Like a Ray in My Night (Part 4)

706 Return to Attack

Mu Qing sighed. Even though he hated that this was the final result of his considerations, he couldn't change the facts. Anyway, even getting away was something they had had to fight hard for. They should be happy that they had made it.

Making up his mind, he motioned ahead. "Follow me then. I know the layout of these arrays and also the ones elsewhere in the border region. I can get us to a safe place."

Liu Bao Ru nodded but Zhi Guan stood rooted to the spot, glancing at Yun Bei Fen on his shoulder.

They could escape for sure. But then what? They could return to the town and tell Mei Chao Bing that they had Yun Bei Fen but it wouldn't save him. They'd likely have to make a deal with the demonic faction for that but it was possible that Elder Feng was the only one with a solution and he was also the one behind this grand plan so Mei Chao Bing's help in his endeavor was likely the only way out. So one way or another ... they'd have to fight in the end. Wouldn't it be better to take care of some things earlier?

He quietly made the same calculation Liu Bao Ru had done not too long ago and then looked at Mu Qing solemnly. "Can you take us out of here and then back to the underground palace?"

Mu Qing raised his brows, not sure what he wanted to do. He still immediately led the way though. They didn't have much time, after all. If they didn't move now, Song Yu Zheng and the others would catch up to them.

They soon found the right array and hastily left the cave system. The place they appeared at was a spot Zhi Guan and Liu Bao Ru had never seen before: a paved circle rimmed by stone columns that stretched high into the sky, their intricately carved heads connected with arched beams.

"This is ..." Liu Bao Ru furrowed her brows, not feeling all that well. They had discovered several places in the border region they hadn't been aware of during the few weeks of investigation but this one hadn't been among them. All of this couldn't have been erected in a short time though. In other words, they hadn't been up-to-date on what the demonic faction was doing for a long time. No wonder they were now in such a predicament.

Mu Qing understood her feelings and gave a wry smile. "I actually can't tell what exactly it is but these years, every now and then, my Master will take a group of disciples outside, traveling to someplace in the border region and ... excavate these things."

Liu Bao Ru's brows rose this time. "Excavate them? So they were here before?"

Mu Qing nodded. "Yes. They are usually buried under the sand or maybe even the stone. I have no idea how old they actually are or what their meaning is. Just based on looks, I suppose all of them are somehow connected. From what I know, apart from the headquarters that were newly built, everything else has appeared just like this. At most, those groups have added those murals and arrays. The rest was already there."

Liu Bao Ru and Zhi Guan exchanged a glance. It seemed that there were still many things they knew nothing about but ... this was hardly the most important right now. They quietly followed Mu Qing out of that square and through what genuinely looked like an empty landscape.

The border region was like that: Hardly anything grew there even before the spiritual energy gathering array had been started and most of what you could see were mountains, bare hills, and rugged terrain, sometimes covered with loose sand. It wasn't an inviting place and hardly one where people would like to settle down. Even one structure such as the underground palace was surprising but now, it seemed that there was more. Still, in most places, you could see nothing of that and would only be greeted by emptiness as far as the eye could see.

Zhi Guan didn't know how far it would be until the next array that could bring them back to the underground palace but either way, they wouldn't have a better opportunity to speak about his plan than now. "There should be sixteen disciples left in the underground palace now and they are unlikely to be all in the same place. At the very least, they won't stay there. We should go and check. If we can catch them alone or in groups of no more than five, we should risk attacking and dealing with however many we can."

Mu Qing looked over his shoulder. He probably shouldn't be surprised but ... "You're so daring. What if Song Yu Zheng and the others return?"

"Then we'll truly have to flee. This is why I believe we have to hurry. They will check the caves first and your traps might keep them searching for a little longer. If they check the spots the arrays lead to for even a minute or two to see if we've left any traces behind, then that will gain us even more time. I just think we can't let this opportunity slip away."

Mu Qing inclined his head. In general, he thought similar. Not to mention ... "If we are extremely lucky, we'd only have to fight against four or five groups, and that even without them having much of a numbers advantage."

Liu Bao Ru furrowed her brows though. "That is if they don't stay together. The last patrol group just left and the next one shouldn't leave for more than an hour. Until then, they might all stay in the same corridor. If that is the case, this won't work and we would likely run into Song Yu Zheng's group if we try to leave again." In short, the plan was risky. Too risky, maybe.

Zhi Guan nodded but pulled out the flower map. "But that's what we have this for, isn't it? We can use it to check the underground palace as soon as we return. If they are indeed all together ... we can either try to draw some of them out or simply walk out the front door. Anyway, there is no patrol to catch us, is there?"

On this point, Liu Bao Ru had to agree.