Chapter 17: The Hunt Before the Cave, Green Face Appears
The voices outside the cave seeped through the gaps in the vines. They were not loud, yet they carried a bone-chilling coldness, spreading steadily across the silent valley. It was Green Face.
Lin Yan instantly raised his hand, signaling Xiao Ge to remain silent. The two instinctively suppressed their breathing to the absolute minimum, even slowing the rise and fall of their chests. Inside the cave, only Chen Yi's faint, intermittent panting remained, barely audible in the enclosed space.
Xiao Ge's body stiffened slightly, and he unconsciously tightened his grip on the worn short dagger at his waist. Hearing the name earlier had only sparked anger, but now that the chief culprit had personally arrived at the encirclement, a chill crawled up his spine. He leaned forward, peering through the tiny gaps in the vines. Under the moonlight, dozens of figures in black slowly spread out along both banks of the stream valley. Moving in pairs with blades drawn, their formation was highly disciplined, far superior to the scattered squads from before.
Green Face stood at the very front of the formation. Dressed in a grey cloth long gown, he stood in stark contrast to the black-clad assassins around him. His figure was lean and upright, his face covered by a thin, greyish iron mask that revealed only a pair of deep, dark eyes. His gaze slowly swept across the rock walls of the entire stream valley. The mask concealed his entire face, leaving only a faint curve at the corner of his mouth, betraying neither joy nor anger.
"Leader, the vines on this rock wall are dense; there might be a cave hidden within," an assassin reported, bowing respectfully. He raised his hand, pointing toward the mountain wall where Lin Yan and the others were hiding. "I checked the ground, and the vines here show signs of having been recently disturbed."
Lin Yan's heart suddenly sank. When they had cleared the vines at the entrance earlier, although they had tried their best to restore it, they had still left faint traces. In the end, they hadn't managed to conceal it completely.
Green Face slowly raised his eyes, his gaze falling directly upon the rock wall tangled with thorns and old vines. Those eyes were perfectly calm, as if he were merely looking at an ordinary boulder, rather than searching for fugitives hiding inside a cave.
"Search carefully," Green Face said in a flat voice, devoid of any malice. Yet, falling upon the ears of the assassins, no one dared to slack off. "Do not rush in blindly. The interior space of the cave is unknown. They are holding the roster, the only living proof. I want Chen Yi alive, and the roster completely intact. As for the other two, kill them if they resist."
"Yes!"
Four assassins immediately stepped forward, drawing their short blades and slowly approaching the direction of the cave entrance. They spaced themselves apart, covering each other, their footsteps light as their eyes stared fixedly at the layers of vines.
Inside the cave, Xiao Ge suppressed his breath, his voice reduced to nearly a whisper. "They've found the entrance! What do we do? Do we fight them head-on? There are too many people outside; we can't possibly win."
Lin Yan quickly scanned the cave's environment. The cave had only this single entrance and exit; there were no side tunnels, no back doors. Once the entrance was sealed off, this place would become a death row cage. Chen Yi was severely wounded and unconscious, completely unable to fight; Xiao Ge had a piercing wound in his arm and his stamina was already depleted; only he himself retained full mobility. But relying solely on a short dagger to fight against dozens of highly trained assassins was无异于以卵击石 (like throwing an egg against a rock).
Fighting them head-on was a path to certain death.
"We can't fight a desperate battle head-on," Lin Yan planned quickly in a low voice, his gaze sweeping over the pile of rubble and fallen rocks at the entrance. "The entrance is narrow; at most, only one person can enter at a time. We can hold the entrance and use the terrain to limit their numbers. But we won't be able to hold out for long. Green Face's men are veterans; they'll figure out a way soon."
He turned his head to look at Chen Yi, who was lying on the gravel floor. Chen Yi was still unconscious, his face pale, his breathing faint. The roster was still safely hidden in Chen Yi's embrace; this was the target that Green Face had mobilized all his men to besiege. If the roster was taken, the twenty-year-old injustice would be buried forever, Chen Yi's lifelong obsession would be in vain, Lao Chai's sacrifice would be meaningless, and Lin Yan's dimensional mission would be declared a failure. Failure meant being permanently trapped in this martial arts world, never to return to reality.
