Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

Lin Gui didn't say anything more.

The raft slowly descended at the edge of the dense forest.

He jumped off the raft, packed it up, and put on his oak staff in his place.

Elvia straddled him skillfully, wrapping her arms around his waist.

Lillian had originally planned to take out the cyan staff and fly herself.

But Elvia reached out and grabbed him by the back of his collar.

"Just to be safe, let's sit together."

Lillian paused for a moment, hesitated for a second, and then sat down behind Elvia.

The three of them huddled together on a staff and flew into the dense forest.

Manipulating the staff, the Forest Ghost weaves through the trees.

He wasn't moving fast; he seemed to be identifying something, his eyes constantly scanning the terrain below.

A few minutes later, he circled twice above the cabin.

Then he paused for a moment, as if confirming something.

He then withdrew his gaze, maneuvered his staff, and continued flying forward without lingering.

For the next period of time, Lin Gui led them through the hilly area where Xinghuo Three Cities were located.

They passed through a dense thicket of bushes, and the Wood Ghost circled the bushes three times before leaving.

They flew over a dry stream, and the Forest Ghost paused briefly above a boulder on the bank before continuing onward.

They walked through a dead orchard.

Lin Gui hovered for a few moments under one of the crooked-necked trees before turning and leaving.

Throughout the entire process, Lin Gui did not explain, did not turn around, and did not make any unnecessary movements.

He just flew over those positions repeatedly.

It's like checking a list that you already know by heart.

Elvia remained silent.

But her brows furrowed more and more tightly.

Lin Gui's familiarity with these places was outrageous.

He doesn't need maps, markers, or even to slow down and examine them carefully.

He found every single spot with pinpoint accuracy.

It hovered precisely, glanced at the view, and then left.

What exactly is he doing?

Her question was answered when she arrived at the fourth location.

It was a parched wheat field.

The wheat stalks were withered and yellow, lying flat on the ground, as if they had been neglected for many years.

In the center of the field is a slightly raised earthen slope.

The surface was covered with withered grass and gravel, indistinguishable from the surrounding wasteland.

But after circling above the wheat field, Lin Gui did not leave directly as before.

He landed on the ground and walked to the earthen slope.

Squat down and extend your hand.

Grab the edge of a wooden board that appears to be one with the soil and pry it up forcefully.

The wooden plank was flipped over, revealing a hole that extends downwards.

The entrance to the cave is small, only allowing one person to pass sideways.

The cave was dimly lit, and one could vaguely see some stacked sacks and wooden crates, as well as a dusty wooden plank bed.

Elvia stood at the edge of the cave entrance.

He looked down at the layout inside and remained silent for a moment.

Then she spoke, her voice very soft.

"...Is this Xinghuo's hiding place?"

Lin Gui did not answer.

But his silence said it all.

Elvia understood.

Lin Gui is looking for the survivors from back then.

Those hiding places were shelters that Xinghuo had prepared in advance.

It was so that if the revolution failed, someone could escape the persecution and survive.

And those hiding places that were previously circled around and then left.

It is estimated that Lin Gui discovered that Fu Huo could move.

They discovered the hiding places, then laid an ambush, waiting for any survivors who might return.

So the reason he insisted on coming here was to find survivors.

Elvia didn't understand.

Three years have passed, and even if there were people in those hiding places, they are long gone.

The pursuit by the Overturning Fire Society could not have continued until now.

But it's impossible for those people to survive for three years in a sealed underground cave.

This is meaningless now.

But she didn't stop him.

She simply watched silently as Lin Gui replaced the wooden planks, stood up, and silently walked towards the staff.

Over the next period of time, Lin Gui led them to all 149 hiding places.

He rummaged through the charred ruins of the village, searching among the collapsed beams and rubble.

He climbed over the grass-covered hillside and groped his way through the crevices of the rocks.

He entered the mines and tunnels that had been abandoned for many years, traversing through darkness and dust.

Elvia and Lillian followed behind him.

Lin Gui originally suggested that they stay where they were and wait for him.

But Elvia simply shook her head, said "Let's go," and followed him.

Lillian hunched her shoulders and silently followed at the very back.

The hills are much colder at night than during the day.

The wind blew across the empty wheat fields and the charred ruins, making a low, mournful sound.

The moonlight shone on the burned buildings and the cracked earth, making everything seem even more desolate.

Lin Gui did not stop.

He searched like that all night long.

As dawn broke, they arrived at their final destination.

Outside the ruins of Annabelle, a broken section of the red wall.

Lin Gui stood in front of the broken gap.

I stood in silence for a long time, looking at the city wall eroded by wind and sand.

He crouched down and rummaged through the pile of rubble at the base of the city wall for a while.

He dug his fingers into a narrow crevice in the stone and lifted it upwards with force.

A loose stone slab was lifted, revealing a narrow space underneath.

There were several bags of dry food inside.

The bag was tied tightly, and the fabric at the edges was still dry.

The dry rations had not been touched.

No one has touched the food here.

Lin Gui stared at the dried rations and remained silent for a long time.

Spark has prepared far too many temporary shelters like these.

They stockpiled food in advance, hoping to leave a way for the survivors to live if the revolution failed.

He left after that execution.

I once tried to find those who might be hiding there.

But at that time his strength was too weak.

Throughout the hills, the Fu Huo Society could be seen everywhere.

Now, he has the ability, but it's too late.

One hundred and forty-nine hiding places.

The 145 people who were overthrown by the fire were discovered to have been set into a trap.

They wait for the lucky survivors who managed to escape to walk right into their trap.

The remaining four have unused reserve food.

No one has ever been here.

The nearby villages had already been completely destroyed.

The people there could not possibly survive.

He should have known this outcome long ago.

Lin Gui squatted at the foot of the city wall, looking at the shriveled grain sacks, and remained silent for a long time.

The morning light shone from the east, casting a long shadow over him.

Elvia came to her side.

She put her hand on his shoulder and said.

"It's time to go."

Lin Gui sighed.

Then he turned his gaze to the red wall in the distance, to that crimson forbidden land.