Chapter 16: Unsealing the Letter in the Hidden Cave, A Tattered Scroll from Twenty Years Ago
The night wind swept through the bamboo grove, producing a continuous rustling sound that perfectly masked their faint movements, yet also made the atmosphere of the entire forest increasingly oppressive. The moonlight was sliced into fragments by the dense layers of bamboo branches and leaves, scattering fine silver glimmers upon the withered leaves beneath the low bamboo. The interplay of light and shadow stretched the surrounding silhouettes into twisted, elongated shapes, concealing unknown dangers everywhere.
The footsteps of the three assassins had completely vanished upstream. The forest returned to silence, accompanied only by the gentle murmur of the stream and the intermittent chirping of night insects. Lin Yan still maintained a taut posture, not relaxing his vigilance immediately. Years of survival in desperate situations had instilled an instinct in him: the brief departure of pursuers did not mean the crisis was over. True safety was never determined by sound alone, but by absolute terrain cover and a complete block on the line of sight.
"Wait a little longer," Lin Yan whispered, his gaze piercing through the gaps in the bamboo branches, firmly locking onto the dark mountain path upstream. "Assassins are skilled at circling back. They may have feigned their departure and are lurking in the shadows, waiting for us to show ourselves."
Xiao Ge nodded slightly, leaning forward to firmly protect the unconscious Chen Yi beside him. The wound on the youth's upper arm had been temporarily stopped from heavy bleeding through the mud poultice and cloth bandages, but the deep tissue damage still burned fiercely. Every minute shift in his limbs pulled at his nerves, sending waves of dull pain. Days of slaughter and flight had drained him both physically and mentally, causing his head to spin with dizziness. Yet, he held onto his last shred of clarity, not daring to slack off for a moment. Lao Chai's tragic death, Chen Yi's entrustment, and the twenty-year-old injustice weighed heavily on his heart. He was no longer the naive, impulsive escort guard youth who used to charge forward on nothing but hot-blooded passion.
Chen Yi lay quietly on the thick pile of bamboo leaves, his face as pale as frost, completely devoid of color. The bandages on his chest had once again faintly soaked through with a layer of pale red blood. The warm blood seeped out slowly, sticking to his inner garments. His breathing remained shallow and faint, his chest rising and falling so slightly it was almost imperceptible, as if he would fall completely silent at any moment. Since his desperate entrustment in the stone alcove, he had sunk into a deep coma, his vitality continuously ebbing away, sustained only by a lingering breath.
A full incense stick's worth of time passed without a single human voice or footstep in the forest. Confirming that the assassins had truly retreated and set no ambush, Lin Yan finally exhaled slowly, his tense shoulders relaxing slightly.
"We can go now," he said in a low voice. "This area is still within the search perimeter, and the low bamboo provides limited cover. If the wind shakes the branches, we could easily be exposed. We must find a completely enclosed, highly concealed hiding place. This will allow us to stabilize Chen Yi's injuries and safely dismantle the token to investigate the clues in the roster."
Xiao Ge slowly rose, enduring the severe pain in his arm, and bent down again to carefully lift Chen Yi onto his back. His movements were extremely light, deliberately slowing down every motion to avoid jostling the fatal wound on Chen Yi's chest. "I'll continue carrying Brother Chen. You focus on scouting ahead and keeping watch."
Lin Yan nodded, gripping his worn short dagger, and took the lead, pushing aside the dense bamboo branches to forge a path. The night wind was cool, carrying the damp, cold mist from deep within the forest. It soaked their clothes, the chill spreading across their skin. The two walked slowly downstream along the bank, deliberately stepping on the pebbles of the shallow waters. The flowing stream continuously washed away their footprints, completely eliminating the possibility of the pursuers tracking them by blood or footprints.
As the night deepened, a full moon hung high, its clear glow bathing the valley, yet it could not penetrate the deepest darkness of the dense forest. Ancient trees towered on all sides, their branches and trunks intertwined, the dense foliage blocking most of the moonlight. The forest was dim and damp, shrouded in mist, with extremely low visibility. Decaying leaves were piled several inches thick underfoot; stepping on them was soft and silent, but they also concealed slippery moss, making every step require extreme caution.
