Wife Doting Addiction：My Abducted Tsundere Husband - Chapter 169

Chapter 169: Finding the Tomb Room

The group left the secret room far behind them and only stopped once they could no longer hear the screams behind.

Ah Shu’s complexion had become increasingly pale as he flung the mentally-challenged Luo Sheng aside. He said while panting, “What the hell… What was that?”

He had never seen such a beautiful moth before, and he had never seen a moth that could thrive in someone’s belly, and at the same time, produce eggs that hatch into larvae so quickly.

They even ate humans!

If the stomachs of those people had not been pierced open, those larvae would most likely have matured into moths.

Until the host was reduced to a dried corpse.

“They should be Gu Insects!” Xiao Lie said.

Su Jiu took a deep breath and looked at Xiao Lie, her voice hoarse as she said, “I think I know the cause of death of that skeleton we saw just now.”

He must have been eaten by the same kind of insect!

Xiao Lie still seemed calm as he nodded his head faintly.

Luo Sheng suddenly jumped up and clasped his hands, chanting, “Moths morph from larvae, to be buried with the bones of the dead so the intruders of the catacomb shall die!”

He carried a cryptic smirk on his face and continued to clap his hands as he repeated the same line over and over again, like a child singing a nursery rhyme.

Su Jiu and the rest, however, felt an eerie chill.

Ah Shu listened to the horrifying words and kicked Luo Sheng, “You mother**cker! Shut up!”

Luo Sheng fell onto the ground with a plonk. He stared at Ah Shu, pouted, and started to cry once again, “Dad, why are you hitting your child again? Dad!”

Ah Shu looked at the heavens, utterly speechless.

Su Jiu and Xiao Lie could not even flash a bitter smile. At the same time, they were puzzled. What on earth had Luo Sheng experienced for him to be scared silly to this extent?

However, this person was originally unstable and had been vying to flee ever since they ascended the mountain. Taking into consideration his immense fear of the Coiling Dragon Ridge, it was understandable for him to have responded with such a mental breakdown after encountering something out of the ordinary.

Su Jiu asked Ah Shu why he was with Luo Sheng, and whether he had seen anyone else.

Ah Shu replied that he was already in the catacomb the moment he regained his consciousness. He saw Su Jiu, Chang Huan, and the other gang members being hunted down by assassins, and he chased after them frantically. He was swinging his blade violently and was only jolted out of his nightmare when he heard the chime of a golden bell. He then realized that there was no one around him.

He had dashed around haphazardly and reached an unknown location. Just when he was about to follow the sound of the bell to find Su Jiu, he encountered Luo Sheng, who had already gone mad.

He did not see anyone else.

Su Jiu nodded her head. Since they had already found Ah Shu, she believed that the other people would also be nearby.

Just as the group was about to decide which direction to head towards, they heard a blood-curdling screech behind them.

The Qiang soldiers had already died a while back, so who was the one screaming?

Their expression changed slightly as they ran back towards the secret room again.

It turned out to be several dozen Daliang soldiers who had fallen together with them. After circling the area, they had walked into the secret room, and when they caught sight of the skeletons that had been eaten by the insects, they retreated in fright. However, someone accidentally tripped and fell, and in the blink on an eye, the insects attacked. The others tried to rescue him but were also bitten on their hands.

When Su Jiu rushed over, she realized that the situation was extremely chaotic. When they saw their comrade in such a miserable state, the elite soldiers of Daliang were unwilling to give up and wanted to crush those insects to save the person.

“Everyone, leave this place at once!” Xiao Lie ordered. He unsheathed a military sword and slashed it towards the door of the stone room. The doorpost collapsed with a ‘thud’, and pieces of gravel descended, sealing the swarm of insects inside the secret room.

Two Daliang soldiers dragged out their comrade with all their strength, only to realize that his legs had been reduced to bones by the flesh-eating bugs. Although the person was still alive, he was already down to his last breath.

There was no time to mourn, and Xiao Lie swiftly got everyone else to retreat to the area.

A total of 37 people had fallen into the catacombs, and excluding the few of them, there were still 30 people missing and unaccounted for.

Those people had also walked around aimlessly after falling in, and had not come into contact with anyone else.

From the moment till they fell into the catacomb until now, almost one day had passed. It was impossible to differentiate between night and day in the catacomb, and after leaving the secret room, they searched for a place to rest.

Fortunately, those people were carrying dry rations with them, so they divided it to share around. Two people were tasked with guarding both sides of the corridor, while the rest leaned against the wall to rest.

