Chapter 131
Chapter 131
After hearing the servant’s account, everyone more or less understood.
The one who had lured him here was most likely Bai Qingshuang.
And her main reason for doing so was probably to use the strange happenings at the inn to hold them up.
Outside, the rain was still pouring without end.
Once the servant had explained the whole story, it was as if all the strength had drained out of him. He slumped to the floor, looking as though he were waiting for whatever punishment they chose to hand down.
Yu Lang had wanted to say something, but when he thought of Liao Er’s character, the words stopped at his lips.
The servant’s scheme of “killing his master with another’s knife” was certainly sinister and hateful-but had Liao Er ever shown the slightest regard for the bond between master and servant?
Just then, Yan Zhengchu suddenly shook the jade gourd in his hand and pointed at the ground.
“Liao Er’s soul says the monster came up from underground.”
That confirmed Ren Fengjue’s suspicions.
Judging from the layout of the inn, the place beneath their feet should be one of the rooms in the rear courtyard.
“Let’s go to the back courtyard and see what’s down there.”
The group immediately went downstairs to the rear courtyard and quickly found the room beneath Liao Er’s guest room.
But the door was wide open, and there was a row of clear bloody footprints at the threshold.
From the direction of the footprints and the depth of the bloodstains, they could tell they had been made only moments ago.
Yu Lang measured one with his own foot and was even more shocked.
“These look like human footprints, but aren’t they a bit too big?”
They were at least twice the size of his.
In other words, the person had to be at least over six chi tall.
“Could there really be some wild beast in this inn?”
Ren Fengjue said nothing. He took the storm lantern from Axia and followed the footprints with his gaze into the curtain of rain.
His eyes finally settled on the well in the courtyard.
He then instructed Axia, “Go to the carriage first and bring that coil of long rope. Also bring two more storm lanterns.”
Though Axia did not understand his purpose, he went at once.
After the rope was brought over, Ren Fengjue said to the others, “Let’s take a look by that well.”
Just as he had expected, the well was dry.
The mouth of the well was extremely wide, and it was hard to say what it had originally been used for.
There were also traces of blood around the well that had not been washed away by the rain.
From this, they could tell that someone had gone down not long ago.
Axia understood Ren Fengjue’s intention with a single glance. He tied a stone to the rope and slowly lowered it into the well.
After confirming the depth, he was the first to jump down.
Next came Yu Lang and Yan Zhengchu.
Ren Fengjue glanced at Xia Ximo and hesitated for only a moment, but she leaped straight down before he could, jumping in ahead of him.
“…”
There was indeed a whole other world beneath the well.
The storm lantern flickered slightly but did not go out, illuminating a deep, spacious tunnel.
Ren Fengjue carefully shone the light over the path beneath their feet. The footprints on the ground were of varying depths and extremely chaotic.
However, on closer inspection, one set among them belonged to a normal human. It could basically be determined to be the inn worker-Thirteen.
Yu Lang said, “Who would have thought such a small inn was hiding a place like this?”
Yan Zhengchu, who was following behind him, also frowned. “I didn’t expect the yin energy in this well to be so heavy either. There should be ghosts inside.”
At that, Yu Lang immediately stopped in his tracks and gave a little smile. “Then perhaps Daoist Yan should walk in front.”
Yan Zhengchu stopped as well and was just about to tease him in return when Xia Ximo, expressionless, brushed past them from behind.
Yu Lang let out a dry laugh. “Miss Xia really is the dependable one.”
After they passed through the tunnel, their view gradually opened up. It was a cavern.
Only then did everyone remember that there was a mountain directly behind the location of Qiongying Inn.
None of them had expected the deep well in the courtyard to lead straight to the back mountain.
Could it be that the thing that had bitten Liao Er and those guests to death really was some wild beast from the mountains?
Ren Fengjue frowned slightly.
Just then, however, a low howl came from within the cave. It truly did sound like some beast warning them away.
“Careful.”
Ren Fengjue gripped the hilt of the sword at his waist, ready to meet the enemy.
But after that low howl, all they heard was a sinister chuckle.
“I didn’t think you would actually have the nerve to follow me all the way here.”
Yu Lang recognized Thirteen’s voice and snapped, “See? I told you my guess was right. Everything that happened at the inn really was your doing!”
Thirteen only sneered. “They were all people who deserved to die. Did I kill the wrong ones?”
Ren Fengjue scanned their surroundings as he said, “Thirteen, that merchant convoy from half a year ago-nine people in all. You killed them, didn’t you?”
Thirteen gave a disdainful snort.
Ren Fengjue continued, “Then let me take another guess. The inn’s proprietress didn’t go missing. She’s already dead, isn’t she?”
“Shut up!”
Those words sent Thirteen into a rage. He immediately roared, “She isn’t dead! She will come back!”
On the heels of his furious shout came a deafening bellow.
Everyone could not help rubbing their ears.
Axia’s expression shifted slightly. He lowered his voice and said, “Young Master, there really is something in here…”
Ren Fengjue raised a hand to signal him and gave a slight shake of his head.
Thirteen went on, “I originally intended to spare your lives.”
“If you had seen Liao Er’s death, known when to retreat, and left this inn, everything would have been fine.”
“But not only did you refuse to leave, you even came looking all the way here. You are simply courting death!”
As soon as he finished speaking, an eerie flute note rang out.
Immediately after, a massive black shadow descended from above, shaking the ground beneath their feet and making them stagger.
Axia and Ren Fengjue raised their wind lanterns at the same time. Less than a zhang away stood a “Giant.”
Yu Lang instantly backed away several steps and asked Yan Zhengchu, “Daoist Master, what kind of demon or monster is that?”
Yan Zhengchu was also startled by the sight. He patted his chest, then asked in return, “Is that thing still human?”
Though it had a human shape, it was a full six or seven feet tall, with long, thick arms, a livid face, and protruding fangs. There was not the slightest trace of humanity in its appearance…
Urged on by the eerie flute music, the “Giant” began closing in on them step by step. Its legs seemed to weigh a thousand catties, and every stride landed with a dull, heavy thud.
Seeing this, Ren Fengjue immediately said, “Spread out!”
The moment his words fell, the “Giant” raised both hands and swung at them without mercy.
Dust billowed up, proof of just how astonishingly powerful that blow had been.
Fortunately, each of them reacted quickly and scattered left and right, narrowly dodging it. Even so, they could not avoid being covered in dust and grime.
But before they could catch their breath, the second attack came.
By now, however, the group had split into two sides, and the “Giant” could only choose one side to attack.
Yu Lang had only just waved a hand to fan away the dust when he looked up and saw the “Giant” charging toward his side. He was so frightened that he and Yan Zhengchu could only dodge and duck as they fled.
“Daoist Yan, hurry up and think of something!”
“I only know how to catch ghosts. What am I supposed to do against something like this?”
“Just draw any talisman you can!”
“…”
On the other side, Ren Fengjue shielded Xia Ximo as they retreated a few steps. He knew that if they wanted to subdue this “Giant,” they had to restrain Thirteen, who was hidden in the dark, first.
So he quietly handed the wind lantern to Xia Ximo, then followed the sound of the flute and slowly moved closer.