Chapter 85: Lucky to Have Found the Secret Passage, But…

Ning Jinli pricked up her ears and listened carefully, vaguely hearing a pattering sound, uncertain which direction it came from.

"There's no rain either…"

She looked up at the sky.

It was past midnight now, the bright moon hung obliquely in the night sky, the sheer cliffs rose like knives, disappearing into the darkness.

Xiao Qidi wondered, "It sounds a bit like rain, a bit like flowing water, and seems to include a rustling friction sound as well. Could there be a stream nearby?"

"Maybe. Let's go, enter the cave first, rest, then continue exploring." Ning Jinli tugged his arm and went into the cave.

Soon after they entered, denser sounds rose from the forest outside the cave.

But they could no longer hear them.

Xiao Qidi took two items out of the pigskin pack at his waist.

One was a simple Fire Folding Tool he had made before departure, the other was fat cut from a Giant Snake.

He skewered a small piece of Giant Snake fat on a wooden stick, opened the Fire Folding Tool and lit it, making a simple torch.

The cave entrance was very small, just wide enough for two people side by side, and its height was slightly lower than Xiao Qidi.

Xiao Qidi bent low and walked ahead to scout, Ning Jinli followed behind.

After walking a distance, they found the surroundings unchanged, still low and narrow, the rock walls covered with unknown vines.

"This doesn't seem like a cave, more like a passage," Xiao Qidi stopped and looked around.

The torch's illumination was limited, but within a few meters ahead there was still no change, seeming the passage had no end.

Ning Jinli looked left and right, "Did you notice? The deeper we go, the more square the surroundings become. Can a natural cave passage look like this?"

"Square…" Xiao Qidi examined again, then casually tore a large chunk of vines from the rock wall beside him.

As the vines peeled away, a wall built of blue‑gray stone bricks appeared before them.

Undoubtedly, this was an artificially constructed passage.

Ning Jinli exclaimed, "Could this be the Secret Passage of Zhuiyingjian spoken of by the Tian Shu Sect? Can we get out?!"

Xiao Qidi touched the stone brick wall, his expression grew solemn, "It should be the Secret Passage, but whether we can exit is still unknown. From the vines covering it and the weathered bricks, it's clear it hasn't been used for a long time."

"Let's go! Keep moving forward and see!" Ning Jinli's spirits lifted.

Anyway, at least they saw hope.

Just as they took a few steps forward, a rustling sound came from ahead, followed by a Bang!

Instinctively, Xiao Qidi shielded Ning Jinli in his arms, hurriedly crouching with her.

Immediately a swarm of bats flew over their heads in panic, and countless mice scurried like fleeing creatures, all skittering along the walls as they passed the two, evidently having sensed the Giant Snake aura on them from afar and all fled in terror.

When the surroundings quieted, Xiao Qidi exhaled, "It's over, just a false alarm."

Ning Jinli's heart pounded.

Although no real danger appeared, the sudden commotion was indeed frightening.

"Let's go," Xiao Qidi gently took her hand.

Only then did she feel her heart settle.

They kept walking a while, and a wall also covered with vines appeared straight ahead.

Since entering, they hadn't found any side paths, so it seemed they had reached the end.

Together they tore away the vines in front, discovering it was not a wall but a stone slab door.

Strange, oddly shaped patterns were carved on the door panels, looking like characters or motifs.

"Can you tell what this is?" Ning Jinli asked.

Xiao Qidi examined carefully, furrowing his brows, "It seems to be an extremely ancient seal. I've seen similar patterns in old texts, maybe… used to ward off something."

"Could it be to ward off that Giant Snake?" Ning Jinli immediately thought of it.

Xiao Qidi continued his analysis, his brows furrowing tighter, "I don't know, but that Giant Snake is massive; its size couldn't even fit into this passage, so there seems no need for such a door to block it."

Ning Jinli pursed her lips, "This stone door must be at least several hundred years old; perhaps before that the Giant Snake hadn't grown that large yet."

They couldn't deduce anything else, so they could only try to open the stone door.

After searching for a while, finding no mechanism on or beside the door, Xiao Qidi could only use brute force to push.

His body was now about sixty‑to‑seventy percent recovered, but even using all his strength, the stone door wouldn't budge.

"Can't…" Xiao Qidi panted, "It must be because it hasn't been opened for ages; over the years the door has fused with the surroundings."

