Chapter 40 Crisis

The next day, the heat was intense, and the slightest movement brought out a sweat. In the woods, martial artists from a hundred-mile radius around Fallen Leaf Manor gathered, surrounding the corpse of a pale-faced man for a thorough examination.

The man in charge of the inspection was Zhao Wu, a local butcher. He stripped the dead man's clothes and discovered that the pale-faced creature was half-man, half-beast, complete with a fox tail. Lin Fengmian observed closely as well.

Yang Wanli asked, "Master, is he a fox demon?"

Lin Fengmian replied, "No, he is a hybrid."

Chu Hongchen said, "Master means he is the offspring of a human and a demon."

This reminded Lin Fengmian of someone, and he muttered to himself, "Could it be him? He's not dead."

His master's words plunged Yang Wanli back into his memories. Back when he was just a teenager, he had witnessed that freak jump off a cliff to his death. He said, "Could Master be speaking of him? Yet I have no grudge or enmity with him; why did he cripple my legs?" At this point, Yang Wanli gritted his teeth, no longer able to suppress the grief and fury in his heart.

Lin Fengmian said, "Do not jump to conclusions yet. Let us rescue Zier and Yuer first."

Chu Hongchen said, "Master, let us not rush to save them just yet. Our current situation is likely even more perilous than being locked inside the pagoda. The men we sent yesterday to deliver messages all died on the road."

Lin Fengmian asked, "How many men in total?"

Chu Hongchen replied, "There were eight messengers in all, taking eight different routes, and every single one of them is dead."

Lin Fengmian asked, "Those pale-faced men only wounded the three of you, but did not harm your families?"

Li Jie said, "Master, all three of my daughters were abducted by these pale-faced demons."

Chu Hongchen said, "My children were not by my side, so they were spared. It is a pity that several of my disciples, in order to protect me, were either killed or wounded."

Li Jie remained silent. Lin Fengmian asked him with concern, "Li Jie, how is things at your home?"

Li Jie said, "I... I was wounded on my way home and have not yet returned. I haven't been home in three months."

Lin Fengmian said, "Then you should go home and check on things first!"

Li Jie answered, "No, Master, this place cannot be left unguarded. I have already asked Brother Liu to go home and take a look for me first."

Lin Fengmian instructed, "Then tell the kitchen to make plenty of mantou, roasted beef, and pots of boiled tea, and move them all down to the subterranean palace."

Li Jie asked, "Does Master intend to have the Eldest Disciple come out of the pagoda?"

Lin Fengmian denied it, saying, "My son has secluded himself within the tower and refuses to come out; I fear he has suffered a deviation in his martial arts practice. He cannot be relied upon at a time like this. These humanoid demons possess extraordinary martial prowess. If we cannot defeat them, we will all hide inside the tower."

Lin Fengmian knew he could not handle any more five-star masked men. At that moment, four five-star masked men drifted in the wind high above, like kites tethered by thin threads, looking down condescendingly on the people below.

The people in the woods felt like herbivores cornered in a hunt, with running for their lives as their only option. Those with poor kung fu lacked lightness skill, and those who ran too slowly were pierced right through their flesh by beams of light and killed.

Yang Wanli used his hands as legs, his robust arms propelling him through the air with flying speed. Li Jie had lost his hands, but his legs were still functional, so naturally he wasn't slow. Although Chu Hongchen was wrapped in bandages like a rice dumpling and moved stiffly, fortunately Lin Fengmian, in order to save him, kicked him so that he flew toward the subterranean palace like a rubber ball.

To fight, one must first fill one's stomach. The four survivors hid in the subterranean palace, setting up a table beside the pagoda. Fortunately, the cook was still alive, and the serving footmen were still alive, working diligently through the manor's tunnels to bring warmth and bustle to a desolate place. Chu Hongchen said, "Master, a fight is coming. Can we have some wine to drink to steel our nerves?"

Lin Fengmian said, "If you want to drink, then drink."

Three disabled disciples and a white-haired, bearded old man drank together, looking rather like a gathering of patients discussing their ailments.

Perhaps feeling thirsty, Yang Wanli downed a pot of wine and boastfully declared, "Don't look at my legs as crippled; my fists are fiercer than my legs."

