Chapter 113: Someone Inside the Gate

Seeing Jun Jun Zijin's steps were very light, as if a cat prowling in the darkness. She left Guazi's words behind her mind, with only one thought in her heart—find that bandit group.

It seemed there was always a voice in Seeing Jun Jun Zijin's heart telling her she must find those soldiers disguised as bandits.

Suddenly, Seeing Jun Jun Zijin's steps halted. At the edge of a stone wall, a small patch of accumulated snow fell away. Seeing Jun Jun Zijin hurriedly brushed aside the snow; in the shadow, there was a gap almost impossible to notice.

Seeing Jun Jun Zijin crouched down, her fingertips probing into the gap. The touch was icy, the texture of metal.

"Bring a torch," she ordered in a low voice.

Under the torchlight, the gap finally revealed its true form—it was a hidden door forged from refined iron, its edges fitting the mountain stone perfectly; unless one sought it deliberately, it could not be found at all. Intricate patterns were carved on the hidden door, resembling some ancient totem.

Seeing Jun Jun Zijin's heart tightened; patterns again. Recently, strange things seemed to happen more often.

Seeing Jun Jun Zijin's fingers traced the patterns. Suddenly, her fingertip touched a raised bump. She pressed down hard; the hidden door made a soft "click" and slowly slid open to both sides.

A cold wind surged up from below, carrying a heavy smell of mold and rust, along with a faint scent of blood. Seeing Jun Jun Zijin's brows furrowed tighter and tighter; she always felt that something unknown was hidden deep within this cave. Then she took out a medicine bottle from her robes, poured out four pills: "Antidote pills, one per person, eat them, just in case."

Feiyan's eyes immediately lit up upon seeing this; he grabbed the pill and swallowed it in one gulp. His master's medicine was the most precious thing in the world. Even if it were poison, he would swallow it without hesitation.

The few of them chuckled softly; the suppressed atmosphere eased slightly.

Seeing Jun Jun Zijin held the torch; the firelight flickered in the darkness, illuminating her cold face. She reached out to touch the stone wall; the wall was covered in moss, extremely slippery, with water droplets sliding down the stone wall, making a crisp sound.

The hearts of the few people beat a little harder; it seemed they could hear the sound of blood surging in their ears.

The torchlight shone in, revealing a downward stone staircase, bottomless; the steps were very narrow, allowing only one person to pass.

"This..." Feiyan drew in a sharp breath of cold air. "Could those bandits..."

"No!" Seeing Jun Jun Zijin said in a whisper.

The passage could barely accommodate one person; so narrow, how did those soldiers pass through in such a short time? Also, the carriages loaded with huge sacks of hemp could not possibly pass through; where did they all go?

Obviously, Quan Quan Tianchen also realized this point. Quan Quan Tianchen did not answer; his gaze flickered with alertness in the darkness.

In just a brief instant, Seeing Jun Jun Zijin had already stepped onto the stone stairs.

"Beware of your footing," Quan Quan Tianchen reminded in a low voice, reaching out to support her arm. His palm was warm, yet it made Seeing Jun Jun Zijin think of Quan Quan Aoyu, who was still struggling through the army march in the ice and snow; her heart ached. She withdrew her hand imperceptibly and continued forward.

The few followed closely behind, walking down about a hundred steps; the view suddenly opened up. This was a huge underground space, fully ten zhang square. The torchlight could not reach the end; only piles of grain sacks like mountains and neatly arranged weapon racks could be vaguely seen.

Suddenly, a "ding-ding-dang-dang" clanging sound came from ahead. Seeing it, Jun Jun Zijin's heart tightened; she quickly extinguished the torch. The few of them, relying on the faint light, turned a corner; the scene before them left her stunned—deep inside the cave was actually a huge weapon workshop!

Dozens of craftsmen were busily forging weapons; the sound of iron hammers striking anvils rose and fell. Knives, swords, spears, and bows filled the corners; under the torchlight, cold glints flashed.

A few people who seemed like overseers walked back and forth, occasionally whipping those craftsmen. The craftsmen felt the pain but dared not make a sound; they could only work even harder.

