The group stood at a fork in the path, quieting down at the commotion behind them, but feeling no joy, only increased tension.
In the earlier panic, an unfortunate esoteric practitioner had been snatched by a giant otter. Those otters likely hadn't tasted such fresh meat in a long time, fighting over it greedily, even brawling amongst themselves for the spoils.
Now that the noise had subsided, it meant the corpse was mostly devoured.
It also meant—the giant otters were about to return, and continue their hunt for people!
With time growing increasingly urgent, and Ma Xingping, their human GPS, absent, Yan Shouyi had to step up and make a decision.
“If we go further in, I won’t stop you if you choose another path!”
Having said that, Yan Shouyi grabbed Lin Zitong’s hand, glanced at Ma Jinxuan, and then followed the direction where Ma Xingping and Long Feicheng had disappeared.
The remaining four esoteric practitioners, though their hearts wavered and their instincts screamed to flee outwards, knew that in this environment, only following the strong would guarantee survival.
So, after a moment of hesitation, they too gave chase.
In the end, only Boss Zhou remained. He didn't seem inclined to return the way they came, but was clearly contemplating whether to follow Yan Shouyi and the others.
It seemed Boss Zhou placed great importance on the tomb door of King Jian’s tomb.
Alas, the giant otters let out that wailing sound, like a woman’s cry, terrifying Boss Zhou out of his wits. Before he could even make up his mind, his body moved involuntarily and he started running.
“Wait for me, don’t let me run last! If I die, you won’t get anything good!” Boss Zhou shouted frantically.
But who had the time to pay attention to him now? Money was useless if you were dead. On the surface, they might obey him, but underground, who cared?
Boss Zhou also realized his predicament and could only grit his teeth, scrambling forward on all fours.
Ahead, Yan Shouyi, as he ran, called out Long Feicheng and Ma Xingping’s names, ensuring he didn't lose his way and become completely separated from them.
Fortunately, after the fork, the path was a straight run with no further diversions.
After running for about ten minutes, the sounds from behind ceased, and Boss Zhou had caught up. It seemed the giant otters hadn't pursued them.
Lin Zitong couldn't help but remark, “I didn’t expect this cave to be so deep. We must be a thousand meters from where we entered.”
Ma Jinxuan replied, “Given Jian Province’s topography, this cave isn’t excessively deep. I’ve been to Yuhua Cave in Sanyuan County, which was far more thrilling and magnificent than this.”
“You’ve been to Yuhua Cave?” Yan Shouyi was slightly surprised. He too had been there, and the name Sanyuan of Wooden Birds originated from Sanyuan County in Jian Province.
It was there that Yan Shouyi, his father, and his grandfather had shared indelible memories, and it was also there that Sanyuan became Wooden Birds.
“Ahhh!!”
Without giving Yan Shouyi time to reminisce, he suddenly heard Long Feicheng’s scream!
This cry sent Yan Shouyi’s heart into his throat. He didn't want anything to happen to his good brother.
So he shouted Long Feicheng’s name and, disregarding everything else, rushed forward.
“You idiot!”
Lin Zitong, naturally, was worried about Yan Shouyi and followed closely behind him.
However, they hadn't gone far when their feet suddenly slipped, and they sat down on the ground, sliding uncontrollably downwards.
It seemed the cave started sloping downwards here. Yan Shouyi now understood why Long Feicheng had screamed; he must have fallen in by accident.
In the chaos, Yan Shouyi hugged Lin Zitong, protecting her in his arms.
The downward passage was littered with loose stones that could easily tear through skin. Yan Shouyi, with his tough skin and healing abilities, didn't care, but he had to care about Lin Zitong’s body.
After sliding for a while, they suddenly found themselves in mid-air, then plunged into water.
Fortunately, the journey had been without major incident, and a pool of water caught them at the end. Yan Shouyi only suffered minor abrasions.
He quickly swam upwards. As soon as he reached the bank, a strong hand grabbed him and pulled them both ashore.
Finally, Yan Shouyi saw Long Feicheng and Ma Xingping.
Ma Xingping was soaking wet, but due to his high-quality mountaineering gear, he was unharmed. He was also the one who had pulled Yan Shouyi ashore.
