OBS Chapter 25: The Alluring Incense Burns
Chapter 25: The Alluring Incense Burns
As the last rays of the setting sun faded, Blackstone Town was swallowed by the inky night. The wind rustled through the alleys, carrying withered leaves, adding to the eeriness of the night. Ordinary households had long since bolted their doors, not daring to light candles on their windows, leaving only dim, flickering lights. Only the shadows in the darkness, darker than the night itself, lay silently, their breaths barely audible.
Uncle Zhang, clutching a gleaming, sharpened wood-chopping knife, hid behind the old locust tree in the west alley. The bark was rough and painful to the touch, but his palms were sweaty and sticky against the hilt. This knife had been used for chopping wood for half his life, but today it would be used to shed the blood of a demon. His old heart pounded like a drum, the sound so intense it hurt his eardrums. Not far away, Butcher Li, his muscular back bare, a thick hemp rope soaked in pig's blood wrapped around his waist, held a butcher's knife that gleamed coldly in the hazy moonlight. He was used to yelling and shouting when slaughtering pigs, but now he pursed his lips, his eyes wide, watching the commotion at the street corner, not daring to even swallow.
Widow Liu stood guard behind the door of her general store, her ear pressed tightly against the cool door panel. Her only thought was of her youngest son inside. She clutched the concealment talisman given to her by Miss Zhang Su; the warm paper steadied her trembling hands. Shi Hu, with twenty-three brothers, was scattered near the mass grave at the east end of town. Each held a sharpened bamboo spear, the tips coated with a dark, medicinal substance—specially prepared by Su Qingyao at Lin Yan's request, said to be able to pierce the skin of demon wolves. There were also scattered spies—peddlers carrying empty loads, idlers squatting against walls smoking pipes—all with eyes as bright as owls, waiting for the signal from Canglang Mountain.
This signal—whether it's life or death—will determine everything tonight.
The cellar entrance was covered by a thick bluestone slab, with some withered grass piled up beside it. Without close inspection, one would hardly notice anything amiss. Inside the cellar beneath the slab, however, a small glass lamp shone, its pale blue light casting the shadows of Lin Yan and Su Qingyao onto the stone wall, their lengths shifting.
Lin Yan was bending down to fasten his belt, the specially made fire-starting tube strapped to his waist, heavy and cumbersome. Today he wore a gray-black short jacket, the cuffs and trouser legs tightly bound, revealing his wrists, where the veins throbbed faintly. After a day of recuperation, the wound on his chest, inflicted by the demon wolf's claws yesterday, had scabbed over and healed, leaving only a faint red mark, which was now slightly warm, as if a small flame was burning underneath, even making the true energy in his meridians more active—a sign of the peak of body tempering, each flow giving his entire body a sense of relaxed power.
"Have you checked everything?" He looked up at Su Qingyao, his voice low but steady.
Su Qingyao, who was looking down at her small apricot-yellow leather pouch, looked up at the words, her eyes reflecting the light of the glass lamp, shining like pearls immersed in water. She had changed her usual pink dress into a more practical moon-white short jacket, her hair held back with a wooden hairpin, revealing her smooth forehead, giving her a more spirited air than usual. "I checked it three times, Brother Lin, don't worry." She patted the pouch, the contents rattling softly. "The three portions of the Berserk Powder are all wrapped in oiled paper, the Transcendent Talisman is on top, it'll ignite at a touch. The delay mechanism for the Demon-Attracting Incense is also set; at midnight, all three will definitely ignite simultaneously, within ten breaths."
Lin Yan nodded, raised his hand to stretch his shoulders, and his joints made a slight cracking sound. "It's almost time. If we're any later, we might miss the appointed time." As he spoke, he reached out and pushed open a crack in the bluestone slab at the entrance of the cellar, letting in a cold wind that carried the dampness of the mountain forest.
Without another word, Su Qingyao crouched down and slipped out first, followed closely by Lin Yan. He covered the bluestone slab with his backhand, then gathered some withered grass on top, blending it seamlessly with the surrounding scenery. The night was as dark as ink, and their figures shrank into the darkness, like drops of water merging into the sea, silently heading towards Canglang Mountain.
They traveled extremely fast. Lin Yan barely touched the ground with his toes, using only a slight push to propel himself several meters forward. His true essence flowed through his meridians, requiring only minimal effort, yet he was more than 30% faster than usual. Su Qingyao's movements were even more exquisite. Stepping on the ground covered with fallen leaves, she didn't even disturb a single leaf. Although her cultivation was inferior to Lin Yan's, she closely followed behind him, and soon they arrived at the foot of Canglang Mountain.
