The next few days were a blur , Liu Ying jumped in and took care of everything. The shaman's death was a blow to Yang Changtian , he fought so hard to keep the woman alive , only for her to end up dying because of a heart attack.
Because of this incident , Liu Ying and the others had to postpone their original tasks.
The attackers managed to kill around 10 people in total , amongst the victims were some older women and two people from Song Lian's group.
Liu Ying just got back from overseeing the cremation of the victims, when she heard a shrill shriek , her hawk was back. Quickly calling the hawk over , she grabbed the message from inside the tube.
Bring the things , don't tell anyone. Report back to the Capital as soon as possible.
It simply read.
Liu Ying sighed deeply , she walked over to Jin Wei and Da Xiong who was with Li Cheng.
" They wont speak , and a few of them tried to commit suicide," Jin Wei sighed..
" Make sure they don't succeed , " Li Cheng instructed them.
The three of them spotted Liu Ying coming over.
" Ms. Liu ! You're done with the cremations ? ".
Liu Ying nodded , " Yes, I left them alone to grieve. But that's not why I'm here."
The three of them waited for her to continue.
Liu Ying simply handed the letter to Jin Wei.
Jin Wei read through it, sighed and handed it to Da Xiong , who had a similar reaction. He absentmindedly passed the note to Li Cheng , but luckily realizing his mistake he quickly pulled back and handed the note back to Liu Ying.
Liu Ying turned to Li Cheng , " His Majesty ordered us to report back soon , so we'll have to speed things up . But Mr. Li , after yesterday's event I think you shouldn't remain here any longer either. "
Li Cheng nodded gravely , " I agree Ms. Liu , we'll set off as soon as we get the backup we requested ."
Liu Ying nodded back , " It'll take at least 4 more days to finish here too , hopefully the supplies will be in time for you all to depart with us or shortly after us. There's safety in numbers. Mr. Li , how is Mr. Yang now ? " .
Li Cheng shook his head grimly , " He's still a bit upset ."
Liu Ying nodded , " That's understandable , after everything we did to secure her , she got out so easily. I have something to discuss with Mr. Yang , I'm presuming he's in his tent."
Li Cheng nodded , so Liu Ying made her way over to Yang Changtian's tent.
Yang Changtian was lying on this bed , his eyes staring up at nothing , his eyebags were massive , credited to the fact that he didn't get much sleep. He was awake the whole night wondering just how that woman could die that easily , death was way too easy on such a person.
He was so preoccupied zoning out , he did not hear Liu Ying who called him for the umpteenth time.
Fearing something was wrong , she rushed into the tent , only to see Yang Changtian in a daze. She exhaled deeply and shook her head softly before walking over. She grabbed a chair and placed it next to his bed and slowly shook him by the shoulder.
Yang Changtian felt a warm hand reaching out to grab his shoulder , he then felt it shake him slightly .
Startled , he jumped and sat up straight and looked around , only spotting Liu Ying laughing at his reaction.
" Liu Ying ! You scared me , " he whined before moving to sit in a comfortable position.
Liu Ying was still laughing . But she calmed herself down quickly , " I'm sorry , I didn't expect you to react like that , besides I called you so many times, I was worried something happened."
Yang Changtian scratched his head , " I'm sorry , I didn't hear you."
Liu Ying snorted , " I can see that. You're still thinking about how that woman got away that easily huh."
Yang Changtian nodded , " That woman wasn't even punished for her crimes , and she died quite easily too."
Liu Ying sighed and reached out to squeeze Yang Changtian's shoulder again , " Yang Changtian , you do have a right to feel that way , but never forget this , regardless of us being able to persecute her or not , the natural order will take care of her. She might be dead , but I believe nature will punish her for her crimes in the afterlife. Karma and justice are present everywhere , but you should be smart enough to interpret in different ways , for it is not something simple to interpret as black or white. So now the only thing we can do is continue , we lost her , true. But we also gained other leads. "
Yang Changtian inhaled deeply and nodded , he turned his head to look straight at Liu Ying.
