Though Fang Senyan was on high alert, the sound of rapid footsteps approaching from the distance never ceased, and suddenly, a dark shadow lunged directly out from the jumble of rocks!

Even though Fang Senyan had anticipated the enemy might press close quickly, he hadn't expected the force of that pounce to be so swift!

He tumbled clumsily to the side, barely managing to evade the attack. Fang Senyan, though flustered, did not lose his composure, crossing his hands defensively before his chest. But the expected follow-up never came; the dark shadow performed an incredibly agile turn upon landing and darted into the narrow, pitch-black cave beneath the massive rock on the left!

Fang Senyan let out a long breath, shaking his head with a wry smile. That dark shadow wasn't a pursuer at all, but clearly a snow badger, moving with astonishing speed, apparently highly frightened. In normal circumstances, Fang Senyan should have been able to distinguish between human tracks and animal traces, but his abilities were severely diminished now, and his mind was preoccupied by the deeply bizarre situation, leading to such a low-level mistake.

Subsequently, quite a few more animals bolted past from behind, rushing through that cave opening and continuing deeper into the boulder field. They were obviously fleeing in panic, disturbed by the great fire raging in the distant sky. Seizing the moment, Fang Senyan took down a weasel to serve as provisions for the next few days, then propped up his hastily constructed "ladder" against the cliff face and began climbing onto the horizontal giant boulder with Wuge strapped to his back.

Of course, he didn't forget to pull the wooden ladder up after them. Although this action might not significantly delay the pursuing Orcs for long, Fang Senyan understood perfectly: doing it might help, but not doing it would certainly guarantee no help at all!

The top of this massive boulder offered a considerable area, exceeding five meters in width. It even held accumulated silt and earth, upon which tenacious alpine lichens and mosses had managed to grow. Touching the surface gave the uncanny sensation of touching rough skin.

Despite knowing time was critical, Fang Senyan steeled his resolve, using the faint morning light to carefully survey the surrounding situation. It was no wonder Fang Senyan was so cautious. After all, Reef had let out one loud cry right here, and then completely vanished as if evaporated!

Fang Senyan knew deeply that in terms of individual strength alone, Reef was at least far more resilient to damage than he was, and Reef had only succumbed partially to the enchantment of chivalry. However, in terms of on-the-spot improvisation and close-quarters combat, Reef was in no way inferior to him. To be erased so completely in that brief instant that not even a subsequent warning could be issued... the sheer power required for such an act sent a chill down his spine just contemplating it!

The sky was now beginning to lighten. Fang Senyan remained prone, vigilantly observing the environment ahead. Here, the mountain walls flared outwards like a trumpet’s mouth on either side, creating a relatively broad, small valley where even the scattered rocks seemed sparse. Everything appeared quite normal, showing no immediate sign of danger. But Fang Senyan was perfectly clear: if danger were easily visible, it wouldn't pose much of a threat, nor would Reef have vanished so strangely.

Suddenly, Fang Senyan’s gaze fixed behind a cluster of boulders where a sliver of brown peeked out, looking remarkably like half a straw sandal. The light was still dim, making the surroundings hazy; if not for Fang Senyan’s meticulous and keen awareness, deliberately searching, that anomaly would have been difficult to spot.

In these far northern peaks, the climate was severely cold, yet the Uruk-hai treated their captives with considerable care. Not only were they issued fur clothing for warmth, but also straw sandals woven from thick reed grass. Wrapping the feet in animal hides and then donning the soft straw sandals greatly reduced the risk of frostbite when walking. Conversely, the ordinary Half-Orcs lacked this privilege; their feet were covered in weeping, bloody sores from frostbite.

Precisely because Fang Senyan was currently wearing these same straw sandals, that flash of brown looked so familiar. A thought struck him: who else among them would be wearing such sandals in this location besides himself? It must be Reef. Could the place where he met with disaster be right here?

But Reef possessed spatial abilities for protection; how could he possibly die here! This thought only deepened the contradictions and doubts swirling in Fang Senyan’s mind. His breathing grew lighter and slower as he meticulously re-examined the surroundings. After confirming there were no immediate abnormalities, he gently set the Elven girl aside, pulled up the temporary wooden ladder, and then leaped down from the massive rock.

Upon landing, Fang Senyan seemed to catch a very strange odor in his nostrils, though it was faint. He looked around and noticed oily beads condensed on the surrounding stones. Fang Senyan had no time to investigate further; he crept stealthily toward the pile of rocks.

