Chapter 22 The Unlucky Luo Yin

Luo Yin never expected that there would be a problem with the place she was standing on.

But now that it had actually happened, she forced herself to calm down and not move.

After stopping the subconscious pulling, the feeling of sliding down my body became even stronger.

Luo Yin's heart was pounding!

There was no one around, and it was raining.

Loin warned herself that she had to save herself and not act impulsively or out of fear.

She forced herself to think of a solution quickly, but the excessive tension made her mind go blank, and she couldn't think of anything at all.

I could only watch helplessly as I sank deeper and deeper.

She straightened her back and lay back.

She threw aside the only umbrella she was holding, wishing she could grip both sides for some resistance.

The problem was that the surrounding mud was wet and slippery from the rain.

I tried my best, but it was no use.

Luo Yin was about to cry; she screamed for help at the top of her lungs.

Help! Is anyone there?

Each call was louder than the last, but no one came over.

Luo Yin was filled with regret. Why did she have to take that detour? Who knew there was a trap behind it?

She quickly picked up the umbrella again and forcefully inserted it into a relatively hard spot next to her, thinking of climbing out on her own.

But she clearly underestimated the problem. It would have been better if she hadn't made any trouble; the more she did, the more heartbroken she became.

She watched helplessly as the mud around her began to gather towards her.

Oh no, it's going to fall!

She was extremely anxious and cried for help even harder, but to no avail.

The rain continued to fall, and Luo Yin, who had already rolled around in the mud several times, had a face covered in a mixture of sweat and rain.

Is anyone there?

She shouted until her throat was hoarse.

She didn't know how much time had passed, but she felt that she had lost all feeling in her lower body.

At this point, only Loin's upper body and her two exposed hands were still mobile.

She felt terrible; she was scared and cold.

Shivering in the rain for so long, I'm sure I'll catch a cold.

She rubbed her hands together, her breath barely warm, when suddenly she remembered something and reached into her collar.

There was a yellow pendant hanging inside, and it felt warm to the touch.

This was a warm jade that Ani had given her before; she touched it carefully and then put it back.

This thing should only be used as a last resort.

She lay flat to reduce the range of motion and adjusted the position of the umbrella so that it could block the rain but not obstruct her view.

Loin recalled the route she had taken to get there, comparing the distances between here and there.

Suddenly an idea came to him. He made a circle with his fingers and blew on the white object.

A sharp, brief whistle rang out.

She took a deep breath, and a long whistle rang out.

The animals in the stable were resting after eating and drinking their fill; some were pacing back and forth listlessly, while others were huddled together sleeping.

In the corner, a large white horse was resting with its eyes half-closed.

Suddenly hearing something, the horse's ears twitched immediately.

Its nimble limbs immediately stood up, pacing back and forth in place, its eyes looking outside.

The voice rang out again, and Big White seemed to have confirmed it.

It was the owner's voice.

It began to move, its head constantly struggling against the rope it was tied to, trying to remove it.

The horse's reins were tightly fastened to it, and despite its efforts to pull, leaving long red welts on its body, it still couldn't break free.

Big White was furious and started barking and throwing a tantrum.

Curious horses around looked up, only to be knocked back by it.

Some horses, equally temperamental, saw that they had been hit and began to fight back.

They nudged it with their bodies, kicked it with their hooves, and some even used their mouths.

Seeing that Da Bai hadn't been lured over, Luo Yin guessed that it had been tied up.

With no other options, Luo Yin started calling for help again, constantly pleading for assistance, and occasionally blowing her whistle. After an unknown amount of time, she finally managed to sink into the hole.

At that moment, Luo Yin felt as if she were sinking into the sea.

The limbs were restrained by immense pressure and could not move at all.

Eyes, nose, mouth, and ears were all submerged in the mud, all senses were replaced by the damp, cold mud, until darkness descended.

Da Bai's antics caused quite a stir among the horses in the stable.

One against eight, and all the horses and camels began to scream in alarm.

The commotion was enough to startle the people in the camp.

The militia even carried weapons, in case of an attack by some dangerous animal.

But when they arrived at the camp, they found that it was the white horse fighting with the other horses.

The stable was in a mess; the neatly arranged hay was scattered everywhere, and several horses near the big white horse had injuries.

Blood was flowing from Big White's mouth, standing out vividly against its white fur.

"Wait, what's wrong with this horse?"

"It doesn't seem like it's in heat. Could it be that it's just throwing a tantrum?" someone whispered, glancing down below.

Several onlookers quickly turned their faces away, feeling embarrassed.

However, one herdsman, seeing that his beloved horse had been bitten on the rump, looked at Big White with a mixture of heartache and helplessness.

"You really have a way with words."

"Alright, alright, I'll tie you up further away, away from the guy." The man said, and actually started pulling the horse away.

