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墨書 Inktalez
When we witnessed this scene, everyone was stunned, with almost every person wide-eyed at the spectacle. The six knives thrown earlier were somewhat explainable; perhaps Jiao Ba had a particularly high level of accuracy.
But it was the last knife that struck the stone wall that truly showcased Jiao Ba's astonishing abilities. First, let's talk about the force involved. The entrance on both sides could easily accommodate two people, yet Jiao Ba managed to make the knife ricochet back and forth several times while still propelling it forward. This alone was something an average person could never achieve.
From the moment the knife was thrown, it required immense rotational force to control its trajectory. Without proper skill, if someone threw a knife at the wall, it wouldn’t just bounce back; it would simply fall to the ground.
Moreover, he managed to perfectly position that last knife exactly where it needed to be. This was the most unbelievable part; I never expected him to have such precise control over his strength. Jiao Ba was truly a master of concealment; it seemed my understanding of him was merely superficial.
“Wow, Jiao Ba, are you performing some kind of acrobatics here?” Big Guy exclaimed, his face a mix of disbelief.
“What a remarkable flying knife technique! Xiao Ba, you really are impressive,” Mai Lao nodded in approval.
“Truly extraordinary, Jiao Ba. You must be the strongest tomb raider I've ever seen...” Changshan seemed to let slip something he shouldn’t have and quickly cut himself off mid-sentence.
Jiao Ba turned to him and said, “Oh? From what you just said, it seems you’ve encountered quite a few tomb raiders?”
Changshan awkwardly chuckled and replied, “Heh, well... not really. Just a few I knew back in the day.”
“Let’s not dwell on that anymore. What’s our next step?” Jenny quickly interrupted them, looking quite anxious.
“Follow my lead. Move one by one as I do; do not walk side by side. Stay close behind me and don’t act recklessly. I’ll make this clear: if anyone messes around and something goes wrong, I won’t be able to protect you,” Jiao Ba said sternly, his expression icy and serious.
“Don’t worry, Xiao Ba. I’ll keep everyone in check,” Mai Lao reassured him with a pat on the shoulder.
“Good. Let’s go then; follow me.” Jiao Ba took large strides forward from where he had thrown the knife earlier. With each step, he ensured his heel landed firmly on one of the knives while keeping his other foot suspended in the air without touching the ground at first.
After a few seconds, he slowly lowered his suspended foot to draw another knife from the ground and mark his path before continuing forward and marking again. He repeated this process until he reached the position of the last knife.
Others closely followed behind him, not daring to let their guard down for a moment, all moving according to the path drawn by Jiao Ba. I could even sense that Big Guy and the others were walking with trepidation, cold sweat continuously trickling down their foreheads as they struggled to maintain their balance.
This situation was unbearable; what looked like an ordinary tunnel could be hiding who knows what inside, and we had no idea if there were any traps.
These were just my speculations. If there truly were no traps, then we would have just exhausted ourselves for nothing. The main issue was the pressure weighing heavily on our minds; every step felt like a leap into the unknown.
But if there really were traps, then a moment of carelessness could lead to dire consequences. We had no choice but to endure it; hopefully, this passage would be short and not too long, or else it would truly be torturous.
The six knives that Jiao Ba had thrown out could only accommodate six people at a time. I, along with Li Xin and the other four, remained at the entrance of the tunnel, patiently waiting for Jiao Ba's next move.
At that moment, Li Xin leaned in and whispered in my ear, "Loyalty and Righteousness, do you think Jiao Ba's actions are unnecessary?"
"Why do you say that?" I turned to glance at her.
"I think this tunnel is quite ordinary; it shouldn't be that complicated. If there really is a tomb, this is probably just an entrance and nothing more sinister," Li Xin said nonchalantly.
"Better safe than sorry. What if there are traps? Wouldn't that be the end of us? Besides, you saw it too—except for you, no one dared to take the lead. In life-and-death situations, no one wants to take that risk without certainty."
What I said was absolutely true; even I didn't dare to be careless. This wasn't about being timid; it was about not joking with our lives. If we were caught off guard by a trap and met our end, it would be better to face the Corpse below instead. Li Xin's earlier actions had indeed been somewhat reckless.
"You're all just too cowardly. And you're supposed to be tough guys? Is this all the courage you have? How embarrassing," she retorted coldly.