"Our goal isn't to kill everyone. It's to stall them and find an opportunity to break through," Lin Yan said, gripping the dagger tightly, his fingertips feeling the cold metal hilt. "I'll guard the inside of the entrance. For every one of them that comes in, I'll intercept and kill them. You guard my side and rear to protect Chen Yi. If anyone bypasses me and rushes in, intercept them immediately. Under no circumstances should you leave Chen Yi's side."
Xiao Ge clenched his teeth, gripping his short dagger, and nodded firmly. "Understood. Even if I have to fight to the death, I won't let them harm Brother Chen or take the roster."
Outside, the assassins had reached the vines. They swung their blades, hacking at the tangled thorns. The vines snapped and fell with a rustling sound, and the previously concealed gap at the cave entrance was slowly exposed to the moonlight.
"People inside, come out and surrender!" the leading assassin shouted loudly. "Leader Green Face has decreed that if you hand over Chen Yi and the roster, you will be allowed to keep your whole bodies. If you stubbornly resist, there is only death!"
No one inside the cave responded.
The assassins exchanged glances. One of them turned sideways, bending at the waist, gripping his short dagger, and cautiously poked his head through the cleared gap in the vines, entering the cave. The narrow entrance restricted his movements; he could only hunch his body, his field of vision limited to a small patch of space directly in front of him.
The moment his upper body entered the cave, a dark shadow suddenly lunged from the darkness.
Lin Yan had been waiting silently in the blind spot inside the entrance, anticipating the exact moment the other man stepped in. His dagger struck precisely at the assassin's wrist holding the blade.
Squelch!
The blade tore through flesh, and a scream abruptly rang out. The short dagger slipped from the assassin's hand, clattering onto the gravel floor. In the midst of searing pain, he tried to retreat backward. Seizing the momentum, Lin Yan stepped forward, driving his elbow heavily into the man's chest. The assassin let out a muffled groan, his body stumbling backward, half of it jammed in the cave entrance, unable to advance or retreat.
The other assassins outside were alarmed and immediately reached out to drag their companion back. Lin Yan gave them no chance. He slashed his dagger horizontally, forcing the hands reaching into the cave to pull back, and simultaneously kicked the wounded assassin on the shoulder, pushing him hard outward.
The injured assassin screamed as he tumbled out of the cave, rolling onto the pile of rubble outside, blood flowing endlessly from his wrist.
"There's an ambush inside!" The assassins outside immediately took a few steps back and reported loudly to Green Face.
Green Face stood in place, his gaze beneath the mask as calm as ever. He spoke lightly, "The cave entrance is narrow and easy to defend but hard to attack. No need to force a breakthrough. Bring fire."
Hearing the words "bring fire," a chill ran through Lin Yan's heart.
They were going to smoke them out of the cave with fire and smoke!
The cave had only this single entrance and exit. Once the dry grass and withered branches were set ablaze, the thick smoke would flood into the cavern. In a matter of moments, the people inside would be choked into unconsciousness, completely losing their ability to move. There would be no need for the assassins to even rush in and fight. This was the most ruthless method for dealing with a single-entrance cave.
Several assassins immediately took the order, turning around to gather dry branches and withered grass from the nearby forest. They quickly piled them up outside the vines at the cave entrance. Soon, the pile of dry grass was complete. Someone took out a fire-starter, and a spark flashed. The dry grass ignited instantly, orange flames spreading rapidly as billows of thick black smoke rose, slowly seeping into the cave through the gaps in the entrance.
The scorching smoke, carrying the choking scent of burning vegetation, gradually poured into the cavern.
"The smoke is coming in!" Xiao Ge coughed twice, raising his hand to cover his mouth and nose, his brow furrowed. "If this continues, we'll soon be choked until we can't breathe."
Lin Yan immediately turned back, scanning the depths of the cave. The cave was not short in depth, and it would take some time for the thick smoke to spread inward, but this was only a brief buffer. Before long, the entire cavern would be filled with dense smoke.
