"Given that this entire night-hunt is to deal with landslide-related evil and spooks, I imagine the landslide is part of the night-hunt area," Wan Yu said, rising to his feet. Using his scabbard, he poked the arm away from him. "Actually, is there anything we can glean from these people?"

Yun Zisu knelt beside the outstretched arm, gripping its wrist with one hand. She pried open its fingers. "Can you spot anything worthwhile from his palm?"

After leaning closer, Wan Yu shook his head. "Those calluses could come from someone who practices with weapons or just farms and cuts down trees. Wait, lemme check his arm. Does he have any old scars that could be from a weapon?"

Him being the person he was, Wan Yu at this point had more scars and calluses than unmarred skin. His palms, feet and lower legs had cuts and stabs from all sorts of things, from mishaps with hoes when tilling the fields to stepping on something sharp buried in the rice field mud. But most of the scars on his arms, especially the outer part, had been from spars and fights. That could be something to check.

"Mm… only one, on his left arm. Looks like a light gash to me, though it's hard to really tell given the stage of decay."

"I don't think too many cultivators moonlight as a farmer," Ye Xiyang commented, stepping closer. "Lack of scars could be from lack of training partners or field experience. This person looks pretty young."

"Most cultivators would've let their disciples get field experience the moment they get their swords, and this guy looks older than 15," Wan Yu replied, stepping closer to Yun Zisu as Ye Xiyang stepped into the space next to him. "Well, some don't, I guess. Belongings?"

"None," Yun Zisu reported. She put the hand back down. "A bit weird, don't you think?"

"A lot weird," Wan Yu said.

"Someone rid him of his belongings before the avalanche got to him. Optimistic answer is, he was robbed."

Wan Yu rolled his eyes, though it wasn't quite sarcastic. As Yun Zisu laid the man to rest, he glanced at Ye Xiyang.

"And the pessimistic one?"

Ye Xiyang looked at the higher reaches of the mountains. "He escaped from someone’s grasp."

They were on the small path the inhabitants of these mountains carved out, perhaps generations ago. After the scuffle, quite a number of trees had been felled, allowing a gap in the foliage. Moonlight streamed in scattered beams, but they couldn't quite reach the ground.

Walking over to the three other bodies, Wan Yu checked their persons— no belongings, no nothing. It didn't look like any of them had fatal injuries either, though he couldn't rule it out yet. No cuts that weren't new, at least. He cleaned their faces of soil; the dead, rigid expressions staring back at him sent a small shiver down his spine, but there was something else he noticed— these people… definitely did not look bad. One even looked almost pretty, were it not for the fact that reanimation had distorted his features. Pursing his lips, Wan Yu then tested something out— he washed away the soil on their arms.

“Those are from cuffs,” Ye Xiyang commented. Wan Yu almost jumped back, head bumping against Ye Xiyang's thigh. Ye Xiyang pushed his head away with his folded fan. “Check his neck, actually.”

“Fuck you,” Wan Yu said, just to let him know, before then doing as he was told. Silvergrass had to get really close to let them see it— a faint, dark band about the height of a fingernail. They had sharp edges that seemed to come from pressure-cuts, like the sort that might arise when it got tugged and the ends dug into skin. Wan Yu shuddered. “You think this is from a cuff, too?”

“Yes.”

“And they broke out of it after death? Wait, no, that made no sense. They were released from these before they died. But then how would they be covered in soil like this? I doubt they’d just stay still when… fuck. They were killed by a landslide, didn’t they? Kept in place… other ways to bind them, or drugged?”

"You're starting to think like them," Ye Xiyang praised. “The details of that could change depending on what the perpetrator wanted to do. But most corpses of normal people wouldn’t gain the strength to break metals, so I reckon they weren’t bound with that. Either something like ropes, or sedatives.”

Wan Yu, "......" I really don't want your praise. This is some fucking disturbed mind.

Yun Zisu seemed to have been listening all this time— her gaze went back and forth between the two of them, something in her eyes growing deeper as the talk continued on.

"That's a good point," she said, nodding. "Thank you for the guidance, Ye-xiong."

