How could I possibly be confined in a cage?

Chapter 127 The Tomb in the Mountains (4)

Ruika thought a little more deeply than they did, so she didn't argue with them and just walked forward.

He didn't move forward blindly; he made the decision after carefully discerning the direction of the airflow.

There's no smoke without fire; the exit must be over there.

No matter how good the quality of a flashlight is, it can't withstand repeated impacts, especially from falling from a height.

At this point, Ruika and his group only had two miner's lamps left to provide light, and they had put away all the other flashlights so they wouldn't have to use them now.

"Damn it, I've never felt so frustrated before," Li Daguo complained. Although he had only ever worked as a guard for others before, he had never experienced anything so bizarre.

Ruika suddenly shouted, "Stop!"

Everyone stopped as instructed. "What's wrong?"

"Listen."

Everyone held their breath to listen for any sounds in the darkness.

"Drip...drip..." It sounded like water droplets falling.

"Where there is water, there is bound to be a way out." The crowd cheered.

Ruika wasn't so optimistic. If it was water from inside the mountain, that would be fine, but what if it was an underground river? In that case, their bodies would never see the light of day again.

"Be careful, don't step into the water."

The restlessness and unease were temporarily dispelled by the sound of dripping water, and everyone hurriedly followed the sound.

Li Daguo was cautious. He saw that Ruika was bold and meticulous, and more calm and composed than the average person, so he lagged behind and followed closely behind him.

Ruika noticed, but pretended not to know.

"Found it! Found it! It really is a stone wall! We've reached the end!" someone cheered, finally seeing a glimmer of hope.

Ruika quickly walked over, and the group focused their light on one spot, scanning the huge cave.

A beam of light shone, but instead of revealing the mountainside, it cast an abyss of darkness.

Ruika was startled. "Is this cave really that big?"

After careful observation, I was dismayed to discover that this cave was indeed a hidden world. When I first fell, there were still glimmers of light overhead, but now there was nothing at all.

It was as if there was only an endless abyss.

Apart from these few living people, there are no flowers, trees, or any other plants here, let alone any animals.

"What should we do?" Ruika looked over and saw that it was Li Daguo asking.

"Should we find a way out, or go back the way we came?" Li Daguo had just checked. The reason they had walked for more than an hour was simply because they were unfamiliar with the road and it was dark. In reality, the place where they fell was only about twenty meters away.

“Even if we go back the way we came, how will we get up?” Ruika asked.

“This…” Li Daguo hadn’t thought things through. There wasn’t even a leaf here, let alone a rope. The ground was bare, with only pebbles. There wasn’t even a place to stand on tiptoe to move a large stone.

"Let's find a way out."

Ruika thought so too; returning the way they came was no longer an option, so it was better to find another way.

After resting for a while, Ruika and the others started looking for a way out again.

On the other side, Qingru and the others tried several times, but there was nothing behind the tombstone, no mechanism or anything like that. It was as if the descendants had erected the tombstone here as a marker.

"They couldn't have just disappeared for no reason. We've searched several routes, but to no avail."

Just then, Zhang Xun, who had been scouting ahead, returned. Upon hearing this, he nodded and said, "I didn't see anything."

That's strange, where did that group of people go?

"Don't go," Guo Zixing said, seeing Qingru almost step on a black snake.

Qingru turned her head and saw that it was the same snake that had saved her in the cave last time. "Little snake, what are you doing here again?"

The little snake propped itself up, ignoring Guo Zixing and Zhang Xun who were watching it intently, and instead rubbed against Qingru's trouser leg.

Guo Zixing gripped Qingru's hand nervously, ready to kill the little black snake at the first sign of trouble.

Qingru was much more relieved. "It's alright, this snake is good. Otherwise, it wouldn't have saved us last time."

"It was just a coincidence." Guo Zixing was still uneasy.

Upon hearing this, the little snake hissed at him a few times, seemingly expressing its displeasure.

Qingru boldly touched the little black snake's head. Her hand was cold and slippery, but the little black snake did not attack her. "You see, it won't hurt me, but it seems to only target me."

Guo Zixing was slightly relieved to see that the little black snake really meant no harm to Qingru, so he joked, "Maybe it was raised by the tomb owner during his lifetime. It just so happens that you and the tomb owner share the same surname, Lü. Maybe you were family five hundred years ago."

“That is,” Qingru said smugly.

"Little snake, do you know where those people who just came in went? The same ones who came the time before last?"

"Hiss..." The little snake stood up and pointed at the ground.

Qingru seemed to understand. "You mean they're underground?"

"Hiss..."