Some people who felt it was alright had already started to head back.

Team leader Borjit thought about it and decided he should talk to Loin.

They'll have to take care of them for a long time; it won't work if the horses keep fighting.

After calming it down, I looked at Big White and found that it was still restless.

Seeing that it seemed to want to go out, Borit thought for a moment and roughly understood what it meant, then said, "Alright, alright, I'll go find your master. If you want to go out and have fun, you'll have to wait for your master's permission."

He stroked the horse's head affectionately, then went to find her.

When Luo Yin opened her eyes again, she found that she could breathe normally.

Before she could recover from her joy, she realized she had fallen somewhere, surrounded by darkness and a musty smell.

She didn't know what was nearby; she could only guess that it was a narrow strip of land by touching it.

It's not very wide; you can reach it by stretching out your arms.

Luo Yin quickly took out the warm jade pendant she was wearing around her neck.

Instantly, a warm light emanated from it.

She was also able to see some of the situations around her.

It resembled a passageway, surrounded by brick and stone structures. Luo Yin looked down at her feet and discovered that the ground beneath was completely dry.

Judging from its depth and location, she guessed that it might be the outer moat of this ancient city.

But how do we get back now?

She clearly couldn't see the hole above her head, or rather, the hole was covered by mud.

She even tried to climb up, but couldn't reach it.

But if we wait here, will anyone come?

She really didn't dare to walk through the unfamiliar, dark passage.

She decided to wait and see, just in case someone discovered she was missing.

There are still umbrellas outside, and so many signs of struggle; they should be able to find them.

Thinking this, she quickly began to clean herself up; her clothes were soaking wet and sticky, clearly indicating that they had been soaked.

She quickly took it off and kept wringing out the water.

Fortunately, it was drafty down there, so she could hold on for a while longer.

Borjit went to find Loin, but she wasn't in the tent. He asked around, but no one had seen her.

That's when they started to get a little anxious. After asking Xia, they found that they hadn't seen them either, and they panicked completely.

"That shouldn't be the case. This girl is usually very well-behaved, and she shouldn't be running around like this in this weather."

"Yes, I saw her earlier, how come she's gone now?"

"when?"

Xia Mingjiang and the others were also nearby, looking worried and anxious.

They had been getting along well with Luo Yin these days, and were extremely anxious when they heard she was missing.

"Let me think... Oh right, it was by the stable. I had just finished eating and was feeding the horses. I even told her when I saw her coming, but she must have already gone over there. I don't know what happened after that."

"She went to feed the horses, and who saw her after that?"

"No."

"I didn't see you, I'm in the tent."

When Pozter saw everyone shaking their heads, he immediately recalled what had happened.

"She must have fed the horses and then never came back. Did something happen to her on her way back?"

"Quickly, someone go check the road!"

Someone ran out wearing a raincoat and quickly returned soaked to the bone.

"Captain, there's no one here."

"However, I saw some footprints on the ground, which should have been left by her, but only the direction she went was visible."

"She didn't come back?"

Everyone was stunned and wondered where she had gone.

There's nothing to do but stay in the ancient city and wasteland all around.

Besides, that ancient city is dilapidated; you can't even find shelter from the rain there.

"Why don't I take some men inside to look for her and see if she's there?" Xia Mingjiang quickly suggested.

After a moment of thought, Porit said, "Check the road for her footprints. The rest of you spread out and come back in half an hour to report back."

If that doesn't work, we'll have to go find it on horseback.

Pozter picked a few skilled fighters to follow him, when suddenly Hosen joined the conversation. "I'll go with you."

"Okay, everyone hurry up and pay close attention to the ground."

"good!"

The group quickly dispersed.

Luo Yin was now huddled in a small corner, trembling with fear.

She felt her hands and feet were ice cold, and touching the warm jade didn't help.

She started shivering from the cold, her limbs feeling like they were frozen. Afraid she wouldn't make it, she quickly got up and groped around, moving about to find a way out.

But this area has already been touched, and there's nothing there.

The only way out is probably to keep going outwards.

Looking at the dark and deep passage, Luo Yin was unsure what to do.

She knew the safest course of action was to stay where she was and wait for rescue; but who could guarantee that someone would find the place where she had fallen? She thought of herself and her family.

With a determined effort, he carved several deep lines into the ground with a piece of metal.

They left a small arrow and walked to one side.

It has been less than an hour since she disappeared.

The search party dispersed, and one of the people who went out to explore found the umbrella.

It fell alone in the mud.

"Captain, do you think this is the one Luo Yin used?"

Someone with sharp eyes immediately picked it up and handed it to Pozzi.

Pozter frowned and glanced at the muddy tracks around him.

"Weren't there footprints here just now?"

"Yes, yes, I saw it somewhere when I was picking it up just now."

"Let's go check it out right away."

