inspire-indiana Chapter 29 Map
Chapter 29 Map
The night was as dark as ink, so thick it was impossible to see through.
A strange silence descended upon Heishan'ao, even the usually noisy chirping of insects had become much quieter, with only the faint sound of weary footsteps and sporadic coughs coming from the direction of the Sun family mansion.
In the small shed in the backyard of the blacksmith's shop, Yang Jin had changed into a dark-colored coarse cloth outfit, with a tanned badger skin protective gear over it. The cold touch against his skin brought a heavy sense of security.
He tightly wrapped a short-handled woodcutter's knife, which Chen Shan had sharpened to a fine point, around his right hand with a strip of cloth, while his left hand held several heavy pebbles with polished edges.
Atu quietly crouched in the shadows at his feet, his dark brown keratin layer almost blending into the soil in the darkness, with only his mouthparts slightly opening and closing, conveying a clear and calm intention.
In the past two days, following Yang Jin's instructions, in addition to investigating the movements of the three major martial arts schools and the underground cave, it also quietly got a general idea of the defenses around the Sun family, especially the guarding situation at several mine entrances.
"On the west side, below Eagle's Beak, at the entrance to the abandoned mine, half-hidden by rubble, there are four people." A-Tu transmitted the images and auras he had detected through the mental link. "One of them has a relatively hot aura, like a red-hot iron block, but it's very weak (Skin Refining Realm, unstable foundation). The other three have much weaker auras, just stronger than ordinary people (roughly skilled in hand-to-hand combat). They're guarding there, seemingly bored, and sometimes they secretly drink."
Eagle's Beak abandoned mine entrance... Yang Jin recalled the simple map of the mine tunnel that A Tu had brought back before. The location was relatively remote, far away from the areas that the three major martial arts schools were currently focusing on, and deep inside the mountain, so that the movements were not easy to spread.
More importantly, the fact that the Sun family sent people to guard that place suggests that the entrance might be special, or connected to some secret mining tunnel branch that the Sun family doesn't want others to know about.
"It's them." A cold glint flashed in Yang Jin's eyes.
Four henchmen of the Sun family—their strength is just right for practice, and they won't cause too much of a commotion.
Disguising the attack as a monster is the most plausible explanation during this period of frequent mine accidents and rampant monster activity.
"Uncle Chen." Yang Jin looked at Chen Shan, who was silently smoking his pipe to the side.
Chen Shan exhaled a puff of blue smoke, which flickered in the dim light: "Remember everything? The one in the Skin Refining Realm practices the Sun family's ancestral 'Rolling Stone Fist.' It's a wild style, and he's quite strong, but his moves are crude, relying on brute force to generate power, and his lower body is a weakness. The other three are only slightly stronger than thugs; they're good for scaring villagers. Remember the key points of the fighting style: play to your strengths and avoid your weaknesses, finish the battle quickly, and don't make too much noise. A-Tu is responsible for blocking the retreat and creating traces of the 'strange beast.' After you're done, mess up the scene and leave some traces of the Fire Centipede's acid, understand?"
"Understood." Yang Jin nodded emphatically.
"Go. Be back before midnight." Chen Shan waved his hand, closed his eyes, as if he were just instructing Yang Jin to do a trivial matter.
Without further hesitation, Yang Jin pushed open the back door and, like a raccoon dog, silently disappeared into the thick night.
Atu followed closely behind, burrowing underground like a ghost from the depths.
With the enhanced night vision and vibration perception provided by the ground-walking marmoset, and with Atu guiding the direction underground, Yang Jin quickly traversed the mountains and forests, avoiding the patrol routes occasionally lit by torches, and headed straight for Eagle's Beak.
About two incense sticks later, at the foot of a steep cliff, the entrance to a mine, half-hidden by dense vines and collapsed rocks, came into view.
The entrance to the cave was small, only wide enough for two people to walk side by side. It was dark inside, exuding a cold and damp atmosphere.
Outside the cave entrance, in a small open space, a bonfire burned, its light illuminating four crooked figures.