Luo Sheng, who had been frolicking around, appeared to be exhausted and lay down to sleep.

Ironically, Su Jiu found his current state much less troublesome. At the very least, it was comparatively better to back when he had a belly full of schemes.

Xiao Lie walked up to Su Jiu’s side and sat down while leaning against her. He handed her a water pouch. “Drink some water!”

Su Jiu’s lips were dry and cracking, but she gently shook her head. “We don’t know how long we’re going to be walking around this area. We should still save up our water!”

Without food, it was still possible to hold out for a few days, but without water, they would die of dehydration very quickly.

When he saw the girl’s resolution, Xiao Lie’s heart ached. He opened the water pouch and drank a mouthful of water, before leaning over and pressing against the girl’s lips.

Su Jiu subconsciously retreated, but her head was already being shoved against the wall as the man held the side of her face with his hands. Under the lamps that were a few centuries old, it was almost pitch-black. He stared at her wordlessly with deep abstruse eyes.

Her dry lips had been moistened, and the fresh and sweet water dripped into her mouth drop by drop. Her parched throat felt wet again, and her entire being seemed alive once more.

The man’s breathing became slightly heavier. His lids were half-closed as he pressed against her lips, unwilling to separate.

Their surroundings were blanketed with silence as everyone was already sleeping. Ah Shu, who was sitting by the side, was leaning sideways in exhaustion.

The glow from the fire above them flickered, and even after a few hundred years, the light had not extinguished.

Xiao Lie’s long fingers, which had distinguished phalanges, gently stroked the girl’s tender cheeks. He slowly moved down and propped up her chin. His throat rumbled as he pried apart her pearly-white teeth, intending to explore deeper and relish her fragrance.

Su Jiu placed both hands on his shoulders, and suddenly shifted her head slightly. Her limpid eyes gazed into the depths of the catacomb as she spoke with a calm voice.

“Xiao Lie, I’m not used to you being like this!”

The man’s moist lips brushed past her face. His breathing was slightly ragged as he exhaled hot air against her ear. With a low and hoarse voice, he said, “Ah Jiu, why don’t you try and accept me? I will help you forget him.”

Su Jiu’s long brows furrowed slightly. Her heart was in turmoil, and she had no idea how to respond.

Xiao Lie kissed her cheeks gently and grinned. “Ah Jiu, we may be trapped here in this catacomb for eternity and ‘disappear’, just like the others in the legend. But I’m not afraid in the slightest; on the contrary, I’m very happy. Even if I’ve reached the end of my life, you’re still here by my side.”

Su Jiu froze and turned her eyes to look at him.

Xiao Lie’s lips hooked into a soft smile. His handsome face was full of warmth as he lowered his head to plant a gentle kiss between her brows. “Ah Jiu, what should I do? I think I like you more than I imagined.”

He closed his eyes and pulled Su Jiu into his embrace, almost cautiously.

“Just sleep, I will protect you. Just sleep.”

Su Jiu’s mind was as blank as a slate. She felt like escaping, and she was reluctant to ponder over this. She shut her eyes, and as she smelled the cool fragrance on the man’s body, she finally gave in to her exhaustion, and her consciousness gradually blurred.

The catacomb was plunged into complete silence. Those keeping vigil that night were soon overwhelmed with fatigue as they slowly shut their eyes.

Su Jiu did not know how long she slept for, and when she suddenly opened her eyes, she was greeted by the same dim rays of light and the corridor. The others were still leaning against the stone wall at strange angles, fast asleep.

She was still reclined in Xiao Lie’s arms, whose long eyes were tightly shut, and his high nose arch cast vague shadows on his face as his arms wrapped around her firmly.

Ah Shu was three meters away from her, snoring loudly. Su Jiu threw him a glance, and her eyes narrowed immediately.

The space beside him was empty. Luo Sheng, who had been sitting there, was nowhere to be seen!

Su Jiu plucked herself out of Xiao Lie’s arms and stood up abruptly. She swept her eyes over everyone else, and sure enough, not a shadow of Luo Sheng was found.

Her complexion remained clear as her eyes brushed past both ends of the corridor. The corridor stretched endlessly, and she did not see a single soul.

The soldier keeping vigil on the left had already fallen asleep, who knows when his body slanted to one side. Su Jiu stood up and walked in the left direction. Someone suddenly grabbed her hand and asked, “What’s the matter?”

Xiao Lie had already risen and was staring placidly at her.

“Luo Sheng is gone!” Su Jiu said with a frown.

