Chapter 156

Sheng Xuan was extremely anxious. He led a few elite team members who were less seriously injured and still able to fight, and ran at full speed along the passage that exuded the strongest evil aura! The passage was deep and dark, and the torches on the stone walls were sparse. The flickering light and shadows stretched and twisted their shadows, like ghosts chasing their prey.

The further you go, the wider the passage becomes, but the pungent, rotten smell in the air also becomes stronger, almost solidified, so thick that it's suffocating.

The frenzied chanting and bell ringing were so close, deafening, as if they could strike one's heart directly. Strangely, however, no further cultists were encountered along the way, as if all their strength had been drained, or… wiped away by something far more terrifying. This abnormal silence was more unsettling than any fierce resistance.

Finally, the end of the passage appeared! It was a huge, heavy door carved from a single piece of black ironwood, covered with twisted and coiled evil totems that looked like they were alive, and a flickering, ominous blood-red light shone through the cracks in the door.

Sheng Xuan suddenly raised his hand, and the team members behind him immediately stopped, held their breath, pressed themselves against the wall, and blended into the shadows.

Inside the door, there seemed to be an unusual sound mixed in with the grand ceremonial noise—a more subtle, more unsettling sound.

It sounded like a sharp instrument repeatedly piercing a soft object, a dull, sticky sound, and a suppressed, tearful, repetitive whisper.

Sheng Xuan's heart clenched suddenly! An extremely ominous premonition washed over him like ice water! He gestured to his teammates to "remain on guard," then crouched low, like the most cautious cheetah, and silently crept to the door. Through the slightly ajar door, he peered inside—

The next moment, Sheng Xuan's pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpoints! His blood seemed to freeze instantly!

He saw Su Zhelan.

Su Zhelan knelt atop a humanoid figure lying face up. That person... could perhaps no longer be called human. He wore an elaborate, tattered black sacrificial robe, and the hideous mask on his face had long been smashed, revealing a pale, distorted face covered in tattoos.

At this moment, however, only extreme fear and frozen pain remained on his face. His eyes were wide open, staring blankly at the dome, having long since lost all vitality.

His body... was a truly gruesome sight. His chest, abdomen, and even his neck were riddled with countless deep, bloody holes! Dark red, almost completely drained blood soaked through the ornate sacrificial carpet beneath him, pooling into a small, viscous pool that reflected a ghostly light.

Su Zhelan was straddling the corpse. His usually slender and upright figure was now slightly hunched over, trembling violently, as if he were enduring immense pain, or as if he were being controlled by some uncontrollable rage.

He gripped the dagger given to him by Xiao Qiyun tightly in his hand, raised it high, and then used all his strength to plunge it into the already cold and stiff corpse at his feet again and again!

"Pfft!" "Pfft!" "Pfft!"

The dull, damp sound of a sharp weapon piercing flesh was exceptionally clear, exceptionally jarring, and exceptionally chilling against the backdrop of the grand yet eerie ritual!

Warm, dark red bloodstains splattered with each vicious thrust, splashing onto his pale cheeks, his sweat-soaked black night clothes, and even his slightly parted lips from his heavy breathing.

But he was completely unaware, as if he were immersed in a bloody world in which only he and the corpse beneath his feet existed.

His lips moved repeatedly, emitting a suppressed, high-pitched, distorted, dreamlike whisper. The voice was filled with deep-seated hatred, madness, and a heartbreaking despair.

"Die...die...all of you die...die...why aren't you dying...why aren't you dying yet...!"

Sheng Xuan suddenly pushed open the door and staggered inside!

Closer now, he could see more clearly—on Su Zhelan's face, there was more than just madness and hatred. Beneath the splattered blood, there were distinct, ever-flowing tear tracks! Tears mixed with blood, tracing twisted lines on his pale cheeks. And at the corners of his mouth, there was actually an extremely strange, extremely incongruous arc—a distorted smile, as if it had evolved from extreme pain!

He was crying and laughing at the same time. He was frantically slaughtering corpses while tears streamed down his face.

This extreme contradiction, this collapse-like madness, is more shocking than mere killing!

"Su Zhelan!" Sheng Xuan's voice was hoarse and broken, filled with disbelief, horror, and heartache. He rushed forward, trying to grab Su Zhelan's wrist, which was raised high again and covered in sticky blood and bits of flesh. "Stop! Su Zhelan! Look! He's dead! He's dead!"

Su Zhelan's wrist was gripped by Sheng Xuan's iron grip, and his movements suddenly froze. He turned his head very slowly, bit by bit, to look at Sheng Xuan.

At that moment, Shengxuan's heart almost stopped beating.

Su Zhelan's eyes... were empty. Those eyes, usually clear and sharp, seemingly able to see through people's hearts, now seemed to be covered by a thick layer of bloodshot, unfocused, devoid of reason, only a chaotic, churning crimson madness and a pain that penetrated to the bone. He seemed not to recognize Sheng Xuan at all, only instinctively feeling furious at the person who was stopping his "action".

