Although they had everything now from riches to wealth, people like Duan Qigu knew that one day they would definitely be hunted down, thus they were incredibly sly. It would be strange if he had not build such a massive secret underground tunnel like this just in case.
But what Cui Buqu did not expect was that Duan Qigu's secret underground passage is not located in the usual study room or under his bed, and that it is at the back of the balustrade of the hallway that is situated behind the manor.
This is a place that people often wander to and fro. Logically, there is no potential for something to be hidden here, but the fact that it is impossible for something to be hidden here has become a glimmer of hope for Duan Qigu. When Cui Buqu opens the level and leaps down, he is thinking about the possible exits that are left in the Duan manor. They would definitely be other exits, for if Duan Qigu did not encounter this incident here today, and that it took place in the study or bedroom instead, then the only option left to him would have only been death.
The entrance of the secret passage is a steep slope down. It seems that Duan Qigu wasted quite some amount of efforts on this, grinding the path until it became smooth and flattened, there are no rocks or pebbles on the side that could wound a person. After sliding down for a while, Cui Buqu feels his feet touch thin air and falls down immediately. At this moment, his waist is caught by a hand with a gentle strength, it saved him from hitting his head.
"Thank you." He says lightly.
"Master Daoist Cui, you are too kind." One could not see their own fingers if they put out a hand out, so it was the same for Bing Xuan. They look around themselves, observing the place, "Just now, Master Yan and Duan Qigu both fell inside here. They should not have gone far."
All round them is silence. Nothing could be heard.
It also means that both of them are nowhere near.
"We should move forward to take a look." Cui Buqu says.
Bing Xuan did not object to it, "This place is too dark without sunlight. I could not see clearly myself. Master Daoist Cui please follow me closely, to avoid any situation where I'm unable to save you."
Cui Buqu said, "I will walk in front of you."
The passage here is sometimes wide, sometimes narrow. There is no place for two people to walk side by side to each other. If anything happened, they would be unable to avoid it as well. If Cui Buqu walks behind Bing Xuan, it is easy for him to walk into her from behind and made it awkward for them both.
Bing Xuan laughs suddenly in the dark.
She has seem many men who took advantage of women on purpose, and even more of those that speaks of heroism and ideals, but lost themselves to the beauty of women. Therefore, she finds Cui Buqu very admirable. Even though he has said nothing about it, it was clear that he drew the lines clearly between them.
"There is no need." Bing Xuan says, "Master Daoist, you should just follow behind me."
As she speaks, she immediately takes a step forward and touches the side of the walls, moving in front slowly.
"There might be some torches on the walls, wait, let me find it…. I've found it."
Bing Xuan takes out a fire starter from inside her robes and lights the torch. A wave of light appears in front of them and both of them couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.
As darkness envelopes them, it is difficult for one not to be afraid. But with this glimmer of light, even if there is some traps in front of them, it would be easily discovered.
Bing Xuan takes the torch down from the walls and wanted to light the surrounding torches as well, yet she discovers that all the torches are dead. Even for the only one left, the one that she was holding, is also quickly dissolving away, barely sustaining.
This could only mean that this place is often visited.
The place they have fallen into is an underground vault made of stone. Its sides are flat and smooth, yet empty. There is nothing here.
There is no bed, no chairs, no tables and no brush or ink.
Bing Xuan's eyebrows furrow.
If this place is often visited, then that person either did nothing here, or mediates here often. Or they only stood here and talk before leaving immediately?
But the entrance is incredibly seep. It is not easy to climb back up from there.
Cui Buqu kneels and reaches out to touch the ground before bringing it to his nose to sniffs it.
"Blood. They were here."
Bing Xuan feels disappointed in herself. She is too occupied with looking around that she had forgotten to look under her feet. So she immediately kneels down as well and quickly found traces of blood that the other mentions.
Cui Buqu asks Bing Xuan for the torch before quickly sprawling on the ground and inspects it closely. After a while, only did he point somewhere and says, "They disappeared over there."
The blood trail twists and turns, and the sand on the ground follows after it. The trail is sometimes obvious, sometimes faint, and it proves that Duan Qigu's wounds are not feigned. Perhaps he did not even have the strength to stand up now. His footsteps are uneven. It is even possible that after Yan Xuexing caught up to him, he dragged him across the ground before both of them suddenly disappear.
There is nothing in the corner.
The level is perhaps hidden under a brick or on the wall, so there is no need to say more, both of them went over and spilt up searching.
Cui Buqu finds nothing, but Bing Xuan exclaims, 'Eh?'
He had just only turned around, before the ground beneath his feet shook. Shock spreads over Bing Xuan's face, with one hand on the wall, she quickly reaches out to grab Cui Buqu, but she is one step too late, and Cui Buqu drops downwards. Both their hands merely brush against one another with Cui Buqu only manages to grab thin air.
In the next moment, his back hits the wall. Pain spreads throughout his body, immediately follow by a strong gust of wind; it belongs to the growl of a beast and its loud breathing.
Cui Buqu falls quite heavily. His chest hurts. A cough threatens to spill from his lips, but it is quickly swallowed back down.
Had it been Bing Xuan or Feng Xiao, it would not be difficult for them to avoid it, but for Cui Buqu, it is beyond difficult.
Since he could not avoid it, he could only close his eyes. Even though he has schemed and plotted boundlessly, he has not expected himself to die in a place like this, in lieu of dying under the poison of the Naihe Xiang drug, or was by murder by Yu Xiu or Yu Heng. He had not expected himself to be devoured by a beast whose face he did not even see yet.
Cui Buqu hits against a chest, before the other rolls aside.
The beast claws at thin air and lets out an angry howl before lunging itself against them.
Cui Buqu only feels the other person putting him down before the sound of weapons ring and a fight breaks out with the beast.
In the midst of the darkness, man and beast fought. The beast is very interested in Cui Buqu, and originally it thought that he would be its dinner, but who knew that someone would intefer in the process and ruin everything, making wounds all over its body. The beast's howl became more and more irritated as it lunges at the other person, but a sword's glare slits open its stomach and it falls heavily to the ground, letting out a low growl.
The beast looks terrifying, but this is only for ordinary people. For someone with such an incredible martial arts before it, this beast is not his match.
In fact, this person's martial art skills is not weak at all. He could even be called a top martial artist.
He is not Duan Qigu, and not Yan Xuexing.
So who is it?
Even Feng Xiao never uses a sword.
Cui Buqu feels that his head is currently in a daze from the fall just now, even his logic is processing slower than before.
Until the other asks him, "Are you alright?"
Cui Buqu could not help but coughs a few times and feels a familiar taste of blood in his throat. He speaks in a hoarse voice, "Many thanks, may I ask your Lordship's name?"
The other says, "Xiao Lu."
Cui Buqu asks questioningly, "'Xiao' as in the character with a grass head?"
The other party smiles, "That is correct. And 'Lu' from Bu Lu Pan Shan."
Cui Buqu holds his head dizzily. He only feels that this name is incredibly familiar to himself, but it came to him only after a moment passes.
This person is definitely someone famous.
In fact he was someone incredibly popular.
In a place on the outskirts like this, how could it suddenly draw, within a single night, all the heroes from all eight directions of the world?
Grass head: This is just the description of Xiao Lu's surname, Xiao (潇); the character 艹 on top of the Han character is called a 'grass head'. Since any words with that character is more or less related to grasses and flora like names of plants or flowers.
Bu Lu Pan Shan (步履蹒跚): A Han idiom used to describe someone who limps when they walk.