“Keep a close eye on this…” Sheh stopped mid-sentence, whispering to Shi Jinzhe that they would meet Gao Lun in a few more minutes.
Shi Jinzhe nodded, indicating that he understood.
After walking for a few more minutes, a faint light appeared in the tunnel, where Gao Lun stood holding a candlestick.
Ahead was a large, arched, secret chamber. The long, thin shadows cast by the candlelight suggested that it was quite spacious. Although only a portion of it was visible, the furniture and other miscellaneous items indicated that there must be clues here.
Besides this road, there is another tunnel that connects to this arched secret room.
Prioritize safety and stability; don't observe for too long before making a decision, just listen.
Shekh stood beside him, staring blankly at the arched chamber for a second, his gaze mirroring Goren's, seemingly looking at something.
At this moment, a person wearing a black cloak emerged from another secret passage. He was not tall, and his face was not clearly visible.
The man in the black cloak said, "The Queen's itinerary is set. She will depart for Frozen Harbor early the day after tomorrow. The old men's advice was very effective; she didn't listen to a single suggestion to stop her from going."
Gao Lun scoffed: "How arrogant."
"It's not arrogance, after all, she has the Tower of Faith. Apart from those three major cities, she can go wherever she wants. Leaving the Frozen Harbor is as difficult as climbing to heaven for ordinary people, but it's as easy as turning her hand for the Queen. That's what privilege is."
“That’s a lie…” Although Gao Lun disliked the Queen, he had to retort, “She became Queen for these privileges. Who would want to be Queen if there were no benefits? Now she’s going to Frozen Harbor, she must be after some benefit from Madam Mo.”
“You’re right,” the man in the black cloak leaned closer and whispered to Goren, “The Queen got a white hair four days ago and was furious. All the maids present were executed. This morning when she got up, I saw wrinkles at the corners of her eyes.”
"Hmph, serves them right. They should have died by now, after living for so many years. Generations of people have come and gone, but these people are still immortal."
Shi Jinzhe, who was eavesdropping, quickly grasped the key point from the conversation: the Queen was immortal and so were "they." Who did "they" refer to? Were they the Queen's confidants?
In a country with no elderly, those in power have managed to remain young and immortal...
Could it be that the Queen's immortality is related to this, that she draws life force from her people?
And that communication tower, a tower that can instantly transmit location information, is simply too advanced.
This country is truly bizarre in every way. It's advanced because its architecture and living conditions are similar to those of Europe from centuries ago, yet it's also backward because it has electric lights, uniquely designed retractable staircases, and even a cell tower. It's so contradictory.
Seeing that the two people on the other end had finished their conversation quickly, Shi Jinzhe and Shehe retreated along the route they had taken.
The man in the black cloak left in the opposite direction, and Goren slowly walked back, standing about two hundred meters behind them.
Shi Jin cut out the card "Seeing the Essence and Recognizing the Essence" and whispered to Shehe, "Find a way to stay; there are clues in that secret room."
Shekh stopped in his tracks, placed his hand on the wall, and determined that he was still underground.
She released a corrosive liquid, dissolving a space large enough for two adults to fit into.
Shi Jinzhe stepped inside first, pressed his back against the damp, cold earthen wall, then pulled Shehe in, letting her lean against him, and wrapped his arms around her from behind.
Brown vines filled the gaps, tightly sealing every corner, and constantly bending to prevent the soil from touching Shekh's body.
The two people stood close together, one in front of the other. The vines completed the final sealing, smoothing out the hollowed-out wall. In the dim light, at first glance, there was nothing wrong with it.
But Schech was not reassured, so he covered the outer layer with a thin layer of solidified corrosive liquid, leaving only a ventilation gap at the bottom.
In the extremely enclosed space, they felt like they were locked in a coffin; it was damp, cold, suffocating, and poorly ventilated—everywhere was uncomfortable.
Shekh moved his fingers, and a gust of cold wind blew out the candle in Goren's hand.
With the tunnel completely darkened, the concealment lost all its flaws and blended perfectly into the wall.
Gao Lun never imagined that there were two people hiding behind the wall he had just walked past, and they were watching him closely.
Fearing he might fall, he walked very slowly. Behind the wall, Shi Jinzhe's body tensed, and he unconsciously tightened his grip on Shekh's arm.
Gao Lun revealed a lot of information; he is an important figure in this instance and cannot be killed casually. We can only pray that he leaves quickly.
Sheh closed her eyes tightly, and without even realizing it, her breathing gradually became heavier. She didn't like this environment; it was so uncomfortable.
She felt a little short of breath, and the feeling of something pressing down on her chest returned.
Her breathing became unusually deep in the quiet environment. Shi Jinzhe moved his arm up, lifted her chin with his thumb and forefinger, and made her lean back, tilting her head to rest on his shoulder.
But Shekh's symptoms did not improve; her breathing became more and more pronounced, an extremely difficult sound, as if something was covering her face and she was trying her best to draw in every bit of oxygen.
"Unlock the skill, let's go out."
Shi Jinzhe held her shoulders to control the vines and retract them. Sheh had no fear of the confined space and darkness; they had been to such places many times, but she had never been like this before.
She dislikes mud; during one of her character's self-rescue missions, she once had trouble breathing, perhaps because she was thinking about wet mud.
She was enveloped in the earthy stench of the place; she couldn't stay there any longer. Let Gao Lun die if he wanted to.
When Shi Jinzhe saw that she didn't react, he directly touched the outermost corroded wall with his hand, but unexpectedly he was stopped by Sheh.
"...My hand would have been gone if I had touched you." She took a couple of breaths. "I'm fine."
Gao Lun had already stepped onto the stairs leading upstairs, and soon he left the secret passage. She also wanted to see what else was in the arched chamber.
"But you're in a lot of pain."
“…It’s alright, just help me with that.” Shekh grabbed his hand and placed it back on his neck. “I also want to…investigate the secret room. My intuition tells me I’ll find something great.”
Shi Jinzhe wanted to persuade her again, but then he heard Shehe take two deep breaths and say, "Don't make me...speak."
She had to catch her breath after saying just three words. Shi Jin opened his hand that was pressing on her neck, pressed his thumb and forefinger against her jawbone, and then moved his palm down to her upper abdomen, gently pressing with just the right amount of force to help her catch her breath.
At the same time, he leaned in and kissed Shekh's ear from time to time, repeatedly trying to distract her.
After a brief silence, Shekh swallowed hard. "...I'm helping you catch your breath, not seducing me."
“I have no ulterior motives, so don’t slander me.” Shi Jinzhe spoke the truth. “Humans can be in heat anytime, anywhere, but I’m not. I’m worried about you.”
He was so restrained when he kissed her; he really wasn't thinking about anything.
"..."
Seeing how sincere Shi Jinzhe was, Shekh decided to give him a try.
Once she confirmed that Gao Lun had left, she deactivated her skill and immediately left the enclosed space.
Shi Jinzhe leaned back and supported her weakly, "Can you walk?"
Shekh turned around and gave him a disdainful look: "...I'm not crippled yet."
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