Just as Atu said, among the four, a burly man with a face full of scars and a thick chest hair exposed was leaning against the rock at the cave entrance, holding a wine gourd in his hand and drinking it sip by sip. His aura was significantly stronger than the other three. He was the leader of the guards who was at the Skin Refining Realm.
The other three sat around the fire, roasting dry rations on sticks, whispering vulgar jokes, their weapons carelessly tossed at their feet.
"Boss Wang, what's the point of guarding this godforsaken place? There's not a soul in sight," one of the younger guards complained. "It's better to patrol the mansion at night."
The burly man, known as Boss Wang, took a swig of his drink and sneered, "You know nothing! This Eagle's Beak mine used to produce good ore, but it collapsed and became unusable. I suspect... cough, anyway, keep an eye on this place, don't let any idlers or those martial arts school people sneak in. If you can get through this period, you'll get your share of the benefits."
"Benefits? I think it's bad luck!" another guard muttered. "I heard the martial arts school people ran into something big at the main mine, and a lot of them died. It's pitch black here, what if they find something in this abandoned mine..."
"Shut your mouth!" Boss Wang glared at him. "What's there to be afraid of! If there's anything, I'll smash it flat with one punch! My Rolling Stone Fist..."
He brandished his fist, which was as big as a bowl, as if to show off.
Just then, a slight mountain breeze blew by, and the campfire flickered violently.
"Huh?" Chief Wang seemed to sense something, put down his wine gourd, and looked warily into the darkness.
The other three also instinctively grabbed the knives and sticks at their feet.
However, apart from the sound of the wind and the rustling of the leaves, there was nothing.
"Damn it, you're scaring yourself." Boss Wang spat, just about to relax.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Three pebbles, like venomous snakes that have been lying in wait, shot out without warning from the dark bushes on the side! They were incredibly fast, accompanied by a sharp whooshing sound!
"Watch out!" Boss Wang reacted the fastest, suddenly turning to the side. A pebble grazed his cheek, causing a burning pain.
The other three weren't so lucky.
"Ah!" "My eyes!"
Screams rang out almost simultaneously!
Two pebbles struck the two guards precisely in the eye sockets and embedded themselves deeply!
The other bullet struck the third person in the throat!
The three of them screamed and fell to the ground, instantly losing most of their fighting ability.
"Who?!" Boss Wang was both shocked and furious. His blood and qi surged, and his skin turned an unhealthy dark red, which was the ultimate manifestation of the Rolling Stone Fist!
He turned abruptly and looked in the direction from which the pebble had been shot.
A dark figure, like a ghost, pounced out of the darkness. Its speed was not astonishing, but it carried an overwhelming sense of pressure, as steady as a mountain!
It was Yang Jin!
"You're playing tricks! Die!"
Wang Tou'er roared, neither dodging nor avoiding, his right fist like a cannonball, carrying a dull whistling sound, aimed straight at Yang Jin's chest!
A typical opening move in Rolling Stones – Earth-shattering!
Relying on their thick skin and powerful punches, they used offense as their defense!
If it were Yang Jin a few days ago, he might have chosen to temporarily avoid the limelight.
But at this moment, his eyes were icy cold, his feet pounded the ground, and his strength came from the roots. The stability of the "Mountain-Standing Stake" was manifested at this moment!
At the same time, the "furnace breathing method" is activated, inhaling and accumulating energy, and blood and qi flow under the stone skin!
He neither dodged nor evaded, his left arm held horizontally across his chest, reinforced by the combination of stone skin and badger armor!
"Bang!"
Their fists clashed, producing a muffled thunderous explosion!
Wang Tou'er felt as if his fist had struck a thick, water-soaked granite block. Instead of the expected cracking sound, a powerful shockwave struck, making his arm go numb and his blood and qi stagnate!
How is that possible? What's that kid's arm made of?
Just as his old strength was exhausted, his new strength had not yet arisen, and his mind was shaken—
Yang Jin made a move!
