Chapter 35 – Trap?
“Had a nice rest or not?” I kicked Huang Shulang. He stood straight up, almost as if he were a spring. Indeed, well-trained.
“Yes, yes.” After undergoing the experience of falling through the cave’s entrance, Huang Shulang had seemingly become much more courageous. This courage was surely from training.
“Good, then we walk at once.” We turned on the lamps on the miner hats on our heads. I intended to use the flashlight within the school bag as a reserve. Certainly, I also lit a candle. If the oxygen were to be in deficit, the candle also wouldn’t remain lit.
The cave interior was very peaceful. Only the sound of the footsteps from Huang Shulang, Black Bean, and myself could be heard. Black Bean was still as audacious as ever; even inside the cave, he always liked to run in front. As far as he was concerned, everything was full of enjoyment.
We chased after the light, while the dark chased after us. Under the illumination of the flashlight, we could only see two colours in the cave: Black and White.
“Ma-Master, will there actually be any martial arts cheatbooks in this place?” Huang Shulang asked.
“You’re asking me, who would I go ask? In any case, I had earlier found a cheatbook at the main peak. Actually, whether it is here or not, I cannot guarantee. If you are afraid, you can go back now.” I said disgruntledly.
Huang Shulang promptly stuck to me and laughed: “Am not, am not. I was just asking. We have come so deep into the cave, how could we give up halfway?”
“Then talk a bit less rubbish. I don’t know what kinds of things might possibly be here; if you are noisy and attract these things over, then it would really be troublesome.” I said threateningly.
Huang Shulang promptly shrunk back his neck, and said while shaking his head: “I won’t speak, won’t speak.”
All along the way, I noticed that the cave was very new, it had probably been recently excavated. On the cave walls, signs of excavation could be seen. The cave that we were in now, was it possibly dug by those of the archaeology team? The people of the archaeology team had already disappeared without a trace. My question naturally had no answer.
Pu, Pu, Pu.
I suddenly heard sounds of footsteps other than our own, it clearly was the sound of somebody else. Seemed to be the sound of very heavy footsteps.
“Stop!” I stopped promptly. Huang Shulang didn’t react in time, and b.u.mped into me. Although when it came to strength Huang Shulang was no match for me, when it came to bodyweight, I naturally could not compare to him. Therefore, when we b.u.mped, Huang Shulang remained standing still, moving not even a whisker, while I flew out. By the time I managed to crawl up from the ground, the surroundings had already become quiet.
“What happened? Master.” Huang Shulang promptly pulled me up.
“Nevermind.” I, somewhat furiously, patted the dust from my clothes. I stood still, carefully listening for a moment, but couldn’t hear any sounds. So, I turned my head around to Huang Shulang and said, “When I want you to stop, you must stop immediately. Understand?”
“Understood.” Huang Shulang, seeing the serious expression on my face, clearly knew that the matter was important.
I secretly condensed, within my hand, my most powerful primordial qi 雷 (Lightning) character. I was prepared to strike out and vanquish the enemy at any time.
Huang Shulang’s bodyweight was great; as he walked, the sound he made was also loud. The entire cave was flooded with the sound of Huang Shulang’s footsteps.
“Softly!” I reminded Huang Shulang.
“Ai, ai.” Huang Shulang agreed, but when he walked, the sound was still just as loud.
When I detected the sound of footsteps again, the hair on Black Bean’s body also stood erect as he barked at the pitch-dark cave.
“w.a.n.g, w.a.n.g, w.a.n.g, w.a.n.g, w.a.n.g, w.a.n.g, w.a.n.g, w.a.n.g, w.a.n.g…..”
Although I couldn’t understand his barking, I was able to understand Black Bean’s state of mind. It had detected a dangerous object. What kind of an object was this?
Huang Shulang reacted the slowest. Although he was gluttonous and cowardly, his reaction to danger was still the slowest. These sounds, did not frighten him easily.
I had already detected that there was something that was coveting us. What was it actually? Was it human? Was it a wild animal? Or was it something else?
“What did you just discover a moment ago?” When Huang Shulang gradually turned to look into the distance, his eyes narrowed into a thin line.
I unhappily said to Huang Shulang: “Walk.”
This stretch of newly dug tunnel was not wide; as the tunnel was getting more and more narrow, it was getting difficult to walk. Therefore, our speed of walking was extremely slow. We walked for more than ten minutes. Although we were frightened, there was no danger in the end.
Having walked through this newly dug tunnel, we arrived in a very ancient cave. Looking at the condition of the cave, it had also certainly been artificially constructed because, on the cave walls, there were artificially chiseled square bluestones. The stones in the cave having undergone an unknown number of years, and have become covered by thick moss. I used my knife to cut away the moss to be able to look at the condition of the stones. This cave has been constructed with a grand scale. Even if Fatty and I were to jump, we wouldn’t be able to reach the ceiling of the cave.
“Master, Master, we are rich! There is definitely some buried treasure here! We’re rich!” Truly, human beings die in pursuit of wealth, and birds die in pursuit of food. Huang Shulang, in the thoughts of riches and valuables, had unexpectedly forgotten that so many people of the archaeology team had not made it out of the cave. Perhaps this place was not a secret treasure cave, but rather, it was a life-burying man-eating cave.
I found that I myself was not much better than Fatty, in order to fulfill that little bit of desire in my heart, I also dared to risk my life, and came into this cave.
Why did I want to take the risk of coming here? I already couldn’t remember what my thoughts of that time were. The bronze medal on my chest had made me excessively confused at that time. Ignorant regarding cultivation, it made me want to ask someone. However, I couldn’t find any person who would believe me, and who I could ask. When I b.u.mped into Li Shaoqing, originally I had wanted to ask him whether it would be right or wrong. However, I had subconsciously rejected that person. I felt danger emanating from his body, making me do the utmost to avoid this person. Now that Li Shaoqing has probably died, I seek the clues to the answers to everything, in this cave. Therefore, I took the risk to come.
My biggest question still had not been answered. After all, what kind of a thing was in the place that had, all along, been attracting me – all along, been beckoning me during the night. As if there was something here that had been waiting for my arrival.
The bronze medal on my chest began throbbing slightly, just like a heartbeat.
Thump……Thump……
I was able to hear the sounds of a rhythmic heartbeat. Was it the thing that had been attracting me?
I finally came to know why I had been attracted to this place. Unexpectedly, it was because, all along, I had been wearing this bronze medal at my chest. This bronze medal had planted a Dao seed on my body. Although the seed had germinated, sprouting my Dao. However, my Dao is still unavoidably being affected by the bronze medal.
Was this bronze medal a trap? All of this, everything has been for this one day?
Seeing me standing still at the original place, Huang Shulang pushed me with his hand.
“Master, why did you stop? Did you discover something again?”
Only then did I come to my senses, it was not good to think too much. In any case, my immature brain could not think through so many issues. The best way was that, regardless of everything, we need to see what happened in the end. Having come here, without having a look at the cards in one’s hand, who would be willing to resign.
Gold ingots had been flickering within Huang Shulang’s two eyes, perhaps he was already fantasizing about the giant buried treasures awaiting him.
The cave didn’t seem to have sustained any serious damage. Also, no signs of people fighting could be discovered. The issue that arises: Where did those people of the archaeology team go? What on earth did they actually meet in this cave? What dreadful thing does this place have inside?