Blood Sand City – Salt Mine Depths, Days 42–48
The East Salt Mines stretched like a labyrinth of white hell.
Tunnels glowed with phosphorescent salt crystals.
Children's coughs echoed—wet, bloody, endless.
Crimson Wolf overseers patrolled with wolf-head lanterns and salt-iron whips.
Wuya became the Salt Mine Ghost.
No face—only the wolf mask.
No sound—only the whisper of the bowl-clay whip, now 90 feet, 18 eyes blinking, a mouth of porcelain teeth sprouting at the tip.
No mercy.
Day 42 – Overseer #1: "Crusher" Wei
Location: Shaft 13 – deepest pit.
Wei crushed children's fingers in salt presses for "slow work".
Wuya dropped from the ceiling—Ghost Step.
Whip-mouth bit Wei's throat—CHOMP.
Larynx torn out, still screaming.
Wuya flayed the wolf sigil from Wei's back—slow, spiral peel.
Nailed the skin to the shaft wall—dripping.
Carved beneath:
WUYA SEES.
Tally on Wei's sternum: 九十九 – Ninety-Nine.
Day 43 – Overseer #2 & #3: Twin Butchers Li
Location: Crystal Cavern.
Twins used salt blades to carve "WOLF" into children's chests.
Wuya split the whip—two heads, 18 eyes each.
Left head wrapped Twin A—bones crushed to paste.
Right head ate Twin B's face—porcelain teeth ground bone.
Flayed both sigils—stitched into one banner.
Hung from cavern ceiling—blood rain on children below.
Tally on twin skulls: 一〇〇 & 一〇一 – 100 & 101.
Day 44 – Overseer #4: "Salt Mother" Fen
Location: Nursery Tunnel – where sick children were left to die.
Fen fed infants salt water until lungs crystallized.
Wuya crawled through vents—whip-mouth whispering lullabies in Mother's voice.
Fen turned—eyes wide.
Whip pierced her womb—RIP.
Uterus yanked out, still pulsing.
Wuya forced her to eat it.
Flayed sigil from her belly—nailed over the cribs.
Tally on her tongue: 一〇二 – 102.
Day 45 – Overseer #5 to #8: The "Wolf Pack" Squad
Location: Main Artery Tunnel.
Four guards, Qi Condensation Mid, armed with wolf-chain flails.
Wuya unleashed the whip—120 feet, four mouths, 36 eyes.
Mouth 1: Bit off legs—crunch.
Mouth 2: Ate arms—slurp.
Mouth 3: Devoured torsos—guts sucked like noodles.
Mouth 4: Flayed all four sigils simultaneously—skin banners waving.
Nailed to tunnel ceiling—blood drip formed a red river.
Children drank it—strength returned.
Tally on flail chains: 一〇三 to 一〇六 – 103 to 106.
Day 46 – Overseer #9: "Salt Sage" Lao
Location: Crystal Throne Room – overseer HQ.
Lao sat on a throne of child bones, wolf sigil carved into his face.
Wuya walked in openly—wolf mask glowing.
Lao laughed:
"The Ghost? Just a rat in fur."
Whip exploded 150 feet—nine mouths, 54 eyes.
Mouths 1–8: Each bit a limb—tore Lao apart.
Mouth 9: Ate his face—sigil devoured, soul trapped.
Wuya wore Lao's face under the wolf mask—stitched with demon silk.
Tally on throne: 一〇七 – 107.
Day 47 – Overseer #10 to #12: The "Crimson Triad"
Location: Solstice Banquet Hall – early prep.
Three Qi Condensation Peak generals under General Xue.
Wuya infiltrated as Lao—face mask perfect.
Mid-banquet:
Whip erupted from his spine—200 feet, 12 mouths, 72 eyes.
Mouths devoured guests—nobles, guards, cooks.
Triad leaders flayed alive—sigils peeled, worn as capes.
Banquet table became altar of flesh.
Nailed 12 sigils to the wall—formed a giant wolf.
Carved beneath:
WUYA IS COMING. ZHAO HENG TREMBLES.
Tally on banquet gong: 一〇八 to 一二〇 – 108 to 120.
The Bowl-Claw Whip's Final Evolution (This Arc)
Length: 250 feet.
Mouths: 12 (one per overseer).
Eyes: 108 (one per child saved).
New Ability: Flesh Forge—can reshape devoured flesh into weapons/armor.
It spoke in 12 voices:
"General Xue… Crimson Palace… TONIGHT…"
The Children's Army
200 freed children followed Wuya through the tunnels.
He armed them with salt-crystal daggers.
"You are Wuya's Shadows.
Tonight, we feast on wolves."
End of Chapter 12