Chapter 3920: Clues To The Crest

For several long minutes, the summit with the effigy remained completely silent.

The only sounds that could be heard were the faint crunches of fresh vegetables being chewed. Every prisoner held their carrot with extraordinary care. Some took tiny bites, chewing each mouthful for as long as possible before swallowing.

Others closed their eyes while eating, allowing themselves to savor a taste they had long forgotten. A few simply sat motionless with tears streaming down their faces as they slowly consumed every last piece.

No one wasted even the smallest fragment and even the green shoots attached to the top disappeared into their mouths. By the time they had finished, there wasn’t a single piece left behind.

Several prisoners even licked their fingers clean before lowering their hands.

The difference in their expressions was remarkable. One ordinary carrot should never have been enough to satisfy a starving person. Its weight barely amounted to a proper meal. Yet every prisoner wore an expression of contentment.

Their hollow eyes had regained a little light and their tense shoulders had relaxed. The constant hunger that had consumed their minds every waking moment seemed to have quietened, if only for a short while.

Lin Mu understood why.

The feeling had little to do with quantity.

These people had survived for years, decades and in some cases centuries on insects, scraps of fungus, occasional edible bugs and whatever miserable food they managed to scavenge.

Many had likely forgotten what fresh food even tasted like.

But the sweetness of the carrot, its crisp texture, the juice released with every bite and even the bitter yet new taste of its shoots... All those simple sensations awakened memories buried beneath countless years of suffering.

Their stomachs remained far from full. Their hearts, however, felt strangely satisfied.

It reminded them that real food still existed. That somewhere beyond these endless caves, life still carried ordinary pleasures. The effect upon their spirits proved greater than the nourishment itself.

One by one, the prisoners slowly stood before bowing deeply toward Lin Mu.

"Thank you, my lord."

"Thank you for allowing us to taste fresh food again."

"I had forgotten what vegetables tasted like."

"You have our deepest gratitude."

The voices sounded sincere and none carried any trace of deceit. Several elderly prisoners openly wept while expressing their thanks. One woman wiped away her tears before lowering herself to her knees once again.

"My lord." She pressed her forehead against the ground. "I swear my loyalty to you."

Another prisoner immediately followed. "I swear the same."

"You saved our lives."

"I’ll follow you wherever you go."

Within moments, over a dozen prisoners began making similar vows. They willingly lowered themselves before Lin Mu. Many of them possessed nothing left to offer except their obedience.

To them a person capable of defeating their deity, exposing the truth behind the ritual and providing fresh food deserved to become their leader. Lin Mu merely shook his head.

"I have no need for your loyalty."

The prisoners slowly raised their heads.

"My lord?" one of them asked.

"You misunderstand." Lin Mu calmly replied. "I did not help you because I wished to gather followers. I have my own path and I have my own objectives."

"As for leading all of you..." He slowly shook his head again. "I have neither the interest nor the need."

The prisoners exchanged glances.

And surprisingly none of them appeared disappointed. Instead many nodded with expressions of understanding. To them someone as powerful as Lin Mu naturally possessed immense pride.

How could such an expert possibly desire the loyalty of weak prisoners?

They quietly accepted his refusal.

If anything it further elevated their opinion of him. Someone unwilling to casually gather followers seemed even more extraordinary. Their curiosity, however, quietly continued growing.

Just who was this young cultivator?

He was someone possessing terrifying strength, storage treasures, talismans, knowledge of arrays, and enough food to casually hand out fresh vegetables. And this was despite his cultivation base being sealed.

How had such a person ended up inside the Mad Demon Depths?

What crime could possibly warrant imprisonment here?

The thought naturally spread through everyone’s mind. Yet nobody dared ask. Life inside the Mad Demon Depths had taught them one valuable lesson. A person’s past often remained their deepest wound.

Questioning another prisoner’s crimes rarely produced good outcomes.

Sometimes it started fights and sometimes it reopened old grief. As such most simply chose silence.

The old man quietly watched Lin Mu for a while before finally speaking. "My lord."

Lin Mu turned toward him.

"If I may ask... What do you intend to do now?" The question caused everyone else to become attentive.

They too wished to know and Lin Mu remained silent for a short while. Then, he reached into his storage ring and a rolled scroll appeared within his hand. The prisoners immediately watched with curiosity as Lin Mu slowly opened it.

The parchment unfurled before everyone and drawn upon it was an intricate crest. At its center rested a beautifully cut polyhedral gemstone. Attached to both sides curved two elegant horns, giving the entire emblem a strange yet majestic appearance.

Lin Mu held the scroll toward the gathered prisoners. "Have any of you seen this design before?"

The prisoners leaned forward and one after another they carefully studied the crest. Several quietly whispered among themselves while others scratched their heads. After nearly half a minute the answers began coming.

"I’ve never seen it."

"It doesn’t look familiar."

"No."

"I don’t recognize it."

One prisoner even stood and walked closer before carefully examining every detail.

Eventually he also shook his head. "My lord... I’ve never seen anything like it."

Soon every prisoner had answered and none recognized the crest. Lin Mu wasn’t particularly surprised. He had expected the search to take time. But just as he prepared to roll the scroll back up, he noticed the old man.

Unlike the others the elder hadn’t spoken. Instead his brows remained tightly furrowed. His lone eye stared fixedly at the drawing. He looked as though he were trying to remember something buried deep within his memories.

Lin Mu immediately noticed the subtle change. "You know something?"

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