Su Zhelan's voice was hoarse, like sandpaper scraping, carrying an inhuman coldness and twisted emotion, "He must...die...must...be cut...into pieces...otherwise...he'll come back to life...like last time...like last time!!"

He screamed the last few words almost hysterically, tears streaming down his face, struggling to break free from Sheng Xuan's grip and continue his horrific act of mutilating corpses.

The fear and trauma contained in those screams made Sheng Xuan instantly understand—the madness before her eyes was not without reason; it was rooted in the painful memories of being imprisoned, tortured, and on the verge of collapse! The face of this cult leader, or the scene before her, completely ignited the deepest, most fearful, and most unhealable scars in Su Zhelan's heart!

"Su Zhelan! Look at me! It's me!" Sheng Xuan was heartbroken and could no longer care about anything else. He suddenly pulled Su Zhelan off the horrible corpse and held her tightly in his arms!

He held Su Zhelan tightly as he struggled violently, his voice filled with unprecedented panic and urgency, trying to rouse him: "It's over! It's all over! Look carefully! He's dead! He won't come back to life! I'm here! It's alright! It's alright!"

Su Zhelan struggled frantically in Sheng Xuan's arms, letting out muffled, incoherent cries and screams. The blood-stained dagger even sliced ​​Sheng Xuan's arm, but he seemed oblivious, clinging to him tightly, repeating in vain in his ear over and over again, "It's over... It's alright... I'm here..."

Gradually, perhaps it was the strength and warmth of Sheng Xuan's embrace, or perhaps it was his repeated, anxious calls, that caused Su Zhelan's frantic struggles to weaken, eventually turning into violent, uncontrollable trembling.

The dagger in his hand clattered into the pool of blood. He buried his face in Sheng Xuan's neck, like a drowning man grasping at the last piece of driftwood, letting out a suppressed, broken sob that seemed to come from the depths of his soul.

The smile had vanished, leaving only utter despair and tears.

Sheng Xuan held him tightly, feeling the cold body temperature and violent trembling of the person in his arms, and his own eyes instantly reddened. He raised his head, looked at the gruesome corpse, then at the evil and eerie main altar room, and finally his gaze fell back on Su Zhelan, who was almost exhausted in his arms. An indescribable anger, fear, and overwhelming heartache almost overwhelmed him.

He helped Su Zhelan up and shouted sternly at the door, "Come in! Clean up the scene! Burn that thing!" His voice trembled slightly, but it was filled with an undeniable determination.

We have to get out of this damn place right now!

Sheng Xuan held the trembling, almost exhausted Su Zhelan tightly in his arms, his heart aching. He was about to order the immediate burning of this sinful place and then leave when he felt the person in his arms suddenly move.

“…No…” Su Zhelan’s voice was extremely weak, hoarse from heavy breathing and sobbing, yet exceptionally clear, “No…no…”

Sheng Xuan was taken aback and looked down. He saw Su Zhelan struggling to lift her blood-stained face. Although her eyes were still unfocused, with lingering fear and tears, a familiar calmness and stubbornness seemed to emerge from the depths of her being.

He gripped Sheng Xuan's arm tightly, his fingertips icy cold and trembling slightly, but his tone was urgent and demanding: "The files...all...the files here...take them...you must take them..."

His gaze swept across one side of the main altar chamber, where several huge bookshelves and chests, crafted from black wood and some kind of animal bone, were filled with a large number of animal hides, bamboo slips, and paper scrolls, covered with dense, eerie characters and patterns.

Sheng Xuan speculated that it might be ritual records, array diagrams, drug formulas, and... possibly more secrets accumulated by the cult over many years.

Seeing the almost obsessive persistence in Su Zhelan's eyes, and that fragile rationality forcibly forged after immense trauma, Sheng Xuan's heart felt a sharp pang. Without any hesitation, he nodded emphatically: "Okay! I'll listen to you!"

He immediately and carefully helped Su Zhelan to sit down against a relatively clean stone wall, and said in a deep voice, "Rest, don't move!"

He then turned to the team members who had rushed in and were horrified by the horrific scene inside, and sternly ordered: "Quickly! Pack all the books, files, and records into boxes and take them away! Don't leave a single piece of paper behind! And be quick!"

The team members quickly suppressed their shock and discomfort, and immediately took action, taking out the waterproof oilcloth bags they carried with them and beginning to efficiently search all the books and documents.

Sheng Xuan stayed close to Su Zhelan, his eyes scanning the surroundings warily while constantly observing Su Zhelan's condition.

He saw Su Zhelan slumped there, eyes closed, face as pale as paper, long eyelashes still glistening with tears, his body trembling slightly uncontrollably, as if he might collapse again at any moment. But he pressed his lips tightly together, seemingly using all his willpower to fight against the fear and chaos within him, striving to remain conscious.

Soon, the team members had collected all the case files and materials, packing them into several heavy packages.

