It seemed like an eternity, yet they never landed. Fortunately, the group were all highly skilled, so no new casualties occurred for the time being.
However, the continuous descent into the depths of the earth made everyone feel extremely uneasy.
She wrapped her arms around Zhongli Mingye's slender waist and pressed her head against his chest. Although she was terribly afraid of death, at this moment, Song Jinyu felt at peace.
She remembered the words “It's worth dying as long as you're by my side.” How ironic that these words had come true. She didn't know if it was fortune or misfortune.
She hugged him even tighter. Sensing the woman in his arms move, Zhongli Mingye felt a surge of joy and a gentle smile spread across his lips.
“Don't be afraid. I'm here...”
It seemed like a long time had passed when suddenly they felt a rush of hot air. Before she could prepare herself mentally, “Plop, plop!” Everyone fell into an underground hot spring.
“Who would've thought we'd get to soak in a hot spring while tomb - raiding?”
Song Jinyu looked helplessly at the glittering underground hot spring. She took a careful sniff and noticed a faint smell of sulfur in the air. The temperature of the hot spring water wasn't too high either. “It's so quiet. Could the fluorescent light down there be from some monster?”
Unfortunately, her hunch was right. Zhongli Mingye, who had trained in martial arts for years, was extremely sensitive to any movement. In an instant, he scooped Song Jinyu up horizontally from the hot spring and flew to a nearby stalactite.
The others also quickly found places to stand. Sure enough, the bottom of the hot spring pool was shining brightly. It was filled with palm - sized golden beetles that emitted their own fluorescent light. Disturbed by Song Jinyu and the others, they started to fly out slowly from below.
Suddenly, Ji Biluo let out a shrill scream. A beetle had landed on his hand. In an instant, that hand turned black and started to smoke. Song Jinyu quickly told Yan Fei to chop off Ji Biluo's hand. The golden beetle that had bitten him also fell to the ground and died.
“Fortunately, we cut it off in time. Otherwise, you would've lost your life,” Song Jinyu said as she bandaged his wound. She felt a bit sorry. From now on, Ji Biluo would only have one hand.
He didn't seem to mind and said, “Those in the Gold - Touching Clan often go against the norm. If I want to leave, it's only right to pay a price.”
As if remembering something, Ji Biluo said to Song Jinyu, “If I should die because of this, please take care of my wife and children, Miss Song.”
“I'll get you out...”
She stood up and looked towards the distance ahead. Yan Fei and Qing Feng had gone to scout the way. It had been two hours, and she wondered what they might have encountered.
“Mingye, do you regret it?”
At this moment, Song Jinyu was feeling rather down. Niaoniao had a high fever, all because of her own willfulness.
Seeing her unhappy, Zhongli Mingye stepped forward and hugged her. “Regret what?”
“From the moment we met until now, I've been causing you endless trouble...” She watched as Ji Biluo had lost two apprentices and one of his hands. Niaoniao and Cheng Song were seriously injured. And what about Zhongli Mingye? Because of her willfulness, he had been constantly cleaning up her mess.
So that's what was bothering her. Zhongli Mingye let out a sigh. “Yes, what should I do? The princess is so troublesome...” There was a faint smile in his tone.
“I'm not joking!”
If, if Zhongli Mingye regretted it now and left her, maybe he would have fewer troubles. But could she bear it? Her mood sank even lower. She lowered her head, not wanting the man to see the emotions in her eyes.
“I'm willing to bear it...”
“Besides, these things weren't caused by you,” he said, reaching out his finger to lift her lowered head. He looked at her carefully. There were faint dark circles under her eyes. She hadn't had a good rest for days and was exhausted.
Well, she really needed to replenish some nutrients. Her face looked thinner again. “We'll make up for it when we get back,” he said, answering off - topic!
His eyes fell on Song Jinyu's chest. He frowned slightly. Why was it still so small? Sensing the malicious look in his eyes, Song Jinyu angrily pushed his hand away. She was talking about something serious, and this man, where was he looking?
“Yan Fei hasn't returned yet. I'll go and check,” Zhongli Mingye said.
He motioned for Xing Jian and Mitui to take good care of Song Jinyu. Then he whispered in her ear, “Troublesome as you are, I just like troublesome women.”
