Chapter 126. Beneath the Lamp

"Hall Lord, do you see anything?"

Tang Min, who had stopped halfway up the mountain, turned his head. Hall Lord, who had been staring at the massive boulder with him, turned toward the Alliance Leader.

It seemed as if he were waiting for the Alliance Leader's permission.

All remained silent. It appeared the Hall Lord had seen something.

Before he could answer, the Alliance Leader spoke first.

"I have something to say beforehand. You must be curious how I know of this, but I cannot explain. And I am not of the Blood Sect, so do not doubt that either."

Drawing a line, the Alliance Leader continued.

"On the way to the Blood Demon's dwelling lies a strange passage that lets one leap across long distances. In fact, the Blood Sect calls that formation a passage."

"Does that mean beyond this boulder lies the Blood Sect's stronghold?"

Muso asked in a cold voice.

The Alliance Leader smirked and shook his head.

"If only it were so. This boulder is but a passage that leaves Hubei. At least three passages must be crossed before reaching the Blood Sect's main headquarters. And even after stepping into the main headquarters, one must still pass through countless formations before facing the sect's halls."

A cold voice sounded from behind.

"How does the Alliance Leader know this?"

Zhuge In-hwi's gray-blue eyes stared intently at him.

The Alliance Leader's face grew cold.

"Did I not say—do not ask and do not doubt, for I cannot answer?"

He turned his gaze forward again, only to meet eyes full of suspicion. For though it was the Four Seasons Hall Lord who spoke, everyone shared the same thought.

Meeting their gaze, the Alliance Leader said,

"The reason I speak before undoing the formation is because I need your unconditional trust."

His voice was more solemn than ever.

"If you follow my words, not one of you will die, and you will all return to the Central Plains. But if you cannot trust me, then please do not cross this passage. Stay here."

In a voice at odds with his kindly face, he added coldly,

"I cannot explain how I know these things. If I lie, you would not be foolish enough to believe my clumsy lies, and so your doubt would only deepen. Once inside, there will be even less time to resolve such misunderstandings one by one. So if you cannot believe me, I beg you, remain here. I wish for no one to die."

Yet no one said they would stay behind. Only the young martial artists of the Zhuge Clan exchanged glances, hesitant.

But even they, young as they were, seemed to judge that remaining alone in the mountain would be even more dangerous, and so none dared to withdraw.

As for the Tang Clan, needless to say, not one budged. Tai Chi Sword Saint and Taoist Master Muso, with their pride in their martial prowess, likewise waited in silence for the Alliance Leader's next words.

Soon, the Alliance Leader spoke again.

"This passage connects to Qinghai. Crossing two more passages from there will lead us into the mountains where Jin Yin Mountain lies. In the day, golden sands glitter there; at night, the land is shrouded in ice—an accursed land..."

Seeing their expressions change, the Alliance Leader chuckled.

"Do not be so startled. It is a land where none of the common sense we know applies. In any case, that land cut off from the world is the stronghold of the Blood Demon."

Watching the tension on their faces, he added lightly,

"Still, fortune is with us. As you know, those Blood Sect men wearing human-skin masks are wandering in the Central Plains. Since one cannot tell apart a Blood Sect member from a Central Plains man by appearance, the Blood Demon's gatekeepers will not recognize us. One might say heaven's favor is with us."

Calling this heaven's favor, the Alliance Leader gave a ridiculous warning.

Tai Chi Sword Saint furrowed his brow.

"But Alliance Leader, let us say this really is a gate leading to the Blood Sect's main stronghold, as you claim. If the Blood Demon were to cross through it, would that not endanger the people nearby? Would it not be best to request reinforcements to wait in the area, just in case?"

The Taoist of Wudang spoke with clear displeasure in his tone.

The Alliance Leader could not help but laugh.

"He will not come to the Central Plains."

"How can you be so sure?"

If he were the sort to reveal himself so easily, he would not have wasted those countless years in hardship. The Alliance Leader had tried innumerable times to lure the Blood Demon into the Central Plains, yet never once had he succeeded. On the contrary, should the Blood Demon learn they had discovered this passage, he would immediately seal it shut.

In all those long years, he had faced the Blood Demon in the Central Plains but once.

The day he crossed Emei Mountain in pursuit of a young sorcerer.

That was the only time he had seen the Blood Demon leave Jin Yin Mountain.

The Alliance Leader thought of the countless sorcerers who had died by his hand.

He seemed to hear again the voice of the old woman who had begged to be killed, left alone in Jin Yin Mountain. A pitiful soul who, unable to forsake the god she believed in, could not even die, and waited only for someone to deliver her. Her voice filled his mind until even the scene of a young girl taking her own life appeared before his eyes.

Just as his thoughts wavered, the Black Sky Demon called to him.

"Alliance Leader."

His expression was one of fraying patience.

"We will believe your words without question—so open the formation now."

The Black Sky Demon tied his hair up roughly, his voice on the verge of exploding.

"If So-hwa dies, all of this will be meaningless. Let us go. Anyone who wishes to fall back may do so now."

Silence followed.

Still, no one said they would turn back.

