"What are you all... busy with?" Lu Yan looked at the small pond that had been dug out in front of him and asked with so confusion.
But at this mont, no one was interested in addressing his question, because the rune had already discovered a protruding pull-ring-like object at the bottom of the pond near the artificial mountain, and that spot happened to be uncovered by flowers and leaves, revealing it clearly. The pull ring should be connected to a slab.
Therefore, the rune carefully cleared away the silt on top, used a finger to hook onto the hole of the pull ring, and pulled hard. The hole was also covered in silt, slippery and stinky, offering no grip. The finger slipped right out, and if not for Fu Lu’s help in holding him up, the rune might have sat down hard to the side.
Fu Lu didn’t bother with much else. Grabbing the hem of his freshly changed clean clothes, he carefully cleaned the pull ring several tis until he finally wiped off the slippery, stinky mud and algae.
The rune hooked the pull ring again, straddling the slab with both legs. His energy concentrated in his lower abdon, he exerted force with his shoulders, and his arm muscles bulged.
Finally, the heavy slab began to loosen, slowly pulled open a crack. Bit by bit, it revealed a dark hole.
"There’s indeed a void down here, with a secret passage!" Fu Lu helped hold up the slab, glanced below, then gestured with one hand to Yan Daoxin on the side, "Divine Doctor, may I borrow a torch?"
Yan Daoxin ca around and handed him the torches in his hand. Fu Lu took one, crouched down, extended it bit by bit, and then gently let go, allowing the torch to fall until it hit the ground below.
The torch rolled on the ground, settling eventually. The flas flickered atop the oil-soaked hemp rope, then continued burning steadily, lighting up a small area around it. The tunnel below seed to be just under human height, but the surroundings were cleanly paved with slabs.
"Master, let go down and take a look!" Fu Lu looked up at Lu Qing and whispered, seeking his approval.
Lu Qing thought for a mont, glancing at Zhu Yu nearby. She was also looking at him, and from her expression, it was clear she wanted to go down and find out what’s happening.
Lu Qing looked at the others before giving orders: "Yan Daoxin, Fu Lu, stay here with the others, keep an eye on everything around, act if necessary. But rember to keep the opening clear and be ready to respond at any mont."
"Yes!" The rune imdiately responded, nodding solemnly, "Master, rest assured, I’ll guard this opening well."
Fu Lu was more vigorous—seeing that the rune could fully support the slab, he released his grip, swiftly sliding into the opening. While the torch below still burned, he picked it up, holding it to illuminate for Lu Qing and Zhu Yu above, helping them see the height below.
Lu Qing and Zhu Yu descended into the small pond, with Lu Qing jumping down first and then reaching out to catch Zhu Yu from below, supporting her waist as she jumped down, allowing her to land firmly on the ground.
The three resud briefly; Fu Lu led the way, while Lu Qing brought up the rear, cautiously advancing through the only passage before them.
Zhu Yu managed well since she’s of dium height. She needed to stoop a bit to walk normally, but Lu Qing and Fu Lu had to hunch down.
They had walked so distance when Zhu Yu sniffed and softly turned to Lu Qing, "I think I sll blood. It’s not heavy, but I’m sure it’s there."
Lu Qing sniffed carefully; the air in the tunnel was mixed with a scent of earth and moisture, along with a faint but discernible sll of blood.
If it wasn’t for Zhu Yu’s exceptionally keen sense of sll, he might not have noticed and discerned it so promptly.
"Stay alert and handle it cautiously," he instructed softly to Fu Lu ahead, then added to Zhu Yu, "Rember to use the self-defense gadgets Yan Daoxin gave you if needed."
Zhu Yu nodded, touched her waist, and continued to follow Fu Lu forward.
Without knowing how long they groped their way through the darkness with the little torchlight they had, they felt far from the entrance, and the tunnel’s air thinned, making the torchlight dim considerably.
"Master, Second Master, there’s a more open space ahead; I’ll go check it out first," Fu Lu paused, turning to Lu Qing and Zhu Yu, gesturing them to halt, then cautiously edged forward with the torch.
As he approached, Zhu Yu noticed that indeed, the stone wall on the right extended about ten feet forward before disappearing into darkness.
Evidently, there was an open area there, though its purpose remained unknown.
Also, by now, Zhu Yu felt that with each breath, the blood scent in her nose was stronger than when they first descended—not overwhelming like a cri scene but subtly present.
Fu Lu edged carefully to the wall, trying to peek unnoticed, but finally, he boldly stepped out, extending the torch into the dark space, using the firelight to illuminate the scene there.
Soon after, his expression subtly changed, with hints of surprise, and he slightly opened his mouth in astonishnt, furrowing his brow.
Montarily surprised, Fu Lu seemingly forgot where he was, stepping back and bumping against the stone wall.
"What’s wrong?" Lu Qing asked.
"Master... there are dead people here," Fu Lu was snapped back to reality by the bump, quickly responding, "More than one, several!"
Zhu Yu was taken aback, quickly stepping forward to the opening. Fu Lu lifted the torch further into the cavernous space resembling a dungeon, ensuring she saw clearly inside.
Inside the narrow "dungeon," barely more than ten feet wide, several bodies were shackled to the stone wall with iron handcuffs and shackles. There were five individuals in total, standing with their appendages fixed, so they couldn’t fall, their heads sagging at angles impossible for the living.
Their clothes were mostly intact, except for one who seed to have undergone torture, with a few bloodstains on his clothes. The others were not in any state of disarray.
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