Chapter 6: Probing the bandits' nest in Black Wind Hollow, killer qi surges skyward as doubtful clouds gather

The westward journey was more arduous than Chen Wen had anticipated.

The terrain gradually rose, scattered with jagged rocks, and vegetation became sparse and barren.

The mountain path, washed by rain, was covered with slippery moss and loose stones, each step requiring careful caution.

The air was permeated with a faint burnt smell.

The farther west they went, the clearer that smell became.

Mixed with it was an unsettling stillness.

【Arduous mountain march, falls under the 'Labor' category, Diligence Points (WP)+0.2……+0.2……】

The system's prompt tone remained steady, but Chen Wen's heart grew increasingly anxious.

The piece of pale blue cloth in his bosom felt like a branding iron, searing his chest with pain.

The embroidered character "Wan" repeatedly surfaced in his mind, intertwining with the hazy memory of his mother sewing by lamplight.

It turned into a driving obsession that urged him ever onward.

Black Wind Hollow.

The name that Uncle Zhong uttered before dying felt like a heavy stone pressing upon his heart.

That was certainly no good place!

As the sun slanted westward, he finally climbed a lofty ridge.

Using the lingering glow of the setting sun, he lowered his body and looked ahead.

Below lay a perilous mountain hollow, sheer cliffs rising on both sides, with only a narrow goat-path allowing passage—easy to defend, hard to attack.

However, the scene that met his eyes at that moment.

yet it caused Chen Wen to suck in a breath of cold air, his blood nearly freezing instantly!

At the mouth of the hollow

There had apparently been a wooden fence and watchtower!

but now they were completely destroyed!

Charred wood remnants lay scattered about, some places still wisping thin blue smoke.

Even more shocking, dozens of corpses lay strewn haphazardly inside and outside the fence!

Judging by their clothing, most were ragged bandits wielding assorted weapons.

Yet their deaths were gruesome; hardly a corpse remained intact.

Severed limbs and broken bits lay everywhere, dark red blood soaking the hollow's ground, attracting swarms of flies buzzing about.

The reek of blood was so strong it induced nausea, faintly detectable even from afar.

How could this be any bandit lair?

It was clearly a slaughterhouse freshly drenched in blood!

Who did this? Government troops?

Impossible; the nearby prefectures and counties were already overwhelmed.

Or perhaps a stronger band of bandits preying on their own?

Chen Wen's heart sank sharply, and a worst-case thought rose unbidden

——what about the families seized by the bandits?

If Mother and little sister were truly here……

how have they fared?!

Fear, like an icy venomous snake, instantly coiled around his heart, nearly suffocating him.

He forced himself to calm down and observe carefully.

Inside the hollow's depths

The crude shelters built against the cliff walls were also mostly destroyed, with no sign of activity, deathly silence prevailing.

The slaughter seemed to have ended, the attackers possibly having withdrawn.

I must go down and see!

Even if there was only a one-in-ten-thousand chance, even if he could find just a clue, he had to venture forth and investigate!

Chen Wen drew a deep breath, suppressed his trepidation, and concealed his form to the utmost.

Like a ghost, he used the cover of rocks and shrubs to creep toward that dead place.

The closer he approached the hollow's mouth, the stronger the reek of blood and burnt odor grew, nearly making him dizzy.

The ground beneath his feet, soaked with blood, turned sticky and mire-like.

Even though Chen Wen had experienced battlefields and seen corpses strewn across the wild, his stomach now churned tumultuously.

He held his breath, carefully avoiding the severed limbs and corpses on the ground.

His keen eyes swept the surroundings, missing no suspicious trace.

The attackers' methods were extremely ruthless and efficient, almost always a single blow to kill.

Many bandits didn't even have time to react before being hacked down.

From the devastation of the wounds, the opponent's strength seemed enormous, using what appeared to be… a standard-issue saber?

Yet there were also discrepancies; the wounds looked even more ferocious.

【Surveying perilous terrain, maintaining high vigilance, falls under the 'Guard/Scout Labor' category, Diligence Points (WP)+0.3……+0.3……】

The system imperceptibly recorded his mental exhaustion and physical expenditure.

He slowly ventured deeper into the hollow, his heart nearly leaping into his throat.

He cautiously inspected each shelter; inside lay mostly chaos.

Overturned broken household items, torn clothing, overturned crockery…

But there were no living people, nor any female corpses.

This let him breathe a little easier, but his heart rose even higher—where had the people gone?

Just as he discovered a larger stone cave near the cliff wall, his eyes narrowed.

The cave entrance was littered with unusually many dead bandits, clearly this place had seen fierce resistance.

On the muddy ground at the cave entrance, he saw several faint but relatively small footprints.

They definitely were not made by those rough bandits.

Besides, there were several drops of blood that had long since congealed and turned black, and

——another small piece of pale blue cloth fragment!

and it was almost identical to the piece he carried in his bosom!

Chen Wen's heart began to pound wildly!

He rushed over and picked up that piece of cloth.

His fingers trembled slightly from excitement.

Exactly! Same material, same color!

Either my little sister or my mother must have been here!

And they had gone through a struggle!

He suddenly lifted his head to look into the pitch-black cave interior, gritted his teeth, gripped the wooden stick, lowered his body, and slipped inside.

Inside the cave, the light was dim, permeated with a stronger smell of blood and a strange, indescribable foul odor.

By the faint light from the arm‑thick cave mouth, he saw that the interior was likewise in disarray.

The crude stone bed was smashed, the sacks of food piled in the corner were torn open, and grains were scattered all over the ground.

On the ground also lay several bandit corpses, their deaths just as gruesome.

His gaze swept over the corner and suddenly locked onto a pile of dry grass.

The dry grass bore traces of having been pressed down, and beside it lay a small silver hairpin that had oxidized and turned black.

Chen Wen recognized that hairpin!

It was one of the few pieces of jewelry his mother had brought as her dowry; she wore it on her head year‑round and never parted with it.

His mother had been here! She was definitely here!

A huge hope and an even greater fear seized him at once!

The hairpin is here, but where are the people? Where are they?!

He searched the cave frantically, but could find no other clues whatsoever.

The attackers seemed to have taken both the people and any valuable supplies.

Just then, a faint sound like a pebble rolling suddenly came from far outside the cave!

Someone's there!

Chen Wen's hairs stood on end all over, and he instantly blew out the match he had just produced.

His whole body pressed silently against the cave wall's shadow like a civet cat, he held his breath, and fully exerted his hearing enhanced by the system.

【Ultimate stealth, falls under the 'guard labor' category, Diligence Points (WP)+0.5……】

Footsteps!

Extremely faint, cautious footsteps were approaching the cave!

Not just one person!

Are the attackers returning, or is it something else?

Chen Wen's heart leapt to his throat, he gripped the wooden stick tightly, his muscles tensed, and he readied himself to either burst out in attack or continue hiding.

The footsteps outside stopped near the cave mouth, as if they too were observing.

After a brief silence, a young female voice, extremely low and slightly hoarse, spoke cautiously:

"Grandma…… it looks like a battle just took place here…… are there any survivors?"