At times like this , she overlapped with Jingyou a lot . Right now , even their eyes looked similar , while Liu Ying's eyes were sharper and somewhat strict looking , Jingyou had softer, feline-like eyes. But right now , both of these eyes overlapped to express an emotion that Yang Changtian could only interpret as indulgence and kindness.
Yes , Yang Changtian zoned out while staring at Liu Ying. Being unable to take his burning gaze any longer , Liu Ying waved in front of him , trying to get him out of his daze.
The wave brought Yang Changtian back to Earth. He looked around, a blush creeping onto his face and then seeing the worried look on Liu Ying he blushed even more.
" Are you okay ? Liu Ying asked, worried.
Yang Changtian shook his head and then nodded , " I'm fine , I was just thinking."
Liu Ying stared at him , a complicated expression flashing across her face.
Yang Changtian reached out and patted her hand , " I'm really fine , anyways why did you want to see me ? ".
Liu Ying sighed , " I got new orders to speed up my mission and return soon. So I can't remain here for long."
Yang Changtian's expression darkened .
" So I was thinking it would be better if we speed up with the remaining tasks , and I also think it would be good if you could depart with me , or shortly after me , as this place is getting more dangerous by the second."
Yang Changtian nodded , " I agree . How many days do you have left ? ".
" For now I guess like 5 or so days ," Liu Ying answered truthfully.
" That's good then ,considering the timing, the things we requested should arrive within that time frame too , and we might actually be able to depart with you. " Yang Changtian stood up and stretched , " Well , I have to go question those assassins then. By the way , how is your wound ? " he asked, remembering about the vivid red scratch Liu Ying got from fighting the assassins.
Liu Ying turned her head and pointed to her cheek , " See for yourself , it scabbed and Dr. Lv says that it wont scar."
Yang Changtian exhaled with relief. " Where's the person who did that ? ".
" Oh , I sent him to the underworld ," Liu Ying replied nonchalantly .
Yang Changtian cracked his knuckles , the loud popping sound echoing throughout the tent , " Death was too easy on that bastard."
Liu Ying let out a small chuckle and moved closer to Yang Changtian , standing in front of him , she blinked at him slowly .
The slight upward and downward motion of her eyelashes made Yang Changtian's heart itch.
" Do not worry about that Mr. Yang , I can assure you , he didn't die that easily, " Liu Ying whispered softly while still blinking up at him slowly.
Liu Ying was good at this , she clearly noticed Yang Changtian's reaction , and she was enjoying it quite a bit , so she kept up with it , only stopping when Yang Changtian's face looked comically red.
Finally feeling content , she walked out of the tent , leaving Yang Changtian alone with his thudding heart and racing thoughts.
The next two days were a blur , Yang Changtian , Li Cheng and Lv Ling were in charge of questioning the people and since Liu Ying was almost done with the preparation of her plan , she asked Jin Wei and Da Xiong to go help them.
The questioning didn't yield any new information, most of the assailants were just underdogs , working under the instructions of their boss , and breaking the boss was going to be hard , he had already attempted suicide multiple times , each attempt was thankfully intercepted.
Li Cheng was complaining about this troublemaker , Lv Ling was nodding along while Yang Changtian was just dazing off.
Liu Ying was just coming back , she spotted them and walked over to the trio before plopping down next to Lv Ling.
" A good day I presume Ms. Liu ? " Li Cheng started.
Liu Ying nodded , " We're done with everything , we just have to put our plan in motion now."
" We aren't yielding any results over here , so we'll join you , " Yang Changtian said.
" I was actually wondering how to ask you , I'll thank you for your hard work in advance then," Liu Ying replied, smiling.
True to their word , the next morning Li Cheng and Yang Changtian were up early , waiting outside Liu Ying's tent. Liu Ying came out after a while , surprised to see them waiting for her.
