blueteamnovel Chapter 35 Silent Night Walk
Chapter 35 Silent Night Walk
In the backyard of the blacksmith's shop, Yang Jin changed into a gray-brown outfit stained with mud and rust, almost blending into the mine environment. He applied "Thousand Faces Glue" to his face again, and his eyes were as calm as an ancient well.
Without turning on a light, he relied solely on his increasingly acute night vision and vibration perception to examine his belongings:
A sharp machete, several packets of Chenshan's specially made powder that releases a pungent, spicy smoke when subjected to violent vibrations or high temperatures (used to interfere with the sense of smell and vision of the fire centipede), a small bundle of tough rope soaked in grease, and several oddly shaped hard stones.
"Ready?" Chen Shan's voice rang out in the darkness. He was also awake, holding a strangely shaped, dark hammer in his hand, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the cloud patterns on the hammerhead.
"Yes." Yang Jin nodded, his gaze firm.
"Remember, your task is to set up defenses, not to engage in direct combat. A-Tu will be the main force, and you will be the secondary. Assess the geology of key locations and leave enough 'triggers' to cause a landslide. Once detected by the martial arts school's detection methods or the strange beasts, abandon the operation immediately and retreat safely."
Chen Shan reiterated his instructions, his tone grave.
"clear."
Yang Jin said no more, his mind stirred slightly, and he communicated with Atu.
Atu, who was already waiting underground, immediately responded, his mind filled with a focused intent and a hint of excitement as he prepared for the mission.
Its enhanced mouthparts opened and closed slightly, and its dark brown cuticle was almost invisible in the soil.
The man and the insect silently pushed open a very hidden gap in the backyard, half-covered by a pile of firewood, and quickly disappeared into it.
A-Tu led the way; this was a secret passage dug long ago leading to the underground cave, which now became Yang Jin, Chen Shan, and even the villagers of Heishan'ao's hope for survival in this great calamity...
Yang Jin followed closely behind. His Rock Skin talent gave him an exceptionally clear perception of the surrounding soil and rocks, allowing him to easily avoid soft or potentially collapsing areas.
He held those special stones in his hand. These were special minerals selected by Chen Shan, containing tiny cracks, and were more likely to break at specific stress points. These were called "key stones." Combined with Atu's ability to control the stones, they could more accurately control the scope and timing of the landslide.
Their first target was the choke point between the "bait zone" and the main battlefield in the underground cave, which was pre-planned by Liu Zhenwei and others.
Based on Chen Shan's years of experience and understanding of the martial arts school's operating style, he speculated that in order to ensure the effectiveness of the bait and their own safety, the martial arts school would definitely choose one or two relatively wide channels that are easy to guide the swarm of insects and have a sufficient buffer distance from the main battlefield as "drainage channels".
Certain bends, narrow passages, or weak points in the geological formations of these passages are ideal locations for creating barriers.
Atu is like the most sophisticated exploration instrument, nimbly traversing the underground.
Its enhanced ability to "perceive mineral veins and geothermal fluctuations" allows it to clearly "perceive" the outline, width, and even the thickness and solidity of the rock strata above.
Soon, they arrived below the first anticipated throat passage.
Yang Jin pressed his ear close to the soil and could faintly hear the extremely subtle sound of air flowing above, confirming that this was an unobstructed mine tunnel.
Atu then began to carefully "work" with his mouthparts in the rock layer about three feet below the passage.
It did not use brute force to dig, but rather, in conjunction with Yang Jin's talent for controlling rocks, it cleverly loosened the rock structure at certain key support points and took the "key stone" from Yang Jin's hand, embedding it into them to form inconspicuous "stress points" that would cause a chain of collapses when subjected to strong impacts or vibrations from a specific direction.
At the same time, Yang Jin carefully wrapped a packet of pungent powder in oil paper and buried it near the landslide site.
Once a landslide occurs and dust fills the air, the medicinal powder will be activated, and the pungent aroma it emits will further interfere with the centipede swarm's perception, exacerbating the chaos.
"Mark one, complete." Yang Jin silently memorized it and confirmed with Atu through mental link.
Atu conveyed the idea of "stability and controllability".
Without stopping, they immediately headed to the next designated location.
That night, time flowed slowly in silent infiltration and meticulous planning.
Yang Jin and A Tu are like two patient miners and trap masters, weaving an invisible net underground.
They successively set up a total of six "collapse trigger points" at the throats of three possible "drainage channels", behind the relatively solid rock walls at the edges of two "bait zones", and at a natural fork in the road near the core area of the cave but far from the main battlefield.
Each location was carefully selected to ensure that a landslide could effectively block passages and create chaos at critical moments, while also controlling its scale to avoid causing an uncontrollable large-scale collapse that could injure villagers who might have escaped to the vicinity.
Atu's work can be described as art.
Its understanding of rock structure seems innate, and it can always find the most ingenious and effortless way to loosen key nodes.
Yang Jin was responsible for overall planning, risk assessment, and auxiliary arrangements.
The two worked together more and more seamlessly, and the information transmitted through their mental connection was concise and efficient.
The process was not without its challenges.
On one occasion, they got too close to an abandoned side road where a few fire centipedes were still active. Atu keenly sensed the unique, cold and hot mixed aura and immediately led Yang Jin to turn around and take a detour.
As the first hint of gray appeared on the eastern horizon, Yang Jin and A Tu finally completed the deployment of all the preset points and quietly returned along the original route.
When Yang Jin returned to the backyard of the blacksmith's shop, he was soaked in sweat and dirt, and his face was pale.
A night of intense stealth and focused planning also took a toll on him.
But his eyes gleamed with a bright and calm light.
A-Tu sat in the corner, looking somewhat tired, but still full of energy, conveying a sense of satisfaction from completing the mission.
Chen Shan had already prepared clean water and simple food.
He looked at Yang Jin, who had returned safely, his eyes showing only composure and no panic, and nodded slightly: "Did it work?"
"It's done."
Yang Jin took a big gulp of water and briefly explained the six locations and their situations.
After listening, Chen Shan pondered for a moment, then nodded: "Six points...that's enough. It covers the key passages and potential variable areas. Now, we just wait for them to fall into the trap."
He looked out the window at the gradually brightening sky, but the light could not dispel the heavy gloom that shrouded Black Mountain Pass.
"It's almost Chen Shi (7-9 AM)." Chen Shan's voice deepened. "Yang Jin, remember, once you enter the mine, you are no longer 'Stone,' nor merely an avenger. You are the last straw that the villagers who believe in you and follow you might grasp in their desperate situation. Act only with a clear conscience and within your capabilities."
Yang Jin nodded emphatically, engraving Chen Shan's words of advice in his heart.
He changed back into his "Stone" coarse cloth shorts, wiped the dirt off his face, leaving only the usual charcoal ash.
The weariness was forcibly suppressed, and his eyes returned to their dull and ordinary state, but deep within his pupils, the flame burning for protection burned more intensely than ever before.
In the village, the rough shouts of martial arts school disciples and the ear-piercing sound of gongs rang out.
"All villagers, assemble at the village entrance immediately! Assist the martial arts school in searching for the thieves and investigating the mine tunnels! Anyone who disobeys will be treated as a thief and executed without exception!"
The storm arrived as expected.