42. Going separate ways
Su Lin's figure vanished completely outside the snow-swept door. The shattered wooden door stood like a gaping, mocking wound, and the chill wind that blew in seemed to carry the nauseating, decayed air of the Guichen Cult. The room was dead silent, as if time had frozen. Only the occasional crackling sound of the oil lamp wick echoed, like the echo of a shattered heart.
"ah--!!!"
A Yan's furious roar finally broke free from the oppressive prison, like the final wail of a wounded, dying beast. The short axe in his hand, blazing with raging flames, slammed into the wall beside him! "Bang!" Sawdust and sparks flew everywhere, leaving a deep, charred mark on the wall. His eyes were bloodshot, his chest heaving violently. He turned abruptly, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Ling Ye, who stood in the corner, his expression equally grim.
"It's you! It's all because of you!" A Yan's voice was distorted by extreme anger. He rushed towards Ling Ye like a mad bull out of control, "If it weren't for you leading us here! If it weren't for those crappy medicinal herbs of yours! How could Su Lin... How could he..." The rest of the words were choked in his throat and turned into more violent rage. The short axe, with the determination to burn everything, choked Ling Ye's face!
"Ayan! Stop!" Mu Lin, trying to suppress the backlash of his own interrupted guidance and the great sorrow of witnessing Su Lin being taken away, shouted urgently, trying to stop it.
But someone was faster than him.
Lei Qing, frozen as a stone statue, moved the moment A Yan's hatchet was about to reach Ling Ye. He didn't use his hunting knife, but simply swerved sideways with lightning speed, delivering a heavy, precise chop to A Yan's axe-wielding wrist!
"Clang!" The short axe fell to the ground and the flames went out instantly.
A Yan's wrist was in severe pain, but he ignored it. With his other fist, still scorching hot, he slammed into Lei Qing fiercely. "You stopped me?! You let him take Su Lin away! You're still trying to stop me now?!"
Lei Qing didn't flinch, letting the fist, brimming with rage and grief, crash down upon his solid chest with a dull thud. His body didn't even waver, his eyes, deep and dark, now seething with a terrifying storm, fixed on A Yan. There was no blame in those eyes, only a deeper, more despairing coldness, as if even the soul itself had died.
"Kill him," Lei Qing said, his voice as hoarse as sandpaper. "Su Lin, can you come back?"
Those simple words were like a bucket of ice water, pouring down on Ah Yan's raging fury. His raised fist froze in mid-air, and as he gazed at the threatening darkness in Lei Qing's eyes, all his fury and strength seemed to be drained away in an instant. He stumbled back, his back against the cold wall, and slowly slid down to the ground, his hands tangled in his fiery red hair as he let out an uncontrollable whimper, like the whine of a young animal. Tears mingled with the dirt on his face and fell to the cold ground.
Mu Lin closed his eyes and took a deep breath, forcing down the sweet, fishy taste in his throat and the soreness in his eyes. He walked over to A Yan and, without saying a word, gently placed a hand on his trembling shoulder. He knew that any words would be meaningless at this moment.
Xingchen didn't cry, nor did he move. He still stood there, maintaining the posture when Su Lin left, as if he had turned into another stone sculpture. Only those obsidian eyes stared at the empty darkness at the door. There were no tears in them, only a bone-chilling coldness and a madly growing desire called "power". The last thing Su Lin said to him was "protect everyone." He clenched his fists, his nails digging deep into the tender flesh of his palms, oozing blood, but he felt no pain. What is this little pain compared to the despair of Su Lin being taken away?
Ling Ye subconsciously took a defensive stance when A Yan attacked, but when he saw Lei Qing stop A Yan, his tense body relaxed slightly, and a complex expression appeared on his face: fear, but also a subtle hint of... guilt. He looked at the collapsed A Yan in the room, the silent Lei Qing, the sorrowful Mu Lin, and the child with the terrifying look in his eyes. He opened his mouth, as if on the verge of saying something, but in the end, it turned into a barely audible sigh.
"Now... isn't the time for internal strife." Mu Lin was the first to break the suffocating silence. His voice was tired, but he tried hard to remain calm. "Su Lin... he chose to go with them for us. Only if we stay alive can we have a chance of saving him."
"Save? How?" Ah Yan suddenly raised his head, tears still stained on his face, but his eyes were once again filled with paranoia. "We don't even know where those devils' lair is! That priest... is ridiculously powerful!"
"I know."
A voice rang out, attracting everyone's attention. The speaker was Ling Ye.
He faced everyone's instantly focused gazes, filled with suspicion and scrutiny, and took a deep breath, as if making some kind of resolution. "I know the main stronghold of the Guichen Cult in this area, and I also know the approximate distribution of their forces. That priest, named 'Skeleton', is one of the people responsible for hunting and collecting 'special offerings' in this area."
