As Hu Yulun relentlessly pressed forward, his originally steadfast heart began to be consumed by a wave of deep, overwhelming terror.
His eyes widened in shock, and he trembled, muttering, "How can this be?" He was horrified to discover that he had, without realizing it, been drawn into a terrifying vortex, far more complex and dangerous than he had initially imagined.
During this long, arduous, and almost despairing journey, he repeatedly encountered mysterious figures with strange behavior.
Each time Hu Yulun met these mysterious figures, he felt a bone-chilling coldness rise from his spine. He would instinctively stop, his brow furrowing, his eyes filled with vigilance. His body tensed, his hands clenching into fists, ready for any sudden danger.
"Who are these people? What do they want?" Hu Yulun kept asking himself, his breathing quickening.
Once, exhausted in body and mind, Hu Yulun felt as if an invisible mountain was pressing down on him, making each step incredibly difficult. He dragged his heavy footsteps, as if weighed down by a massive stone, into a somewhat deserted Tavern.
The Tavern was old and simple, bearing the marks of time. The whitewash on the walls was peeling off in large patches, like ugly scars. The uneven bricks were exposed, as if silently recounting the passage of time. The air was filled with a faint smell of alcohol and the decaying scent of old wood, which intertwined like an invisible net, causing a vague sense of melancholy.
Hu Yulun entered the Tavern with difficulty, his steps unsteady, his body swaying. His eyes were bloodshot and filled with fatigue. He leaned on the door frame, gasping for breath, his throat making a "huffing" sound as if trying to expel all the exhaustion.
"Ugh, when will this ever end?" Hu Yulun muttered to himself, his face etched with helplessness and pain.
He was like a body dragging a thousand wounds, struggling to move his feet that felt like they didn't belong to him, heavy as lead. Each step he took, he had to gasp for breath, and beads of sweat rolled down his forehead. His face was contorted with extreme fatigue. Finally, he found a quiet corner and stumbled towards it, almost collapsing.
The moment he sat down, he was as if all his energy had been instantly drained. With a "thump," he slumped onto the chair, making a dull sound, and the chair groaned in protest.
His eyes were filled with countless crisscrossing blood vessels, the red color like he'd endured countless nightmare-ridden, sleepless nights. His gaze was hollow, as if his soul had left his body. His hair was as messy as weeds after a strong wind, hanging haphazardly on his head, still clinging to dried grass and dust. His stubble was uneven, growing wildly, making him look utterly haggard, as if a strong gust of wind could completely blow down his tottering body.
He had just sat down, but he was still deeply immersed in extreme exhaustion. The heavy feeling of fatigue was like a towering, unshakeable mountain, pressing down on him without mercy. He wanted to move his fingers, but it felt incredibly difficult, as if all his bones were filled with lead, making it almost impossible for him to move at all.
"I can't live like this anymore..." he mumbled weakly, his voice filled with despair and helplessness. His lips were cracked, and each word was a struggle. His head drooped listlessly, and he sighed heavily, a sigh that seemed to come from the depths of his soul.
Just as he was wearily closing his bloodshot eyes, hoping to escape the noise and the near-collapse exhaustion for a brief moment, his peripheral vision was suddenly drawn by an unseen, mysterious force, quickly catching sight of a Mysterious Figure wearing a Black Cloak.
The Mysterious Figure was completely enveloped from head to toe in a Black Cloak, the material rough and emitting the smell of old decay. Even their face was completely covered by heavy shadows, making it impossible to see any facial features, as if the person had completely merged into the endless darkness that seemed to devour everything.
The figure remained silent, huddled in the darkest corner of the Tavern. It was the deepest part of the Tavern, almost swallowed by shadows. Beside it stood a dilapidated, rickety bar, its wooden planks rotted and riddled with age and insect holes, seemingly ready to collapse at the slightest breeze. Hardly any light reached there, as if it was a dark corner abandoned by the light.
Hu Yulun's heart skipped a beat, and a sense of unease washed over him. His body trembled slightly, his brow furrowed, and his half-closed eyes snapped open, fixed on the Mysterious Figure. Who is this person? he wondered.
