Chapter 19: Eightfold Speed Breaks the Prison Camp, a Hundred Part Ways Seeking Kin

The new target made Chen Wen's spirit highly focused.

The passage to the camp also had guards, but compared to that 'Bird Cave'...

The alert level here seems slightly lower, focusing more on preventing prisoner escapes than outside intrusions.

He again exerted the advantage of 8x stealth, moving along the rock wall's shadows like a ghost.

Skillfully avoiding squads of soldiers changing shifts and laboring prisoner work crews.

【Continuous stealth, concealment skill proficiency increased (x Bonus)!

Diligence Points (WP)+8…+8…】

The closer to the camp, the more chaotic the environment became.

Everywhere were makeshift shacks, piles of waste, and sewage ditches emitting foul odors.

This also provided him with more hiding places.

He hid behind a mountain-like pile of broken baskets, carefully observing the camp entrance.

That was a huge natural cavern that had been crudely reinforced.

At the entrance there were fences and four guards; inside came noisy voices and suppressed sobs.

How to get in?

Forceful entry definitely won't work.

Wait for an opportunity?

Time waits for no one.

His gaze swept over a rock wall on the side of the camp.

There seemed to be a vent there, not large, but perhaps…

He quietly reached the area beneath the vent.

The vent was about three meters above the ground, covered with a rust-covered iron fence.

He tried pulling it with his hand; the base of the fence was already rotten.

Under his 8x strength, it emitted a slight 'creak', seeming possible to open.

But the noise of opening the fence would likely alert the guards.

What to do?

His gaze fell on a pile of discarded wooden barrels used to hold fragments of nether energy ore not far away.

Got it!

He picked up a fist-sized stone, infusing his arm with 8x strength.

Seizing a moment when no one was paying attention, he fiercely hurled the stone at the pile of wooden barrels!

Clang! Clatter—!

The stone precisely struck the support point of the barrel pile, triggering a series of collapses and a huge noise!

"What noise?!"

"Over there! Quickly go look!"

The guards at the camp entrance instantly had their attention drawn; two of them immediately raised their weapons and rushed toward the source of the sound.

Now is the time!

Chen Wen sprang up like a leopard; his 8x explosive power let him easily leap to the vent.

He grabbed the fence with both hands, power exploding!

Crack!

The rotten fence was torn open by him, creating a gap large enough to slip through!

The whole process was almost completed in an instant; the sound was drowned out by the distant clamor.

He shrank his figure and nimbly slipped inside!

The ventilation duct was filled with dust and moldy smell, but it was not long.

He quickly crawled to the end; below was the camp interior.

This was a huge, chaotic space packed with emaciated, dull-eyed prisoners—women, children, the elderly, and the infirm.

The air was thick with despair, sweat, and the smell of disease.

A few Iron Crow Army soldiers patrolled near the entrance, seemingly indifferent to the internal chaos.

Chen Wen silently dropped from the vent into the crowd.

His appearance attracted no notice; these prisoners had long grown numb to everything.

He immediately focused his spirit; his 8x perception swept over the surrounding faces like a scanner.

No! No mother! Also no sister!

His heart sank slightly, but he did not give up.

The silver hairpin's sensation remained, though faint, but it indicated the direction was somewhere in this area.

He began moving, weaving through the crowded throng, his gaze like a torch, missing no corner.

His 8x observational acuity let him instantly discern the minute features of hundreds of faces.

Suddenly, his gaze locked onto an old woman curled up in a corner!

She wore a tattered gray outer coat patched all over, but a small strip of lining fabric showed at the cuff!

It was actually a rare homespun cloth with fine blue stripes!

Chen Wen remembered clearly that when his mother Liu Shi left home, she wore an inner garment made of this homespun cloth brought from her maiden family!

His heart pounded wildly; he immediately squeezed over.

"Elderly one!"

He lowered his voice, trying to make his tone as gentle as possible.

"Your clothing..."

The old woman lifted her head in terror, seeing a young stranger just as disheveled; the fear in her eyes lessened slightly, but she remained on guard.

"What... what do you want to do?"

"Don't be afraid, I just want to ask, where did you get this clothing..."

Chen Wen's voice carried a barely perceptible tremor.

The old woman froze for a moment, instinctively clutching the hem of her clothes, and whispered:

"It... it was given to me by a kind woman..."

"She's frail and can't stand the cold; seeing my old body about to give out, she exchanged her thick inner garment for my tattered coat..."

Chen Wen's breath caught instantly!

"That woman! Is her surname Liu? Does she also have a twelve- or thirteen-year-old girl with big eyes beside her?!"

The old woman's cloudy eyes widened suddenly, looking at Chen Wen with uncertainty:

"How... how do you know? Do you know Madam Liu and Xiao Wan?"

Found it! Finally found it!

They're still alive!

And they were just here not long ago!

Chen Wen suppressed the shout that almost burst out, urgently asking: "Where are they now?! Please tell me!"

The old woman was frightened by his urgent expression, but she still trembled as she pointed to a direction deep in the camp:

"They... they were still here a few days ago... but then..."

"Later they were taken away by those damned Iron Crow Army..."

"It seems they headed toward the 'Crow's Nest'..."

"Crow's Nest? Is that the cave where they keep birds of prey?"

"Or some other place?"

Just then, a commotion suddenly came from the camp entrance!

The guards who had been lured away returned, and it seemed they discovered the ventilation grille had been destroyed!

"An outsider has slipped in! Seal the entrance! Search!"

A harsh shout rang out.

Damn!

Chen Wen's face changed.

In an instant, countless gazes focused on his unfamiliar face!

Nearby prisoners shrank back in terror, exposing him.

Several patrolling soldiers also spotted him, immediately drew their weapons, and roared as they charged!

His retreat was cut off, his identity exposed!

In desperation, Chen Wen's eyes flashed with ruthlessness and resolve!

Eightfold power erupted fully!

He no longer hid!

Facing the sabers of the two soldiers who rushed forward first, he did not retreat but advanced.

With eightfold speed, he struck first despite moving later, sidestepped precisely to avoid the blades, and launched his fists like cannon fire!

Bang! Bang!

Two dull thuds sounded, and the two soldiers flew back faster than they had charged, slamming heavily into the rock wall and losing consciousness!

【Defeated Iron Crow Army soldiers*2, Diligence Points (WP)+40!】

The other charging soldiers' movements stalled abruptly, as if stunned by this sudden terrifying power!

Chen Wen grabbed the frightened old woman, shoved her toward a relatively safe corner, then turned to face the surging enemies and took a deep breath.

Since we can't dodge, let's fight our way out!

With this eightfold effort, carve out a path of survival!

He casually picked up a sturdy wooden pole originally used to lift ore, gauged its weight.

The weight was just right!