“General, shall we go in?” Luo Teng asked.
Li Shuang’s expression darkened. “Cover your mouths and noses. Let’s investigate.”
After giving the order, they covered their mouths with cloth. Luo Teng took the lead, lighting a torch and checking the entrance before slowly descending the steps one at a time.
The stairway was deeper than expected, descending about twenty feet underground with no natural light. Only Luo Teng’s torch illuminated their surroundings. The further down they went, the stronger the putrid stench of decay became. Fortunately, as veterans of the battlefield, they were somewhat accustomed to such odors.
Finally, they reached the bottom and entered an underground chamber roughly thirty feet long and a hundred feet wide. The scene before them was horrifying. The chamber contained an iron-barred prison cell, its gate broken and bars bent as if something savage had crashed through them. Inside the cell, dried blood stained the ground everywhere. Some corpses were still decomposing while others had already scattered into piles of weathered bones.
At first glance, it was impossible to determine how many bodies lay there.
As Li Shuang’s group entered the cell, Luo Teng started to move forward, but Li Shuang pulled him back. “Wait—there’s movement inside.” Just as she spoke, a pair of glowing green eyes flashed in the shadows beyond the torchlight, accompanied by low wolf growls.
When they shone the torch in that direction, they saw a pack of wolves gnawing on corpses near the cell bars. The grotesque scene nearly made Luo Teng retch.
Li Shuang observed the wolf pack, identifying the alpha. She kicked a small stone that struck the alpha’s nose. The wolf yelped in pain, turned its tail, and fled through another tunnel on the far side of the cell. The rest of the pack followed in a single file.
“Damn it all…” Luo Teng gagged. “How can these wolf cubs not smell the stench? And still, eat this…”
Thinking the cell was now empty save for the corpses, they continued forward. But as Li Shuang took the torch and stepped toward the center of the cell, a foul wind suddenly gusted toward her, carrying with it a horrid stench. The guard behind her shouted, “General, look out!” as swords were drawn.
Li Shuang barely managed to block the figure that lunged at her with the torch.
The attacker had long black hair covering their face and wore tattered clothing, but possessed unnaturally great strength. “The scent… ah… his scent…” The voice that emerged was that of an elderly woman. While Li Shuang was still processing this shock, the woman knocked away her defensive torch with frightening force, sending it flying against the iron bars before rolling across the ground.
Fortunately, the torch didn’t go out, and from its new position, it cast light across the old woman’s face.
Li Shuang saw that behind the messy black hair was a face covered in wrinkles, with blood and filth caught in the creases. Her cheeks and neck showed signs of decay, yet despite her dirty and hideous appearance, her clothes were adorned with fine jewels.
Who was this old woman? They hadn’t noticed her presence at all when entering the cell. Could her martial arts truly be at such a high level?
While Li Shuang pondered this, the old woman suddenly struck out, attempting to grab Li Shuang’s throat. Li Shuang blocked and dodged to the side.
The torch on the ground began to dim, gradually darkening the cell.
Li Shuang’s vision became impaired, slowing her movements, but the old woman seemed completely unaffected by the darkness. Li Shuang realized she couldn’t win against this woman in the underground chamber. Before this thought could fully form, a great sword suddenly pierced through the old woman’s waist from the side. When the blade withdrew, the woman’s movements paused.
Li Shuang seized this opportunity, kicking the old woman away and shouting, “Up!” She led her group charging up the stairs.
Back in daylight, free from the clinging stench, they had no time to catch their breath before the old woman emerged behind them. Ignoring everyone else, she fixed her gaze on Li Shuang and lunged forward to grab her throat. This time, two guards barely managed to block her. The old woman’s eyes were completely clouded black, like those of a wild beast.
“Where is he?” she demanded. “Hand him over! Give him to me!” The wound from Luo Teng’s sword hadn’t bled at all, creating an eerie scene that chilled everyone to the bone.
“What kind of demon woman is this?” Luo Teng growled. “Takes a hit from my blade and still jumps around!”
Li Shuang had no idea what manner of creature they were dealing with. As they remained locked in a stalemate, the old woman suddenly paused. The two guards swung their swords down, striking her shoulders from both sides, but their sharp blades seemed to hit steel instead of flesh, unable to wound her at all.
The woman’s nose twitched slightly. “I smell it…”
After speaking these words, she ceased fighting them and sprinted toward the forest’s edge.
Li Shuang’s gaze sharpened. “After her!”
The group used their lightness skills to pursue but still fell far behind the old woman. When they finally broke through the treeline, they heard a horse’s neigh. Li Shuang looked ahead to see the old woman had stolen one of their military horses tethered outside the forest and was riding away—toward the direction of the Changfeng Camp!
Li Shuang immediately ordered one guard to remain behind while she and the other three gave chase on horseback.
Racing forward, they pursued her to the outskirts of Changfeng Camp. Even from several hundred feet away, Li Shuang could hear chaos erupting from within the camp.
