The water Big Head boiled worked quite well. Before long, Qiao Qie’er slowly came round, finding herself lying in someone’s arms. In the darkness she could not see clearly, so her startled reaction was inevitable, but Yu Qing restrained her in time.
“It is me. Keep your voice down.” Yu Qing whispered in her ear, and the luminescent stone in his hand shone through his fingers to illuminate his face.
The familiar voice and familiar scent quickly calmed the flustered Qiao Qie’er. She sat up and asked in a low voice, “What happened?”
“There are traps laid here that can cause people to lose consciousness…” Yu Qing explained the general situation.
After hearing this, Qiao Qie’er was shocked and frightened, and could not help asking, “Why are you lot fine?”
Yu Qing said, “We have been taking a certain medicine for a long time, so we are not affected by this enchantment. I will tell you in detail when we have the chance.”
While they were talking, the others over there also gradually came round.
“It is fine, it is fine. Keep your voice down, keep your voice down. The people from Rift Valley Manor might come down at any moment…”
Nan Zhu kept muttering reminders in the ears of the waking people.
After understanding the cause, the others inevitably had the same reaction as Qiao Qie’er. Ning Chaoyi immediately said warily, “Why are you lot fine?”
Nan Zhu borrowed Yu Qing’s words. “We have been taking a certain medicine for a long time, so we are not affected by this enchantment. We also used the same medicine to save you. I will tell you in detail when we have the chance. The question is, by burrowing in here, have you fallen into their trap?”
The group was silent for a while. Nie Pinlan spoke up, “What a ruthless method. The reason they removed the guards was probably to lure us here.”
Lu Xingyun suddenly reached out and grabbed Nan Zhu’s arm. “Since you have given us the same medicine, does that mean the drug inside is useless against us?”
The amount they drank was not large. Although it woke them up, Nan Zhu did not dare guarantee whether it could resist the enchantment inside. He hesitated and said, “Perhaps it can resist for a while.”
“Let’s go.” Lu Xingyun immediately called to her daughter. Shen Qingcheng did not hesitate either. The mother and daughter immediately set off. The luminescent stones in their hands were gone, and they pulled out fire starters instead. They did not care whether the people from Rift Valley Manor outside could see them. They lit them and rushed straight inside.
“Qingcheng.” Ning Chaoyi shouted, but could not stop her.
His figure flashed, and he actually followed.
Everyone understood what the mother and daughter meant. Since there were such traps here, then Lou Yushu, who had broken in earlier, had probably fallen victim too. They definitely wanted to check. If she was in trouble, they would definitely try to rescue her.
What everyone did not expect was that Ning Chaoyi would actually follow too. It gave the impression that, after all, he had been staying with Shen Qingcheng these past few nights.
Yu Qing and Nan Zhu remained silent, estimating that Lou Yushu had already lost her life. They had not mentioned the man-eating ants just now, only saying there might be some hard-to-detect enchantment or something similar.
“Let’s go, we will take a look together. You lot come too. In case anything happens, please save us again.”
Nie Pinlan called out to Yu Qing and the others, showing no sign of gratitude for saving their lives, and even sounding somewhat impolite. The lit fire starter in her hand paused in front of Qiao Qie’er before she turned and left with Zhu Wanzhen.
“Call Old Ninth back.”
Yu Qing gestured to Nan Zhu. There was no other way. They did not want to rush forward and take the lead either. Who knew what Rift Valley Manor, now openly hostile, had prepared waiting for them.
Nan Zhu flashed away and quickly brought Mu Aotie back.
The group immediately continued inward.
The group ahead was slowly groping forward, and the brothers caught up with them before long.
This time, after passing through the osmanthus fragrance, the group showed no further abnormalities. It was clear that the water Big Head boiled was still quite effective.
Before long, the group arrived before hanging wooden plaques. They all carefully avoided them, not knowing what they were, not daring to touch them lightly.
They had not walked far when they saw a spot of light on the ground ahead. Approaching to look, it was a luminescent stone. The group also smelled the scent of blood.
A pool of blood was beside the luminescent stone. It was not the kind that had flowed and then congealed, but rather seemed to have been licked dry by something.
Lu Xingyun crouched down, picked up the luminescent stone with one hand, and dipped her other hand in the blood on the ground to sniff before her nose. Her face showed grief as she got up and continued forward, and quickly at that.
Nie Pinlan also crouched down, dipped her hand in the blood and sniffed. After getting up, she gave the group a statement, “It is human blood.”
Although she did not say whose blood it was, everyone had the same suspicion.
Soon, the group arrived outside that funnel-shaped pit opening. The mother and daughter Lu Xingyun almost did not hesitate. They dropped a luminescent stone to confirm the depth was only a dozen or so zhang, then jumped down one after another.
After briefly observing the situation below, Ning Chaoyi turned back and instructed the Thief Mandarin Duck couple, “You two keep watch here. I will go down first to investigate.”
The Thief Mandarin Duck couple nodded with a hum, watching the figure jump in.
Yu Qing also turned back to instruct the three people beside him before jumping down. Who knew that Qiao Qie’er did not listen and jumped down after him.
As soon as they landed, there was a crunching sound underfoot. The light shone to reveal they had landed on piles of white bones.
Lu Xingyun and Shen Qingcheng were already kneeling before a newly added skeleton, sobbing softly. The fresh skeleton was wearing Lou Yushu’s gorgeous clothing, and from inside the clothes they found Lou Yushu’s relic, a pair of gloves woven from fine metal chains.