The Alliance Leader slipped his hand into a crevice of the boulder, tracing the engraved lines within in the proper order.

Rumble.

Suddenly, a blinding light flared, as though all the light fallen from the sky had gathered in that place.

Unbelievably, a hole opened in the boulder. Beyond the round opening, spread wide like the mouth of a cave, lay a grassy plain. Stepping onto the ankle-high grass, the Alliance Leader spoke.

"It will close after half a quarter-hour—follow quickly."

The first to follow was the Tang Clan Head.

Rustle.

Fresh leaves brushed against his silk robe.

The sound of leaves against cloth broke the silence, then slowly grew louder.

The Four Seasons Hall Lord, watching the Alliance Leader's figure fade, reluctantly stepped through the gate.

The young martial artists of the Zhuge Clan hesitated, exchanging glances.

'...... Should we really be following them?'

At that moment, a fragile voice brushed against their ears.

"You may remain here if you wish, but please—do not inform the headquarters of this matter."

The Tang Clan Young Lord bowed his head to the disciples of the Zhuge Clan.

"At least until we return. I beg you, wait only until then."

There was still a high chance that members of the Blood Sect remained in the headquarters. If word spread now that they had crossed into the Blood Sect's main stronghold, it would only spell trouble.

It was an obvious point, yet hearing such a request from the Young Lord—who was of similar age to them—felt strangely irritating. Being treated like stragglers by someone who hadn't even made it to the semifinals left a sour taste.

But then someone stepped forward past them.

"We were only waiting for our turn, not intending to stay behind."

It was Zhuge Cheon-yu. Smiling, she crossed the passage. With even Zhuge Cheon-yu gone, the hesitant youths of the Zhuge Clan had no choice but to move as well.

"Let's go. Come on."

"Yeah, let's hurry and get this over with!"

As though they had never hesitated, the Zhuge youths suddenly put on airs, raising their voices and quickening their pace.

When the Alliance Leader confirmed that the whole group had crossed, he spoke.

"From here on, time is life. We run without rest. Do not fall behind."

No sooner had the Alliance Leader finished speaking than he broke into a sprint. The others matched his speed.

Though it was fast, the ones running at the front kept their expressions calm.

At that moment, the Black Sky Demon caught up to the Tang Clan Head and murmured lightly.

"It'll be fine."

The Tang Clan Head did not respond, but the Black Sky Demon continued to offer comfort.

"Leaving a trail of tracking incense like that, even dragging the Clan Head into this—clearly she knew it led to the Blood Sect's stronghold and followed on purpose."

The Tang Clan Head's jaw twitched violently, unable to hide his fury at Tang So-hwa's reckless actions. He made no attempt to conceal his rage, enough that even the Black Sky Demon grew cautious.

"Hey, I'm telling you, don't worry too much. She'll be fine. Well, even if she isn't, as long as she's still breathing... Anyway, don't worry so much."

The Black Sky Demon's words wavered between reassurance and unease.

"She's difficult to read, sure, but she's not thoughtless. In cunning, she's not far behind the Blood Demon himself. If anyone's temper is likely to burst, it's the Blood Demon's—not So-hwa's life that's at risk."

Hearing that, the Alliance Leader finally cut in.

"The more complicated one's thoughts, the greater the mistakes when fear takes hold. Do not take it lightly."

At that, the Black Sky Demon scoffed.

"Fear? Alliance Leader, you don't know her. That girl has no fear. The problem is she's too fearless!"

As if his bottled-up anger burst while trying to comfort the Tang Clan Head, the Black Sky Demon barked his words.

The Alliance Leader gave a faint laugh.

Annoyed, the Black Sky Demon asked coldly,

"What are you laughing at?"

"It's just... though it's said the base of the lamp is darkest, it still surprises me to hear you say that."

"What nonsense are you talking about?"

When Tang Min frowned, the Alliance Leader answered plainly.

"The Young Lady Tang  I saw was drenched in fear."

At those words, the Tang Clan Head's gaze slid toward him. Yet the Alliance Leader did not meet it—his thoughts lingered on the image he recalled of Tang So-hwa.

"In every cautious movement, fear was steeped. She had only grown used to living beneath constant tension."

The Black Sky Demon burst into loud laughter.

"Ha! Alliance Leader, you've grown old. You spout nonsense with the grace of a Confucian scholar."

Clicking his tongue, Tang Min spoke again.

"You speak so because you do not know So-hwa well. Not that I mean offense. The child is far too sly for her age, so yes, she makes one overthink when faced with her. But still—"

Just then, a small voice rose from behind.

"... No. The Alliance Leader is right."

"What?"

It was Tang Hak, cutting in softly. At first, they thought it was just his timid nature making him hesitate, but no. His face was pale as he murmured,

"A few days ago, before Elder Sister entered the Alliance Leader's quarters, she said so herself. That in her fear, she made a mistake..."

"What was she afraid of?"

The Tang Clan Head, silent until then, asked coldly.

"She said she feared losing me."

Tang Hak's trembling gaze fixed on the Alliance Leader's back.

"Alliance Leader... could it be the Blood Sect wasn't targeting my sister, but me?"

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