Ling Mo rolled up the membrane and stuffed it into his pocket, exhaling lightly as he moved towards the fence. Ripples spread across the water as he advanced, his gaze fixed on the depths of the arched passage. But aside from the murky water and the moss-covered walls, there was nothing else to be seen.
There was no sound, not even a whisper. The entire passage was eerily silent, save for the splashing of water as Ling Mo moved. Yet this silence only added to the oppressive atmosphere. Ling Mo felt as if something lurked beneath the water, waiting patiently for him to draw near.
The thought of eyes hidden beneath the surface made Ling Mo’s skin crawl. Despite his apprehension, he cautiously approached the gap in the fence and slipped through.
“Splash…”
As the Zombie Puppet entered the passage, Ling Mo’s main body followed Yuwen Xuan deeper into the narrow corridor.
Xu Shuhan walked silently behind Ling Mo, occasionally glancing at him.
“How much further do we have to go…” she thought hesitantly.
Though the time spent wasn’t long, traversing such a claustrophobic underground space was increasingly unbearable. The deeper they went, the stronger this feeling became. Not to mention the environment was changing… The silt underfoot grew thicker, and the walls were coated with a heavier layer of mucus. Unlike before, this mucus layer had a tinge of blood, and there were suspicious fragments scattered about.
Walking through such a passage, it felt as if something could be stepped on at any moment, or something might fall from the mucus layer on either side…
It’s too oppressive! But the real source of pressure wasn’t the passage itself, it was…
Xu Shuhan stole a glance at Yuwen Xuan ahead. He was about ten meters away, always at the edge of the light. This gave the impression that if they slowed down even a bit, Yuwen Xuan would slip back into the darkness…
“No, no, no, it’s not that…” Xu Shuhan stared at his back for a moment, shaking her head, “The point isn’t these wild thoughts, it’s something else…” She looked at Ling Mo again. From her angle, his profile seemed calm, his gaze as deep as ever. Even at such close proximity, she couldn’t detect any irregularities in his heartbeat.
“But if there was something, Ling Mo would sense it before me, right? So… am I overthinking?” Xu Shuhan frowned, “But that inexplicable unease has returned. Since Ling Mo has decided, I can’t…”
Should I tell him that I feel uneasy? It’s not just the feeling of being swallowed by darkness, but also the sensation of being watched… And the source is right ahead… But why is Yuwen Xuan so determined and fervent in leading us there? And Ling Mo, why did he choose to cooperate without asking questions…
“We’re almost there.” Yuwen Xuan’s voice suddenly broke the silence.
He continued moving forward, swaying left and right: “Hang in there… Just a bit further and you’ll see something amazing…”
“Where did you hide before?” Ling Mo, who had been silent, suddenly asked.
Yuwen Xuan paused, slowly turning his head.
Perhaps due to the lighting, Xu Shuhan felt Yuwen Xuan’s smile was odd… He smiled, speaking softly, “We’ve passed it. It’s not important, anyway. Aren’t you eager to leave? Let’s hurry and see, then we can go.”
“Passed it…” Ling Mo seemed to ask casually, nodding at the response, “Let’s go.”
“Hehehe…” Yuwen Xuan glanced at them, chuckled, and turned back, continuing forward.
“What’s the point of asking that? If you’re going to ask, why not ask what he wants us to see… The feeling ahead is really unsettling…” Xu Shuhan sighed inwardly.
But as Yuwen Xuan turned, a low voice suddenly reached Xu Shuhan’s ears: “Be careful.”
“Careful?” Xu Shuhan was taken aback, quickly looking up. But all she saw was Ling Mo’s nonchalant figure moving forward… His expression was calm, even his breathing remained steady… ⱤᴀΝŏ₿ЕŞ
“Careful of what?” Xu Shuhan pondered, shocked and confused.
In that brief moment, Ling Mo’s words were indeed short… But what was he warning about? Or was he trying to remind her of something?
“No, no! I’m mistaken… The issue isn’t what he said, but why he said it!” Xu Shuhan’s pupils contracted as she realized, “Ling Mo trusts Yuwen Xuan… So he wouldn’t be specifically wary of him! Just now, in less than a second, Yuwen Xuan turned… His clothes, his movements, would make faint sounds, and Ling Mo seized this opportunity… Only then could he ensure Yuwen Xuan wouldn’t hear anything! Even if he did, it would be masked by his own noise…”
“But what could make him so cautious? No, setting that aside, Ling Mo’s real intention was to warn me about Yuwen Xuan? But…” Xu Shuhan looked at Yuwen Xuan again. Though this madman was reckless, he didn’t seem problematic, “Ling Mo didn’t show this before, yet suddenly… Did he confirm some suspicion during that idle conversation…”
The already oppressive atmosphere became even heavier after Ling Mo’s warning… The long passage, the swaying figure ahead…
“Almost there?” Ling Mo suddenly spoke again.
Yuwen Xuan seemed unaffected, but Xu Shuhan’s heart skipped a beat. Though she still couldn’t figure out the issue, hearing Ling Mo speak made her tense up instinctively. Fortunately, she wore a mask, so she didn’t need to disguise her expression, nor did she have to maintain a calm gaze when looking at Yuwen Xuan…
“Almost, almost…” Yuwen Xuan replied without turning.
But after a few steps, he seemed to sense something, slowing his pace until he stopped completely.
Behind him, Ling Mo and Xu Shuhan stood silently, showing no intention of moving forward…
“What’s wrong?” Yuwen Xuan, now outside the circle of light, turned his head, his voice low.
Though his expression was hidden, his movements conveyed a hint of urgency: “Don’t stop now, just a hundred meters more and we’ll be above ground. Why waste time now…”
“It is quite a waste… If it weren’t for you leading the way.” Ling Mo’s words startled Xu Shuhan.
Leading the way? What does that mean?
And his tone… Wait, this matter-of-fact attitude of burning bridges, what’s going on! Did I completely misunderstand? His “be careful” wasn’t complicated, but a threat?
“I’m about to go crazy, so be careful…” Is that it?!
“No, no… While the air here is bad and the environment disgusting, it’s not enough to drive him mad silently…” Xu Shuhan stood stunned behind Ling Mo, “So what’s really happening here!”