Chapter 83: It doesn't look like that at all

Could it be underneath that crystal lotus?

I hurried over there, walking while scanning my surroundings, and finally found a relatively sharp crystal stone of suitable thickness along the way, which I grasped in my hand.

This time I came so suddenly that I hadn't brought any digging tools at all.

But when I reached the crystal lotus, I discovered it was actually floating.

Underneath it was a water-filled cavity large enough for one person.

Yes, I can only call it a water cave, since everywhere else here is solid crystal stone.

I furrowed my brows.

I remembered that saying—when you see water, dig seven meters deep.

But now there's no need to dig; below is all water—what does that indicate?

It shows that before I arrived, someone else had already discovered this secret and dug deep here!

But since the water ripple still reacts, it means the object hasn't been taken, so I must seize the chance to go down and retrieve it.

Otherwise, long nights bring many dreams.

Thinking that, I moved the crystal lotus aside and leapt into the water.

The water was clear and cold.

I held my breath and went down, deeper and deeper.

Strangely, as my body kept going down, the surrounding crystal stone's color gradually darkened.

At a depth of six or seven meters, the surroundings were already pitch black.

Even though looking back, there was still a faint light seeping in from less than thirty centimeters away.

In other words, down here even a waterproof flashlight couldn't provide any light.

The surrounding black crystal stone is completely impervious to light.

So to find that thing, I had to keep expanding outward, like looking for a needle in the sea.

With water this deep and crystal stone all around, even machines can't get in—how am I supposed to dig?

At this moment I'm actually grateful that someone had already dug this hole for me beforehand.

The water ripple on my middle finger kept throbbing, guiding me to swim south.

When I swam over and pressed my left hand against the crystal stone wall, I heard a boom, as if a piece of crystal stone had collapsed inward.

I reached out my right hand to feel inside the collapse, and soon enough I actually felt a square box‑like object; I quickly took it out and tucked it into my bosom.

My lungs were about to burst from holding my breath; having the object in hand, I hurriedly swam upward.

Only now did I truly understand why the other party gave me this water‑ripple mark.

Without it, I could never have obtained the target object so smoothly.

But just as I burst out of the water and hadn't even caught my breath, I was startled into a shudder.

At the edge of the water cave, a man was crouching.

It was a black shadow, its face indistinct, but those vertical pupils of eerie blue I will never forget!

He was none other than Second Master Liu, who appeared at Jiyu Si that day!

Our eyes met, I gulped down a mouthful of water and nearly choked.

The man chuckled teasingly: "Xiao Jiu, we meet again."

He extended his right hand toward me, seemingly trying to pull me out in good faith.

But I suddenly turned, planted one hand on the crystal stone, pushed hard, and vaulted up from the rear side.

After going down and back up in the water, I was noticeably drained.

Once I was on the crystal stone and immediately turned to look at Second Master Liu, I was startled again.

Behind Second Master Liu, at the turn of the mountain cave, another middle‑aged man stood.

The middle‑aged man also had a pair of eerie‑blue vertical pupils; he was tall, dressed in a dark robe, and held a white handkerchief that he occasionally lifted to his mouth to give a light cough.

Who is he?

What is his relation to Second Master Liu?

Second Master Liu glanced back at the man, his laugh turning more grating, and he reached out his hand again toward me: "Come, Xiao Jiu, show me what you brought up from the water—don't worry, I won't take it."

Saying that to a ghost, even a ghost wouldn't believe it!

I had already expected tonight wouldn't be peaceful, but I never imagined it would be wolves ahead and tigers behind.

I silently rose to my feet, calling out "Feng Wu, emerge," and my longbow was already firmly gripped in my hand.

The golden scale on the bow's body shone with dazzling light, landing on the crystal stone and making the whole space feel refracted into gold.

The moment he saw that golden scale, Second Master Liu's eerie‑blue pupils contracted sharply; even though he tried to conceal it, he inadvertently revealed killing intent.

And the middle‑aged man behind him coughed a few more times.

I drew the bow to full, aimed at Second Master Liu, and shouted sternly: "Second Master Liu, tonight I must take this thing—will you step aside, or shall I shoot you dead and leave on my own?"

"Yo~" Second Master Liu scoffed, "A natal magic artifact with no aim at all, Xiao Jiu, you think you can threaten me with this? This is Wangting Mountain—my turf!"

I also gave a cold laugh: "Why don't you try my aim, Second Master Liu?"

As the words fell, I had already released the bowstring.

With a whoosh, a fiery red flame shot straight toward those hateful blue‑vertical pupils.

Second Master Liu obviously hadn't expected my skill to improve so much in such a short time; he sidestepped, and the flame flew on toward the middle‑aged man behind him.

I didn't dare delay; at the moment that flame shot out, I drew the bow to full again, still aimed at Second Master Liu.

Just as he swooshed forward to pounce at me, I let go of the string once more.

This time it was a close‑range attack—not the bow's forte—but the flame's power was great, so it slammed straight into Second Master Liu's face.

I seized the opportunity, circled around from the side, and sprinted toward the cave entrance.

Just then, the man at the corner waved his hand, a gust of Yīnfēng rose from the ground, I only felt a strong true qi instantly split out, sweeping away the flames, smashing against the cave wall into pieces.

After the middle-aged man executed that move, he started coughing again.

He guarded the road I must take to exit the cave; behind him, Title: Second Master Liu stared at me tigerishly, and for a moment I was attacked from front and back.

I thought, fearing that tonight I am destined not to escape.

"I've waited so many years." The middle-aged man suddenly spoke, "I thought Yueyue would come personally to take what belongs to her, but I didn't expect she'd send such a little girl to fool me."

I narrowed my eyes, staying on guard at all times.

The middle-aged man seriously asked me, "Little girl, how has Yueyue been these years?"

Yueyue?

Liu Junyan's mother?

That person before me……is he Liu Junyan's father?

That also doesn't look like him.

"Why don't you answer?" the middle-aged man said in a light tone but with great oppressive force, "Since you've come, don't leave; what Yueyue left behind years ago should have been retrieved by herself."

Before he finished speaking, I heard a hissing sound of snakes flicking their tongues.

I looked down and, unknown when, a large circle of snakes had surrounded my feet, each spitting scarlet tongues and staring at me, as if waiting for a feast.

"Little girl, enough or not?" the middle-aged man said gloomily, "If you think it's not enough…"

He lightly clapped his hands, and immediately two people were pushed in.

Who else could it be if not Tang Tang and Song Ruoqing, who had already left?

They actually couldn't make it out of Wangting Mountain!

Indeed, this has always been their territory; from the moment we first set foot on this land, they should have already detected us.

They made no noise; instead, they came here to lie in wait.

Tang Tang and Song Ruoqing were pressed hard to the ground; Tang Tang was relatively better, but Song Ruoqing, already at death's door, was tossed about to the point of nearly fainting again.

The middle-aged man coldly said, "Little girl, I'll give you one more chance: hand over the thing, or…"

As he spoke, one hand had already grabbed Tang Tang's chin, his vertical pupils filled with bloodthirsty frenzy.

With just a bit of force from his hand, Tang Tang's neck could be broken in the next moment.

I instinctively shouted, "Wait!"

The middle-aged man raised his eyebrows at me.

"Release them first," I said, "then we can talk."

The middle-aged man shook his head: "Little girl, I think you're mistaken; now it's me giving you a chance, not…"

"Not what?"

A steady voice came from outside, and immediately I smelled a faint scent of sandalwood…