After greeting each other the trio headed over to the village center , where Song Lian , Jin Wei and Da Xiong had gathered everyone.
Liu Ying stepped forward and raised her hand . Asking everything to quiet down so that she could explain the plan for today.
Song Lian was to stay behind with Li Cheng to protect the ladies , the rest would follow Liu Ying and Yang Changtian into the underground lake .
" When we're at the lake , we will divide into 3 teams , one team will be in charge of the limestones , Jin Wei , you are in charge of that team , take Mr. Zhou and Mr. Zhang with you, Tao Su will assist you with the transport of the limestone over to the cave, " Liu Ying began. " Mr. Yang , you and Mr. Mo will be in charge of mixing the peat solution into the underground lake, and we will bait the Crazies into the lake."
Yang Changtian turned to look at Liu Ying bewildered , " And who exactly is going to bait the Crazies ? " he asked sternly.
Liu Ying pretended like she didn't hear the displeasure in Yang Changtian's words.
" Da Xiong and I will act as the bait , drawing out the Crazies , " she said , her voice firm.
" I disagree , " Yang Changtian stepped forward , " It's way too dangerous for you two to do that task alone."
Liu Ying looked straight at him , an unwavering determination burning in her eyes , " Mr. Yang , in this camp , the most suitable people for this task are me and Da Xiong , and you can rest assured , we're not dumb enough to gamble knowing we would lose, " her voice was firmer , leaving no room for questions.
Yang Changtian still wanted to argue , but he was pulled back by Li Cheng , " She knows what she's doing , what she said is true , do you really think she would be dumb enough to risk their lives ? " Li Cheng asked him. And Yang Changtian could only sulk silently .
After Liu Ying finished debriefing everyone , they split into their respective groups and started to carry out her instructions.
Yang Changtian and Li Cheng walked over to Liu Ying who was chatting with Jin Wei and Da Xiong.
" Liu Ying , just how exactly are you going to bait the Crazies ? " Yang Changtian asked.
": I have a trump card , I've been hiding, " Liu Ying replied.
Li Cheng and Yang Changtian stared at her confused , waiting for her to continue .
" You see , Da Xiong has a personal skill too , " Liu Ying explained , " But his skill was not useful for us , till now. So I didn't bother to tell you . "
Li Cheng and Yang Changtian both turned to Da Xiong , who was rubbing his head , looking somewhat guilty.
" So what is your skill ? " Li Cheng urged.
" Mr. Li , I have the ability to amplify the power of spiritual objects," Da Xiong replied.
" Amplify the power of spiritual objects ? " Yang Changtian repeated, confused.
" Let me explain , He has the ability to increase the power and effect of objects that have been fed with spiritual energy , in our case , that old shaman's spiritual energy was fed into the Crazy-attracting bone charms , hence they are spiritual objects. But since their power is low , it is almost impossible for us to bait all the Crazies using them, " Liu Ying began to explain.
" So we can use Da Xiong's personal skills to increase their power ! " Li Cheng finished for her.
Liu Ying gave him a thumbs up and nodded approvingly.
" But you should at least let me join you two , it'll be easier that way."
Liu Ying shook her head , " Indeed it would be easier , but this way is the optimal method , and I refuse to change it," she said .
Yang Changtian tried a few more times to make Liu Ying change her mind . but seeing that she wasn't budging , he could only sigh and accept his role . ' I'll be ready to jump in and save her just in case ,' he thought to himself resolutely.
After gathering all the things they needed , the group departed from camp , heading toward the underground lake.
When they reached the entrance of the cave , Liu Ying looked around for a while before pulling out a map. She observed the map for a while before looking around more.
" According to the map , the entrance of the Krast window should be at the top .
" You plan to execute your plan from the top ? " Yang Changtian asked.
