Xu Yang came over and crouched beside Chen Yu. "What did you find?" Chen Yu brushed the dust from an old wooden box and took out a thin bundle of yellowed records. The paper was stiff with age, and a few dried drops of blood stained the first page. He opened it slowly, careful not to tear it. "These records are from about thirty years ago." Lin Chen moved closer. "What are they about?" Chen Yu lowered his eyes to the page. "There is a name here. Rao Jin." Xu Yang looked at him. "Who is Rao Jin?" Lin Chen frowned as well. "I have never heard that name."
Chen Yu shook his head. "Neither have I. But this record mentions him several times." Hei Long, who had been standing near the doorway, suddenly went quiet. His eyes stayed on the old page. Chen Yu noticed the change but did not comment. He continued reading. "Rao Jin was brought to this place before his execution." Lin Chen's expression changed. "Execution? Why?" Chen Yu turned the page. "It does not say what crime he committed. Only that he was considered dangerous and was kept here under guard before being taken away."
Xu Yang looked around the room. "Here?" Chen Yu nodded. "This exact place." The group fell silent for a moment. Even Qing Li turned from the other side of the room and looked toward Chen Yu. "What happened that night?" Chen Yu ran his finger down the page. "The record says the rain began after midnight." Xu Yang's ears lifted slightly. "Red rain?" Chen Yu looked up. "Yes." Hei Long's fingers slowly tightened around his sleeve. Yan Luo noticed and glanced at him, but Hei Long only shook his head.
Chen Yu continued reading. "The rain was unlike anything they had seen before. It stained the ground red, and soon after it began, several demons inside the structure became violent." Lin Chen looked toward the dark jars scattered across the floor. "They attacked each other?" "Some did. Others attacked the guards. A few simply stood there as if they had forgotten where they were." Chen Yu paused and turned another page. "But Rao Jin remained calm." Xu Yang frowned. "He wasn't affected?" "Apparently not." Chen Yu's eyes moved across the faded lines. "The record says he seemed to understand what was happening. He warned the guards to leave before the rain became heavier."
Lin Chen stared at him. "And they listened?" Chen Yu gave a small shake of his head. "No. They thought he was trying to frighten them so he could escape." A quiet breath left Lin Chen. "Then what happened?" Chen Yu's fingers stopped at the next line. "Several demons were found dead after the rain stopped. The others had no memory of what they had done." Xu Yang's expression slowly became serious. He glanced at Hei Long. "Just like him." Hei Long lowered his eyes. "I remember the rain," he said quietly. "But there are parts I still cannot remember." Chen Yu looked at him, then back at the record. "There is another detail." He turned the page carefully. "Rao Jin already had a red mark on his body before the rain began."
Xu Yang immediately looked up. "Before?" Chen Yu nodded. "The guards noticed it when he was brought here." Lin Chen stepped closer. "Then the rain didn't give him the mark." "It seems not." Chen Yu looked down at the damaged writing. "It says the mark had appeared several days earlier." Xu Yang glanced at Hei Long's arm. "But Hei Long's appeared after the rain." Hei Long slowly pulled his sleeve over the mark. "I never had it before." No one spoke for a moment. Xu Yang stared at the old record, his thoughts moving back to everything they had seen. "Then maybe the rain doesn't create the mark."
Chen Yu looked at him. Xu Yang's voice became quieter. "Maybe it wakes something that was already inside them." Lin Chen's face tightened. "Something inside the demons?" Xu Yang nodded slowly. "Something they don't even know is there." Qing Li's expression became colder as he looked toward the dark passage. "Then Rao Jin may have known about it before anyone else." Chen Yu looked back at the record. "That may be why they were afraid of him." He turned another page, but the paper had been badly damaged. Several lines had been scratched away, leaving deep cuts across the page. Chen Yu frowned and carefully held it closer to the light. "Someone removed part of this." Wei Han stepped closer. "Can you still read it?" "Only a little." Chen Yu brushed his thumb over the broken lines. "There is something about Rao Jin's final warning."
