The sun had barely begun to rise, casting a golden hue over the mist-covered village. The crisp morning air carried the scent of damp earth, mingling with the faint aroma of burning wood from the villagers' cooking fires. Juwon stood at the edge of the settlement, arms crossed, watching as the final preparations unfolded.

  Luo Qing tightened the last strap securing a bundle of supplies onto the Miao caravan. His movements were precise, his expression calm, but there was something behind his gaze—reluctance, perhaps. He turned to Juwon, exhaling through his nose. “Looks like this is where we part ways.”

  Juwon studied his face, sensing the weight of the decision. “You don’t have to go with them.”

  Luo Qing scoffed, shaking his head. “Someone has to make sure the Miao reach Qinghai safely. And besides, if I don’t go, I might either kill you or kill myself due to all the overwork”

  Yuxian smirked from the side, arms folded. “You’ll miss us, won’t you?”

  Luo Qing rolled his eyes but didn’t refute it. “Just try not to get yourselves killed before we meet again.”

  Nearby, Physician Bai finished his final checks on Yan Huai and Xu Weishan, both still too injured to continue. Xu, lying on a makeshift stretcher, forced a smirk despite the pain. “Guess I won’t get to see how this all plays out.”

  Juwon gave him a curt nod. “Heal first. There will always be another battle.”

  With that, Juwon, Yuxian, Yunfei, and Bai Xueling turned toward the towering peaks of Wuling Mountain.

  The road to Huayuan County was uneventful, but the air inside the car felt heavy. Yuxian, from the passenger seat, tapped the window idly. "Gotta admit, it's strange being back in civilization after all that."

  Juwon glanced at the crowded streets as they entered the county. Vendors shouted their wares from roadside stalls, the scent of sizzling meat mingling with fresh fruit. The hustle of traders, travelers, and workers filled the air with a restless energy. "Yeah," Juwon muttered. "Feels like a different world."

  After checking into a modest hotel under the guise of researchers, they gathered in the lobby. Bai Xueling stretched her arms. "We should split up—get supplies, listen in on anything unusual. No reason to waste the stop."

  Juwon nodded in agreement pointing towards a poster outside their hotel. "Meet back at this bar in the Fenghuang Ancient Town this evening. We’ll regroup and share what we’ve learned."

  As night fell, they reconvened in a dimly lit bar, the rich aroma of alcohol mixing with tobacco smoke. Yuxian set down a small satchel filled with travel essentials, while Bai Xueling dusted off her sleeves. "People in town are suspicious," she noted. "A few shopkeepers were tight-lipped when I asked about the mountain."

  Yunfei nodded, lowering his voice. "Same here. It’s not just rumors—locals believe something unnatural is happening up there. Some of the traders mentioned seeing large convoys of trucks heading toward the mountains late at night. They were carrying something... glowing. No one knows what it is."

  Juwon leaned back in his chair, listening as the conversations around them wove into the background hum—until a sharp voice cut through it. Yuxian clinked his glass against Yunfei’s. "Finally, a place where we don’t have to worry about being burned alive or stabbed in our sleep."

  Juwon leaned back, scanning the room. The low hum of conversation filled the space—until a sharp voice cut through it.

  "Those bastards! They took her!" A middle-aged man slammed his fist against the table, his face red with drink and fury. "Dressed in black, with that damned yellow insignia!"

  Juwon’s grip on his glass tightened. A yellow insignia?

  "You reported it?" his companion asked hesitantly, a wiry man with tired eyes.

  "To who? The police?" The man scoffed bitterly. "They laughed at me. Told me to forget it. They didn’t even write it down!"

  Yuxian glanced at Juwon. "What do you think?" His voice was low, but the weight behind it was clear.

  Juwon exhaled slowly, setting his drink down. "Its definitely them. We need to find out the route these trucks are taking." He turned to Yunfei. "Did they mention where they were headed?"

  Yunfei nodded. "Yeah. Most of them take the old road leading into the northern pass. Locals say they disappear into the mountains after that. No one sees them return."

  Bai Xueling frowned. "And no one finds that suspicious?"

  "People are scared," Yunfei replied. "Some think it's illegal mining, others whisper about secret research labs. But no one questions it openly."

  Yuxian leaned forward, raising an eyebrow. "Are we sure this is Hei Long?"

  Juwon shrugged. "We’ll know soon enough. Either way, we’re following those trucks. Let’s get back to our rooms. We’ll head out once rested"

  The team went back to the hotel and rested before they departed for the northern pass.