After walking several hundred yards, the stream curved into a narrow gorge. The mountains on both sides suddenly became steep, with towering rock walls and jagged, grotesque stones. The wind howled through the valley floor, whistling through the crevices in the rock walls with a low, mournful sound, like ghostly whispers, adding an eerie chill to the air.
"There is a recess in the rock wall ahead," Lin Yan said, his gaze sharpening as he pierced the heavy night to precisely lock onto the left mountain wall. "It looks like a natural cave. The entrance is completely sealed by vines and thorns, offering excellent concealment."
The two quickened their pace and indeed saw a rock wall over ten feet high receding inward, forming a natural stone cave of considerable depth. The entrance was densely tangled with old vines, thorns, and wild creepers, layered thickly and completely opaque. From the outside, it was impossible to detect the space within, making it a rare, perfect hiding spot in the entire valley.
"I'll clear the entrance," Lin Yan said, stepping forward and using his dagger to carefully cut the tangled vines. The blade was sharp, silently severing the withered vine roots. His movements were gentle and swift, minimizing any unnecessary sound to avoid alerting the assassins searching the mountain in the distance. In a short while, he had cleared a passage just wide enough for one person to enter sideways.
"Go in first," Lin Yan said, stepping aside to yield the path, his gaze still vigilantly scanning the surroundings to ensure no one was approaching. "The cave is enclosed with poor air circulation. While we stay, we'll leave only a tiny gap for ventilation. We must never seal the entrance completely."
Xiao Ge acknowledged, bending sideways and steadily carrying Chen Yi into the cave. The interior was more spacious and level than expected. The ground was dry with no standing water, covered in fine gravel and withered leaves. There was no damp, musty smell, indicating it was a naturally ventilated, extremely dry cave. The rock walls were cold and hard, blocking out the wind and insect noises from the outside. Standing inside, one could barely hear any external movement; it perfectly isolated them from the pursuers' search.
Once both were fully inside, Lin Yan turned back, repositioning the cut vines and thorns to cover the entrance, restoring its original dense camouflage without leaving any trace of human tampering. Only after finishing this did he truly relax, turning to walk deeper into the cave.
The cave was pitch black, with only a few slivers of moonlight filtering through the gap at the entrance, barely illuminating a small patch of ground. Xiao Ge had gently laid Chen Yi flat on the dry, level gravel floor. Supporting himself against the rock wall, the youth slowly stood up. The moment the weight was lifted, his strength seemed to vanish instantly, and his body swayed slightly, unable to steady itself. Leaning against the cold rock wall, he gasped for air as the severe pain from his wound completely engulfed his body. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, dripping continuously down his jawline.
"We're finally... safe for now," Xiao Ge said in a hoarse voice, carrying the exhaustion of a narrow escape and a grief that refused to dissipate. "If only Brother Lao Chai could have held out to get here..."
His voice choked at this point, unable to continue. The image of Lao Chai using his flesh and blood to seal the rock crevice, sacrificing himself in the stone alcove, was branded into his mind, impossible to erase. That steady, silent escort guard who always protected the younger generation and carried a warm heart beneath his quiet exterior was forever left behind in that bloody ravine of rocks, reduced to a handful of nameless dust in the valley.
Lin Yan remained silent. He walked to the innermost part of the cave, carefully tapping the rock walls to check for side tunnels or hidden crevices. After confirming that the cave had only a single entrance and exit and posed no hidden dangers, he returned, crouching down to examine Chen Yi's injuries.
He gently unwrapped the outer bandages, using the faint moonlight to inspect the wound. The penetrating wound on the chest was still horrifying, the flesh torn open and the blood dark. Excessive blood loss had left Chen Yi's entire body freezing and his limbs stiff, his pulse so faint it was barely detectable. Fortunately, the smooth transfer had prevented the wound from bursting open again or causing continuous heavy bleeding, barely preserving his last spark of life.