Unlike last night, the forest was eerily quiet tonight. Even in the dead of night, the sounds of insects and birds would rise and fall, but now not a single chirp could be heard. Only the occasional rustling of the wind through the treetops sounded like something lurking in the shadows. A heavy, oppressive atmosphere hung in the air, making each breath feel suffocating. Even the surrounding trees seemed tense, their branches stretching out askew like menacing ghosts.
"Be careful." Lin Yan lowered his voice, his breath close to Su Qingyao's ear, slightly warm. "The air in these mountains isn't right."
Su Qingyao nodded, her right hand already reaching for the short sword at her waist. A small pearl was embedded in the scabbard, gleaming faintly in the darkness. She paused, listening intently. Apart from the sound of the wind, there was no other noise, yet the unease in her heart grew stronger, surging up like a tide.
The two climbed up the same route they had taken the night before. The soft crunch of each pebble beneath their feet sent a shiver down their spines. Strangely, not a single demon wolf, which usually patrolled so frequently, was tonight. Those once-arrogant beasts seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving only faint, scattered paw prints on the ground, long since blurred by the wind.
"Something seems to have happened at the wolf's den." Su Qingyao's voice was extremely low, almost blending into the wind. "Last night we disturbed their traps, so we should have increased patrols today. Why is it so quiet?"
"It might be a trap." Lin Yan frowned, his gaze sweeping across the surrounding woods. "Those two traitors, Chen Fuhai and Zhao Mang, must have leaked the information to the Wolf King. They might be waiting for us to walk right into their trap."
Su Qingyao gripped the sword hilt tightly, her knuckles turning white. "Should we still proceed according to the original plan?"
Lin Yan looked up towards the mountaintop. The night was so dark it seemed impenetrable, but a resolute glint flashed in his eyes. "Proceed according to plan." He paused, his voice growing deeper. "If we miss this opportunity tonight, the people of Blackstone Town will have no way to survive. Even if it's a trap, we have to brave it."
Su Qingyao said nothing more, only nodded, and quickened her pace. After climbing for another incense stick's time, the two finally arrived at the observation point—a rock platform fifty feet above the entrance of the cave. Seven palm-sized flags were stuck at the edge. The flags were made of special cloth, and in the night they looked no different from the rocks, except for a faint emanation of spiritual energy fluctuations, which indicated that the concealment formation was in operation.
Lin Yan leaped up first, then reached out and pulled Su Qingyao onto the platform. The two lay prone behind the rocks, peering down through the cracks. The cave entrance was quiet, with two guardian wolves lying on either side, like two dark, heavy stones, their eyes half-open and their long tongues lolling out, as if they were dozing. Inside the cave, it was pitch black, with shadowy figures flickering but indistinct, only occasionally punctuated by low whimpers, like wolf cubs whimpering.
"It looks normal." Su Qingyao frowned, somewhat puzzled.
"That's too normal, that's not right." Lin Yan shook his head, his fingertips tracing the cold rock. "After what we did last night, even ordinary wolves should be on guard, let alone a demon wolf that has gained sentience. Look at those two guards, their eyelids are practically glued together, they don't look wary at all!"
Su Qingyao followed his gaze and saw that the demon wolf only occasionally raised its eyelids, not even bothering to wag its tail. Her unease intensified, and just as she was about to speak, she saw Lin Yan take out the tinderbox from his pocket—the tinderbox was made of refined iron, sealed at one end and with a fuse embedded at the other, heavy and gleaming coldly.
"You stay here and control the Demon-Attracting Incense. I'll go to the Spirit Spring Barrier." Lin Yan handed her the ignition tube and then took out a communication talisman from his pocket. "Once the incense is lit and the wolf pack is lured away, burn this talisman. When I see the signal, I'll immediately use the Transcendent Talisman to send the Berserk Powder into the barrier."
Su Qingyao took the ignition tube and then took out a palm-sized wooden plate from her leather pouch. The plate was crafted using the Su family's unique techniques, intricately carved with fine lines. Three hair-thin red threads extended from the center of the plate, each leading to one of the three mechanisms that activated the alluring incense—this was the [Mechanism Activation], capable of precisely controlling the mechanism's movement within a hundred feet, even down to the exact moment of ignition. She placed the plate on her lap, her fingertips lightly touching the red threads. The threads were so thin they seemed about to break, yet possessed a remarkable resilience.
