Murderous intent

The sun sets in the west, and the light and shadows in the maple forest gradually lengthen.

Mu Jin's news exploded like thunder, and the four of them froze in their places. Hong Mao clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white. Lan Tu gasped, her lips trembling slightly. Da Ben's forehead veins bulged, his eyes wide. Su Baiwei's pupils suddenly constricted, and her pale face grew even more bleak.

The chirping of cicadas suddenly became sharper, and the air around them was so heavy that it was hard to breathe.

"Thanks to Miss Mu Jin, otherwise if we had rashly entered the dungeon, the consequences would have been disastrous." Lan Tu suppressed the fear in her heart and gripped the hilt of the Bingpo Sword tightly. "The Holy Fire Hall is too big and full of traps. If we can't find Tiao Tiao's exact location, sneaking in would be suicide. I'm afraid Dada won't be able to hold on for too long. Even if Sally and the others come back, the four swordsmen will eventually run out of strength. What's more..." The words came to her lips but she swallowed them back, leaving only her lips that were bitten white.

Hongmao slammed his fist into the ground, sending dead leaves scattering. He looked up suddenly, his eyes gleaming with a fierce glint. "I'm afraid this is Chi Lian's trap. He knew we'd think of the dungeon." He turned to Su Baiwei and spoke through gritted teeth, "Miss Su, where else could Chi Lian hide someone?"

Su Baiwei's fingertips unconsciously dug into her palms. "Chi Lian is suspicious by nature. Logically, the safest place is right under his nose. But..." Her voice gradually lowered. "The stench of the Rotten Bone Palm is extremely strong and lingers for a long time. He will definitely not keep it with him."

A scene suddenly flashed through her memory: a biting cold, mixed with the smell of mold and rust... She huddled in a corner, her small body shivering from the cold. Chi Lian's impatient voice came from outside the door: "That tough guy? Throw him in the water dungeon and see how long he can last!"

"Water dungeon?" She suppressed the chill in her heart and whispered, "I heard him mention it many years ago. But the exact location..." She shook her head, "I don't know either."

"The stench... Water prison..." Lan Tu's face turned pale, and tears instantly covered her eyes. "He's jumping... at this moment..."

Rainbow Cat's teeth were chattering and veins were bulging on his clenched fists.

"Damn it! I can't wait any longer!" Daben suddenly erupted like a flaming powder keg. His whole body trembled violently, his eyes bloodshot, and a low growl rolled out of his throat: "Let me go! Let me go! I can't watch my brothers suffer in there!" With a burst of brute force, he broke free from Hongmao's grip. "If you keep wasting time here, I'm going to explode!"

"Da Ben!" Lan Tu grabbed his arm, her voice choked with sobs. "We're just as anxious as you are!" She took a deep breath and calmed herself. "But if you rush in now, you'll die in vain. Who else can you save?"

Hongmao clasped Daben's shoulder blades with his five fingers, forcing the enraged lion down and half-kneeling on the ground. "Calm down! Trust us, there must be a way!"

"What can we do? The daylily is already cold!" The veins on Daben's neck bulged, and the muscles in his arms, which were pinned down, were trembling. "Give it a try! Fight your way in! Maybe we can buy our brother a way out!" His voice suddenly choked. "Should I...should I just watch him...rot in that damn place?"

At the last word, Hongmao's eyes suddenly flushed red, and his teeth clenched tightly. The tears that had been welling up in Lantu's eyes finally slipped silently. Su Baiwei clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms.

Hongmao and Lantu worked together to barely hold Daben down. He was panting heavily, his chest heaving violently, his forehead pressed firmly against the ground.

Su Baiwei's gaze swept across the scene—Daben's fingers dug into the dirt, Hongmao's arm, veins bulging, the tears glinting in Lantu's eyes. The three of them lay exposed to the scorching sun, while she huddled alone in the shadows of the trees. A flicker of envy for that fervent passion flashed through her eyes, then faded, sinking deeper into solitude. She curled herself up even deeper, trying to hide within the cold.

The ensuing self-blame only deepened. If it weren't for her, Tiaotiao would never have fallen into this situation, and his companions wouldn't have had to endure such torment. The weight of Tiaotiao's life and death at this moment weighed heavily on her, nearly suffocating her. She slowly lowered her eyelids, forcing all the surging emotions to freeze within her.