The old woman—who couldn’t be killed, possessed extraordinary martial arts and had incredible strength—had likely charged inside, causing significant panic. What was her purpose? Li Shuang pondered carefully. Could she be looking for… Jin’an?
She rode through the camp gates without stopping, heading straight for the guard quarters. As she approached, she found soldiers with drawn weapons surrounding the raggedly dressed, horrifying old woman.
The woman kept sniffing the air. “Where are you, where are you?” she muttered continuously while the soldiers shifted positions to match her movements.
“General!” a voice called from behind. Li Shuang turned to see Qin Lan catching up. “General, this woman just broke—”
“I know,” Li Shuang interrupted. “Where’s Jin’an?”
Qin Lan hesitated. “He should be in the camp…” Before he could finish, the old woman suddenly grinned. “I’ve found you.” She moved with lightning speed, and the surrounding soldiers immediately closed in, weapons striking at her. Some managed to stab her, others slashed her, but none of the wounds seemed to affect her. Instead, these blocking attacks only served to enrage her.
Her clouded eyes flashed dangerously as she raised her hand, gathering all the attacking weapons in one sweep. With a mighty roar, she threw more than ten soldiers through the air, creating chaos and cries of pain throughout the camp.
She continued forward without pause, tearing through the guard quarters’ entrance curtain to step inside.
Just as the curtain was torn away, a child stood in the doorway. The old woman stared at him, smiling grotesquely. “I’ve found you.”
Jin’an stared back at her, his usual coldness tinged with confusion.
The old woman reached out to grab Jin’an’s throat. He seemed frozen as she gripped his neck, until Li Shuang suddenly called out, “Jin’an!” The child appeared to snap out of a daze, turning to look at Li Shuang. His confused eyes cleared like fog swept away by a strong wind.
As the old woman tightened her grip to crush Jin’an’s throat, he spun into a backflip, breaking free while delivering a powerful kick to her chest. The old woman staggered back three steps, then glared viciously and darted forward. “You are mine. I’ll take you with me even in death…” With these words, she lunged at Jin’an, clawing at his face. Jin’an barely dodged but still suffered a scratch.
The old woman’s every move was lethal, showing clear intent to kill Jin’an. He alternated between attack and defense, their violent combat soon tearing down the entire guard quarters’ tent.
Their fight was now exposed for all to see.
Even Li Zheng, who had been more obedient lately, couldn’t contain his curiosity and peeked outside. One glance left him stunned. “My little Shifu… is so powerful…”
He wasn’t alone—all the soldiers watched in amazement. Several generals knew the child Li Shuang had brought back was extraordinary, but none had imagined that a mere child of a few years could possess such agile movements and profound internal energy. From the looks of it, besides Li Shuang, few present could match his ability to fight the old woman to such a standstill.
Luo Teng had dismounted and stood beside Li Shuang, watching Jin’an before rubbing his neck. “Heavens… this little brat really might have been able to kill me…”
Li Shuang remained expressionless, only commanding: “Bring my bow.”
A soldier immediately fetched and presented her bow. Li Shuang drew it, aiming at the old woman. While other soldiers gaped at the shocking battle between a child and an elderly woman, Li Shuang had been observing from the start. When others struck the old woman anywhere on her body, she showed no pain—even when Luo Teng’s great sword had pierced through her waist, she had merely paused briefly. But when Jin’an had kicked her chest, she had staggered back three steps.
The heart—it had to be her weakness.
Seated on horseback, Li Shuang focused intently, drawing her bow and waiting for the right moment. Finally, when the old woman and Jin’an were grappling in mid-air and she had her back turned, Li Shuang released the string. The arrow whistled through the air and embedded itself in the old woman’s back.
The arrow’s trajectory should have pierced through to her heart from behind, but although Li Shuang’s shot struck true, it became lodged between two bones in her back, failing to reach her heart.
This attack enraged the old woman. The elderly figure in mid-air suddenly twisted her head, fixing her black, clouded eyes on Li Shuang. Her arm bent at an impossible angle behind her back to pull out the arrow, which she hurled viciously at Jin’an. He jumped backward onto the tent’s roof to dodge, but the old woman didn’t pursue him.
“You stole what’s mine,” she mumbled these words, then immediately twisted in the air to attack.
Qin Lan and Luo Teng immediately sprang into action, moving to protect Li Shuang. “Protect the General!”
Before their words could reach others’ ears, the old woman’s form vanished as if into thin air. When she reappeared, Li Shuang had already been pulled from her horse! The old woman’s single hand gripped her throat, pinning her firmly to the ground.
Everyone’s attention was focused on Li Shuang, so no one saw Jin’an on the tent roof. When he witnessed this scene, his pupils suddenly contracted sharply. The mark on his chest flared, crawling up his neck onto his face, reaching to his eyes’ corners until his entire eyes burned red.