Yang Xiao and Yu Kai instantly dispersed to both sides, using the rugged rock walls as cover while clearing their shooting positions. Qu Hong knelt on one knee with a hunting rifle, aiming at the clearing ahead, searching for targets.
As the flashlight beams swept back and forth, they were not attacked. At this mont, Yang Xiao also saw clearly that many corpses lay scattered in the area ahead.
The Mountain Guardian, experienced in dealing with such situations, quickly cald down after the initial panic and joined Yang Xiao and the others in examining the bodies.
The attire on these corpses was identical to what Yang Xiao had seen in the video. Not far from a corpse lying in the corner was an old cara. Strangely, these corpses had not decayed; instead, they seed to have been drained of their fluids, turning into shriveled and withered mummies.
Moreover, the faces of these mummies were missing, revealing pale skulls and eyes that looked like raisins sitting in their sockets due to severe dehydration.
The corpses lay in various postures, most with weapons in hand, all facing outwards as if towards the exit. Yang Xiao deduced that sothing had gone wrong during an experint, and the faceless Ghost had suddenly attacked them. These people attempted to flee but were too late.
Yang Xiao picked up the cara and tried to turn it on, but it wouldn’t start. It seed the battery had died due to the passage of ti.
He walked over, kneeling beside the corpse near the cara, and examined the right hand. Sure enough, there was a ring mark on the desiccated little finger, indicating that the person was likely a high-ranking mber of the Black Wood Society.
The corpse retained a backward-facing posture. Curiously, Yang Xiao pulled back the collar to check the neck and noticed a black imprint on the right shoulder, as if a dark hand had been branded into the skin.
He checked the left shoulder and found another black handprint there too.
At this mont, Yu Kai approached from the other side and reported his discovery. There was a small cave in the depths of the cave, covered with waterproof cloth.
Everyone moved towards it. Yang Xiao slowly lifted the cloth, having ntally prepared himself, but he still felt physically uncomfortable.
Inside the narrow cave, they found a pile of corpses, both male and female, stacked one on top of the other, all face down, roughly estimated to be over 20.
When Yang Xiao turned around, he suddenly noticed that the Mountain Guardian had sohow moved behind them, holding a gun and coldly staring at them.
"Dan, what are you doing?" Yang Xiao took a step forward.
"Don’t move, or I’ll shoot!" The Mountain Guardian sneered, stopping Yang Xiao, "Do you think I’m an idiot? You gold diggers really think I wouldn’t recognize you?"
"We’re not gold diggers, we ca here to..."
Boss Sun tried to explain, but the Mountain Guardian’s black gun muzzle silenced him. Qu Hong, who also had a gun, raised it to aim at the Mountain Guardian, but the latter wasn’t afraid, baring his teeth and daring her to shoot.
After hesitating, Qu Hong lowered her gun, realizing that the enemy had tampered with their weapons. It was a wise precaution against them.
Moreover, the Mountain Guardian was holding a sawed-off shotgun, devastating at close range, enough to take down three or four of them in one shot.
"Heh, this mountain has gold veins, although exhausted, you guys must be here to steal gold. The dead here likely fought over the spoils," the Mountain Guardian spoke fluently, smirking with narrowed eyes. "Skillful too, cutting off faces to hide their identities, right? Dead n tell no tales!"
The Mountain Guardian’s statent had many flaws, but no one dared to explain, fearing to provoke him. However, Yang Xiao had sensed a trace of greed in the Guardian’s attitude.
"Dan, sharp eyes. Since you figured it out, we won’t hide it. We ca for the gold mine. We have connections, people, technology, equipnt. Now, we need a local guide to keep watch and help us. What do you think?"
"I want thirty percent of whatever gold you find!" The Mountain Guardian raised his shotgun, without a hint of politeness.
"That’s not possible. We have many people, and there are two other groups to split the share. The most we can offer is ten percent!" Yang Xiao haggled.
"Twenty percent then!" The Mountain Guardian demanded coldly, "No less!"
"Just ten percent. I can’t decide for the other two groups. This ten percent would co from my own pocket," Yang Xiao stated firmly, as if it were true.
Yang Xiao ntioned the other two groups as leverage to negotiate with the Mountain Guardian, implying they had allies outside who would seek vengeance if he didn’t return, knowing full well the Guardian feared the gold diggers’ ruthlessness.
As expected, after so thought, the Mountain Guardian lowered his gun, though he remained on guard. "Fine, ten percent it is. Now, drop your weapons in the corpse pile."
After Yang Xiao and the others complied, the Guardian relaxed slightly, "You, the fat man nad Sun, co out!"
He singled out Boss Sun, who he quickly identified as the financier, leveraging the Emperor to command the feudal lords.
"Dan, the bodies here have no gold, but they should have a map marking the gold mine’s veins. That’s what we’re here for," Yang Xiao continued to bluff.
"Oh?" The Mountain Guardian’s eyes brightened, aware of the map’s value, having been part of a special exploration team.
However, he didn’t search the bodies himself, instead instructing two from Yang Xiao’s group to do so, the rest standing still.
But Yang Xiao didn’t mind, knowing there was no map. He was after the Ghost’s face.
With all the bodies here, the face must be too, and the Ghost was likely still dormant, presenting a golden opportunity.
"No tricks, or else..." The Mountain Guardian raised his black gun barrel, clearly threatening them.
Boss Sun, feeling the gun barrel at his back, regretted deeply, frustrated with the dubious characters he had hired.
Strangely, despite searching, Yang Xiao and Qu Hong couldn’t find the Ghost’s face. It seed to have vanished.
Soon, Yang Xiao realized sothing was wrong. The corpses, dead for nearly a month in the cold, damp cave, shouldn’t be this well-preserved.
Connecting the missing Ghost face, Yang Xiao realized they were in a supernatural power zone amidst a paranormal incident; the Ghost... was nearby!
Seeing Yang Xiao’s change in expression, the Guardian beca more vigilant, raising his gun and retreating while holding Boss Sun, wary of the young man leading the team.
"What are you doing?"
"Don’t... don’t go out!" Seeing the Guardian edge towards the cave entrance, Yang Xiao warned him, but it was too late.
As the Guardian left the cave, their flashlights flickered violently from so eerie force before extinguishing, plunging the cave into darkness.
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