After being chosen by the Ice Queen

"That's right." Chiba Rin admitted frankly, "The death of the Smiling Buddha, the death of my father... were all within my plan, yet they all exceeded my expectations. I underestimated Kito Go's madness and ruthlessness, and I overestimated my control over the situation."

She gave a self-deprecating laugh, a laugh that, on her pale, misty face, had a breathtakingly poignant beauty. "Now, I'm hiding here like a stray dog, and revenge seems to be getting further and further away."

"But Daodaozhai has given us a new opportunity," Gu Yan said. "Once we get the materials and forge a new sword, we'll have the means to fight back. And..." He paused, "your revenge isn't just about killing. It's about crushing everything he cherished, everything he gained through betrayal and slaughter, isn't it?"

Chiba Rin gave Gu Yan a deep look, a strange light flashing in her eyes. "You see it very clearly."

She turned back to look at the waterfall again, her voice lowering, "Sometimes, I wonder, what happens after revenge? The Chiba Clan... this place soaked in my parents' blood, a place that witnessed all my pain and struggle, what am I supposed to do with it?"

She wasn't expecting Gu Yan to answer this question; it was more like she was asking herself.

The two fell silent again, with only the ceaseless roar of the waterfall.

"Your injury is healing very quickly." After a long while, Chiba Rin changed the subject, her tone returning to its usual coolness, "So quickly... that's not normal."

"Yes, I had some unexpected encounters," Gu Yan said vaguely, not intending to elaborate on the matter of the dream and the sword shadow for the time being.

"Very good." Chiba Rin nodded. "We'll set off at midnight tonight. Totosai gave us a more specific location of the shrine and a possible topographical map. The Crow of Oblivion definitely has something there, and the shrine itself... might be a little strange." A hint of seriousness flashed in her eyes. "Totosai mentioned that in ancient times, that place seemed to have been used to suppress some unclean things."

"clear."

Chiba Rin finally turned around, facing Gu Yan directly. The steam had left tiny water droplets clinging to the ends of her hair and eyelashes, and the neckline of her yukata was slightly open, revealing a section of her beautiful neck and collarbone.

"Gu Yan, this operation is fraught with peril. If you want to back out now, it's not too late. Daodaozhai can send you out of Japan." She stared into Gu Yan's eyes and said, word by word.

Gu Yan met her gaze and slowly shook his head: "My mission is not yet complete. Moreover," he gripped the cicada-shaped scroll in his hand, "I also need the things from the shrine."

Chiba Rin stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly, almost imperceptibly, let out a sigh of relief. The subtle change in expression was so quick it was almost an illusion; she had already donned her icy shell once more.

"Then don't hold us back." She tossed out those words, picked up the Black Rain, and walked barefoot across the cool rocks toward the tavern. After a few steps, she stopped, without looking back. "Meet us in the kitchen in an hour to check the equipment."

"it is good."

As night fell, a chill began to permeate the mountains. In the tavern's kitchen, the oil lamp cast a dim glow. Gu Yan and Chiba Rin silently inspected the simple gear that Daodaosai had prepared for them: a water bottle, dry rations, ropes, grappling hooks, a small amount of emergency medicine, night vision goggles (an old model that Daodaosai had somehow acquired), and most importantly—a sketch map marking the possible internal structure of the shrine, the areas of traps, and the location of Kito Gou's storage point.

Daodaosai himself did not appear, but only sent two sets of black night clothes and two packets of specially made powder that could mask body temperature and smell.

After changing their clothes, the two carefully bound Chanboku and Kuroyu to positions where they could be easily pulled out. Chiba Rin's face showed no trace of fatigue or hesitation, only the cold focus of a hunter before setting off. Gu Yan also adjusted his breathing, slowly circulating the Candlelight Breath within his body, raising his sense of danger to its optimal state, and feeling the cool touch from the hilt of Chanboku.

As midnight approached, all was quiet except for the mournful whistling of the mountain wind through the gaps in the forest.

They went over the action plan and code words one last time and nodded to each other.

Pushing open the back door of the tavern, the rich darkness of night and the scent of the mountains and forests rushed in. With no moonlight and the stars hidden, it was the perfect time for stealth.

"Let's go." Chiba Rin murmured, her figure disappearing into the darkness first.

Gu Yan followed closely behind, like two silent shadows, hurrying towards the depths of the western mountains.

The night was as dark as ink, and the mountain wind was as sharp as a knife.

Deep in the remote western mountains, far from human habitation, even the chirping of insects and birds seemed sparse. Gu Yan and Qianye Lin moved at high speed among towering ancient trees and jagged rocks, like two ghosts. The medicinal powder provided by Daodaozhai effectively masked their body temperature and scent, but the two remained on edge, their senses heightened, alert to any unnatural movement in the darkness.

About two hours later, the terrain suddenly changed. A relatively open valley abruptly appeared from the dense forest. In the center of the valley, a shrine was faintly visible.