“You...”
As soon as the words left his mouth, he saw her face turn red. Satisfied, he left.
Song Jinyu blushed, her eyes full of affection as she watched the man's back. Her heart felt warm. He always knew how to make her happy. Even when facing life - and - death situations, he remained as calm as ever.
As soon as Zhongli Mingye passed through a culvert, he ran into Yan Fei and Qing Feng. “Your Highness, there's a stalactite forest ahead,” Yan Fei said.
“After passing through it, the hot spring water finally flows into a river,” Yan Fei stepped forward and continued. “I followed the direction of the river. It might lead us to an exit.”
Zhongli Mingye thought for a moment and said, “Then let's go back first. After a two - hour rest, we'll set off together!”
Song Jinyu had been eagerly waiting. When she saw the three of them return, she immediately rushed forward excitedly. “How is it?” Yan Fei told the others what they had discovered. Everyone felt hopeful that they could get out.
Yan Fei took Song Jinyu's dry food bag and silently sat on the stalactite. His gaze was fixed far into the distance. Meanwhile, Zhongli Mingye tore off a piece of beef and first offered it to Song Jinyu. She reached out to take it, but he moved it away. It turned out that the Prince Yu insisted on feeding it to her himself. Although a bit embarrassed, Song Jinyu had no choice but to open her cherry - like mouth and take the beef.
The others were used to this. Yan Fei forced a bitter smile. They were truly a match made in heaven. His feelings could only be buried deep in his heart.
“Stay close to me later,” Zhongli Mingye carefully instructed her. In his mind, he was thinking that after they got back, he should make a chain and tie Song Jinyu to himself.
Song Jinyu didn't know what he was thinking. She had just finished a piece of horse - hoof - shaped pancake and replied vaguely, “Okay...”
Following the river, Song Jinyu and the others walked for several hours. Fortunately, the river was constantly flickering with a strange fluorescent light, making the path ahead not too difficult to walk.
However, the quieter it was, the more dangerous it became.
The river gurgled along. The pale - yellow fluorescent light gradually disappeared, replaced by a strange blue light that enveloped the river.
By the blue light, Song Jinyu opened her eyes wide. There were countless corpses floating in the river.
The corpses were kneeling in the river, and each one had a chain tightly bound to it. At this moment, the river was surging, and a monster was coming against the current!
“Be careful!”
Zhongli Mingye and Yan Fei immediately grabbed Song Jinyu and both wanted to pull her behind them.
Unexpectedly, she pushed them away. “That monster feeds on those corpses.”
Everyone was disgusted by the sound of the monster chewing on the corpses. Its large mouth was filled with sharp teeth, and its tongue was constantly swallowing.
Ji Biluo said in a trembling voice, “That's the gate - guarding beast. It's extremely ferocious and feeds on corpses.”
Mitui was shocked. “It's so sinful!”
“How many lives did the tomb owner kill to raise this monster?”
Song Jinyu's face changed. She gritted her teeth and took out a small bottle. She walked to the river and gently dropped it in. After a while, the monster stopped chewing. Its copper - bell - sized eyes darted around. Sensing the discomfort in the river, it gradually became more and more irritable.
Yan Fei knew that Song Jinyu had just poured a whole bottle of corpse - dissolving pills into the river.
Gradually, the river started to boil. The gate - guarding beast let out a roar and kept rolling. Everyone moved further away from the river.
Unexpectedly, these actions caught the attention of the gate - guarding beast.
It desperately spread its wings from the river. Song Jinyu was stunned! It could fly?
What on earth was this thing!
Zhongli Mingye pulled her back. “Stay away!”
“No! No! My corpse - dissolving pills. Once it gets on you, you're doomed,” she said. And it was a whole bottle. Sure enough, although the gate - guarding beast took off into the air, it immediately fell back into the river. Its skin started to rot at a visible speed.
The other corpses in the river also gradually decomposed. They no longer had to be food for the gate - guarding beast!
Song Jinyu recited Buddhist scriptures, just to pray for the souls of the dead. Zhongli Mingye sighed. She was too kind - hearted. What could he do?
He could only protect her well.
After the river calmed down again, the group continued on their way. “Look! There's light!”