Chapter 18: Behind the Taboo of the Mine

The chaos at the mine entrance didn’t last long.

Six Patrol Squad members rushed over first, wearing simple light armor and holding mismatched short swords, standing alertly at the front of the tunnel.

Baron Horne, a middle-aged noble in a neatly pressed formal suit, his chin lifted as if eternally disdainful of everything, walked slowly forward surrounded by four heavily armed Light Cavalry Guards, like a king inspecting his domain.

He didn’t even glance at the infected one still roaring and struggling on the ground, his gaze lazily sweeping over the four bedraggled figures.

“Restrain them.”

His voice wasn’t loud, but carried a commanding authority.

The Patrol Squad members behind him surged forward, grabbing Li Qiuchen and the others, twisting their arms behind their backs without a word.

Kaili tried to resist, but Li Qiuchen stopped her with a look—against the well-trained and numerous Patrol Squad, especially after a fierce battle, resistance was unwise.

Kaili instinctively obeyed the silent signal from this northern frontier youth.

Jocelyn and Li Qiuchen obediently put their hands behind their backs and squatted down, making it easier for the Patrol Squad to tie them with short ropes.

Their compliance and familiarity with the process were astonishing.

In fact, the early days of the Hero Party were spent tied up on carriages more than walking on roads.

The reasons were many.

Belinda couldn’t tolerate being mocked, even when they were completely outmatched.

Reina would express disdain for any Faith not of the Saint Palace, even when in the charity halls of the Wood-Fire Sect.

Jocelyn had to eat, even when penniless.

Hestia simply liked causing trouble, wanting to try anything forbidden.

So, they had been captured by the Town Security Force, by Demon Hunter squads, by Mercenary Companies, by Wood-Fire Sect believers, by bakery owners, Militia Captains, Mercenary Captains—they were even once caught by a group of necromancers (Hestia stole their leader’s rib, claiming it was for Little Fei to gnaw on).

“The knot’s a bit loose.”

Jocelyn kindly pointed out.

“Sorry.”

The young Patrol Squad member checked, realized the mistake, tightened the rope, and apologized reflexively.

“Lord Horne! It’s not their fault!”

Naili was so anxious she was nearly in tears, struggling like a trapped animal.

“It was the Lawkeeper who hired the Demon Hunter! I brought them!

We came to eliminate the monsters in the mine!”

Baron Horne’s gaze finally fell on Naili, the chill in his eyes intensifying.

“Naili Field. Your cousin was a restless miner before, and you’ve inherited his ‘will.'”

He paused, voice tinged with mockery.

“Trespassing into Forbidden Land, disturbing… unknown entities. Do you realize what Calamity this could bring upon the town?”

“We found ‘evidence’!”

Kaili, though pinned, held her head high, using her chin to point at the infected nailed to the ground.

“Lord Baron, as you can see, what’s spreading in the mine are those Contaminated by Dark Energy! They’re not Vampires at all. They’re the true Calamity! We must go deeper and eliminate them completely!”

Baron Horne seemed to spare a glance at the grotesque Monster, his brow barely twitching before returning to a calm, unreadable expression.

“How to handle this is the duty of the Town Hall and the Temple, not the concern of a few unknown outsiders or a…”

He gave Kaili a meaningful look.

“Demon Hunter.”

He waved his hand, signaling the Patrol Squad.

“Take this ‘thing’ away and guard it tightly. As for these four ‘Heroes’… escort them to the Castle. We need to have a proper conversation.”

Kairi, who had been silently following behind the Baron, now had none of his usual arrogance.

He looked at Naili being treated roughly, and suddenly shoved aside the Patrol Squad member restraining her.

Facing Naili, the noble youth’s face was full of complicated emotion, his lips moving, but under his father’s stern gaze, it turned into an almost inaudible sigh.

At that moment, as the group was being led away from the mine, the Zhesi Gem on Li Qiuchen’s chest flared with a faint, sharp pain!

He whipped his head around, staring into the depths of the mine that swallowed all light.

The darkness was so dense it seemed tangible.

But in that darkness, he could clearly feel a malicious gaze piercing through countless barriers, locking onto them.

Such venomous hatred wasn’t something mindless infected could possess.

“Move!”

A Patrol Squad member shoved him impatiently.