Long Feicheng, however, was less fortunate. They had rushed into the mountains without considering the need to enter a tomb, wearing ordinary down jackets.
Now, Long Feicheng was drenched, his down jacket heavy and suffocating. He also had several minor wounds, the most serious being a large lump on his forehead, which had knocked him unconscious.
Seeing this, Yan Shouyi felt no pity for Long Feicheng, but instead exclaimed,
“Damn… it’s good he’s knocked out, prevents him from running around in a panic and causing chaos.”
This was meant to be a lesson for Long Feicheng. Even the usually good-tempered Yan Shouyi had used foul language. If Long Feicheng hadn't been unconscious, Yan Shouyi would surely have lectured him.
“But we’ve also turned misfortune into a blessing,” Lin Zitong helped Yan Shouyi stand up and shone her flashlight around.
Yan Shouyi stood up and finally took in his surroundings.
His guess was correct; the hole dug by the giant otters indeed led to King Jian’s burial pits.
They were now in a vast cavern, with several icy pools underfoot, their water crystal clear.
And beneath the stalactites, there was a giant triangular sacrificial altar. In front of the altar lay a burial pit the size of a basketball court.
Seeing the skeletons of various humans and animals in the burial pit, Yan Shouyi sighed softly.
In feudal times, human lives were worth very little.
Earlier, Yan Shouyi had learned from his father, Yan Chou, that this was a Song Dynasty tomb, and Boss Zhou called it King Jian’s tomb. Combining these, it was the tomb of a King Jian during the Song Dynasty.
However, Yan Shouyi wasn't particularly knowledgeable about history and didn't know the identity of this King Jian, who required such a large burial pit.
One could only imagine how many innocent lives had been lost in this burial pit back then.
Ma Xingping examined the surroundings and said, “At least we’ve entered King Jian’s tomb.”
At this moment, Ma Jinxuan’s voice came from above the cave they had fallen from. After Ma Xingping confirmed they were safe, the rest of the group jumped down one by one.
Having been mentally prepared, even the most inept Boss Zhou only emerged looking disheveled, without sustaining any injuries.
In contrast to Long Feicheng’s current state, Yan Shouyi thought that after he woke up, he would likely be too embarrassed to mock Boss Zhou.
Ma Jinxuan was in the best condition. The moment before she fell into the water, she threw out her grappling hook and landed on the bank completely dry.
Her first action upon reaching the shore was to frown and scan the surroundings, her nose occasionally twitching as she sniffed the air.
Ma Xingping turned to Yan Shouyi and said, “Jinxuan’s nose is very special; she can tell if the air in the tomb is toxic. This is a burial pit, and there might be toxic gases, so she needs to verify.”
Yan Shouyi nodded. The Mojin Xiaowei indeed possessed many extraordinary abilities. Just Ma Jinxuan’s sense of smell alone was beyond him.
In fact, Yan Shouyi himself had his own strengths as a descendant of Lu Ban, such as his innate analytical ability. With just a glance, he understood the structure of the grappling hook and could easily replicate one.
Furthermore, since entering the cave, Yan Shouyi had been mentally mapping their route, clearly aware of his location and knowing north without a compass.
In addition, Yan Shouyi had excellent eyesight and steady hands, which were basic skills for a carpenter.
After walking around, Ma Jinxuan returned to the group with relief, saying, “The air here is harmless to humans.”
Yan Shouyi had actually anticipated this result. Perhaps it had been toxic before, but since the otters had dug through the tomb, the tomb now had circulating air, and even wind. Any toxic gases would have long since dispersed.
“Everyone rest for ten minutes. We’ll depart after ten minutes,” Ma Xingping announced.
The group breathed a sigh of relief and began to squat down, drinking water and eating dry rations. Yan Shouyi, to wake Long Feicheng, took out a pill refined by Lao Jin from his Eastern King Gourd and popped it into Long Feicheng’s mouth.
Less than a minute later, Long Feicheng slowly woke up, holding his head and groaning,
“My head hurts so much, it feels like I was hit by the Hulk…”
Yan Shouyi chuckled, “You should be grateful you survived. If you had kept running around like before, even the Hulk couldn’t have saved you!”