Chapter Thirty: Signs

Peng Lei found Yao Ye in the forest. “You saw it, didn’t you? Did they show any signs of abnormal behavior?”

“Senior brother, I’ve been watching them closely. Apart from Sun Kaide, whose expression turned rather sinister after you left, the others seemed normal enough.”

“We’d better stay vigilant! The feud between our two academies runs deep—it won’t be erased so easily. Come on, let’s go and meet up with Zhao Mu and the others.” With that, the two shot up into the sky.

Arriving at the designated meeting spot, Yao Ye and Peng Lei found no trace of their companions. “Maybe they had to leave for some reason. Let’s search carefully and see if they left any marks,” Peng Lei instructed.

As the two searched, someone jumped down from a distant tree. “Lei, Yao Ye, over here!” They looked and saw it was Xiao Xiao.

Yao Ye and Peng Lei quickly ran over. “Xiao Xiao, what happened? Where are Zhao Mu and Liu Xin?”

“Lei, not long after you two left, a group escorted several carts of villagers toward the Ten Thousand Demons Cave. We thought something was off and decided to follow them. I stayed here to wait for you.”

Peng Lei tensed immediately upon hearing this. “This is bad! Yao Ye, Xiao Xiao, we need to hurry and join Zhao Mu and the others. It’s a trap—they’re in danger!” Without another word, the three rushed forward.

“Senior brother, just ahead is the last meeting point we agreed on. Zhao Mu and the others should be waiting for us there,” Xiao Xiao said, pointing to a pile of jagged rocks below.

“Alright, let’s go. We need to find Zhao Mu and the others quickly!” The three approached the rocks and spotted the marks left by Zhao Mu and Liu Xin, crawling forward on their bellies. At the base of the pile, they discovered a well-hidden cave, the ground scored with wheel tracks.

Peng Lei made a gesture to Yao Ye, who nodded in understanding and extended his spiritual sense slowly into the cave. Seeing Yao Ye’s brows knit in concern, Peng Lei whispered, “Yao Ye, what is it? Did you discover anything?”

“Senior brother, there’s a barrier set up inside the cave. If I force my spiritual power inside, the one who set the barrier will notice instantly.” As the three discussed, a faint sound came from nearby, putting them on edge.

“Senior brother, it’s us,” Liu Xin whispered quietly. The five brothers and sisters gathered to discuss. “Let’s leave for now and return once we’ve decided what to do,” Peng Lei led the way as they retreated to a safe distance.

“Let’s all share what happened,” Peng Lei spoke first. “Senior brother, while Xiao Xiao, Liu Xin, and I waited for you, a group of demons escorted several carts of villagers. The villagers were all unconscious and taken into the cave.”

“Who were those people? Can you confirm their identities? How many were there, and how strong?”

“They were from the demon clan, but just a bunch of underlings. When they brought the villagers into the cave, a demon came out to receive them. Facing that demon, I felt a strong sense of oppression—he must be powerful. As for how many are inside and their strength, I can’t say.”

“Hmm. Looks like the masterminds here are the demons and the demon clan. Here’s what we’ll do: Xiao Xiao, Xin’er, you two go to town and inform the vice dean. Zhao Mu, Yao Ye, and I will quietly scout the cave and see if the villagers are safe. If necessary, we’ll rescue them. Let’s split up.”

Peng Lei was about to get up after giving brief instructions when Liu Xin rushed to stop him. “Senior brother, don’t be so hasty. Our main task is to investigate. You don’t even know how many are in the cave or what’s going on. Charging in blindly is too dangerous and reckless!”

Peng Lei looked up at the sky. “We can afford to wait—but the villagers can’t. You all know what kind of people the demons and the demon clan are. Those villagers could lose their lives at any moment. Besides, I’m not so foolish; we have free pathfinders ahead of us, don’t we?”

“Senior brother, you mean the Martial Arts Academy people?” Yao Ye immediately understood.

“Yes, exactly. No matter how fierce our rivalry, it’s still an internal matter for our people. Now, facing the demons, they’ll help us! But we must be wary—they’re not saints and might stab us in the back. We’ll adapt as needed. There’s no time to waste; let’s move out!”

Seeing that her persuasion failed, Liu Xin could only relent, rising with Xiao Xiao to hurry toward the town.