Everyone became still. Chen Yu read the remaining words slowly. "One day, you'll all see what you really are." The words seemed to linger in the room. Hei Long's breathing changed slightly, and his hand closed around his sleeve again. Yan Luo looked at him but said nothing. Lin Chen looked at Chen Yu. "What happened to Rao Jin after that?" Chen Yu lowered the record. "They took him away and executed him." Xu Yang stared at the bloodstained page. "And it's still raining." Chen Yu nodded. "And now someone else has the same mark."
Xu Yang looked at the bloodstained record for a moment longer before Chen Yu folded it and placed it beside him. Su Yuan moved toward the far wall, where thick vines had covered most of the old stone. He reached out and pulled one aside, sending a little dust to the floor. His hand stopped when he saw something beneath it. "There are carvings here." Wei Han turned and walked over. Su Yuan crouched down and began pulling away the vines, revealing several small figures carved into the stone.
Lin Chen came closer and lowered himself beside him. "These are demons." Su Yuan cleared another section of the wall. More carvings appeared, each one showing a different demon with the same strange mark on its body. Some of the marks had been crossed out with deep lines. Xu Yang crouched beside them and looked carefully along the wall. "Every one of them has the same mark." Chen Yu moved closer and studied the carvings. "Look at the way they are arranged." The first few demons stood normally, their faces calm and their bodies straight.
Wei Han followed the row with his eyes. "The demons are shown in different stages." He pointed toward the first group. "Some are standing normally." His hand moved farther along the wall. "Others are shown with blank faces and glowing eyes." Lin Chen's expression slowly changed as he looked at the carvings. Several demons were lying on the ground, their bodies twisted and still. "And those?" Wei Han looked at them for a moment before answering. "They are at the end." Xu Yang leaned closer. The same mark was carved on every demon, from the first figure to the last. His fingers curled slightly against his knee. "Every demon has the same mark."
Hei Long had been standing a short distance away.He stepped closer and looked at the carvings in silence.His eyes moved slowly from one figure to another before he asked, "Who made these?" No one answered. Chen Yu ran his fingers along the stone beside the carvings, searching for a name or seal, but found nothing. Qing Li glanced toward the wall from the other side of the room. "There is nothing here." Hei Long remained silent, still staring at the figures. Su Yuan pulled away another thick vine near the center of the wall. A different carving appeared beneath it. This one showed a single demon standing beneath several long lines carved from above, like falling rain. Xu Yang's eyes stopped on the figure.
He leaned closer, then slowly looked toward Hei Long. "That looks like you." Hei Long turned toward him. Xu Yang pointed at the carving. "The way you were standing when the red rain came." Hei Long stepped closer. For a moment, he said nothing. His face became pale as he studied the stone figure. "I remember that." Yan Luo looked at him. "What do you remember?" Hei Long's fingers tightened around his sleeve. "I was standing there." He looked at the carving again. "Under the red rain." Xu Yang watched his expression carefully.
Hei Long's breathing became slower, as if he was trying to hold back another memory. "I could see everything around me, but I couldn't move." Yan Luo remained quiet, his eyes fixed on him. "And then?" Hei Long lowered his gaze. "I don't remember." Lin Chen looked back at the carvings, his hand resting near his weapon. "Then these carvings may be showing what happened to the others." Chen Yu nodded slightly and moved farther along the wall. "There may be more." He brushed away dirt beneath the final row and suddenly stopped. "There is writing here." Su Yuan crouched beside him while Chen Yu carefully cleared the remaining dust.
A thin line of old writing appeared beneath the carvings, but much of it had been damaged. Chen Yu narrowed his eyes and traced the surviving words with his finger. "Only a few words can still be read." Lin Chen leaned closer. "What does it say?" Chen Yu read slowly, "When the red rain falls..." He stopped where the writing had been scratched away. Su Yuan looked at the damaged stone. "That's all?" Chen Yu nodded. "The rest is gone." Xu Yang stared at the broken sentence and then at the carvings above it. The first demons were standing normally.
The later ones had empty faces and strange eyes. The last ones lay motionless on the ground. "Maybe the missing words told them what would happen next." Wei Han looked at the same carvings. "Or what happens to the demons." Hei Long remained in front of the figure beneath the rain. His eyes did not leave it. "Whoever made this knew about the mark." Chen Yu looked at him, then at the old record in his hand. "And perhaps they knew about the red rain too."Xu Yang looked once more at the words carved beneath the wall. "When the red rain falls..." He repeated the unfinished line.
