C9 Betrayal

"It looks like it hasn't eaten in a long time," Chen Yuan observed, eyeing the peculiar Gloomwraith.

"The conditions in the Sunken Cave are indeed harsh. But fortunately, Gloomwraiths can't starve to death," Liu Xiaoxiao responded.

"Let's move on and bring it with us," Chen Yuan suggested, gesturing toward the unfortunate Gloomwraith still stuck in the rock wall. "It claims its name is Lu Xing. There's a good chance it's connected to the Lu Xing outside. Taking it with us would be a way to repay the old dean's kindness."

Chen Yuan believed in repaying favors. Having benefited from Qiu Changfeng's generosity, he saw aiding Sunsetwood Grove as a way to give back to Qiu Changfeng.

Besides, taking a Gloomwraith along didn't seem to be too much trouble.

Liu Xiaoxiao concurred with Chen Yuan's decision. She too felt that if they managed to escape the Sunken Cave, it would undoubtedly be linked to the benevolence they had received from Qiu Changfeng.

Chen Yuan extended his hand and extricated the Gloomwraith from the crevice. Its touch was chilling and unusually slick, giving him the surreal sensation of grasping a handful of cool mountain spring water.

The Gloomwraith appeared to recognize Chen Yuan's formidable presence. Once in his grasp, it remained still, not daring to squirm.

However, it continued to emit odd noises, with "hungry" and "Lu Xing" being the most repetitive.

"Be quiet! Enough with the noise," Chen Yuan finally lost his patience and reprimanded softly, prompting immediate silence from the creature.

"Pfft, this Gloomwraith is quite adorable – not at all like the terrifying, millennia-old Gloomwraiths described in the books," Liu Xiaoxiao remarked with a chuckle, watching the scene unfold before her.

With their unexpected find in tow, they made their way back to the previous junction and chose a different tunnel this time.

As they progressed along the new path, the cave walls began to open up, becoming more spacious.

Chen Yuan felt a surge of energy and quickened his pace.

The cave remained dim, the feeble light failing to penetrate the darkness. Still, relying on his vague perception, he could make out the thick stone wall in the distance.

A dead end!

Chen Yuan and Liu Xiaoxiao, brimming with hope, felt their hearts sink. The path they believed would lead to the exit turned out to be a dead end?

"A dead end? How can that be?" Chen Yuan was incredulous. He approached and confirmed that an impassable rock wall stood before them.

"Hold on," Liu Xiaoxiao called out, "Shift me to the left."

Upon her request, Chen Yuan promptly moved her to the left.

With her hand pressed against the rock wall, Liu Xiaoxiao felt along the surface as Chen Yuan shifted her position. Suddenly, with a strong pull, she ripped away a layer of vegetation concealing the rock.

A dark recess was revealed to them.

"What is this?" Chen Yuan exclaimed, surprised. How had Liu Xiaoxiao known there would be a recess hidden here?

Before Chen Yuan could voice his question, Liu Xiaoxiao volunteered an explanation, "This was also given to me by Qiu Changfeng outside Sunsetwood Grove."

As she spoke, Liu Xiaoxiao produced a green token from her bosom, astonishingly identical to the shape of the recess in the rock wall!

"How could this be?" Chen Yuan challenged, "How could he have possibly foreseen what we would encounter?"

"And what makes you so certain that he couldn't foresee it?" Liu Xiaoxiao countered, "No one knows exactly how long Qiu Changfeng, the Dean of Sunsetwood Grove, has lived. According to the Celestial Archives, his name surfaced over a hundred years ago. The Weave of Fate isn't some baseless myth; it has a foundation in truth."

"If that's the case, then why did he suddenly pass away?" Chen Yuan pressed, unable to contain his curiosity.

How could someone who had lived over a century, who could predict the future and unravel the Weave of Fate, die so easily?

"I don't know," Liu Xiaoxiao mused, "Perhaps it was just a small jest played by fate?"

They both lapsed into silence. The notion that Qiu Changfeng could have predicted their future and provided them with the means to navigate through their trials was astonishing.

Regardless, their priority remained clear: they needed to find their way out of the Sunken Cave.

The items Qiu Changfeng had given them proved to be immensely helpful. Liu Xiaoxiao placed the token into the rock wall, where it fit perfectly into the groove, disappearing into the wall. Suddenly, the entire rock wall began to shake violently, followed by the whole Sunken Cave. Layers of rock dust cascaded down as a crack emerged from the center of the token.

The crack widened, and a beam of white light pierced through from the outside. The intense brightness forced Chen Yuan and Liu Xiaoxiao to instinctively shut their eyes. Chen Yuan stepped forward, and as their vision slowly returned, they were met with a completely transformed landscape. The dark cave had vanished, and the glowing stones had disappeared.

Before them lay a clear blue sky, and beneath it, the enraged disciples of Sunsetwood Grove.

...

"Kill them, the traitors who've conspired with the enemy!" One disciple, his eyes bloodshot, clutched a blood-dripping longsword. Nearby, two other disciples lay decapitated.

"Lee Bufan, how could you conspire with the enemy, aligning with those brutes outside to seize the wealth left by the Principal of Sunsetwood Grove! You must be punished!"

Lu Xing's familiar voice rang out, his tone no longer subdued or dull. His vehement cries and accusations rallied the support of many Sunsetwood Grove disciples.

"Lu Xing, stop your false accusations! I didn't bring those people here. They're after the two who killed our master! What does that have to do with me?"

"Everyone knows you sent those two to the Sunken Cave. Clearly, you wanted to silence any witnesses! Now, with a formidable enemy at our doorstep, we must secure our defenses and eliminate internal threats. You're the first to go!"

"Kill him!"

"Kill them!"

Many Sunsetwood Grove disciples joined in the furious outcry. The enemy was at their gates, and some had witnessed them sneaking in at night, seemingly in collusion with Lee Bufan.

Fortunately, Lu Xing discovered the plot in time, killing the black-clad messenger and intercepting the letter. This exposed Lee Bufan's conspiracy for all to see.

Lu Xing, along with many fellow disciples from Sunsetwood Grove, pursued Lee Bufan and his followers, eventually cornering them. It was at this moment that the Hall of Emotion behind Lee Bufan suddenly crumbled.

A man and a woman emerged from the billowing dust, coming into view of everyone present.

"It's you?!" Lee Bufan's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Chen Yuan and Liu Xiaoxiao.

"Lee Bufan, what do you have to say for yourself now? These two are alive; they faked their deaths. This was your calculated plot all along! Kill them!"

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

Lu Xing bellowed furiously as the disciples of Sunsetwood Grove closed in.