"The smoke needs time to spread," Lin Yan thought quickly, his gaze falling upon some loose rocks on the rock wall near the ceiling of the cave. "They set fire at the entrance, so their attention is entirely focused there. Everyone is watching the entrance, guarding against us rushing out. We can do the exact opposite."
He raised his hand, pointing to a fissure in the rock wall above the side of the cave. The crack was not wide, covered with loose stones, formed by the weathering of the rock wall, and located more than two zhang (approx. 6-7 meters) above the cave floor.
"There is a weathered rock crevice up there," Lin Yan whispered. "Everyone outside has their eyes locked on the main entrance; no one will be paying attention to the upper rock wall. Let's work together to pry open the loose stones, widen the crevice, and climb out over the rock wall to flank the assassins' blind spot."
Xiao Ge raised his eyes to look at the crevice, a flash of hope in his gaze, but he soon looked troubled. "But Brother Chen is severely wounded and unconscious. How do we carry him up there? And once we move him, it's very easy to tear open the wound on his chest."
"Be careful," Lin Yan said, quickly walking to the base of the rock wall and testing the looseness of the stones with his hand. "We'll slowly peel away the loose rocks and widen the passage. You protect Chen Yi, keep his body as steady as possible, and minimize jostling. The smoke will keep pressing us; we don't have much time."
Outside the cave, the fire burned fiercer by the minute, and black smoke poured into the cavern endlessly. The air became increasingly suffocating, forcing the two of them to cover their mouths and noses with their sleeves. Faintly from outside came Green Face's indifferent voice: "No need to rush. Once the thick smoke fills the cave, they will naturally come out on their own."
Lin Yan no longer delayed. He raised his dagger, prying at the loose stones around the fissure in the rock wall. The rubble kept falling in a steady stream. He carefully controlled his strength to avoid a massive collapse of stones that would make a loud noise. Xiao Ge stood guard beside Chen Yi, keeping an eye on the assassins at the entrance while monitoring Lin Yan's progress in widening the crevice, occasionally raising his hand to wipe away the tears caused by the stinging smoke.
In the time it took to burn half an incense stick, the originally narrow weathered crevice had been widened enough for one person to squeeze through sideways.
"It's ready," Lin Yan said, stopping his work and quickly returning to Chen Yi's side. "We'll work together. First, we lift Chen Yi up. I'll go above the crevice to pull him, and you climb up right after."
The two were extremely careful. One supported the shoulders, the other supported the legs, as they slowly lifted Chen Yi, doing their best to avoid pulling at the wound on his chest. The smoke grew thicker and thicker, their vision beginning to blur, and the choking irritation constantly assaulted their throats. Irritated by the thick smoke, Chen Yi let out an unconscious, faint groan, but still did not wake up.
Lin Yan stepped on the protruding rocks of the cave wall to climb upward, squeezing out through the widened crevice, and poked his head out to observe the situation outside.
Outside, dozens of assassins were all gathered in front of the main entrance. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the burning fire and the cave entrance; no one was paying attention to the inconspicuous weathered crevice above the rock wall. The fire burned fiercely, and the billowing black smoke drifting upward perfectly masked any movement at the exit of the crevice.
A perfect opportunity.
"Come up! Hand Chen Yi up to me!" Lin Yan whispered, reaching down.
Xiao Ge lifted Chen Yi from inside the cave, while Lin Yan pulled from above, slowly pushing the unconscious Chen Yi out through the crevice. The entire process was slow and steady, minimizing any jostling. Once Chen Yi was safely delivered to the rocky platform outside the crevice, Xiao Ge followed closely, climbing up the rock wall using his hands and feet.
The three successfully escaped the cave, hiding on the protruding rocky platform above the cave wall. Directly below them was the dense formation of assassins, only a few zhang away. If they lowered their heads even slightly, the assassins would see them.