Liu Ying nodded , " It's safer that way , we can easily pour the peat solution and the limestones from the opening. Only Da Xiong and I have to head in to install the baits into the water . Tao Su carry the limestones up, Jin Sei and Mr. Yang , wait for my signals." she ordered while replenishing Tao Su's energy , next she turned around to enter the cave with Da Xiong.
Yang Changtian stepped forward and grabbed her wrist .
" Liu Ying , let me go inside too. I've been here before , so I can help you with the terrain." he pleaded.
Liu Ying's determination flickered for a moment but she shook her head and used her other hand to pry Yang Changtian's grip away from her wrist.
" You have to stay here and make sure everything goes smoothly , otherwise everything else would be useless, besides I have Da Xiong , he's been down there too " she replied before turning around and continuing inside the cave.
Yang Changtian watched as Liu Ying and Da Xiong disappeared into the cave.
He stayed for a while longer before walking over to Jin Wei and the others who had already started to scale the mountain .
While the path up wasn't too treacherous , it was certainly not easy , but they managed to climb the mountain in less than an hour.
The top of the mountain was flat , with a large opening in the middle. Yang Changtian walked over and peeked inside , while he couldn't see anything because of the darkness and height , he spotted the blue green hue of the lake , it was like staring into the eye of a great monster.
Meanwhile Liu Ying and Da Xiong entered the cave and scaled down the two levels before finally making their way over to the lake .
Liu Ying signaled Da Xiong to be quiet , and the two of them silently observed the surroundings . After they were done , Liu Ying motioned to a small rock island ( if you could call it an island, it was just 2 rocks jutting out of the water ) in the middle of the lake. She then signaled Da Xiong to hand the charms over to her .
She then silently leaped , landing somewhat firmly on the slippery rocks . She then opened the box filled with bone charms , placing it on the rock between her feet. She then pointed at a small rock ledge they had spotted earlier , asking Da Xiong to go there quickly.
The Crazies near her were beginning to rouse from their sleep , clearly affected by the charms , Liu Ying leapt towards to ledge herself , but seeing it was too far to make in just one jump , she used the head of a crazy who was waking up as a stepping stone to propel her upwards towards the ledge.
The ledge was also slippery , and she almost slipped when she landed on it , somehow she managed to land perfectly on a slippery rock in the middle of the water , but she almost fell back into the water if it wasn't for Da Xiong reaching out to grab her hand in time.
After steadying herself , Liu Ying nodded at Da Xiong , who nodded back and made some hand gestures , he then extended his hands , with his palms outstretched. Waves upon waves of bright orange light began to emit from his hands , flowing towards the charms like waves . When the energy waves hit the charms , they began to emit an orange light too . It was quiet for a while , but soon with a bone-chilling symphony of shrieks and groans Crazies began to pour into the cave.
Liu Ying quickly erected a small barrier around the charms , making sure to mask her true spiritual power. This type of barrier allowed the charm to be protected while still being able to attract the Crazies.
She nodded at Da Xiong . who increased the power , making the charms strong enough. The power of the charms were felt by Crazies all the way over at Song Lian's hideout .
Yang Changtian and the others were all watching this scene , the ground was even vibrating ,and small pieces of rock and other debris were breaking off the walls of the cave. Mean
while waves upon waves of Crazies rushed in , and the charms were engulfed by the wave of Crazies.
Liu Ying and Da Xiong were shocked to see the sheer amount of Crazies present, judging by their numbers , there was no way this was just the villagers ! Then they spotted some Crazies wearing guard uniforms .
" Senior … " Da Xiong whispered.
Liu Ying nodded , " General Lim's whole battalion was wiped out, " she sneered.
This very thought also crossed Yang Changtian's mind , and he clenched his hands tightly .
Liu Ying waited for a while to ensure no other Crazy was left , and seeing no one else coming in , she grabbed one of the fireworks she brought into the cave , she aimed at the entrance of the Krast window before firing it.
The dark cave was filled with a bright white light ; this was the first signal !.