Chen Yu brushed the dirt from his sleeve and stood up. "We should leave before it gets any darker." Lin Chen looked toward the broken doorway. The forest outside was already covered in a thin gray mist. "Agreed. We have been here long enough." Su Yuan pulled the last vine away from the wall and looked at the carvings one more time before standing. Wei Han glanced at him. "Did you find anything else?" Su Yuan shook his head. "Nothing useful." Chen Yu folded the old record and put it inside his robe. "Then let's take what we have and go back to the inn."
The red rain had stopped, leaving the leaves wet.They followed the narrow path back toward the inn, stepping around the roots and broken branches scattered across the ground. The mist had grown thicker between the trees, making the figures ahead appear and disappear whenever they passed behind the trunks. Lin Chen walked beside Xu Yang for a while without saying anything. Then he glanced sideways and noticed Xu Yang staring at the ground. "You have been quiet." Xu Yang looked up. "I'm thinking."
Lin Chen raised an eyebrow. "That's dangerous." Xu Yang gave him a look. "What does that mean?" "Usually when you think this much, we end up finding something we really didn't want to find." Xu Yang stared at him for a moment before looking away. "That's not my fault." "I didn't say it was." Lin Chen stepped over a fallen branch and waited for Xu Yang to catch up. "So? What are you thinking about?" Xu Yang lowered his voice. "The mark appeared on Rao Jin before the rain. Hei Long's appeared after it. Then we find carvings showing demons with the same mark."
Lin Chen's smile faded. He pushed a wet branch aside so Xu Yang could pass. "You think this happened before." "I think we already know it did." Xu Yang glanced back toward the dark forest behind them. "I just don't like how closely it matches what happened to Hei Long." Lin Chen was quiet for a few steps. Then he nudged a loose stone off the path with his boot. "Neither do I." Xu Yang looked at him. "You sound worried." "I am." Lin Chen gave him a sideways glance. "I'm just trying not to look like it." Xu Yang's ears twitched slightly. "You're not very good at that." Lin Chen let out a quiet laugh. "Neither are you."
A few steps ahead, Chen Yu slowed down when he heard them. He turned slightly. "That is why we need to find out what happened here thirty years ago." He looked toward the path ahead. "The carvings and the record may be connected." Qing Li walked a little farther to the side, keeping an eye on the trees. "If the records were deliberately damaged, someone did not want the truth to remain." He brushed a hanging branch away from his shoulder. "There may still be something nearby." Chen Yu nodded. "And whoever left those carvings may have left something else behind." Lin Chen looked around the quiet forest. "Let's hope they left it somewhere that isn't trying to kill us."
Xu Yang almost laughed, but stopped himself when a branch suddenly cracked somewhere in the distance. Everyone turned toward the sound. Nothing moved between the trees. Xu Yang slowly looked back at Lin Chen. "You had to say that, didn't you?" Lin Chen stared into the forest for another moment before answering, "I was trying to make you laugh." Xu Yang blinked. "Well, it didn't work." "It almost did." "It really didn't." Lin Chen smiled faintly and continued walking. "Fine. Next time I'll say something more cheerful." Xu Yang followed him, muttering, "Please don't."
They had almost reached the wider path when a few drops of rain suddenly fell through the trees. Everyone stopped at once. Yan Luo looked up, his eyes narrowing at the dark clouds.Lin Chen stepped closer to Xu Yang and looked at the ground. "Don't tell me it's starting again." Xu Yang's ears lowered. His heart jumped as he stared at the drops on the leaves, waiting for them to turn red. "Wait..." Chen Yu held out his hand and caught one. He looked at it for a moment, then relaxed. "It's normal rain." Lin Chen looked at his hand. "Are you sure?" Chen Yu gave a small nod. "Yes."