Lan Tu looked around at everyone, her voice regaining its composure. "The water dungeon is so secretive, even the martial arts world rarely knows about it. It must be hidden very deeply." She turned her gaze to Su Baiwei, inquiringly, "Since Tiao Tiao's map doesn't have any markings, it's likely not in plain sight. We can focus on searching these blank areas."

Hongmao frowned. "Because it's so hidden, the entrance must be extremely secret." A hint of uneasiness flashed in his eyes. "Besides, all this is just speculation. What if he's not there at all? Or is this another trap set by Chi Lian?"

Su Baiwei lightly twisted the dry branch with her fingertips, scratching deep grooves in the loose soil. "If the dungeon was a trap, Chi Lian wouldn't have needed to set another one. Besides, if I hadn't heard about the water dungeon, no one would have known about it." As the soil rolled, a map of the Holy Fire Hall began to take shape. "This is our only clue right now. We have no choice but to give it a try. The place where Tiaotiao is imprisoned must be heavily guarded. We just need to find the areas on the map that are blank but guarded." The branch scratched several times. "The granary, the water source, the main hall, the bedroom... these places are unlikely."

Su Baiwei stopped and looked up, her gaze fixed on Lan Tu. "I'll have Mu Jin meet up here." The withered branch neatly marked the area. "She's familiar with the Holy Fire Hall. Palace Master Lan Tu, thank you for accompanying her." The branch's tip carved two paths. "We'll split up from the meeting point. You explore the east wing, and I'll explore the west wing." Her voice paused, her fingertips stroking the withered branch. "It's just that Mu Jin... doesn't know martial arts."

Lan Tu understood and met Su Baiwei's gaze. "I will take care of Mu Jin's safety." She raised her hand and gently pressed it on Su Baiwei's shoulder. "You too, must be safe."

Su Baiwei's body stiffened, but she didn't shy away. With a light tap of her chin, a strand of hair fell, just enough to mask the fleeting emotion in her eyes. But deep within those frozen eyes, a subtle line quietly cracked.

Holy Fire Hall, Main Hall.

Chi Lian glanced at the message from Beimang Mountain, his fingers trembling slightly as he gripped the letter. He suddenly snatched up the teacup and slammed it to the ground.

Clang!

The sound of shattering exploded in the empty hall, sending shards of porcelain flying. Below the steps, the guard who had delivered the message lowered his head, his undershirt soaked with sweat.

Chi Lian's figure suddenly swept in front of him and grabbed his throat. "Tell me!" Chi Lian roared, "Why are they in Beimang Mountain? Don't they want that kid Tiao Tiao anymore?" The guard's face quickly turned purple, his throat crackling, and he tried in vain to pry the hands around his neck.

Chi Lian threw him to the ground. The guard curled up, gasping for breath like a broken bellows.

"That bitch would even abandon her lover?" He paced back and forth anxiously, the soles of his boots knocking against the ground, making a dull sound. "Since they have appeared in Beimang Mountain, it is obvious that they are going after the mother Gu. Give up jumping..." He sneered and gritted his teeth. "What a cruel person who would cut off his arm to survive! He is so cruel!" He stopped abruptly, his eyes bloodshot, and his voice was full of panic: "Send the order! The one thousand medicine men who have been transferred are to return to Beimang Mountain as soon as possible to provide assistance. No delay is allowed!"

The guard on the ground struggled to look up, his face pale: "Master! If the medicine man moves, the defense of the Holy Fire Hall..."

"Shut up!" Chi Lian interrupted harshly, his eyes like knives. "Do you still need to teach me? If the mother Gu is destroyed, everything will end! Go and pass the order!"

"Yes! Yes!" The guards scrambled out of the hall.

The dull thud of boots hitting the stone bricks began again, hammering at the hearts of everyone below. Suddenly, the sound stopped.

"Someone come!"

In the shadows below the stairs, a silver-armored guard stepped forward silently, head bowed, and waited for orders.

"Water prison," Chi Lian's eyes flashed with a cold light, "Send three times the number of elite troops, and keep a close watch on it. Not even a fly is allowed to enter!"

He walked up to the guards, his voice lowered, a chill that seeped deep into their bones. "Dungeon... let them off the hook on the surface, and set up bait. If they dare break in," his lips curled up cruelly, "I'll tighten the net. Make sure they never come back! Capture Su Baiwei alive, and the rest... kill them without mercy."

"Yes!" The silver-armored guard disappeared outside the palace gate in a flash.

The fingers in Chi Lian's sleeves slowly stroked the golden bell: "If you want to lure the tiger away from the mountain..." The corners of his lips curled up, "Then I will use their trick against you!"