The vermilion lacquer on the torii gate had long since peeled away, revealing the rotten wood core, standing crookedly like the withered ribs of a giant. The stone steps of the approach path were covered with moss and cracks, and most of the stone lanterns on both sides were broken and collapsed. The main hall and worship hall were pitch black in the night, with broken tiles and collapsed eaves, a scene of utter desolation.

"This is it." Chiba Rin crouched behind a giant tree, lowered his voice, and took out night vision goggles to observe. "According to Totosai's map, Kito Go's secret vault is located below the main hall. The entrance might be in the inner courtyard behind the worship hall. But he said that this place itself is not clean."

Gu Yan also sensed it. Besides the decaying, eerie aura emanating from the shrine itself, there was a faint sense of boundary surrounding the valley. It wasn't a physical wall, but rather an energy that was obscure and stagnant, as if this area was separated from its surroundings by some invisible force.

The energy of Zhuyin within his body responded slightly, and a very faint fluctuation came from the direction of this hall.

"Guards are on guard." Chiba Rin's night vision goggles focused on the shadows on the side of the main hall. Two black-clad figures, almost blending into their surroundings, stood motionless like stone statues; they were the Dark Crows' sentries.

"More than two." Gu Yan closed his eyes and focused his mind, a sense of danger spreading out like ripples on water. More chilling auras were hidden in the cracks of buildings, the canopy of ancient trees, and even underground. There were at least eight to ten people, forming a three-dimensional, almost impenetrable perimeter of the perimeter.

"Main gate, flanks, high ground."

"We can't force our way in." Chiba Rin put away his night vision goggles, his eyes flashing coldly. "Totosai said there are remnants of an ancient barrier at the shrine. Although damaged, it may still have interference and warning functions. The people of the Dark Crows are only guarding the outer perimeter and haven't ventured into the main hall. They're probably also wary of what's inside. We need to find another way."

Her gaze fell upon the back of the shrine, where even steeper cliffs and almost wild vegetation stretched out.

"Go around from the back and climb down. The defenses there should be the weakest, and..." She pointed to a low building completely covered in vines behind the main hall, "that might be the back door or air vent of the Okunoin."

With the plan set, the two quietly retreated into the forest, circled around, and arrived at the top of the cliff behind the shrine. The cliff was almost vertical, more than thirty meters high, with the rear eaves of the shrine buildings below.

Chiba Rin took out her grappling hook and special rope, checked their strength, and nodded to Gu Yan. Without another word, she slid down like a nimble ape, her grappling hook precisely gripping a protruding crevice below. She slid down lightly, pausing briefly at several points of leverage on the rock face to ensure safety. Gu Yan followed closely behind; his enhanced physique made this type of climbing even more effortless.

A moment later, the two landed silently on the damp, soft soil behind Okunoin. The guards here were indeed sparse; only the footsteps of a sentry could be heard every few minutes in the distance. The building before them was low and dilapidated, its wooden walls rotten and blackened. A narrow, lattice window, also entwined with vines, was half-open, revealing complete darkness inside.

Chiba Rin carefully used his short sword to cut the weakest joints in the window frame, gently removing the entire rotten window frame. The two held their breath and crawled inside one after the other.

The interior appeared slightly larger than the exterior, but it was filled with the ruins of decaying wooden shrines, broken pottery, and faded prayer flags, leaving almost no room to step. Using the light from a tarpaulin covering their flashlights, they discovered a square opening in the center of the floor, clearly carved out later, extending downwards, with a crude iron ladder anchored to the edge. Below the opening lay a bottomless darkness, from which the rusty metal and strange vibrations emanated.

"This is it." Chiba Rin gripped the Black Rain tightly. Gu Yan also drew the Cicada Thin Blade, its blade gleaming with a cold, pale gray light—a trace of the power of the Flow-Severing Technique he had previously attached, just in case.

The two descended the iron ladder cautiously, one after the other. The ladder was long, and they descended nearly ten meters vertically before reaching the bottom. Under their feet was a rough, carved rock floor. Ahead was a low, man-made passage leading deep into the mountainside. At intervals along the walls were dim, ever-burning lamps fueled by some kind of animal fat, their flickering light casting long, ghostly shadows.

The passage wasn't long, ending at a heavy, iron-clad wooden door studded with copper nails. There was no lock, but Gu Yan's sense of danger was already sounding an alarm! A dense, unsettling energy fluctuation emanated from behind the door—the scent of metal, minerals, and… the presence of living beings?

Chiba Rin and Gu Yan exchanged a glance, then stood on opposite sides of the door. Chiba Rin took a deep breath and kicked the door hinge hard at its weakest point.

The wooden door swung open with a loud crash. An even more pungent odor wafted out.

Behind the door is a natural cave, with some luminous stalactites hanging from the ceiling, providing the main lighting. In the center of the cave, dozens of wooden and iron boxes of varying sizes are piled up haphazardly, some of which have been opened, revealing metal ingots and ores that shimmer with a strange luster, as well as fragments of some ancient and even bizarre artifacts.

Beside these supplies, deep within the cave, lurked a colossal black shadow.