Chapter 71: Deep Within the Demon Cave

The night on the outskirts of Harbin was black as spilled ink, and the cold wind cut his face like a knife. Li Ping'an lay behind an earthen mound, covered with dry grass, almost merging with the frozen ground. He squinted and gazed from afar at the massive complex enclosed by a high wall and an Electric Grid.

This was the lair of Unit 731. Several square, upright buildings stood on the wasteland like massive tombstones, and a few towering smokestacks emitted faint white smoke, giving off an indescribable, uncanny odor. The searchlight beams swept back and forth over the wall like ghostly claws, and the Sentinels' gun barrels on the guard tower occasionally reflected a cold glint.

The vigilance was stricter than imagined. Besides the visible posts, Li Ping'an could sense at least two hidden ambush Sentinels in the shadows. The Electric Grid was strung along the top of the wall, and something seemed buried at the wall's base—perhaps mines or sensors.

Storming in head‑on would be a death sentence.

He lay behind the mound for a full two hours, his limbs numb from the cold, yet he roughly mapped the Patrol Squad's routes, shift changes, and the pattern of the light sweeps. These Japanese Soldiers guarded tightly, but even the strictest fence has gaps.

In the later night the wind grew stronger, whipping up snow flurries that blinded him. It was the most disorienting hour. Li Ping'an crawled along the ground like a lizard, using the terrain's undulations and the dry‑grass cover to inch toward the southeast corner of the wall—there was a drainage ditch, barred with iron grating, but perhaps a point of entry.

The iron grating at the ditch's mouth was as thick as a child's arm and riddled with rust. He reached out to test it; it didn't budge. Yet that didn't stop him. He grasped two iron bars, let his inner force flow slowly, and his muscles tensed slightly.

Crack…Creak…

The faintest metallic creak was perfectly masked by the wind. He snapped the two bars apart, revealing a gap just wide enough to slip through. He slid in like an eel, landing silently.

Inside was a cement tunnel half a man's height, suffused with a foul blend of sewage and disinfectant. He crouched, held his breath, and crawled deeper along the pipe. He heightened his perception to the maximum, catching every sound and movement around him.

At the tunnel's end was an iron grate, above which seemed to be a courtyard. He carefully pried the grate open, exposing a pair of eyes to observe.

Outside was a modest courtyard piled with junk and empty wooden crates, looking like a temporary storage area. Opposite stood a three‑story building, its dark walls bearing few lit windows, yet two Sentinels guarded the doorway.

He couldn't go up from here.

He retreated into the tunnel, continuing to feel his way through the system. Below was a maze with many branches, most sealed by iron doors or grates. It seemed the Japanese Soldiers were no less vigilant underground.

Finally, after rounding several bends, he heard faint Japanese speech and footsteps ahead! He instantly slipped against the wall, melting into the shadows.

Two Japanese Soldiers in white coats and masks chatted as they passed through a side opening, paying no heed to the tunnel's anomaly. When their footsteps faded, Li Ping'an cautiously peeked out.

That side opening led to an upward iron staircase, light spilling down from its mouth, suggesting the interior of a building above. It appeared the tunnel connected to a basement of some structure.

Opportunity!

He tiptoed up the stairs. At the top was a half‑ajar iron door; beyond it lay a dimly lit corridor, the disinfectant stench now even more pungent, mingling with formaldehyde and an indescribable, nauseating sweet‑fishy odor.

Rooms lined both sides of the corridor, each door bearing a Japanese sign. He leaned close to a crack and peered inside; the room was filled with glassware and strange instruments, like a laboratory. In another room, rows of iron racks held various indescribable biological tissue specimens…

His stomach churned, forcing himself to stay calm. These were only the periphery; he needed the core—where "Maluda" was detained, or where the most brutal vivisections were carried out.

Footsteps and voices echoed from the corridor's end. Li Ping'an instantly slipped into a neighboring room labeled "Equipment Room," and gently closed the door.

Inside were piles of medical gear and jars. He leaned against the door, listening to the outside. Two patrolling Japanese Soldiers paused at the doorway, then their footsteps faded away.

He exhaled, about to leave, when his gaze was caught by a half‑person‑tall metal cabinet in the corner. The cabinet was unlocked; he gently opened it—inside were neatly hanging several sets of Japanese Soldiers' white coats, masks, and caps!

It's like having a pillow delivered when you want to sleep!

He quickly donned a white coat, mask, and cap, and glanced at the blurry glass on the wall. Hmm, without looking closely, it really does look like someone doing "research".

Now his movements were much easier. He swaggered out of the equipment room, continuing deeper down the corridor. When he passed occasional Japanese researcher personnel, he gave a slight nod; they mostly responded indifferently, asking nothing.

The Demon Cave was larger than imagined, its corridors a tangled maze. Relying on his extraordinary perception and memory, he avoided crowded spots, inching toward areas that felt more heavily guarded and oppressive.

The deeper he went, the more suffocating the sensation became. The foul odor in the air grew thicker, and he could faintly hear oppressive, inhuman moans from some rooms, quickly drowned by the hum of machinery.

He finally found the spot—a massive iron door blocked the way, guarded by two Sentinels clutching submachine guns, their eyes fierce. Above the door hung a Japanese sign reading "Special Experimental Area, No Entry for Idlers."

This is it! Inside must be where Maluda is held, or where those gruesome, inhumane experiments are underway!

But how to get in? Storming in won't work.

He pretended to pass by, watching carefully from the corner of his eye. The door was electrically controlled, with a keypad or card reader beside it. Moreover, at intervals, a person in full protective gear and a thicker mask entered or exited, and the Sentinels checked their credentials before letting them through.