Lin Yan signaled for the two to lie flat, pressing tightly against the cold rocks and holding their breath. Below, the assassins were still staring at the entrance, quietly waiting for the thick smoke to force the people inside out. The crackling of the burning fire masked the faint movements on the rocky platform.
"What do we do now?" Xiao Ge asked in a breathless whisper, pressing against the rock. "We're above the rock wall. Once we're discovered, we'll be suspended in mid-air on all sides, with nowhere to hide."
Lin Yan raised his eyes, looking toward the downstream direction of the stream valley. The forest there was denser, and the terrain was complex and undulating, making it the best direction to escape the entire valley. But to get there, they had to move horizontally along the top of the rock wall for a distance, bypassing the flank of the assassins' encirclement.
"Move quietly along the top of the rock wall toward the west," Lin Yan said in a low voice. "All their attention is locked on the front of the cave; their flank defenses are the weakest. We'll bypass the encirclement and head straight for the dense forest downstream. Once we plunge into the forest, we can put distance between us again."
Just as they were about to move, Green Face below suddenly tilted his head slightly. The eyes beneath the greyish iron mask seemed to have sensed a faint movement above the rock wall. He slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping upward toward the rocky platform.
Lin Yan's heart tightened. He immediately raised his hand, signaling Xiao Ge and Chen Yi to remain completely still, even holding their breath.
Green Face's line of sight swept back and forth above the rock wall, his gaze terrifyingly close to where they were hiding. The moonlight fell upon his iron mask, casting a cold, white sheen.
"What is it, Leader?" an assassin beside him asked in a low voice.
Green Face was silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head. "Nothing. Continue to wait. They won't be able to hold out much longer."
He had not discovered the people on the rocky platform; he had merely vaguely sensed a slight anomaly.
Lin Yan's suspended heart relaxed slightly, but he dared not delay for a moment longer. He gently pushed Xiao Ge, signaling him to move immediately. The two carefully lifted Chen Yi, staying close to the shadows at the top of the rock wall, and slowly, step by step, moved toward the west. The rocks beneath their feet were steep and slippery; on one side was a cliff dozens of zhang high. A single misstep would mean falling to their deaths.
The movement lasted for nearly a quarter of an hour. They finally bypassed the main encirclement of the assassins horizontally, reaching the downward slope on the western side of the rock wall. Trees grew densely here, and although the slope was steep, there were tree roots and vines they could use to climb down, leading directly into the deep, dense forest below.
"Go down from here," Lin Yan said, looking down at the forest below. "Watch your step, and keep Chen Yi steady."
One in front, one behind, they protected Chen Yi, grabbing onto vines and tree roots as they slowly slid down the slope into the forest.
Just as the silhouettes of the three were about to disappear into the shadows of the tree canopy, an assassin guarding the flank below happened to look up and caught a glimpse of the figures moving above the rock wall.
"Someone's there! On top of the rock wall! They've escaped!"
A sharp shout suddenly tore through the silence of the valley!
Green Face turned his head sharply, raising his eyes to look at the western rock wall, and saw three figures sliding downward.
"Pursue!" Green Face's voice remained calm, yet carried an unquestionable command. "Split into two teams. One team intercepts along the rock wall; the other team goes straight down into the dense forest to block them. Absolutely do not let them escape the stream valley!"
Dozens of assassins instantly changed direction, abandoning the burning fire, and sprinting madly toward the western rock wall and the dense forest at the bottom of the slope.
Hearing the shouts behind him, Lin Yan knew their whereabouts were completely exposed.
"Speed up! Plunge into the forest!"
They no longer moved cautiously, grabbing onto vines and sliding down rapidly. Branches constantly scraped against their skin, and loose rocks kept tumbling down. Upon landing, the two immediately hoisted Chen Yi up and ran with all their might deeper into the dense forest.
The footsteps and shouts of the pursuers behind them grew closer and closer.
The moonlight pierced through the treetops, casting swaying dark shadows on the ground. This chase within the valley had not yet reached its end. Green Face was personally leading the relentless pursuit. The roster, the secret of the Su family orphan, and Chen Yi's twenty-year obsession still hung by a thread. The unseen pull in Lin Yan's heart remained firmly bound; the mission in this martial arts plane was far from complete.
