Chapter 23 The Trio

Hossen rushed out as soon as he heard the first scream.

Xia Mingjiang, who was behind him, quickly followed.

The two ran quite fast, but soon the sound disappeared from their ears.

The female voice seems to have disappeared!

"Could something have happened?"

Xia Mingjiang was panting heavily, and said worriedly.

Hosen kept walking, "Hurry up and chase after them!"

The two sped up again, afraid that if they delayed even a little, something bad would happen to the girl.

Loin was indeed terrified.

Anyone who encountered this would probably be too scared to speak.

Being alone here already tests her courage.

But suddenly a strange blue light appeared.

Luo Yin immediately felt goosebumps all over her body, but luckily she was quick and dodged backward.

But now, who can tell her why she's starting to have them too?

The blue light emanated from her clothes.

In that instant, Luo Yin realized that her hair was standing on end.

Extreme fright prevents one from making a sound.

The two who finally caught up looked at her, standing there dumbfounded in the flashlight beam.

Both of them were stunned for a moment.

Hosen was taken aback for a moment, then began to look around, checking the surroundings.

Xia Mingjiang rushed forward, "How are you? I heard you scream for help just now, what happened?"

Hosen, finding nothing, looked at her with a puzzled expression.

Luo Yin's hands trembled, as if she hadn't come to her senses yet.

"Hey, why aren't you saying anything?"

Xia lingered in front of her, but when she didn't react, she quickly looked at Huo Sen.

He mouthed, "Is this girl scared out of her wits?"

Hosen frowned and ignored him.

He reached out and grabbed her hand, then checked her pulse and found it was beating rapidly.

Xia Mingjiang stood by, waiting to see what he might discover.

But Hossen said nothing, picked up his flashlight, and looked around again.

With this action of his, Xia looked at him and then at her, puzzled.

When Luo Yin came to her senses, she saw the large face in front of her.

She instinctively slapped him.

*Smack!*

"ah!"

"No, why did you hit me? You're really repaying kindness with enmity!" Xia Mingjiang clutched his cheek, both shocked and angry.

Luo Yin regretted it immediately after hitting him; she had only just realized who he was.

"I'm so sorry, I really didn't notice it was you. I'm so sorry, Brother Xia."

"I'm so sorry, Brother Xia. I was really scared just now. My mind wasn't clear, please don't mind. Don't worry, I promise I won't tell anyone else. This is just between you and me."

She apologized and pleaded, her eyes burning with fervor.

Xia Mingjiang breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that she had regained her previous quick wit. She was much better than before!

"Alright, alright, I'm not that petty."

Hearing this, Luo Yin was finally relieved, but the next commotion made her jump in fright.

"Cough cough cough."

"Wait, why are there still people here?"

She darted behind Xia and looked over there warily.

Xia Mingjiang was also startled, but quickly realized who the person was.

"Ah, that's Xiao Huo. We came downstairs to find you."

Sure enough, Luo Yin saw a tall man standing where she had been standing, seemingly checking something.

I realized that she was just too nervous, which was why she was so easily startled.

"Alright, have you found anything yet? Now that we've found the person, let's go back quickly," Xia said to the two of them.

Luo Yin nodded hurriedly, "Yes, yes, let's go back."

She really didn't want to stay in this place anymore; it was terrifying.

Huo Sen suddenly asked her, "What happened to you just now?"

Upon hearing this, Xia Mingjiang looked at her curiously. "Yeah, why were you shouting for help just now?"

Under the beam of the flashlight, the expressions on their faces were clearly visible.

Luo Yin noticed their curious expressions and glanced awkwardly at the wall.

Perhaps it was because of the large number of people and the presence of light that her mind started working, and she realized that the blue light she had just encountered was nothing strange.

But we need to give them a different explanation.

"I accidentally fell down before, and I didn't know where I was. There was no light around me, and I was cold and scared. I just wanted to find a way out, and I don't know how I ended up here."

"The road was clear all the way, but it turned at this point. I wondered if this was different, so I tried to climb up to take a look. But no matter how I climbed, I kept falling down. Then, for some reason, blue light appeared behind me and surrounded me."

"Wow, you've had quite a lot of experiences." Xia Mingjiang rested his chin on one hand, looking thoughtful.

