"Since we've already found it, there's no way we're not going in to take a look."
Lu Chuanbai saw Xu Qingqing's eagerness. He took out the climbing rope from his backpack, tied them firmly together, and then dropped into the cave.
Before leaving, the leader threatened Xiao Liu to behave: "Don't move around. Even if you're discovered, you're one of us."
After saying that, Lu Chuanbai turned on his flashlight and led Xu Qingqing carefully inside.
The passage was very narrow, only just wide enough for one person to pass through. They couldn't walk side by side.
Lu Chuanbai shielded Xu Qingqing behind him and inched closer to the exit bit by bit.
When they reached the end, Lu Chuanbai looked around. After making sure it was safe, he allowed Xu Qingqing to crawl out of the cave.
Xu Qingqing and Lu Chuanbai looked at the two different paths in front of them, not knowing which way to go.
Just as they were hesitating, Xu Qingqing simply took out a coin: "If it's heads, we'll go east. If it's tails, we'll go west."
"Okay." Lu Chuanbai watched with interest as Xu Qingqing flipped the coin. He secretly changed the result from heads to tails.
Gu Yuan used himself as bait to lead the female tomb - robber to run forward desperately. The snow kicked up by his shoes kept pouring into his boots.
Gu Yuan felt that his feet were so cold that he had lost all feeling.
When Officer Xiao He led the others to surround the female tomb - robber from behind, Officer Xiao He hit the woman's arm with her climbing stick.
The female tomb - robber, who was aiming at Gu Yuan, winced in pain. Her hand trembled, and the arrow she shot flew straight into the sky.
The crossbow in the woman's hand also fell to the ground. She was just about to pick it up.
Officer Xiao He didn't give her a chance. She rushed forward and kicked the crossbow away.
Xiao He pressed her climbing stick against the female tomb - robber's forehead.
"If you don't repent, don't blame me for being rough on you!"
Officer Xiao He's tone was cold, and the air seemed to drop in temperature.
The female tomb - robber stared at Xiao He with her ice - blue eyes, unwilling to admit defeat. When Xiao He relaxed a bit, she pounced on her and grabbed her neck tightly.
At the same time, her other hand reached for the dagger on her waist.
"Be careful! She still has a knife!"
Gu Yuan saw that the female tomb - robber had pulled out the shining dagger. He wanted to rush forward to save Xiao He, but the snow in his boots had melted into water, making it extremely difficult for him to move.
After being saved by Xu Qingqing last time, Xiao He had signed up for various martial arts classes.
Coupled with her previous training in the police academy, she delivered a powerful elbow strike to the female tomb - robber's face.
The female tomb - robber's nose immediately started bleeding. She let out a shrill scream and loosened her grip on Officer Xiao He.
The female tomb - robber covered her nose tightly and slashed at Xiao He's stomach with the dagger.
Xiao He dodged very quickly. The female tomb - robber's dagger only cut through the air and didn't even touch the corner of Xiao He's clothes.
While the female tomb - robber was fighting with Xiao He, the other police officers rushed forward and grabbed her from both sides.
Xiao He, breathing slightly heavily, kicked the dagger out of the female tomb - robber's hand.
"With your skills, you still want to fight me."
Officer Xiao He picked up the dagger on the ground and raised an eyebrow as she looked at the female tomb - robber, who wore a look of unwillingness on her face.
The female tomb - robber struggled desperately, but the two police officers behind her firmly pressed her to her knees, making her unable to move.
Officer Xiao He took a rope and tied up the female tomb - robber tightly. She lifted her up from the ground and pushed her towards the direction of Xu Qingqing.
At this time, Wang Lide, who had gone to look for Xu Qingqing and Lu Chuanbai, rushed back in a hurry, looking extremely worried.
"Something's wrong! Lu Chuanbai, Qingqing, and the tomb - robbing group leader Liu Shicheng are all missing!"
Xu Qingqing and Lu Chuanbai walked in the pitch - black tomb passage. The flashlight could only illuminate a few meters in front of them, and it was pitch - black beyond that.
They seemed to be walking step by step into the mouth of a huge snake, which was opening its jaws wide, waiting for its prey. Once they accidentally stepped in, they would be digested.
Xu Qingqing and Lu Chuanbai held hands and walked unsteadily. There was a faint white light at the exit in front. Xu Qingqing's eyes lit up with excitement: "Great! That must be the exit up ahead."
When Xu Qingqing got closer, she found that it wasn't an exit at all, but a Taoist temple.
Looking at this ancient Taoist temple, a sense of solemnity welled up in Xu Qingqing's heart.
Although it had been sleeping underground for years and only the areas illuminated by the flashlight could be seen clearly, it still looked magnificent.
The vermilion columns at the entrance of the Taoist temple supported the colorful glazed tiles. When the flashlight shone on them, the glazed tiles sparkled brightly, dazzling the eyes.
The overlapping pavilions and halls stood majestically. Even after all these years, the colors showed no sign of fading and shone brightly under the white flashlight light.
Xu Qingqing and Lu Chuanbai were so stunned that they couldn't say a word.
Xu Qingqing had thought that the description of Yang Tianfu sleeping underground might be exaggerated, but now she found that its charm remained undiminished.
Xu Qingqing and Lu Chuanbai slowed down and walked inside slowly. Xu Qingqing instinctively felt that if they walked too heavily, they might wake up the people inside.
The vermilion gate wasn't closed. Xu Qingqing and Lu Chuanbai walked in. The flashlight illuminated the main hall, and to their surprise, there were hundreds of Taoist priests sitting in meditation on the yellow cushions.
Xu Qingqing was frightened by this sight. She took a step back and couldn't help but hide behind Lu Chuanbai.
How was that possible!
After all these years, how could there still be Taoist priests sitting in meditation?
Did they really take the elixir of immortality?
But that was just too absurd!
Countless thoughts raced through Xu Qingqing's mind. It wasn't until Lu Chuanbai's flashlight shone on the sitting Taoist priests that Xu Qingqing noticed something strange.
If these Taoist priests were really alive, shouldn't they turn their heads to look at them?
None of them moved. Their heads hung down severely. Wearing blue robes, one could clearly see their spinal bones.
Lu Chuanbai stood with his hands behind his back to protect Xu Qingqing. He comforted her softly: "Don't be afraid. They're probably not people anymore. They're corpses."
Hearing Lu Chuanbai's words, Xu Qingqing felt even more scared. But driven by her professional spirit, she couldn't help but pull Lu Chuanbai forward.
Xu Qingqing folded her hands in front of her chest and bowed to the Taoist priests: "Please forgive this little girl for disturbing you, masters. I'm just trying to protect this Taoist temple."
Then Xu Qingqing shone her flashlight on the priests' faces. When she saw their faces, she gasped.
These Taoist priests seemed to have starved to death before they died. Their skin was tightly wrapped around their bones, looking like flesh - colored skeletons. But their eyes and mouths were still there, which made them even scarier.
Xu Qingqing only glanced at one row of Taoist priests and didn't dare to look any further. Otherwise, she felt that she wouldn't be able to sleep for a long time.