Was he pretending to be mad all this time? And did he take the opportunity to slip away while everyone was sleeping?

That was impossible. Although the catacomb appeared tranquil, it was extremely dangerous. If Luo Sheng was not stupid, he would not have left alone, since it was much safer traveling as a group.

Where had he gone?

“Don’t fret, he shouldn’t have walked far. Let’s search for him together!” Xiao Lie assured calmly.

Su Jiu nodded her head faintly, before shaking Ah Shu awake. She whispered, “Luo Sheng is missing. l will leave you in charge of the people here, make sure they don’t move about. Xiao Lie and I will go and search for him, and we’ll return soon!”

Ah Shu suddenly roused and realized that Luo Sheng had truly disappeared.

“This grandson!” Ah Shu clenched his teeth and swore, and at the same time, declared himself as Luo Sheng’s ancestor, increasing the gap between them by one more generation.

Su Jiu and Xiao Lie searched to the left, and after walking a few meters, they came across an intersection up ahead.

Which way would Luo Sheng go?

The two of them hesitated for a moment. Xiao Lie suddenly said, “There seems to be some noise coming from this side!”

Su Jiu also heard it. It sounded like the sound of fighting. Their complexions became cold as they turned right and rushed over.

After walking for the time it would take to burn an incense stick, they encountered another corner. The voices were becoming clearer and clearer, and when they turned the corner, they were stunned.

Members of the Daliang army were along the corridor, and they were the ones that followed Nangong Shu. At that moment, they appeared to be under a spell, and each of them was in a trance as they fought each other.

Luo Sheng stood at the sidelines, clapping and cheering. “How fun! This is so interesting!”

“They are also having a nightmare!” Xiao Lie said urgently.

Su Jiu’s pupils turned. She immediately raised her wrists and rang the golden bell forcefully.

The chime of the bell was clear and crisp, its ring resonating in the catacombs. Those Daliang soldiers immediately stopped, their eyes instantly in a daze. When they saw that the swords in their hands were about to cut down on their comrades, the swords instantly fell onto the ground with a ‘clang’.

Su Jiu stepped forward and grabbed the arm of one of the Daliang soldiers as she asked, “Where is General Nangong?”

That person had just woken up, and his spirit was still unsettled. He gawked at Su Jiu, and then looked at Xiao Lie. He suddenly jumped and exclaimed, “Your Highness?”

The rest of the men knelt one by one. “Paying respects to Prince Rui!”

Xiao Lie nodded his head. “Where is your general?”

There were a few hundred people in this group of Daliang soldiers, and one of them who seemed to be the chieftain stepped forward to report. It turned out that they were also in the middle of searching for Nangong Shu.

According to him, after Nangong Shu had led them to pursue Hage’s army, they had suddenly lost track of Hage. Subsequently, the ground split open, and they fell into the catacomb.

They had already been circling the corridors of the catacomb for five to six days, but they had not managed to find Nangong Shu. On the other hand, they encountered several waves of Qiang soldiers.

“Your Highness, this passageway is very dangerous. We have already encountered many Qiang soldiers and Daliang soldiers who had died without a clear cause. Also, the lamps on the wall will emit a scent that can cause illusions, so you must be very careful, Your Highness!”

So, it was the lamps on the wall that had been playing tricks on them!

Su Jiu looked up at the lamps on the wall and realized that the eyes of the mermaids were strange and were all glowing. It could hypnotize someone after staring at it for a long time.

Xiao Lie pulled Su Jiu back. “Don’t look!”

Su Jiu froze momentarily and recovered from her trance, her chest still pounding.

Xiao Lie and Su Jiu led the one hundred Daliang soldiers and Luo Sheng to their original location. Ah Shu was waiting anxiously, while the rest had already awoken.

When they saw Su Jiu return with one hundred people behind her, everyone was shocked.

Ah Shu hurriedly went forward. “Chief, what’s going on?”

Su Jiu quickly recounted how she had encountered the Daliang soldiers.

Ah Shu stepped towards Luo Sheng. “Who allowed you to run amok?”

Luo Sheng became frightened like a little kid and jumped behind Su Jiu. He gawped at Ah Shu in trepidation. “Dad, your child was wrong!”

“Call me grandfather!” Ah Shu grunted angrily.

“Pfft!” Su Jiu burst out laughing. “That’s enough, don’t hit him anymore! He didn’t escape, he probably just ran off because he heard the sound of fighting!”

