Chapter 60
The narrow passage stretched downward, bottomless, swallowing up the last ray of light from the stone chamber. Thick darkness and a cold, damp air enveloped me, carrying the scent of earth and stale water vapor. The stone steps beneath my feet were slippery and uneven, requiring extreme caution with every step.
Gu Linzhi followed closely behind Mo Ya, gritting his teeth and enduring the excruciating pain and discomfort emanating from all parts of his body. The medicine Mo Ya had prepared had indeed taken effect, suppressing some of the cold poison and slowing the spread of the blue spider saliva, allowing him to regain basic mobility, but he was still far from fully recovered. The wound under his ribs felt like a lump of ice, constantly emitting cold air, and every breath was accompanied by a stinging pain. His internal energy was nearly depleted, and the weak "spark" he had could only barely protect his heart meridians, unable to provide any further support.
The black crow ahead was like a ghost in the dark night. Even with one arm, he moved swiftly and silently in such a hostile environment. He seemed to be extremely familiar with this secret passage, each step landing on the safest position. Occasionally, he would whisper quickly behind him: "The left step is loose," "Look down," "There's a protruding rock on the right." His perception was still terrifyingly sharp in the absolute darkness.
Gu Linzhi followed with all his might, not daring to lose focus for even a moment. He knew that pursuers could come at any moment from the now-blocked route behind him, or from some other unknown entrance. The underground of Ningxiang Garden was far more complex than it appeared.
The passage did not go straight down. After winding for about an incense stick of time, it began to become flat, and the air gradually began to flow, bringing with it a faint sound of water and a clearer coolness belonging to the outside night.
"We're almost at the exit." Mo Ya's voice was so low that it almost blended into the sound of the wind and water. "Outside is an abandoned dock on the edge of the swamp, near Black Rock."
Black Rock? Gu Linzhi's heart skipped a beat. This place was where the Cao Gang had their troubles, and where Ge Ping had obtained the confession about the "Fine Iron Transport to the North"! Was it a coincidence, or did Su Wanwan or Mo Ya choose this place intentionally?
Before he could ponder further, a faint light shone through from the front. Mo Ya stopped, signaling Gu Linzhi to be silent. He then silently moved forward, as if blending into the shadows, to explore the exit.
Gu Linzhi leaned against the cold stone wall, his heartbeat pounding against his chest, causing the wound to ache. He tried to regulate his breathing, listening to the sounds outside. Aside from the sounds of wind and water, there seemed to be nothing unusual.
A moment later, Mo Ya returned, his voice grave. "There are people outside. They're not factory guards, but they're dressed like gangsters. Their movements are quite methodical, as if they're searching for something. There are six of them, scattered around the dock."
"Rush out?" Gu Linzhi asked in a low voice, his hand silently grasping the only dagger hidden at his waist, which he had brought out from the stone chamber. It was the short blade that Su Wanwan usually used to handle medicinal herbs, and it was extremely sharp.
"No." Mo Ya rejected it flatly. "In our current state, it's too risky to force our way in. Besides, alerting the enemy will only lead to endless trouble."
He pondered for a moment, then groped along the wall with his one arm. "There should be another fork in the road nearby, leading to an underwater secret passage further downstream. It was used by the Cao Gang in times of emergency..."
Before he finished speaking, there was a faint sound of stones being moved from the far back of the passage, along with extremely subtle but rapidly approaching footsteps!
The pursuers are here! And they're coming from the direction they came from!
There is a wolf in front and a tiger behind!
Gu Linzhi and Mo Ya's expressions changed at the same time!
"Let's go!" Mo Ya made a quick decision, no longer looking for a fork in the road. He shouted, "Follow me! Our target is that dilapidated black-sailed boat on the left side of the dock! Once you get in the water, swim to the left. There's a sunken shipwreck underwater where we can take shelter!"
Before he finished speaking, he shot out of the passage like an arrow from a bowstring! Gu Linzhi didn't dare to neglect it, took a deep breath, and followed closely behind!
The two men were like two dark shadows that suddenly tore through the night sky, and suddenly rushed out from an extremely hidden stone cave covered with dense aquatic plants on the river bank!
