Chapter 114: Concealment

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Yang Wenhao curled his lip and said, “I’m telling you, are you all fools? This is obviously a mechanism, yet you insist on using brute force to open it. That’s just stupid.”

At his words, the man surnamed Sun turned his head, full of anger.

Clearly, Yang Wenhao had struck a nerve.

Sensing the tension thickening in the cave, the man surnamed Liu hurriedly grabbed Sun’s arm. “Brother Sun, calm down, calm down. I believe this young man didn’t mean any harm.”

“Hmph,” Sun flicked his hand dismissively and paid no further attention.

Liu glanced at Yang Wenhao, then turned to inspect the stone door.

Suddenly, with a rumble, the stone door trembled. Everyone looked over and saw the reportedly cold-faced woman activate the mechanism, opening the door.

Through the opening came a waft of metallic, bloody scent.

Yang Wenhao subtly inhaled, sensing something familiar mixed in the bloodiness, though after a moment’s thought, he shook his head—he couldn’t quite place where he had encountered this aura before.

The four of them stepped cautiously through the doorway.

With a loud rumble, the stone door behind them trembled and snapped shut, sealing them in.

The two men were momentarily stunned, but compared to them, Yang Wenhao and the woman remained remarkably composed.

Holding flashlights, the group groped their way through the pitch-black cave.

Soon, they reached a fork in the path.

Liu said, “It should be to the left.”

This aligned with their mission briefing, so naturally, there was little doubt.

The four proceeded leftward.

Yang Wenhao lagged at the rear, glancing anxiously from side to side.

For some reason, he felt that something was amiss, though he couldn’t put his finger on exactly what.

Suddenly, the sound of flowing water reached their ears—a subterranean river.

Upon seeing it, Sun leapt forward, intending to use his lightness skill to cross the river in a single bound.

But then, something strange happened.

From the bottomless darkness of the river, a black shadow about two meters long suddenly shot out and clamped its jaws onto Sun.

Sun was an elite martial artist with keen instincts.

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“Beast! You’re courting death!” Sun snapped.

With a flick of his sleeve, a short sword appeared in his hand. The black shadow, baring its sharp teeth, fearlessly lunged at the blade.

With a clear clang, the shadow bit through the sword.

“Ah!”

The beast sank its teeth into Sun’s arm, causing him to scream like a slaughtered pig. He staggered, nearly falling into the water, but the river was narrow. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Sun reached the opposite bank and slammed his palm down on the creature’s head.

The black shadow shuddered and lost its life.

“What’s going on?” Liu asked anxiously.

“Nothing, just got bitten by some beast. There’s something in this river—be careful,” Sun warned.

Liu glanced at Yang Wenhao and the woman. “We have to cross, but there’s…”

The woman ignored Liu and vaulted forward, stepping lightly over the water’s surface as a black shadow leapt up beneath her.

Without hesitation, she drew her sword and severed the shadow with a single strike.

Clearly, her strength far exceeded that of Sun.

Liu’s eyes reflected surprise at her prowess.

Yang Wenhao then crossed the river himself, but strangely, he made not the slightest ripple, passing safely and silently.

When he reached the other side, Liu followed. Apparently, only two shadows had appeared, and the woman and Sun had drawn their attention.

Upon reaching the bank, they saw the shadow Sun had brought up—a grotesque fish with jagged teeth and eyes as large as fists, its body fish-like and utterly repulsive.

“If I’m not mistaken, this fish is called a Netherfish,” Liu said, astonished.

“Netherfish?” Sun was puzzled.

Not only Sun, but even Yang Wenhao had no idea what a Netherfish was.

“It is said to be unique to the River of the Underworld,” the woman, who had been silent, finally spoke. “These fish feed on living flesh and bone—utterly malevolent.”

Yang Wenhao regarded the fish with newfound interest, surprised by its strange origin.

“Heh, Miss Tian is right. But the so-called Netherfish is merely a mutated piranha,” Liu chuckled.

The woman said nothing in response.

Sun, however, was furious. He stabbed the lifeless fish several times. “Damn beast, you bit me!”

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“You’re lucky, Brother Sun. These fish have tremendous bite strength—losing an arm wouldn’t be surprising,” Liu said.

After a brief rest, the group pressed onward.

Their mission was to find something—exact details were undisclosed—located deep within the cave.

The route was clearly marked, like a treasure hunt.

The item was placed in advance, waiting to be discovered.

They entered a cavern so vast that even their flashlights could not reach the end.

As they walked, thirst suddenly gnawed at them.

“I’m parched,” Sun said.

“Brother Sun, I have water,” Liu said, retrieving a bottle from his small pack and handing it to Sun.

Sun thanked him and drank deeply.

Yang Wenhao also felt dry, and even the woman swallowed hard.

“I have some more,” Liu smiled, pulling out two more bottles and offering them to Yang Wenhao and the woman.

The woman hesitated but accepted.

Yang Wenhao shook his head, declining. He had water stored in his personal inventory and didn’t need others’.

Seeing Yang Wenhao inexplicably produce a bottle of water, Liu’s eyes flickered with a subtle, unreadable expression.

In the darkness, nothing more could be discerned.

They continued deeper.

After several hundred meters, a light appeared ahead.

“We’re almost there,” Sun said cheerfully.

Encouraged by the light, Sun quickened his pace, and Yang Wenhao followed suit.

No one noticed that Liu, who had led the way until now, had fallen to the rear.

They emerged into a small cavern illuminated by a single lamp.

Looking down, they saw numerous bodies sprawled across the floor.

(End of chapter)