It was quite strange. They were so far away, and she and Xiao Lie did not pick up a sound, but Luo Sheng was able to hear everything.

The Daliang soldiers had an emotional reunion.

The guard who was keeping vigil knelt before Xiao Lie. “This lowly one deserves death, I had fallen asleep!”

“Stand up!” Xiao Lie ordered nonchalantly.

This time, their group had multiplied in numbers, and maybe, the rest would be found soon.

Su Jiu became more and more confident!

…

Hu Dapao walked straight down along the corridor and turned whenever he encountered an intersection. It was unknown how long or how far he walked for, and apart from bumping into a few dozen corpses of the Qiang soldiers, he did not meet any other living people.

Su Jiu, Chang Huan, Ah Shu, and Nangong Bi, as well as thousands of Daliang soldiers, seemed to have disappeared in the twinkle of an eye.

In the beginning, he could vaguely hear the chime of a bell and Su Jiu’s shouts, but subsequently, the world seemed to have lost all vestige of sound.

It was as if he had landed in the underworld, where there were only endless roads and corpses.

Hu Dapao had already walked to the point of exhaustion. He sat down and leaned against the wall, intending to rest.

His lips were cracking, and his throat was so parched, almost to the point of emitting smoke. He shook his water pouch and realized that he only had a tiny bit of water left. If he failed to meet the others, and if he could not find a water source, then he would die of dehydration along this endless corridor.

In his heart, he understood – He could not sleep. If he did, there was a chance that he would never wake up again.

However, even as mulled over this, his lids became exceedingly heavy and drooped down, and he found it difficult to pry them open.

In his hazy state, he appeared to have walked to the end of the corridor. A stone door carved with countless ancient characters stood at the end, and some sort of contraption was activated, causing the door to open. Su Jiu, Chang Huan, Prince Rui, and the others were all inside and were in the middle of being hunted down by those putrefied corpses. One of the corpses grabbed Nangong Bi by the throat, and she was flailing for her life. Nangong Shu ran over and chopped off the corpse’s hands, but the withered hand maintained a tight grip on Nangong Bi.

Alarmed, he ran over as fast as he could, intending to rescue Nangong Bi. Fresh blood leaked out of the girl’s throat as she struggled on the ground, screaming, “Dapao, save me!”

“Hu Dapao!”

In his panic, he was at a loss of what to do, and no matter what he did, he couldn’t remove that withered hand. In the end, he could only watch with wide eyes as Nangong Bi died right in front of him.

He was grief-stricken, and used his sword to slash at that detached hand frantically, only to hear Su Jiu behind him scream in fright, “Dapao!”

He turned his head abruptly, only to see that a putrefied corpse had grabbed Su Jiu, and was dragging her into a sarcophagus.

He ran over and hugged Su Jiu desperately, only to watch helplessly as the lid of the stone coffin sealed itself.

No!

He covered his head with his hands and screamed a deafening cry!

His heart ached so much it felt like it had been cracked right open!

This was not real, they wouldn’t die!

This was a dream!

Hu Dapao suddenly recalled that when he first regained consciousness, Su Jiu’s voice had told him that everything was an illusion and that everything was fake!

He shook his head in alarm and opened his eyes. Everything before him vanished. There was no more Nangong Bi, no more Su Jiu, and no more putrefied corpses!

It was the same dim corridor as before.

His emotions were still unsettled as he took a deep breath. Just then, the stone slabs on the ceiling suddenly began to slide. He lifted his head abruptly and saw a figure drop down from above while screaming!

He subconsciously stretched out his hands to catch her, and a girl landed right in his arms.

They met each other’s eyes, and stared at each other in shock!

“Hu Dapao, is that you?” The girl’s complexion was ashen, and her eyes were brimming with trepidation. She widened her eyes and stared at him while her arms gripped tightly on his shoulders, her entire body shaking.

“Don’t cry!”

When Hu Dapao recalled her tragic state when she was killed by the putrefied corpse, his chest started to tremble. He quickly lifted his hands to wipe her tears and stroked the girl’s cheeks. He caressed her carefully, wanting to perceive her existence.

He was sure that this was a dream inside a dream. Otherwise, why would Nangong Bi drop from the sky?

The girl had received quite a fright and was leaning on the man’s shoulders, hugging him tightly. Her eyes were teary and clouded. It was a pitiful sight.

Hu Dapao wiped her tears away tenderly, but no matter how much he wiped, he couldn’t dry them all away. He panicked, and without thinking any further, he lowered his head and planted a kiss on the girl’s face, slowly kissing away all the tears on her face.

