Chapter Eight: The Ancient Cave of Emerald Shadows

A cold sword, a white robe, hair as black as a waterfall—cool and distant as ice. Lin Feng opened his mouth, yet said nothing. Helian Ruxue, after casting her gaze around the area, clapped her hands and stepped aside.

Then, a large number of disciples from the Hundred Flowers Sect filed in, dividing themselves into three groups. Their eyes all settled on Lin Feng.

“Well, well, our great genius has arrived before us and seized the prize,” murmured Nangong Ke, his tone dripping with malice as he lightly fanned himself with his iron fan. His blue robe was heavily stained with blood—whose, it was impossible to tell.

Luo Shangqing, his face twisted with anger, bore a terrifying scar across his cheek, the flesh gaping open. He glared at Lin Feng in silence.

Helian Ruxue, too, was bloodstained and weary—clearly, the recent struggle had left them all wounded.

“Nangong Ke, what are you implying?” Lin Feng, leaning on his spear, forced himself up.

Luo Shangqing shouted furiously, “Enough nonsense! Where’s the mountain fiend? Hand over the treasure!”

“What treasure?” Lin Feng retorted, his brows drawing together.

Nangong Ke and Helian Ruxue stared intently at his eyes, seeking any sign of deception. Luo Shangqing sneered coldly, “Did you really think dozens of us came here just to hunt a mountain fiend?”

Lin Feng grew even more puzzled. Luo Shangqing spoke sense—a single mountain fiend was worth, at most, a few dozen contribution points, barely one or two per person. If not for that, was there truly a treasure here? The Immortal’s Fruit? Impossible—it was less valuable than a mountain fiend, and none of them could have known it was here.

So what were they after?

Surrounded by so many hostile eyes, Lin Feng spread his hands. “I saw no treasure. Just as I entered the cave, I saw several mountain fiends fleeing in four directions.”

Luo Shangqing snorted but offered no more information about the treasure before so many witnesses.

The golden-winged finch chirped and landed on Lin Feng’s shoulder again. Helian Ruxue’s eyes lit up; she stepped forward and suggested, “He couldn’t have defeated the mountain fiend. Fellow disciples, this cave is riddled with passages. Why don’t we split up and search? Whoever finds the treasure, it’s their fortune—what do you say?”

Her words drew instant agreement from the crowd. Luo Shangqing and Nangong Ke, however, scowled, cursing her inwardly.

Under their leaders’ command, the three groups each chose two passages and hurried after the mountain fiends, leaving the cavern empty save for four: Lin Feng, Helian Ruxue, and the two others who stubbornly refused to depart.

Rubbing his stiff legs, Lin Feng cupped his hands toward the three and made to leave this place of trouble.

“Wait!” Helian Ruxue’s clear voice stopped him.

“Yes, Senior Sister? Is there something you need?” Of the three, Helian Ruxue was the only one Lin Feng felt the faintest goodwill toward—after all, she was a woman.

“Hmph, brat! There’s no one else now. You’d best be honest—did you pocket the treasures of the Green Nether Immortal’s Abode?” Luo Shangqing strode forward, fists clenched, before Lin Feng could even answer.

Nangong Ke flashed in front of Luo Shangqing, blocking him with his iron fan and a genial smile. “Easy, Senior Brother Luo. The three of us are here—do you really think he could escape with the treasure?”

Helian Ruxue’s gaze slid to the golden-winged finch. “Junior Brother, you’re quite capable—taming a white jade golden-winged finch. You must have known about this place beforehand.”

All three faces changed at once. Even the ever-composed Nangong Ke stilled his smile, his snake-like eyes fixed on Lin Feng. Helian Ruxue’s implication was clear: if there was a treasure in this cave, Lin Feng had already claimed it and secreted it away in the sect’s treasure vault or hidden it himself.

Luo Shangqing was no fool. His subordinates had lost their lives, he himself was disfigured, and now this—he could not swallow his rage.

“Brat, you’re courting death!” He lunged, fist howling toward Lin Feng’s face.

The golden-winged bird shrieked and flew off. Nangong Ke sneered but made no move to intervene.

In a flash, Lin Feng bent backward, planting his three-sectioned spear in the ground and arching his body like a bow to dodge Luo Shangqing’s blow.

“Good!” Luo Shangqing roared with laughter, swinging his fists with renewed ferocity, determined to teach Lin Feng a lesson.

Helian Ruxue and Nangong Ke watched coldly from the side, hands clasped, their intentions unreadable.

Normally, Lin Feng would never have had the courage or strength to face Luo Shangqing. But after so many brushes with death, his resolve surged. His spear flashed with cold light as he confronted the sect’s strongest young martial artist in hard-style combat.

The Pure Yang Spear style was swift, fierce, and powerful, with twenty-seven unpredictable forms covering all angles—an art beloved by spear-wielders. But Luo Shangqing’s Iron Ox Fist was famed for brute force; when unleashed, it could shatter stone with ease.

Yet at first, Luo Shangqing held back, his fists weaving softly, suppressing his inner strength, matching Lin Feng move for move.

The two onlookers exchanged glances—impressed by Lin Feng’s spearwork, and surprised that the coarse Luo Shangqing showed such restraint, not pressing the attack, clearly wary of their presence.

