What was going on?
The two of them did not know where the exit was, because Yu Qing had not told them when he found it earlier.
But if the exit was said to be in that valley, the two of them were a bit puzzled. If it was in that valley, then what was all that searching about before?
Had they remembered the wrong place?
They also felt it was unlikely. Old Fifteen’s brain for remembering things, while not exactly photographic, was indeed quite good. None of the brothers were as good. It was unlikely he had remembered wrong.
Moreover, the location of that valley on the map was almost at the very centre of the entire map. Could he have mixed it up?
It did not matter if he had mixed it up. The two of them remembered Old Fifteen saying that some colossal thing was hidden in that valley. If they ran into that, it would be disastrous!
Just as the two were about to remind him, Yu Qing suddenly tapped the map again and emphasised, “I will not remember wrong. It is right here!”
This action attracted everyone to look at the map, while he himself took the opportunity to shoot his two brothers a look, frowning to signal them.
The words on the tips of the two brothers’ tongues got stuck. They understood. Old Fifteen knew their concerns and had things under control.
They became even more confused. Knowing there was danger hidden in that valley, yet still wanting everyone to go there, what the hell was Old Fifteen trying to do? Do not scare people, alright.
However, some tacit understanding still existed. They knew Old Fifteen would probably not harm them in this kind of matter. They estimated there was some special reason, so they could only exercise patience, worry, and wait to see what happened.
Seeing Yu Qing point out the exit location, Jin Huahai’s head drew close to look, wanting to try hard to remember. However, after looking, he was puzzled again. “The place you are pointing at is a blank space. There is not even a path?”
Yu Qing smiled. “Do you think the map that woman gave me would draw the escape exit? If there was one, she would not draw it. Not drawing it, a blank space, is exactly right.”
Everyone suddenly understood upon hearing this. Jin Huahai also nodded silently, all deeply agreeing.
Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie could not help but glance at Yu Qing again. They had to admire this fellow. Words to deal with people came out of his mouth casually.
What made the two of them most unable to stand was that the words this chap used to deal with people always sounded so reasonable. Nonsense actually sounded more real than the truth.
Seeing that the exit was indeed not far, Jin Huahai said in a deep voice, “Since it is not far, then let’s hurry. Do not get entangled by those evil spirits again.”
What he said counted. Everyone immediately set off again.
Once they moved, Yu Qing discovered something was wrong again. He found that these fellows actually all had an extra weapon in their hands. Looking at the weapons, which were overall black in colour, a little thought made it clear that these fellows had probably seized them from those ghost foetuses and puppet warriors earlier.
He remembered the scene of things blooming from inside human bodies. He wanted to remind them of something, but after a second thought, he still kept his mouth shut.
However, the scene he worried about never appeared in the end. Thinking that the Sinan Office had entered the ancient tomb more than once, he was relieved. Their preparations in certain aspects were definitely there, just like Liu Piaopiao and the others were not afraid when they entered.
Everyone rushed forward at high speed all the way, while remaining vigilant of their surroundings.
The rest of the journey was very smooth. They did not encounter any interference from evil spirits again. Only from somewhere far away came faint rumbling sounds of combat. Yu Qing estimated it was Liu Piaopiao and those people.
They walked a very long way, and it was still safe all the way. The smoothness made Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie occasionally lock eyes and occasionally examine the root systems around them.
The two of them did not doubt at all that the woman in white had already seen Yu Qing pointing out the exit on the map.
Therefore, the two of them suspected whether the woman in white was deliberately letting Yu Qing off easy or something.
This was what secretly astonished the two of them. Had Old Fifteen silently cooperated with the woman in white again?
When the group finally reached a small blank area on the map, a passage that did not exist on the map appeared.
Walking to the end of the passage, that underground space, that underground valley, and that underground bridge appeared before them again.
The abrupt scene was completely different from the underground environment they had seen before.
Jin Huahai and the others all stopped at the cave entrance at the end, holding up the glowstones in their hands to illuminate everywhere outside. Unfortunately, the light could not shine very far. They carefully looked around outside.
Swoosh! Jin Huahai suddenly flicked a glowstone with his finger. He watched the glowstone fly away, watched it turn into a tiny point of light falling into the deep valley.
Yu Qing shook out the map again to show him. “Mr Jin, look, I was not wrong, was I? It is a world apart here. That woman deliberately did not draw it. I found it by accident.”
“I was overthinking.” Jin Huahai nodded in approval. Looking around the vast, pitch-black environment before him, he also had some emotion. “Back then, I could be considered to have crawled all over this underground palace. I did not expect such a vast underground space to exist.”
Yu Qing smiled playfully, thinking to himself, if that wretch did not want you to discover this entrance, even if you passed by the side, you might not necessarily be able to discover it.
“Where is the exit?” Jin Huahai suddenly asked.
Yu Qing put away the map and pointed below. “It is in the valley beneath the bridge. It is just blocked. Clearing it out might be a bit troublesome.”
Jin Huahai: “Then hurry up and clear it. Do we go straight down from here?”
“Wait a moment.” Yu Qing left these words, waved his hand to signal, and directly led his two brothers onto the bridge first.
Wait for what? The others were a bit baffled.
Jin Huahai was about to follow onto the bridge as well, when Yu Qing turned back and shouted, “Don’t move. The bridge is old and not sturdy. It cannot bear much weight. It will collapse if you are not careful. Only two or three people can cross at a time.”
Jin Huahai was half-convinced and half-doubtful. He slowly withdrew his foot, stared at the bridge surface and muttered, “Not sturdy? That should not be. Things in this underground palace are not easy to decay.” He then looked up and shouted, “What are you doing?”