Li Jie said, "Eldest Senior Brother, spare us the big talk. We are all old now; we might as well find some young people right now and impart some pointers to them, perhaps they can still vent our frustrations for us."

Chu Hongchen blurted out his true thoughts, "Junior Brother, you just want the young people to die in your place first."

Li Jie said, "I am merely lamenting that after half a lifetime as swordsmen, we haven't managed to cultivate a single rising star."

Lin Fengmian summarized, "I am about to go into the grave myself, and didn't I also take in a bunch of useless disciples?"

Locked within a confined space, the erosion of time was agonizing because people had needs like eating, drinking, excreting, and sleeping. Inside the pagoda at that moment, the two young women had eased their internal injuries, but had not fully recovered. With limited physical strength and burning thirst, they could only rest for the time being. Xiao Bugui was holding back a desperate urge to urinate, falling into deep thought as he faced the inscriptions on the wall.

Lin Zi leaned her head against the wall, her face haggard. Lin Daiyu wrapped her arms around her knees, her eyes gazing at nothing, seemingly searching for a way out. Perhaps due to the cramped space, Xiao Bugui turned his gaze and locked eyes with her.

Xiao Bugui asked with concern, "Little Sisters, how are you both holding up?"

Lin Zi said, "Not well. My injuries are too severe; they won't heal anytime soon. With our internal energies combined, it will probably be very difficult for us to break out."

Lin Daiyu said, "There is nothing in this tower at all; are we going to starve and thirst to death?"

They could not sit idly by and wait for death. Xiao Bugui thought of asking Yin Wuxiang for help and called downward, "Senior Yin, are you still there?"

Yin Wuxiang gave no response.

Green Lion said, "Strange, why do I feel like Yin Wuxiang has already left the tower?"

Xiao Bugui asked, "Yin Wuxiang left? Are you certain?"

Green Lion said, "This pagoda is miraculous, I cannot say for sure either."

Xiao Bugui said, "What shall we do then? Green Lion, can you read the seal script on the wall?"

Green Lion replied, "I cannot."

Xiao Bugui said, "I studied this kind of seal script when I was on the fairy island, but I only have a smattering of knowledge. It seems to record the method for entering and exiting. Elder Sister Lin, Younger Sister Lin, come take a look."

Lin Yuer carefully observed the ancient characters on the wall, falling into deep thought. Sensing someone touching her backside, she said with disgust, "Brother Xiao, I am your sister after all, can you have some self-respect? Touching someone's backside is vile!"

Xiao Bugui raised his hands innocently and said, "I didn't do anything."

Lin Yuer pouted angrily and said, "If it wasn't you, could it be a ghost?"

To prove his innocence, Xiao Bugui took a few steps away, keeping his distance.

Lin Yuer remained on guard, feeling her backside get struck twice more. She lashed out with her hand and caught the true culprit of the harassment: the Seven-Searing Spear tail. Lin Yuer said angrily, "You pervert, I've caught you red-handed this time. Do you still have any excuse to argue?"

Xiao Bugui immediately explained, "It's not that I'm indecent; it's the Seven-Searing Spear that's indecent. I cannot control it."

To protect her younger sister, Lin Zi pulled Yuer behind her. Sticking her backside out, righteous and understanding, she said, "Xiao Bugui, it's fine if your tail touches my backside. The pressing priority right now is to quickly think of a way to escape."

With a voluntarily offered backside, Xiao Bugui's tail caressed Lin Zi while his hand reached out to touch a section of the wall. "This space looks like it has no passages, but actually there is a secret door. According to the records on this thing, this should be the place to exit the tower."

Sure enough, Xiao Bugui's hand passed right through the wall. He cried out in pleasant surprise, "It's right here."

They could run out, they were saved! Lin Zi said happily, "Although you are a bit indecent, you really do have skills."

Xiao Bugui said, "Immortals have no worldly passions or desires; I told you, it's not that I'm indecent, it's the spear that's indecent. Whether we can get out, let me test it first."

Sure enough, Xiao Bugui walked right through the wall, followed closely by Lin Zi and Lin Yuer. As soon as the three of them stepped out of the tower, they saw the four old, weak, and wounded individuals drinking and chatting.

And four five-star masked men had simultaneously appeared inside the subterranean palace.