The cold night wind, tinged with moisture, blew against my face! Before me lay a desolate riverbank, an abandoned wooden pier half-collapsed in the water, and a few dilapidated boats rocked with the waves. Not far away, several huge, dark reefs revealed their sinister outlines in the moonlight—that was Black Rock Rock.
Almost the moment they appeared!
“There!”
"Surround them!"
Several sharp shouts echoed simultaneously from both sides! Six figures leaped out from behind the reefs and the reeds like ghosts! Blades flashed in icy arcs under the dim moonlight, heading straight for the two men!
These people are indeed quite skilled, with good coordination and fierce attacks. They are definitely not ordinary bandits!
Mo Ya swung his single arm, and the short-bladed spear swung out like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, accurately deflecting the knife that was slashing towards Gu Linzhi's face. At the same time, he shifted his pace and cleverly used his body to push away another attacking enemy, creating a gap for Gu Linzhi! "Get in the water!" He growled, his voice remaining steady even during the fight.
Gu Linzhi gritted his teeth and without hesitation, he stumbled into the icy river! The biting cold instantly enveloped his whole body, almost suffocating him, and the wound under his ribs was so painful that his vision went black.
But he didn't dare to stop, and swam hard to the left in the direction pointed by the black crow.
Behind him came the sound of fiercely clashing weapons, roars, and a muffled groan! Gu Linzhi glanced back and saw Mo Ya brandishing a short-bladed spear with one arm, temporarily stopping the four pursuers with his own strength! The spear shadow was like a dragon, fierce and cunning, forcing the four to stay within the boundaries for a moment! But he was one-armed after all, and his body seemed a little sluggish under the siege, and it was obvious that he could not hold out for long.
The other two pursuers jumped into the water without hesitation, holding water-dividing spears, and chased after Gu Linzhi quickly like two vicious fish!
The river was muddy and the light was dim. Gu Linzhi paddled desperately, his lungs burning from the cold and lack of oxygen. He could hear the sound of the water being cut through behind him getting closer and closer!
Just as a pursuer was about to grab his ankle—
“Buzz!”
An extremely strange, low yet penetrating buzzing sound suddenly sounded from somewhere under the water without any warning!
The sound was not loud, but it seemed to be able to drill directly into people's brains, causing a strong feeling of nausea and dizziness!
Gu Linzhi felt his head spin, and his movements slowed down instantly. The two pursuers behind him were even more shocked, their bodies suddenly stiffening, their movements completely deformed, and expressions of extreme pain on their faces, as if they had heard some extremely terrifying sound!
Is it a beeping brass whistle?! No, that sound is wrong, duller, more like... some modified signal for underwater use?!
In this instant of change, a faster black shadow shot out like lightning from behind the wreckage of the sunken ship on the bottom side!
It was an extremely agile figure, wearing a water jacket and holding a slender water spear, and his movements were as smooth as a real aquatic creature!
“Puff!” “Puff!”
Two extremely slight and sharp muffled sounds.
The two pursuers, who were distracted by the strange buzzing sound, suddenly had a bloody hole in their throats. Without even being able to scream, they were quickly swallowed by the river, leaving only gurgling bubbles rising to the surface.
The black shadow that suddenly appeared dealt with the pursuers, and without stopping, grabbed Gu Linzhi's arm, who was almost unconscious, and with great strength, dragged him down quickly, and flexibly drilled under a huge, algae-covered keel of a sunken ship.
Gu Linzhi's consciousness was hazy, and he could only allow himself to be dragged. The last thing he saw was the pier. Mo Ya seemed to have heard the underwater humming sound. His movements slowed down, and then a look of understanding and determination flashed in his eyes. He feinted a shot, forcing the enemy to retreat, and then without hesitation, he jumped into the river, his figure quickly disappearing under the water.
The pursuers on the dock were obviously not good at swimming. They shouted and cursed at the dark river surface, but did not dare to go into the water easily. They could only disperse quickly, as if they wanted to block the way downstream.