Tian Ling’s voice was small. “Why does it have to be someone planning it, rather than these people just… caught up in the landslide? Maybe they got robbed before it happened?”

It seemed like the further implications of her words caught up with her after saying it, though— indeed, some things would end up rather complicated then. For one, the marks on the necks; robberies didn’t tend to involve iron collars. Secondly, these people no longer had these collars, and it also didn’t look like they ripped it off. There would’ve been more violent traces had that been the case.

Tian Ling shuddered. Wan Yu felt for her.

“I’m not imagining the thick yin around here either, am I?” Yun Zisu asked. Brushing her hands off, she stood up. “It’s been a gradual increase for a while, but it’s been consistently strong after we crossed the river. That’s probably relevant.”

Now that she thought about it, it wouldn’t be surprising either if that rope wasn’t how people navigated that river— there was probably a bridge once, one that might’ve been wiped out when the river overflowed from the heavy rains. Given the prevalence of rainstorms in this area, rope bridges might’ve been more common due to the relative ease of reconstruction compared to something more permanent. It didn’t look like there were a lot of people living here…

Yun Zisu looked at the trail they were on. This had to lead to a village, right?

“Mm. Either something happened here, or this environment is what they’re looking for. Or both, at once. There being few people living here would mean there are no counterbalances to the yin either,” Wan Yu said. “This is the sort of situation that can roll downhill fast, and pick up speed on the way down.

“Most importantly, like our uh, Ye-xiong said, there are way more bad people than you’d like it to be,” he continued, turning back to Tian Ling. “The landslide thing? This area gets a lot of rain usually, and though this year it’s been especially bad and triggered more than the norm, you have to know that places that have had landslides before are more susceptible to follow-up landslides. The next one tends to get bigger, and in some cases instead of stabilizing the region gets more unstable… If someone with a vested interest in cultivating yin energy, perhaps, finds this place hidden in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by endless trees, that’s a treasure for them. These are the sort of people who know how to make it happen.”

Tian Ling’s eyebrows furrowed. “I see… sort of, but… What makes this place more special than the others? Don’t demonic sects already just… do this? In places more convenient, at least?”

Wan Yu looked at her. “Think about it carefully. Who’s guarding this territory?”

Realization dawned on her face.

“Your experience might be limiting you with your imagination here,” Ye Xiyang said. Wan Yu turned to look at him, as did Tian Ling and Yun Zisu. “It’s not just about putting something like this in the righteous faction’s territory. Depending on how things develop, they can either use it to expand the area they can farm for resentment and yin energy, or they can cultivate the land until it becomes a much bigger problem for the righteous sect, or they can use it to start an uproar in the righteous faction and destabilize the wulin. Alternatively, they can keep this place small and local, where it can be a sleeper cell in otherwise unreachable territory. I don't think war is imminent between the two factions, but if it breaks out, they can serve various purposes. And don't start questioning the feasibility of using a landslide-prone area for this until you've seen actual demonic faction cultivators."

Cultivation of energy in an area was something these people probably never thought of, Ye Xiyang mused. It was always on the forefront of any sect elders’ minds, though, regardless of faction or province. Spiritual qi was not something man could force, at least not realistically. The age-old schism between the two factions stemmed from this, as far as history could tell— resentment, at least, was something people could renew themselves. As for the repercussions of going against the natural order, it was something they themselves would deal with. Ye Xiyang always found it intriguing, this history; it also made Frozen Dragon Sect’s designation as a demonic faction sect rather unfair and arbitrary, given that they cultivate like any other, using the spiritual qi of their lands. That this qi was replenished by sacrifice to the Slumbering Dragon that was the god of their mountains was their own business, thank you very much. For over 700 years they’d survived like this, in a cycle of taking and giving back to the mountain.

Ye Xiyang sighed. Well, there was nothing to be done about that.

"You're… telling us a lot," Wan Yu said. Grabbing onto Ye Xiyang's arm, he pulled himself up, adding a fake stumble straight onto his shoulder for a good second. Ye Xiyang debated swatting that face with this fan.

He decided against it. Bigger man, something like that.