Yu Qing: “Wait until I reach the other end and call out, then you come over in groups of three.”
They had to wait here, watching the figures of the three people holding glowstones gradually fade into the distance.
The three brothers reached the cave entrance at the other end of the bridge. It was also their first time at this cave entrance.
After going slightly deeper, Yu Qing raised his hand to signal a stop. He spoke towards the empty passage, “Immortal lady, have you not watched enough of the show? When do you plan to watch until?”
Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie’s heartstrings tightened.
“Beep beep beep…” Big Head’s loud clanging chirp sounded again.
A white figure appeared in the pitch-black passage ahead. When it drew close, it was indeed the woman in white.
The woman in white asked upon meeting, “What do you mean?”
To be honest, she was also a bit confused. She did not know what medicine this fellow was selling in his gourd. It made it hard for her to attack in a fit of anger again.
“What do I mean?” Yu Qing spread his hands. “Did you not want me to deal with those people? Regardless of the process, I did it. I helped you deal with most of them. I also brought the rest to you.”
This time, even Mu Aotie could barely maintain his composure. His Adam’s apple bobbed.
He and Nan Zhu had not expected that Old Fifteen had actually reached the point of telling bare-faced lies while the noose was already around his neck on the beam. Was this not seeking death?
The woman in white indeed sneered coldly, “You helped me deal with them? It was clearly my subordinates who dealt with them at all costs. How did it become your merit with just empty words? Has the moral decline of the outside world reached such a state?”
Yu Qing snorted with a cold laugh, pointing at his own skull. “Think, immortal lady. Think again about how those people died. How was it that so coincidentally, they all suddenly exposed their backs to you for stabbing.”
The woman in white was slightly startled. With him saying this, she did feel something was abnormal. In fact, she had also felt some surprise earlier. Over a hundred people had suddenly been smoothly dealt with by her, mostly. It had been so smooth that she was somewhat overjoyed. The huge price she had expected to pay had actually been saved.
Of course, she still snorted coldly, “Are you going to forcefully claim it as your merit with a glib tongue?”
Yu Qing spoke without shame, “Of course it is my merit! I tell you, even if you had not launched that attack, they would have had an accident later. They would still have died, and even more would have died. Over a hundred people would have died until only one person remained!”
The woman in white, “Continue making it up. I have said I will let you taste the feeling of being unable to live or die!”
“You have lived for several thousand years at least. How can you still be full of a woman’s narrow vision? I do not need to taste that feeling, nor do I need to make things up!” Yu Qing turned sideways and waved his hand to point at the pitch-black outside the cave. “Light up the outside. I will use facts to make you sober up.”
The woman in white looked at him.
Suddenly, Jin Huahai’s shout came from far away outside, “A Shiheng, are you ready yet?”
Yu Qing pointed outside again, indicating to hurry up.
The woman in white slowly raised her hand. Finally, as if she had made a decision, she suddenly swept her sleeve.
Thus, very quickly, that valley became bright and beautiful once again, like a fairyland in a dream.
Jin Huahai and the others at the cave entrance on the other end of the bridge were instantly dumbfounded, instantly stunned by the beautiful scenery before them.
At this time, they also clearly saw the situation at the other cave entrance on the bridge. They saw Yu Qing’s trio walk out, and also saw the woman in white walking out side by side with Yu Qing.
Seeing this scene, the Sinan Office crowd was greatly shocked. They immediately felt something was wrong with this place. Jin Huahai pointed at the woman in white and roared angrily, “A Shiheng, what explanation do you have for this?”
Yu Qing signalled for this side to stop. After maintaining a certain safe distance from that side, he smiled faintly and replied loudly across the bridge, “Jin Huahai, what a fine name. Gold turned into a sea. Alas, it still cannot stop your selfish desires and greed. To obtain the secret of ‘Xiaoyun Jian’, you did not hesitate to personally kill nearly a hundred Sinan Office personnel. You should think about how you are going to explain this to the Earth Mother!”
The other Sinan Office people were all somewhat dumbfounded.
The woman in white and Nan and Mu were clearly somewhat puzzled. It was strange. Was this fellow not claiming credit? How did he push the credit onto someone else again?
Jin Huahai’s heart shook violently, but on the surface he flew into a rage, “A Shiheng, how dare you talk nonsense here. What is your intention?”
Yu Qing, “You have entered this ancient tomb. In the early years, you also fought against the things inside. The ghost foetuses here can transform into stone walls. After people draw close, they will take the opportunity to attack. Dare you say you did not know this? As the one giving orders, why did you shout that line ‘try to back against the stone wall to reduce the area exposed to enemies’, causing your subordinates to mostly die horribly in an instant?”
The Sinan Office crowd was instantly shocked and uncertain.
Jin Huahai wished he could rush over and kill him. However, the other party had lured him here and still looked fearless, making him not dare to act rashly. He worried there was some trap. He could only fiercely refute, “It is easy to add charges when one is determined to condemn. When I entered in the early years, I had never seen ghost foetuses transform into stone walls. What is wrong with backing against the wall to reduce the area exposed to enemies in battle?”
Yu Qing also pointed and shouted, “Why did you only make your subordinates do that, while you yourself showed no intention of going near the wall at all? Dog thief, you clearly saw the opportunity to monopolise the secret of ‘Xiaoyun Jian’ and are killing with a borrowed knife!”
Speaking of this, his belly was also full of anger. He had originally wanted to borrow the other party’s momentum to escape the ancient tomb. Who knew the other party would harbour malicious intent.
He could imagine that in the end, they would make him spit out the secret and move against him.
This forced him, for the sake of self-preservation, to have no choice but to have the good horse eat the grass it had turned away from. How heartbreaking!