall not pass!" Lao Chai roared hoarsely, blood continuously spilling from the corners of his mouth, his voice trembling from the excruciating pain.
The assassin swung his blade wildly, hacking at Lao Chai's back again and again. With every strike, a deeper wound was torn open. Blood gushed like a spring, soaking Lao Chai's entire outfit and flowing down the crevices of the rock, pooling into a dark crimson puddle at the entrance. Yet, Lao Chai planted his feet firmly against the walls on both sides, his shoulders locked tightly against the assassin's body. No matter how many times the blade fell upon him, his stance remained immovable. With his own life, he stubbornly blocked the pursuers, buying time for the people inside the crevice to escape.
"Go! Don't look back! Take Chen Yi and leave! Protect the token! Uncover the old case!" Lao Chai shouted with the last of his strength. His voice pierced through the narrow crevice, reaching Lin Yan and Xiao Ge with perfect clarity.
Inside the crevice, hearing the continuous sound of blades hacking into flesh behind him, along with Lao Chai's final shout, Lin Yan felt as though his heart were being ruthlessly gripped by an icy hand, a heavy suffocation washing over him. A powerful urge surged within him to stop and turn back to help Lao Chai. But the moment the thought arose, Chen Yi's dying, entrusting gaze flashed in his mind, along with that unseen pull of the dimension's mission.
If they turned back now, the escape opportunity Lao Chai had fought for with his life would be wasted. Everyone would be buried together in the stone alcove. Chen Yi's twenty-year obsession, the roster recording the names of the murderers, and the twenty-year-old injustice suffered by Secretary Su and his daughter would be buried forever, never to see the light of day. Lao Chai's sacrifice would become completely meaningless.
"We can't stop. Keep crawling forward!" Lin Yan suppressed the surging grief in his heart. His voice was low and restrained, carrying a faint, imperceptible tremor. "We cannot let down the chance Brother Lao Chai traded his life for."
Lying ahead, Xiao Ge heard Lao Chai's shout. His shoulders trembled violently, a suppressed sob catching in his throat. Hot tears mixed with the blood and grime on his face, dripping onto the freezing rock wall. The boy bit his lower lip so hard he could taste blood in his mouth, forcing himself to abandon the urge to look back. His elbows pushed forward again as he continued to crawl toward the exit of the crevice.
The crevice passage remained long and narrow, stretching endlessly forward. The stone spurs on the walls continued to slash at their exposed skin, opening wounds of various sizes that constantly seeped blood, steadily draining their stamina. The air grew increasingly stifling and stuffy, heavy with the mingled scents of mud, stone, and blood. Trapped in the tiny space, even breathing felt difficult. No one knew how long they had been crawling when, deep ahead in the crevice, a faint, dim ray of daylight finally began to show, accompanied by a breeze carrying the fresh scent of grass and trees blowing into the gap.
"Light! We're almost at the exit!" Xiao Ge's voice trembled slightly, the emotions he had suppressed for so long finally finding a tiny release.
Gritting their teeth, the two men summoned the very last of their strength to push forward. After a dozen feet or so, the crevice passage suddenly opened up; the exit was right before them. Outside was a steep mountain slope, littered with massive boulders. Below the slope lay an endless, dense primeval forest. The setting sun hung low in the western sky, dyeing the entire valley and the distant, rolling mountains in a heavy, dark crimson. Twilight was slowly swallowing the light across the mountains and wilderness.
Working together, Lin Yan and Xiao Ge carefully lifted Chen Yi out of the crevice and laid him on a relatively flat, wide, blue-gray rock. Chen Yi was still unconscious, his chest wound still slowly seeping blood, his life force so faint it was barely detectable.
