Chapter Twenty: Li Yuan Reunited
1128 Words
After a while, Lu Yifa brought over the reheated food. The aroma was tempting, yet I hesitated for a moment. Unexpectedly, Yuan Li woke up in my arms.
When she realized she was leaning against me, her face instantly flushed red. She sat up at once. I coughed lightly and pretended nothing had happened, walking over to Hammer and the others.
“Heh, come on, eat,” Hammer said with a grin.
Seeing his smug expression, I felt the urge to punch him. He had absolutely no sense of propriety as an elder.
Yuan Li soon came over as well. Without mentioning what had just happened, she sat down beside us and quietly started eating.
“How is it?” my second grandfather suddenly asked.
“It’s pretty much what you said,” Lu Yifa replied, putting down his food. “It’s probably the same place as back then.”
He paused briefly, then continued. “If I’m not mistaken, there’s a third party involved. You saw the stones blocking the cave entrance. That couldn’t have been done by one or two people. Which means the two brothers who stayed behind are very likely in trouble.”
Seeing my second grandfather nod, Lu Yifa went on. “If this really is that place from back then, it’s neither good nor bad. At least we’ll know how to get out.”
Hearing this, my second grandfather was momentarily stunned. Then he asked, “What about our supplies? How long can they last?”
“If we ration them, about two more days,” Lu Yifa answered.
“Two days should be enough,” my second grandfather said thoughtfully. “I never expected these two places to be connected. When I came down from Broken Head Ridge back then, I didn’t notice it at all.”
I immediately grew curious. “Second Grandfather, what do you mean?”
“Didn’t your father tell you? Back then, when we came to Broken Head Ridge, we only explored an outer tomb and never went deeper. Who would have thought these two places were actually connected.”
“You mean… this is the ancient tomb from back then?”
“That’s right.”
Seeing him nod, I was genuinely shocked. I never imagined that after so many years, I would actually arrive here.
“Now that we know this, things will be much easier,” Lu Yifa said.
After resting for a while, everyone followed Lu Yifa into the passage.
It had to be said that this ethnic group had little understanding of formal burial structures. The entire layout of the tomb was chaotic, with no clear order. After walking for quite some time, I felt dizzy and disoriented.
Judging from the burial objects, most of them were skull ornaments, likely offerings to their so called god. They were clearly products of this culture.
We reached another tomb chamber. Lu Yifa stepped forward and searched a corner for a long time before hearing a metallic clang. With a dull thud, he uncovered a hidden compartment containing a mechanism. He pressed it down forcefully.
The sound of chains colliding echoed through the chamber.
Something was being opened.
At first, I thought a hidden door nearby was about to open. I never expected that after the chains rattled, a thunderous rumble would come from below, and the ground beneath us would suddenly split open.
“Not good!”
Lu Yifa cried out in alarm.
Even my second grandfather’s expression turned grim. This was not what they had experienced back then. They had passed through this chamber before, but things had clearly changed.
Before I could react, the floor collapsed beneath my feet. I flailed my arms upward, trying to grab something, but caught nothing. Something struck my head, and my vision spun. Everything went dark.
I had no idea how much time passed before consciousness slowly returned. I opened my eyes weakly. In my blurred vision, I saw someone standing over me. The face looked familiar, but for a moment I could not remember who it was.
“Xiaoyu. Xiaoyu.”
The person called my name, and I snapped fully awake.
“Li Yuan? Is that you?”
His hair was disheveled, his beard thick and unkempt, but I recognized him immediately.
“It’s me,” he said. “There’s no time. Listen carefully. Things here are far more complicated and dangerous than you think. Our three northern factions could be wiped out because of this.”
“Why? What happened?” I asked urgently.
Looking at Li Yuan’s worn face, I felt a sharp pang of guilt. As his brother, there was nothing I could do to help him.
“There’s no time to explain,” he said. “Just remember this. Go to Kunlun Heavenly Lake and find something. You must have seen the Kunlun stone carvings on your way down. The map is carved on them.”
“What am I looking for?”
“A jade seal,” he replied. “I’m not completely sure either, but you have to remember this.”
Before I could ask anything else, hurried footsteps echoed in the distance. Li Yuan’s expression changed instantly, and he urged me to hide.
The sound approached rapidly. I barely had time to react before I followed his instructions and hid in a corner, holding my breath.
Moments later, several men dressed in black walked in. The one leading them was none other than Chou Wuhen, whom I had met before. The others were unfamiliar, and there appeared to be a foreigner among them.
Chou Wuhen looked terrible. His face was gaunt and lifeless, as if he had been through hell. Even so, I did not dare underestimate him. A man like that, seasoned through countless trials, was dangerous even on the brink of death.
“Have you found him?” Chou Wuhen asked as soon as he entered.
“No,” Li Yuan replied, shaking his head.
“Hmph,” Chou Wuhen snorted coldly. “You and him are friends. Maybe you let him escape.”
He kicked Li Yuan hard, sending him crashing into a corner.
Seeing this, I nearly rushed out in rage, but I remembered Li Yuan’s warning and forced myself to stay still, clenching my fists in silence.
Li Yuan slowly stood up, brushed the dirt from his clothes, and wiped his face. He looked at Chou Wuhen calmly.
“I said I didn’t see him. That’s final. You can kill me if you want, but I still didn’t see him.”
“Heh heh.”
Chou Wuhen sneered and raised his hand as if about to strike again, but at that moment, the only foreigner in the group stepped forward and stopped him.
- Writer