He took out his backpack as he spoke and then gestured for him to turn off the light.

"However, take off the clothes you're trying on now. I've brought you some dry clothes."

Luo Yin was deeply moved, and tears welled up in her eyes as she looked at Xia Mingjiang.

"Brother Xia, you're so kind, you're like my own brother."

"Don't worry, I'll give you some of our family's beef jerky later. It tastes amazing."

"Hahaha, you're too kind."

"Change your wet clothes first, then go back and take a shower and some cold medicine, and you'll be fine."

"good."

Luo Yin changed her outer clothes in the dark, and as for the rest, she could only endure it for the time being.

When the light reappeared, the three began to walk back.

Hosen led the way, Xia Ge was at the bottom, and Luo Yin was sandwiched in the middle.

It was only then that Luo Yin was able to see the situation along the way under the beam of the flashlight.

Previously, it had indeed been in a narrow passage.

The bricks and stones on both sides are regular and tightly packed, and the bottom and top are made of whole pieces of bluestone.

The distance from top to bottom is more than two meters, making it impossible for her to climb up by herself with her bare hands.

Luo Yin thought about her previous delusions and couldn't help but laugh.

If you didn't have some tricks up your sleeve, how could you possibly climb up there?

"Xiao Luo, you were really amazing before, being able to walk this far in the dark." After walking for a while, Xia started chatting with her.

Perhaps because it was too quiet, Luo Yin started chatting with him.

"Really? I didn't know at the time, I just moved forward instinctively."

"How did you find out? I thought nobody knew!" She actually risked her life to save herself because she was afraid they wouldn't find out.

"Hahaha, you really have to thank your horse. I don't know what happened to it, but it went berserk in the stable and got into a fight with the other horses, disturbing everyone else. Captain Porit came to talk to you later, only to find you were gone."

Upon hearing this, Luo Yin understood that Da Bai must have heard her call.

It's her own fault; she needs to be more careful in the future.

The three of them walked and talked, and soon they had walked quite a distance again.

When Luo Yin and Xia Xia were talking about what to eat next, Huo Sen, who was in front of them, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Luo Yin: "I'll have my mother make you the best milk skin and milk powder. These are homemade by the herders and taste better than anything you can buy elsewhere."

"Haha, really? Okay then, I'll be waiting."

"No problem, consider it a thank you for Xia-ge's help."

"Bang!" She bumped into the man's back as soon as she finished speaking.

Luo Yin was in so much pain that tears instantly streamed down her face.

"Oh dear, what's wrong? What happened?"

"No, how come you keep bumping into people while you're walking?" he said helplessly.

Then, looking at Hosen with a puzzled expression, he asked, "Why did you stop?"

He found the kid strange; he had been silent ever since he asked him the question.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I wasn't paying attention." After a few seconds of recovery, Luo Yin quickly apologized and repeatedly apologized to Huo Sen.

Hosen's expression was indifferent; he only glanced at her lightly.

He then pointed the flashlight forward, gesturing for them to look.

"Look."

"What?"

The two of them tilted their heads curiously to look ahead.

Under the flashlight beam, something seemed to emerge from the bluestone path.

Watery and shiny!

"No, what is this?"

Xia Mingjiang's eyes widened for a moment, then he said nervously.

"This is...water?"

Luo Yin frowned and took a few steps forward with suspicion.

Just as he was about to pass Hosen's position, he was grabbed by someone behind him.

"do what?"

"go back."

Luo Yin immediately regained her senses, and then became frightened again.

"Why is it leaking? Where is this water coming from? We need to hurry, or we'll be flooded if the water gets too full!"

Luo Yin's words instantly reminded Xia Xia.

"Hossen, what's going on?"

Hossen gestured for them not to approach, then strode forward himself.

But with each step they took, they could hear the faint sound of flowing water ahead.

When he turned back, his face was cold and ugly.

"Oh no, something's wrong with the front, it's started to leak."

"Oh, can we still get across?"

They had planned to simply go back the way they came.

"Could it be that it's raining up there again?" Xia wondered.

"I don't know," Hosen replied.

Luo Yin looked at the two of them, clearly in a predicament.

She then asked, "Why don't we run over and try? Maybe it's not that deep?"

Hosen paused for a moment, then looked at Xia.