The moment Xiao Ge left the crevice, his tightly wound nerves instantly relaxed. Having exhausted every ounce of his strength, he could no longer support himself. His legs gave out, and he collapsed directly onto the pile of scree beside the rock. Looking down at the dense network of scratches on his arms and the piercing blade wound on his upper arm, the blood had half-congealed, sticking tightly to his clothes. The boy hung his head, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably as tears silently fell into the bloodstains on his legs. Inside the crevice, with life and death hanging by a thread, he had been forced to stay calm, not daring to show a shred of grief. Only now, having escaped the alcove and distanced himself from that battlefield, did the immense sorrow of Lao Chai's sacrifice overwhelm him in a tidal wave.
"Brother Lao Chai..." Xiao Ge murmured softly, his voice so faint it was almost carried away by the evening mountain wind.
Lin Yan stood beside the rock, turning back to look at the pitch-black exit of the crevice. From the direction of the alcove, the sound of clashing blades had completely ceased; only the rustling of wind through the grass and trees remained in the valley. He knew in his heart that Lao Chai would never come out again. That steady, reliable escort guard, who had walked the Jianghu for half his life, had chosen to stay at the entrance of the crevice, using his own life to pave a path of survival for them.
Lin Yan slowly withdrew his gaze and reached into Chen Yi's embrace. Through layers of oilcloth, his fingertips touched the carefully wrapped token. The oilcloth was thick and tough, undamaged; the roster stored inside was perfectly safe. This was what Chen Yi had spent half his life protecting, the only evidence of the twenty-year-old case, and the wish Lin Yan absolutely had to fulfill on this journey.
"The assassins won't stay at the alcove for long," Lin Yan forced himself to detach from the heavy emotions, quickly scanning the terrain of the surrounding slope to calmly assess the situation. "After they clear the alcove, they'll soon send people out to search the mountain. This slope is open with no cover. We cannot stay here long. We must move immediately and hide deep in the forest below."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a long, sharp whistle echoed from higher up on the distant slope. The whistle pierced the twilight, reverberating back and forth across the valley. Immediately, a second and third whistle sounded in succession, scattered across different directions. This was the assassins' method of signaling; it meant they had left the alcove and were beginning to search for the fugitives in designated zones.
"They've come out to search the mountain," Lin Yan said, listening carefully. He could hear the chaotic footsteps on the distant pile of rocks, gradually approaching in their direction.
Xiao Ge raised his head and fiercely wiped the tears and blood from his face with his sleeve. Taking a deep breath, he forcibly suppressed the grief in his heart. Pain, exhaustion, and sorrow all pressed down on the young man, but his gaze grew resolute once more. Supporting himself against the rock, he slowly stood up, walked over to Chen Yi, and bent down again, preparing to carry the unconscious man on his back.
"I'll carry Brother Chen," Xiao Ge said in a low voice.
Lin Yan nodded, reaching out to help Xiao Ge hoist Chen Yi onto his back. He used strips of cloth to simply secure him, preventing the jostling from pulling at the wound on Chen Yi's chest. Lin Yan then picked up the remaining dagger from the ground, his eyes vigilantly scanning the surrounding forest as he took point in guarding and covering their retreat.
"We go. Deep into the valley, into the dense forest. The trees are thick—perfect for hiding our tracks."
The two men spoke no more. Stepping carefully over the scattered stones, they moved cautiously toward the dark, deep forest below. The setting sun had completely sunk behind the distant mountain ridges, and the heavy twilight swallowed the entire valley like a rising tide. The shadows of the surrounding trees stretched long, overlapping layer upon layer, concealing unknown dangers everywhere. Behind them, on the slope, the footsteps of the assassins searching and their low calls to each other were growing closer and closer.
The wish Chen Yi had entrusted to him—the old case recorded in the roster, the orphaned descendant of the Su family who had vanished for twenty years—still hung unresolved. The unseen pull in Lin Yan's heart remained firmly tied to this matter. As long as this debt of gratitude was not fully settled, he would never be able to leave this martial arts plane and return to his original reality.
Within the forest shrouded in twilight, the road of escape had only just begun.