Zyklon-Säbel

Kapitel 130

"Why? Why is this in my family's ancestral grave?" Yin Xiaolong looked at Lin Fan's face, which was flushed red from trying to suppress his physical discomfort, with a puzzled expression.

“You don’t need to know that. You just need to know that the doctor is no good person, and his so-called medicinal ingredients are a complete fraud!” Lin Fan replied.

"Uncle Lin, are you saying that the medicinal ingredient is actually just a decoy, and what he really wants is the heart of a heartless person?" Yin Xiaolong then asked, "Then what use does he have for that thing? How does he know that thing is in our Yin Family Village?"

“Child, there are some things you don’t need to know, because…” Lin Fan slowly closed his eyes and said gently, “The more you know, the faster you’ll die!”

"No!" Yin Xiaolong was so excited he almost jumped up. "My father was the village chief of Yin Family Village. He died under mysterious circumstances. I will be the next village chief. I have a responsibility to ensure that everyone can live well, so I also have the right to know these things!"

"Hehe..." Lin Fan could still laugh at this moment, and said, "Not bad, responsible, as expected of Yin Zilong's son! Alright, I'll tell you some things you should know today. However, there are some things I can only tell you in general terms, that is, why that doctor came to our Yin Family Village."

At this point, Lin Fan's expression suddenly became strange, a mixture of pain, fear, and perhaps even guilt. After a long silence, he slowly continued, "Back then, your father and I were conscripted into the army. The fighting along the way finally made me a general, and your father became my adjutant. That year, we were sent from Yunnan through Burma to support the Allied forces. However, while passing through a forest in Yunnan, we got lost. The humid heat, coupled with countless mosquitoes, ants, and insects we had never imagined, immediately caused a terrible plague to break out in the unit. At that time, almost a dozen people died every day! Just when we were about to despair, we actually encountered a village in that dense forest! The people there saved us using their special methods, freeing us from the torment of the plague."

We should have been grateful! But humans... are ultimately greedy creatures!

Lin Fan's fist suddenly clenched tightly, and he almost squeezed out the words through clenched teeth: "One of my men accidentally discovered the secret of this village. The secret to why they live in such a terrifying dense forest. It's because of the Imperial Seal!"

"The Imperial Seal of the State?" Yin Xiaolong found it unbelievable. The feudal system had been abolished long ago, so how could there be an Imperial Seal of the State?

"The Imperial Seal of the State is said to have existed since the time of Qin Shi Huang. Legend has it that it mysteriously disappeared during the Chen Sheng and Wu Guang uprising, and every dynasty since then has been searching for it! With it, one can possess the whole of China!" Lin Fan replied.

"But does this thing really exist? Did every emperor who founded a dynasty do so because of it?" Yin Xiaolong asked.

"I don't know about that. I only know that the Tang Dynasty was the only one that truly possessed it, which is why it was the most prosperous dynasty. But no matter what, it's still a huge temptation, isn't it?" Lin Fan smiled wryly.

"So...did you find it?" Yin Xiaolong asked.

"No! Even if we slaughtered all the villagers, it wouldn't have happened!" Lin Fan answered calmly, as if what he experienced back then wasn't a massacre but just a play.

“Tu...Tu Guang...?” Yin Xiaolong’s voice trembled. He couldn’t believe that his most admired father and Uncle Lin would kill the entire village, especially the people who had saved them.

"You don't believe me? I still can't believe it myself! Back then, I actually didn't stop their madness!" Lin Fan was trembling all over, beads of sweat slowly sliding down his forehead and dripping onto his clothes. "Maybe, this is retribution!"

"No, Uncle Lin, you're lying to me! How could my father kill someone?" Yin Xiaolong shook his head vigorously.

“Your father and I didn’t personally kill those villagers, but we didn’t stop them either! Perhaps that’s why your father and I were able to come back alive!” Lin Fan sighed and said, “The villagers there all had one striking characteristic: a red dot on their little fingernail! So, I noticed it the first day that doctor came here. I originally… I originally thought it was all just a coincidence, since there were clearly no survivors in that village! But now we don’t have time to investigate how he survived. You just need to know that this person is not just a doctor! He’s here for revenge! Maybe, this strange disease was also caused by him!”

