Chapter 986: Perplexed and Smitten (46)
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Wen Lele conjectured, “Maybe they had already left using another route. After all, whoever comes here would have to come using the main route. Since someone has already gone inside, we might have made a wasted trip this time. But we can’t be too sure either.”
“If it were that easy to go in, would I have had to come a second time?”
“You have a point,” said Wen Lele.
“Lele, wait above ground when we go inside later, alright?”
Wen Lele was obviously reluctant to do so. Thus, she said, “Let’s go down together.”
“If all of us go down together, how are we supposed to come out if someone fills the hole? It’s better to be safe than sorry,” said He Yi.
“There isn’t a single soul in sight. Who’s going to fill the hole? I must go in with you guys to get an eye-opener.”
Seeing that there was no way to convince her, He Yi decided to give in and allow her to go in with them.
Once the three of them went inside the hole, Fan s.h.i.+xin got down from the tree and stood beside the hole. He looked in to see that it was a hole of darkness.
Fan s.h.i.+xin did not enter, for he believed that An Xiaoning would do her best to avoid b.u.mping into them once she discovered their presence.
In that case, he would only complicate things if he were to go down too.
It would be more appropriate for him to stay above ground.
An Xiaoning had already verified which wall the b.o.o.by trap was on. Just as she was about to go over, she heard some familiar voices. To her surprise, they had managed to catch up.
It would be difficult for her to move the corpse away with the three of them around. Hence, the only solution she had at hand was to knock them unconscious.
An Xiaoning removed her shoes and picked them up in her hands, thus allowing her footsteps to be silent. She also made a conscious effort not to shuffle her feet or make too much noise when moving.
Gradually, she approached them, and the three of them seemed to have no idea that she was near them.
“It’s freezing in here. Why does it feel like it’s winter?” Wen Lele remarked, quivering from head to toe while hugging her arms.
“We’re so deep below ground, of course it’s going to be cold. If you can’t tolerate it, you can go up and wait for us,” said He Yi, who decided to put up a brave front despite feeling cold as well.
Wen Lele refused to give up and denied, “I can tolerate the cold. If you two can, why can’t I? I’m not that pampered.”
He Yi did not insist any further.
The man who was with them remained silent throughout.
“Fortunately, I made some markings the previous time I came. At least we won’t have to go around in circles trying to find it.” He Yi continued to walk inside and said, “Do you think there’ll be a corpse in this grave? Would anyone have stolen it?”
Wen Lele answered truthfully, “If no archeologists have ever found out about this graveyard, the corpse should still be in the coffin. Usually, people would covet money and treasures. No one would want to take away the corpses. They can’t be exchanged for money anyway.”
He Yi was at a loss for words. The three of them proceeded to walk further inside. He Yi stepped forward and picked up a few books that were on top of a rock. He flipped through them and said, “Look at these books. They’re written in the ancient native language of S Nation.”
His two companions took a look one after another, though they still did not sense anything amiss.
He Yi suggested, “It’s too slow for the three of us to stay together. We might not be able to find anything by dusk. How about we split up instead? This place is neither too big nor small anyway. Let’s meet here in an hour if we still haven’t found anything by then.”
“I’ll go with you, I’m scared to be alone,” said Wen Lele, who was unwilling to split up.
“If you’re so scared, go wait upstairs.”
“In that case, why did you ask me to come along? Wouldn’t it be better if I just didn’t come at all? All you do is despise me and find me troublesome,” Wen Lele snapped.
The other man finally broke his silence and said, “Enough. He Yi, didn’t you ask Ms. Wen along just so she could help us out? Ms. Wen, you and He Yi shall go together while I head in another direction on my own. We’ll meet again in an hour’s time.”
Wen Lele agreed with a nod, “Alright.”
Them splitting up made things easier for An Xiaoning.
She could knock them out with greater ease.
An Xiaoning proceeded to tail He Yi and Wen Lele first. They did not discover her presence even after a long time.
Soon, she got her first opportunity when Wen Lele had to answer nature’s call. Thus, He Yi had no choice but to wait for her near the stone wall.
Meanwhile, An Xiaoning took the chance to catch Wen Lele off guard and covered her mouth before knocking her unconscious. She then removed the latter’s skirt and placed it against the stone wall.
Likewise, she attacked He Yi from behind.
She knocked both of them unconscious and placed them side by side.
She only had one more target remaining.
An Xiaoning searched for a long while before finally finding him.
However, the man seemed to be experienced and had a unique way of reconnoitering.
An Xiaoning noticed that he was focusing all his attention on things that would easily go unnoticed. Instead of taking action on him, she followed closely behind him without making a sound.
The man did not stop touching everything inside. An Xiaoning felt a little anxious while tailing him, and she constantly contemplated if she should hurry and knock him unconscious before doing what she had to. At this crucial juncture, she caught sight of him pressing a spot on the stone wall, after which a large crack formed in it with a loud explosive sound.
There was more there than meets the eye.
The man immediately walked inside. As soon as he did, the crack sealed itself immediately.
An Xiaoning did not even get the chance to find out what was inside. Just as she was about to turn around, she heard a loud shriek coming from the crack, which soon ceased.
She stepped forward and mimicked the man’s actions by pressing on the spot a few times. The stone wall parted again, and she was greeted with the overwhelming metallic odor of blood, which infiltrated her senses.
She looked inside to see that the man’s body was covered in arrows, making him look like a porcupine. He lay motionless on the ground, clearly having already stopped breathing.
There was a pool of blood on the ground.
There was nothing else inside.
She placed a rock in the crack to prevent the stone wall from sealing again.
She swiftly turned around to leave.
Upon reaching another stone wall, An Xiaoning fumbled about to find the switch to the hidden contraption and successfully opened it.
This door did not make a single sound, unlike the previous one.
Clearly, it was not constructed in the same manner.
A glaring beam of white light was s.h.i.+ning from inside the crack, lighting up the dark s.p.a.ce. An Xiaoning immediately s.h.i.+elded her eyes with her arm and only put it down after her eyes had adjusted to the light.
An Xiaoning squinted and walked toward the entrance carefully. She peeked through the crack to take a good look at the surroundings on the other end, after which she threw some pebbles inside. As soon as she did, numerous long and sharp arrows darted out from all directions and struck the same spot. She tried it again, only to see the same thing happen.