Li Qiuchen turned away, but the chill in his heart was colder than the wind deep in the mine.

***

Baron Horne’s Castle drawing room felt more like a grim courtroom than a guest parlor.

The only warmth was the Baroness’s Portrait hanging high, its soft aura shining down.

In the painting, the lady in her twenties wore a pure, innocent smile, as if facing her beloved.

The Zhesi Gem on Li Qiuchen’s chest flickered slightly, a faint aura of death rising in his mind.

“You have broken the Taboo of Blackwater Town.”

The Baron sat in the main seat, his tone flat but his gaze oppressive.

“You have brought unpredictable consequences upon the entire town.”

“Lord Baron,”

Kaili gestured to the Assignment Letter on the table.

“I must state, this was not breaking a Taboo—it was a legitimate and successful extermination mission!”

“However, your actions were neither legitimate nor successful. You disturbed the Taboo and disrupted the town’s harmony.”

The Baron spoke calmly, but the Scar-faced Man beside him suddenly drew his sword, placing the blade against Kaili’s neck.

A savage scar ran from his brow to his lip, and the murderous intent he radiated made Kaili’s face pale.

He would really kill her.

This was the Baron’s domain; it wouldn’t be unusual for a Demon Hunter named Kaili to vanish here.

She remembered reading reports of missing wanderers.

“Uncle Kemel, please don’t… don’t…”

Naili pleaded, her large eyes shining in the candlelight.

The Scar-faced Man hesitated, then slowly lowered his sword.

Naili took a deep breath.

To everyone’s surprise, she turned to address Baron Horne.

“The Lawkeeper and Miss Kaili signed a formal contract. The Demon Hunter was only following orders.”

Standing by the long table, trembling but determined, she pressed on.

“Miss Kaili was not only blameless, but meritorious. As a resident of Blackwater Town, I demand a Patrol Squad be organized to accompany us back into the mine and eliminate all the infected! Reopening the mine would benefit you as well, so you have no reason to refuse.”

Her words came out in a rush, as if she had cast aside all hesitation.

Even Li Qiuchen was surprised by the courage this usually timid girl showed, especially since both he and Jocelyn had chosen silence.

Baron Horne glanced at the Assignment Letter, a cold smile playing on his lips.

“Lawkeeper? He can be a Lawkeeper, or not. As for entering the mine…”

He lifted a glass of wine slowly.

“Until the Mayor returns with the new Sanctuary Priest, no one is to set foot in the mine. This is for everyone’s safety.”

In the end, he didn’t make things difficult for the four of them.

Maybe the Assignment Letter carried enough legal weight, or maybe Naili’s words had an effect.

Either way, in a tense, almost suffocating silence, they were ‘released.’

“Until the Mayor and new Priest return,” the Baron’s words followed them like shackles.

“You are not to approach the mine. And you may not leave Blackwater Town.”

With that, he ordered them out, standing at the balcony, watching Naili’s figure disappear into the night.

Kemel spoke up.

“Nai De hasn’t sent any more messages. We all checked the first letter.”

“In two more days, if there’s still nothing, it means the Ritual of Resurrection has completely failed.”

A deep fatigue and pain showed on Horne’s face.

“You’ve done your best. The Black Crystal flashed twice—but…”

Kemel bit his lip.

Even incomplete, the crystal’s glow should mean success, there should have been a response.

He tried to reassure him.

“In any case, it’s too soon to say it’s failed.”

“What about the horse corpse?”

Horne shifted the topic.

Without the Vampire rumors and that bloodless horse corpse, the incident wouldn’t have drawn attention—at least, not enough to bring the likes of Kaili here.

“The Patrol Squad hasn’t found the cause. There haven’t been many outsiders in town, and all have been detained, forbidden to leave.”

Kemel explained.

“In two days, the new Priest arrives.”

“Good… good.”

Horne muttered in pain, turning toward the Castle Crypt.

This man, once honored for his military exploits defending against the Magic Corruption alongside the Count of ‘Solitary Eagle,’ now seemed frail and afraid.

What he feared was never death or judgment—but the complete loss that was to come…

***

By the time the four returned to the Oak Barrel Tavern, it was past midnight.

Unexpectedly, the tavern was still brightly lit.

Tide, the boss, sat behind the bar, his large belly propped up, slowly polishing a wooden mug that was already gleaming.

