The marked man sat trembling against a cracked pillar, clutching his injured arm like it might detach and run away on its own.
Cold sweat dripped down his forehead.
His eyes darted at every sound.
Lin Feng sat nearby, calm, elbows resting on his knees, watching the fog swirl as if it were a theatre performance.
The ghost child hovered beside him, gripping its little splinter weapon with determined uselessness.
The Chained Woman stood under the altar lantern, chains raised slightly—a silent warning to anything that might come close.
Time crawled.
The night refused to move.
Broken-Soul Peak was not letting this incident pass quietly.
A sudden tremor rippled through the courtyard stones.
The marked man almost screamed.
"Wh—what was that—?!"
"Peak adjusting its posture," Lin Feng said, deadpan. "Relax."
The man tried. Failed.
Another tremor.
Followed by a low… breathing sound.
Not human.
Not ghostly.
Something else.
Something deep within the mountain inhaled, as though the air itself needed permission to move.
Lin Feng tilted his head.
"Seems our neighbor is restless tonight."
[SYSTEM]
Warning: Unknown entity stirring
Potential risk: Severe
Host reaction: Concerningly calm
A gust of wind slammed through the courtyard, scattering leaves and dust.
The cracked lantern flickered.
The Chained Woman's chains lifted higher.
The marked man clutched Lin Feng's sleeve.
"Senior… Senior please… th-that thing… what is that…?!"
Lin Feng shook his sleeve free.
"Something old."
The man's voice cracked.
"H-How old?!"
Lin Feng shrugged.
"Older than your great-grandfather. Younger than your regrets."
The man whimpered.
---
A second tremor rolled through the stones.
This time, the air rippled, like invisible claws brushing reality.
From the deepest part of Broken-Soul Peak came a distant echo—
a heavy, dragging sound
like something ancient shifting in its sleep.
The ghost child hid behind Lin Feng completely now, splinter sword trembling.
Even the cold fog pulsed, as if trying to retreat from the sound.
The man's spirit marks glowed violently.
"Ah—! It's reacting!" he cried.
The glow spread across his arm, twisting into jagged lines.
The marks crackled with dark energy.
The Chained Woman moved, chains snapping taut, ready to strike the moment anything emerged.
But nothing did.
The mountain stayed silent.
Only the marks pulsed brighter—
bright enough to cast a faint light.
Lin Feng stepped closer, examining the glow.
"Hm. That's new."
The man nearly cried.
"S-Senior, i-is this bad…?"
"It's a development."
The marks brightened again—
and then, suddenly…
the light burst.
A soft explosion of shimmering dark particles shot outward.
The man screamed.
The ghost child flinched.
The Chained Woman's chains clanged sharply.
Lin Feng didn't move.
He simply watched the particles drift toward the forest below.
They didn't travel far.
They vanished into the darkness—
carried by something unseen.
And the mountain answered with a single deep thud.
A heartbeat.
A slow, impossible heartbeat beneath the rock.
The marked man collapsed, shaking violently.
"S-senior… what did I do…? What did I call…?"
Lin Feng looked toward the deeper part of the mountain, eyes calm.
"Nothing," he said.
"You didn't call anything."
He placed a hand lightly on the man's shoulder.
"It called you."
The man stared at him, horrified.
"W-why me…?!"
Lin Feng tapped the glowing mark.
"Because you are carrying its scent now."
The man made a sound between a sob and a squeak.
The ghost child looked at Lin Feng, as though expecting answers.
Lin Feng simply smiled.
"This mountain is full of stories. Tonight, we have found one."
---
The glow on the man's arm finally began to fade.
The mark settled to a dim pulse, quiet but still dangerous.
The Chained Woman lowered her chains, but she didn't relax.
Her gaze stayed fixed on the dark ridge behind the sect.
The mountain remained utterly silent.
Lin Feng stood up.
"Enough for tonight. Dawn is near."
The marked man's lips trembled.
"Is… is it safe…?"
"For now."
"And in the morning…?"
Lin Feng shrugged.
"We'll see."
The man swallowed hard.
"What should I do…?"
"Simple," Lin Feng said.
"You stay alive until sunrise. After that, we decide your future."
The Chained Woman's chains rattled once, agreeing.
The ghost child hovered closer, watching the man like an anxious sibling.
The night didn't warm.
The sky didn't lighten yet.
But the mountain…
the mountain was awake now.
Watching.
Waiting.
Listening.
And Lin Feng—calm, confident, mildly entertained—waited right back.
---