The girl’s body immediately stiffened. She even forgot about crying.

Hu Dapao closed his eyes. He was probably going to die here and never have the chance to see her again. This might be his last time staying so close to her, even though it was all a dream.

With a trembling heart that was pounding violently, Hu Dapao held the girl’s face and passionately kissed her lips. He completely possessed her shaking lips and kissed her uncontrollably.

Since this was a dream, since it was all fake, he wanted to lose his restraints just once.

After dying and drinking the soup brewed by the gatekeeper of the underworld, he would forget her completely!

Nangong Bi widened her eyes, the man’s passionate breathing filled all her senses. She only struggled for a while, before her body buckled weakly. Her feeble and delicate body had no way of countering that man’s sturdy frame.

The man hugged her tightly as he haphazardly plastered kisses. Her lips, which were bitten by him, started to burn. She slightly parted her lips and he immediately invaded, entangling her tongue, which had no place to seek refuge with raging madness.

The man’s lips and tongue were scorching hot as he kissed her roughly. A shiver spread to all four of her limbs. Nangong Bi’s mind blanked out and her body buckled. She could only grasp his clothes tightly and respond to his advances involuntarily. They indulged in each other as a manner of release.

All the helplessness, fear, and trepidation over the past day and night were vented out through their entanglement.

Hu Dapao suddenly stopped and separated from her lips. He breathed heavily to catch his breath, before continuing to kiss her. His kiss was so forceful and violent, as though he was about to swallow her whole.

The two of them kissed each other for an indefinite amount of time until their lips and tongue were completely numb. Nangong Bi felt that something was amiss, and she opened her eyes abruptly. When she turned her head, she saw Su Jiu and Xiao Lie standing three meters away, along with Ah Shu and a few hundred soldiers from the Daliang army behind them. They all had widened eyes as they stared at them blankly.

Nangong Bi’s face instantly flushed crimson. It was so red that it appeared as though blood was dripping down.

She jumped out of Hu Dapao’s embrace with a whoosh.

Hu Dapao’s body leaned to one side, and he fell onto the ground with a plonk.

Su Jiu’s expression changed as she took big strides forward, before supporting Hu Dapao with one smooth motion. “Dapao?”

Hu Dapao’s eyes were tightly shut, and he had already fainted.

Finally, Xiao Lie made a diagnosis – Hu Dapao did not breathe during the passionate kiss and had temporarily lost his consciousness due to hypoxia.

Everyone fell into complete silence. “…”

Nangong Bi was even more ashamed, and her entire face was bright red. She wished she could just knock her head on the wall and die!

After a short period, Hu Dapao woke up. When he saw that both Su Jiu and Ah Shu were present, he scratched his head. “Am I dreaming, or is this reality?”

Ah Shu burst out laughing and whacked Hu Dapao on his shoulder. “Of course, it’s real! You are not dreaming! We circled this dumb place and finally met each other!”

Hu Dapao heaved a sigh of relief and suddenly thought of something. He asked anxiously, “Chief, just now… I dreamed of Miss Nangong! Did you see her?”

“What dream…” Su Jiu chirped, but she suddenly felt a sharp pain at her waist. Nangong Bi hid behind her and forcefully pinched her waist while gritting her teeth. “Su Jiu, you’re not allowed to say!”

Su Jiu giggled and nodded her head slowly, “It was a dream, a dream!”

Nangong Bi jumped forward, her face completely red. She did not dare to meet Hu Dapao’s eyes, and her eyes darted back and forth as she stammered, “I’m here. I came with Su Jiu and the rest, and I saw you… alone here!”

Hu Dapao suddenly recalled the dream that he had. His heart thumped, and he hastily lowered his head, as though he had defiled the girl.

Even though it was a dream, he should not have behaved with such a lack of restraint. Just now, he had truly gone mad!

After the group rested for a while, they shared their respective encounters.

Nangong Bi did not dare to mention that she had landed on Hu Dapao through the ceiling in front of him. She found Su Jiu privately and explained that she had been trapped between the cracks when she was falling. She then remained in the darkness for quite a long time, before she freed herself and fell into the catacomb.

Su Jiu nodded her head. This catacomb seemed to have a contraption that allowed it to ‘swallow’ people on the mountain. After falling in, the stone ceiling would automatically seal itself, which created this situation where so many people would vanish on the mountain for no reason.

The owner of the tomb must have designed this to scare people and prevent them from ascending the mountain to disturb his ‘rest’.