"It's just one piece on the board, even if I've listed several things. It doesn't have much meaning unless you consider the entire game. A savvy person with a keen mind takes into account psychology and personality of both key pieces and communities. It’s not an easy skill to master.”

Wan Yu, “......” You know what? I’m rather glad it’s a hard thing to master. This is kind of terrifying.

Ye Xiyang shot him a look, then a kind smile. “How are you feeling now, Xiao Wan?”

“Absolutely wretched, thanks,” Wan Yu said. Half of it must've been from that smile. “C’mon, let’s go find where they came from.”

They moved on after taking care of the bodies, going down the path in hopes of finding what lied at the end. They did stumble upon some small landslides along the way— ones the length of a strip of road, their effects probably unseen from above. Another was just a massive, human-height rock rolled off a short cliff. That this wasn’t too far from this old, well-worn path carved into the forest floor was worrying.

It didn't take too long, though, to get to the end of the road— less than an hour later, they could see a flattened area further below, debris and fallen logs blocking the stairs.

"Is that—" Wan Yu ran over without finishing his words, hopping over the jutting rocks and crumbling soil to reach whatever caught his eyes. Yun Zisu followed suit. "Zisu, give me a hand! Someone's buried here!"

Ye Xiyang narrowed his eyes.

Using their hands, Wan Yu and Yun Zisu dug the man out. After what felt like half an eternity, they finally got him out, and Wan Yu conjured water, letting him wash his face and rinse the dirt off his hair. The man looked young, with a fair face that made him look younger than Wan Yu himself. He swayed when he attempted to stand— Wan Yu slung his arm over his shoulders and propped him over to a large slab to sit on. He waved Tian Ling over— the girl had been hovering behind them in uncertainty, holding the lantern Yun Zisu handed in her hands.

"Do you have water and rations? Get him to eat."

Tian Ling nodded and sat next to the young man, voice low as she soothed him. Reaching into her qiankun pouch, she pulled out a flask of water and some biscuit-like thing. The young man accepted the water, though he didn’t do anything with it— Tian Ling realized something, and uncapped the flask for him. Still nothing. It was then that she realized his trembling hands; he probably didn’t have the energy to hold it up himself quite yet.

"What's your name?” Wan Yu asked. “I'm gonna clean and bandage any wounds you might have, are you hurting anywhere?"

No answer. Once he gathered his energy and sipped some water, though, he looked up. “I… Tang Wei. My… leg. I think it got hit by something.”

Nodding, Wan Yu knelt and pushed Tang Wei’s tattered robes up. From his hand water flowed, gentle as it rinsed soil off these legs. Now cleaned, all the numerous red scratches and bruises became apparent— what Wan Yu had mixed feelings on, however, was the fact that Tang Wei didn’t as much flinch when the water touched a still-bleeding wound, a nearly thumb-sized spot where something like a rock must’ve hit him. He continued to eat the rations Tian Ling broke into smaller pieces for him. The deepest puncture point still had smatterings of gravel in it, which Wan Yu coaxed out with water. He rummaged through his things, found a tin of ointment, and applied it on the wound and cuts before bandaging the former.

Still no reaction.

“Wan Yu! Come here, there’re some more people here!”

“Coming!” he called back. Getting back to his feet, he turned to Tian Ling. “Tian-mei, you take care of his arms now, yeah?”

“Mm!”

Returning to the grounds, Wan Yu surveyed what land he could see. Most of the trees here were either felled by the landslide or young, with the young trees dotting a rather large area. It could be that this used to be a village that was hit by a bigger landslide many years ago. The newest one wasn't as big, though, being maybe 15, maybe 20 bu wide, though no less devastating.

At least one life was almost lost here.

“I told Feng-shigu about the situation here,” Yun Zisu told Wan Yu as he approached. Already on her knees, she dug into the earth, pulling away some broken pieces of thick planks as she went. Wan Yu worked on a flat, sloped surface a pace away— there was a muted, hollow echo following his footsteps. “They said it might take an hour for the main force to arrive, but three nearby supervisors will arrive shortly to help. Careful there, I think this might be… There's someone under, and I think you're standing where their head might be."

