Chapter Fifty-Four: Sound Without Form

The vines tightened more and more around my body. Suddenly, my left hand was squeezed; my palm loosened, and the flashlight slipped from my grasp. Damn it, it’s tangled around my hand! The flashlight landed at the edge of the pit, its beam illuminating a certain direction. I desperately tried to move my right hand to grab it, but my right hand was abruptly bound as well, all five fingers trapped by the vines.

With my limbs restrained, unable to move or make a sound, I was truly like a fish on the chopping block, powerless against whatever came next.

The vegetation around me seemed to shudder, emitting a rustling sound as a dense chorus of vines slithered out from the woods, winding forward like serpentine creatures, crawling toward the earthen mound that rattled with a dreadful clatter.

“Mmm! Mmm!” I tried to cry out with all my might. Oh heavens! Someone, please help me! Even if I must die, I won’t accept such a bizarre, senseless end!

The mound shook more violently; I could almost hear it cracking open. The vines around me writhed even faster, some even shooting through the air with a sharp whooshing, as if something inside the mound was summoning them.

Everything was spiraling toward disaster. The vines around me grew tighter, threatening to crush me alive. It seemed Heaven was deaf to my silent screaming.

The vines crept over my head, wrapped around my face, leaving only my eyes barely able to see the surroundings—but even that would soon be taken from me.

Now I finally understood why Old Ma was so reluctant to take on that business with the Wei kid. It truly was a mess, one calamity following another, each step closer to death. Now, it was my turn.

Suddenly, a figure appeared within the reach of the flashlight’s beam, striding toward me. In my despair, hope flared anew! Maybe Heaven had heard me after all. Maybe my fate wasn’t so cruel!

I struggled frantically, making muffled noises, trying to catch the attention of the stranger.

The flashlight’s beam was weak, only outlining a silhouette in the distance. I couldn’t make out the face, but the person was tall and upright, walking confidently amid the flying, writhing vines. With a casual wave of his hand, the airborne vines collapsed to the ground! The crawling ones slithered away from his feet.

The night wind swept his long trench coat, lending him an air of unassailable power and elegance. Unlike Zhuang Xingrui’s pretentious arrogance, this man possessed a true, transcendent pride.

As he drew closer, I saw an unfamiliar yet strikingly handsome face—noble features, eyes bright as stars, the type who could outshine even the most celebrated beauties… No, that’s not right. In short: breathtakingly handsome! In all my years, I had never seen such an undeniable paragon.

He strode over to me, and my heart soared. It was as though Heaven itself had dispatched a savior.

He stopped at the edge of the pit, knelt down, picked up the fallen flashlight, and reached out to tear the vines from my face. The moment his hand touched the vines, they went limp, losing all strength, so I felt no pain.

I was nearly moved to tears. Just as I was about to speak, he examined my face with a look of suspicion, then frowned and muttered, “What is this? Not a child?”

With that, he stood, flashlight in hand, and turned to leave. Just like that… gone…

“Hey! Wait, brother! At least help me out before you go!” I yelled in a panic.

He turned back, perhaps thinking it wouldn’t hurt to help, then returned, crouched down, and casually brushed away the vines on my body. All at once, they lost their grip and drooped limply.

I quickly pulled the vines off and clambered out of the pit.

He was even taller than I’d thought. I considered myself tall at six feet, yet he still stood half a head above me.

“Who are you?” he asked.

I wanted to ask the same. How did this guy end up here? I’d never seen him in Huang Wenyang’s village, nor had I spotted anyone on the way over. Where did he come from?

Boom! A thunderous noise erupted at my side. I whipped around to see the mound split wide open!

A slithering sound came from within, but I saw nothing emerge.

The flashlight suddenly went out. The man in the trench coat crouched down, and I hurried to do the same.

In the pitch-black, faint sounds echoed—footsteps, or maybe dragging, but something was definitely moving. The man was utterly silent, blending into the darkness. I held my breath, not daring to make a sound.

The mysterious noises circled around us, coming and going, unnervingly light—there was no weight, no impact, as if the thing had no real body at all!

Earlier, I’d heard sounds but seen nothing crawl out. What on earth was it?

The noises drifted closer and farther, roaming unpredictably. I barely dared to breathe, keeping an eye on the man beside me; given how he’d almost left before, I couldn’t trust he’d stay. If he slipped away, I’d be right back where I started.

Suddenly, the sound grew sharp, like a gust of wind darting decisively in one direction. Then came a violent crash—someone leaped out from the trees! The creature had discovered someone hiding there!

Who could it be? Unless there was some unforeseen accident, there should be three others in these woods: Old Ma, dead; Huang Wenyang, unconscious; and Su Feiyong, watching over him. Was it Su Feiyong? Instinct said no.

The person darted rapidly through the underbrush, clearly trying to evade that unseen, intangible thing. The quick movements proved their agility—and that the threat was formidable.

It was obviously not easy to deal with; the person could only dodge, unable to fight back. At this rate, it would be over soon. I could barely manage myself, let alone help. The man in the trench coat remained hidden, showing no intention of intervening.

A heavy thud sounded against a tree, followed by pained coughing. I shuddered—it was Master Wei!

The chase continued; Master Wei struggled to evade, but soon, amid a swirl of dust and gravel, he coughed again, this time more violently—he must have vomited blood!

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