The three of them exchanged bewildered glances. Zhang Xun asked first, "Really? A snake can understand you?"

Qingru didn't know either, so she asked again.

"Hiss..." The little black snake still pointed to the ground.

"Which way did they go down?" Is there another exit that we don't know about?

The little black snake swam towards the tombstone, and Qingru and the other two quickly followed, then carefully examined the tombstone again.

Qingru even reached out and touched the words on the tombstone inch by inch, when suddenly a great sorrow welled up in her heart. Her nose stung, and she almost cried.

Is that so strange?

Qingru was filled with doubt and uncertainty, and lowered her hand.

“Look here,” Zhang Xun shouted, pointing to a wetland near the tombstone.

Qingru and Guo Zixing looked over and found that a small puddle had formed there.

Guo Zixing looked over and suddenly exclaimed, "The marks are fresh!"

The small puddle was about half a meter wide and was formed by dripping water from the mountain wall. However, the puddle was murky and did not look like a small pit that had accumulated water all year round. It looked more like a puddle that had just leaked and gathered water.

Just then, the little black snake swam over and touched the puddle with its tail.

Qingru asked, "Did the person fall from here?"

The little black snake nodded.

Zhang Xun guessed, "Maybe they came to dig up the grave and accidentally triggered a mechanism on the tombstone, causing them to fall in. Then the hole quickly closed and water accumulated..."

“That way, people who come later won’t easily discover it…” Qingru continued.

If that's the case, then the person who designed this tomb was truly cunning, even considering the possibility of tomb raiding in later generations.

"Why go to so much trouble to build a cemetery inside a cave?"

Guo Zixing thought of the schemes he had made with Commander Guo at the beginning, and then of the words on the tombstone. He couldn't help but feel a little worried. Could this be the ancestral property of Qingru's ancestors?

"How did you know, Master Huang? Guo Zixing, you've been in Sifang City for so long, haven't you heard of such a cemetery? Or perhaps, which prominent family surnamed Lü?"

"I haven't heard of it. The major tombs in Sifang City have all been explored by the previous general. The tomb in this cave is unheard of."

Zhang Xun also said, "Yes, your surname is Lü. Shouldn't we be asking you if there were any prominent families with the surname Lü in your ancestors?"

Qingru really started to think, "My ancestors produced some high-ranking officials, but they weren't here. Even our family's estate is far away. My ancestors couldn't possibly be buried here."

Guo Zixing interrupted them, "Alright, it doesn't matter whose ancestor it is now. What matters is Master Huang. His vanguard has fallen underground and his fate is unknown. So why would he desperately come here to dig up graves?"

Qingru and the other woman came to their senses. "Alright, let's deal with Master Huang first, then we'll go and deliver a fake message to lure him over."

Zhang Xun also said, "Yes, I'll go find the sheriff right now."

"Hmm," Guo Zixing replied. Zhang Xun immediately took the flashlight and walked outside. Since that group of people had fallen underground, there was no need to worry about them for the time being.

Guo Zixing made a detailed plan, waiting for Master Huang's men to arrive so he could wipe them all out in one fell swoop.

......

Guo Zixing and his men lay in ambush in the passageway above the cave, looking down at Master Huang as he walked right into their trap.

"Sir, please be careful."

Upon hearing the voice, Guo Zixing lowered his body, not expecting that Master Huang would come to the cemetery in person.

"Hmm, this place is indeed well hidden." Master Huang said with satisfaction. It seems that his sister has indeed found a good place. Ordinary people would never imagine that the fearsome female demon from more than 20 years ago would hide the looted treasure in such a secluded cave.

Master Huang took out the map that Madam Song had given him and compared it with the map one by one. The rest of the people followed behind Master Huang.

"Master, what should we do when we meet Li Daguo and the others later?"

Mr. Huang was taken aback for a moment, then said, "Let them keep it a secret."

The butler understood: only the dead can keep secrets.

Master Huang followed the map and groped his way in the dark, but he was on a completely different path from Qingru and the others.

Once inside the cave, there are several narrow paths, each leading to a different place. Even Guo Zixing had his men explore each one before making his choice.

Master Huang led his men toward the rightmost path. The brother who had explored that path clearly said that going out from there would lead to the outside of the cave, which was completely opposite to the location of the ancient tomb. Could there be some hidden story?

Guo Zixing gestured for everyone not to make any rash moves, and then quietly followed them.

The rightmost mountain path is narrow and cramped, allowing only one person to pass at a time. Anyone slightly overweight would be unable to pass. Fortunately, Master Huang and the steward are both slender, so they can squeeze through. However, this also means that Guo Zixing will have difficulty moving around. If a fight breaks out, he can only subdue the person in front of him.