"You really do know!" Ah Yan stood up suddenly, the anger that had just been suppressed in his eyes rising again, "Who the hell are you?!"
Lei Qing's gaze pierced Ling Ye like an ice cone, waiting for his explanation.
Ling Ye gave a wry smile, one filled with self-mockery and helplessness. "I...was once a member of the secret mopping-up team at the Black Stone Base."
Blackstone Base! The name was like a poisonous sting, instantly piercing the hearts of everyone present except Xingchen! It was the cage they had fought tooth and nail to escape from! A place that treated human life like worthless grass, a place that treated them like tools!
A Yan's eyes widened instantly, and then he burst into deeper hatred and violence: "The bastard from the Black Stone Base! Damn it! He really has no good intentions!" He almost pounced on him again.
Mu Lin's expression also turned extremely ugly. He subconsciously stood in front of Xingchen, and looked at Ling Ye with eyes full of vigilance and disgust.
The aura surrounding Lei Qing instantly became extremely dangerous. It was no longer the cold murderous intent he had felt when facing the Guichen Sect, but now a venomous anger, mingled with deep-seated hatred, almost tangible. Their escape from Blackstone Base had come at a heavy price; that experience was a nightmare none of them wanted to relive! They later sought refuge at the Northern Base, only to find it equally cold and brutal, ultimately leaving once again. And now, a member of the Blackstone Base mopping-up team was among them!
"Clearance Team..." Lei Qing's voice seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth, carrying with it bloody memories. "How much blood of 'fugitives' like us is stained on your hands?"
Ling Ye's face paled even further at this sudden escalation of hostility, but he didn't retreat. He hurriedly explained, "It's because I've seen too much! I've seen the true colors of the Blackstone Base's leadership! They've long since betrayed their original purpose! The mopping-up team is no longer a shield protecting the survivors, but a butcher's knife to eliminate dissidents and plunder resources! I can no longer tolerate such unscrupulous behavior, so I chose to betray and flee!"
He looked at Lei Qing, his eyes frank yet bitter with sympathy. "I know you fled Black Stone, and later couldn't stay at the Northern Base. It's because we all refused to submit to that dark order! Black Stone Base and the Guichen Sect have long been in collusion! They condoned and even supported the Guichen Sect's atrocities in exchange for the 'research materials' and territory they needed! People with special abilities like Su Lin are considered 'resources' that must be controlled, both in the eyes of Black Stone and the Guichen Sect!"
His words resonated like thunder in everyone's ears. The collusion between Black Stone and the Guichen Cult explained why the Guichen Cult was so rampant, and also made the enemy they faced even larger and more terrifying.
"Why should I trust you?" Lei Qing's voice remained icy, but the murderous intent within it subsided slightly, transforming into a deeper scrutiny. A traitor to Blackstone Base? This identity was too sensitive.
"Like you, I'm now the target of both the Black Stone Base and the Guichen Cult!" Ling Ye met his gaze, his tone excited. "I also want to survive and seek revenge on those who forced me into this situation! And I can't deal with them alone. We need to work together."
He looked at Lei Qing, his eyes sharp. "I know you want to save Mr. Su Lin. I need your help. I have intelligence, and you... have anger, determination, and..." His eyes swept over A Yan's flames, Mu Lin's watery light, and Xing Chen's cold eyes that were unbelievable for his age. "...potential that cannot be underestimated. Only if we work together can we have a chance."
Collaboration? With a defector from the Blackrock Base cleanup team?
A Yan was the first to express his opposition, his voice trembling with hatred: "Cooperation? Cooperate with the executioner of Black Stone? Lei Qing, have you forgotten how we escaped..." His words stopped abruptly, and that was a bloody scar that no one wanted to uncover.
Mu Lin's brows furrowed, clearly struggling. Ling Ye's intelligence was crucial, but his identity was far from trustworthy.
Lei Qing remained silent, like the sea before a storm, suppressing the turbulent waves. His gaze lingered on Ling Ye's face for a long moment, as if weighing every syllable in his words, examining whether he carried the hypocrisy and cunning characteristic of Blackstone Base. Finally, he spoke slowly, his voice low and hoarse, carrying the weight of a man who had staked everything on his life: "The location of the stronghold, the defense force, the internal structure. Tell me."
He didn't say he believed it, nor did he say he didn't believe it. In the face of the only goal of saving Su Lin, he would do anything, even if it meant cooperating with his former enemy and making a deal with the devil.
Ling Ye knew this was the best response he could get, so he immediately said, "About three days from here, there's an abandoned mining town controlled by the Guichen Cult called 'Black Mine Town.' It's one of their largest outposts in the area, and the Skeleton Priest likely took Mr. Su Lin there. The town is easily defended but difficult to attack, with patrols of gray-robed guards and mutant dogs on the perimeter. The interior is complex, including underground areas. I need time to recall and draw a detailed map of the defenses and possible detention points."