"He can hold on," Lin Yan assessed in a low, steady voice. "It's just severe blood loss and internal organ damage causing a deep coma. Without medicine, we can't fully heal him, but as long as he rests quietly without further jostling, he won't be in immediate danger of death."
Xiao Ge slowly squatted down, looking at Chen Yi's lifeless face, his eyes filled with melancholy. "Brother Chen guarded this for twenty years, just waiting for the truth and searching for an old acquaintance. If we still can't find any clues this time, his twenty years of torment and Brother Lao Chai's sacrifice will all be in vain."
"It won't be in vain."
Lin Yan spoke with certainty. Raising his hand, he slowly reached into Chen Yi's embrace, his fingertips touching the thick, waterproof oilcloth wrapping. The fabric was rough and tough, wrapped in multiple tight layers. Despite the fighting, tumbling, climbing, and wading through water, it remained completely intact, firmly protecting the token and the roster inside.
This was the vessel of Chen Yi's lifelong obsession, the sole surviving evidence of the family extermination massacre from twenty years ago, and the destined closure Lin Yan absolutely had to complete on this journey.
Holding his breath and focusing, he carefully untied the layered oilcloth knots. His movements were extremely gentle, fearing that excessive force or slight vibrations might pull at Chen Yi's wound, and also fearing that rough tearing might damage the twenty-year-old relic. The knots slowly loosened. Layer by layer, the waterproof oilcloth was unfolded. Finally, an ancient, heavy dark iron token lay quietly in his palm.
The token was dark overall, its edges polished smooth and warm by time. The front bore the seal script of the two characters "Zhenyue," the strokes vigorous and archaic, representing the orthodox escort credentials of the Jiangnan headquarters. On the back of the token was a tiny, concealed compartment slot, cleverly designed and impossible to discover without knowing its secret.
Lin Yan pressed his fingertip against the hidden mechanism and gave a light press. A faint click sounded, exceptionally clear in the silent cave. The compartment popped open, revealing a neatly folded piece of mulberry paper, thin as a cicada's wing. The paper was yellowed and brittle, its edges slightly worn, bearing the marks of time; it had clearly been sealed away for a full twenty years.
This was the roster that Chen Yi had guarded with his life.
Xiao Ge immediately leaned in, holding his breath, his gaze fixed tightly on the yellowed mulberry paper, his eyes full of solemnity and anticipation. The cave was utterly silent, with only the faint breathing of the two men echoing. The twenty-year-old sealed past was about to slowly unveil its curtain in this dark cave.
With extreme care, Lin Yan ran his fingertips along the edge of the paper, slowly unfolding the mulberry paper completely. Though brittle, it was well-preserved, without any tears or rot. The characters were clear and legible, written in Secretary Su's own hand, neat and vigorous, the strokes pressing through the paper.
The roster was divided into two columns.
The left column densely listed dozens of names, Jianghu aliases, and affiliated sects, even detailing each person's specific role and movements during the siege twenty years ago. From lone assassins and wandering martial artists to core disciples of several small and medium-sized sects, everyone was recorded without omission. These people were the chief culprits and henchmen who had besieged and slaughtered the Su family twenty years ago.
The right column contained only a few lines of text, yet it was the most core and precious clue in the entire roster, the answer Chen Yi had desperately sought for twenty years.
[Su Family Orphan, female, named Nianwan, seven years old. Privately abducted by the Black-Clothed Steward during the chaos; not deceased. The abductor's codename is "Green Face," a personal death guard of the mastermind, specializing in cleanup, silencing, and hostage abduction. The child subsequently disappeared into the shadows with Green Face, whereabouts unknown.]
These few short lines sent a massive shock through the hearts of both Lin Yan and Xiao Ge.
Green Face.
The person currently hunting them, laying traps to ambush Chen Yi, and stopping at nothing to seize the token was the very culprit who had abducted the Su family's only daughter back then!
