Chapter 1800

The speaker meant nothing, but the listener took it to heart; Qin Yutong's cheeks flushed because of those words.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Naturally, it's the entrance to get out."

Meizhuang said: "Have you found the entrance?"

Hu Xiaotian glanced at Qin Yutong with a smile and said: "Found it! Too bad it's not an exit!"

Qin Yutong gave his arm a hard pinch.

How could Meizhuang know what happened between them? She merely saw them being lovey-dovey, affectionate, and gave a hollow chuckle: "If you want to flirt, wait till we get out; we probably don't have much time left."

Hu Xiaotian deliberately said: "We've been walking so long, yet your senior brother hasn't come to rescue you?" But he understood that their location was surely beyond Ren Tianqing's reach; otherwise he might seize this rare chance to free Meizhuang.

Meizhuang sized up Qin Yutong; Qin Yutong felt a wave of guilt and lowered her eyes, afraid Meizhuang would notice her change.

Meizhuang said: "It seems you've recovered."

Hu Xiaotian said: "So you'd better return the Phoenix Armor obediently."

Meizhuang chuckled: "Indeed, you're much stronger—do you think I'm afraid of you? Death is just a matter of time!" She concluded they hadn't found an exit, so she acted extremely tough.

Qin Yutong said: "You may not fear death, but are you afraid of being unable to live or die?"

Meizhuang looked down on Qin Yutong and said: "Qin Yutong, do you think possessing the Soul-Chasing Flute lets you control everything?" Earlier, when she stripped the Phoenix Armor from Qin Yutong, she had also taken all her belongings, naturally not letting go of the Soul-Chasing Flute she most feared; now she had no scruples regarding Qin Yutong. Although she was weaker in strength, if they really fought, they wouldn't all escape unscathed.

Qin Yutong originally didn't want to aggravate the conflict with Meizhuang now, but Meizhuang said: "Having a man really changes you; your speech has become much bolder." Though Meizhuang meant nothing else, Qin Yutong felt both shame and indignation at those words, and a Lan light flickered in her beautiful eyes.

Meizhuang secretly guarded against an attack from Qin Yutong, but she suddenly felt the Phoenix Armor on her body tightening; at first she thought it was an illusion, yet the sensation grew tighter all over, and the whole armor began to constrict inward.

Meizhuang silently cursed her bad luck; she hadn't expected this set of Phoenix Armor to develop a psychic link with Qin Yutong, as if alive, able to change with Qin Yutong's thoughts. Soon it would become her own bondage, and what frightened her more was that the armor began to emit a pale Lan glow, with temperature rising steadily. Meizhuang realized that unless she killed Qin Yutong immediately, she could not stop the situation from worsening.

But Hu Xiaotian was right beside Qin Yutong, leaving no chance to strike. After weighing it in her mind, Meizhuang quickly decided and laughed: "How petty, just a set of armor—do you think I care?" Those who know the times are true heroes; even a domineering person like Meizhuang had to yield to the circumstances.

Hu Xiaotian smiled at Meizhuang, guarding against her sudden attack that would be detrimental to Qin Yutong.

Meizhuang snapped: "What are you looking at? Haven't you seen a woman undress before?"

Hu Xiaotian chuckled, yet didn't turn away, staring fixedly at Meizhuang and said: "Actually, you could just jump into the cave to take it off."

Meizhuang sighed: "I've seen all kinds of storms; why would I fear a little brat like you?" She then openly removed the Phoenix Armor; though she still wore clothes underneath, they were close-fitting undergarments, revealing her lovely figure in full. Hu Xiaotian secretly admired that, at her age, maintaining such a physique was no easy feat, though still inferior to Qin Yutong's perfect form. Thinking of this night alone together, Hu Xiaotian felt a heat rise in his chest.

Qin Yutong took the Phoenix Armor to a dark place to put it on; Meizhuang saw it, hated it in her heart, but being powerless could only swallow her anger. After a thought, she realized even returning the armor to Qin Yutong wouldn't change anything—if they couldn't get out, all three would eventually die trapped here.

Hu Xiaotian said: "Has Ren Tianqing not appeared again?"

Meizhuang shook her head, thinking: "Your question is pointless; if Ren Tianqing appeared, I wouldn't still be trapped here."

Hu Xiaotian pointed ahead at the cave and said: "What have you found down there?"

Meizhuang said: "Nothing at all, just an ordinary cave."

Hu Xiaotian gave Qin Yutong a look; she understood, and they both descended the cave together, distrusting Meizhuang's words and deciding to investigate personally.

The cave was wide at the top and narrow at the bottom; its walls indeed held nothing suspicious. In fact, Meizhuang had checked it repeatedly after the two entered the secret chamber. Hu Xiaotian and Qin Yutong reached the cave's bottom, and he sent a mental transmission: "We have two options: one is to wait for people outside to dig a passage to rescue us."

