The Secret of The Demonic Artifact

At the Bottom of the Ravine – PART II.

He was trying to stand up from the pile of leaves arranged like a mattress, feeling and becoming increasingly convinced that he was indeed at the bottom of the ravine when a voice startled him.

"Good! You've come to your senses?" the voice said, making Eadric Rong realize he wasn't alone. The voice echoed, sounding close but as if it came from far away.

Eadric Rong initially thought he was alone at the bottom of this abyss. From feeling shocked, he now felt happy. "S-who is it?"

Silence.

The sound of someone coughing was heard next.

Uhuk!

The coughing sound came from a small crack in the abyss wall. While enduring the pain in his body, Eadric Rong hobbled toward the sound's direction, which was precisely at the cave-shaped rock crevice.

The cave was dark and gloomy, probably due to the lack of sunlight entering it. However, Eadric Rong's eyes quickly adapted, and he could see clearly inside the cave.

Gasp!

An older man sat with his eyes closed. His body was very thin, similar to a living skeleton. His face was pale like a corpse. His clothes looked tattered as if he was half naked. His hair was long and irregular, white like snow.

The overall conclusion is that the man looked very ancient and struck fear into the hearts of those who saw him.

"Run!" That was all Eadric Rong had in mind. The strange appearance of the older man in the cave reminded him of stories about ghosts eating small children. Of course, as an eight-year-old child, Eadric Rong strongly believed in these stories.

Although he lived as an orphan in the Wudang Sect, the stories from the head chef in the sect where he worked were enough to give Eadric Rong an idea of ghosts.

Just as Eadric Rong's feet had taken three quick steps, a long rope suddenly entangled his legs.

"Help!"

Eadric Rong was helpless as his body floated, pulled by the hemp rope, heading towards the older man who looked like a living corpse.

"Don't eat me! I still want to live!" Eadric Rong's scream broke out, sounding like the howl of a small lion.

He struggled to escape from the rope. Unfortunately, his strength was meaningless in front of the older man now in front of Eadric Rong.

"Ghost!" shouted Eadric Rong loudly as the ancient figure opened its eyes, precisely one meter before Eadric Rong.

The eyes were empty, no eyeballs at all. The scarred flesh that looked dried up caused a sense of nausea in Eadric Rong's heart.

At that moment, the old figure suddenly gripped Eadric Rong's neck with a swift and unreasonable motion.

A voice that sounded cold, like a distant voice sent from an ancient and foreign world.

"Tell me, are you a Wudang Sect disciple? Answer incorrectly, and you will die!"

The stranglehold on Eadric Rong's neck felt like the clasp of two daggers, which could cut off his head at any moment, like a kitchen knife slicing vegetables. Cold sweat poured down Eadric Rong's temples. His clothes were instantly drenched in sweat.

Continued