Pozter led his men forward, and Hosen, who was half a step behind, saw the umbrella and confirmed it.

That's his.

"The umbrella is here, but where is the person?"

They looked around and began searching for people.

"Luo Yin~"

Some shouted loudly, while others searched everywhere.

But no one noticed that she was right there down there.

It's no wonder they didn't notice; the mud above was indeed very deceptive.

If it weren't for the sudden appearance of the umbrella, it would have taken a while to find this place.

Hosen stood a short distance away, looking around with disdain, especially at the spot where the umbrella had been.

The location in front of us isn't far from the camp. To get there, we'd need to cross this path and then go around to the back. If it really is her, she'd probably just be taking this detour.

But how did they just disappear?

Hossen examined the area but found no other signs of fighting or injury.

No animal footprints or traces were left.

Even if we rule out the possibility that it is a dangerous animal, where could a little girl go if she throws away her umbrella in the heavy rain?

Or rather, were they forced to go somewhere?

Hosen suddenly raised his head and, as if he had noticed something, changed his position.

He was standing on a high place, looking down at the ground.

Many people were looking around but had no luck.

Suddenly, the location changed again, this time to where the umbrella fell, right in the middle.

He stood still for a moment, then walked through the mud more easily than most people.

Nevertheless, his trouser legs were still covered in mud.

His brow furrowed even deeper, but he didn't stop walking, taking several steps outward from the center.

Suddenly realizing what was happening, I immediately called out to them.

"Captain Pozter, there's something going on here."

"What's wrong?"

"What was discovered?"

His shout attracted the nearby militiamen.

They had planned to search in another place, but then they heard his voice calling out.

"What's here?" Pozter asked, running over quickly.

Hossen stomped his foot heavily.

Is there something down there?

Pozter immediately looked at him alertly, then his gaze drifted to the ground.

"I don't know, but the feeling of stepping on it is wrong. The umbrella was left nearby, so there must be a connection," Hosen explained briefly.

Pozter stepped on it and discovered something as well.

So he ordered someone to hurry back and get the tools, and also asked Comrade Xia if he had found anything there.

Xia Mingjiang and the others have not returned yet, but the person who came back to report the news did not find them.

So when they started digging here, Xia Mingjiang and the others ran over.

"So, what did you find?"

It's convenient that a few strong people can quickly clear away the mud nearby.

Then a square piece of bluestone was revealed.

"Oh, there really is one."

Xia Mingjiang looked at the group in surprise, "Could it be that the little girl discovered something and fell down?"

Clearly, everyone thought the same way; they only continued after the professionals arrived.

"Comrade Xia, take a look, is this a cultural relic? Are we going to damage it?" Porit really wanted to start digging, but so many eyes were watching.

He had to ask, just in case something unexpected happened later.

"It's alright, it's just ordinary bluestone. Apart from its long shelf life, it's not very valuable in other aspects."

"That's good, that's good." Many of those who encountered the situation breathed a sigh of relief.

Xia Mingjiang directed them from the side, watching as they pried up the bluestone and discovered that there was indeed a hole underneath.

When the light shines on it, it's pitch black.

"Look, there are fresh marks here. Could it be that little girl?"

"How did she fall? Quickly, two people go down and search for her." Although Porit was puzzled, he was also worried about her safety, so he gave orders to his men.

Those who were preparing to go down were immediately worried when they saw the entrance to the cave.

"Captain, I can't go down here. I'll get stuck if I don't go down."

"Yeah, my big arms and legs won't do either."

When Pozhet looked, it was indeed true.

What to do? He turned his gaze to those who were slightly smaller than them.

Xia had been looking around for a while and was about to explain when she heard everyone say this.

I went to check it out, and it really was true.

“How about this, Hossen and I will go down and take a look, while you guys stay up here and keep watch,” he immediately replied.

Although Hossen's expression was unpleasant when he heard this, he did not refuse.

He took the initiative to pick up a flashlight, tied the rope, and slid down.

He was agile and quickly reached the ground. He tugged on the rope and began to look around.

There were indeed fresh footprints on the ground, and it was determined that they belonged to her.

By the time he had finished checking the surroundings and determined where she had left, Xia Mingjiang had just reached the bottom.

"So, so, have you found them yet?"

Xia Mingjiang was extremely excited and kept waving his flashlight in search of the object.

"The person must have come down; their clothes were probably soaked, and they walked that way."

"I see. Okay, I'll let them know."

Xia Mingjiang shouted at the top of his lungs, and finally the message reached the higher-ups.

Tell them to go find Old Xia, and while they're at it, they can widen the hole a bit more, pick up the dropped bag, and head forward.

His bag, which he had just thrown down, contained his life-saving medication.

I wonder how that girl is doing?

It's really unlucky for someone to fall down like that.