Taking advantage of the impact of the opponent's punch, he twisted his waist and his right hand, holding a woodcutter's knife, was already raised. There were no fancy moves, only a simple and unadorned but heavy diagonal slash from top to bottom, which embodied the essence of the "Mountain Intent" and "Mountain Splitting Style" that he had been practicing hard these days!
"Mountain-splitting style" - breaking through a mountain!
The blade flashed, drawing a chilling arc in the firelight, as if it had cleaved the very air!
Wang's pupils constricted sharply; a deadly sense of crisis sent chills down his spine!
He tried desperately to back off to block, but his lower body was a little unsteady because of the force he had exerted earlier, and his movements were a beat too slow!
"laugh--!"
The machete slammed into his left shoulder with unstoppable force!
The tough skin and muscles were torn apart like tattered leather in the face of the blade that contained the sharpness of "splitting mountains" and Yang Jin's heavy and powerful force!
The sound of bones breaking was clearly audible!
"Ah—!" Boss Wang let out a bloodcurdling scream. Half of his body was almost severed by the knife, and blood gushed out!
Without pausing, Yang Jin twisted and pulled the blade, completely severing the man's life force. At the same time, he kicked out and slammed the man's chest, sending his burly body flying backward. The man crashed into the rock wall at the cave entrance, slid down softly, and died.
In the blink of an eye, the head of the Skin Refining Realm's guards was dead!
All of this happened so fast, from the sudden attack by the pebble to the death of the headman, it was only a few breaths!
The three guards who were injured by the stones hadn't even fully recovered from the pain and confusion!
Yang Jin didn't even glance at Wang Tou'er's corpse; his cold gaze turned to the three men.
The three men were terrified. The intense pain and fear nearly drove them to the brink of collapse. Seeing Yang Jin approaching them like a god of death, they had no courage to resist and scrambled to escape.
However, the ground suddenly bulged up, and Atu's hideous mouth burst out of the earth, blocking their escape route to the mountain. At the same time, it sprayed out a small stream of acidic liquid with a pungent smell, which splashed onto the nearby rocks and vegetation, making a "sizzling" corrosive sound.
"Monster...monster!" The three were terrified and turned to run back into the mine.
Would Yang Jin give them a chance?
He moved like the wind, catching up quickly and decisively with his machete.
After three short screams, three more corpses appeared on the ground.
The battle is over.
Yang Jin stood holding his knife, slightly out of breath.
The spot on his chest where Wang Tou'er's fist had struck him was still throbbing, but the stone skin and armor had absorbed most of the force, so he was fine.
This was the first time he had truly fought a life-or-death battle against a martial artist of the same level, and it was an active attack. His mindset was completely different from when he was passively dealing with Zhao Kun in the mine and when he took revenge on Ma Liu at the village entrance.
Calmer, more focused, and more...efficient.
The key points of the fighting style taught by Chen Shan have been initially verified in actual combat.
Observation, leveraging strengths and avoiding weaknesses, rhythm control, and striking decisively... every step is crucial.
There wasn't much time for reflection.
He immediately began cleaning up the scene.
The four bodies were dragged a distance into the depths of the mine and simply buried with stones.
Using Atu's acid, messy corrosion marks were created near the cave entrance and around the corpse, and several pieces of the Fire Centipede's shell fragments (from Atu's previous collection) were deliberately left.
The signs of a fight were deliberately obscured, making it appear as if a fierce struggle and biting had taken place.
The bloodstains on the machete were wiped clean with dirt and decaying leaves.
He himself was also covered in blood and dust, which he cleaned off as well.
Finally, he smashed the chieftain's wine gourd at the entrance of the cave, letting the wine flow to cover up any lingering smell of blood.
After doing all this, he carefully sensed his surroundings and confirmed that no other presences were approaching.
"Let's go," Yang Jin gestured to A Tu.
Atu quickly covered up the traces of their entry into the cave with his body, and then followed Yang Jin, quietly retreating.
On the way back to the blacksmith's shop, the night wind was cool, blowing on Yang Jin's slightly feverish cheeks.
