Chapter 37: and translation of chapter title

Inside the dim tent, only an oil lamp illuminated Jiang Xiaomu's sharp-angled face.

The Ghost-Face Army's leader, the man wearing a ferocious mask, still had his conditions ringing in his ears:

Join the Ghost-Face Army, gain great power, but the price is……

What is the price?

The Ghost-Face Army leader didn't spell it out, but Jiang Xiaomu knew in his heart it was certainly no easy condition.

Perhaps loyalty, perhaps freedom, or even…… life.

He took a deep breath, striving to calm himself.

Now, he faced a dilemma.

Joining the Ghost-Face Army is surely like making a deal with a tiger, but he could gain great power, enough to protect himself and protect Jiang Xiaoyu.

And if he refused, what awaited him was the Ghost-Face Army's frenzied assault.

His troops, compared to the Ghost-Face Army, were practically like ants.

Once war broke out, there was no chance of victory.

By then, Jiang Xiaoyu's safety……

Jiang Xiaomu dared not think further.

"Damn it!"

"Strike first to be strong, strike later to suffer; if you don't do it, don't stop!"

A hint of killing intent flashed in Jiang Xiaomu's eyes.

He sprang to his feet, walked to the hanging map, and fixed his gaze tightly on the area controlled by the Ghost-Face Army on the map.

"We must find the Ghost-Face Army's lair!"

He began to study the map carefully, trying to find some clues.

The Ghost-Face Army's movements are mysterious; few know where their lair is.

Time passed second by second, the oil in the lamp gradually drained, yet Jiang Xiaomu noticed nothing, his entire focus fixed on the map.

Suddenly, his gaze lingered on an inconspicuous small village.

This village lay at the edge of the Ghost-Face Army's controlled area; the map didn't label its name, nor even a road.

"Strange……"

Jiang Xiaomu furrowed his brows, a doubt rising in his heart.

Why would the Ghost-Face Army control such a remote little village?

Could it be……

A bold guess surfaced in his mind:

Could this inconspicuous small village be the Ghost-Face Army's lair?

The more he thought, the more plausible it seemed.

The Ghost-Face Army's movements are mysterious; their lair surely wouldn't be set in a crowded, conspicuous place.

"Looks like I have to go there myself."

Jiang Xiaomu had already made his decision in his heart.

He quickly packed his gear, mounted a swift horse, and galloped toward that nameless small village.

He didn't know what awaited him ahead, but his heart held only one belief: find the Ghost-Face Army's lair, protect Jiang Xiaoyu!

Not long after he left, a black shadow silently appeared outside his tent.

The shadow was tall, entirely shrouded in a black cloak, its face unseen.

After a moment, the shadow emitted a low, cold laugh:

"Jiang Xiaomu, do you think you can escape my control? Your every move is under my surveillance. Hmph, you're too naive!"

Having spoken, the shadow vanished into the night, leaving only a few eerie laughs echoing in the air.

"Giddyap!"

Jiang Xiaomu squeezed the horse's belly; the steed beneath him neighed, and its speed increased a bit.

He lowered his head to look at the map in his hand, already nearly soaked with sweat, marking with bright red cinnabar an inconspicuous small village—the Ghost-Face Army's lair.

"Strange……"

Jiang Xiaomu furrowed his brows; the map showed he had reached his destination, yet before him lay only a desolate valley, nothing else.

It was too quiet; the surroundings were so still they gave one the creeps, only the howling wind and occasional crow calls. Jiang Xiaomu dismounted, tied his horse to a dead tree, drew the saber at his waist, and cautiously moved forward.

"Could the map be fake?"

Jiang Xiaomu silently pondered.

He continued forward, soon reaching the edge of a cliff.

Below the cliff lay a bottomless abyss, shrouded in mist, impossible to see the bottom.

"Did these bastards grow wings and fly away?"

Jiang Xiaomu's doubts grew stronger.

He stood at the cliff's edge, carefully observing the surroundings, trying to find some clues.

However, aside from bare rock and sparse shrubs, there was nothing.

"Could I be wrong?"

Jiang Xiaomu wavered a little; perhaps the Ghost-Face Army simply wasn't here.

Just then, he suddenly noticed a rock on the cliff's edge that seemed odd.

That rock's color was darker than the surrounding stone, and its shape was somewhat regular, as if artificially carved.

Jiang Xiaomu stepped forward and examined that rock closely.

He reached out and tapped on that rock, producing a dull sound, as if it were hollow.

Could it be...

Jiang Xiaomu's heart stirred, and a bold guess flashed through his mind.

He took out a fire striker from his bosom, lit it, and threw it toward the cliff base.

The firelight lit up the cliff base; at a spot several meters above the bottom, a massive rock platform suddenly came into view, and on it he could faintly make out the shadows of some buildings.

Jiang Xiaomu's lips curled into a cold smile—the Ghost Face Army's lair was actually hidden beneath this cliff!

He wrapped the coarse hemp rope twice around a dead tree beside him, then steadily landed on a protruding platform.

Ahead of the platform, a narrow passage barely wide enough for one person to crawl through yawned like the mouth of a man‑eating beast.

Looks like I have to risk my life to keep company with the gentleman.

Jiang Xiaomu's tone carried a hint of barely perceptible mockery.

He took off his long sword and shield, placing them to one side of the platform, leaving only a short dagger and a few fire strikers.

After doing all that, he took a deep breath, crouched low, and slipped into the pitch‑black cave entrance.

Jiang Xiaomu felt his way forward, and the uneven stone walls occasionally scraped his clothes, producing a harsh sound.

Damn it, who the hell designed this godforsaken place?

Jiang Xiaomu muttered a curse under his breath.

He had always disliked environments where he couldn't see his hand in front of his face, and this made him feel like a lamb awaiting slaughter on a chopping block.

Feeling his way, he drew a fire striker from his bosom, gave it a gentle blow, and a faint flame sprang up, dispelling a small patch of darkness. By that weak light he could make out the interior of the cave.

This was a naturally formed limestone cave, its walls covered with grotesque stalactites that, in the firelight, looked even more sinister and terrifying.

Jiang Xiaomu continued to crawl forward; after who knows how long, a glimmer of light finally appeared ahead.

When he finally crawled out of the cave entrance, his view suddenly opened up.

An ancient altar stood tall, surrounded by countless ruined walls and broken structures.

Jiang Xiaomu rose to his feet, brushed the dust from his body, and his gaze swept over the surroundings before finally settling on that ancient altar.