Xia frowned. "We're still at least halfway to the exit. Even if we run fast, it'll take us at least ten minutes. What if the water floods in by then..."

That's when there's truly nowhere to escape.

The three of them remained silent, exchanging glances.

"Let's vote. The one with the most votes wins."

With both votes in favor, they decided to go back and give it a try.

The formation was still the same, but the atmosphere had changed.

A tense, serious, and urgent atmosphere spread.

I ran forward, and when I was a third of the way through, I was already running in the water; when I was two-thirds of the way through, water began to seep in from all sides of the passage, and the water was already over my feet.

When they had run a third of the way, all three of them were in a sorry state.

When they arrived at their destination, they finally discovered the secret of the Water Curtain Cave.

"The cave entrance is just ahead, isn't it?"

"Yes, yes, let's hurry over there."

By this time, the water in the passage had already reached above her calves, and for Loin, who was small, the water had even reached above her knees.

As they swam through the water, Loin appeared awkward compared to Hosen's effortless movements.

So after discovering the cave entrance, Xia and Huo Sen pulled her forward.

"Old Xia, Captain Porit, we've arrived."

"We've found them. Are you still there?"

The sound of the rushing water drowned out his shouts.

Luo Yin was dumbfounded as she watched the muddy water keep pouring in.

She wasn't as optimistic as Xia, hoping that there were still people waiting for her upstairs.

That's impossible. With such a large volume of water, the weather outside must be abnormal again; it's probably pouring rain again.

"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey~"

Xia Mingjiang wiped his mouth with rainwater and spat out the mud.

You can't see the above situation at all.

We don't even know if there's anyone here.

"Xiao Huo, is no one up there? I've been calling for so long, but there's been no response."

He looked for the rope but it was gone.

Hosen touched the water and pulled the rope out from the ground.

Here it is.

"Holy crap, it's charging down?"

"No way, could something have happened up there?"

"Stop talking now, we can't hold this place anymore, let's go somewhere else."

Hosen looked at the little girl trembling in the corner and said urgently.

"Alright, let's run."

The group turned around and ran back in the direction they had come from.

Meanwhile, quite a commotion broke out at the camp.

Originally, Borit and others, along with Elder Xia and others, were ready to conduct an excavation and investigation. The surrounding personnel and tools were all prepared, and a temporary work platform had been set up on the ground. They were just waiting for them to bring people up so they could begin.

But then, the weather suddenly changed.

The torrential rain and strong winds instantly shattered their plans.

And then, devastating news arrived.

They discovered that the place they were excavating was a natural depression.

They had already dug out seven or eight bluestones, revealing a large, dark area that resembled a natural drainage channel.

Rainwater from higher ground flowed down the slope, carrying mud, sand, and weeds with it.

But there are still people down there, three living people!

Pozter and the others' expressions changed drastically, and they all looked towards the cave entrance.

"No, boss, what are we going to do? We need to save them right away!"

"Yes, we can't pour any more water in."

Not only were the militia members anxious, but the researchers were also very anxious.

But the heavy rain fell, and torrential rain continued to pour down.

The gushing water poured in, gathering into a large pool, and easily flowed down.

Everyone was stunned, and Old Master Gu shook his head repeatedly.

Wei Jun cried out, "Quickly add more bluestone, or the water will fill up before they can come out!"

Upon hearing this, everyone reacted with varying expressions.

"That's not a good idea. What if they're down there and can't get up?"

"Yeah, what if something goes wrong?"

"Don't worry about it. The water has definitely gotten in below. They'll know something's wrong and will try to hide. Let's put the rest back in their original positions first, and leave the last piece for now."

In the end, it was Elder Xia who made the decision.

After everyone finished getting ready, they returned to the camp.

Everyone looked serious, staring intently at the rain outside.

When asked how long the rain would last, the herders said they didn't know, but this was indeed the heaviest rain in recent years.

They thought back to the weather forecast they had checked on their way here, and a chill ran down their spines.

Then, as if enraged, lightning flashed and thunder roared in the sky.

The streaks of lightning that struck down caused everyone in the camp to change their expressions once again.

"Everyone back to your positions and check your equipment."

"Unless there are special circumstances, no one is allowed to go out."

