Chapter Thirteen: Shadows Over the Hoard
An apprehensive atmosphere had begun to settle over the dig site, the rhythmic scraping of shovels doing little to chase away the creeping sense of disappointment. Until—
Ting!
"I found something, Patriarch!" someone called loudly.
The group approached the spot, and some stone structure could be seen, even if just a little. The Patriarch smiled and said, "Men! Dig around here! I think we found the entrance!"
They went back to digging, this time with the same excitement they had started with, and slowly, a massive stone door began to appear. It didn't take long for them to uncover it.
Laughter could be heard from a distance.
"We finally found it!" someone yelled.
Long Qingxiao had a big smile on his face and his eyes were full of pride. Again, Tian was right, he thought.
"How are we going to open it, Patriarch?" Long Min's voice brought Long Qingxiao back from his thoughts.
He looked at the door, noticing it could only be opened from the inside. He sighed. "I'll try to break it, even if just a little, to create an opportunity so we can push it open."
Again, he fused with his demon spirit. He knew that physically, the beast form wasn't that strong, but it was certainly stronger than him, especially when fully fused. He concentrated Soul Force in his fist and proceeded to punch the middle of the division between the two sides of the door.
Boom!
The Heavenly Dragon Patriarch opened a hole, a small one as he had predicted, but even smaller than he thought it would be. He sighed again. "This will take time."
Four punches later, the door had a hole big enough for his purpose. "Everyone, clear of the door. I will open it," he commanded.
Everyone, including him, backed away from the entrance. Again, he used his branch-like arms, putting them inside the hole, and slowly, the door was forced open. This time, he didn't seem as fatigued. He could clearly see stairs leading down. "Give me a torch. I'll enter first."
Long Tao quickly took one of the pre-made torches and gave it to Long Qingxiao.
"Before I come back, nobody moves, okay?" he said, and as he was walking down the stairs, he ordered, "Long Min, use the Healing Mist."
It took a couple of minutes, and Long Qingxiao was in front of another stone door. This one, he just pushed, using all his Black Gold rank strength. The door slowly opened, revealing a sight that made him smile.
He rapidly walked up the stairs again. It took moments for him to reach the surface this time. Reaching the entrance, he said, "We found it!" The group cheered immediately, and he proceeded to say, "Elders, take everything out of your rings. The haul is bigger than we thought it could be."
They quickly took everything out of their rings. There was a pile of necessary things for camping and travel, but they didn't care at the moment. Their rings were small, so they would need every bit of space. With their rings empty, they walked down. And when they finally got to the door below the ground, their eyes went wide.
There was a massive mound of gold coins and ingots at the center, dozens of weapons, and even some suits of armor. There were parchment scrolls and even books with deteriorating covers. And there were even some trinkets and jewelry.
"I think our rings won't be enough, Patriarch," said Long Min with a big smile on her face. The perpetual stress of her position was deceptive; she was a very beautiful woman, and a smile on her face made her appear even more radiant. The sight was enough to make one of her fellow council members blush.
"I agree, Elder Min. Look for rings amidst the treasures. Maybe you'll find some," said Long Qingxiao to her.
It was when she started to look for the rings that she noticed the multitude of skeletons on the floor. It was a shocking thing to see children's bones amidst those of adults. The others also started to take notice while looking for things, and the excitement died down.
"They got trapped inside," Long Qingxiao said in a calm voice.
The group nodded. Seeing this sobered them a bit and made them realize what a cataclysm such as the beast hordes could cause. The history they were witnessing here was a cautionary tale, that they needed strength to not be in their position someday.
"Patriarch, I found the rings," Long Min said, bringing four rings to Long Qingxiao.
He bonded with one and said, "If they're all the size of this one, that makes them a bit bigger than ours. I believe we can take most of the things, maybe all of it. Pass these rings to Elder Tao and Feng; you take one yourself." He paused as she nodded and distributed the rings. "Now, start with the books and scrolls. After that, take the weapons and armors, and then the trinkets and jewelry. Last, take the gold."
The group moved quickly. He thought about giving an order not to disturb the dead, but this was not the time for honor; his family needed everything. As the group collected everything, he took a seemingly old scroll from his own ring and put it in the new one. After this, he went to help put things in the rings.
At the end, they found some more interspatial rings amidst the trinkets, but all of them were useless, with their inscription patterns broken.
Seeing that only a little gold was left—even if this "little" meant more than what the family had before this trip—the group leader smiled. "Let's go," he announced, and the group left.
The journey back to the point of encounter was filled with excited conversation. When they finally got there, they saw everyone else already waiting.
"Oh? From the looks of it, the treasure hunt was a success," Ye Chen said, and his face had the same giddy smile Long Qingxiao's group had.
"I can see yours was also a successful endeavor," Long Qingxiao commented.
"Yes. A pity the books and scrolls were all in a completely different language," he said with some disappointment in his tone.