"So someone is privately forging weapons here!" Seeing Jun Jun Zijin was secretly shocked in her heart.

At this moment, an overseer approached closer. Seeing Jun Jun Zijin noticed a tag hanging at his waist, but she could not make out what was written on it; if only she had a telescope.

"Damn," Seeing Jun Jun Zijin swore a curse in her heart. Others who transmigrated had space and handguns, having whatever they wanted. She hadn't even gotten a single small sesame seed; she had to use her brain and do everything herself.

Suddenly, a cold wind blew past, seeming to carry the damp scent of earth. Seeing Jun Jun Zijin and Quan Quan Tianchen exchanged a glance; there was wind, meaning the cave had an exit leading outside.

Even stranger, they had clearly followed an army dressed as bandits to this place, yet how could hundreds of people and a large number of carriages loaded with grain disappear into thin air?

Suddenly, Seeing Jun Jun Zijin saw a stone door to the left front; light shone through the door crack. Her heart tightened; it seemed as if someone inside the door was calling her. Her intuition told her she must enter. Her steps naturally slowed; she signaled Quan Quan Tianchen and Feiyan Guazi behind her to stop.

Quan Quan Tianchen's brows furrowed slightly; his gaze swept sharply around. He asked in a low voice, "Something happening?"

Seeing Jun Jun Zijin nodded lightly, pointed at that stone door, and said in a low voice, "There is light in the door crack; there might be people inside."

The two exchanged a glance; the few of them simultaneously lightened their steps. A trace of coldness flashed in Quan Quan Tianchen's eyes; he tightened his grip on the long sword in his hand. The few of them, relying on the faint light, held their breath and focused, slowly approaching the stone door.

Seeing Jun Jun Zijin pressed against the door side, listening with her ear tilted; the sound of chains clashing came through.

"Go in and take a look," Quan Quan Tianchen signaled her to step back; he himself stepped forward and gently pushed the stone door. The stone door did not move at all; obviously, it was locked from the inside. He furrowed his brows and said in a low voice to the shadow guards behind him, "Look for any mechanisms."

The few quickly spread out, searching carefully on the stone walls and the ground. After a moment, Feiyan reported in a low voice, "Your Highness, there is a hidden compartment here."

Quan Quan Tianchen walked over quickly; indeed, he found a hidden mechanism in a corner of the stone wall. He pressed it down gently; the stone door made a slight "click" sound and slowly opened.

Inside the stone door, there was actually another iron door! The iron door was locked with a padlock. Seeing Jun Jun Zijin took out a silver needle, fiddled with it a few times in the keyhole, and opened the iron door.

Seeing Jun Jun Zijin looked through the door; inside was a dim stone chamber. Several oil lamps hung on the walls; the light was faint.

Feiyan saw that Seeing Jun Jun Zijin actually had the potential of a thief; he winked and made faces at her. Seeing Jun Jun Zijin rolled her eyes at him: "Idiot." Why were all the shadow guards Quan Quan Aoyu assigned to her idiots? She hadn't noticed Feiyan being so funny before.

This lock-picking skill was something she had practiced back when she was at school with a close friend in the same dormitory, in order to sneak out at night to play. She never expected to use it here today.

She held her breath and carefully distinguished; a woman in tattered clothes was curled up in a corner. Her hands and feet were all locked with iron chains; her long hair was messy and spread out, covering most of her face.

"Guazi, Feiyan, save her!"

At the exact moment Seeing Jun Jun Zijin spoke, Quan Quan Tianchen suddenly shouted in a low voice, "Someone!"

He pulled Seeing Jun Jun Zijin behind him in one motion. In the darkness, a flash of cold light passed; an arrow flew past Quan Quan Tianchen's sleeve and was driven into the stone wall.

Seeing Jun Jun Zijin's heartbeat skipped a beat; she quickly drew out her dagger and anesthetic needle, standing back-to-back with Quan Quan Tianchen. In the darkness, several black shadows were approaching.

At the same time, Feiyan slashed through the iron chains with his sword. At the very instant that woman raised her head, Quan Quan Tianchen's hand suddenly trembled.