"What?" Yin Xiaolong exclaimed, "He did it? Then why don't we arrest him and make him hand over the prescription?"

“Since he’s here for revenge, he definitely won’t hand over the prescription so easily!” Lin Fan said.

"But... but what use would he have for the heart of that heartless person?" Yin Xiaolong asked.

“Because…that thing is a key!” Lin Fan replied, “a key that can open a door.”

"Door? What door?" Yin Xiaolong asked.

"A door that cannot be opened." Lin Fan suddenly reached out and grabbed Yin Xiaolong's hand, saying, "Xiaolong, this door cannot be opened. This is something that the Yin and Lin families have guarded for many years!"

"But..." Yin Xiaolong ultimately refrained from asking further questions. Perhaps, as Lin Fan said, the door that the Lin and Yin families had guarded for generations should not be opened.

“Xiaolong, there are some things I can’t tell you right now, but I’ll give you an explanation once you officially become the village chief.” Lin Fan released Yin Xiaolong’s hand, sighed deeply, and then slowly said, “You know that the Yin family’s ancestral graves are in the back mountain, but the graves of each village chief are in the lake in the back mountain!”

"In the lake?" Yin Xiaolong asked curiously, "Could it be at the bottom of the lake?"

"That thing is hidden in the tombs of the past village chiefs. As for how to get there, it's very simple. Just drip three drops of your blood into the lake at midnight, and there will be a way to get in."

"Oh, okay." Yin Xiaolong nodded in agreement, a little confused.

"And one more thing!" Lin Fan paused, seemingly having made a great decision, before saying, "Take Zhiping and Zhi'an with you."

"Ah~~!?" Yin Xiaolong exclaimed in surprise, "They're all girls!"

"But they are also members of the Lin family! This gate is not only guarded by your Yin family! Besides, I bear the greatest responsibility for what happened back then, and it shouldn't all be borne by Zilong! Moreover, they are not as simple as you think!" Lin Fan smiled confidently and said, "None of the children of our Lin family are cowards!"

"Okay... alright!" Yin Xiaolong knew that once Uncle Lin made up his mind, it was hard to change it, so he had no choice but to agree.

"Once you're inside the tomb, don't take anything out, except for that thing," Lin Fan instructed.

"So where is that thing hidden?" Yin Xiaolong asked.

"I don't know, because I've never been inside." Lin Fan shook his head helplessly.

"..."

"But it's definitely in the tomb. Look carefully. You're of the Yin family bloodline, you'll be fine!" Lin Fan seemed to be comforting Yin Xiaolong, but also seemed to be comforting himself.

After giving some further instructions on what might happen, Lin Fan let Yin Xiaolong leave. As Yin Xiaolong walked out of Lin Fan's room, filled with questions, he was met by Madam Lin and the two Lin sisters. Strangely, Madam Lin's face seemed very sad, her eyes were red, and she was trembling. The two sisters, on the other hand, looked excited.

"Did Father ask you to take us with you?" Lin Zhian asked happily.

"How did you know?" Yin Xiaolong asked curiously.

"Hehe, just guessing!" Lin Zhian made a face at Yin Xiaolong.

"Then hurry up and get ready!" Lin Zhiping pulled Lin Zhian, who still wanted to tease Yin Xiaolong, and dragged her back to the room.

What else do we need to prepare? It's not like we're going on vacation. Yin Xiaolong felt an urge to roll his eyes. Girls are such a hassle.

"Little...Little...Little Dragon." Madam Lin stammered, calling out Yin Xiaolong's name, but then fell silent. This made Yin Xiaolong feel a little awkward. Did Madam Lin think he couldn't protect them?

"Don't worry, Aunt Lin, I will definitely protect them!" Yin Xiaolong suddenly felt that he had truly grown up and needed to learn to take responsibility. There were also people who needed his protection. Thinking of this, Yin Xiaolong's confidence soared, and he became excited, as if the terrible plague had disappeared.

"Thank you... thank you!" Madam Lin smiled, but unfortunately, the hint of heartache that flashed in her eyes went unnoticed by Yin Xiaolong, who was in a state of excitement.

Volume 4, Chapter 14: The Strange Beginning

Volume 4, Chapter 14: The Strange Beginning

The night on the back mountain was dark. Even though the moon looked so bright, Yin Xiaolong still couldn't see the scenery around him. It was as if something was covering the sky above the back mountain, blocking out the moonlight, or as if something invisible was absorbing the moonlight shining on the back mountain.