Old Master Huang was wearing a headlamp and carrying a flashlight. He had even changed his clothes into shorts that were more practical for movement, making him much better equipped than Ruika and his group.

After walking about ten meters, Guo Zixing felt himself slowly ascending.

How could this be? Ruika and the others fell underground; could the treasure be hidden on the mountain instead?

Master Huang walked at the front, his pace slowing down, but he couldn't change direction, so he had to use his dagger to cut the vines blocking his way.

Gradually, the view became brighter and wider, and we slowly emerged from the cave.

Guo Zixing dared not go any further, for taking another step would inevitably expose himself.

Mr. Huang was very excited, "Yes, yes, this is it, exactly what my sister described."

The echoes reverberated through the empty valley, and Master Huang's voice reached my ears clearly. When did he get a younger sister? Wasn't he an only son?

Guo Zixing repeatedly thought about Master Huang's background, but he could not recall any instance where it was mentioned that he had brothers or sisters.

It seems the Huang family still has quite a few secrets.

Master Huang was not in good health, having never worked and having many wives and concubines. He was already panting heavily after walking for only a short while.

"Sir, would you like me to do it for you? You don't need to go looking for it yourself."

"No, I don't trust anyone else." Master Huang resolutely refused. Money is a powerful motivator, and if it were really worth a million, it would be hard for some people not to be tempted.

The butler reluctantly shut his mouth and obediently waited for Master Huang to rest enough before continuing on his way.

At this point, the group was essentially hanging on the mountainside, unable to move forward or backward.

Guo Zixing and Zhang Xun were fine; they had been exercising for many years, and although it was their first time walking this treacherous mountain path, they quickly adapted.

The one who had the hardest time was Qingru. She really regretted coming along. If she hadn't, she would be waiting patiently by Chief Zhang's side right now.

But she couldn't retreat now; Zhang Xun was right behind her. If she wanted to retreat, Zhang Xun would have to jump down first.

Fortunately, Mr. Huang and his group started moving forward again. They clung tightly to the mountainside, and the path beneath their feet was only three inches wide. A slight misstep could send them tumbling down.

The mountain wall was steep; only by clinging tightly to it and grabbing onto the protrusions could one avoid falling.

Master Huang was practically risking his life for money, and he couldn't help but feel even more resentful towards Guo Zixing. If it weren't for Guo Zixing's relentless pursuit, he wouldn't have had to take such a risk. At one moment, he hated his son Huang Qian for his reckless behavior, and at the other moment, he resented Madam Song for hiding so deeply and far away, forcing him to climb mountains at his advanced age.

"Couldn't it be hidden deeper? Why does it have to be hidden in the mountains?"

The butler smiled wryly; he had thought the same thing. He regretted coming. "The lady has her reasons. This way, she won't have to worry about someone else accidentally taking it."

No matter how resentful he was, Master Huang had no choice but to move forward. Fortunately, the road became wider as he went on, but the stones were covered with moss and were very slippery underfoot, so he had to be extra careful.

"Phew~" Master Huang breathed a sigh of relief, "We've finally arrived."

Mr. Huang sat on the ground, panting heavily, completely losing his composure. The journey had been fraught with danger, but thankfully they had found the place, and the others arrived one after another.

This was tough on Guo Zixing and his two companions, as they remained hidden behind the mountain wall to avoid being discovered.

The place where Master Huang rested was a platform recessed into the mountainside, about the size of a room. Several coffins were placed there, making it feel even more cramped because Master Huang and his companions were resting there.

Considering the environment and the coffin, Mr. Huang guessed, "Cliff coffins? Isn't that a custom unique to Chongqing?"

Sifangcheng is near Shanghai, so how could there be cliff coffins there?

"Master, it's also possible that people from those places died here and were buried somewhere randomly, which makes it convenient for the aunt to hide things."

The butler was right, so Master Huang stopped worrying and took out the map again.

"According to my sister, this is the right place, but there are three coffins here. Which one is the correct one?"

"Open them all and take a look. The master wants you to open the coffin lid."

The steward acted on his own initiative, and Master Huang was in no mood to argue, as he was eager to see the treasure.

Two servants stepped forward, preparing to open the nearest coffin.

"Master, we can't move it." The coffin looked rotten, but it was actually sealed tightly and couldn't be moved easily.

"Use your brain to think before you try to cut with a knife."

Master Huang said with disdain, "I'll wait and see if this is what it looks like."