Three days' journey... Black Mine Town...
The goal seems to be clearer, but the road ahead is still full of thorns, and there is an extremely unreliable "ally".
"Okay." Lei Qing replied with a single word. He bent down, picked up the fallen hunting knife, and carefully wiped the dust off it. His movements were slow and focused, as if he was wiping away his resolve. "Get ready, we'll set off at daybreak."
"Wait!" A Yan stood up suddenly, his face filled with disapproval and anger of betrayal. "Lei Qing! You want to cooperate with the Black Stone people? Have you forgotten the oath we swore? Never look back! Never trust!"
"Then what do you say we should do?" Lei Qing raised his head and looked at A Yan calmly. Beneath that calmness, there was a turbulent undercurrent. "Wait here? Wait until the Guichen Sect or the Black Stone Base come knocking? Or just keep running around in the snow like a headless fly?"
Ah Yan was choked by the question. He scratched his head in frustration, his voice filled with despair: "But...cooperate with him? That's courting disaster! We might be eaten to the bone!"
"I agree with Brother Lei Qing's decision." Xingchen, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke. His voice was still a little childish, but it carried a cold determination. "Go find Brother Su Lin. Try any possible method." In order to save Brother Su Lin, he could temporarily suppress his instinctive fear and hatred of the Black Stone Base.
Mu Lin looked at the resolute Lei Qing and Xingchen, then at A Yan, who fiercely opposed the decision due to past animosity, and his heart was filled with conflicting bitterness. He knew Lei Qing's decision carried great risks and personal emotions, but at the moment, it seemed the only clear path forward. He finally nodded with difficulty, "I... don't object. The most urgent task is to rush to the vicinity of Black Mine Town and investigate the situation."
A Yan looked at the three people who had reached an agreement, then at Ling Ye, whose identity was sensitive and standing nearby. A huge feeling of powerlessness, anger, and isolation completely overwhelmed him. He could not accept being associated with the people from Blackstone Base, even if it was just temporary cooperation. This touched his bottom line and brought back his most painful memories.
"Alright! Alright! You all want to cooperate with those bastards from Black Stone, right?" A Yan fiercely kicked the hatchet off the ground, staring at Lei Qing with red eyes filled with disappointment and determination. "People with different ideals cannot work together! I won't accompany you any longer! You go find that damn Black Mine Town! I'll go south by myself! I don't believe there's no other way to save Su Lin! It's better than cooperating with the enemy!"
The split was inevitable under the tremendous pressure, the urgency of saving lives and the irreconcilable conflict of principles.
Lei Qing looked at A Yan deeply, without trying to dissuade her. He knew the depth of A Yan's hatred for the Black Stone Base. He simply said in a deep voice, "Take care."
"You don't need to worry about it!" A Yan stiffened his neck, picked up the hatchet on the ground, and walked towards the door without looking back. "I'll come back when I find a way. I hope you don't get fucking killed by your own people first!"
He pushed open the dilapidated door with force, and the wind and snow rushed in again. His figure resolutely disappeared in the vast white, and he chose to go south alone.
Only Lei Qing, Mu Lin, Xingchen, and... Ling Ye, who was from the Black Stone Base and had a sensitive identity, were left in the room.
The four-man team became four people. The atmosphere became more subtle and heavy, filled with mutual vigilance and forced alliance.
Lei Qing's eyes swept over Mu Lin and Xing Chen who stayed behind, and finally landed on Ling Ye, with an undisguised warning: "You, be in my group. Mu Lin, Xing Chen, you two are together. Keep your distance and support each other." He put Ling Ye under his nose, which was the most direct surveillance.
Xingchen wanted to say something. He wanted to follow Lei Qing, to rush to Su Lin's rescue. But he looked at Mu Lin, then at Lei Qing's unquestionable gaze, and finally swallowed his words. He simply nodded vigorously and glanced at Ling Ye with an icy gaze, the warning clearly evident in it.
Mu Lin understood Lei Qing's intention. He took Xingchen's hand and said to Lei Qing, "Be careful."
There are no more words, just two simple words, carrying the trust and heavy responsibility that are difficult to maintain amid suspicion.
As the sky brightened, the wind and snow continued to blow. Inside the shattered hut, the four of them silently packed their meager belongings. The grief of losing Su Lin, the dangers of the road ahead, the internal suspicions, the humiliation and uncertainty of collaborating with the "enemy," and the powerful external enemies... weighed like heavy shackles on each of them.
But no matter what, we can't stop.
Head south to Black Mine Town, enter the lair of the Return to Dust Sect, and walk with your former pursuer. Head south, looking for a slim opportunity, embarking on an unknown journey.
Their goal, however, is the same - to rescue the warm light that brought them together but is now imprisoned.
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