The Mysterious Figure's gaze was like a piercing arrow, sending a chill down Hu Yulun's spine. It held untold secrets and a terrifying, unfathomable danger, constantly watching him like a venomous snake, ready to strike.
The feeling of being watched was intense, as if countless tiny, biting ants were crawling and gnawing on his back, setting off alarm bells in his mind. He couldn't help but gasp, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, his face paling instantly. Every nerve in his body was stretched taut, like a drawn bowstring, ready to snap. Each heartbeat was heavy and rapid, "thump-thump-thump," like a drum on a battlefield, aching his chest.
No, I can't be kept in the dark! he roared inwardly, a burning curiosity and a desperate desire to escape the surveillance surging through him like a tidal wave.
He took a deep breath, clenched his teeth, and mustered all his courage to cautiously approach the Mysterious Figure. His steps were firm but with a subtle tremor, like a candle flame in the wind. His eyes were locked on the Mysterious Figure, like a seasoned hunter stalking its prey, thinking, I must find out what this guy is up to, even if it means entering a den of dragons, even if I have to pay a terrible price, I will not back down!
However, just as he was about to get close, at that crucial moment, the Mysterious Figure moved with incredible agility, like a streak of Black Cloak lightning across the night sky, bursting forth with an astonishing speed.
He spun around, moving like a ghost, and in a few swift steps, vanished into the bustling crowd outside the Tavern.
In an instant, the Mysterious Figure vanished like a ghost, leaving no trace behind, as if they had never existed. Hu Yulun stood there, dumbfounded, as if frozen in place, a tangle of confusion swirling in his mind.
"This... how could this be?" He widened his eyes in disbelief, shaking his head hard, his lips trembling slightly. Unease surged through him like an unstoppable tide, uncontrollably spreading through his heart.
His eyes were lost and anxious, his gaze frantic and hurried. His eyes darted around, searching the crowd, muttering to himself, "Where did they go?"
He nervously twisted the corner of his clothes, crumpling it in his hands. Beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, dripping onto the ground at his feet. He desperately wanted to find even the slightest clue left behind by the Mysterious Figure, and he unconsciously moved forward, his gaze anxiously scanning every person.
But in the end, he could only sigh in resignation. The confusion and unease left him unable to calm down for a long time, his eyebrows furrowed into a deep frown, as if he could crush a fly. He fell into deep thought, his feet seemingly rooted to the ground.
"No, I can't give up like this! I must get to the bottom of this!" Hu Yulun gritted his teeth, silently vowing to himself, his hands clenching into fists.
Another time, he was alone, silently traversing a forest, so gloomy and silent that it seemed to have been completely forgotten by the world. This Forest was like a secluded, mysterious corner, with ancient trees standing tall. Their thick trunks were covered with winding vines, like green pythons stretching out their powerful bodies. The dense foliage crisscrossed, interwoven into an impenetrable canopy, as if nature had woven a giant barrier specifically for this land.
Even the sunlight, trying its best, could only barely penetrate the dense, almost airtight gaps in the leaves, casting down a few weak and hazy rays of light. These rays of light were like fireflies in the darkness, appearing so small and powerless, making the entire Forest appear especially dark and gloomy, as if perpetually enveloped by a thick, ink-like darkness, causing a feeling of immense oppression and fear.
As he proceeded cautiously, his senses on high alert, the sensation of being followed felt like a sharp thorn piercing his back, intense and chilling. He couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.
It felt like a pair of malicious, evil eyes were hidden within the deep, layered shadows, staring at his every move without blinking. Each step he took seemed to be observed, and the feeling of being watched made his back prickle with unease.
"Who is it? Who's following me?" He couldn't help but whisper, his voice filled with tension and wariness.
But every time he turned around in a flash, filled with suspicion and panic, his movements were swift and decisive, like a startled bird. His eyes widened, filled with urgency and fear, as if they could burst into flames, desperately trying to catch a glimpse of his stalker. However, each time, his efforts were in vain. He saw nothing but emptiness and silence.
The only things around him were the eerily shaped trees, their twisted branches like the sharp claws of a devil, ready to pounce and tear him apart. The silent bushes rustled softly in the gentle breeze, their sound low and eerie, as if whispering secrets, making him shudder.
