Chapter 259 The Woman Behind the Screen

Then Xiao Yu concentrated on studying the mechanism on the wooden door.

This mechanism is actually similar to modern gears. Although it is not as sophisticated, how can the human brain understand something that even computers cannot calculate?

Xu Chuchu turned her head to look at Xiao Yu who was seriously looking for a solution, and couldn't help but laugh.

She knew it was useless to persuade him now. After he tried for a long time and grabbed his hair three times, she smiled and said, "Don't look at it. There are countless combinations of these wood pieces. I can't figure it out. Sit down and rest for a while. Wait for Chen Zhaozhi to come and see if he has any solution."

Xiao Yu was eager to perform, but was frustrated when he failed. He muttered, "...what else can he do?"

"Who said I have no other options!" Shen Zhaozhi's voice actually came from the other end of the passage.

I saw him walking out from the darkness, covered in mud, his face and clothes were all covered with mud, and there was an inexplicable sour smell. I don’t know what he had experienced. I guess he had encountered his own troubles, just like the group of snakes that Xu Chuchu and the others encountered, but it was good that he could get out.

"I don't have much ability, but I have good ears." Xiao Yu said.

"What did you say?" Shen Zhaozhi didn't hear clearly.

"Nothing." Xiao Yu said.

"Do you have any way to open this door?" Xu Chuchu was too lazy to ask him what happened and went straight to the point.

Chen Zhaozhi walked step by step to the wooden door and murmured, "I've been here before."

"You've been here?" Xu Chuchu was surprised.

Because from the beginning until they separated just now, there was not a single second that looked like Shen Zhaozhi had been there before. He was clumsy and held back.

"Yes, I only remembered it when I saw this door." He leaned close to the wooden door, stroking the wood. "It was many years ago. They brought me to see my mother... but I didn't come in through the water. Otherwise, I wouldn't have remembered it until now."

After listening to his intermittent words, Xu Chuchu and Xiao Yu both realized that there must be a passage leading to the shore.

Once they find Chen Zhaozhi's mother, maybe they can go back to the shore through that passage without having to take the risk of fighting the big fish.

Chen Zhaozhi closed his eyes, stroked the wooden door, and recalled the scene when the palace maid opened the door.

First here... then here, then...

He slowly moved the last piece of wood, and after a few loud bangs, the wooden door trembled and slowly split in the middle.

Everyone became alert, but they only saw a soft yellow light shining out from inside, revealing a magnificent room.

The room was very large, four or five times the size of the room where the snakes had just lived. There were exquisite paintings on the walls, and the blank spaces were covered with gold foil.

Unlike the darkness and dampness outside, it was noticeably warm and dry here, which dispelled the chillness of the three people.

Walking further in, I found that candles were lit everywhere. The room was not furnished much, but it had everything it needed, including tables, chairs, couches, screens... It looked more like a woman's boudoir than a place where treasures were hidden.

The only thing that was out of place was a huge alchemy furnace placed in the middle. It was pure gold and had three layers: upper, middle and lower. There were complex carvings on the outside, which should be used to enhance spiritual power.

At this time, there was still fire burning under the alchemy furnace. None of the three knew how to make elixirs, and they didn't know whether it was being refined or not.

The bottom of the lake, alchemy, women's boudoir... Putting these factors together, even the slowest person should realize that this is where Hu Shanshan lives.

"But this place doesn't feel like a prison at all." Xu Chuchu touched the cushion on the couch. The fabric was rare and the workmanship was complicated. It was obviously a high-quality product from the palace and among the nobles.

She turned back to the door and studied it for a while, and found that although the mechanism outside the door was complicated, there was a pull rod in the room that could easily open the door.

If Hu Shanshan really lived here, why didn't she open the door and escape? There were no other traps here, and the lake water couldn't stop her. If she was luckier, she might not have run into that fish... No matter how difficult it was, she should have gotten out after all these years.

Who is it and what is threatening her with?

Xiao Yu suddenly patted Xu Chuchu's arm and silently pointed under the screen.

Xu Chuchu looked over and saw a pair of red embroidered shoes put together, with a pair of human legs on the shoes!

This scene reminded her of many horror movies she had seen in modern times, where a pair of feet suddenly appeared, but in fact it was a hanged female corpse, or just a pair of chopped-off feet.

She tiptoed around to the side of the screen, then quickly stood inside and used her spiritual power to prepare to defend against the enemy.

Unexpectedly, what I saw before my eyes was a young and beautiful woman.

She was the owner of the red embroidered shoes. She was wearing an expensive and complicated dress and was hiding shivering at the back. Her eyes were beautiful and innocent, and anyone who saw them would tremble with fear.

"Hu Shanshan?" Xu Chuchu asked subconsciously.

She was surprised, not because she found Hu Shanshan so easily, but because... she didn't expect that she was really hiding behind the screen.

Is she really hiding? Didn't she think her feet would be exposed?

Chen Zhaozhi rushed over like a whirlwind: "Where, where is my mother!"

He pushed Xu Chuchu away, leaving muddy handprints on her body, and then stared at the woman behind the screen.

"...Mom?" he called out in disbelief.

Indeed, both Xu Chuchu and Xiao Yu felt a little awkward when they heard that the woman in front of them was Shen Zhaozhi's mother.

She was very young, looking like she was only sixteen or seventeen, younger than Chen Zhaozhi. Of course, this was not surprising, because demons had long lifespans and would always appear smaller than humans of the same age.

But she looked so innocent, her beautiful eyes were timid, innocent and naive, like the expression of a ten-year-old child.

This is a nice way of putting it. To put it bluntly, she is like a mentally retarded girl of sixteen or seventeen years old.

"Mother, mother, how did you become like this? Do you still remember me?"

The one who couldn't accept it the most was Chen Zhaozhi. The last time he saw Hu Shanshan was several years ago. Although he was timid at that time, he was not as timid as he is now. It felt like he was going backwards.

Fortunately, Hu Shanshan recognized her biological son.

"...Zhaozhi?" She called out tentatively, her voice as delicate and crisp as a young girl's.

Chen Zhaozhi said excitedly: "It's me, it's me, mother!"

At this time, he didn't care that his hands were dirty. He grabbed Hu Shanshan's wrist and pulled her out from behind the screen.

Seeing this, Hu Shanshan was no longer afraid. She smiled and said, "I was a little scared when I saw outsiders coming, so I hid behind the screen. I didn't expect it to be you. Did you come to see me on purpose, Zhaozhi?"

"Yes, mother!" Chen Zhaozhi shouted excitedly.

"You are finally willing to call me mother." Hu Shanshan smiled even more, but it was obvious that she was just happy and had no intention of mocking Chen Zhaozhi.

His eyes swept over Xu Chuchu and Xiao Yu again: "Are these your friends?"

Chen Zhaoyi blushed and quickly changed the subject: "Mom, have you been living here these past few years? Who locked you up here? Tell me!"