When Han Bei returned to the ravine the air around him was much different from how it was when he left. Vigor was replaced with solemnity and confidence with suspicion. The old monk greeted him with a friendly wave but Han Bei didn't immediately respond as old questions surfaced to the forefront. " Did the old thing lie to me? Is there some interest there for him to see me fight the skeleton manor and he's the one leaking info? " Han Bei quickly shook his head. " I'm the one that picked a fight with the skeleton manor, the old thing had nothing to do with it, besides... " It was just a hunch or perhaps instinct but Han Bei's face turned into a sneer as he looked at the old monk's friendly facade, " If that old thing wanted something from me there probably is nothing I could do. " Han Bei shook his head while the old monk looked on in confusion.
" Still, even if the old thing is innocent a problem still remains, " Han Bei pondered as he entered his cave-dwelling. " Those bastards can somehow track my location." He spat at the thought that it was a mere coincidence that the moment he reared his head someone was there to cut him down to size. " I don't know how they do it, might be some esoteric technique or some rare danger beast that they have control over, but it seems to only work when I'm outside of the ravine. " It brought some solace to Han Bei but it was dangerous to believe the situation would stay the same indefinitely. Besides Han Bei was no turtle. He had no desire to hide for the rest of his life especially from some scavenger lord.
Han Bei paced around his dwelling as he tried to find a solution. His face quickly turned into a frown as he struggled to think of a scenario where he didn't end up in pieces. Eventually, his feet brought him outside and his eyes turned upward as he looked at the stars for answers. He smiled, but it was a sad, small smile. As beautiful as the stars were they brought him no new revelations. The old monk was also gone. " Perhaps, he already abandoned this place? " Han Bei somewhat darkly thought.
As his mood worsened again Han Bei's gaze also turned to something less pleasing. There in the north, even from several kilometers away, the dark forest was discernible to the naked eye, and as long as Han Bei carefully listened the wind passed along the death moans of the Wailing forest. " Truly a sight that chills the soul, " he murmured, but as his eyes rested on the dark forest an idea gained shape in his mind. A stupid idea, but an idea nonetheless. " Perhaps to reach Heaven I must first to walk through the abyss. " He kneeled and inspected the ground, " Just like I thought." The ground was sturdy but brittle so even old footprints still appeared fresh. " I found my chance. "
For several hours Han Bei traveled north. He followed a set of uneven footprints of the wild zombie that had wandered into the nameless ravine for a visit. The tracks ran along the little yellow stream and the further Han Bei went the more pressure he felt from the wailing forest. It was as if the air around him became heavier with every step that he took. " A cursed place, " Han Bei observed before he noted that it might be redundant to call anything on Myris cursed.
The nameless ravine came to an end but the footprints continued forward into a cavern as did the yellow stream. Even separated by thousand meters Han Bei still felt his blood turn cold from the Wailing forest up above while his spirit sense picked up the silent dread that shrouded the surroundings. He briefly took out his celestial compass. The needle was pitch black and it hadn't moved even after a whole minute. " The Heavenly energy inside is of the yin nature and extremely potent, " he judged. " But, it's also extremely difficult to refine. "
" A wiser man would probably turn back, " Han Bei admitted as he looked at the whispering darkness ahead. Yet he still put away the celestial compass and pulled out a talisman that transformed into a shiny apple-sized orb that acted as a source of light. While the light of, what Han Bei hoped to be, determination shined in his eyes he stepped forward.
Han Bei steadied his breath and passed through the mouth of the cavern and from there on he was inside the territory of the wailing forest. If anything jumped out of the darkness there probably would be nothing left of him although the old monk assured him that it wouldn't happen as long as he was near the smelly little stream. " I swear If anything eats me my spirit will haunt that old fart until the end of time. "
The light in the ravine was scarce since grass grew there in rare patches, but as soon as Han Bei entered the cavern darkness surrounded him from all sides. If anything grew in the cavern it gave of no light. The darkness unnerved him, he constantly felt like it stirred and moved just at the edge of his senses.
As he moved forward he always made sure to keep close to the little yellow stream and whatever lived in the darkness seemed content to keep its distance. He summoned no ghosts this time and used no other techniques. His attention completely devoted to every step that he took and what was in front of him. Shapes formed and changed inside the darkness and Han Bei couldn't tell if what he saw was mere fragments of his strained mind or something that naturally bred in the dark. The place unnerved him and Han Bei was almost tempted to stray from the little stream and see what follows. " Least I'll have something to fight. " But he allowed himself no more distractions than that.
He wasn't sure how long he walked. The path forward turned indistinguishable from the one he already walked. Like a rat in a loop, he followed a set of footprints to a prize that might not even be there. Yet Han Bei stubbornly continued forward without even entertaining the idea of turning back. " My path leads forward, and only forward are my feet willing to bring me. "
It wasn't light that he sought for he knew that he would find none there. The only light he had is the one that he brought with him. It dimmed and the surrounding darkness approached. He sensed its joy and heard its laughter as it threatened to swallow him whole. He lit up another talisman and the darkness recoiled while Han Bei whispered to himself, " Not today, not today. You will not have my soul on this day. "
It was his will to survive that pushed him forward, it allowed him to move in the darkness just as much as the light from the talisman and protected him just like the foul-smelling stream. It's why he so madly clung to this chance to resist the cold grip of the skeleton manor that slowly tightened around his throat. " All so that I can avenge them and avenge myself, " Han Bei reminded himself as the grim faces of his martial siblings and the one responsible flashed through his mind. And a moment later, it all seemed worth it.
The footprints had come to an end, but Han Bei didn't despair, his eyes filled with hope instead. As he looked up a pillar of light shot from the light talisman. Unobstructed it reached the forest of death through a man-sized hole in the ceiling of the cavern. Han Bei had found the spider thread that will save him from the abyss.
Darkness parted its jaws as Han Bei left the cavern several hours later. The moment he stepped back into the ravine his light talisman finally burned up. Han Bei shook his head, " I'll need to restock." An aged voice questioned, " How so little corpse, already have another act of insanity planned? " Han Bei didn't flinch as the old monk suddenly appeared in front of him. He smoothly answered, " Or bravery, it's a damn thin line between the two. "
The old monk looked at the cavern behind Han Bei, " No this definitely seems like insanity. " He continued in a lecturing tone, " Remind me, I did tell you that going underground is a bad idea, didn't I? " Han Bei answered in a deadpan tone " You also told me that nothing half-intelligent would go near the little yellow stream. " The old monk gave Han Bei a hard stare, for a solid minute he locked eyes with the pale youth, but a sigh escaped him when he saw that Han Bei remained stubborn. " Was that a risk that you should have taken? " More forcefully than he intended Han Bei refuted, " It's a risk I had to take! " Perhaps impressed by Han Bei's intensity or simply because he was bored, Han Bei wasn't sure which, but the old thing shrugged his shoulders in defeat.
" Well as long as you know what you're doing, " the old monk warned for the final time. " Talking about the underground, there was this great war hammer that I lost there. Such a beautiful weapon, made from solid gold with 2 crimson gems embedded into its head... " While the old monk warmly recounted his tale Han Bei barely listened as a plan formed in his head. " I must survive, all so that I can avenge them, all so that I enact justice, " he convinced himself.
