Chapter 125: A Swift Resolution

With a sharp snap of his fingers, a small flame appeared. With a flamboyant flick of his hand, the flame instantly surged, roaring into a blaze that set all the wood and dry grass Lin Hao had piled at the cave entrance ablaze.

In an instant, the entire entrance was engulfed in fire. Smoke billowed, thick and choking, drifting into the cave where two guards were stationed. At first, they felt the sudden spike in heat, followed by the acrid smell of smoke.

The two exchanged glances. One asked, "What's going on? What’s happening outside?"

"I don't know, let's take a look." The other shook his head, turned around, and twisted a protruding stone on the wall. With a series of thuds, the door slowly creaked open.

Lin Hao, hiding in a thicket not far away, saw the stone door open and his eyes glinted with sharp focus.

The two guards stepped out, only to be met by a wall of fire at the entrance. Their faces turned pale with panic. "Cough, cough, cough!" Both began to hack violently as the smoke filled their lungs. As luck would have it, neither of them possessed a Water-type spiritual root; both were Fire-type. Faced with this inferno, they were truly at a loss.

One guard, looking grim, told the other, "Stay here. I’m going inside to call for reinforcements. Use some dirt to suppress the flames for now." With that, he turned and bolted back into the cave.

The remaining guard nodded and began waving his spiritual energy to pile dirt onto the fire. Ordinarily, this might have smothered a common flame, but this was no ordinary fire—it was Lin Hao’s mystical flame. The dirt had absolutely no effect. Growing frantic, the guard turned and headed toward a nearby river, hoping to fetch water to douse the blaze.

"The chance is here!" Lin Hao thought to himself.

Like a bolt of lightning, he darted toward the entrance with incredible speed, slipping into the cave. The guard fetching water didn't notice him, and the other had already gone deeper inside to report the incident. Thus, Lin Hao made his way in without a hitch.

The interior of the cave was dark and gloomy, illuminated only by the faint, eerie black flames flickering along the walls. Lin Hao walked carefully, the sound of his footsteps echoing off the stone. Realizing the noise was too loud, he lightened his step, moving silently as he ventured deeper.

After traveling about fifty meters, he suddenly saw a group of people rushing toward him. Startled, Lin Hao quickly scanned his surroundings and ducked into a dark recess. He held his breath, not daring to make a sound, as the group hurried past him. Only when their figures had vanished did he let out a sigh of relief.

"Whew! This cave is narrow. They must be heading out to fight the fire. I have to move quickly."

Lin Hao quickened his pace. Perhaps because everyone was preoccupied with the fire, he encountered no other patrols and reached the innermost part of the cave.

"Speak! Tell us everything you know!" A voice boomed from just ahead. Lin Hao stiffened; he realized the captive being interrogated must be Cao Yi. The tone and the sounds suggested they were torturing Cao Yi to force information out of him.

Lin Hao moved closer and peered through a window into the innermost chamber. There, he saw Cao Yi, his hands and feet chained to wooden posts. A man dressed in black stood over him, wielding a barbed spiritual whip. With every strike, Cao Yi roared in pain, yet he refused to utter a single word.

Lin Hao knew he had found the right place. Just then, the man in black turned his head toward the door. Lin Hao panicked and immediately crouched down, holding his breath. The man in black felt a sudden sense of unease, as if a gaze had fallen upon him. He put down the whip and walked to the door to look outside, but saw nothing.

Lin Hao was curled into a tiny ball beneath the doorway, not daring to breathe. The man scanned the hallway once more, found nothing suspicious, and turned back toward Cao Yi. But before Lin Hao could even exhale, the man suddenly kicked the door open. He stared at the empty corridor, his eyes flashing with wariness, and stepped out to search the area. Finding no one, he finally returned and shut the door again.

Lin Hao, meanwhile, was pressed firmly against the ceiling of the stone tunnel, clinging to the rock like a bat. His intuition had saved him; had he stayed on the ground, the man’s kick would have exposed him immediately. Only after the man went back inside did Lin Hao relax, dropping lightly to the ground. He took a few deep breaths and peeked back inside, thinking, "It seems I’m the clever one after all."

The sound of the whip resumed, accompanied by Cao Yi’s agonizing roars. Lin Hao’s expression darkened. He couldn't let this continue. Though he didn't know why Cao Yi wasn't fighting back, he was clearly at the mercy of his captors. Lin Hao considered starting another fire at the door, but shook his head. "No, the fire I started earlier already made them suspicious. I must end this quickly. If I start another fire, it might backfire and lead them to guard the entrance so tightly I won't be able to rescue him."

But how else could he lure the guards out? Just as he was at a loss, his ears twitched. He heard footsteps.

*Whoosh!* He flew back up to the ceiling to hide. A man hurried to the door and knocked urgently.

"Boss! It's bad! The fire outside is too strange; none of us can put it out. If we don't extinguish it soon, the smoke will reach all the way in here! Cough, cough!"

The smoke was indeed thickening, filling the cave. The man was coming in to beg for help. The leader stopped his interrogation, opened the door, and snapped, "You can't even handle a small fire? Useless!" He gestured to the subordinate, "You, stay here and watch him. Do not let anything happen."

With that, the leader strode out. Once they were gone, Lin Hao dropped to the ground and looked inside. The interrogator had left, leaving only one guard behind. Lin Hao was delighted; it was the perfect opening.

He pushed the door open. The guard inside, thinking the boss had returned, turned around. In that split second, Lin Hao lunged forward and snapped the guard's neck with a sharp *crack*. The man slumped to the floor, his eyes wide with disbelief as he died instantly.

Lin Hao didn't waste a moment. He rushed to Cao Yi, who had fallen unconscious. He shook Cao Yi’s arm and whispered, "Senior Brother, wake up!" But there was no response. Lin Hao quickly tried to undo the shackles, but they were no ordinary chains. Unable to unlock them, he drew his Tunyun Sword and severed them with a few swift strikes.

Freed, Cao Yi slumped toward the ground. Lin Hao caught him, hoisted him onto his back, and sprinted toward the exit.

In his haste, he didn't notice the strange atmosphere until he reached the cave entrance. The fire had been extinguished, but a row of men stood waiting, as if they knew exactly when he would emerge. Lin Hao slowed to a stop, watching the scene.

The leader tilted his head, listening, and spoke without even looking at him: "Since you're here, come on out. We’ve been waiting for a long time!"

Realizing he had been exposed, Lin Hao stopped hiding and walked out with Cao Yi on his back. As soon as he stepped out, the leader waved his hand, and Lin Hao was instantly surrounded by a circle of men.