The commands came out of their mouths and were quickly responded to.

At this point, Elder Xia and the others could only pray for Huo Sen and his group.

Bozhit and the others had already gone to the stable to watch over the horse, along with Big White.

The weather is indeed unusually good at this moment on the Dongzhumuqin Grassland, which is 100 kilometers away.

Urina went out early to air out the children's sheepskin coats and quilts.

Every now and then, tap it with a stick and flip it over to dry.

Her gaze lingered for a moment when she saw the small floral quilt fluttering in the wind.

Disappointment and helplessness flashed across his face.

Then he glared angrily at the tall man not far away, and said in a harsh tone.

"Hurry up and finish what you're doing, then go check if they're back yet."

Muren dared not retort after being yelled at by his mother, and nodded repeatedly.

He said he would go after he finished, but despite this, the rest of the family still didn't like him.

"What are you eating? This is enough for you. I don't even know what your sister is eating yet."

"I only brought two days' worth of dried meat with me when I left, and now I don't even know if I have anything to eat?" Urina was very worried, and she would start to worry every time it was mealtime.

Bart's expression was grim, and he cast a heavy glance at Mu Ren.

"Have you eaten yet? Go check if Chao Lu and the others are back."

Mu Ren had only taken a few bites when he noticed that even Ani had stopped and was looking at him.

Feeling wronged, Mu Ren put down his chopsticks and bowl.

He finished the last bit in his bowl and then quietly took a few more flatbreads.

After he left, the atmosphere at the dinner table became heavy again.

"Sigh, it's been so long, and we still haven't found them."

"No news is good news too. Don't overthink it, everything's fine." Bart reassured his wife after seeing her like this.

Ani looked into the distance and seemed to see something through the clear blue sky.

"Father, what's wrong?"

When Bart saw him looking outside, he followed his gaze.

Then, as if she had some kind of reaction, she subconsciously looked at him.

"Hmm, I'm afraid we'll have to find another place."

As soon as Ani said those words, the Barts' expressions instantly turned serious.

"Why so early?"

Because Ani spoke, both of them turned their attention to him.

"Judging from the wind direction, there seems to be something going on to the west."

To the west?

Mu Ren headed west, embarking on a familiar road.

We proceeded with a mix of anticipation and trepidation.

The snow beneath them seemed to sense its master's urgency and began to run quickly.

Inside the underground passage, it took the three of them more than half an hour to return to that spot.

After the trip, Luo Yin was so tired that she leaned against the side to rest.

Xia Mingjiang was also panting heavily, standing still and looking at him.

"Let's go that way, the water's rising up behind us."

Yes, they practically waded through water all the way here, and it got drier the further they went in.

But now they've come to a fork in the road, and the three of them have to stop.

"How should I know? I don't know the way, so I can't just pick anywhere," Hosen said helplessly.

Upon hearing this, Xia Mingjiang exclaimed, "Right, I forgot you're not a professional either."

"Let me see, which way do I go?"

He looked at Luo Yin and realized there was no need to ask; he would have to rely on himself.

Luo Yin followed the light, her eyes glancing at him unconsciously, before urging him to hurry up.

Xia Mingjiang pointed to the right with an affirmative expression.

"This way, that's the right way!"

"How was that determined?"

"Let's walk, let's talk as we go."

Accompanied by the sound of water flowing in, the three hurried towards the passage on the right.

The group kept moving at a constant pace, continuing to walk along the passageway.

It wasn't until about ten minutes later that we reached the end.

There was no road left!

Luo Yin stared in disbelief and looked at Xia Mingjiang in shock.

"Hey Xia, what kind of road are you leading us to? Where are we?"

Xia Mingjiang was dumbfounded. He went to the wall and touched and patted everything around him.

"Where am I? No way!"

"Stop thinking about it, hurry back!" Huo Sen was so angry that he grabbed the two of them with one hand and turned to run away.

So they spent another half hour getting back to the original route.

"This time, listen to me and go to the left; you definitely won't go wrong!"

Luo Yin rushed to the front first and pointed to the left.

"Walk!"

Xia Mingjiang gave a hearty shout, and the three of them set off again.

This time, it seems we've chosen the right path.

After walking for a long time, we didn't encounter the same situation as before; instead, we had several forks in the road to choose from.