Lin Yan looked up at the sky. The moon had climbed to its zenith, its clear light casting a hazy glow over the mountains and forests. "It's three-quarters past midnight, about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn." He paused, his gaze falling on Su Qingyao's face. "Be careful in everything. If anything goes wrong, don't be reckless; retreat first."
Su Qingyao nodded, her eyes sparkling: "You too."
Lin Yan said no more. As he stood up, his figure blurred, his [Swiftness] talent fully activated, and he swept down the rock wall like a gust of wind. His figure became a blurry shadow in the darkness, and when he stepped on the branches, he made only a very soft "creak" sound before disappearing into the depths of the ancient forest in an instant.
Su Qingyao watched his figure disappear into the darkness before slowly withdrawing her gaze. She took a deep breath and focused all her attention on the mechanical device in her hand. The platform was eerily quiet, with only the sound of the wind rustling through the treetops and her own heartbeat, thumping softly, faintly echoing the distant howls of wolves.
Time ticked by, each second feeling like it was stretched out. Suddenly, the wolf at the cave entrance below abruptly raised its head, its ears standing erect, its nose twitching wildly, as if it had caught a whiff of something. Su Qingyao's heart leaped into her throat; she quickly held her breath, afraid to even move. The wolf turned its head, its gaze sweeping across the surrounding woods, a low growl emanating from its throat, as if issuing a warning. Su Qingyao's palms were sweaty, the sweat clinging to the red thread, feeling cool against her skin.
The wolf stared for a long time, then merely flicked its tail and lay back down, its eyelids drooping, as if it had just been an illusion. Su Qingyao finally breathed a sigh of relief; the back of her clothes was soaked with sweat and felt cool against her skin.
Finally, the watchman in the distance struck the clapper three times—it was midnight.
A cold glint flashed in Su Qingyao's eyes, and she lightly flicked the binding thread with her fingertip. The three red threads trembled simultaneously, like spider silk being blown by the wind.
***
Almost the instant the red thread trembled, a small piece of sulfur hissed and ignited in the bushes thirty feet in front of the cave entrance. The flame was tiny, like a spark, slowly spreading along the oil-soaked thread, making a very faint crackling sound, almost inaudible in the wind. Half an hour later, the thread burned to its end, and with a whoosh, ignited the alluring incense hidden deep in the bushes.
The aroma instantly spread, sweet and cloying, like ripe candied fruit, yet carrying a faint, bloody odor that made one dizzy. But to the demon wolves, this scent was more alluring than any delicacy. Almost the instant the aroma wafted, the two demon wolves guarding the cave entrance abruptly raised their heads, their eyes wide open, a green light flashing in the darkness, their noses twitching wildly, and saliva dripping from the corners of their mouths.
"Awooo—" One of the demonic wolves couldn't help but howl, its paws scratching at the ground, sending pebbles flying. Clearly, it couldn't contain itself any longer and wanted to rush out to find the source of the fragrance. The other demonic wolf, however, still retained some rationality. It pounced, headbutting the first wolf and howling to stop it. But its own tail was wagging incessantly, clearly itching to get out as well.
Just then, the second demon-luring incense was lit. Hidden behind a boulder at the fork in the road, it burned even brighter, its fragrance carried by the mountain breeze straight into the depths of the cave. "Roar—" Low wolf howls immediately echoed through the cave, the sounds rising and falling, clearly indicating that many demon wolves had been startled.
Immediately afterwards, the third enticing incense was lit. This incense was hidden beside the stream, its fragrance mixed with the moisture, spreading even further, sweet and damp, like a net covering most of the mountain forest.
Now, things are completely in chaos.
The demon wolves inside the cave began to pound restlessly against the cave walls, making a "thump-thump" sound. The lower-ranking demon wolves couldn't control their instincts and rushed out of the cave, their green eyes gleaming in the darkness, like a pack of ravenous wild dogs, chasing after the three burning spots following the scent. One, two, three... In less than a quarter of an hour, more than twenty demon wolves rushed out, frantically sniffing and circling around the scent, howling excitedly in their throats. Some even started biting each other, just to get closer to the fragrance.
The two demonic wolves guarding the cave entrance could no longer contain themselves. They exchanged a glance, leaped up, and rushed out to join the fray. The once quiet cave entrance was instantly empty, leaving only wolf fur and footprints as proof that demonic wolves had once guarded it.