Thirteen and Cui Da followed the method of the two men in black, taking turns tapping on the stone.
“Cui Er, do you see this clearly? When the master and the others arrive, do you know how to get them to open this stone door?” Cui Da said to Cui Er, who was watching from the side.
“I understand. Cui Da, why don’t you and Thirteenth Master stay here and wait together? If you go in and encounter danger, you two will be in real danger,” Cui Er said to them worriedly.
"No, what if something unexpected happens inside? Don't worry, we'll be careful." Thirteen insisted on going in to see what was going on. He stubbornly believed that he was a prince, and even if something did happen, the other party wouldn't dare to harm him easily.
Seeing that he couldn't persuade them, Cui Er had no choice but to go and hide there as originally planned, waiting for Fourth Master and the others to arrive.
After seeing that the stone gate had indeed opened, Thirteen and Cui Da slipped inside. Looking around, they found themselves in an extremely narrow passage, its destination unknown—perhaps the interior of the mountain?
Thirteen and Cui Dayi hesitated for a moment, unsure of what would happen if they went in. Just as they were hesitating, the stone door behind them slammed shut, plunging them into complete darkness.
"Thirteenth Master, what should we do? It's completely dark, how do we get out?" Cui Da asked in a low voice.
"Luckily, I brought this with me. My former master was right. It's always good to have this with you." Thirteen took out a tinderbox from his person.
With a soft pop, a tiny spark burst forth in the pitch-black darkness like a fleeting flower, bringing a sense of joy akin to witnessing a savior.
“Come, let this servant hold it up, Thirteenth Master!” Cui Da said happily.
"Alright, it's not like it's anything heavy. We're brothers now, don't treat me like a boss, understand?" Thirteen gave Cui Da a knowing look and then quietly led the way into the darkness.
Cui felt a warmth in his heart and immediately followed.
Meanwhile, Cui Er was still lying prone in the grass, his heart filled with conflicting emotions. When he watched Cui Da follow Thirteen inside, he realized he really didn't want to go in; it was far too dangerous. But now, huddled here, he was genuinely worried about Cui Da and the others.
Time passed second by second, but Cui Er's heart became more and more conflicted. Several times he got up, wanting to go to the stone door, open it in the way it was opened, and then go inside to find Cui Da.
But he still didn't have the courage. When would Fourth Master and the others arrive? Why haven't Cui Da and the others come out after so long? Were they captured by those people?
With these wild thoughts swirling in his mind, Cui Er could barely withstand the pressure and suddenly started frantically slapping the grass in the bushes.
Suddenly, he heard a series of orderly footsteps and the sound of horses' hooves, which he had pressed against the ground.
Fourth Master!
Cui Er sprang to his feet with a somersault, shouting out a sentence.
Sure enough, a few moments later, several black horses came into his view in the distance. Who else could it be but the Fourth Master?
Fourth Master also saw Cui Er, but looking around, Thirteenth Master and Cui Da's men were nowhere to be seen. Puzzled, he spurred his horse and galloped towards Cui Er. Alhatu and his five hundred soldiers behind him also rushed in Cui Er's direction.
"Master! You've finally arrived!" Cui Er couldn't help but rush towards Fourth Master and kneel down in front of him.
"Where are Thirteen and Cui Da?" Fourth Master pulled on the reins, and the horse's front hooves reared up. The horse neighed towards the sky before stopping, its mane swaying incessantly. Al-Hatu, who had followed closely behind, and his soldiers also came to a stop in unison.
"Master, they've gone into that stone gate." Cui Er quickly stood up, turned around, and pointed to the protruding rock.
Upon hearing this, Fourth Master looked in the direction he was pointing and indeed saw a protruding rock on the mountainside.
"They went into that rock? What are you doing here?" Fourth Master stared sternly at Cui Er.
“Yes, that stone can be moved. Yes, it was the Thirteenth Master who told me to stay here and wait for the Master to arrive, otherwise he was afraid that when the Master arrived, he wouldn’t know how to open that stone door,” Cui Er said, stammering slightly.
Ignoring what he said, Fourth Master cracked his whip and galloped towards the stone gate. Cui Er quickly stepped aside, and Alhatu followed closely behind, followed by the soldiers.
Cui Er hurriedly ran over as well. He knew that he was a bit more cowardly than Cui Da, but he was just an ordinary farmer who had never seen such strange and bizarre things before, so it was only natural that he was afraid.
When Cui Erxiao ran to the stone, Fourth Master and Alhatu had already dismounted and were standing in front of the stone gate looking at it.
“My lord, Admiral. This stone is a door. Those two men in black went in through here. Later, Thirteenth Master and Cui Da opened this door in the same way and went in too. They haven’t come out yet,” Cui Er said hurriedly, not even bothering to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
"How long have they been inside?" Fourth Master asked.
“It’s been almost half an hour. This servant is very anxious waiting outside. I want to go in and see what’s going on, but I’m afraid that when the masters arrive, we won’t be able to get through this stone gate,” Cui Er said with a bitter face.
After exchanging a glance with Alhatu, Fourth Master said, "Why don't we leave a hundred men here to keep watch at the door? Let's go in together and see what's inside."
Alhatu nodded and said, "Alright, let's do as the Fourth Prince says. I'll go and make the arrangements."
Fourth Master nodded, and as he went to instruct his subordinates, he asked Cui Er, "Do you want to go in?"
Upon hearing the Fourth Master's question, Cui Er immediately exclaimed, "This servant has long wanted to go in!"
Fourth Master nodded and said nothing more. Alhatu then ordered his men to divide the five hundred men into one hundred who would remain behind and four hundred who would enter the cave.
"Alright, Fourth Prince, open that stone door," Alhatu said.
Fourth Master looked at Cui Er, signaling him to quickly open the stone door.
Cui Er dared not delay. Following his memory, he imitated Thirteen, feeling around on the stone until he found a spot and pressed down hard a few times. Sure enough, the stone door creaked and slowly began to move.
The stone door opened wide enough for two people to enter at the same time, then it stopped moving. Fourth Master looked inside and saw that it was pitch black.
"Why is it all black? How did Thirteenth Master and my elder brother get around inside?" Cui Er asked, glancing inside.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