Ning Jinli's mood was like a roller coaster.

She had just been excited about the lucky discovery of a secret passage, and in an instant the hope vanished.

There was no choice; they had to return the way they came.

The deep part of the passage was too stuffy; staying long made breathing difficult, so they could only rest near the entrance.

Just as Xiao Qidi and Ning Jinli had returned halfway, a chaotic noise sounded again, this time coming from the direction of the entrance.

Soon, they saw the swarm of mice that had fled from deep inside the passage now scrambling desperately back into the passage.

Seeing the mouse tide surge, Ning Jinli let out an "Aaa!" and leapt three feet high, clinging to Xiao Qidi with hands and feet.

Xiao Qidi's hands steadied her grip; he stood motionless like an iron tower.

The tide of mice, passing by him, automatically avoided him just as before.

"Strange…" Xiao Qidi's thin lips moved, "These mice clearly fear the Giant Snake aura on us, yet they've already escaped, why are they now running back in terror? Could it be..."

His eyes darkened as he stared at the faintly visible entrance not far away, "Could there be something even more terrifying outside?"

"No way," Ning Jinli curled up in his arms, eyes wide, "Is there an animal in Zhuiyingjian stronger than that Giant Snake?!"

Xiao Qidi flared his nostrils, "What a heavy scent of blood."

Ning Jinli sniffed, nodded, "Yes, I smell it too, it's getting stronger."

Xiao Qidi's eyes were full of puzzlement, "If I'm not mistaken, this seems to be the smell of human blood… still quite fresh."

"What? Human blood?" Ning Jinli was dazed.

There is a difference in the scent of human and animal blood; ordinary people might not notice it, but Xiao Qidi would surely not misjudge.

But besides her and Xiao Qidi, there should be no other living people inside Zhuiyingjian.

Since there are no living people, how could there be the smell of fresh human blood?

And it's so strong and pungent!

One bizarre situation after another made Ning Jinli feel fear welling up inside, her whole body trembling uncontrollably.

This kind of unknown eeriness is the most frightening.

After Xiao Qidi waited for the rat swarm to disappear into the depths, he set her down, held her icy hand, and said softly, "Wait here for me; I'll go see what's going on."

"No..." Ning Jinli quickly shook her head.

Xiao Qidi said, "You don't need to be afraid; those rats fear the Giant Snake's aura and won't approach you. I'll also be extra careful when I scout."

"No," Ning Jinli took a deep breath, "I mean, I want to go with you."

Her face still showed fear, but her eyes were resolute.

Xiao Qidi said no more, nodded, and took her hand as they walked toward the passage entrance together.

The two moved cautiously, trying to keep their steps light; the closer they got to the passage entrance, the stronger the bloody smell became.

Moreover, the sound resembling a stream that they heard before entering the passage grew clearer.

A pattering sound, as if coming from above.

Meanwhile, the dense rustling sound came from the ground ahead outside the passage entrance.

Previously they couldn't make it out, but now they could clearly tell these were two different sounds.

This is really strange...

Strong curiosity gradually overcame Ning Jinli's fear; she and Xiao Qidi lay flat on the passage floor and slowly peered out.

Outside was a vast black expanse; something unknown was surging, making the ground seem like a black ocean, and the rustling sound came from that.

Before they could see clearly, both felt liquid dripping onto their heads.

Xiao Qidi furtively touched it, rubbed his fingertips together, held them under his nose to smell, and whispered, "It's fresh blood; it seems to be flowing down from the cliff above here."

"What... what are those?" Ning Jinli's teeth chattered as she stared at the ground ahead.

She no longer cared why the cliff outside was bleeding fresh blood.

Instead, that dark, surging unknown thing made her feel creepy.

Especially now, with dark clouds covering the moonlight, no matter how wide she opened her eyes, she couldn't see what it was.

Even though Xiao Qidi had exceptional eyesight, he could do nothing at this moment.

They could only vaguely see a vast expanse of something surging without end, continually spreading out from the forest and gathering toward them.

The scene was somewhat like the rat swarm that had just surged like a wave.

But the scale was larger, and the number was obviously not of the same order.

Faced with such eeriness, even Xiao Qidi felt chills run down his spine.

The cliff was flowing with so much fresh blood, like a stream, that the passage entrance was almost becoming a water curtain cave.

Before them lay this eerie scene; it seemed that once the black surging wave came over, it could instantly swallow them both.

