Chapter 83: Ibo’s Sinister Land

In the depths of the dense forest, Ye Ran, Sinclair, and Meng Qi hurried up the mountain. Though each of them bore wounds, none paused for rest. The power of the divine envoy Shari was too formidable; they feared that halting even for a moment would mean being overtaken.

They pressed on until they reached the mountainside, and beyond that point, the landscape grew barren. Not long ago, Athena and the divine clans had waged a bloody battle here, leveling the entire peak—stones and trees lay scarred and ruined.

On a clearing ahead, an elderly man, robust despite his age, waved to them. Beside him, a young girl with a hairpin darted toward them.

“Freya,”

Ye Ran jogged forward, scooped her up, and, after gazing at her rosy cheeks, held her tightly in his arms.

“Ye Ran, the old man has fulfilled his task and brought her here. Now it's time to return and report to the young master,”

Ye Ran nodded. “Thank you. Please tell Andoru that should I return, I will certainly express my gratitude.”

The old man bowed gracefully and departed. He was the chief steward of Fatty Andoru. After acquiring the potion from the man-eating rat Victor, Ye Ran had sought out Andoru and entrusted him with escorting Freya out of Torrent City.

“Brother Ye, where do we go now?” asked Sinclair.

The place was not safe, but neither Sinclair nor Meng Qi wanted to flee aimlessly like headless flies any longer. Especially Meng Qi, whose spirits had soared before the rescue, now, suddenly leaving Torrent City—the home of nearly twenty years—stood atop the mountain, gazing at the vast world, uncertain where to go.

Ye Ran set Freya down and asked, puzzled, “Meng, you haven't thought about where to go either?”

Meng Qi and Sinclair exchanged glances and shook their heads.

“Well, to be honest, I don’t know either. But someone gave me a map.”

He drew from his chest a map Victor had sketched for him. Once unfolded, it spanned nearly a meter. The starting point was Torrent City, marked with a compass rose, and the destination was a place called Yipo Evil Land. The journey appeared not overly distant, but three sides of the destination were adorned with red flags symbolizing danger.

“Yipo Evil Land.”

Sinclair and Meng Qi inhaled sharply.

Ye Ran, perplexed, asked, “What’s wrong? Is this place dangerous?”

He had never attended school and knew little of the world beyond, but Sinclair and Meng Qi were both graduates of the advanced classes at Shali Academy.

Meng Qi replied, “Dangerous is an understatement. To the north, Yipo Evil Land borders the Green Demon Forest; to the east, Grus Fortress; and to the west, a terrifying forbidden zone of new species. Only the southern side is relatively safe, but even there, bandits abound because it’s unguarded.”

“Moreover, Yipo Evil Land itself is sinister. In each cardinal direction stands a bloodstone stele—rumored relics of an ancient evil formation. No one knows their true origin, and now, many say the place is haunted,” Sinclair added.

At the mention of “haunted,” little Freya shrank closer to Ye Ran.

Ye Ran’s brow furrowed. “So according to you, Yipo Evil Land is a veritable death trap. But Victor and I, though not close friends, have no reason to wish me dead.”

He was filled with doubt. He knew of the Green Demon Forest, notorious for giants, mammoths, blood gnomes, and shadow elves, but Grus Fortress and the forbidden zone of new species were names he’d never heard.

Meng Qi glanced at him. “Brother Ye, it’s true Yipo Evil Land is deadly—nine deaths for every survivor. If you provoke the wrong people, you’ll vanish without a trace. But it’s also rich in minerals, rare stones, and legends say even sacred relics of the blood clan linger there. Those who thrive on danger are drawn to it.”

“I suspect the person who sent you there must be a daredevil—or perhaps, he sees you as a daredevil,” Meng Qi joked.

Ye Ran shrugged. “Probably the latter. Victor never gambles with his life; he values himself highly.”

Sinclair rubbed his fists. “Dangerous, yes, but there’s logic to it. Yipo Evil Land is full of mystery and unknowns, yet it’s a gold mine. Many factions have tried to gain control, but none truly dominate. It’s chaotic, but that chaos gives us a chance.”

His wild, impulsive nature was already fired up, not daunted but rather eager for action.

He glanced at Freya, who blinked back at him.

Ye Ran stroked her hair. “I still won’t go. I can take risks, but she cannot...”

Sinclair and Meng Qi looked at each other, surprised—expecting Ye Ran, cold outside but warm within, would surely join them in adventure, yet now he seemed tender-hearted.

Meng Qi said, “Brother Ye, I understand your thoughts. But do you really think you can offer her a peaceful life as things stand?”

“A person’s life is like a small boat on the open sea, always facing surging waves. Hiding will give you temporary calm, but true safety requires exceptional seamanship. If you’re not strong, you can’t protect yourself; and if you can’t protect yourself, how can you protect another?”

Ye Ran struggled inwardly, realizing for the first time that he was never truly alone.

Meng Qi continued, “Honestly, anywhere else is equally dangerous. We’ve angered the divine envoy, our identities exposed—sooner or later, we'll be hunted by the temple. No matter how vast the world, we won’t escape their pursuit. Compared to that, Yipo Evil Land, untouched by the gods, is free from such worries. There, we can act boldly.”

The argument was clear: outside of places beyond the gods' reach, there was nowhere else for them.

Ye Ran looked at Freya. She nodded.

She did not understand what kind of sinister place Yipo Evil Land was, but sensed Ye Ran was already tempted.

“Fine. We’ll go to Yipo Evil Land.”

Seeing her nod, Ye Ran made up his mind.

Meng Qi grinned. “Excellent! With the three of us together, we can look out for each other. I refuse to believe we can’t carve out a future with our abilities. If all goes well, we might even make it to the assembly of the gods.”

At the mention of the gods’ assembly, longing gleamed in his eyes.

Ye Ran knelt, gently caressing Freya’s hair. “Freya, I’m sorry. I’ll have to drag you along on a wandering journey. Life ahead will be like sailing a stormy sea, always facing tempests. But I promise, I’ll do everything I can to protect you.”

Freya shook her head and clenched her tiny fists, showing she was not afraid.

Ye Ran smiled, but as he was about to rise, a sudden dizziness struck him. Streams of violet energy surged from within, and the scene before him shifted abruptly—the broken mountain vanished, and blood-red hues spread across the ground.