Another drop landed on Xu Yang's sleeve. He looked down and saw only a small wet spot. He quietly let out the breath he had been holding. "Thank goodness." Qing Li lowered his hand from his weapon. "You were all ready to run." Xu Yang glanced at him. "After what happened before, can you blame me?" Lin Chen gave a short laugh. "No. I was ready too." A few more drops fell, but the rain soon stopped. Yan Luo looked toward the path ahead. "Let's go before it starts again." Xu Yang nodded. "Good. I want to get back to the inn." They started walking, but after a few steps Xu Yang noticed that no one was following behind them. He stopped and looked back. Hei Long was still standing a few steps behind them.
Everyone else had started walking, but he had not moved. His head was slightly lowered, and he was staring into the forest. Xu Yang stopped and looked back. "Hei Long?" Hei Long did not answer. Xu Yang walked back toward him. "Hei Long?" Hei Long slowly raised his head and looked at him, but his eyes seemed unfocused. He blinked a few times. The trees in front of him slowly became unclear. The voices around him faded, and for a moment, he could not hear anything clearly. Then the forest in front of him changed. A dark room appeared. Someone was breathing heavily nearby. Hei Long turned toward the sound, but before he could see anything, a scream suddenly rang through the room. His body stiffened.
The next moment, the room was gone and forest appeared again. Hei Long took a sharp breath and stepped back, holding his head. Xu Yang quickly came over. "What happened?" Hei Long kept his eyes closed for a moment. "Nothing." Yan Luo came closer. "You almost fell." Hei Long lowered his hand and stood straight. "I'm fine." He sounded calm, but there was confusion in his eyes. Xu Yang looked at him, then noticed a faint red glow under his sleeve. "Your arm." Hei Long looked down. The mark was glowing faintly. His expression changed, and he quickly covered it with his sleeve. "It's nothing." "It wasn't glowing before."Xu Yang said.
Hei Long did not reply. He looked toward the forest again, trying to remember what he had just seen. He took one step forward, but suddenly stopped. His hand went back to his head. "Wait..." Yan Luo caught his arm. "Don't move." Hei Long closed his eyes as the pain returned. This time, the darkness came again, but the image was clearer. The forest disappeared. He was back inside the dark room. Several people were standing around someone. A man stood in the middle with heavy chains around his wrists. His clothes were torn, and there were wounds on his face and arms. But he was still standing. Hei Long stared at him. The man's face slowly became clear. He tried to look at the people around him, but their faces were hidden in the darkness. One of them moved, and Hei Long tried to see who it was. Before he could, the scene disappeared. Hei Long opened his eyes and stepped back. Yan Luo caught his shoulder. "Hei Long." Hei Long stood there breathing heavily. Xu Yang moved closer. "What did you see?"
Hei Long swallowed and looked toward the dark trees. His fingers trembled slightly before he forced them still. "I saw a room." Everyone looked at him. Xu Yang stepped closer. "What did you see in the room?" Hei Long frowned, trying to hold on to the fading image. He rubbed his temple once, then lowered his hand. "I... saw someone." He paused. "Who?" Lin Chen asked. Hei Long looked at him for a moment. "A man." His fingers tightened once. "He had chains around his wrists." Lin Chen's expression turned serious. He glanced briefly at the others before asking, "What did he look like?" Hei Long shook his head. "I don't know." "You couldn't see his face?" "No." His gaze dropped to the wet ground. "I tried, but it was too dark."
Xu Yang watched him carefully. "What else do you remember?" Hei Long was quiet for a moment. Somewhere behind them, water dripped from the leaves. "The chains." His voice dropped. "I could hear them when he moved." He looked toward the trees again. "And someone was screaming." Lin Chen's hand slowly fell from the hilt at his side. No one spoke for a moment. Hei Long lowered his eyes. "That's all I remember."They decided to leave and discuss everything at the inn. The group turned back toward the main path. They had only walked for a few minutes when Hei Long suddenly stopped. His body went stiff. The forest in front of him faded, and the dark room appeared again. He stood in the middle of the room, staring at the five bodies on the floor. Blood covered the stones around them.One body lay face down near the wall. Another was on its side, one hand stretched across the floor. The other three were lying farther away.
