Chapter Nine: Terror in the Locked Room

At some point, the golden-winged finch had stealthily slipped into the cave as well, letting out a few clear chirps before flitting ahead.

“That thieving bird!” Lin Feng laughed and cursed. But when he turned and caught sight of Helian Rushue’s fair profile, he was momentarily stunned. Where was that mysterious girl from his memories now?

The strange fragrance in the air grew stronger and stronger as they walked several hundred feet. At last, deep within the mountainside passage, they glimpsed a stone chamber faintly illuminated by a dim glow.

Helian Rushue took the lead, holding aloft a luminous pearl the size of a dove’s egg, and hurried forward.

The stone chamber was oval-shaped, with the secret passage running straight through its center. Not far ahead, another, slightly smaller chamber glimmered faintly in the darkness.

As they drew closer, Lin Feng saw that the source of the glow was a multitude of colorful gems embedded in the stone walls, in all shapes and sizes, too many to count.

At the entrance hung a jade plaque engraved with two bold characters: Heavenly Law.

On the left side of the chamber stood a four-legged stone altar, atop which rested a half-human-tall statue of a deity—benevolent-eyed, exuding immortal grace, holding a celestial sword as if ready to ride the wind into the clouds.

Before the statue were an incense burner and two candle stands, all thickly coated with dust.

Three meditation cushions were laid out before the altar, likewise shrouded in an ancient layer of dust, untouched for perhaps a thousand years, yet curiously unrotten.

Other than these, the stone chamber held nothing else of note.

“Let’s check over there!” Helian Rushue said little more, running toward the other chamber.

Lin Feng lingered for a moment, gazing at the statue, pondering the mysterious girl from his dreams, then followed close behind into the second chamber.

“Ah!” Both cried out at once.

In the second chamber, the left-hand corner blazed with treasure-light so dazzling it hurt the eyes at a glance. Lin Feng hurriedly shielded his face and turned away.

To the right, a clear spring bubbled from the stone wall, flowing along a carved channel into the earth. At the spring’s edge grew a single golden, spike-shaped herb, exuding a heady fragrance. The golden-winged finch circled and chirped there, its feathers soaked by the spray.

“Dragonspike Herb!” Helian Rushue exclaimed in astonishment.

Lin Feng had never heard the name before, but the expression on the Asura Maiden’s face made the value of the spirit plant abundantly clear.

Yet neither of them reached for it; whatever treasure cast that blue radiance must surely be even rarer.

As his eyes adjusted to the light, Lin Feng finally discerned the object at the heart of the glow—a jade bracelet shimmering with blue light.

He felt a pang of disappointment; he could hardly compete with a girl for such an ornament. But then again, why had Senior Rong Yangzi hidden it so deep within his abode? A jade bracelet… Had he, too, once been lost in love?

Lin Feng’s thoughts wandered as Helian Rushue noticed his dazed expression. Smiling, she said, “Junior Brother Lin, you can’t wear this bracelet, can you? Why not let me have it, and you take the Dragonspike Herb? What do you think?”

“Er…” Lin Feng replied absentmindedly, thinking that the bracelet would surely suit Caiyi as well.

Helian Rushue, delighted, plucked the jade bracelet from the altar and toyed with it fondly. Inside the band, three tiny characters were engraved: Ring of Devotion.

“Oh! This treasure has a name—Ring of Devotion. Devoted to whom? Who is the one so devoted…” she murmured, glancing at Lin Feng’s dumbfounded look and smiling slyly. “Junior Brother Lin, what are you thinking?”

“Ah, oh, nothing,” Lin Feng snapped out of his trance, flustered, and turned to check on the Dragonspike Herb—only to be startled to see the thieving bird already clutching the golden spike in its beak, its beady green eyes furtively watching him.

“You little thief! Daring to steal from me!” Lin Feng roared, lunging forward to seize the bird. The golden-winged finch shrieked, but clutched the spirit herb tightly in its claws, refusing to let go.

Lin Feng, exasperated, pointed at the bird and scolded, “If you don’t let go, I’ll roast you and eat you!”

Helian Rushue burst into tinkling laughter. At Lin Feng’s threat, the finch finally released its grip, drooping its tiny head with a look of pitiful grievance.

“That’s better.” Lin Feng tucked the herb into his pouch. Seeing the bird’s crestfallen look, he took out half a leftover steamed bun, crumbled it, and fed it to the little creature, who gobbled it up with relish.

Both had made fine gains, and the experience drew them closer together. Helian Rushue glanced around; the two chambers held nothing else of value. After a moment’s thought, she said, “Junior Brother Lin, let’s search separately one more time. This masterless cave—whatever treasures we can take, let’s not waste them. What do you think?”

Lin Feng agreed readily, feeling more admiration for her than ever.

Though the two stone chambers covered only a few dozen yards, it was unlikely anything more could be hidden. Behind the statue, however, Lin Feng found two silvery-white stones—apparently solid, but soft and cool to the touch; clearly treasures of the immortals. Without hesitation, he slipped them into his pocket.

Helian Rushue’s luck was no less; in a secret compartment within the altar where the Ring of Devotion had lain, she found a piece of lustrous green crystal, which she quickly pocketed.

After another half hour or so, the hidden chambers yielded nothing further of value. Only then did a chilling thought strike them: how would they get out?

In their eagerness earlier, neither had thought to check for an exit—a greed-induced oversight, perhaps. Now, after scouring every inch of the passage and staircase, they found no mechanism or switch, and anxiety began to set in.

Helian Rushue, ever composed, quickly suggested, “Junior Brother Lin, let’s search separately. If you find anything, call out loudly.”

Faced with a matter of life and death, Lin Feng grew solemn. He checked every stone, every crevice, every step, even blocking the spring for a while—yet nothing happened.