Each time he turned around and found nothing, it was like a heavy, cold, and hard rock crushing his heart, making him even more frightened. His heart beat like a rapid, deafening drum, pounding incessantly, as if it would burst out of his chest. He gasped for breath, his breathing becoming rapid. Each breath felt like a mountain of pressure, squeezing into his lungs, making him feel almost suffocated.
Unknowingly, beads of sweat formed on his forehead, plump and glistening, slowly sliding down his cheeks like icy tears. He subconsciously raised a trembling hand to wipe the sweat, his lips quivering as he muttered, "Who is it? Where are you? Come out!" His voice was tearful, filled with despair and helplessness, making him feel even more isolated and afraid.
"No, I can't just sit here and wait to die!" He encouraged himself, but his legs felt as heavy as lead.
Hu Yulun stood there motionless, like a statue frozen in time, his posture stiff. His eyes were deep and serious, like two bottomless pools, seemingly capable of absorbing all the darkness and gloom in the world. His heart was like a mirror, meticulously polished to be pure and flawless, reflecting his current dire situation clearly.
He warned himself over and over in his mind. The certainty was undeniable: he had undoubtedly been targeted by that unfathomable, terrifying entity, an Organization that was as mysterious and deep as an endless abyss, whose power was vast and complex, like a towering, intertwined tree. Or perhaps, it was someone closely connected to this mysterious Organization, their ties as tangled and impossible to unravel as a mess of threads.
The hidden gaze, like a frigid, piercing light that could instantly penetrate to the very soul, was constantly roaming over him. He couldn't help but shiver, his brows furrowing into a deep frown, the muscles in his face twitching slightly. His body involuntarily trembled, as if he could truly feel the chilling gaze, like a ghost clinging to him, impossible to shake off.
"Hmph, no matter how you watch, I won't be afraid!" he vowed silently, clenching his teeth so tightly that his cheeks bulged. His hands clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white from the force, and the veins on the backs of his hands stood out.
The ever-present, inescapable threat was like an invisible, unbreakable net, slowly and silently tightening, as if to completely consume him without a trace. His breathing quickened, his chest heaving violently, like a bellows being pumped. But in his heart, a burning fighting spirit ignited: "I want to see what you can do to me! Come at me if you dare; Hu Yulun isn't afraid of you!"
He showed no sign of backing down, not even a hint of fear, despite the immense, terrifying, and overwhelming threat that loomed over him, threatening to break him. He stood tall, his back straight as an arrow, like a proud pine tree that would never bend in the wind. His gaze was as firm as a burning, inextinguishable torch, hot and unwavering. His clenched fists cracked, his knuckles turning white from the strain. He thought to himself, "I will never retreat, never!" His tone was resolute, filled with unyielding determination and fearlessness.
Because he understood deeply that he was like a cornered beast, with no way out, no path to retreat.
"Before me lies only a thorny, rugged path that frightens anyone who looks at it. But so what? Hu Yulun isn't afraid!" he gritted his teeth, his eyes wide, bloodshot, and the veins on his forehead bulging like angry earthworms. He trembled all over, muttering to himself, his voice seeming to be squeezed from between his teeth.
His Family bore an injustice as heavy as a mountain, a dark history shrouded in shadows, a painful past that knew no light. Each moment of recollection was like a sharp knife, stabbing deeply into his heart, causing him excruciating pain. It was the endless suffering, humiliation, and despair brought about by the injustice, like a thick, impenetrable cloud that had long hung over the Family, suffocating everyone.
That injustice was like a heavy shackle, tightly binding every member of the Family, forcing them to struggle in pain and sigh helplessly in despair. They were like those falling into an endless abyss of darkness, where they couldn't see their fingers, and their cries for help were mercilessly devoured by the darkness, leaving not even a ripple.
And he himself also shouldered the sacred mission of seeking the truth and clearing the Family's name. That was a flame burning intensely in his heart, a belief that supported him in his difficult journey, a light of hope that would never be extinguished, no matter what hardships and dangers he encountered, it would always shine brightly.
"Even if it's a sea of fire and a mountain of knives ahead, even if I have to pay with my life, I must break through and clear the Family's name!" He roared, his voice echoing through the emptiness, startling a flock of birds. His face flushed with excitement, and his eyes burned with unyielding anger.