The journey back from Blood Moon Lake felt heavier than the trip there. The forest, once just eerie, now hummed with a cold malice—twisted branches creaked as if whispering secrets, and the crimson sap on tree trunks dripped faster, pooling on the dirt like tiny bloodstains. Lin Chen's bronze key no longer hovered freely; it lay in his palm, warm but dim, as if exhausted from the earlier ritual.Uncle Wei walked ahead, his boots crunching over fallen leaves, his own key tucked into the strap of his backpack. Every few steps, he'd pause, hand resting on the key, eyes scanning the trees. "They're following us," he said without turning. "Not Zhou's leftover followers—someone worse. The Shadow Sect."Lin Chen and Su Xiao exchanged a glance. "The Shadow Sect?" Su Xiao asked, pulling her grandmother's journal from her backpack. She flipped to a dog-eared page, her finger tracing a line of shaky handwriting. "Grandmother wrote about them. 'A cult that worships the old darkness—they served Zhou Feng, but they're not loyal to him. They want the dragon's power for themselves.'"Uncle Wei nodded, stopping to kick a stone off the path. The stone shattered, revealing a small black symbol carved into its core—a circle with three curved lines, like a claw. "That's their mark," he said, his voice sharp. "They've been marking our trail since we left the lake. They want the key fragments we have—both yours and mine."Lin Chen held up the fragment he'd taken from the cave. It glowed faintly, matching the symbol on the stone. "Why do they need the fragments?""To find the 幽骨冢 (Shadow Bone Tomb)," Uncle Wei said. "A hidden tomb in the northern mountains, where the dragon's old armor is buried. The tomb is sealed by three key fragments—yours, mine, and the one the Sect already stole from Suolong Village. With the armor, they can protect themselves from the dragon's fire… when they wake it."The forest fell silent. Even the wind stopped, and the crimson sap ceased dripping. Lin Chen's key suddenly flared to life, its golden light cutting through the dimness. "They're close," he said, gripping the silver dagger at his waist.Su Xiao pulled a handful of dried herbs from her pouch—sage, mint, and a handful of glowing blue flowers. "These are starwort," she said, crushing the flowers between her fingers. "Grandmother said they repel dark magic. Throw them if they attack."They rounded a bend, and an abandoned 驿站 (post station) came into view. Its wooden walls were rotted, its roof half-collapsed, and a sign hanging above the door creaked in the still air: "Cloud Rest Station". The black Shadow Sect symbol was carved into the doorframe, its edges glowing faintly."They're waiting inside," Uncle Wei whispered. He pulled his key from his backpack; it glowed, matching Lin Chen's. "Stay close. The Sect uses bone magic—they animate the dead to fight for them. Don't let their claws touch you; the taint will spread."They approached the station slowly. Lin Chen pushed the door open; it creaked, and a cloud of dust fell from the ceiling. Inside, the station was empty—except for a pile of bones in the corner, picked clean, their sockets staring blankly at the walls.Then, the bones moved.They clicked and clattered, rising into the shape of three human figures—ribs forming chests, skulls balancing on spines, hands made of finger bones. Their eye sockets glowed green, and they let out a low, guttural growl."Bone puppets," Uncle Wei snarled. He raised his key, sending a beam of golden light toward the nearest puppet. The light hit it, and the bones crumbled to the ground—only to rise again, reforming into a larger shape, with claws made of sharpened femurs.Su Xiao threw the starwort. The flowers burst into blue flame, landing on the puppet's chest. The bones sizzled, and the green glow in its eye sockets faded. It collapsed, this time staying down."One down," she said, grabbing more herbs. "But there are two left!"The second puppet lunged at Lin Chen. He dodged, slamming his key into its skull. The key's light burned through the bone, and the puppet staggered back. Lin Chen swung the silver dagger, slicing through its ribs—black smoke poured out, and the puppet dissolved.The third puppet was larger, its body made of horse bones, its claws like daggers. It charged at Su Xiao, who stumbled back, dropping her herb pouch. Lin Chen dove forward, tackling her out of the way. The puppet's claw missed her by inches, slamming into the wooden floor and splitting it open.Uncle Wei ran forward, his key glowing brightly. He pressed it to the puppet's skull, and a golden beam shot through its body. The puppet screamed—a sound like grinding stone—and collapsed, its bones turning to dust.The station fell silent. Lin Chen helped Su Xiao to her feet, brushing dust off her jacket. "You okay?" he asked.She nodded, picking up her herb pouch. "Thanks. That was too close."Uncle Wei walked to the split floor, bending down to look into the hole. "They're not done," he said, his voice grave. He pulled a piece of paper from the hole—folded, stained with black ink.Lin Chen took the paper, unfolding it. It was a map, marked with a red X: the Shadow Bone Tomb. At the bottom, written in the same claw-like handwriting as the Sect's symbol: "The armor waits. The dragon will rise. The guardians will fall."Su Xiao leaned over his shoulder, her face pale. "They're already on their way. The tomb is three days' walk from here—if we don't get there first, they'll get the armor."Uncle Wei nodded, but he winced, pressing a hand to his side. Lin Chen noticed the blood soaking through his jacket—he'd been hurt in the fight, a deep gash from the puppet's claw."You're injured," Lin Chen said, reaching for the wound.Uncle Wei pushed him away. "It's just a scratch. But the taint is spreading—see?" He pulled back his shirt. The skin around the gash was turning black, spreading up his chest.Su Xiao knelt beside him, pulling a small vial from her pouch—the last of the Healer's Tear, saved from the lake. "This will slow the taint," she said, pouring the liquid onto the wound. The blackness hissed, receding slightly. "But we need to find a healer. Or get to the tomb—grandmother's journal says the tomb has a spring that purifies taint."Lin Chen folded the map, tucking it into his pocket. He looked at his key, which now glowed steadily, pointing north—toward the tomb. "We go to the Shadow Bone Tomb," he said. "We stop the Sect, get the armor, and heal Uncle Wei. That's our plan."Su Xiao nodded, packing her herbs. Uncle Wei stood, wincing but steady. "Your father would have done the same," he said, clapping Lin Chen on the shoulder. "He was brave, too. Just like you."They left the 驿站,the sun setting behind the mountains. The forest was darker now, and the black Sect symbols were carved into more trees, their glow intensifying. Lin Chen's key hovered again, leading the way, its golden light cutting through the darkness.As they walked, Lin Chen thought of his parents—of his father's diary, of his mother's smile. He thought of the woman in white, the old Taoist, the village woman. All of them had fought to protect the dragon, to keep the darkness at bay.Now it was his turn.They walked through the night, the forest around them alive with the sounds of the Sect's puppets—clattering bones, distant growls, the whisper of dark magic. But Lin Chen didn't fear. He had Su Xiao by his side, Uncle Wei behind him, and the guardian's blood in his veins.The Shadow Bone Tomb waited. And so did the Shadow Sect.The next battle was coming. And this time, Lin Chen was ready.For the dragon. For his parents. For the world.He gripped his key, and its light grew brighter.Onward.