  Juwon pulled the car to the side of the road, switching off the headlights as they settled into a concealed spot behind a thicket of trees. "We'll wait here and watch for them to pass first," he murmured. Yuxian, sitting in the passenger seat, leaned forward, peering through the windshield. "But we don’t know if these trucks pass through every day. What if tonight is not the night?"

  "Then we go the facility without proper surveillance. But I hope we can follow them. Either way keep the headlights low, maintain distance, and don’t draw attention," Juwon replied, gripping the wheel.

  Minutes later, the distant rumble of heavy engines approached. One by one, massive trucks rolled past, their tires crunching against the gravel road.

  Bai Xueling, watching intently, narrowed her eyes. "Look at the insignia. Hei Long."

  Juwon’s gaze followed hers. There it was—faint, almost as if someone had tried to scrape it off, but still visible enough to confirm their suspicions. "So it's them after all," he muttered.

  This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

  Yunfei exhaled. "That settles it. We follow." The journey took them down an old, winding road leading into the northern pass, the headlights of the trucks illuminating the darkened path ahead. Their movements were precise, organized. Whoever was operating this route knew exactly what they were doing.

  After miles of following the trucks deeper into the remote countryside, Juwon pulled the car to a stop at a hidden vantage point. From there, they watched as the convoy reached a heavily secured checkpoint, disappearing behind a reinforced steel gate built into the mountainside.

  Yuxian let out a low whistle. "Well, that’s not suspicious at all."

  "Looks like a private facility," Bai Xueling murmured, scanning the area through a pair of binoculars. "Guards, armed patrols... not your typical operations."

  Juwon leaned forward, his grip tightening around the pistol in his hand. He exhaled sharply, scanning the checkpoint with narrowed eyes. "We’re not getting in this way. We need another route."

  They drove back, opting to circle around the region and find another entrance. As they neared Wuling Mountain, the shift in atmosphere became undeniable.

  As they crossed into the dense forest, an unnatural silence blanketed the land. The usual sounds of chirping birds and rustling leaves were gone, replaced by an eerie stillness. The air itself felt thick, pressing against their skin. Juwon frowned as he flexed his fingers, sensing the disruption.

  They proceeded cautiously, and as they neared the third outpost, mercenaries patrolled the fences, their movements sharp and disciplined, their weapons held with an ease that spoke of experience. Cargo trucks rumbled in and out of the compound, their contents concealed under heavy tarps, but the faint clanking of metal suggested something more than simple supplies.

  As they neared the facility, Juwon crouched behind the cover of dense foliage, his sharp gaze scanning the imposing compound. The structure was built for defense—a fortress carved into the mountainside, reinforced with steel barriers and towering watchtowers. High floodlights swept the area, cutting through the night, while sniper nests were stationed at key vantage points. The outer fence, lined with razor wire, was guarded by heavily armed mercenaries, each carrying advanced weaponry and communication gear. Beyond the fence, several warehouse-like buildings loomed in the darkness, their purpose unknown. A large central structure, more refined in design, sat deeper within, likely serving as the command center. Everything about the facility screamed high-level operations, secrecy, and danger. The place was heavily fortified—walking in was suicide.

  "We can’t just waltz through the front gate," Juwon muttered, his voice low. "We’ll have to split up and find alternate routes."

  Bai Xueling, tightening the strap of her bag, pointed toward the jagged cliffs in the distance. "Yunfei and I will take the high ground. If there's an opening, we’ll have a clear vantage point to track their movements and maybe even find a way inside."

  Yuxian’s eyes narrowed as he surveyed the dense forest to their right. His gaze settled on a barely visible tunnel entrance, partially hidden beneath overgrown roots and crumbling stone. "That leaves us with the tunnel. But are we sure it’s even stable? If it’s caved in or compromised, we could get trapped."

  Juwon adjusted the pistol in his grip, the cold metal a reassuring weight. "It’s a gamble, but it’s our best shot. If the tunnel is intact, it should lead us close to the inner facility without detection. If not… we’ll improvise."

  Yuxian scoffed, shaking his head. "You always say that. Doesn’t make me feel any better."

  Juwon smirked. "Then don’t think about it too much."

  "Easy for you to say." Yuxian exhaled before shifting his stance. "Alright, let’s move before someone spots us."

  As Bai Xueling and Yunfei moved toward the cliffs, Bai glanced back at Juwon. "What exactly are we looking for?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

  Juwon didn’t hesitate. "Any documented evidence—blueprints, designs, research logs. Anything that tells us what they’ve been doing here. If we’re lucky, we might even find samples of their experiments."