The twenty-year fog was suddenly lifted at this moment. All the coincidences, all the chases, all the schemes instantly connected into a complete, closed loop.
Back then, Secretary Su had not only possessed the secret scroll of the northern and southern escort agencies but also knew the true identity of the mastermind and the hidden truth of Green Face privately abducting his daughter. To permanently seal the secret and eradicate all traces, the hidden faction had spared no expense, mobilizing a large number of experts to besiege and exterminate the entire Su family. Green Face had been the executor back then, and was now the only living person who knew Su Nianwan's whereabouts and controlled all the secrets.
"So... it was him from beginning to end," Xiao Ge said, his voice trembling, his eyes churning with shock and fury. "It was Green Face who abducted Miss Su back then. And now, it's still him hunting us, wanting to destroy the roster and erase all the truth. He's been chasing Brother Chen not for an escort token, but because he fears this roster being exposed, fears the old events being made public!"
Lin Yan gently stroked the yellowed characters with his fingertips, all doubts in his heart completely cleared.
He finally understood why the token had already been delivered to the checkpoint and the task seemed complete, yet the unseen intuition in his heart had never faded. Chen Yi's wish had never been a simple "escort the token back to the headquarters."
The first layer of obsession: Uncover the old case, execute all the culprits listed in the roster, and comfort the wronged souls of the Su family.
The second layer of obsession: Find Su Nianwan, rescue the Su family orphan abducted for twenty years, and fulfill the deathbed entrustment made to Secretary Su back then.
The third layer of obsession, the deepest and most hidden one: Expose the true mastermind behind Green Face, completely sever this dark conspiracy that had lasted for twenty years, prevent the old case from repeating, and stop more people from becoming sacrifices in the power struggle.
These three layers of obsession overlapped and interlocked; this was the complete picture of the wish. All the previous fighting, fleeing, and sacrifices were merely the beginning of this twenty-year feud.
"Green Face keeping Brother Chen alive isn't simply about using him as bait," Lin Yan said in a low, cold, and penetrating voice. "He wants to capture Chen Yi alive to interrogate him about whether there are any remaining backup plans or unrecorded clues from back then, while simultaneously destroying the roster to bury all the truth forever. As long as the roster is destroyed and Chen Yi dies, the blood debt of these twenty years will remain unknown forever."
Xiao Ge clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, the pain of his wound long since covered by the rage in his heart. "Then Miss Su... For these twenty years, she's been under Green Face's control, who knows what suffering she's endured. This Green Face is truly vicious to the extreme!"
Lin Yan slowly folded the mulberry paper roster, placed it back into the hidden compartment of the dark iron token, rewrapped it tightly in layers of oilcloth, and carefully tucked it back into Chen Yi's inner garments. Every movement was extremely careful. This roster was now their only evidence, and the only hope for rescuing Su Nianwan and comforting the deceased.
"The clues are now clear," Lin Yan said, raising his eyes, his gaze piercing the darkness of the cave entrance to look out into the heavy night. "The Su family orphan, Su Nianwan, is most likely still in Green Face's hands. Green Face has lurked for years, entrenched in the shadows, manipulating both the old case and the current pursuit to protect the mastermind's secrets. What we must do is survive, take the roster out of this valley, hunt down Green Face, find Su Nianwan, and resolve Chen Yi's twenty-year obsession."
Just as the two had sorted out all the clues and finalized their next steps, a faint, rhythmic sound of footsteps suddenly came from outside the cave.
Unlike the chaotic footsteps of ordinary scattered soldiers, this was the neat, synchronized marching of multiple people. There were many of them, advancing step by step along both banks of the stream valley, encircling this gorge.
Immediately, a cold, indifferent male voice clearly penetrated the cave, passing through the layers of vines and the night:
"The blood trail disappears at the end of this stream valley. They are carrying severe injuries and a comatose person; they can't have gone far. Seal off the entire gorge. Search the mountain layer by layer. Even if you have to dig up three feet of earth, find them."