The stones on the mountain had already tumbled down, and it was no longer possible to seek an exit through the peak. They could only find an alternative exit.

“Su Jiu, is my older brother really in this catacomb?” Nangong Bi asked with concern.

Su Jiu nodded her head. “Since the Daliang soldiers that the General led are present, then General Nangong must be here as well. We might just find him soon!”

Nangong Bi nodded her head, her eyes full of worry. “I hope my older brother is safe and sound!”

“Don’t worry, at least we’re getting closer and closer to the general!” Su Jiu comforted.

“Yes!”

Su Jiu took a deep breath and stared into the dim and long corridor. It wasn’t just Nangong Shu, they also had to find Chang Huan…

Until now, she had not come into contact with Chang Huan.

Back then, his coordinates were quite near to where Ah Shu was. Why was she able to find Ah Shu, but not him?

Was he also thrown into an illusion, or did he encounter those dangerous moths? Where was he now?

After a period of rest, everyone got up and continued to seek more people along the winding corridors, as well as search for an exit.

Su Jiu and Xiao Lie led the group through the corridors, always moving in the same direction that the mermaids’ shields pointed towards. There was no day and no night, and neither was there any inkling of the flow of time. They walked for an indefinite amount of time, and whenever they exhausted their strength, they would lean against the wall to rest for a while.

Midway, they bumped into another group of Daliang soldiers, as well as several Qiang soldiers, who were buzzing around like houseflies.

The Qiang soldiers were already on their wit’s end, and when they saw Su Jiu’s group, they immediately knelt to beg for mercy.

After residing for so many days in the catacomb, the spirits of most people were in a state of despair.

All the edibles they carried on their bodies had been removed, and even their water was almost all gone. Everyone understood in their hearts that if they did not find an exit soon, they would die in this dark place that did not differentiate between night and day.

In the beginning, there were still people talking as they discussed when this catacomb was erected and whose tomb it was. Subsequently, only the quiet sound of footsteps remained.

While everyone was resting, Nangong Bi went to look for Su Jiu and whispered, “Su Jiu, I want to relieve myself.”

Su Jiu stood up, “I will accompany you!”

When they arrived, they had passed by a stone room that appeared very similar to the one before. Only, there were no putrefied corpses inside, only a few large earthen jars.

Su Jiu brought Nangong Bi back and got her to relieve herself in the stone room while guarding at the entrance.

Su Jiu leaned against the wall and rubbed her parched lips. She had not drunk any water or eaten any food. Strangely, however, she did not feel famished, only extraordinarily thirsty. Her throat felt as though it was burning.

She looked back. The gloomy corridor seemed to have no end, which bred despair in her heart.

Su Jiu closed her eyes and suddenly opened her eyes abruptly, her gaze landing on the mermaid lamp nearest to her.

That mermaid lamp was on the door of the stone room, and its flame was a shade of blue. It was the same as other lamps, but the only difference was that the shields of the other lamps would point in one direction, but only this mermaid’s shield was pointing backward.

The stone room was behind it!

Su Jiu’s heart started to pump wildly. She quickly examined the lamps around her and realized that they were all normal. Only this one was special.

Su Jiu jerked her head back and looked at the stone room!

Why was this lamp different? What was inside this stone room?

Nangong Bi tidied up her clothes, as she looked up and said with a grin. “I’m done! Let’s go!”

Su Jiu shook her head, and her eyes scrutinized the interior of the stone room.

Nangong Bi noticed that her expression was unusual, so she did not dare to disturb her. She looked inside the stone wall with curiosity.

The layout of the stone room was very simple. It was rectangular-shaped and was constructed with mountain rocks that had been cast with iron. This material made the walls impregnable. There were a few dozen earthen jars littered on the ground, which were probably used to store water and food in the past for the construction workers to use. Now, the things inside were already decayed.

Su Jiu felt all around the wall, but the wall did not budge and did not appear to be mobile. She frowned, her eyes revealing her bewilderment.

She believed that the backward-pointing shield was definitely not a coincidence and that it had been arranged intentionally by someone. But what was this stone room hiding?

“Su Jiu, what on earth did you discover?” Nangong Bi asked her curiously.

Su Jiu’s eyes landed on Nangong Bi. Suddenly, she glanced at the earthen jars behind her, and her eyes narrowed. She immediately walked over and opened the jars one by one.

“Su Jiu?” Nangong Bi crooked her head and watched Su Jiu’s strange actions.

The earthen jars were empty, and there was nothing strange underneath them. However, when Su Jiu touched the last bottle, she was filled with joy.