"Withdraw!" Sheng Xuan didn't delay any longer, hoisting Su Zhelan onto his back. Feeling the coldness and slight trembling on his back, he was filled with anxiety. He growled at his team members, "Return via the same route! Stay alert!"

The group quickly retreated from the main altar, which was filled with blood and an aura of evil. They hurried back along the way they had come, the path still silent except for the sound of their rapid footsteps and heavy breathing echoing through the passage.

After bursting through the dark side road and returning to the slightly more open main passage, Sheng Xuan immediately shouted to one of his team members, "Send the signal! All-out fire attack!"

Without hesitation, the team member pulled out his whistle and blew it loudly!

"Whoosh—Bang!!"

A sharp red signal shot into the sky, clearly visible even deep within the cave!

Almost simultaneously with the signal, the ambushers already positioned on high ground around the valley received the order! The next moment, an even more intense barrage of rockets and oil canisters rained down! The entire Black Fiend Valley, especially the densely packed buildings and cave entrances, was instantly engulfed by a raging inferno! The flames roared, and black smoke billowed, as if to purify all the filth in the world!

Outside the valley, in front of the central command tent, Xiao Qiyun, who had been standing still like a stone statue, relaxed his shoulders and back, which had been taut like a bowstring, almost imperceptibly for a moment when he saw the long-awaited red signal finally rise into the sky and explode.

He slowly and deeply exhaled a breath of stale air, and finally loosened his tightly clenched fist.

"Pass on the order!" Xiao Qiyun's voice regained its usual coldness and authority, but carried a hint of barely perceptible fatigue. "Exterminate the remaining enemy with all your might, extinguish the last embers, take stock of the spoils, and treat the wounded!"

The outcome is decided.

Sheng Xuan, carrying Su Zhelan on his back, led the team out of the rift valley, which was now engulfed in flames, at top speed. Scorching heat and thick smoke rushed towards them, followed by the roar of the burning valley and scattered desperate screams. They dared not linger and quickly retreated towards the safe camp.

On the way back to camp, Su Zhelan, lying on Sheng Xuan's back, remained silent. Away from the suffocating environment and the bloody thrill, the cold mountain wind of the night seemed to blow away some of the gloom and madness that had shrouded his heart.

He could clearly feel the solid warmth and steady heartbeat emanating from Sheng Xuan's broad back, and hear his slightly rapid yet powerful breathing as he carried him and jogged. This real, vibrant touch gradually pulled him back from the depths of his soul.

The violent trembling gradually subsided, the cold limbs began to warm up, and the chaotic thoughts and those terrible fragments of memory were forcibly suppressed and gathered into the deepest part of the heart.

His eyes gradually regained focus. Although he was still exhausted and bore the deep marks of his trauma, the calmness and self-control that belonged to Su Zhelan was struggling to regain its dominance.

Finally, they returned to the brightly lit, bustling yet orderly camp.

Sheng Xuan carefully set Su Zhelan down, still holding his shoulders with both hands. She looked down and carefully examined his face, her eyes filled with undisguised worry and lingering fear. Her voice was much softer, as if afraid of disturbing him: "How are you feeling? You still look so pale... I'll take you to the wounded soldiers' camp so the medic can take a good look at you. You should rest..."

Su Zhelan steadied himself, took a deep breath, and used the still relatively clean inside of his sleeve to vigorously wipe away the half-dried blood and tear stains from his face. He avoided Sheng Xuan's overly concerned gaze, shook his head, and although his voice was still a little hoarse, it had regained its usual clarity and calmness: "I'm fine."

He paused, his gaze passing over Sheng Xuan and looking towards the overcrowded wounded soldiers' camp not far away, filled with cries of pain. There were many soldiers wounded in the frontal assault, as well as military doctors and pharmacists busily moving about.

“There are more important things to do,” Su Zhelan said softly, but his tone was unusually firm. He took a step, walking unsteadily but with a clear goal towards the wounded soldiers’ camp, heading straight for Master Su Yan, who was anxiously directing the treatment of the seriously wounded, his brows covered in sweat.

Sheng Xuan stood frozen in place, watching Su Zhelan walk towards the area filled with pain and busy activity. Although his steps were still a little unsteady, his back was straight. He took the initiative to ask Master Su Yan something, and then skillfully took the medicine box and began to clean, apply medicine and bandage the wound of a soldier with a missing arm. His movements were still slightly trembling, and his profile looked unusually pale and haggard in the torchlight, but his eyes were focused and calm, as if he wanted to put all his energy into the treatment work in front of him, using this method to numb himself, or rather... to redeem himself.

Sheng Xuan stood there, motionless for a long time, his heart filled with mixed feelings, including indescribable heartache and a deep, solemn respect.

He knew that Su Zhelan was far from being as "okay" as he appeared, and that terrible experience must have left deep trauma.

In the end, Sheng Xuan didn't try to dissuade him anymore. He simply clenched his fist silently, turned around, and strode to the other side. He still had a lot of follow-up work to handle. But his gaze kept drifting involuntarily to that thin, resilient figure busy in the wounded soldiers' camp.