Fists and spear clashed, one as fierce as a wolf, the other agile as a leopard—attack and defense, parry and counter, an exciting display.

The fight drew out, and Lin Feng soon sensed Luo Shangqing’s purpose. With a twist of his wrist, spear tip snapping like a dragon’s tail, he flung himself five zhang away, landing steadily.

Luo Shangqing did not pursue, but burst out laughing and applauded.

Helian Ruxue and Nangong Ke also clapped. “Young Lord Corpse,” as Nangong Ke was nicknamed, smiled charmingly, his tone earnest. “Junior Brother Lin, your spear technique is astonishing. Will you join my camp?”

Lin Feng was taken aback, then replied coldly, “I’m used to wandering alone, Senior Brother. I appreciate the offer, but I have no intention of joining any faction for now.”

A cold gleam flashed in Nangong Ke’s eyes, though his smile remained warm. “No matter. If you ever change your mind, you’re always welcome.”

With that, he strode confidently into a side passage and disappeared into the darkness.

Luo Shangqing scratched his head, saluted the two, and left without a word.

Once they’d gone, Helian Ruxue studied the cave, her eyes gleaming with interest.

“Junior Brother Lin, aren’t you going to thank me?” She smiled proudly. “That brute is manageable, but Young Lord Corpse is no ordinary foe. They walk away empty-handed this time, but you must be careful.”

Lin Feng said nothing, his gaze indifferent.

She continued, “This Green Nether Immortal’s Abode is said to be where our predecessor, Master Rongyangzi, resided. After a thousand years, there are still mountain fiends guarding it—surely, Master Rongyangzi was a figure of great power, and his abode cannot be so plain, can it?”

“What are you getting at?” Lin Feng realized that this woman, beneath her beautiful exterior, possessed a mind as sharp and dangerous as a blade.

Helian Ruxue looked him up and down, then suddenly smiled. “Junior Brother, you’re smart enough; no need for me to spell it out. This place isn’t just a maze of passages—this open space must hide something more…”

“You mean, there’s a secret mechanism or passage?” Lin Feng’s pupils contracted as he stared at the formidable woman before him.

“Exactly. Did you notice a strange fragrance when you entered?” She smiled. “Golden-winged finches love fragrance, but there’s nothing here—yet the scent remains. Isn’t that odd?”

Lin Feng forced a laugh. She was truly meticulous. He silently took out the Immortal’s Fruit, still on its branch, sniffed it, and said, “Is it this, Senior Sister? I saw these herbs when I came in, so I picked them—yes, a faint scent.”

Her eyes flashed with excitement, then she frowned, only to brighten suddenly. “No! It’s not that. There’s another treasure, definitely here!”

A woman’s sense of smell far exceeded a man’s. Lin Feng hesitated, recalling that the scent was indeed different.

With her idea confirmed, Helian Ruxue began tapping the cave walls, searching for a hidden chamber.

Lin Feng, seeing her so confident, grew curious himself. He took his spear and joined her, tapping the walls.

The two worked for some time, knocking every spot two or three times, but found nothing. Their spirits sagged.

“Perhaps there’s no secret chamber at all.” Feeling hunger gnawing at him, Lin Feng sat beside the pool, took out his last steamed bun, and ate hungrily.

Sunlight from the cave roof spilled beside him, warm and bright. He looked down: scattered patches of light fell where the Immortal’s Fruit grew, forming a row of circles.

“No, something’s wrong with the light!” Lin Feng raised his head and stared at the tiny holes in the roof, a glimmer of understanding flickering in his mind, just out of reach.

He glanced from the roof to the ground again and again. Suddenly, a thought struck him: Immortal’s Fruit! The pool!

How could such spiritual herbs grow by chance in this ancient cave? They grew precisely in the sunlight, and the arrangement of the holes in the roof was clearly artificial. The placement of the herbs must mean something. And the wounded mountain fiend, using the pool’s mud to heal—this place was strange indeed.

The answer was clear: if there was a hidden chamber, it must be beneath the pool!

Delighted, Lin Feng gripped his spear and prodded around the pool, even stirring up the muddy water, but found nothing.

Helian Ruxue, sharp as ever, guessed his intent. After a moment’s thought, she looked up.

There were ten holes in a straight line across the cave roof—no more, no less.

“Ten… what could it mean?” she muttered, her gaze finally settling on her own hands.

Fingers! With a sudden leap, she pressed her ten slender fingers into the holes.

Instantly, darkness fell. The cave was utterly still. The two held their breath, ears straining. The golden-winged finch blinked, its jade-like eyes gleaming mischievously.

A thunderous rumble shattered the silence, echoing painfully in their ears.

Moments later, the rumbling died away and sunlight returned through the holes. The pool was gone, replaced by a vast pit. Ancient stone steps spiraled down into the shadowy depths, and a richer, more mysterious fragrance drifted up from below.

Helian Ruxue stood gracefully at Lin Feng’s side. They exchanged a look and smiled.

Suddenly, the stone slabs at the pit’s edge began to grind together, closing in. The passage was about to seal shut!

Startled, the pair exchanged no words but leapt, one after the other, into the boundless darkness.

Behind them, the massive stones crashed together, sealing the entrance and restoring silence.

Tap, tap! Two faint lights illuminated the stone steps beneath their feet. Only the sound of clear footsteps echoed through the secret passage.

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