Seeing the four enter, his face filled with anxiety, as if he’d been waiting a long time.

“Thank goodness, you’re finally back.”

He poured each of them a cup of warm water.

“Is it true you captured a Magic Corruption infected?”

Naili nodded, explaining what had happened.

“Lord Horne lectured you? And forbade you from leaving?”

Tide asked.

Li Qiuchen nodded, sipping the water, his parched throat finally relieved.

“Don’t blame him, or the townsfolk.”

Tide’s fat face showed a complicated expression.

“Ever since the accident, Merchant Caravans and Wanderers have gone missing near the mine. Alive or dead, they’ve never been found. People say it’s the Evil Spirit of a Black Magician crushed in the mine. So the mine became a silent Taboo for the town. Anyone who messes with it faces disaster.”

He lowered his voice.

“Now you’ve proven it’s not Vampires inside, but even more dangerous Magic Corruption… That’s even worse, isn’t it?”

He forced a friendly smile, but it looked tired.

“Listen to me—just rest for now. The Mayor will be back soon. When the new Priest arrives and the mine is cleansed, everything will improve. Demon Hunter, you can collect your reward. With the mine reopened, the town will prosper, and life will be good again.”

He sounded like he was comforting the four—or himself.

***

The four dragged themselves to their beds.

As Kaili was climbing the stairs, she whispered to Li Qiuchen.

“Thank you.”

Li Qiuchen waved it off.

Behind him, Jocelyn fell asleep instantly.

He couldn’t sleep at all.

He leaned by the window, staring at the silent town and the massive shadow of the mine.

Baron Horne’s stubbornness, Kairi’s strange worry, the gaze lurking in the mine’s depths…

All these felt like scattered puzzle pieces swirling in his mind, impossible to assemble into a complete truth.

More important was the person who’d inexplicably drawn him into this vortex.

Li Qiuchen picked up the Blue Crystal, his eyes dark.

That uncle’s acting wasn’t convincing.

A careful check showed the Blue Crystal’s magic had only recently been drained—it was a Guidestone deliberately given to him.

In his eagerness to solve his Nightmare problem, he touched the magic and exposed himself as a mage.

No one expected the Blue Crystal to be just a test.

When an honest man plays tricks, the impact is unimaginable.

At least, the first time they deceive you, you won’t react in time.

What was his goal?

To muddy the waters—or to get something inside the mine?

The puzzle grew clearer, but his mind became more chaotic.

He drifted into sleep, forgetting the danger of Dreamland.

By the time he tried to resist, it was too late.

As soon as he entered Dreamland, he was stunned.

This time it felt like an ancient battlefield—far more terrifying than before.

Massive Forbidden Magic was unleashed without restraint.

Three factions at the far ends of the world formed magical arrays, hurling spells at each other.

Holy Light, Forbidden Elemental Magic, Elf Magic Array—it was like a world war.

Through the thunderous explosions, he could even faintly hear people cursing at each other.

The insults were vicious, matching the savagery of their attacks.

A colossal Death Ray streaked across the sky—the mere shockwave obliterated him instantly.

The agony in the dream hit his consciousness directly.

He bolted upright, screaming, “Gah! Pain pain pain!”

Jocelyn groggily turned over.

“I haven’t even hit you. Why’d you wake up yourself?”

Li Qiuchen looked utterly hopeless.

“It’s over. I can’t sleep at all now.”

He used to fear sleep, afraid Reina would hypnotize him and expose his location.

Now he couldn’t sleep because Dreamland had become a battlefield, blasting him out as soon as he entered.

Was this their new plan?

Were they trying to make him die from insomnia?

“Huh? Isn’t that a good thing?”

Jocelyn was puzzled.

“It’s not insomnia!

They’re fighting in my dream, get it?”

Li Qiuchen sounded desperate.

“It’s like a world war—bam bam bam! Boom boom boom! And I’m just a bot getting—”

Jocelyn was too tired.

She rolled over.

“Fine, whatever. Just tell them to keep it down. I’m sleeping.”

Watching Jocelyn drift off, Li Qiuchen sighed and didn’t disturb his exhausted teammate further.

“Good night.”

He whispered.

“Mm.”

In the darkness, someone already asleep responded automatically.