Chapter 115: The Cave Bats

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Baozi immediately wilted when Zhou Yi asked about the flying corpse. “Brother Yi, that flying corpse ran away!”

Zhou Yi was momentarily stunned, then asked, “How did it escape? Do you know where it went?”

Mu Chen replied from the side, “The cave where we hid the flying corpse isn’t a dead end; there’s another exit on the other side. Also, when we arrived, the huge stone blocking the entrance had been moved, but we don’t know if the Miao people took it back.”

Zhou Yi glanced at Baozi but didn’t blame him.

The last time Zhou Yi carried the flying corpse to that cave, he made Baozi walk inside a bit. Baozi quickly returned saying the other side of the cave was a dead end, so they hid the flying corpse inside. Who would have thought Baozi would be so unreliable.

“No worries, if it’s lost we’ll find it again. That thing can’t run far. By the way, what are you two doing here?”

Baozi, seeing no blame from Zhou Yi, quickly put that matter behind him. “Brother Yi, I just saw Ji Liang and Ming Chuan Youzhi—that Japanese dwarf—over in the courtyard ahead.”

“In the front yard? What are those two up to together?” Zhou Yi frowned.

Baozi curled his lips and said, “Neither one is trustworthy. When they’re together, you can bet they’re scheming something. Should we go look for the flying corpse first, or keep an eye on them here?”

The flying corpse had fled somewhere unknown, and searching for it would be troublesome. But the sooner it was found, the better, especially since the Miao people were also after it. The flying corpse was of great use to them; they couldn’t let the Miao get it first.

What Ji Liang and Ming Chuan Youzhi were up to also needed to be clarified, since both held grudges against them. If they let their guard down and got ambushed, it would be a terrible loss.

Zhou Yi thought for a moment and said to Baozi, “You stay here and watch. Mu Chen and I will go look for the flying corpse. We’ll meet at the Yuelai Inn in Xishan Town within three days. Fuguge and Xiaocui will be there too.”

Baozi nodded in agreement. After Zhou Yi and Mu Chen left, Baozi hid in the shadows watching the large courtyard, not daring to step away even a bit. Having already messed up once, he couldn’t afford to fail again.

Watching someone alone had its downside—there was no one to take over, not even for a brief rest. Baozi held out through the night, but around three in the morning, he could no longer keep his eyes open and unknowingly leaned against the wall and fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Zhou Yi and Mu Chen had just arrived at Fenghuang Mountain’s cave. The cave looked the same as when Baozi and Mu Chen had left it: the entrance still bore ashes left by the Miao people’s smoke offerings. The two tried not to disturb the cave’s original state, took a deep breath, and leapt inside.

“The soil ahead is very soft; it sinks underfoot,” Mu Chen murmured as they walked.

“Let’s take a look first,” Zhou Yi said, recalling the Bagua Formation in Changbai Mountain upon hearing about the loose soil. Without another word, they pressed forward until they reached the cave’s bend.

“Follow closely behind me. Be careful.”

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Dawn was breaking outside, yet inside the cave it was pitch black, so dark that they could not see their own hands. The torchlight flickered unpredictably in the oxygen-starved air, as if it might go out any moment.

After a short while, the torches were extinguished by the lack of oxygen, and the two were overcome by a stifling sensation. The spiderwebs overhead were torn in places, evidence that the flying corpse had indeed passed through here. But the cave seemed endless, leading to an unknown destination.

“Brother Yi, how long have we been walking?” Mu Chen panted, struggling for breath in the thinning air.

“About two hours, I think. Don’t speak—save your strength,” Zhou Yi replied. Talking consumed oxygen, which was unwise in such an environment.

A foul stench, earthy yet putrid, wafted toward them, causing them to pinch their noses.

“What is that smell? Why is it so awful?” Even someone as brave as Zhou Yi couldn’t help but speak, trying to mask his fear.

“I don’t know... if we don’t find the flying corpse soon, should we turn back? Brother Yi!” Mu Chen was nearly overwhelmed by the stench, his thoughts turning to retreat.

“Let’s push a bit further. If we still don’t find it, then we’ll leave. What kind of place is this?” Zhou Yi muttered. After a few minutes, the stench vanished, the unpleasant odor dissipating. As the saying goes, familiarity breeds tolerance—stay too long in a fragrant room and you cease to smell the scent; stay in a foul place and you no longer notice the odor.

Continuing onward, Zhou Yi suddenly signaled Mu Chen to stop. He saw countless glowing points on the cave ceiling. They didn’t know what they were and dared not proceed rashly.

But as soon as they halted, the ground beneath started to sink.

“Brother Yi, hurry! The ground is sinking again!” Mu Chen shouted from behind.

“Lie down! Whatever’s ahead, we can’t move forward,” Zhou Yi ordered, preparing to crawl. But the glowing points began to move rapidly.

The wisest choice was to turn back immediately, but Zhou Yi’s stubbornness led them into grave trouble once again.

When they finally made out what the glowing points were, a shiver ran down their spines—thousands upon thousands of bats. Not just a few, but a dark, dense swarm that was impossible to count.

Mu Chen quickly pulled out two Fire Thunder talismans from his pocket. Just as he threw them, the bats were on them, flapping and biting.

The talismans erupted in blue flames on impact. Bats, being cold-blooded creatures lacking sight and hearing, feared fire and sunlight above all.

The Fire Thunder talismans burned many bats instantly. Seeing the effect, Mu Chen threw two more, killing another batch.

The talismans were effective against the bats, but the swarm seemed endless.

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Zhou Yi moved swiftly beside Mu Chen, using his Li Fire to cut down any bats that slipped through. “Run!”

In desperation, Zhou Yi shouted.

Mu Chen, a bit dazed, yanked his leg free from the ground and ran—only he ran deeper into the cave.

“Come back! You’re running the wrong way!” Zhou Yi shouted from behind. But turning back was no longer feasible; the bats had surrounded them.

Mu Chen reached again into his pocket, grabbing a handful of Fire Thunder talismans. He burned another cluster of bats, but the talismans were nearly out.

“No more, Brother Yi! Run!” Mu Chen yelled, drawing his fake Tianqian sword from his back, slashing wildly and knocking down countless bats.

“Follow me!” Zhou Yi swung his Li Fire continuously, carving out a path in front of them.

With a path cleared, they paid no heed to whether it led back to Fenghuang Mountain or deeper into the cave—they sprinted.

They ran until the dizziness overtook them, caused by the lack of oxygen. Gasping for breath, Mu Chen said, “Brother Yi, the bats haven’t followed us.”

Glancing back, they saw not that the bats had stopped following, but that the swarm had reached their limit here and refused to advance further.

“Be careful. There’s something strange about this place!”

...

Yesterday I went to see my little nephew; the little guy was adorable. I’m happy, but I drank too much.

I didn’t write any words all day yesterday, so this chapter was just finished. I don’t know if I’ll update tonight since many guests are coming over. If I miss updates, I’ll make up for it later.