Chapter 36, first part, Rescuing a Princess

Chapter 36: 36, first part, Rescuing a Princess

Chapter 36 Rescuing a Princess

The moon illuminated the night as Yun Che let out a sigh. Five days had already passed since he entered the Ancient Flower Secret Realm, and his only companions during that time had been his undead.

During those five days, he and his five undead had advanced through the forest, carefully exploring the region, but unfortunately, they had not found any trace of the other disciples.

However, despite having covered a considerable distance, Yun Che had already gathered a great deal of information about the secret realm.

That night, Yun Che was sitting beside a tree, silently observing the forest as he pondered.

It had been some time since the system had assigned him a mission. He was beginning to wonder whether the system had taken a few days off, but that was also fine. He was apparently lost in the forest anyway. ℯℯ𝑙.

Coming back to himself, he looked ahead, where his five subordinates stood. Eryon the Lich remained motionless, leaning against his bone staff.

Valeria the Vampire stood several meters away, her ruby-red eyes observing the darkness.

Kael the Revenant remained with his arms crossed over his chest.

Nefraya the Mummy was partially wrapped in her own bandages, while some of them moved slowly in the wind.

Morcant the Soul Devourer remained silent, his completely black eyes fixed on the forest.

"Valeria." Yun Che called out, and the vampire immediately raised her head.

"Yes, my master. What do you desire?"

Yun Che looked toward the forest.

"Explore this region and gather whatever information you can."

In response, Valeria elegantly bowed her head.

"I understand, my master. You wish me to discover the nature of this territory, locate possible groups of cultivators, and identify any event that may be important to us."

"Exactly," Yun Che said, thinking for a moment before continuing.

"Look for any signs of local inhabitants. If you find camps, villages, groups of cultivators, or any conflicts, observe them first. I do not want you to attack without necessity."

A delicate smile appeared on Valeria’s lips.

"As you command, my master. I will not rest until I obtain the information you requested. If we encounter any conflict, I will observe their numbers, behavior, apparent strength, and direction of movement."

Yun Che nodded slightly in response before speaking again.

"Do whatever is necessary to return safely. Try not to be discovered if you find anyone."

Valeria placed one hand over her chest as a sign of respect.

"You need not worry, my master. The night is the territory of my race. As long as the stars remain in the sky and darkness covers this forest, it will be exceedingly difficult for anyone to discover my presence before I discover theirs."

The next instant, Valeria the Vampire’s body began to transform. Her arms became small bat wings, and eventually, her entire body transformed into small black creatures.

Hundreds of bats spread throughout the forest. Valeria the Vampire had completely disappeared into the darkness.

Yun Che remained seated in the company of the other four, who said nothing, and the night continued to pass silently.

After some time, small bats began returning one after another, disappearing into the darkness.

Before Yun Che, dozens of bats began gathering together. The black mass slowly condensed, forming Valeria’s body once again.

She landed elegantly before her master and calmly adjusted her clothes. Yun Che merely looked at her.

"Did you find anything?"

"Yes, my master."

Yun Che slightly raised an eyebrow in anticipation.

"Did you find any cultivators or local inhabitants?"

"I did not find any cultivators, but I found something else."

Valeria approached several steps.

"During my exploration, I found clear signs of a battle. It was not a small confrontation between wild creatures. It was a battle between organized groups."

Yun Che became more attentive.

"Local inhabitants?"

"Yes, master. Apparently, there were three different races."

Valeria raised one finger.

"Medusas, Lizardmen, and Beastmen."

Kael the Revenant slowly opened his eyes.

"Three races involved in a single conflict..."

Kael the Revenant’s voice was deep and controlled.

"Then we are not dealing with a simple territorial dispute. If different intelligent races are fighting against one another, there must certainly be a reason behind it."

Valeria nodded.

"That is precisely my conclusion."

Yun Che asked:

"Who was attacking whom in this conflict?"

Valeria answered:

"I cannot say exactly. There were bodies from all three races scattered across the ground."

Eryon the Lich slowly raised his head. Valeria looked toward Eryon the Lich, while Yun Che slightly furrowed his brow.

Valeria paused briefly.

"I found several bodies, and apparently, it was a violent battle. From what I was able to observe, the Medusas tried to resist, but they were at a numerical disadvantage, judging by the number and arrangement of the corpses."

Yun Che stood up.

"Show us the way. I need to observe it and draw my own conclusions."

Valeria bowed her head.

"Naturally, my master."

Yun Che looked at the others.

"Let’s investigate."

Eryon the Lich firmly gripped his staff.

"It will be a sensible decision. A recent battlefield can provide more information than several days of random exploration."

Kael the Revenant slowly clenched his fists.

"If there are survivors, we can interrogate them. If there are none..."

Kael the Revenant’s eyes became cold.

"...the dead may be even more useful in revealing secrets."

Morcant the Soul Devourer raised his head.

"If souls remain in this place, I may be able to discover what the dead witnessed before their deaths."

Yun Che looked at Morcant the Soul Devourer.

"Of course. We will do that."

The six began advancing through the darkness. Except for Yun Che, who was not undead, all of them possessed some form of night vision. The journey took some time.

Valeria the Vampire led the group through the forest.

Her nocturnal senses allowed her to recognize the path she had traveled earlier.

The farther they advanced, the more obvious the signs of the battle became. Along the way, they found several broken trees and deep marks in the ground.

Yun Che found stains of blood along the path until they finally arrived at what had once been the battlefield.

There were corpses scattered throughout the entire area. Some belonged to Medusas, others to Lizardmen, and there were also corpses of Beastmen.

The forest had been completely destroyed in that area. The trees were broken, and stones had been shattered.

The ground was covered with marks left by techniques and weapons. Yun Che remained motionless.

"It was quite a large battle."

Eryon the Lich approached one of the corpses, knelt down, and examined its wounds before looking at another body. Some corpses had been petrified, others pierced, cut, or crushed.

"Apparently, the attackers were the Lizardmen and Beastmen, and they possessed a numerical advantage."

Kael the Revenant walked several meters away and knelt down, touching a deep mark left in the ground.

"They retreated."

Yun Che looked at him.

"How do you know?"

Kael the Revenant pointed toward the ground.

"These marks do not belong to those who died here. They are marks of heavy movement heading north."

Eryon the Lich approached.

"I agree."

The Lich carefully observed the area.

"There are tracks from many individuals. However, the most interesting thing is that the tracks do not indicate a disorganized escape. The group departed in a relatively orderly manner."

Nefraya the Mummy approached one of the corpses, her bandages moving slowly.

"There are signs of restraint on this body."

Yun Che looked at her.

"Restraint?"

Nefraya the Mummy pointed toward the corpse.

"Yes, my master. Observe the wrists."

Yun Che approached.

There were deep marks on the creature’s arms. Nefraya continued:

"These marks were not caused during the battle. Someone tied this creature up."

Yun Che became thoughtful. Meanwhile, Morcant the Soul Devourer slowly opened the fissure in the center of his chest, revealing a ghostly mouth.

A black energy began to spread.

"Master."

Yun Che turned around, emerging from his deep thoughts.

"Yes?"