The mother and daughter now understood why Lou Yushu had shown no response for so long.
The others could not really share their grief. First they cautiously surveyed the surroundings, shining light around to inspect. They found it was just a very deep pit, narrow at the mouth and wide at the belly. They searched around but found no other exit.
Soon, the crying below attracted the Thief Mandarin Duck couple down to see the situation. When the two saw Lou Yushu’s state of death, they were quite shocked.
“Di di di…”
Big Head’s chirping suddenly sounded from Yu Qing’s ponytail, startling the others to look over.
A rustling sound also arose from the surroundings. At some point, a faint mist had drifted in. Soon, under the dim light, dense white shadows appeared crawling over.
One look from Yu Qing and he understood. As expected, they were those man-eating ants seen beneath the Wen clan’s place.
The others could not figure out what they were. They only knew that even Lou Yushu had been killed. For a moment they were forced to retreat one after another, backing onto the bone piles.
Seeing this situation, the mother and daughter Lu Xingyun also could not afford to grieve. People in the martial world, life and death are hard to speak of. When you encounter it, you can only accept your fate. They wiped away their tears, used Lou Yushu’s clothes on the spot to bundle her skeleton, and finally turned it into a package carried on Lu Xingyun’s back.
The fire starter in Ning Chaoyi’s hand drew close to observe the swarming mirage ants, and he asked in shock and doubt, “What are these things?”
Lu Xingyun, her face full of grief, said, “Based on the symptoms we experienced, these seem to be the legendary Mirage Ants from the Nether Sea. They can emit mist. People lost in the Nether Sea, once they stray into the mist, will hallucinate and actively land on islands to become their prey, never knowing how they died. These creatures are said to be unable to survive long outside the Nether Sea, and are extremely rare. How could they be used in a place like this?”
What exactly was going on, only the people from Rift Valley Manor probably knew the answer.
“Let’s leave here first.”
Nie Pinlan called out, and herself flew up first. Her husband Zhu Wanzhen also followed, and both drilled back into the opening above.
The others were also about to extricate themselves from the ant swarm, but who knew Shen Qingcheng used the fire starter to light the clothes on the skeletons, and said in grief and indignation, “Burn them. Burn them all to death.”
The rotten rags and bones were quickly ignited. Shen Qingcheng, with nowhere to vent her grief and indignation, did not stop, and continued to light fires.
Yu Qing had to remind her, “The people outside probably think we are already dead. Once smoke and fire rise, I am afraid it will be another kind of preparation.”
These words made sense. Ning Chaoyi flicked both sleeves, and fierce wind surged in all directions, instantly extinguishing the flames and smoke, and sending the swarm of mirage ants crawling from all around flying out. Yet other mirage ants still charged forward regardless.
“Let’s go.” Ning Chaoyi grabbed Shen Qingcheng’s arm and soared straight up with her.
Yu Qing and the others also emerged one after another.
Once everyone was gathered, Nie Pinlan did not avoid Yu Qing’s side, and directly began making arrangements. “They think we are dead, so they will definitely come down later to check and confirm. Such a hidden killing move here must be known to very few. The ones who come to check later are very likely to be the three manor lords themselves. We will temporarily lie in ambush, waiting for an opportunity to catch them off guard and kill them. If we can capture a hostage, we can achieve twice the result with half the effort.”
Ning Chaoyi nodded. “Since it is like this either way, we might as well try. Where should we set the ambush?”
Nie Pinlan said, “Hang upside down beneath the stairs. When they pass from below, we can strike from above and below simultaneously. Or we can take them by surprise here. What do you think?”
Yu Qing, listening at the side, blinked repeatedly. He discovered this group plotting murder actually did not avoid them at all. Did they really treat them as decorations? He could not help letting out a dry laugh and said, “We are just here to watch the excitement. Your grudge with Rift Valley Manor is none of our business. Do as you please.”
The few over there glanced at him. Nie Pinlan replied, “Many thanks for Brother Lin’s rescue, otherwise we would have become white bones already. Later we will definitely tell Rift Valley Manor that you are not with us. Will this satisfy Brother Lin?”
Yu Qing and the others were speechless and choked. Thinking about it, it was quite helpless. Right now, Rift Valley Manor would never believe they were not together.
They regretted it. Why had they followed these people here? This was asking for trouble.
Lu Xingyun, at the side, suddenly spoke fiercely, “There is no need to set an ambush. There are ready-made means here.”
Everyone immediately looked at her in unison. Nie Pinlan asked, “How so?”
Lu Xingyun pointed at the deep pit below, and said furiously, “Return their own method upon them. I want the entire Rift Valley Manor to be buried with my mother.”
Everyone followed her gaze and immediately understood something. Nie Pinlan asked in shock and doubt, “You mean to use the mirage ants?”
Lu Xingyun nodded. “Since we have a way to not be bewitched by these creatures, why not collect them to use for a counterattack?”
“Exactly.” The instantly enlightened Nie Pinlan could not help clapping in admiration. “How did I not think of that? Perhaps our matter can also be achieved with half the effort.”
Shen Qingcheng nodded repeatedly, clearly very much in favour of her mother’s idea to have the entire manor buried with her.
Yu Qing and the others looked at each other in dismay, discovering this group really dared to think. With Rift Valley Manor’s tunnel terrain, if this group really succeeded, it would probably be catastrophic.
The three brothers exchanged a glance, not knowing whether these mirage ants would have any effect on that sleeping person.
“Old Zhu, go keep watch.” Nie Pinlan turned her head and gave the order, and Zhu Wanzhen went without a word.