"Yeah. We had the same problem. But the rest makes the trip worthwhile," Long Qingxiao said in agreement. Inside, he was happy because he knew that translation was a given for them.
The group was starting to plan their trip back when a surprised voice interrupted and sent a chill down every spine.
"Oh? You guys actually crossed the Snow Desert. I'm impressed."
From their appearance, everyone knew who they were.
"What is the Dark Guild doing here?" Ye Feng said, his voice low.
"You see, Boss was right. They did really find treasure," Han Shen said, totally ignoring the question.
"Don't be disrespectful, Han Shen. Answer the man's question," the leader said.
"Sorry, Boss. Well, we heard the news around Glory City and decided to see with our own eyes if it was true that the younger son of Ye Mo was leading an expedition to this fine place," Han Shen said with amusement. "And look what it got us? A bunch of little dragons hoarding treasure as well. What a fine discovery." The hooded group jeered.
"So, what will it be?" the so-called boss said in a sarcastic tone. "You can hand over your rings and all the treasures you've found for a quick death. Or, you can resist, and we'll take them from your corpses after a slow and painful one. For our sake, please resist. It's been a while since we've had any real entertainment."
The tension was palpable in the air. The two groups were waiting for someone to make a move. And then, someone did, but it wasn't an offensive one. It was talking.
"I see. So what about a third option?" Long Qingxiao said, raising everyone's eyebrows. "You guys can run with your tails between your legs now, or later. Your choice."
His group was looking at him like he was insane, and the Dark Guild group was laughing.
"You?" The recruit, Zhao Yan, scoffed, stepping forward and pulling down his hood to reveal a young man in his early twenties. He had clear blue eyes and long blond hair, but the most impressive thing about him was his cultivation. He was at the 2-star Gold rank. "You think you can make us run? With three Black Gold experts, ten Gold ranks, and a handful of silver-ranked fodder?" He grinned maliciously. "And just so we're clear... I'm the weakest one here."
As if on cue, everyone else took off their hoods and revealed their cultivation. There was a total of fourteen Gold rank experts, ranging from the third to the fifth star. The other five? All Black Gold rank, with two at 1-star, another two at 3-star, and the last one, the boss, was a Peak 5-star Black Gold rank. His Soul Force was vibrating the air around him.
Without saying anything, the two 1-star Black Gold experts moved.
Fast! thought the expedition group.
Long Qingxiao knew their target; it was in their eyes. And when both men fused with their demon spirits, a Gloom Stalker Wolf and a Dusk-Reaper Panther appeared next to him. Long Qingxiao smiled.
The claws never found flesh. With a sound like grinding stone, they slammed into the Barkskin Armor that had erupted around Long Qingxiao's form, the spectral bark holding the two assassins fast.
Instead of being overwhelmed, Long Qingxiao's form exploded outwards. A tidal wave of Black Gold rank soul force washed over the battlefield as he assumed his Jade-Tail Forest Dragon form. His branch-like arms, now thick as ancient oaks, coiled around his captured enemies. With a sickening crunch of breaking bones, he crushed them. The sound was nerve-racking for those with weaker wills.
But his fast kill of two enemies wasn't the most surprising thing for Ye Chen and his group. It was his cultivation.
His powerful Black Gold rank Soul Force emanated from him. His beast form was imposing, and the Soul Force armor covering it made the scene even more awe-inspiring.
"So..." the imposing voice came from his mouth. "You choose to run later."
"Fuck!" Han Shen yelled. "This beast is at the Black Gold rank, Boss! We can't give him a chance!"
"Han Shen, you and Mu Ling, with me. We'll take the Dragon," the boss said. "And the rest of you, kill the others."
The Dark Guild then launched themselves to attack.
Long Qingxiao responded immediately. Instead of meeting their charge head-on, he used the thick roots of his arms as levers, launching himself high over the trio of assassins. He landed with a ground-shaking thud and, instead of delving deeper into the ruins, he turned and bolted back towards the city gate they had entered from.
"What?" Han Shen said, stunned by the unexpected maneuver.
"What a fine discovery," he'd said. A lie, Long Qingxiao thought as he raced for open ground. The whole city knew the Heavenly Dragon Family was leading this expedition. This wasn't a chance encounter; it was a targeted assassination. And I am the primary target.
"After him! Don't let him escape into the open field!" the boss ordered, and the chase began. His form exploded into a terrifying fusion. His pelt took on the color of dried blood, and shadows seemed to bleed from his body in streams of darkness. Claws that appeared to be made of sheer ruby extended, and his eyes glowed like ruby embers beneath an imposing mane that roiled like a storm of shadows. He was the Darkness Ruby Lion.
The other two followed suit. Han Shen became a blur of silver feathers that crackled with arcs of lightning, the Thunder-Winged Falcon. Mu Ling transformed into a sculpture of translucent, razor-edged crystal that refracted the light, promising a beautiful and cutting death as the Crystal Lynx.