The flame of revenge for Shi Gong burning in his heart did not subside after killing a few henchmen; on the contrary, it burned even more fiercely and coldly because he had personally stained his hands with the blood of his enemy.
Sun Yaozu... Sun Mancang...
This is just the beginning.
He touched his pocket, where there was a small piece of leather with simple lines drawn on it, which he had taken from Wang Tou'er. It seemed to be a corner of a map, and there were also a few pieces of silver.
There aren't many items, but they might be useful.
More importantly, this real-world experience gave him a clearer understanding of his own abilities and playing style.
With the completion of the Minor Refinement stage, combined with Stone Skin, Armor, the initial "Mountain Intent" and "Mountain Splitting Style," and the fighting experience taught by Chen Shan, one can easily deal with ordinary martial artists of the same level, and even contend with those in the early stages of the Flesh Refinement stage, or even create opportunities to counterattack.
But that's far from enough.
The struggle for the Earth Vein Jade Marrow will inevitably involve experts at the Flesh Refining Realm and even the Bone Refining Realm.
That was the real eye of the storm.
Back at the blacksmith's shop, Chen Shan was still sitting there, his pipe already extinguished.
"Is it resolved?" he asked.
"Hmm." Yang Jin nodded, briefly recounted what had happened, and took out the leather fragment and the loose silver.
Chen Shan examined the fragment. The lines were blurry, but he could vaguely make out some kind of structure inside the mountain, with a mark in one corner. "It looks like a map of a certain part of the mine tunnel. It's incomplete, but it might point to a hidden spot known to the Sun family. Keep it safe for now."
He looked at Yang Jin's almost unremarkable clothes and calm eyes, and nodded slightly: "Your first initiative was quite swift. Remember this feeling: killing is not the goal, but the means. The path of a martial artist is inevitably stained with blood. But your heart must not be confused, your hands must not be soft, and your mind must be clear."
"Remember that." Yang Jin took a deep breath.
As night deepened, the blacksmith's shop returned to silence.
But the nights in Heishan'ao are destined to be anything but peaceful.
The night was as dark as ink, and the oil lamp in the blacksmith's small shed flickered like a bean.
Yang Jin sat cross-legged on the straw mat, stroking the leather fragment he had taken from Wang Huyuan's body.
On the rough leather surface, the charcoal lines are simple and hasty, yet they vaguely form a map of the underground tunnel. There is a conspicuous cross mark in one corner, and next to it is a crooked "Sun" character.
The words of Guard Wang, tinged with alcohol, echoed in his mind again: "This Eagle's Beak mine used to yield some good ore... Master suspects... cough, anyway, keep an eye on this place..."
Are you keeping an eye on this spot? Are you afraid someone will discover the entrance, or you're afraid someone will discover what's inside the entrance?
An idea rose uncontrollably in my mind: Sun Mancang, that old fox, has three burrows. At this critical moment when the wind is howling and the three major martial arts schools are eyeing him covetously, could he hide his truly valuable possessions deep in these abandoned mine tunnels that even the martial arts schools may not know about?
After all, the mine's terrain is complex, with numerous branching paths, making it a natural place to hide secrets. Moreover, the Sun family has been entrenched in Black Mountain Pass for generations, and their understanding of the mine far surpasses that of outsiders.
"A-Tu." Yang Jin's heart stirred, and he called out through the mental link.
The comrades hiding underground immediately responded.
"Do you remember the location of that mine and the smell inside during the day?" Yang Jin transmitted the image and smell of the leather fragment through the link. "Follow this general direction and explore deeper. The key is to look for any hidden, human traces, such as recent footprints, unusual smells, or... abnormal walls and floors."
Yang Jin added, "Be extremely careful and don't leave any traces. If you detect any dangerous signs or signs of human activity, retreat immediately."
Atu understood the instructions; it had a natural advantage in exploring the mine tunnels and searching for specific auras.
Soon, Yang Jin sensed its slippery body silently disappearing towards the eagle's beak.