It was Green Face's voice.
He had come personally.
The valley shrouded in night had completed its encirclement. Inside the dark cave, two men and one comatose wounded person now faced the dark destiny that had spanned twenty years. The true deadly situation and decisive battle had only just begun.
The footsteps of the three assassins had completely vanished upstream. The forest returned to silence, accompanied only by the gentle murmur of the stream and the intermittent chirping of night insects. Lin Yan still maintained a taut posture, not relaxing his vigilance immediately. Years of survival in desperate situations had instilled an instinct in him: the brief departure of pursuers did not mean the crisis was over. True safety was never determined by sound alone, but by absolute terrain cover and a complete block on the line of sight.
"Wait a little longer," Lin Yan whispered, his gaze piercing through the gaps in the bamboo branches, firmly locking onto the dark mountain path upstream. "Assassins are skilled at circling back. They may have feigned their departure and are lurking in the shadows, waiting for us to show ourselves."
Xiao Ge nodded slightly, leaning forward to firmly protect the unconscious Chen Yi beside him. The wound on the youth's upper arm had been temporarily stopped from heavy bleeding through the mud poultice and cloth bandages, but the deep tissue damage still burned fiercely. Every minute shift in his limbs pulled at his nerves, sending waves of dull pain. Days of slaughter and flight had drained him both physically and mentally, causing his head to spin with dizziness. Yet, he held onto his last shred of clarity, not daring to slack off for a moment. Lao Chai's tragic death, Chen Yi's entrustment, and the twenty-year-old injustice weighed heavily on his heart. He was no longer the naive, impulsive escort guard youth who used to charge forward on nothing but hot-blooded passion.
Chen Yi lay quietly on the thick pile of bamboo leaves, his face as pale as frost, completely devoid of color. The bandages on his chest had once again faintly soaked through with a layer of pale red blood. The warm blood seeped out slowly, sticking to his inner garments. His breathing remained shallow and faint, his chest rising and falling so slightly it was almost imperceptible, as if he would fall completely silent at any moment. Since his desperate entrustment in the stone alcove, he had sunk into a deep coma, his vitality continuously ebbing away, sustained only by a lingering breath.
A full incense stick's worth of time passed without a single human voice or footstep in the forest. Confirming that the assassins had truly retreated and set no ambush, Lin Yan finally exhaled slowly, his tense shoulders relaxing slightly.
"We can go now," he said in a low voice. "This area is still within the search perimeter, and the low bamboo provides limited cover. If the wind shakes the branches, we could easily be exposed. We must find a completely enclosed, highly concealed hiding place. This will allow us to stabilize Chen Yi's injuries and safely dismantle the token to investigate the clues in the roster."
Xiao Ge slowly rose, enduring the severe pain in his arm, and bent down again to carefully lift Chen Yi onto his back. His movements were extremely light, deliberately slowing down every motion to avoid jostling the fatal wound on Chen Yi's chest. "I'll continue carrying Brother Chen. You focus on scouting ahead and keeping watch."
Lin Yan nodded, gripping his worn short dagger, and took the lead, pushing aside the dense bamboo branches to forge a path. The night wind was cool, carrying the damp, cold mist from deep within the forest. It soaked their clothes, the chill spreading across their skin. The two walked slowly downstream along the bank, deliberately stepping on the pebbles of the shallow waters. The flowing stream continuously washed away their footprints, completely eliminating the possibility of the pursuers tracking them by blood or footprints.
As the night deepened, a full moon hung high, its clear glow bathing the valley, yet it could not penetrate the deepest darkness of the dense forest. Ancient trees towered on all sides, their branches and trunks intertwined, the dense foliage blocking most of the moonlight. The forest was dim and damp, shrouded in mist, with extremely low visibility. Decaying leaves were piled several inches thick underfoot; stepping on them was soft and silent, but they also concealed slippery moss, making every step require extreme caution.