Lin Yan instantly raised his hand, signaling Xiao Ge to remain silent. The two instinctively suppressed their breathing to the absolute minimum, even slowing the rise and fall of their chests. Inside the cave, only Chen Yi's faint, intermittent panting remained, barely audible in the enclosed space.
Xiao Ge's body stiffened slightly, and he unconsciously tightened his grip on the worn short dagger at his waist. Hearing the name earlier had only sparked anger, but now that the chief culprit had personally arrived at the encirclement, a chill crawled up his spine. He leaned forward, peering through the tiny gaps in the vines. Under the moonlight, dozens of figures in black slowly spread out along both banks of the stream valley. Moving in pairs with blades drawn, their formation was highly disciplined, far superior to the scattered squads from before.
Green Face stood at the very front of the formation. Dressed in a grey cloth long gown, he stood in stark contrast to the black-clad assassins around him. His figure was lean and upright, his face covered by a thin, greyish iron mask that revealed only a pair of deep, dark eyes. His gaze slowly swept across the rock walls of the entire stream valley. The mask concealed his entire face, leaving only a faint curve at the corner of his mouth, betraying neither joy nor anger.
"Leader, the vines on this rock wall are dense; there might be a cave hidden within," an assassin reported, bowing respectfully. He raised his hand, pointing toward the mountain wall where Lin Yan and the others were hiding. "I checked the ground, and the vines here show signs of having been recently disturbed."
Lin Yan's heart suddenly sank. When they had cleared the vines at the entrance earlier, although they had tried their best to restore it, they had still left faint traces. In the end, they hadn't managed to conceal it completely.
Green Face slowly raised his eyes, his gaze falling directly upon the rock wall tangled with thorns and old vines. Those eyes were perfectly calm, as if he were merely looking at an ordinary boulder, rather than searching for fugitives hiding inside a cave.
"Search carefully," Green Face said in a flat voice, devoid of any malice. Yet, falling upon the ears of the assassins, no one dared to slack off. "Do not rush in blindly. The interior space of the cave is unknown. They are holding the roster, the only living proof. I want Chen Yi alive, and the roster completely intact. As for the other two, kill them if they resist."
"Yes!"
Four assassins immediately stepped forward, drawing their short blades and slowly approaching the direction of the cave entrance. They spaced themselves apart, covering each other, their footsteps light as their eyes stared fixedly at the layers of vines.
Inside the cave, Xiao Ge suppressed his breath, his voice reduced to nearly a whisper. "They've found the entrance! What do we do? Do we fight them head-on? There are too many people outside; we can't possibly win."
Lin Yan quickly scanned the cave's environment. The cave had only this single entrance and exit; there were no side tunnels, no back doors. Once the entrance was sealed off, this place would become a death row cage. Chen Yi was severely wounded and unconscious, completely unable to fight; Xiao Ge had a piercing wound in his arm and his stamina was already depleted; only he himself retained full mobility. But relying solely on a short dagger to fight against dozens of highly trained assassins was无异于以卵击石 (like throwing an egg against a rock).
Fighting them head-on was a path to certain death.
"We can't fight a desperate battle head-on," Lin Yan planned quickly in a low voice, his gaze sweeping over the pile of rubble and fallen rocks at the entrance. "The entrance is narrow; at most, only one person can enter at a time. We can hold the entrance and use the terrain to limit their numbers. But we won't be able to hold out for long. Green Face's men are veterans; they'll figure out a way soon."
He turned his head to look at Chen Yi, who was lying on the gravel floor. Chen Yi was still unconscious, his face pale, his breathing faint. The roster was still safely hidden in Chen Yi's embrace; this was the target that Green Face had mobilized all his men to besiege. If the roster was taken, the twenty-year-old injustice would be buried forever, Chen Yi's lifelong obsession would be in vain, Lao Chai's sacrifice would be meaningless, and Lin Yan's dimensional mission would be declared a failure. Failure meant being permanently trapped in this martial arts world, never to return to reality.