After being nagged about her bad luck, Luo Yin walked for quite a while before stopping at a fork in the road.

She realized she had been walking for a while and judged that the place was probably a maze of interconnected roads.

If they keep running around, they might not be able to get out for several days and might even get lost. Luo Yin is not a professional researcher, but she has heard a lot from following them around these past few days.

I've also gained some understanding of the structure of these ancient city towers.

She fell into the camp near the outer city wall, which is outside the moat.

No matter which way she goes, there will be an end.

But this location is hard to find; there are only four around the corner.

As the capital of the Yuan Dynasty, Shangdu, both its palaces and buildings and its city walls are highly symmetrical, drawing on the architectural style of the Central Plains.

So after recalling these things, Loin stood in this position.

I wanted to reach higher and see if I could find the turning point of the river that surrounded the city walls on all four sides when they were built in ancient times.

However, she still had the same problem as before: she couldn't reach it.

There was nothing around to step on!

Luo Yin already felt dizzy and her body temperature had risen.

With her chances of survival dwindling, she gritted her teeth and began to climb up the wall, clinging to the cracks in the wall.

In the dry passageway, the cracks in the walls are easier to clean than in other places.

She climbed up easily at first, but after climbing a bit, it became more difficult to go further.

If you don't use the right momentum to get up, you won't be able to hold on for long before you slide down again.

Loin was unwilling to give up and decided to start over.

Every now and then, a "thud" sound of something falling would begin to ring out.

The above-mentioned areas are also in a state of emergency and busy activity.

Elder Xia and several others were also alarmed.

Upon hearing that the little girl might have fallen, the old people's expressions changed.

After careful observation, Elder Xia discovered that the opening was new and was likely a passageway in the outer city, like a moat.

Old Gu hurriedly called his old friend Wei Jun over to have him take a look.

Wei Jun was a master of ancient traditional architecture, and he had conducted on-site investigations and studies of almost all famous architectural structures.

So as soon as he heard Elder Gu speak, he quickly agreed to help.

After all, that girl had indeed helped them, so they should lend a hand no matter what.

Once it was determined that this was a moat under repair, its structure was then assessed based on its location.

Leave professional matters to professionals.

After consulting with Elder Xia, Wei Jun quickly analyzed its structure and even marked several key points.

If Luo Yin saw this picture, she'd probably shake Xia Mingjiang's neck vigorously.

"Do you have anything to add?"

What are these places?

After looking at it for a long time, Mr. Gu pointed to a few crosses and asked.

Old Xia frowned and looked at him with the same puzzlement.

Wei Jun glanced at it and explained, "You should have also noticed that this city is different from other places, right?"

"You mean the dozen or so temples and altars that are more common in the city?"

Wei Jun looked at the ancient city with a complicated expression. "Yes, this city is located in the far west, and its overall orientation is biased towards the northwest. Although the temples and altars inside have not been thoroughly examined, I judge that there may be animal carcass burials in several locations under this moat."

"What?"

"How could this be down there?"

Old Xia was the first to object, which puzzled him greatly.

"Of course it is. Think about it, aren't there several altars inside the city walls that are symmetrical to these?"

Old Gu quickly recalled, and after thinking about it, it seemed to be true.

"But why would they put animal carcasses here?" That doesn't make sense!

Recalling the excavation work during that period, Xia said, "It may not be impossible. This region has experienced so many nomadic regimes, and some special and bizarre customs may have continued."

Furthermore, during his investigations, he even came across human burial pits.

Nomadic peoples who believed in ruling the world on horseback may have also placed their hopes and aspirations on animals that represent power, such as eagles and fierce beasts.

Loin had no idea what would happen next.

The once quiet passageway was now filled only with the sound of her constant panting.

But as she moved more and more, the heat from her body spread to the surroundings.

Gradually, a blue light appeared in the distance.

Luo Yin noticed a light behind her at first glance and instinctively looked over.

She was so frightened that she fell down!

My heart was pounding.

"What is that?"

She was so frightened she almost screamed, but muttered to herself to calm herself down.

"It's alright, it's alright!"

But then a series of blue lights flashed by, and tiny, eerie lights, like stars, ignited along the path she was climbing.

Luo Yin immediately retreated, wishing she could disappear as quickly as possible.

She ran and shouted, unable to suppress her fear any longer, and ran away like a headless fly.

"Aaaaaaahhhhh~"

"Help me!!!"

Human potential is enormous.

Despite having already suppressed that kind of voice, he still managed to shout out a high note.

The tremor was so loud that even Hosen and Xia Xia, who were inside the passageway, could hear it.

"Hey, can you hear that her?"

"Yes, she's screaming for help, hurry and chase after her!"

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Author's Note: I got a little scared thinking too much towards the end of the night, so I'll write more tomorrow during the day and add an extra chapter to make up for it~