That earthen jar was fixed in place.

She exerted a bit of strength and turned the earthen jar, only to hear Nangong Bi shout in surprise. Su Jiu turned her head back abruptly and realized that a secret door had emerged on one face of the stone room’s walls, big enough for the passage of one person.

Su Jiu hurriedly ran over and only saw a pitch-black corridor. Where did this hidden passage lead to?

This stone room was indeed unusual.

Su Jiu turned her head back excitedly. “Nangong Bi, you wait here. I will go in and have a look!”

“Don’t!” Nangong Bi grabbed Su Jiu’s wrist at once. “Where does this secret passage lead to? It’s so dark and frightening! Let me go and find the others, we can go in together!”

“That won’t work!” Su Jiu’s eyes were chilly. “I don’t know where this leads to either. So, I will go and explore the route alone first. If many people go in and get trapped, it will make things worse. Wait here, and if I don’t return here in the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, go and fine Xiao Lie and Hu Dapao! Understood?”

“Su Jiu, don’t go!” Nangong Bi pulled her back in worry.

“Don’t worry! Going by myself is the safest method!” Su Jiu said, before patting Nangong Bi to console her. Without hesitating, she stepped into that secret passage.

They had already circled the catacomb for many days, and this secret passage might be the only way out. She needed to go in and have a look.

The secret passage was pitch-black, and the light from the stone room slowly faded. Su Jiu could not see with her eyes, and she could only rely on her ears as she listened for any movements around her, walking along the secret passage one step at a time.

After walking for the time it would take to brew a cup of tea, a faint glow of light was seen ahead. Su Jiu walked with even more caution, but her foot was suddenly caught on something on the ground, and a ‘thud’ sounded. Su Jiu immediately stuck herself closer to the wall, and after waiting for a while, she realized that there was no change in her surroundings, so she continued walking on.

As she moved closer, she realized that the light was coming from the ceiling — it was a feeble ray of light. Su Jiu leaped up and saw that there was a crack in the stone, with the light filtering through that crack. There was nothing else around her.

Su Jiu pushed forcefully, and bits of gravel fell. This rock had not been reinforced by iron during construction.

After pushing the stone away, a small hole that could accommodate the passage of one person was revealed. Su Jiu immediately tunneled through, but when she stepped out, she was instantly disappointed.

Beyond the passage, was another corridor. It was the same as the one before.

However, when she turned her head, the blood in Su Jiu’s body seemed to coagulate at that moment. Her breathing stopped, and she could not help but take a step forward.

At the end of the corridor, there was a door.

The door was made out of a whole slab of mountain stone, and many intricate patterns were carved on its surface. It was an extravagant and mysterious sight.

On both sides of the door, two mermaid lamps had been erected, each the height of half a person. Their expressions were vicious, and they appeared to glare fiercely at anyone who visited.

Su Jiu touched the stone door, only to feel a chill that penetrated her fingertips and spread throughout her being, causing her heart to pound.

It was a door to the tomb room, and not an exit. Those constructors who had dug the tomb must have realized that they would be trapped inside without a way out. They were probably filled with resentment towards the owner of the tomb and had hence pointed out the way to the tomb for any future tomb robbers.

Su Jiu had no intention of digging out his grave. She took a step back and brought her fists together. “Su Jiu came here by accident! It was not my intention to offend you!”

After she said this, she was about to return via the same path she came from, when she suddenly heard a rustle coming from above her. Someone shouted, “Master Su Jiu!” and leaped down abruptly.

Su Jiu’s eyes turned cold. She turned her head, only to realize that the people who jumped down were Zhao Xiong and his men.

Zhao Xiong became emotional. “It’s you, Master Su Jiu!”

Su Jiu’s expression changed from shock to one of surprise. She smiled jubilantly and said, “Brother Zhao! As expected, you are here as well!”

Zhao Xiong led three brothers behind him, and they appeared to be in a predicament as well. He sighed and explained, “Master Jiu, you probably don’t know. We entered the mountain a long time ago and were almost trapped to death in this catacomb. But we finally managed to find the entrance to the tomb!”

When they found it, they did not even have time to celebrate before they heard movements from behind the wall. They hastily leaped into a hole to hide.

Fortunately, these people were already used to fleeing for their lives in the mountains. They were all able to scale the wall in silence and hide in a dark hole on top without being detected.

