A four-legged snake writhed its way up to my chest.

Barely twenty centimeters away, my nose could distinctly pick up the rank, pungent odor emanating from the creature.

I shook my body vigorously, trying to fling off these four-legged snakes. But it was futile; not only did they cling on, but in my thrashing, I managed to smack the crow box amulet hanging around my neck against my own face.

The crow box, made of metal, hit my face hard and it hurt.

With a snap, the crow box flew open.

Inside was a bundle of yellow paper, a talisman that Yao Yumen had given me, which I had carried with me ever since. Faint traces of writing could be seen on it.

Biting a corner of the paper bundle with my teeth, I shook it vigorously.

Soon enough, I managed to tear open the yellow paper bundle, and a light yellow powder spilled out.

Strangely, the yellow powder was colorless and odorless, but upon detecting it, the four-legged snakes on my body recoiled as if they had encountered realgar, retreating swiftly.

In less than two minutes, my body was clean, not a single four-legged snake remained.

Looking down, I saw two lines of small characters on the yellow paper bundle. Initially, they were indistinct, but after shaking it in my mouth to get a better angle, I could finally make them out.

Written on the yellow paper with a red brush were the words: "Life and death are predestined, wealth and honor are in heaven's hands; guard against the hidden treachery of men, and the manifest harm of insects; beware, beware the shadowy courts of the underground palace."

Reading these words, a tumultuous wave surged within me!

Yao Yumen's amulet contained a twenty-four-character commentary! It was as if this woman had foreseen the secret plan between my eldest brother, third brother, and me!

Could this woman be gifted with foresight?

But that wasn't all.

I also discovered a thin blade embedded in the bottom of the crow box, resembling a razor blade but even thinner and sharper.

Risking cuts to my mouth, I tried over and over, and finally managed to flip the crow box upside down, biting the blade between my teeth.

Using the blade, I cut through the rope closest to my upper body and sat up, then, still biting the blade, I severed the ropes around my feet.

Many four-legged snakes still crawled on the ground, but my clothes were dusted with the medicinal powder from the crow box, and the snakes dared not come too close. With every move I made, they scurried into the darkness, some retreating back into the pit.

I had seen on TV how to treat a dislocated arm, but as the saying goes, easier said than done—I am no doctor, and on TV, they pop it back into place with a simple snap.

Leaning against the wall, I rammed my shoulder, each thud sending waves of pain.

Perhaps it was the protection of the amulet, or maybe it was sheer luck, like a blind cat stumbling upon a dead rat. After several attempts, I heard a click, and to my amazement, I had managed to reset my own arm!

It was sheer guesswork, a shot in the dark. I tried again to reattach my left arm, but to no avail; it wouldn't fit back on.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

Peering into the Large Pit, I saw that it was very deep, pitch-dark, and an eerie chill emanated from below, sending shivers down my spine.

Clutching my injured left arm, I concealed the small knife blade in the palm of my hand. On tiptoes, I moved as silently as possible, cautiously making my way out.

Judging by the geographical layout of the surroundings, I was still beneath Moth Mountain, likely within one of the Underground Caves.

Staying close to the wall, I blended into the darkness and walked for a few minutes. Suddenly, I saw a flicker of firelight ahead and thought I could hear the murmur of voices.

I crept closer, stealthily.

"Brother Chen, if this job we've pulled off is as slick as it seems, and that mummy can really come back to life by sucking blood, we're gonna strike it rich! You know, Brother Chen, the vice-chairman of the Changchun Association is on his deathbed, hanging on life by a thread with those nutrition injections costing hundreds of thousands per shot. If we offer that mummy to him, you might just get promoted from the Eight Small Gates to the Big Four! And I could join the Changchun Association! Just thinking about it gets me pumped. From then on, we can strut around like we own the place. What kind of babe couldn't I pick up!"

"You, my boy! Is joining the Changchun Association just about chasing skirts for you? Man up! Can't you aim a bit higher?"

"Heh heh..."

A sleazy laugh followed, "My ambitions can't compare to yours, Brother Chen. You've got the guts, treating your own gang members, your brothers, like pawns, without batting an eyelid. Me, I'm different. My greatest wish in life is to marry a beautiful college girl!"

"Kid, with your elementary school diploma, why the fixation on college beauties? Tell me, once you're in the Changchun Association, what would you even do with her?"

"I... I'd have her read to me every night!"

"Just... just have her read 'Jin Ping Mei' to me every night!"

"Get lost, you Two Hundred and Fifty."

Their conversation made my blood boil. I was itching to charge over and let some blood with my blade! That damned Chen Jiansheng had masqueraded too well before, his acting skills worthy of a Golden Rooster Award.

I continued to listen as the two discussed me and Red Sister.

"Brother Chen, that Old Seadog's Mixed Bewitching Incense is really something, isn't it? You saw it just now, right? Man, how that Bewitching Smoke surged—it worked like a charm!"

Chen Jiansheng chuckled, "Old Seadog's stuff is indeed top-notch. Earlier, I intentionally had Chen Hong and that kid eat the fruit, and then with the help of the Bewitching Incense to knock them out, it worked wonders!"

"Damn impressive, Brother Chen. We all took the antidote three days in advance for it to work, but you only arrived yesterday. So your antidote was..."

With a snap of his fingers, Chen Jiansheng bragged with a smug grin, "Kid, take a lesson. This is the brilliance of your Brother Chen. I had the game all set up in advance, mixing the antidote into the wine. Those wines were stored in Soul Storage Jars at the Sacrificial Pit. I made it known that I'm a lover of liquor, and with that, everything fell into place seamlessly, didn't it? Ah, haha."

"Despicable cur!"

I cursed this old rascal's ancestors for eighteen generations in my heart. If I hadn't overheard their conversation, I would never have known how Red Sister and I were ensnared.

The Martial Arts World is treacherous, where faces are known but not hearts.

Just as Red Sister said, not a single good thing comes from the Southern Sect!

Although some things were still unclear to me, I knew we had been set up. Those who went tomb raiding with Chen Jiansheng, including the now-deceased Chen, had all been duped to their deaths by him.

And behind him was a partner from some Changchun Association, of which I had no concept or understanding.

Red Sister, however, was well aware, so I planned to rescue people, starting with Red Sister. Then I would find a way to locate Eldest Brother and Third Brother and save them too.

Knowing I was on my own, I kept my distance after they finished talking and left, stealthily following them.

Visibility was very low here without a fire or flashlight, which also facilitated my concealment. I followed them surreptitiously, and neither of them noticed me.

I guessed they probably thought I was already dead or had been devoured by the four-legged snake, so they let their guard down.

At this thought, Yao Yumen came to mind.

Her image surfaced in my head, and intuition told me that this matter might be far more complicated than I had imagined.

I followed them for about half an hour.

Chen Jiansheng and the man stopped.

I saw a very concealed cave entrance ahead, camouflaged with dry grass.

They brushed aside the grass and crawled in one after the other.

I waited in place for three minutes, then crouched and followed them in.

The enemy was numerous and powerful, so I proceeded with utmost caution, hiding at the slightest rustle of wind or grass.

I knew that I was the last hope for our group, and I couldn't afford to be caught.

Now, the only advantage I had was this:

The enemy was in the light, and I was in the shadows. (To be continued)

*******

I have also posted the following more chapters [All free]: https://https://www.readgates.com/article/7b136c