I need to draw them out of the ruins, Long Qingxiao thought, his powerful legs eating up the terrain. No shadows for the lion to hide in. No pillars for the falcon to ambush from. Out here, it's just strength against agility.
He had no more time to think. A blur of darkness and ruby caught up to him, and the lion's claws tore at his back. The Barkskin Armor groaned and cracked under the ferocious assault, a testament to its power. He used the momentum to clear the city gates completely before stopping on the snowy plain and turning to face the trio.
The electric falcon circled high above, while the crystal lynx took up a position at a distance, ready to fire. The shadow lion stood at the center, its presence overwhelming on the open ground.
"For someone who told us to run, you do it pretty fast yourself," Han Shen jeered from above.
"That's where you're wrong," Long Qingxiao's resonant voice echoed across the plain. "I didn't run." He settled into a stance, the spectral vines of his armor slowly mending themselves. "I brought you three exactly where I wanted." A grim smile formed on his draconic face. Now, how do I kill one of them before this gets problematic?
While the Heavenly Dragon Patriarch plotted, the rest of his party fought for their lives.
"Hold your positions!" Ye Chen roared, his mind reeling. Why was Qingxiao hiding this? Did he know about the ambush? The questions warred in his head, but survival came first. The battle descended into a chaotic defense. The three Black Gold guards were a bulwark, holding back the strongest of the Dark Guild, but the nine remaining Gold ranks were a tide of lethal shadows, probing their lines.
Suddenly, a Gold rank from the expedition shouted, "ONE OF THEM BROKE THROUGH!"
It was the young recruit, Zhao Yan, radiating his aura of a 2-star Gold rank. "Time to cull the weak," he hissed, his form blurring as he fused with an Umber Wolf.
He vanished. A sickening squelch and a scream marked his reappearance, his shadow-wreathed claws buried in the chest of a Bronze rank. Two more fell in quick succession, each killed before they could even raise their weapons.
"Can't keep up, little dragon?" Zhao Yan taunted from the shadows, his eyes now fixed on the core of their formation: Long Min.
"LONG HAI, PROTECT HER!" Long Feng roared.
But Long Hai was already moving, placing himself between the predator and his family's healer. He fused with his Steel-Spine Wyvern, its metallic scales gleaming even in the dim light.
"A silver-ranked wyvern thinks it can stop a wolf in the shadows?" Zhao Yan mocked, his form flickering. "A noble, but foolish, last stand."
The battle between them became a desperate dance. Zhao Yan was a phantom, his attacks coming from all angles. Long Hai was a fortress, his Adamantine Blade-coated claws parrying every lethal strike, the clang of metal on shadow-claws ringing through the chaos. But he was on the defensive, his energy draining with every block.
His stamina is low, Zhao Yan thought, seeing an opening as Long Hai's arm guard faded for a split second. Now! He lunged, aiming a killing blow at Long Hai's torso.
It was a feint. Long Hai had let his guard drop on purpose. Bracing for the searing pain, he allowed the Umber Wolf's claws to tear into his side. In that same instant, he clamped his other arm down, trapping Zhao Yan's limb against his body.
The recruit's eyes widened in shock. It was a trap.
"You don't touch her," Long Hai growled through gritted teeth, his free hand, now blazing with the last of his soul force, plunging into the assassin's chest.
He slowly reverted to his human form, a ragged hole torn in his side where the shadow claws had pierced him, stopped only by his wyvern scales and his timely counter. His victory brought a cheer from the Bronze ranks, followed shortly by the roar of Long Feng, "LONG MIN, NOW!"
Slowly, the healing mist descended on the defending group. Wounds began to seal, and fatigue became a memory.
The enemy was caught by surprise by the sudden recovery, but their shock quickly turned to horror as they faced the renewed assault. Leading the counter-charge were the three Black Gold guards, who had been the unbreakable bulwark holding the line since the battle began. Ye Feng, in the form of a colossal Iron-Carapace Tortoise, was a moving fortress, his shell shrugging off attacks that would have vaporized a Gold rank expert. Ye Lao, as a massive Stonehide Bear, had been absorbing blows like a living mountain, shielding the weaker cultivators. And Ye Zhao, a living siege engine as a Blackiron Rhino, had held his ground, a threat too dangerous to approach directly. Before, they were a wall. Now, with the rest of the expedition party's strength restored, they became a battering ram. The tide had turned. It was no longer a defensive battle; it was a massacre.
It didn't take long for the assassins to break, scattering into the ruins, their hit-and-run spirits serving their escape.
"You guys, stay here!" Ye Feng ordered the exhausted group. "We'll go after Patriarch Long!"
The Heavenly Dragon members wanted to object, but Long Feng quickly silenced them, saying they would only get in the way.
The only thing they could do was wait for his return.