BANG!!
BANG!!
BANG!
The constant sound of pounding was all that could be heard. pestle against iron,night and day.The air was thick with the stench of boiled flesh and scorched blood. Each impact sent a dull vibration through the cavern walls, followed by the squelch of meat ground to paste and the muffled screams of those still alive within the writhing vines.
Days had passed since their capture. Days since Hú Lì had been thrown into the furnace and refined into something unrecognizable. Since then, the old figure had rarely shown himself. He spent most of his time at the furnace's side, muttering incoherent incantations, performing strange hand signs, and ranting in a feverish ecstasy. The only time he appeared before the captives was to drag another group of mortals to the cauldron's hungry mouth.
Duō Yī, Zhāng Wei, and Xiǎo Yǔ had tried everything to escape. They clawed at the vines, whispered chants under their breath, even tried to forcefully ignite their qi. It was useless. Each attempt only fed the bindings. Thick, translucent tendrils that pulsed and grew stronger with every spark of energy they absorbed. They were alive, parasites feeding off hope itself.
Duō Yī no longer struggled. He simply sat in the silence, eyes glazed and cold, listening to the grinding pestle that had become their lullaby of despair.
Then, a laugh broke the monotony.
Low, guttural, rasping.It slithered out from the depths of the cavern like a snake, wet and hideous.
"Finally… hehehehe… finally I succeeded!"
The figure emerged from the shadows, his gaunt frame twitching with grotesque glee. His face was stretched into a grin too wide for his bones, his eyes fever-bright with triumph. In his hand, he held ten perfectly round pills, crimson as fresh blood. They pulsed faintly, like tiny hearts, exuding an ominous pressure that made the captives' stomachs churn.
The man stopped before the cages, raising one pill as though offering a toast. Without hesitation, he popped it into his mouth and swallowed.
His body convulsed, and his eyes rolled back with ecstasy. He moaned, strange guttural noises slipping past his lips,sounds so obscene and alien that even the vines seemed to recoil. For five long minutes he writhed in pleasure, his filthy robes shifting as though he was caught in the throes of unspeakable release.
When the fit ended, he stood trembling, a sheen of sweat painting his gaunt face. His lips twisted into another grin, his voice cracking with laughter.
"Wondrous… ahahaha! Wonderful! Such potency! Such flavor! And three more of such ingredients remain!"
Zhāng Wei stiffened beside Duō Yī, rage burning in his eyes. But the old figure wasn't done. He began to mutter again, pacing before the cages.
"Potent… yes, potent. But… not quite. Not yet. Too crude. Three ingredients… far too few. Abundance… I need abundance! Refinement! Perfection!"
His ramblings spiraled into incoherent murmurs before, all at once, he stopped. A slow, malicious smile crept across his face.
"Why not… increase the quality of my ingredients to just the right level?"
He turned his head. His eyes landed on Xiǎo Yǔ.
Her breath hitched, and her hands clutched the bars of her cage.
"No…" she whispered.
The cage door groaned open. A skeletal hand shot in and wrapped around her arm. She screamed, thrashing, but it was like struggling against iron. The figure yanked her out as easily as plucking a doll from a box.
"Don't you dare!" Zhāng Wei roared, his voice breaking. He thrashed against the vines, tearing his skin raw. "You beast! You animal! Leave her alone!"
The man ignored him. Xiǎo Yǔ kicked and writhed in his grip, but she was powerless, her qi sealed. He tilted her chin upward, forcing her mouth open with cruel fingers.
"Stop! Stop it!" Zhāng Wei's throat tore with the strain of his screams. "I'll kill you! I'll fucking kill you!"
The man didn't even glance at him. With deliberate slowness, he pulled out one of the crimson pills. The pill gleamed wetly in the dim cavern light, radiating menace.
"No… please, no!" Xiǎo Yǔ cried, but her voice broke into a sob.
The pill was forced past her lips. She gagged, tried to spit it out, but his grip was merciless. His palm clamped her jaw shut, forcing her to swallow.
Then he released her.
Xiǎo Yǔ dropped to her knees, choking and coughing. Tears streamed down her pale face as she turned her head, eyes locking with Zhāng Wei's.
"Senior… brother…" she whimpered, her voice trembling. "He… lp… me—"
Her words never finished.
Her head swelled grotesquely, skin stretching like overfilled leather. Veins bulged, her eyes bulged wider—then burst.
With a sickening crack, her skull exploded.
Blood, flesh, and brain matter splattered across the cavern floor, dripping down the cages in sticky ribbons.
For a moment, silence. Then—
"NOOOOOOOOO!" Zhāng Wei's scream shook the cavern. His entire body strained against the vines, veins bursting in his arms as he fought like a madman. "I'LL KILL YOU! I SWEAR IT! I'LL RIP YOU TO PIECES!"
The man looked down at Xiǎo Yǔ's twitching, headless body. His expression soured, disappointed.
"Tch. No good, huh?" he muttered. His lip curled in disdain. "Still… better not waste it while it's fresh."
He grabbed her corpse by the leg. Her arms dangled limply as he dragged her across the stone floor, leaving a long smear of blood behind.
Zhāng Wei's cries became incoherent, his throat raw with grief and fury. He cursed until his voice cracked, until the sound turned into broken sobs.
Duō Yī said nothing. He only watched, his face blank, cold. His eyes followed the figure's back as he hauled Xiǎo Yǔ's body toward the cauldron, vanishing into the furnace's steam.
The laughter started again, echoing through the cavern. Mad, victorious, unending.
The vines pulsed tighter around the captives, feeding on their despair.