CHAPTER 69: CHAPTER 69: CAVE WITHIN A CAVE

Bang!

Huang Xiaotian slammed the table heavily, often when a person loses control of their emotions, it happens in an instant.

The atmosphere was a bit oppressive, but Lin Chen didn’t linger, nor did he try to console Huang Xiaotian.

Actually, this was quite normal.

After searching for so many days, all that could be found had been found.

Many had already given up in their hearts...

Perhaps, Huang Xiaotian also knew deep down that it was hard to find.

Lin Chen arrived at the place where he had worked yesterday, took out a piece of paper, and started drawing.

Qin Shaoshao didn’t need to look to know that he was sketching the topography map of the Secret Realm.

Until a task fails, there’s always a chance of success.

After a long thought, Lin Chen marked a sentence on the drawing:

A premeditated secret chamber murder case.

....

Night had fallen, but Lin Chen wasn’t asleep, while Xiaobai and Xiao Hong were already sound asleep.

Qin Shaoshao sat by the window, looking outside, counting petals, worried that she might disturb Lin Chen, she did not count aloud this time.

"...Suppose they deliberately incited a beast tide to attack the city."

"And then lured humans inside."

"But what could be the purpose of this?"

Lin Chen couldn’t figure it out.

If the opponent were a clever demon beast, it would know that luring humans proactively isn’t good.

Unless the opponent was absolutely confident it could annihilate humans.

But that’s impossible.

Not being a super great demon, it doesn’t have the capital to negotiate with humans.

Apparently, the beasts in this Secret Realm aren’t world-class great demons.

Thinking of this made Lin Chen feel distressed.

Too many doubts can’t be resolved.

"Is it possible I’ve overthought it?" Lin Chen pondered deeply.

He knew in terms of information gathering, he wasn’t as proficient as other information-type Beastmasters, plus this place had probably been thoroughly searched by them. So Lin Chen tried to think from the "criminal’s" perspective.

Just like a sentence in a detective novel he had read:

"To catch a criminal, one must first become the criminal."

"The Blood-Sucking Beast wasn’t as clever as I imagined..."

"Perhaps, I really overthought it."

Lin Chen decided to take a short break and change his approach, hoping for a new direction.

Just then, a sudden mooing sound was heard.

Lin Chen looked over and saw Xiaobai jump up from the ground, making a retching motion, then continuously wiping its nose with its hoof.

Nearby, the Little Fox hunched its head down, unable to face Xiaobai directly.

Apparently, while sleeping, the Little Fox’s tail had mischievously brushed against Xiaobai’s nose.

Being so close, even the scent of sandalwood couldn’t cover the fox’s odor. Xiaobai, sleeping soundly, was woken up by the smell.

Lin Chen chuckled but didn’t intervene.

Children’s matters should be resolved by children themselves.

Xiaobai didn’t blame it, lying back down directly. The Little Fox, knowing it was at fault, wanted to run further to sleep, but Xiaobai pulled it back with a hoof and hugged it against its belly, ensuring the tail wouldn’t brush its nose again.

The Little Fox’s eyes curved like crescents, and soon the two young spirit beasts fell asleep again.

Lin Chen had already expected this conclusion, though Xiaobai occasionally opened its eyes to glance at the Little Fox’s tail, making Lin Chen smile involuntarily.

"This Xiaobai...."

Lin Chen shook his head playfully, intending to tidy up for sleep when a sudden inspiration struck him, freezing his smile.

"Blood Spirit Grass?!"

Lin Chen recalled something.

...

Blood Spirit Grass, low-level Spirit Grass, has blood-generating capabilities, mostly used for healing.

Due to its unpleasant taste, it isn’t favored by herbivorous spirit beasts.

But there are exceptions.

Due to the hormone similar to blood within the Blood Spirit Grass’s vegetation, it is an enticing substance for beasts that feast on blood.

For example, Ye Yun’s Blood Hunter Beast.

Or perhaps...

"Blood-Sucking Beast!"

Lin Chen recalled Xiaobai discovering a large patch of lush green Blood Spirit Grass at the scene during the day, finally realizing what was amiss.

The Blood-Sucking Beast loves this Spirit Grass. If the Secret Realm had a large presence of this Spirit Grass, these Blood-Sucking Beasts would have consumed it already, how could there be so much?

The only possibility is...

This Secret Realm is not actually where the Blood-Sucking Beasts live.

"That’s even stranger. They clearly entered here, with large-scale traces of Blood-Sucking Beast activity appearing around..."

"Many pieces of evidence suggest the Blood-Sucking Beasts’ nest is here."

After pondering for several minutes, Lin Chen muttered to himself: "Could it really be possible?"

Then, he stood up and said to Qin Shaoshao: "Senior, I’m heading out for a bit."

"To the scene?"

"No, to the library." Lin Chen wiped the sweat from his forehead.

Going to the crime scene in the middle of the night, he wouldn’t do it.

He continued: "Could you look after my two spirit beasts?"

Qin Shaoshao didn’t nod but turned her head and continued plucking petals.

Lin Chen hurried out.

....

About four hours later, Huang Xiaotian arrived at the library. After recovering his emotions, he pulled himself together to look for Lin Chen, and was informed by Qin Shaoshao that Lin Chen came to the library.

Therefore, Huang Xiaotian came here.

Upon entering, he saw Lin Chen taking continuous notes and eagerly asked: "Discovered anything?"

This time, Lin Chen did not disappoint him, saying: "Help me find a history book and see if this location ever experienced any battles?"

"Alright."

Huang Xiaotian’s spirits rose.

He understood that Lin Chen probably had found a new direction.

Though he too didn’t see how this related to history.

After flipping through books for a full three hours, Huang Xiaotian finally found a passage in a book titled "Black Mountain City Person Search Archive" that interested Lin Chen.

The book recorded:

A hundred years ago, two elders from the Beast Tamer Guild passed through Black Mountain City and vanished.

Moreover, the two elders’ beastmaster levels were not low, being Beast Master Commanders.

Among their spirit beasts were bovine types, specifically the Earth-Sounding Ox and the Spirit Water Beast.

"It should be him." Lin Chen said.

Huang Xiao was puzzled.

Lin Chen went on:

"I roughly gauged the Secret Realm’s scope today, about the size of a Commander Level Beastmaster’s space. Their levels weren’t low, meeting the minimum requirement for a Beast Taming Space to persist after death."

"You suspect, this Secret Realm is his posthumous Beast Taming Space?"

"Yes." Lin Chen affirmed: "If that’s the case, it explains everything."

Huang Xiaotian swallowed hard, looking at Lin Chen with anticipation.

"The Secret Realm you all found isn’t their true living space; they live inside another Commander Level Beastmaster’s Beast Taming Space."

Upon hearing this, Huang Xiaotian immediately stood up and said: "I’ll have people search outside right away."

"Hear me out." Lin Chen stopped him with seriousness:

"I suspect the entrance isn’t outside, but rather within the Secret Realm you found now."

"You mean..." Huang Xiaotian said, looking incredulously at Lin Chen:

"A cave within a cave?!"