After walking several hundred yards, the stream curved into a narrow gorge. The mountains on both sides suddenly became steep, with towering rock walls and jagged, grotesque stones. The wind howled through the valley floor, whistling through the crevices in the rock walls with a low, mournful sound, like ghostly whispers, adding an eerie chill to the air.
"There is a recess in the rock wall ahead," Lin Yan said, his gaze sharpening as he pierced the heavy night to precisely lock onto the left mountain wall. "It looks like a natural cave. The entrance is completely sealed by vines and thorns, offering excellent concealment."
The two quickened their pace and indeed saw a rock wall over ten feet high receding inward, forming a natural stone cave of considerable depth. The entrance was densely tangled with old vines, thorns, and wild creepers, layered thickly and completely opaque. From the outside, it was impossible to detect the space within, making it a rare, perfect hiding spot in the entire valley.
"I'll clear the entrance," Lin Yan said, stepping forward and using his dagger to carefully cut the tangled vines. The blade was sharp, silently severing the withered vine roots. His movements were gentle and swift, minimizing any unnecessary sound to avoid alerting the assassins searching the mountain in the distance. In a short while, he had cleared a passage just wide enough for one person to enter sideways.
"Go in first," Lin Yan said, stepping aside to yield the path, his gaze still vigilantly scanning the surroundings to ensure no one was approaching. "The cave is enclosed with poor air circulation. While we stay, we'll leave only a tiny gap for ventilation. We must never seal the entrance completely."
Xiao Ge acknowledged, bending sideways and steadily carrying Chen Yi into the cave. The interior was more spacious and level than expected. The ground was dry with no standing water, covered in fine gravel and withered leaves. There was no damp, musty smell, indicating it was a naturally ventilated, extremely dry cave. The rock walls were cold and hard, blocking out the wind and insect noises from the outside. Standing inside, one could barely hear any external movement; it perfectly isolated them from the pursuers' search.
Once both were fully inside, Lin Yan turned back, repositioning the cut vines and thorns to cover the entrance, restoring its original dense camouflage without leaving any trace of human tampering. Only after finishing this did he truly relax, turning to walk deeper into the cave.
The cave was pitch black, with only a few slivers of moonlight filtering through the gap at the entrance, barely illuminating a small patch of ground. Xiao Ge had gently laid Chen Yi flat on the dry, level gravel floor. Supporting himself against the rock wall, the youth slowly stood up. The moment the weight was lifted, his strength seemed to vanish instantly, and his body swayed slightly, unable to steady itself. Leaning against the cold rock wall, he gasped for air as the severe pain from his wound completely engulfed his body. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, dripping continuously down his jawline.
"We're finally... safe for now," Xiao Ge said in a hoarse voice, carrying the exhaustion of a narrow escape and a grief that refused to dissipate. "If only Brother Lao Chai could have held out to get here..."
His voice choked at this point, unable to continue. The image of Lao Chai using his flesh and blood to seal the rock crevice, sacrificing himself in the stone alcove, was branded into his mind, impossible to erase. That steady, silent escort guard who always protected the younger generation and carried a warm heart beneath his quiet exterior was forever left behind in that bloody ravine of rocks, reduced to a handful of nameless dust in the valley.
Lin Yan remained silent. He walked to the innermost part of the cave, carefully tapping the rock walls to check for side tunnels or hidden crevices. After confirming that the cave had only a single entrance and exit and posed no hidden dangers, he returned, crouching down to examine Chen Yi's injuries.
He gently unwrapped the outer bandages, using the faint moonlight to inspect the wound. The penetrating wound on the chest was still horrifying, the flesh torn open and the blood dark. Excessive blood loss had left Chen Yi's entire body freezing and his limbs stiff, his pulse so faint it was barely detectable. Fortunately, the smooth transfer had prevented the wound from bursting open again or causing continuous heavy bleeding, barely preserving his last spark of life.
"He can hold on," Lin Yan assessed in a low, steady voice. "It's just severe blood loss and internal organ damage causing a deep coma. Without medicine, we can't fully heal him, but as long as he rests quietly without further jostling, he won't be in immediate danger of death."
