Urban Martial Saint

Standing in the Stone Chamber, Ye Qing felt even more shocked. If those bones outside were thrown by these monster long-haired people, then these monster long-haired people are even more terrifying.

At the very least, this single fact shows that these monster long-haired people are not mere beasts, but possess human thoughts. If they were simple beasts, without intellect, they wouldn’t bother to clean up the bones. And with thought processes, these monsters are much harder to handle than ordinary beasts.

Previously, outside the secret chamber where Patriarch Bodhidharma passed away, Ye Qing encountered a few dragon crocodiles. These dragon crocodiles were actually extremely formidable in combat, with strength reaching that of a top-level master, especially the great dragon crocodile, whose strength rivaled a peak master. However, they were not difficult to deal with, because they lacked thoughts and wisdom; using some tactics made it easy to handle them. If those dragon crocodiles had thoughts and wisdom, it wouldn’t have been them dying, but Ye Qing.

Now, facing so many intelligent and thoughtful monster long-haired people, they were very difficult to handle. Especially under circumstances where Ye Qing’s Inner Strength was unavailable, facing these monster long-haired people, it was extremely dangerous.

Fortunately, the monster long-haired people had all gone out, and Ye Qing dared not linger in this secret chamber for long. If those monster long-haired people suddenly returned, Ye Qing would be dead for sure.

Just as he was about to leave the secret chamber, Ye Qing suddenly noticed something unusual in one corner of the chamber. The chamber was very dark, and Ye Qing couldn’t see clearly. However, the color in this one corner was clearly different from elsewhere.

With curiosity, Ye Qing cautiously went over, hoping to see what was there, or trace back the origins of these monster long-haired people.

As he approached, Ye Qing realized that this corner was actually a Stone Corridor. It was pitch-black inside, with no indication of what lay within. Nonetheless, the presence of such a corridor in the secret chamber made Ye Qing speculate what could possibly be behind it.

After pondering for a moment, Ye Qing pushed down his worries, took a deep breath, and slowly stepped into the Stone Corridor. He didn’t know what was in there, but his intuition told him that something was definitely amiss, otherwise, those monster long-haired people wouldn’t be guarding here.

The Stone Corridor was long, and after walking about one hundred meters, Ye Qing found it started ascending, seeming to lead up the mountain. At this point, he also faintly smelled a stench, unsure of its source, but there seemed to be some terrifying secret hidden in the darkness within.

By the time Ye Qing reached this point, returning was no longer an option. He didn’t know if those monster long-haired people had returned to the secret chamber, but he was determined not to go back. Venturing back and encountering those monsters would be suicidal, and having come this far, he needed to investigate what lay ahead.

Continuing uphill through the Stone Corridor for about five more minutes, Ye Qing noticed the corridor began widening. As he walked, he felt the walls with his hands and found them smooth, indicating the corridor was artificially carved.

This was inside a mountain belly, and carving such a long corridor was no simple feat. Whoever made this corridor, it undoubtedly concealed some extraordinary secret; no one would carve such a corridor for amusement.

Mount Duwang was where the Doomsday Sect resided, so the appearance of such a corridor in the mountain made Ye Qing speculate if this was the work of the sect. But what was the Doomsday Sect hiding by carving this corridor? What were they covering up?

Progressing with questions, the Stone Corridor gradually widened. Initially less than a meter and a half wide, it eventually reached ten meters, becoming no longer a corridor but a cave.

Moreover, Ye Qing noticed the cave walls were different from before. Previously, the walls were smooth, clearly artificial, but here they were rugged, suggesting natural formation. This indicated the corridor was carved to lead into this cave.

The length of the cave was unknown, and after walking another fifty meters, Ye Qing encountered seven branching paths, each leading to different places. This was where he needed to decide his route forward.

Standing at the crossroads, his previous experience in the Demon Hideout Cave taught Ye Qing the importance of choice. A misstep could mean death. Previously, he could follow markers left by Patriarch Bodhidharma, but here, there were none, leaving him with no clear choice.

As Ye Qing hesitated, uncertain of what to do, a slight noise came from behind. Jumping, he turned quickly, seeing a black shadow slowly moving on a stone wall not far away. The noise came from this shadow.

Though he had surveyed the cave upon entry, it was too dark and the distance widened, making it hard to notice the shadow earlier.

Ye Qing was shocked, wondering what good could come from something appearing here. Could there be more monsters hidden in the cave?

He quickly scanned the surroundings, checking for additional monsters. Thankfully, the black shadow was alone. Just one, and survival seemed plausible; several would force Ye Qing to escape into one of the paths.

Watching the slow-moving shadow, Ye Qing tightened his grip on the Metamorphic Iron Dagger, took a deep breath, and cautiously approached. He couldn’t delay; he must deal with the shadow before it attracted more monsters.

Step by step, he closed in, heart racing, wary that the shadow might have immense strength, risking his life.

Advancing slowly, Ye Qing studied the shadow’s movements. It only crawled, making no other noises, allowing him to approach within ten meters, where its outline clarified. It was small, possibly a young version of those monster long-haired people, which eased his mind.

Nearing the shadow, a faint scent akin to a woman’s fragrance reached Ye Qing’s senses, puzzling him about the source of the scent in such a place.

As he pondered, the shadow’s movement increased slightly. Caught off guard and considering rushing in, he shockingly realized the shadow wore clothes!

Stunned, he blinked hard, took another step forward, and confirmed the shadow indeed wore clothes!

If clothed, it wasn’t a monster, but a human?

Relaxing slightly, Ye Qing called out tentatively but received no response, deepening his confusion. Why was someone clinging to the wall? Why hadn’t they fallen?

Remaining wary, Ye Qing approached, clarity growing each step. The black shadow was indeed a woman, explaining the fragrance. Moreover, she was bound, the rope securing her to the wall, preventing her fall!

Seeing this, Ye Qing exhaled deeply, quickly stepping forward to support the shadow, saying, ”Who are you? You...”

His words stopped abruptly as he recognized her: Wen’er, the daughter of the Headmaster of the Southern Ridge Sect!

Wen’er was bound with rope, suspended on the wall, mouth taped, hence unable to answer his calls.

Upon seeing Ye Qing, Wen’er visibly relaxed, gesturing urgently for rescue with her body.

Ye Qing was stunned. After the event in the secret chamber of Patriarch Bodhidharma, the Eight Great Sect Masters of the South Ridge Sect disappeared, and Wen’er, unable to find them, had gone with Ye Qing to Shenchuan City, staying at one of the Seven Rudders of the Hong Alliance. She ought to be there still, so how did she end up here, bound to a wall? What happened here, and who was responsible?

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