"This isn't about courage; it's called caution." I couldn't be bothered to argue with her; she could say whatever she wanted.
"But at this rate, when will we ever get out of this tunnel?" Li Xin still seemed a bit disgruntled.
"Slow as it may be, it's better than dying," I said, turning to lock eyes with her as I spoke each word deliberately.
Jiao Ba's movements were surprisingly quick. Just like the first time, he repeated the same actions, and we continued to follow in his footsteps. The pace was agonizingly slow, and it was hard to bear. Li Xin had a point when he mentioned how frustrating this was.
Fortunately, I managed to keep my composure. No matter how troublesome it was, it was better than losing my head. Throughout our journey, no one spoke a word; not even a single sound escaped our lips. Jiao Bayi was up ahead, continuously repeating his actions while we cautiously followed, constantly observing our surroundings.
I walked at the back of the group, with Li Xin in front of me. Ever since I entered this passageway, I had the unsettling feeling that someone was trailing behind me. However, I didn’t dare turn around; I feared that if I did, I might accidentally trigger a trap, and that would be disastrous for all of us.
So I tried to ignore it. The length of this passage remained an unknown factor, but we had been walking for quite some time without finding an exit, still inching forward slowly.
The atmosphere felt incredibly oppressive. Aside from our faint footsteps, there was an eerie silence; the entire passage was frighteningly quiet. The flames of the candles flickered momentarily before brightening again, as if a breeze had swept through.
But that didn’t make sense—this passage was over ten meters underground; how could there be wind? Just as I pondered this absurdity, I caught a whiff of something unpleasant. The smell was faint and intermittent.
I casually asked ahead, “Li Xin, do you smell something?”
“No, just be quiet and stay calm,” Li Xin replied without turning around, continuing to move forward with the group.
I felt something was off. Was there something lurking nearby? I glanced around; aside from the cold walls, there was nothing else in sight. It seemed I was just being paranoid.
However, just as I began to relax, I noticed a distorted shadow behind me. It stopped right at my feet. This shadow must have been cast by the candlelight, but deep down I knew—I was the last one in line; there couldn’t possibly be anyone behind me.
I froze for a moment and turned around sharply. Not far behind me stood a disheveled figure—a gaunt old man with unkempt hair. He lurked in a corner where the candlelight illuminated his presence. Just like before, he stared intently at us.
A chill ran down my spine. “What the hell…” I muttered under my breath, nearly stumbling backward.
Luckily, Li Xin reacted quickly and steadied me. “Slow down! What’s the rush? What’s wrong with you? You look pale.”
I glanced back again; that old man had vanished once more. That damned old man appeared one moment on the mountain and then disappeared into thin air the next—what on earth did he want?
What kind of tricks is he playing? What does it mean that he is following us like this? There must be something going on here; it can't just be simple stalking. But I just can't figure it out, though I know I can still meet him.
I turned around and said, "Oh, it's nothing... I just lost my balance."
Li Xin sneered, "Is that all you've got? Walk carefully, and don't drag everyone down with you." Her tone was as cold as ever, but I was used to it by now.
After walking for a while, I lost count of how many times Jiao Ba had thrown his knife. But this time, danger truly arrived. When he flung the knife from his hand again, it struck the wall and then ricocheted forward. I heard a faint 'bang,' as if something had been severed.
At that moment, Jiao Ba shouted, "Everyone duck!"
We all quickly covered our heads and crouched down. Suddenly, countless arrows shot out from both sides of the passageway. The arrows continuously fired towards the opposite side with terrifying density and great force. Each arrow that struck the wall broke upon impact, demonstrating just how powerful they were.
We huddled on the ground in fear, watching everything unfold before us. The barrage of arrows lasted for about a minute, and when it finally stopped, the ground was littered with broken arrows—a truly shocking sight.
It seemed Jiao Ba's actions were correct; if we had been careless, we would have been done for. If we had stood there, we would have undoubtedly been shot full of holes like hedgehogs. Just thinking about it sent chills down my spine.
Jiao Ba was the first to stand up and said, "After walking for so long, we've only encountered one trap. There shouldn't be any more ahead; everyone can relax a bit."
"Hey Jiao Ba, let's still be careful," Mantou said with a wide grin from a few people ahead of me. I couldn't see his expression, but I imagined it wasn't good...
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