Identity credentials were required.

He withdrew to a secluded corner, patiently lying in wait like a spider. Time passed slowly, and finally a researcher in protective gear emerged alone, apparently heading somewhere.

Li Ping'an silently followed. The person turned into a side corridor, heading toward a restroom at the end. Good opportunity!

The restroom was empty. Li Ping'an slipped in, gently closing the door behind. The researcher stood at the urinal whistling, completely unaware that death had arrived.

A cold glint flashed in Li Ping'an's eyes, without hesitation. His left hand clamped the target's mouth like iron tongs, his right arm snapped around the neck, and he twisted with sudden force!

Crack! A crisp bone‑breaking snap rang sharply in the silent restroom.

The researcher's body went limp, his eyes bulging, and he fell silent without a whimper. Li Ping'an gently dragged the corpse into a compartment, re‑locked the door, swiftly stripped off the protective suit and credentials, then meticulously inspected the interior and exterior of the compartment to ensure no trace remained.

He donned the heavy protective suit, a special mask and goggles, wrapping himself tightly, leaving only his eyes exposed. He glanced at the photo and name on the credentials—Shantian Yilang.

He took a deep breath of the rubber‑scented air, clutching the credentials, and walked toward the iron door again.

A Sentinel blocked him, checking his credentials. Li Ping'an's heart rose to his throat, his inner force churned silently, ready to erupt at any moment.

The Sentinel compared the photo on the credentials with the eyes behind the protective goggles, then glanced at the badge on his chest (taken from the researcher), saw no discrepancy, waved him through.

The iron door emitted a heavy pneumatic hiss as it slowly opened.

The scene beyond the door made even the prepared Li Ping'an's blood freeze instantly, as if plunging into an ice cavern!

A wider yet abnormally clean, icy corridor stretched ahead, its sides lined with fully sealed glass observation rooms! Some rooms held naked humans bound to various tubes and electrodes, their faces twisted in agony; others showed horrific surgeries, with protect‑suit‑clad figures cutting living bodies like butchers; another room released visible yellow or green gas, its occupants frantically clawing at their throats and skin—a sight too horrible to behold…

This place was no human realm—it was a living Avici hell!

Li Ping'an forced himself to look away, suppressing the surging murderous intent and nausea. He could not see, could not think; he had to locate the core first! He sensed the mental imprint nearby, but the sheer number of rooms and interference were overwhelming.

He kept his head down, pretending to have a purpose as he hurried, avoiding the glass rooms where "experiments" were underway. At the corridor's end stood an even thicker door, guarded by four Sentinels, with a sign beside it reading "Top Secret Sample Library."

What lay inside was likely the Demon Cave's most central, deadly secret!

But the guards there were too strict; infiltration was impossible.

Just as he was rapidly devising a plan, a sharp, piercing alarm blared throughout the base! Red warning lights spun wildly, flashing.

"Seal all exits!" "Intruder detected!" "Level‑one alert!"

Damn! They've been spotted! Perhaps the disposed corpse was discovered quickly!

The corridor erupted into chaos! Researchers panicked, while the Sentinels, as if facing a great enemy, brandished weapons and began to drive out and search everyone!

Li Ping'an muttered under his breath, spun around, and slipped into the fleeing crowd, but moved quickly back the way he came. He had to use the chaos to escape!

Alarms, Japanese shouts, footsteps… the Demon Cave was like a wasp's nest that had been stabbed, in total disarray. Li Ping'an, relying on the protective suit's Camouflage and superhuman reflexes, weaved through the chaotic crowd and, unharmed, returned to the massive iron door.

The guards here had multiplied, rigorously screening everyone trying to leave!

Just as he was about to be trapped inside, Li Ping'an's eye caught a red fire alarm button on the adjacent wall.

I can't worry about that anymore! He lunged forward, smashed the glass with a punch, and fiercely pressed that button!

Woo—! An even more shrill, piercing fire alarm blared across the entire area! The automatic fire‑extinguishing system kicked in, and the sprinklers on the ceiling instantly sprayed out a huge amount of water mist and white foam!

"Fire!" "Put out the fire!" "Close the sample vault!"

Now it's even more chaotic! Water and fire show no mercy—those precious "samples" and "data" are far more important than catching people! The guards' attention was instantly diverted!

Li Ping'an seized the moment, bull‑rushed the two dazed guards beside him, burst out of the heavy iron door like a wild horse breaking free of its reins, and sprinted back the way he came without looking back!

Behind him came the angry roars of the Japanese Soldiers and the chaotic gunfire, bullets pattering against the walls and ceiling, sending up debris!

He didn't look back, pushing the Carefree Step to its limit, lunging left and right through the maze‑like corridors, smashing any door in his way and killing any Japanese Soldiers who blocked him with lethal force—at this moment he was like a drawn blade, wanting nothing more than to tear apart this Demon Cave as quickly as possible!

Finally, he saw the stairs leading to the underground pipe! He dove in, crawling desperately outward along the icy pipe!

When he finally squeezed out of the drainage grate and drew in the cold but free outside air, the Demon Cave behind him still blared its alarms, chaos reigning.

He didn't pause, sweeping across the wilderness like a wisp of green smoke and vanishing into the deep night.

Although he hadn't managed to reach the innermost sample vault, he had already seen with his own eyes what hell looked like.

This Demon Cave must be utterly destroyed!

He glanced back at the cluster of buildings that lay like a dormant beast in the night, his eyes burning with icy fire.

Wait for it, you beasts. Next time I come, it'll be your doom.