They had encountered Daliang soldiers in the catacombs and had noticed that the person who arrived was also wearing the Daliang military uniform. They had assumed that she was a soldier, and because of the darkness, they could not recognize that it was Su Jiu. It was only until Su Jiu spoke that they suddenly got a shock.

Su Jiu noticed that they were carrying shovels, rope, candles, and other similar items. She exclaimed in shock, “Brother Zhao, are you here to rob the tomb?”

No wonder Wei Tan could not find Zhao Xiong, and no wonder he said that they found the trail of Zhao Xiong and his men near the Coiling Dragon Ridge.

Other people were afraid and frightened of the Coiling Dragon Ridge, but Zhao Xiong had brought his men with him to rob the tomb. His guts were extraordinary indeed!

Zhao Xiong chuckled while scratching his head. “We’ve become Master Jiu’s laughing stock. We don’t want to rob others as a living anymore. An old healer in the mountains mentioned that there was a tomb of the ruler of a previous dynasty on Coiling Dragon Ridge, so we made up our minds. We want to take on a big job so that we can live the rest of our lives in peace.”

Su Jiu’s eyes did not contain a trace of ridicule. She only asked, “You guys have been here for a few days! Have you seen General Nangong?”

Zhao Xiong was astonished. “So it was General Nangong who brought his soldiers here. Are you all here to rob the grave too?”

Su Jiu shook her head with a bitter smile, before recounting the series of events that had led to this point.

Zhao Xiong suddenly said, “So that was what happened. We have not seen General Nangong, but we did meet several Daliang soldiers!”

“Chief!” One of Zhao Xiong’s underlings suddenly stuck his ear against the door of the tomb. He exclaimed, “There are movements inside!”

“You mother**cker, don’t get flustered like that! How can there be movements in the tomb unless the dead have resurrected?” Zhao Xiong turned back his head to swear.

However, Su Jiu had already walked over. Just like the other person, she stuck her ear against the door of the tomb.

There truly was a noise behind the door, and it sounded like people were fighting. She could hear the sound of swords clashing, as well as blood-curdling screams.

Su Jiu asked urgently, “There are indeed people inside. Brother Xiong, quickly blast this door open!”

“Alright!” Zhao Xiong hastily stepped forward and waved his hands while stating, “Everyone, step back!”

Su Jiu and the rest of the underlings took a few steps back together, their eyes fixed on the tomb door without blinking.

Zhao Xiong placed a line of those black grenades on the tomb door and retreated a few meters. He forcefully tossed the grenade in his hands towards the line of objects.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

They exploded in succession like firecrackers, and in an instant, rocks were sent flying, and clouds of dust filled the air. It was as though half the mountain quaked with the explosions.

“Ah Jiu!” A fearful and urgent voice sounded, and a man came flying over. He hugged Su Jiu at once, before brushing off the dirt and dust on her face, his fingers trembling.

“Cough! Hack!” Su Jiu choked on some ash and bent over to cough.

Xiao Lie heaved a sigh of relief. His handsome face was slightly pale as he held Su Jiu tightly in his arms.

Su Jiu brushed off the dirt on her face. Her ears seemed to buzz as she asked, “Why are you here?”

Before she finished speaking, she saw Hu Dapao, Ah Shu, and the rest crawl out of the hole.

“Nangong Bi did not see you return and was frightened, so she came back to inform us!” Xiao Lie’s eyes were frosty, and he clenched his teeth as he spoke to the girl, “I’ll settle this score once we get out of here!”

When will she get rid of this bad habit and stop taking action on her own?

When those explosions sounded, his heart almost leaped out of his chest!

“Chief!”

“Su Jiu!”

The pressing shouts of Hu Dapao, Nangong Bi, and the rest were heard from behind her.

Su Jiu pushed Xiao Lie away before getting up. She brushed off all the dust on her body, before hastily looking for Zhao Xiong and his men.

“I’ll go!” In the middle of the rubble, Zhao Xiong and his men climbed up. He spat out a mouthful of ash and dust, before shaking his head forcefully to rid himself of all the sand stuck on his body. His ears were still ringing from the aftermath of the explosion, and he did not even hear Su Jiu’s yells.

Ah Shu dragged Luo Sheng out of the stone hole, and the rest of the Daliang soldiers jumped out behind him.

After the dust had settled and everyone had calmed down, they heard sounds of fighting from within the tomb room. The noise was much clearer than before, and one could vaguely hear Chang Huan’s voice.

“Chang Huan!” Su Jiu’s complexion changed, and she dashed in.

Xiao Lie immediately followed behind her, while the others also surged through the door that had been blasted open.