Walking carefully along the rugged mountain path, Yin Xiaolong looked back at the two Lin sisters. In the dim light, the two sisters seemed to have a faint white light surrounding their bodies, forming a strange, weak halo.

When the three of them finally managed to find their way to the ancestral graves of Yinjia Village in the back mountain, the moon seemed to have foreseen something and hid behind thick clouds.

"It's so cold!" Yin Xiaolong hugged his chest, trying to warm himself, but it was no use; the cold still pierced his skin like needles. Perhaps because he had been here many times with friends before, he wasn't particularly afraid. In the dim light, rows of tombstones stood coldly, each one representing a once living person, someone so close to him. The red lettering on the tombstones now shone brightly in the darkness, as if written in blood.

After passing through a series of tombstones, there is a lake. The lake has no name because it is so small, probably only the size of two or three basketball courts. The lake water seems to flow out from inside the mountain, so the other side of the lake is the mountain itself.

"Hurry up and drip the blood!" Lin Zhiping said to Yin Xiaolong.

"Hmm!" Yin Xiaolong took out a small knife from his pocket, a gift from his father, which he treasured dearly. The knife was extremely sharp, so with just a light slit, blood immediately welled up and fell into the lake.

"Drip, drip, drip!" The sound of blood dripping into the lake was so clear in the silence. Just as Yin Xiaolong and the others were wondering, wisps of white mist suddenly began to rise from the lake, and in a moment they covered the opposite mountain, making it impossible to see the other side. Even the scenery within a few feet became blurry.

"Look, what's that?" Lin Zhian said, pointing to the center of the lake.

What was it? Yin Xiaolong looked up and saw what appeared to be the black outline of a small boat slowly emerging from the white mist, gently approaching them. Gradually, the boat became clearer; it was an ordinary sampan, but there was no one on board. Yet it drifted towards Yin Xiaolong and his companions with perfect accuracy, without the slightest sway. The boat seemed not to be floating on the lake, but rather appearing out of thin air before their eyes.

"Go...go up?" Lin Zhiping, the most timid of the three, asked hesitantly.

"Of course we'll get on, we're already here." With that, Lin Zhian grabbed Lin Zhiping's hand and jumped into the small boat. Seeing this, Yin Xiaolong had no choice but to follow immediately.

The three had barely settled into the small boat when it suddenly started moving again, seemingly drifting towards the mountainside. They drifted for a long time without encountering anything, even though the other side of the lake was just a short ferry ride away. Where was the boat now? Where was that mountain? It seemed to have vanished into thin air.

After what seemed like an eternity, Yin Xiaolong and his two companions finally saw the mountain. But strangely, the small boat did not stop; instead, it crashed straight into the mountain.

"What do we do? We're going to crash into it!" Yin Xiaolong gripped the edge of the small boat tightly, looking back to see the Lin sisters looking terrified and helpless.

"Jump...jump in!" Lin Zhiping looked at the lake outside the small boat. The lake seemed bottomless, dark and cold.

"No...don't jump." Lin Zhi'an grabbed Lin Zhiping's hand and said, "Father said we will definitely make it."

“But…” Lin Zhiping hesitated as she looked at the approaching mountain. The speed of the small boat did not decrease at all, and even seemed to be increasing. It looked like the small boat was about to crash into the mountain, and then the three of them would definitely fall into the water.

"Get down!" Yin Xiaolong suddenly lunged at them, and the three of them fell into the hull of the boat together. But the expected impact didn't come. The small boat had actually passed through the mountain, as if it had entered the interior of the mountain!

In the darkness, the three hid inside the boat, looking up, and a chill ran down their spines. It wasn't a cave, but a wall of flesh made up of countless arms. Arms—gray, pale, bloodied—they belonged to the elderly, the young, and the children; some were broken and mangled, some were scarred, some were rotting and infested with maggots, and some were nothing but bare bones. Even more terrifying, these arms could move, seemingly exploring something, flailing and clawing wildly in the air.