"Our goal isn't to kill everyone. It's to stall them and find an opportunity to break through," Lin Yan said, gripping the dagger tightly, his fingertips feeling the cold metal hilt. "I'll guard the inside of the entrance. For every one of them that comes in, I'll intercept and kill them. You guard my side and rear to protect Chen Yi. If anyone bypasses me and rushes in, intercept them immediately. Under no circumstances should you leave Chen Yi's side."
Xiao Ge clenched his teeth, gripping his short dagger, and nodded firmly. "Understood. Even if I have to fight to the death, I won't let them harm Brother Chen or take the roster."
Outside, the assassins had reached the vines. They swung their blades, hacking at the tangled thorns. The vines snapped and fell with a rustling sound, and the previously concealed gap at the cave entrance was slowly exposed to the moonlight.
"People inside, come out and surrender!" the leading assassin shouted loudly. "Leader Green Face has decreed that if you hand over Chen Yi and the roster, you will be allowed to keep your whole bodies. If you stubbornly resist, there is only death!"
No one inside the cave responded.
The assassins exchanged glances. One of them turned sideways, bending at the waist, gripping his short dagger, and cautiously poked his head through the cleared gap in the vines, entering the cave. The narrow entrance restricted his movements; he could only hunch his body, his field of vision limited to a small patch of space directly in front of him.
The moment his upper body entered the cave, a dark shadow suddenly lunged from the darkness.
Lin Yan had been waiting silently in the blind spot inside the entrance, anticipating the exact moment the other man stepped in. His dagger struck precisely at the assassin's wrist holding the blade.
Squelch!
The blade tore through flesh, and a scream abruptly rang out. The short dagger slipped from the assassin's hand, clattering onto the gravel floor. In the midst of searing pain, he tried to retreat backward. Seizing the momentum, Lin Yan stepped forward, driving his elbow heavily into the man's chest. The assassin let out a muffled groan, his body stumbling backward, half of it jammed in the cave entrance, unable to advance or retreat.
The other assassins outside were alarmed and immediately reached out to drag their companion back. Lin Yan gave them no chance. He slashed his dagger horizontally, forcing the hands reaching into the cave to pull back, and simultaneously kicked the wounded assassin on the shoulder, pushing him hard outward.
The injured assassin screamed as he tumbled out of the cave, rolling onto the pile of rubble outside, blood flowing endlessly from his wrist.
"There's an ambush inside!" The assassins outside immediately took a few steps back and reported loudly to Green Face.
Green Face stood in place, his gaze beneath the mask as calm as ever. He spoke lightly, "The cave entrance is narrow and easy to defend but hard to attack. No need to force a breakthrough. Bring fire."
Hearing the words "bring fire," a chill ran through Lin Yan's heart.
They were going to smoke them out of the cave with fire and smoke!
The cave had only this single entrance and exit. Once the dry grass and withered branches were set ablaze, the thick smoke would flood into the cavern. In a matter of moments, the people inside would be choked into unconsciousness, completely losing their ability to move. There would be no need for the assassins to even rush in and fight. This was the most ruthless method for dealing with a single-entrance cave.
Several assassins immediately took the order, turning around to gather dry branches and withered grass from the nearby forest. They quickly piled them up outside the vines at the cave entrance. Soon, the pile of dry grass was complete. Someone took out a fire-starter, and a spark flashed. The dry grass ignited instantly, orange flames spreading rapidly as billows of thick black smoke rose, slowly seeping into the cave through the gaps in the entrance.
The scorching smoke, carrying the choking scent of burning vegetation, gradually poured into the cavern.
"The smoke is coming in!" Xiao Ge coughed twice, raising his hand to cover his mouth and nose, his brow furrowed. "If this continues, we'll soon be choked until we can't breathe."
Lin Yan immediately turned back, scanning the depths of the cave. The cave was not short in depth, and it would take some time for the thick smoke to spread inward, but this was only a brief buffer. Before long, the entire cavern would be filled with dense smoke.