Xiao Ge slowly squatted down, looking at Chen Yi's lifeless face, his eyes filled with melancholy. "Brother Chen guarded this for twenty years, just waiting for the truth and searching for an old acquaintance. If we still can't find any clues this time, his twenty years of torment and Brother Lao Chai's sacrifice will all be in vain."
"It won't be in vain."
Lin Yan spoke with certainty. Raising his hand, he slowly reached into Chen Yi's embrace, his fingertips touching the thick, waterproof oilcloth wrapping. The fabric was rough and tough, wrapped in multiple tight layers. Despite the fighting, tumbling, climbing, and wading through water, it remained completely intact, firmly protecting the token and the roster inside.
This was the vessel of Chen Yi's lifelong obsession, the sole surviving evidence of the family extermination massacre from twenty years ago, and the destined closure Lin Yan absolutely had to complete on this journey.
Holding his breath and focusing, he carefully untied the layered oilcloth knots. His movements were extremely gentle, fearing that excessive force or slight vibrations might pull at Chen Yi's wound, and also fearing that rough tearing might damage the twenty-year-old relic. The knots slowly loosened. Layer by layer, the waterproof oilcloth was unfolded. Finally, an ancient, heavy dark iron token lay quietly in his palm.
The token was dark overall, its edges polished smooth and warm by time. The front bore the seal script of the two characters "Zhenyue," the strokes vigorous and archaic, representing the orthodox escort credentials of the Jiangnan headquarters. On the back of the token was a tiny, concealed compartment slot, cleverly designed and impossible to discover without knowing its secret.
Lin Yan pressed his fingertip against the hidden mechanism and gave a light press. A faint click sounded, exceptionally clear in the silent cave. The compartment popped open, revealing a neatly folded piece of mulberry paper, thin as a cicada's wing. The paper was yellowed and brittle, its edges slightly worn, bearing the marks of time; it had clearly been sealed away for a full twenty years.
This was the roster that Chen Yi had guarded with his life.
Xiao Ge immediately leaned in, holding his breath, his gaze fixed tightly on the yellowed mulberry paper, his eyes full of solemnity and anticipation. The cave was utterly silent, with only the faint breathing of the two men echoing. The twenty-year-old sealed past was about to slowly unveil its curtain in this dark cave.
With extreme care, Lin Yan ran his fingertips along the edge of the paper, slowly unfolding the mulberry paper completely. Though brittle, it was well-preserved, without any tears or rot. The characters were clear and legible, written in Secretary Su's own hand, neat and vigorous, the strokes pressing through the paper.
The roster was divided into two columns.
The left column densely listed dozens of names, Jianghu aliases, and affiliated sects, even detailing each person's specific role and movements during the siege twenty years ago. From lone assassins and wandering martial artists to core disciples of several small and medium-sized sects, everyone was recorded without omission. These people were the chief culprits and henchmen who had besieged and slaughtered the Su family twenty years ago.
The right column contained only a few lines of text, yet it was the most core and precious clue in the entire roster, the answer Chen Yi had desperately sought for twenty years.
[Su Family Orphan, female, named Nianwan, seven years old. Privately abducted by the Black-Clothed Steward during the chaos; not deceased. The abductor's codename is "Green Face," a personal death guard of the mastermind, specializing in cleanup, silencing, and hostage abduction. The child subsequently disappeared into the shadows with Green Face, whereabouts unknown.]
These few short lines sent a massive shock through the hearts of both Lin Yan and Xiao Ge.
Green Face.
The person currently hunting them, laying traps to ambush Chen Yi, and stopping at nothing to seize the token was the very culprit who had abducted the Su family's only daughter back then!
The twenty-year fog was suddenly lifted at this moment. All the coincidences, all the chases, all the schemes instantly connected into a complete, closed loop.