This was downright more terrifying than encountering that Giant Snake.

"Give... give me the Fire Folding Tool..." Ning Jinli stammered, "No matter what... even if I die, I need to see clearly what these things are."

Xiao Qidi came to his senses and said in a low voice, "Let me do it."

Having said that, he quickly pulled out the Fire Folding Tool, ignited all the remaining chunks of Giant Snake fat in his pack, and hurled them forcefully into the sky.

Whoosh!!

The fireball scattered like heavenly maidens scattering flowers, arcing across the night sky.

When the light illuminated the darkness, Ning Jinli and Xiao Qidi both stared wide-eyed, pupils constricted.

That boundless black wave turned out to be countless black snakes!

They varied in size—large ones up to two or three meters long, small ones like yellow eels—all twisting their bodies, piled together, densely surging toward them.

Moreover, the fresh blood flowing down from the cliff increased, even turning the ground into a expanse of red and mire.

Countless black snakes were drawn by the blood, stirring the already blood-muddied ground into greater chaos.

The vivid red and stark black created a strong contrast, making the scene both spectacular and eerie, and also nauseating...

Ning Jinli almost vomited.

Soon, the falling fireballs were extinguished by the snake swarm, and the surroundings fell back into darkness.

Without a word, Xiao Qidi grabbed Ning Jinli and retreated back into the passage.

"Wait..." Ning Jinli suddenly stopped, "We have the Giant Snake's scent on us; normally any animal would avoid us, so logically the snake swarm should be repelled, perhaps even more effectively—but why did they still come?"

Xiao Qidi frowned, unable to figure it out, and only said they should first hide in the passage, then he would pile available vines inside to block the snakes.

At that moment, the snake swarm had already surged to outside the passage entrance.

The clouds that had obscured the moonlight in the sky also drifted away.

In the pallid moonlight, fresh blood dripped patteringly outside the passage entrance; the snake swarm bathed in it, and many raised their heads, lifting them to look into the passage.

Ning Jinli suddenly realized that these snakes had all stopped there.

She even felt that each pair of snake eyes was staring at her.

An indescribable intuition welled up in her heart.

"I want... to go over and take a look," Ning Jinli said, "I feel we won't be in danger."

Xiao Qidi's eyes flashed with astonishment, "Are you sure?"

"Certain." Ning Jinli nodded solemnly, "Perhaps because I ate the Giant Snake's Inner Core; I guess these snakes might be taking me for that Giant Snake."

After speaking, she stepped forward and returned to the edge of the passage.

Xiao Qidi was mentally highly tense; Ning Jinli's speculation was not without reason, but he couldn't be 100% certain.

He could only concentrate fully; once he saw those snakes show any sign of attack, he would even risk his life to protect Ning Jinli.

Ning Jinli stopped at the edge of the passage.

She noticed the snakes lowered their heads again.

She tried to step out of the passage, and the snakes actually retreated a bit, giving a sense of submission to her, making way for her.

Seeing this scene, she thought of something and raised her right hand in a wave.

The snakes immediately, following the thought she just had, moved orderly to the right.

"Little brother!" Ning Jinli exclaimed excitedly, "Did you see? I can control these snakes!"

At this point Xiao Qidi let out a huge sigh of relief.

It seemed her speculation was correct.

Although they still couldn't figure out where the blood was coming from, at least they wouldn't be attacked by the snakes.

Ning Jinli swaggered into the snake group.

As long as she thought something, the snakes could sense it.

Whatever direction she wanted the snakes to go, they went that way, and under her command they could form various formations; the more obedient she demanded, the more obedient they were.

At that moment she brushed away the earlier fear, instead feeling playful, even making the snakes crawl up the cliff to spell out her and Xiao Qidi's names.

Xiao Qidi could only call it miraculous.

Ning Jinli giggled, mischievously winked, and again commanded a group of snakes to climb up, forming a heart-shaped loop around the two names.

"Hm? What's that?" Xiao Qidi asked.

Ning Jinli stuck out her tongue, "Your guess."

Xiao Qidi scratched his head, "I really can't guess."

"The meaning of this pattern is, I like…" Ning Jinli was about to muster the courage to explain, when a flash of inspiration struck her, and she said joyfully, "I have a way! We can use these snakes to get us out of Zhuiyingjian! It'll definitely succeed!"