"The smoke needs time to spread," Lin Yan thought quickly, his gaze falling upon some loose rocks on the rock wall near the ceiling of the cave. "They set fire at the entrance, so their attention is entirely focused there. Everyone is watching the entrance, guarding against us rushing out. We can do the exact opposite."
He raised his hand, pointing to a fissure in the rock wall above the side of the cave. The crack was not wide, covered with loose stones, formed by the weathering of the rock wall, and located more than two zhang (approx. 6-7 meters) above the cave floor.
"There is a weathered rock crevice up there," Lin Yan whispered. "Everyone outside has their eyes locked on the main entrance; no one will be paying attention to the upper rock wall. Let's work together to pry open the loose stones, widen the crevice, and climb out over the rock wall to flank the assassins' blind spot."
Xiao Ge raised his eyes to look at the crevice, a flash of hope in his gaze, but he soon looked troubled. "But Brother Chen is severely wounded and unconscious. How do we carry him up there? And once we move him, it's very easy to tear open the wound on his chest."
"Be careful," Lin Yan said, quickly walking to the base of the rock wall and testing the looseness of the stones with his hand. "We'll slowly peel away the loose rocks and widen the passage. You protect Chen Yi, keep his body as steady as possible, and minimize jostling. The smoke will keep pressing us; we don't have much time."
Outside the cave, the fire burned fiercer by the minute, and black smoke poured into the cavern endlessly. The air became increasingly suffocating, forcing the two of them to cover their mouths and noses with their sleeves. Faintly from outside came Green Face's indifferent voice: "No need to rush. Once the thick smoke fills the cave, they will naturally come out on their own."
Lin Yan no longer delayed. He raised his dagger, prying at the loose stones around the fissure in the rock wall. The rubble kept falling in a steady stream. He carefully controlled his strength to avoid a massive collapse of stones that would make a loud noise. Xiao Ge stood guard beside Chen Yi, keeping an eye on the assassins at the entrance while monitoring Lin Yan's progress in widening the crevice, occasionally raising his hand to wipe away the tears caused by the stinging smoke.
In the time it took to burn half an incense stick, the originally narrow weathered crevice had been widened enough for one person to squeeze through sideways.
"It's ready," Lin Yan said, stopping his work and quickly returning to Chen Yi's side. "We'll work together. First, we lift Chen Yi up. I'll go above the crevice to pull him, and you climb up right after."
The two were extremely careful. One supported the shoulders, the other supported the legs, as they slowly lifted Chen Yi, doing their best to avoid pulling at the wound on his chest. The smoke grew thicker and thicker, their vision beginning to blur, and the choking irritation constantly assaulted their throats. Irritated by the thick smoke, Chen Yi let out an unconscious, faint groan, but still did not wake up.
Lin Yan stepped on the protruding rocks of the cave wall to climb upward, squeezing out through the widened crevice, and poked his head out to observe the situation outside.
Outside, dozens of assassins were all gathered in front of the main entrance. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the burning fire and the cave entrance; no one was paying attention to the inconspicuous weathered crevice above the rock wall. The fire burned fiercely, and the billowing black smoke drifting upward perfectly masked any movement at the exit of the crevice.
A perfect opportunity.
"Come up! Hand Chen Yi up to me!" Lin Yan whispered, reaching down.
Xiao Ge lifted Chen Yi from inside the cave, while Lin Yan pulled from above, slowly pushing the unconscious Chen Yi out through the crevice. The entire process was slow and steady, minimizing any jostling. Once Chen Yi was safely delivered to the rocky platform outside the crevice, Xiao Ge followed closely, climbing up the rock wall using his hands and feet.
The three successfully escaped the cave, hiding on the protruding rocky platform above the cave wall. Directly below them was the dense formation of assassins, only a few zhang away. If they lowered their heads even slightly, the assassins would see them.
Lin Yan signaled for the two to lie flat, pressing tightly against the cold rocks and holding their breath. Below, the assassins were still staring at the entrance, quietly waiting for the thick smoke to force the people inside out. The crackling of the burning fire masked the faint movements on the rocky platform.
