Chapter 471

Old Three's temper seems a bit bad.

However, after experiencing it once, Liu Junyan and Hu Yulin did not resist, obediently waiting at the alley entrance.

There was mist in the alley; I held the Soul-guiding Lamp and led Yu Nian forward.

Behind me, Old Three's footsteps quickly caught up, following at a distance.

The gate of Yin Dang Hang stood wide open, inside brightly lit, spotlessly clean.

All the windows of the counter were open, and the doors to the upstairs in the north-south direction were also open.

Everything really seemed to be welcoming Yu Nian's arrival.

I sent Yu Nian into Yin Dang Hang, but actually I wanted to go upstairs to have a look.

As a result, before I could move, Old Three already signaled me to leave.

Turns out I'm just a delivery guy?

I was very worried about Yu Nian, gripping her hand and not wanting to let go.

I'm afraid that if I leave now, next time I come I won't see her.

Although I know this kind of thing probably won't happen, after all it's a transaction and Old Three is protecting us, but people always worry about the unknown.

Yu Nian reached out and hugged me, saying: "Xiao Jiu, you might not believe it if I say it, but from the moment I stepped through the door, I felt like I had come home. Don't worry, I'm fine, I like it here, go back."

I was reluctant to part.

But Old Three kept staring at me.

I hugged Yu Nian again: "Sister, take care, I'll come see you again on the fifteenth of next month."

Yu Nian nodded.

Just as I was about to leave, she grabbed me again, stuffing a bunch of keys into my hand: "When you have time, help me go back home once, to see..."

I know.

She still worries about that nether-crossing ferry.

I promised to go, and when I come back next month I'll bring her the news.

Yu Nian saw me to the gate of Yin Dang Hang and watched me leave.

I held the Soul-guiding Lamp, taking a step and looking back three times.

But the mist quickly blocked my view.

I don't know if it's an illusion, but I feel this mist is thicker than last time we came.

Liu Junyan and the others seeing me come out so quickly were also puzzled.

But the three of us, in tacit understanding, did not leave immediately, waiting quietly.

Not long after, when that ancient, dull bell rang on time, I instinctively grabbed Liu Junyan's hand.

His big hand immediately wrapped around mine, gripping tightly.

The bell rang, then the bell faded.

A heat wave slowly approached us, the incense smell grew stronger, and later we could even see through the mist scattered sparks in the abyss.

But from beginning to end, no such horrifying cries came from the abyss.

Thus we can also confirm that what we heard last time was likely the Stitching Monster—a failed experimental product that screamed when swallowed by the incense flood.

But this time, the bell rang as usual, the incense ash flood arrived as promised, yet the Stitching Monster was missing.

"Let's go." Liu Junyan reminded, "Don't be late."

As we three came out of the river and walked toward the Gui Shi entrance, a person rushed over from the front, covering their mouth with one hand and whispering something into Hu Yulin's ear.

Hu Yulin's face instantly changed: "How is that possible!"

Liu Junyan asked: "What happened?"

"Yin Shan has been invaded." Hu Yulin became agitated: "How could they do it so silently? Just two days ago I still led people to reinforce the defenses."

After a moment of silence, Liu Junyan speculated: "Could it be that they were already hiding in some corner of Yin Shan before you went back to reinforce the defenses?"

From when my aunt discovered the snake shed to when we conquered Wangting Mountain, during this period we indeed never again saw Hēimǎng, Feng Xianqiu, and the others.

I had previously said, maybe they withdrew back to the Feng Clan.

Now it seems they didn't withdraw at all; instead they successfully relocated their position.

The most critical question now is, how exactly did they do it?

I asked: "Could there be a traitor inside Yin Shan?"

This is the most plausible explanation at present.

A thousand defenses, a thousand guards, yet a domestic thief is hard to prevent.

Hu Yulin said firmly: "Impossible! Under the Fox Immortal's rule, defenses are strict, kindness and might combined; those now guarding important positions have all been appointed after rigorous vetting, the chance of an insider traitor is minuscule."

I said: "No need to fear ten thousand, just fear the one in ten million; even such a tiny loophole could cause disaster."

Liu Junyan stroked his chin, deep in thought.

He suddenly asked: "Back then, you were inseparable from Feng Lisiu; did you ever bring her back to Yin Shan?"

This question froze Hu Yulin entirely.

Immediately after, he swore and ran off.

After leaving Gui Shi, returning to our car, Liu Junyan went to pull the driver's side door; I grabbed his hand and said: "Āyàn, go help Elder Brother Hu; I'll drive back myself."

Logically, since Hu Yulin has helped me so much, I ought to go to Yin Shan together with Liu Junyan.

But based on my previous experience, I successfully sent Yu Nian into Yin Dang Hang, the transaction completed; when I return to Dang Pu, I may undergo some changes.

I need to wait until this is over before I can think about other things.

Liu Junyan, however, said: "Since Yin Shan has already been invaded and can't be resolved quickly, I'll first get you safely to Dang Pu, then bring reinforcements; it won't take long."

I didn't refuse; Liu Junyan knows my situation, I won't let him send me, otherwise he can't be at ease to do other things.

As the carriage steadily headed toward Dang Pu, I leaned back in the chair, yet I was still worried about my senior sister.

At this moment, the gate of Gui Shi was already closed.

The whole Gui Shi plunged into darkness.

It was eerily quiet.

At the entrance of the alley in Yin Dang Hang, Old Three stood upright, clutching a long sword, like a statue.

Yu Nian stood in the master bedroom on the east side of the second floor of Yin Dang Hang, scanning the room's furnishings, and that inexplicable sense of familiarity surged over her again.

She had clearly never been to this strange place before, yet why did everything feel to her as if she had lived here for a very long time?

Although the furnishings in the bedroom were outdated, each item perfectly matched her tastes and living habits.

This eerie feeling reached its peak when her hand touched a wall in the bedroom.

Not knowing what mechanism she had triggered, she only heard a click.

Like the sound of a key inserted into a lock, turned, and the lock successfully opening.

Her body lurched forward, and immediately her vision went dark, with gusts of Yīnfēng swirling around her.

When she finally managed to steady herself, she realized she was standing before a vast, rolling river.

The light was too dim, and the river water appeared black.

Wave after wave of huge surges rose on the river surface, mixed with a chorus of ghostly wails and wolf howls.

At this moment, not far ahead on the river surface, a boat lay steadily still before Yu Nian.

The boat was not large, its hull coated with oil and dripping wax, and on its tall mast a white banner fluttered in the wind, snapping loudly.

The prow was carved with a lifelike tiger, upon whose back stood a figure holding a halberd……