  Yuxian smirked, adjusting his grip on his weapon. "Lucky? You mean if we don’t find something horrifying?"

  Juwon exhaled sharply. "Either way, we need to know."

  Yunfei asked, "And what if things go south?"

  Juwon smirked, his grip tightening on his pistol. "Simple. Stay alive, regroup at the hotel. No heroics, no unnecessary risks—each of us gets out however we can. Maybe smoke a few Hei Long in the process"

  Everyone nodded.

  Without another word, they split off in their respective directions, vanishing into the shadows of the night.

  As they moved into position, a sudden burst of static crackled through their earpieces. Bai Xueling's voice came through, faint and distorted, “We’re in position—” before cutting off completely.

  Juwon tapped his earpiece, frowning. "Comms are down."

  Yuxian exhaled sharply, flexing his fingers. "That’s never a good sign." His tone was light, but there was an undercurrent of unease.

  Juwon’s grip on his pistol tightened. The facility loomed ahead, its watchtowers cutting through the night like silent sentinels. Floodlights cast long, shifting shadows across the steel barriers. He exhaled slowly, steadying his breath.

  "No turning back now. Proceed with caution, and stay sharp."

  Yuxian smirked, rolling his shoulders. "Wasn’t planning on getting caught."

  With a final glance at one another, they melted into the darkness, the cold mountain air thick with the weight of the unknown.

  Yunfei and Bai Xueling reached the edge of a rugged cliff, crouching low behind the thick foliage. A gnarled tree jutted out precariously over the drop, its vines hanging like lifelines into the darkness below. Directly beneath them, a watchtower stood—its lone guard oblivious to the two figures above.

  Yunfei exhaled, testing the strength of the vine before gripping it tightly. "I'll go first." Without hesitation, he began descending, his body moving fluidly despite the swaying of the vine.

  The wind howled softly against the cliffside. As Yunfei lowered himself, his feet dangled just inches from the watchtower’s circular roof. He stretched, straining to reach it—just a little more.

  Then, with a sharp snap, the vine tore apart.

  Yunfei’s eyes widened as the weightlessness hit him, the ground rushing toward him—only for a firm grip to catch his wrist mid-fall.

  "Got you," Bai Xueling’s voice was steady as she hung from her own vine, her fingers locked tightly around his arm.

  For a second, Yunfei just blinked at her. "You know, you could've let me drop just a little—make me feel like I earned it."

  Bai Xueling rolled her eyes, adjusting her grip. "Or I could just save you the trouble and make sure you don’t break your neck."

  He grinned. "Fair enough."

  With a swift movement, she lowered him safely onto the watchtower roof before following right after.

  Yunfei hung himself on the edge of the watchtower and jumped into it as he used this momentum to twist the neck of the Hei Long soldier standing guard inside the tower.

  The two now deep in enemy territory.

  Juwon and Yuxian moved cautiously through the narrow tunnel, the air thick with dampness and decay. The stench was unbearable.

  Yuxian covered his nose with the back of his sleeve. “I swear, I’ve fought in blood-soaked battlefields that smelled better than this.”

  Juwon smirked, stepping over a puddle of stagnant water. “What’s wrong? Not used to a little authentic underground experience?”

  Yuxian shot him a look. “This isn’t ‘authentic.’ This is a violation of human rights.”

  A faint rustling echoed through the tunnel, followed by the high-pitched squeaks of rats skittering along the walls. Juwon’s eyes narrowed. They weren’t normal.

  Their bodies were slightly larger, their fur coarser, their claws sharper—a clear resemblance to low-rank Qi beasts. Though they didn’t appear aggressive, they moved with a strange awareness, their beady eyes watching the intruders with something bordering on intelligence.

  Yuxian slowed his steps. “Even the rats are evolving…”

  Juwon exhaled. “It’s not just them. The entire ecosystem is shifting. Even harmless animals are turning into beasts.”

  Yuxian shook his head, keeping his voice low. “If this keeps up, we’ll be dealing with creatures far worse than oversized rats.”

  Juwon glanced at him. “Unholster your weapon.”

  Yuxian raised an eyebrow. “You are expecting company?”

  Juwon gestured ahead, where a rusted metal ladder led up to a sealed hatch—their exit to the surface. He placed a hand on the damp rungs, testing their stability. “I don’t take chances.”

  Without another word, Yuxian slid his weapon free, his fingers tightening around the hilt as they prepared to climb.