After this incident, no one was in the mood to rest anymore. They all stood guard nervously at various windows, keeping watch.
Xiao Wu hesitated before asking, "Brother Qing, what exactly happened just now?"
Ren Qing removed the large miaodao from his back and said, "Wang Wen was taken by a pack of mountain wolves, so I rescued him. Oh, and I killed a few wolves in the process."
Everyone looked at Ren Qing, their expressions filled with shock.
Zhu Ding swallowed hard, noticing the bloodstains on Ren Qing's clothes. Could it really be true?
Guo Qing muttered to himself, "How could there be mountain wolves…?"
Ren Qing sighed, already feeling a headache coming on at the thought of explaining further. He simply said, "Just kidding. Actually, Wang Wen passed out not far from the hut, probably hit his head."
Xiao Wu exhaled in relief. "So that's what happened."
Xiao Wu was the only one who believed him. The others couldn't help but glance at the large miaodao in Ren Qing's hand, its edge gleaming unnervingly bright.
They tacitly chose not to press further and quietly resumed their night watch.
Much later, Wang Wen woke up clutching his head, the vivid memory of being surrounded by wolves feeling surreal.
Just as he was about to speak, he noticed Ren Qing nearby, polishing the large miaodao with blade oil. The gleaming steel reflected the firelight.
"You're awake, Brother Wang."
Xiao Wu quickly handed him a bowl of hot water boiled in their portable iron pot, the porcelain bowl had been borrowed from the hut.
Wang Wen took the water belatedly, sipping it as sensation gradually returned to his body.
"Brother Wang, if it weren't for Brother Qing rescuing you in time, you might've been dragged off by wild animals."
"I…"
"By the way, why did you suddenly pass out?"
Wang Wen opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words.
With over a decade of experience as a constable, he had encountered Restraint Officers before and knew of their divine abilities, powers beyond mortal comprehension.
The fact that Ren Qing had effortlessly slaughtered a pack of wolves in pitch darkness suggested he would soon become a Restraint Officer himself.
Wang Wen felt nothing but reverence for Ren Qing and even considered kowtowing in gratitude for saving his life.
But seeing Ren Qing sheathe his blade and sit cross-legged with closed eyes, he dared not disturb him.
Ren Qing, meanwhile, kept thinking about that strange crippled beast, the extra eyeball clearly marked it as a vessel for Song Rong's technique.
But since there was no trace of Song Rong himself, the wolf attack might not have been deliberate, just indiscriminate violence.
Was Song Rong trying to muddy the waters to infiltrate the Disaster Dispelling Forbidden Zone?
Ren Qing stopped overanalyzing. Half-asleep, he meditated on the Blindless Method until dawn broke.
Bats returned to their caves as birdsong filled the mountains.
The group packed up and hurriedly continued their journey.
When they saw the still-fresh bloodstains deep in the forest, their belief in Ren Qing's hidden prowess only solidified.
Only Xiao Wu remained carefree, carrying the large iron pot in the middle of the group.
Ren Qing paid no mind to the others' strange looks, focusing instead on navigation and observing their surroundings.
His Double Pupils had noticeably improved through constant use, he could now spot butterflies disguised as leaves with ease.
The deeper they ventured into the mountains, the more chaotic the environment became.
Beastly cries echoed constantly, and they occasionally stumbled upon mangled animal carcasses. It was unclear whether Song Rong was involved.
Other Corpse Burners might not have made it through safely, casualties would've been high.
With everyone on edge, they finally reached their destination marked on the map.
At the foot of an unnamed mountain with twin hump-like peaks, they found a deep limestone cave in the northwest corner.
A military tent stood at the entrance, clearly a temporary camp.
Ren Qing felt the blood heart in his chest beat faster, its counterparts were nearby.
He studied the cave. The entrance looked artificially widened, as if by explosives, with rubble scattered everywhere.
The pockmarked walls inside were definitely not natural. What were the Restraint Officers working so hard for?
Wang Wen and the others sighed in relief. The camp meant Restraint Officers were close, safety was assured.
Just as they were about to enter, Ren Qing stopped them.
"Let's wait at the camp. There might be dangers inside."
Ren Qing could hear faint sounds of rock being chiseled deep in the cave. Song Zongwu and the others were likely there.
If Wang Wen's group barged in recklessly, the terrifying mutated forms of the Restraint Officers might scare them senseless.
Wait, what did mining have to do with sealing the forbidden zone?
The others agreed readily. Ren Qing had become their de facto leader.
Following his instructions, they gathered firewood and set up tents while Wang Wen and Guo Qing hunted nearby.
With everyone busy, the camp grew quiet.
Ren Qing took out brush and paper, jotting down his theories about Song Rong's actions to pass to Song Zongwu.
Finished, he approached the cave entrance and announced loudly, "This humble one is yamen runner Ren Qing, here to report to the Restraint Officers."
His voice echoed briefly before silence returned.
When no response came, Ren Qing assumed Song Zongwu wasn't there and turned to help set up camp.
Suddenly, a frog's croak sounded from the depths, growing rapidly louder.
Whatever it was, it was moving fast.
Before Ren Qing could react, his hand barely touching his sword, a dark figure shot out from the shadows.
Instinct made him draw, but sensing no hostility, he forced himself to sheathe the blade.
A rope-like object whipped past, leaving a deep crater in solid rock.
Looking up, Ren Qing saw a purplish-green frog-man clinging to the ceiling. The "rope" had been its tongue.
"Hehehe, you're early."
"Don't mind me, digging rocks for days gets dull. Needed to stretch."
The frog-man scaled the cave walls effortlessly before disappearing inside.
Ren Qing was speechless. Anyone else would've been terrified, but thankfully, the others hadn't noticed.
Soon, footsteps approached again, this time, it was Song Zongwu.
His four arms held a pickaxe, his clothes covered in dust, looking thoroughly worn out.
Without exchanging words, Ren Qing handed him the note before scouting the camp's perimeter.
Song Zongwu read it carefully, then tossed it into the fire.
He turned and reentered the cave to discuss countermeasures with the other Restraint Officers.