Loin didn't dare let him choose anymore, and went to choose with Hosen directly.

The two walked and guessed as they went, getting further and further away.

The surrounding environment was getting drier and drier, covered with dust and cobwebs, but the water that had been flowing behind us had disappeared.

However, the air inside was very bad, and Luo Yin had already started coughing.

"Cough cough cough!"

"Pfft~ What's in here? It smells awful."

"Be careful, there's a lot of dust here."

Xia Mingjiang gestured for caution, and the group finally noticed something unusual.

These were traces that had never been seen in the passage before.

A stone door was exposed on one of the walls of the passage.

At that time, Xia Mingjiang wanted to go and see.

Upon seeing the first thing, Xia Mingjiang instinctively reached into his pockets, looking for something to make a note.

Hosen pulled him back, "Don't touch anything."

"Yes, Brother Xia, don't do anything reckless." Luo Yin finally remembered some taboos and hurriedly reminded him.

"Ah, I didn't move. What are you thinking? I was just looking."

He spread his hands to indicate that he really hadn't moved.

But their faces and eyes were practically glued together.

"No, please don't do anything reckless."

Luo Yin felt sweat on her forehead and a chill down her back. She looked around suspiciously.

She didn't know if it was the atmosphere that was off, but she always felt that the surroundings were strange.

Hossen observed her saying this from the side, his eyes constantly scanning her.

But for some reason, he didn't ask.

Instead, he followed Xia Mingjiang closely, seemingly supervising his movements.

Luo Yin rubbed her arms and followed helplessly.

She can't stray too far from them, or she won't be able to get there in time if they need help.

Perhaps believing that 'three cobblers are equal to one Zhuge Liang,' she kept watching from the sidelines, observing what he did and doing the same thing herself.

Xia Mingjiang finished the inspection quickly.

"Hey, there seems to be a picture carved on it. Is it a group of people watching something from the stands?"

Luo Yin observed carefully and found that the traces in some places were really hard to see.

It has been worn down by time, looking like a mosaic.

Hossen stood guard, his muscles tense.

Xia Mingjiang, unaware of these subtle actions, took a few steps back.

He then pulled the two of them back as well.

"What's wrong, Brother Xia? Is there a problem?" At this moment, Luo Yin's vigilance was at its peak, and she would react quickly to any abnormality.

"No, something's not right here. Let's not move."

"No, let's hurry up and leave. It's dark and the air is bad in here. Let's find a way out quickly." She was afraid that they would be stubborn and try it anyway.

Sometimes, trying it can lead to death!

But after she finished speaking, she found that Brother Xia was still staring at the stone door.

Hossen spoke up. "Shall we go?"

Xia Mingjiang looked conflicted, glancing at the little one beside him, an amateur.

I gritted my teeth and followed.

But after the three of them had only walked for a few minutes, he stopped.

On the contrary, they want to go back.

"Why go back?"

"Let's go back and see what's behind that stone door?"

"No, didn't you say there was a problem? It's not safe to go back. There are only three of us. Why don't we wait until we get up there and let the professionals handle it?"

Loin advised him.

Xia Mingjiang shook his head, "By the time we come back, it will probably be flooded."

"No way." Luo Yin had no rebuttal.

He covered his face in pain, peeking through his fingers to see what Hosen had to say.

As the team's only key player, Hosen refused. "I also disagree with going back."

Luo Yin clapped her hands. "See? Two votes outweigh one."

Xia Mingjiang said earnestly, "But, but, I suddenly remembered some of the images on those pictures. They are part of a major project in this ancient city excavation. There must be something inside."

"What project? Aren't you all digging underground?"

Luo Yin asked.

"I can't say, but I didn't lie to you."

"Don't worry, what I said wasn't wrong in any particular way. Let's go take a look; maybe we can find a way up."

The two were not persuaded by his words, but they had no choice but to follow him.

He was just too stubborn; if they didn't go, he would have to go back himself.

Having spent so much time together, Luo Yin had come to understand his personality quite well.

Imagine if the team were to split up; the problems that would arise afterward would definitely be even greater.

Back in front of the stone gate, the two watched as he groped around, carefully touching and pressing whatever he happened to be pressing.

A piercing sound rang out, and the stone door slowly opened.