"What do we do now?" Xiao Ge asked in a breathless whisper, pressing against the rock. "We're above the rock wall. Once we're discovered, we'll be suspended in mid-air on all sides, with nowhere to hide."
Lin Yan raised his eyes, looking toward the downstream direction of the stream valley. The forest there was denser, and the terrain was complex and undulating, making it the best direction to escape the entire valley. But to get there, they had to move horizontally along the top of the rock wall for a distance, bypassing the flank of the assassins' encirclement.
"Move quietly along the top of the rock wall toward the west," Lin Yan said in a low voice. "All their attention is locked on the front of the cave; their flank defenses are the weakest. We'll bypass the encirclement and head straight for the dense forest downstream. Once we plunge into the forest, we can put distance between us again."
Just as they were about to move, Green Face below suddenly tilted his head slightly. The eyes beneath the greyish iron mask seemed to have sensed a faint movement above the rock wall. He slowly raised his head, his gaze sweeping upward toward the rocky platform.
Lin Yan's heart tightened. He immediately raised his hand, signaling Xiao Ge and Chen Yi to remain completely still, even holding their breath.
Green Face's line of sight swept back and forth above the rock wall, his gaze terrifyingly close to where they were hiding. The moonlight fell upon his iron mask, casting a cold, white sheen.
"What is it, Leader?" an assassin beside him asked in a low voice.
Green Face was silent for a moment, then slowly shook his head. "Nothing. Continue to wait. They won't be able to hold out much longer."
He had not discovered the people on the rocky platform; he had merely vaguely sensed a slight anomaly.
Lin Yan's suspended heart relaxed slightly, but he dared not delay for a moment longer. He gently pushed Xiao Ge, signaling him to move immediately. The two carefully lifted Chen Yi, staying close to the shadows at the top of the rock wall, and slowly, step by step, moved toward the west. The rocks beneath their feet were steep and slippery; on one side was a cliff dozens of zhang high. A single misstep would mean falling to their deaths.
The movement lasted for nearly a quarter of an hour. They finally bypassed the main encirclement of the assassins horizontally, reaching the downward slope on the western side of the rock wall. Trees grew densely here, and although the slope was steep, there were tree roots and vines they could use to climb down, leading directly into the deep, dense forest below.
"Go down from here," Lin Yan said, looking down at the forest below. "Watch your step, and keep Chen Yi steady."
One in front, one behind, they protected Chen Yi, grabbing onto vines and tree roots as they slowly slid down the slope into the forest.
Just as the silhouettes of the three were about to disappear into the shadows of the tree canopy, an assassin guarding the flank below happened to look up and caught a glimpse of the figures moving above the rock wall.
"Someone's there! On top of the rock wall! They've escaped!"
A sharp shout suddenly tore through the silence of the valley!
Green Face turned his head sharply, raising his eyes to look at the western rock wall, and saw three figures sliding downward.
"Pursue!" Green Face's voice remained calm, yet carried an unquestionable command. "Split into two teams. One team intercepts along the rock wall; the other team goes straight down into the dense forest to block them. Absolutely do not let them escape the stream valley!"
Dozens of assassins instantly changed direction, abandoning the burning fire, and sprinting madly toward the western rock wall and the dense forest at the bottom of the slope.
Hearing the shouts behind him, Lin Yan knew their whereabouts were completely exposed.
"Speed up! Plunge into the forest!"
They no longer moved cautiously, grabbing onto vines and sliding down rapidly. Branches constantly scraped against their skin, and loose rocks kept tumbling down. Upon landing, the two immediately hoisted Chen Yi up and ran with all their might deeper into the dense forest.
The footsteps and shouts of the pursuers behind them grew closer and closer.
The moonlight pierced through the treetops, casting swaying dark shadows on the ground. This chase within the valley had not yet reached its end. Green Face was personally leading the relentless pursuit. The roster, the secret of the Su family orphan, and Chen Yi's twenty-year obsession still hung by a thread. The unseen pull in Lin Yan's heart remained firmly bound; the mission in this martial arts plane was far from complete.