…
The icy river water irritated his nerves. Gu Linzhi was dragged by the dark shadow, weaving through the intricate wreckage of the sunken ship. Soon, he was pulled into the entrance of an underwater cave hidden beneath a massive reef. After buoying slightly, he unexpectedly entered a narrow, air-filled natural cave.
"Cough! Cough cough!" Gu Linzhi collapsed in the shallow water, coughing violently, spitting out several mouthfuls of cold river water, his whole body shaking like a leaf in the wind.
The dark figure who had saved him also surfaced, removing his hood from his water jacket, revealing a young face soaked by the river water, sharp features, and a hint of fierceness. He glanced warily at the cave entrance, then at Gu Linzhi with a complex expression. He lowered his voice and asked, "Gu...Master Gu? Are you okay?"
Gu Linzhi raised his head with difficulty, and with the faint moonlight reflected from the water surface at the entrance of the cave, he saw the face of the person who came and was stunned.
He had some impression of this man; he seemed to be a capable leader under Luo Manzi of the Cao Gang, named... Chang Wu? He seemed to have seen him before during the battle at Dragon King Temple. He was quite skilled and had excellent swimming skills.
"Did... Luo Manzi send you here?" Gu Linzhi asked breathlessly, his mind filled with suspicion. Luo Manzi and his men should have been waiting in a hidden area on the other side of the swamp. How could they have found this place so accurately and even set up an ambush underwater?
Chang Wu wiped the water from his face and shook his head solemnly, "Not exactly. Master Luo led the brothers to guard the box, and sent a few of us to scout out possible exits from the swamp for support. I'm in charge of the Black Rock Rock area because... because Master Ge's incident originally happened near here, and we're most familiar with this area of water."
He paused, a flicker of fear and confusion in his eyes. "That noise underwater just now... wasn't made by me. I heard it, too, and nearly got caught. It sounded like it was coming from that largest shipwreck over there..." He pointed in a certain direction outside the cave. "That sound was eerie! Then I saw you being chased by those two, so I took the opportunity to attack."
Not Chang Wu? Gu Linzhi's heart skipped a beat. That strange underwater humming sound had another source? Friend or foe? An accident, or...
Just then, there was a splash on the water surface.
Mo Ya's figure sneaked into the small cave silently like a ghost. His wet black suit clung to his sturdy body. He held a short-bladed spear in one arm. His eyes were like lightning, quickly scanning the situation in the cave. He stayed on Chang Wu for a moment, and after confirming that there was no threat, he looked at Gu Linzhi.
"That water whistle," Mo Ya's voice was moist with moisture, yet still icy cold, "was made by a 'fishing drum.' It's a modified device capable of long-distance underwater communication and temporarily disrupting the enemy. It's a common tactic used by the Snow Spider Pavilion."
He cast his gaze towards the dark river outside the cave, his eyes deep. "It seems that besides Cao Wushang and those scumbags, there is another group of 'friends' who are also very interested in our whereabouts."
When Chang Wu heard the words "Snow Spider Pavilion", his face suddenly changed. It was obvious that he had heard of its evil reputation.
Gu Linzhi's heart sank. The situation was becoming increasingly complex and treacherous. The wreckage from which the "fisher drum" sound was heard... the place where Ge Ping was on the verge of death... the clues to the transportation of fine iron to the north...
All the fragments seemed to be pointing to some unexpected key hidden under the water of Black Rock.
Mo Ya checked Gu Linzhi's condition, frowning slightly. "You must be dealt with more properly immediately. Chang Wu," he turned to the Cao Gang man, "is it possible to reach Luo Manzi safely?"
Chang Wu looked troubled. "Those people outside definitely haven't gone far. They're probably being watched all along the way. It's too dangerous to go out now. But... I know there's a more secluded place nearby. It was set up secretly by Ge Ye a long time ago. Not many people in the gang know about it. Maybe we can take shelter there for a while."
Mo Ya and Gu Linzhi looked at each other.
"Lead the way." Gu Linzhi said in a hoarse voice.
No matter what, you must survive first to find out the truth beneath this fog.
Chang Wu nodded, put on his water hood again, motioned the two to follow him, and once again quietly dived into the cold and dark river.
New crises and clues are hidden under the seemingly calm but turbulent waters of Black Rock.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