The three of them had never seen anything like this before and were so frightened that they didn't dare to breathe. The small boat drifted further and further in, and Yin Xiaolong looked up and saw that the wall of arms was pressing down lower and lower. When it reached the front that was visible to the naked eye, it seemed to form an archway made up of countless arms, with only enough space in the middle for a single boat to pass through.

What to do? Yin Xiaolong realized that even lying like this, the three of them were still a bit higher than the hull of the ship, which meant that those arms would inevitably touch them.

"Xiaolong, lie down!" Lin Zhian seemed to have noticed this as well, and quickly pulled Xiaolong, who had sat up, back down. "If you squeeze in a little more, it should be fine."

As he spoke, Lin Zhian hugged Lin Zhiping, who was trembling with fear, tightly, and then leaned back as much as possible to make enough space for Yin Xiaolong to lie down as well. Fortunately, all three of them were slender, which allowed them to lie sideways in the hull without their bodies protruding above the hull.

Gradually, the wall of arms above his head pressed down more and more, like a moving ceiling, and the arms became clearer and more realistic in front of Yin Xiaolong's eyes.

"Sister, don't look!" Lin Zhi'an pressed Lin Zhiping's head into the crook of his arm, and the two hugged each other tightly.

Yin Xiaolong felt those arms getting closer and closer to him, as if they would grab him with just a little more touch. The faint smell of blood and the faint sounds of the arms colliding made the three of them tremble slightly, but not because of the cold.

Finally, those arms seemed to be gripping the outside of the ship, and the sound of fingernails scraping against the hull felt like a knife to the hearts of the three men. Cold sweat broke out on their foreheads and mingled together.

"Okay...it seems...it seems like they're gone." Yin Xiaolong suddenly realized that the arms had disappeared at some point, and all that was above him was the surface of an ordinary cave.

"It's gone!?" Lin Zhian carefully sat up from the boat. Sure enough, all those arms had disappeared. Looking back, there was only endless darkness, while in front of them was the shore! The three of them seemed to be drifting on a lake in a cave.

The small boat came to a stop silently on the shore. Yin Xiaolong and the other two quickly jumped back onto the shore. It felt best to be on solid ground, even though they were still in the cave.

"What do we do next?" Lin Zhian looked ahead. It was a dark passage, and no one knew where it led. At the entrance of the passage was a strange incense burner, which had automatically lit and was emitting wisps of white smoke the moment the three of them arrived.

"Rejuvenating Incense?" Lin Zhian frowned.

"What is it?" Yin Xiaolong asked.

"It's incense that can bring the dead back to the world of the living! But it's only temporary." Lin Zhiping answered while leaning closer to Lin Zhian.

"How did you know?" Yin Xiaolong asked curiously.

"Do you think we only learn what the old master taught us?" Lin Zhian glanced at Yin Xiaolong with a hint of disdain and said, "We have things that we, as members of the Lin family, must learn."

"But... but what's the point of putting it here? We're not dead," Yin Xiaolong asked.

"You little idiot! Hehe!" Lin Zhiping laughed and smacked Yin Xiaolong on the head, explaining, "Isn't this boat always used to transport the bodies of past village chiefs? If the bodies don't have the Rejuvenating Incense, how can they get out of the boat and into the passage?"

"Ah...you mean, all the village chiefs, after they died, relied on this 'Rejuvenating Incense' to walk to their burial sites by themselves??" Thinking this, Yin Xiaolong felt a chill run down his spine. There was no better way to keep the exact location of the graves a secret. Because this way, no living person could enter, and the corpses could reach the burial sites on their own!

"Don't overthink it, let's go in. We still don't know where that thing is hidden!" Lin Zhian said anxiously, glancing at the dark passage.

"Okay, fine!" Yin Xiaolong and Lin Zhiping nodded. Although Lin Zhian was the youngest of the three, she had become the leader of the group without anyone noticing.

As soon as Yin Xiaolong stepped into the passage, a gentle breeze seemed to blow from the end of the passage. What could be ahead...?

Volume 4, Chapter 15: The Labyrinth of the Dead

Volume 4, Chapter 15: The Labyrinth of the Dead

The three cautiously made their way forward, but the passage seemed endless and had many forks in the road. In no time, they appeared to have lost their way.

"What's going on? Are we lost?" Yin Xiaolong asked, looking at the fork in the road that was almost exactly the same as before.