Hei Long took a slow step forward. His foot touched something wet. He looked down and saw blood around his boot. He quickly moved his foot back. "Where am I?!" he asked, his voice shaking. He looked around the room. "What is this place?" No one answered. He looked toward the far end of the room. Rao Jin stood in chains. His wrists were tied, and blood ran down one side of his face. Hei Long stared at him. "Are you Rao Jin...?" Rao Jin did not move. A sudden scream came from somewhere behind him. "Don't let him speak!" Hei Long turned at once.
There was no one there. He looked around again, but the room was empty except for the bodies and Rao Jin. Then he heard a faint scratching sound. Hei Long lowered his eyes. One of the bodies had moved. Its fingers slowly dragged across the stone. Hei Long stepped back, but then stopped. He looked at the body again. "Are you alive?" His voice was barely above a whisper. The body did not answer. Hei Long moved closer. He bent down and reached toward its shoulder. Just before his hand touched it, the body suddenly went still. Hei Long pulled his hand back. A loud chain sound came from behind him. Clang. He turned. Rao Jin had lifted his head. His eyes were fixed on Hei Long. Hei Long took a step back.
Rao Jin's lips moved. No sound came out. "What are you trying to say?" Hei Long stepped closer despite himself. Rao Jin moved his lips again. Hei Long could not hear him, but he could tell Rao Jin was trying to warn him. He moved another step forward. The chains suddenly pulled tight. Rao Jin's body jerked against them. Hei Long stopped. Then the five bodies on the floor suddenly disappeared into the darkness. Hei Long turned toward them. Nothing was there. When he looked back, Rao Jin was gone too. The room was completely empty. Hei Long stood frozen for a moment. Then everything went black.
For a moment, Hei Long could not see or hear anything. Then a voice came from the darkness. It sounded scared and weak. "If he speaks, the truth will return..." The voice faded away. Hei Long turned toward it. "Who are you?" he called, but there was no answer. The darkness closed in around him. Then the vision suddenly disappeared. Hei Long stumbled and nearly fell. Xu Yang quickly caught his arm and held him steady.
"Hei Long!" Xu Yang called. Hei Long looked up quickly. "What happened? Are you okay?" Lin Chen stepped closer.
Yan Luo stayed beside him, watching Hei Long carefully. Wei Han came over and looked at the faint red mark on Hei Long's arm. Su Yuan moved to his other side and helped steady him when his legs almost gave way again. "You were standing there without moving," Su Yuan said quietly. "Then you suddenly fell." Hei Long looked at them one by one. His face was pale, and he seemed to have trouble finding the words. Xu Yang still held his arm. "What did you see this time?" Hei Long lowered his eyes for a moment. "The room..." he said. "It was the same room."
Wei Han looked at him. "And the bodies?" Hei Long nodded. "They were lying on the floor. There was blood everywhere." Su Yuan looked at him. "Did you see their faces?" "No." Hei Long shook his head. "I couldn't see them." He paused and glanced toward the forest. "But someone was there." Xu Yang frowned. "Who?" Hei Long's eyes became distant. "Rao Jin." No one spoke. Lin Chen looked at him carefully. "You're sure?" Hei Long nodded. "He was standing at the end of the room. His wrists were in chains. He was looking hurt."
Wei Han's gaze grew serious. "Did he say anything?" "I couldn't hear him." Hei Long looked down at his arm. "He tried to speak." Su Yuan glanced at Wei Han, then asked, "What about the voice?" Hei Long was quiet for a moment. "Someone shouted from the darkness." Xu Yang looked at him. "What did they say?" Hei Long's fingers tightened. "They said..." He stopped for a moment. "If he speaks, the truth will return." Xu Yang frowned. "The truth?" Hei Long shook his head. "I don't know what it means." Wei Han looked back toward the old stone structure. "Maybe Rao Jin knew something they didn't want anyone to hear."
Su Yuan looked at the mark on Hei Long's arm. "And that may be connected to the mark." Xu Yang glanced at the faint red glow beneath Hei Long's skin. So it really wasn't just a strange mark. It had appeared after the red rain, but Rao Jin had already carried the same mark before it. Then what had happened to him? ...Hei Long pulled his sleeve over the mark. "We need to find out what happened here thirty years ago."