As he drew closer, Fang Senyan confirmed it was indeed a worn straw sandal, with clearly visible toes peeking through the weave. But the toes were already turning blue-black. Evidently, the owner’s body was frozen stiff, and life had long since departed.

Fang Senyan advanced cautiously, every muscle taut as he approached. He was poised, ready to utilize his strength to flee instantly should any anomaly occur—though he suspected such an action might prove futile.

Everything around was quiet, save for the blinding glare of the sky behind him, still stained red by the distant fire. Yet, the terror in Fang Senyan's heart reached its peak. If the corpse before him belonged to Reef, he might have had some psychological preparation, but the reality was entirely beyond Fang Senyan's expectation:

Although frozen solid, the flesh on this body was mangled and bloody, utterly gruesome, its face unrecognizable—it was clearly a captive whose skin had been peeled off!!!!!!!

“Could it be… a thousand feet above me lies the platform of the snow peak from which I escaped?”

Fang Senyan couldn't help but gaze upward, seeing only swirling clouds, howling cold winds, and the faint outline of multi-tiered ridge platforms stretching away in the snow mist. A huge mystery had long haunted him:

Why would these Orcs go to such immense trouble, traversing thousands of miles to hunt slaves, and then expend enormous manpower and resources to care for the captives en route? After all this effort, why strip the captives of their skin after enhancing their vitality and then cast them off from the summit of the ten-thousand-foot peak?

Even though the Orc race was known for its brute cruelty rather than cunning, the Saruman behind them was a calculating, deceptive master. Such elaborate maneuvering must conceal an astonishing objective! And he... he feared he had inadvertently stumbled into the very core of this terrifying truth!

Having experienced so many unpredictable and bizarre events, Fang Senyan's curiosity was now burning intensely. He knew the area was fraught with peril, but he also knew that danger often accompanied opportunity. Uncovering the truth here would yield information of incalculable worth. He moved closer to inspect the corpse and immediately noticed something profoundly abnormal about it.

The body was distorted—which was inevitable after a fall from a thousand-foot peak. However, judging by the blood spatter around the area, this body had not died instantly upon impact; it must have struggled and thrashed in agony on the ground for a considerable time before succumbing, evidenced by the bloodstains scattered across several dozen square meters of sparse rock, the flattened impressions clearly visible, and even deep, bloody claw marks gouged into nearby stones!

And since the body had already been flayed and was bloody upon impact, its subsequent rolling and thrashing would have caused loose leaves, small stones, ice chips, and various debris to stick to the warm flesh, adhering like glue in the cold wind, impossible to brush off.

Witnessing such a gruesome scene, a shiver instantly ran through Fang Senyan. He looked up and saw dozens of similar frozen corpses scattered across the wide valley floor ahead. Some must have died instantly from head-first impacts; others were contorted, teeth bared, their deaths clearly agonizing after considerable crawling and rolling on the ground.

It was clear: the severed finger found earlier in the snow badger’s stomach, which Reef and he had killed, must have originated from this very place!

Seeing this tableau, Fang Senyan involuntarily thought back to the concocted medicine he had consumed previously: Hichumga’s Mucilage. Judging by the extent of the fractures on the visible bodies, these skinned slaves must have sustained numerous impacts and slides during their descent before reaching the valley floor.

Even so, anyone who struck their head during the fall would have died immediately—at least 80% of them. The remaining 20% must have avoided fatal head trauma during impact, only to survive long enough to scream, howl, and writhe in this desolate valley until they finally froze to death!

Looking at each tragically dead body, a chill rose from the depths of Fang Senyan’s heart. Strictly speaking, the drug Hichumga’s Mucilage was indeed potent, but Fang Senyan had never imagined it was so domineering, seemingly determined to wring out every last drop of potential from the human body.

The more severe the injury, the faster and more forcefully this extraction occurred; thus, even after the grievous trauma of being flayed and cast down an abyss of ice, they still struggled momentarily before taking their final breath!

In his subsequent search, Fang Senyan discovered indistinct, massive paw prints etched into nearby stones. The rock here was incredibly hard, yet it seemed as soft as tofu before the marks of those claws. Scattered across the ground were more than a dozen crudely made stone basins, most of which were shattered, though two remained sufficiently intact to be pieced together.