Back then, Secretary Su had not only possessed the secret scroll of the northern and southern escort agencies but also knew the true identity of the mastermind and the hidden truth of Green Face privately abducting his daughter. To permanently seal the secret and eradicate all traces, the hidden faction had spared no expense, mobilizing a large number of experts to besiege and exterminate the entire Su family. Green Face had been the executor back then, and was now the only living person who knew Su Nianwan's whereabouts and controlled all the secrets.
"So... it was him from beginning to end," Xiao Ge said, his voice trembling, his eyes churning with shock and fury. "It was Green Face who abducted Miss Su back then. And now, it's still him hunting us, wanting to destroy the roster and erase all the truth. He's been chasing Brother Chen not for an escort token, but because he fears this roster being exposed, fears the old events being made public!"
Lin Yan gently stroked the yellowed characters with his fingertips, all doubts in his heart completely cleared.
He finally understood why the token had already been delivered to the checkpoint and the task seemed complete, yet the unseen intuition in his heart had never faded. Chen Yi's wish had never been a simple "escort the token back to the headquarters."
The first layer of obsession: Uncover the old case, execute all the culprits listed in the roster, and comfort the wronged souls of the Su family.
The second layer of obsession: Find Su Nianwan, rescue the Su family orphan abducted for twenty years, and fulfill the deathbed entrustment made to Secretary Su back then.
The third layer of obsession, the deepest and most hidden one: Expose the true mastermind behind Green Face, completely sever this dark conspiracy that had lasted for twenty years, prevent the old case from repeating, and stop more people from becoming sacrifices in the power struggle.
These three layers of obsession overlapped and interlocked; this was the complete picture of the wish. All the previous fighting, fleeing, and sacrifices were merely the beginning of this twenty-year feud.
"Green Face keeping Brother Chen alive isn't simply about using him as bait," Lin Yan said in a low, cold, and penetrating voice. "He wants to capture Chen Yi alive to interrogate him about whether there are any remaining backup plans or unrecorded clues from back then, while simultaneously destroying the roster to bury all the truth forever. As long as the roster is destroyed and Chen Yi dies, the blood debt of these twenty years will remain unknown forever."
Xiao Ge clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, the pain of his wound long since covered by the rage in his heart. "Then Miss Su... For these twenty years, she's been under Green Face's control, who knows what suffering she's endured. This Green Face is truly vicious to the extreme!"
Lin Yan slowly folded the mulberry paper roster, placed it back into the hidden compartment of the dark iron token, rewrapped it tightly in layers of oilcloth, and carefully tucked it back into Chen Yi's inner garments. Every movement was extremely careful. This roster was now their only evidence, and the only hope for rescuing Su Nianwan and comforting the deceased.
"The clues are now clear," Lin Yan said, raising his eyes, his gaze piercing the darkness of the cave entrance to look out into the heavy night. "The Su family orphan, Su Nianwan, is most likely still in Green Face's hands. Green Face has lurked for years, entrenched in the shadows, manipulating both the old case and the current pursuit to protect the mastermind's secrets. What we must do is survive, take the roster out of this valley, hunt down Green Face, find Su Nianwan, and resolve Chen Yi's twenty-year obsession."
Just as the two had sorted out all the clues and finalized their next steps, a faint, rhythmic sound of footsteps suddenly came from outside the cave.
Unlike the chaotic footsteps of ordinary scattered soldiers, this was the neat, synchronized marching of multiple people. There were many of them, advancing step by step along both banks of the stream valley, encircling this gorge.
Immediately, a cold, indifferent male voice clearly penetrated the cave, passing through the layers of vines and the night:
"The blood trail disappears at the end of this stream valley. They are carrying severe injuries and a comatose person; they can't have gone far. Seal off the entire gorge. Search the mountain layer by layer. Even if you have to dig up three feet of earth, find them."
It was Green Face's voice.
He had come personally.
The valley shrouded in night had completed its encirclement. Inside the dark cave, two men and one comatose wounded person now faced the dark destiny that had spanned twenty years. The true deadly situation and decisive battle had only just begun.