27: Chapter 24: In-depth 27: Chapter 24: In-depth Chu Yunyun arrived at the Fire Bone Cave just before noon.
She was unlucky as the carriage she was riding in broke an axle, delaying her on the road for almost half an hour.
Thinking of Chu Xisheng, whose life and death were uncertain, Yunyun felt as if there was a fire burning inside her, as if her eyebrows were about to ignite.
However, her face remained as cold as ever, and her steps were unhurried.
At that moment, she was dressed in a grey cloth robe, with a loose hood covering her head.
Using the shadow of the hood to conceal her face, she looked like an ordinary Jianghu traveller.
Just as Chu Yunyun was passing an alleyway, she suddenly threw a punch, silently striking the temple of a burly man beside her, knocking him out with one blow.
The burly man’s arm bore a wild wolf totem and the mark of the Long Family, identifying him as one of the Long Clan Soldiers.
He had four companions walking ahead of him, yet they noticed nothing abnormal happening behind them.
It wasn’t until Chu Yunyun had dragged the burly man deep into the alley that these four realized what had happened.
Few pedestrians around took any notice.
Chu Yunyun found a secluded and unpopulated place and slapped the burly man awake.
“Where is Chu Xisheng?”
The burly man’s eyes, dazed, glanced around and then focused on Chu Yunyun’s face.
His complexion paled as he said in confusion, “Miss, who are you talking about?
I do not know any Chu Xisheng—”
Before he could finish, he felt a severe pain coming from his hand.
This woman had just broken his fingers!
The burly man wanted to scream, but Chu Yunyun’s fingers were clamped on his throat, silencing him.
After half a moment, the burly man, covered in bruises and sweating profusely, begged, “Stop, you lunatic, I’ll talk!
That Chu Xisheng, he escaped into the Fire Bone Cave with a woman.
That guy’s sword skill is very fast, and he has killed more than twenty of us along the way.
The eldest young master is furious, and it is said that Eagle Sword Duhong has personally gone to capture him.”
Chu Yunyun’s eyes flickered slightly.
Chu Xisheng had left alone, why would there be a woman with him?
This was good news, indicating that Chu Xisheng was still unharmed.
However, Chu Yunyun’s brows furrowed slightly, feeling an indescribable sensation in her heart.
Her eyes were cold as she continued to inquire, “Who is Eagle Sword Duhong?”
“He is the elder brother of the eldest young master, an Inner Sect Disciple of the Xiushui Sword Sect, proficient in the ‘Divine Eagle Sword’.”
The burly man gritted his teeth and replied, “It is said that his cultivation has reached the Seventh Rank realm.
Moreover, he brought three people called ‘Heng’s Eighteen Riders.’ With their combat prowess plus war armor, their strength is close to the Eighth Rank—”
He couldn’t finish speaking as Chu Yunyun’s fingers pressed heavily against the man’s throat, causing it to collapse abruptly, silencing him forever.
Chu Yunyun then put on her cloak again and stepped back onto the main street.
By this time, the street was in chaos, with the Long Family Soldiers finally realizing that their companion was missing inexplicably.
They roared loudly in the streets with their swords drawn, scrutinizing the surrounding people like wolves.
Two of them had already fixed their gaze on Chu Yunyun, observing her intensely.
Chu Yunyun glanced at them, then expressionlessly walked toward an entrance of the Fire Bone Cave.
The Fire Bone Cave was transformed from the corpse of a giant god; this small hill was the head of the giant god, featuring seven entrances including mouth, nose, eyes, and ears.
Chu Yunyun, who had practiced martial arts in Xiushui County during her youth, had personally entered the Fire Bone Cave to search for medicinal herbs and knew this place like the back of her hand.
The entrance in front of her was formed by the right eye of the giant god.
Chu Yunyun’s physical strength was formidable, and although her steps seemed slow, they were actually fast, allowing her to quickly outdistance the dozen or so Long Family Soldiers by more than twenty yards in mere moments.
Just as she stepped into this entrance, a loud shout came from ahead.
My family’s eldest young master has ordered that no one is to enter the Fire Bone Cave for the next seven days—”
Chu Yunyun’s movement was like a fleeting shadow as she stepped directly between the group of Long Family House Soldiers.