Qin Yutong said: "Breaking through from outside would likely take more than ten days and nights—basically impossible."

Hu Xiaotian said: "If we enter a state of suspended animation like a turtle, we should be able to hold out until then."

Qin Yutong said: "What if no one comes to rescue us?"

Hu Xiaotian fell silent; that possibility was quite likely.

Qin Yutong said: "Last time we were trapped underground in the Sword Palace, didn't you blast a passage with the Light Sword?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "Back then the situation was completely different; although the Light Sword packs considerable power, its energy could absolutely not blast through the entire mountain mass of Long Ling Shengjing, which is so deep."

Qin Yutong knew he spoke the truth, nodded and said: "Then what should we do?"

Hu Xiaotian said: "The final setting of the Light Sword can self-destruct, releasing all its stored energy at once; the power would surely be enormous, perhaps enough to blast through the mountain and carve an exit."

Qin Yutong warned him: "The blast's power is hard to control; it might trigger the collapse of the entire Long Ling Shengjing, burying us alive underground."

Hu Xiaotian said: "This cave should be a good spot; if we detonate the Light Sword at its bottom, we could contain the blast within a certain range, maximizing the chance of avoiding a total collapse of Long Ling Shengjing."

Qin Yutong said: "Though feasible, it's still extremely risky."

Hu Xiaotian said: "Rather than sit and wait for death, let's give it our all; we'll keep the blast within a limited range, and with your Phoenix Armor, my Pterosaur Armor for protection, plus my true qi shield guarding us, there shouldn't be any major problem."

Qin Yutong pondered a moment; indeed, aside from Hu Xiaotian's suggestion there was no better plan, so she nodded: "Let's do as you said."

The two returned above; seeing them come back empty-handed, Meizhuang couldn't help but sneer: "I told you earlier—there's simply no other exit in this cave."

Hu Xiaotian said: "No matter what, we have to try." Gazing at Meizhuang in her light clothing, he wondered secretly just how powerful the Light Sword's self-destruction would be, and whether Meizhuang could survive this ordeal.

Qin Yutong looked at Meizhuang and asked: "Back then, why did you harm my mother?"

Meizhuang chuckled coldly: "It was her own depravity; Zhou Ruizhen was merely an ordinary mortal. The master sent your mother just to use him, never expecting her to truly fall in love with him."

"You're lying!"

Meizhuang said: "Why would I lie? Though I don't like your mother, I know the master is her birth mother; back then I wouldn't dare kill her—would I be throwing away my life?"

Qin Yutong fell silent; Meizhuang's words made sense, and she bit her lip, asking: "Could it be Ren Tianqing?"

Meizhuang said: "You little vixen, you're quite scheming; we thought you knew nothing, yet we didn't expect the master to have passed all his treasures to you—at such a young age you could hide them so deeply, truly admirable."

Qin Yutong said: "If I laid everything bare, would you even let me live to this day?"

Meizhuang nodded and said: "Ren Tianqing may be vicious, but he wouldn't harm your mother, for in his life he has loved only one woman—Qin Se!" As she spoke, her phoenix eyes widened, revealing a deep-seated hatred. For years she had held this grudge, previously believing it was because of her senior sister Qin Se's existence that Ren Tianqing rejected her affections; now she suddenly realized that even without Qin Se, Ren Tianqing would not like him—he is selfish and cold-hearted.

Meizhuang said: "I used to think Qin Se truly fled due to jealousy and anger, but later I realized, with her wisdom, how could she not see through this? The master should have told you the true purpose behind sending Qin Se to approach Zhou Ruizhen back then."

Qin Yutong didn't answer her question, but her expression already admitted it.

Meizhuang said: "What the master wanted to uncover was the secret of Long Ling Shengjing; after Qin Se arrived in Kangdu, the two people closest to her were Zhou Ruizhen and, at that time, the crown princess!"

Hu Xiaotian's mind instantly flashed the name Ling Jiazi—could Qin Se's death also be linked to Ling Jiazi?

Meizhuang said: "The one who actually killed your mother is our master; if she hadn't let Qin Se come to Kangdu, Qin Se wouldn't have met your father; if she hadn't wanted to investigate the secret of Long Ling Shengjing, your mother wouldn't have drawn others' attention."

Qin Yutong snapped: "Shut up—nowadays, why are you still shirking responsibility?"

Meizhuang chuckled: "Indeed! Nowadays, why would I still need to deflect blame? We three will eventually die trapped here anyway, so what's the point of lying to you? Back then the master indeed had me lure your father, causing your mother to misunderstand; but she didn't know your mother's feelings for your father were deep-rooted, she never doubted him. Your mother, from childhood, always obeyed the master's words—except in this matter, where she went against her wishes and even willingly risked her life to bear you for Zhou Ruizhen!"

"Second update coming up—if you have a Monthly Ticket, please support Zhangyu! (To be continued... ^_^)"