Time dragged on. When the two met again, exhausted, in the first chamber, they could only exchange silent, ashen-faced looks.

The golden-winged finch now perched listlessly on Lin Feng’s shoulder, nodding off. The soft light glimmering from the cave walls flickered ominously, like the eyes of Death watching them with malice.

After a long while, Lin Feng, leaning on his spear, suddenly sprang to his feet.

Helian Rushue was startled, watching him nervously. In moments of despair, people were capable of anything.

But Lin Feng wasn’t giving up. He strode to the stone steps, raised his spear, and knocked on every stone slab overhead.

For half an hour, an hour, two hours… He searched every possible place again and again, but found no way out.

“No use,” Helian Rushue said, washing her face at the spring, her composure returning though her words were chilling. “Perhaps Senior Rong Yangzi never set an exit mechanism. With his power, moving a ten-thousand-pound boulder would be as easy as a flick of the finger.”

Lin Feng slumped to the floor, eyes vacant, staring at the ground. Ten years of humiliation and hardship, all for a ray of hope—only to end like this?

“Heh, Junior Brother Lin, to die in the immortal’s abode is no shame. Don’t lose heart.” Helian Rushue turned to him with a charming smile, her eyes bright as autumn spinach.

“No! I refuse to die here!” Lin Feng froze, then let out a roar that shook the underground chamber, startling the sleeping finch awake.

“There must be a way out—there must! A master like Senior Rong Yangzi wouldn’t leave a dead end for his successors! Even if I must die, it won’t be here!” His tortured and resolute gaze fused as one, and again he dragged his weary body before the statue, seized a meditation cushion, and knelt heavily: “Disciple Lin Feng begs the immortal for guidance…”

Halfway through his plea, he suddenly leapt up, tearing at the cushions in a frenzy until the chamber was strewn with tatters.

Nothing.

The second and third cushions met the same fate, ripped to shreds.

“Ah!” He threw back his head and howled, half-mad.

The luminous pearls in the walls seemed to mock him, casting cold laughter from the darkness.

“Die, then!” Eyes bloodshot, Lin Feng raised his three-sectioned spear and smashed it at those sneering lights!

Bang! Bang! Bang! A series of sparks exploded, and the luminous pearls shattered, their fragments strewn across the floor. In the dimness, the scene grew ever more dreamlike and poignant.

“You’re mad! Stop smashing things!” Helian Rushue hid in the second chamber, pale with fright, her body shaking uncontrollably.

But Lin Feng was beyond reason. With a final crash, the last luminous pearl shattered. He finally fell to his knees, panting, sweat streaming down his disheveled hair.

In the silent chamber, only their ragged breathing could be heard. Suddenly, a heavy clanking mechanism sounded from the second chamber. Helian Rushue could no longer contain her joy and cried out, “Junior Brother!”

On the brink of despair, Lin Feng leapt up once more and dashed into the chamber. The two stared intently at the smooth stone wall, not daring to breathe.

The mechanism rumbled for a moment, then half the wall sank away, revealing an even larger space beyond.

Delight surged through them—when suddenly, a flash of red light shot straight at Lin Feng!

The finch screeched in alarm, Helian Rushue turned pale as death. The red streak, trailing a massive, searing-hot body, coiled tightly around Lin Feng!

In the wake of so many shocks and exhaustion, he had no strength left. Before he even saw what it was, he was already being constricted, unable to move. The searing heat was like being thrust into a furnace—not just agony and bones about to snap, but breathless, as if his insides were burning.

The snake’s flattened head hovered before his face, pupils contracted, its crimson body as thick as a thigh, scales glimmering with evil red light.

Shocked and furious, Lin Feng summoned unknown reserves of strength. With a roar, he locked both arms around the snake’s vital spot, wrestling for his life!

Helian Rushue, alarmed, drew her sword with a ringing note that echoed through the chamber.

“Beast, meet your end!”

White light flashed, blood gushed like a fountain. The serpent shrieked, jaws wide, and turned to spit a blast of crimson flame at its attacker. Its blood-soaked tail thrashed and battered the floor, sending blood everywhere—a scene growing ever more wild and ghastly.

Seizing the chance as the snake turned away, Lin Feng gritted his teeth and fought back, overturning the giant beast. Man and serpent rolled and grappled, locked in deadly struggle.

Helian Rushue, having narrowly dodged the flames, was shaken but dared not strike rashly, fearing to injure Lin Feng or provoke the monster to unleash more fire. In her desperation, she could think of nothing but to stamp her feet and circle anxiously, seeking an opportunity.

In the fierce melee, Lin Feng’s muscles bulged, veins stood out—though much of it was from the serpent’s crushing coils. The immense force seemed intent on tearing him apart, twisting his organs, while the burning pain never ceased for an instant.

Crash! The altar that had held the Ring of Devotion was struck by the snake’s tail and shattered in two.

The furious serpent tightened its coils, winding ever more tightly around its prey. The sharp crack of breaking bones sounded—the sign of ribs being snapped. Overwhelmed by pain, Lin Feng let out a savage roar and bit down hard on the snake’s crimson neck!

With a hiss, the scarlet serpent howled in agony. They say even a cornered rabbit will bite, but it had never imagined its prey would bite back.

And not just once! In a frenzy, Lin Feng clamped his teeth again and again on the snake’s vulnerable spot, tearing desperately. Snake blood streamed over his lips and soaked his body, making him seem more demon than man as he rolled in the struggle.

In the stone chamber, Helian Rushue felt a chill down her spine, staring in shock.

The serpent shrieked and writhed, its coils tightening, but though its head was inches from Lin Feng’s, it did not spit fire again.

At last, man and snake lay tangled and motionless on the cold stone floor. Beneath them, a pool of blood spread slowly, staining half the chamber red.