With a series of ‘crack’ sounds, all five of them fell to the ground with crushed throat bones.
Chu Yunyun didn’t even glance at the several corpses on the ground as she continued walking deeper into Fire Bone Cave.
Chu Xisheng, unaware that Chu Yunyun had entered Fire Bone Cave, was following closely behind Lu Luanti.
At that moment, a small firework exploded in the field of view ahead.
When Lu Luanti killed someone, his points did not increase immediately, but after they had run some distance, a Martial Arts Point suddenly added up.
This had already happened five times; Lu Luanti had killed five headmen of the Long Clan Soldiers along the way.
Consequently, Chu Xisheng’s Martial Arts Points had risen to 31.
However, he currently had no time to consider the implications.
Chu Xisheng noticed that something was amiss inside the cave: all the intersections they passed were guarded, almost every hundred steps, a checkpoint, and every two hundred, a watch post.
This couldn’t possibly have been prepared for him.
Chu Xisheng was self-aware enough to know that much as the Long Family despised him, they wouldn’t go to such lengths just for him.
Lu Luanti was still at ease, sweeping through like a whirlwind.
None of the Long Clan Soldiers they encountered was a match for Lu Luanti.
However, after passing through five intersections, the blade of Lu Luanti’s Hundred-refined Light Steel Saber had become notched.
Sounds of dense footsteps occasionally came from all around them.
Lu Luanti casually picked up a good-conditioned Straight Blade from the ground and tossed the notched Light Steel Saber back to Chu Xisheng.
Although the Straight Blade wasn’t as nimble as the Light Steel Saber, its quality was still quite decent.
She swung the blade to acclimate and then, with a headache, looked toward the several forks ahead and said, “What do we do?
It looks like they are searching for someone.
We’ve run straight into a wolf’s lair.”
Thus, the Long Family easily mobilized a large number of people to encircle and pursue them.
Lu Luanti was not without confidence in fighting their way out but couldn’t ensure Chu Xisheng’s safety amidst a group battle with thirty to fifty people.
Chu Xisheng also frowned deeply, gave it some thought, and then turned to walk toward a tunnel on the left.
This tunnel was sloping downward, even darker and void of light inside.
Lu Luanti’s expression shifted slightly as she stood still, speaking skeptically, “You still want to hide deeper inside Fire Bone Cave?
Aren’t you worried that the Long Family will bring even more people over?
We’ll be trapped here.”
Chu Xisheng, looking calm, lifted the bags in his hand and shook them in front of Lu Luanti.
Along the way, while Lu Luanti focused on killing, he had gathered the food and water carried by the Long Clan Soldiers.
The bags contained a large amount of dried meat and fried noodles.
“With this food, we can survive inside for at least ten days.
I want to bet that the people of Iron Banner Gang won’t let things rest.
They have had so many of their people killed by the Long Family; they can’t possibly show no reaction.
And there are the Medicine Gatherers; the Long Family is not allowing entry or exit, but these gatherers need to make a living.
If the blockade continues, it will eventually cause widespread anger.”
Iron Banner Gang was a newly emerged gang in Xiushui County, mostly concentrated in the dock area to the east of the city, boasting three to five thousand gang members, including many skilled fighters, and had remarkable strength.
Nevertheless, the real external support Chu Xisheng could count on was actually Chu Yunyun.
As long as he stayed in this cave for four days, Chu Yunyun would certainly notice something was wrong and come to rescue him.
However, he could keep that reason only to himself.
Lu Luanti thought Chu Xisheng’s method was good, but she became tangled in thought.
They had food and water, but what about washing up?
Although there were several hot springs underneath Fire Bone Cave, she hadn’t brought any change of clothes, and she would end up reeking.
If only she had learned the ‘body-cleansing spell’ earlier.
She hesitated for a while until footsteps from behind sounded again, then she suddenly bit her teeth and followed him into the tunnel.
Just as Lu Luanti also stepped into the tunnel, a talisman slid out from her sleeve.
The talisman spontaneously folded into the shape of a paper crane and took flight, fluttering off into the distance.