It was. After some time, Yun Zisu and Wan Yu managed to break the person free from their coffin, which seemed to have been dragged by the flow and lied diagonal, his head on the lower side. The young man was dead. From the breakage on the foot end soil had gotten in, filling the coffin. He suffocated on the dirt.

Wan Yu took a deep breath. They did what they could to help the soul move on, then he carried the body to a safer place away from Tang Wei.

Four more. They found four more, three alive but unconscious— Wan Yu didn't know enough to tell if they would survive through the night. Still, he and Yun Zisu carried the young men to separate places— one was for the dead, the other for the currently living.

Quiet as fog on mountaintops, Ye Xiyang walked around the site, seeming to be searching for something.

“Wan-xiong, Shijie,” Tian Ling called. “Tang-ge has something to say…”

After exchanging a look, Wan Yu and Yun Zisu came over. Tian Ling shifted to make room for Yun Zisu to sit, earning her a smile— but in the end, Yun Zisu shook her head. The glow of the night pearl lamp illuminated her weary face. There were smears of dirt and soil on her face, her clothes— Tian Ling wiped away the streak on her cheek with furrowed eyebrows.

"There were 10 of us at first," Tang Wei murmured, tone almost disinterested and flat. All heads turned to him. "I don't know the rest other than from some short talks. We were kidnapped from different places. They…"

He fell silent, though his mouth moved in semblances of syllables. After several more silent moments like this, his entire body began to tremble. The look in his eyes was— panic.

"You don't have to talk about it, rest first,” Wan Yu interjected. He got down onto his knees, then looked up— but he didn’t touch Tang Wei, only nodding at the flask of water in his hand and stared until he took another sip. “We'll get you out of here and to safety.”

Yun Zisu nodded, patting Tian Ling’s hand in thanks. With a sigh she stood up. "We're from Vermilion Sun Sect, we'll take care of you and the situation, don't worry. People are coming over to take you out of the forest and back to town."

Tang Wei didn’t reply— he just stared at the ground, still shaking. There was nothing else to it; he didn’t seem like he was ready to think about it any more. Wan Yu understood. It wasn’t the same exact experience, but Wan Yu too had been under the sharp edge of someone’s sword, and came out the only real survivor.

The difference was, even when rendered helpless Wan Yu still had a modicum more control over the situation.

To be entombed alive…

Taking a deep breath, Wan Yu turned to Yun Zisu and nodded at the few unconscious people lying a few feet away. Tian Ling got up and went to check them— if she had any medical skills, Wan Yu had no idea, but he wasn’t about to stop her. Instead, he looked around for the other bastard in the group— the one that had been missing from the action the entire time.

Said bastard was deeper into the clearing, near the edges of the tree line. Well, it wasn’t a tree line— they were just the line where the trees stood tall and reached the canopies above, unlike the younger ones in this area.

“Ye-xiong, what are you looking at?” Wan Yu called. When Ye Xiyang didn’t answer, he finally got up and walked over, eyebrows furrowed. “What is it?”

“Look,” Ye Xiyang said, nodding at the landslide area. There were lines, probably made with the tip of his umbrella; in the darkness, they glowed a pale blue. It didn’t take long for Wan Yu to realize that some of them were X-es, while some others were a single line; the X-es were by the coffins he and Yun Zisu had dug up. “It’s incomplete, but note the placement of the coffins.”

At Wan Yu’s blank look, Ye Xiyang sighed. “It was likely a protective array, past tense being the operative keyword. The soil shifting underneath the coffins must’ve displaced them, ruining the formation. That’s when they got slammed with the full force of the landslide, crushing the wooden planks.”

“What the— fuck.” Wan Yu took a deep, shaky breath. “Out with it. Which sect?”

“...It depends on what they’re using it for,” Ye Xiyang said. “Some people need these people to stay alive, hence the seal. Sometimes they’re not expecting them to come out alive; it’s just a prison. If these men are extreme yin bodies, though, it might be Celestial Alignment Sect’s work. Otherwise, it could be Three Tenets Sect. This doesn’t discount smaller sects and wandering cultivators.”

Before Wan Yu could reply, something deeper in the forest fell with a thud.