Chapter 36: Entering the Sunken Tomb, Innocence Shattered

Chapter 36: Entering the Shipwreck Tomb, A Heartbroken Naive

They seemed to have emerged from a large pool. It was highly likely that a mechanism connecting to the outside world was located there, functioning similarly to a siphon, though how to trigger it remained unclear. Every time this siphoning occurred, the wastewater in the pool was drained and replaced with fresh water. Thinking of this, many were stunned. They had never imagined that after all these years, the mechanisms would still be operational! This, however, only underscored the terrifying level of danger within this shipwreck.

"Take out these Siren-brides first!" Wu Naive raised his gun and began firing at the creatures.

"Aim for the heads!" the Silent Brother reminded him, charging directly into close-quarters combat.

After two hours of fierce fighting and the loss of four of A-Ning’s subordinates, the battle finally ended with over thirty Siren-brides slain.

"Damn it, my younger brother is still out there. If anything happens to him, how am I supposed to explain it to my Second Uncle?" Wu Naive lamented in frustration. If it cost them four lives just to deal with these few, how could Wu Yu possibly survive against the thousands outside?

"You all wait here!" the Silent Brother said, putting his equipment back on before diving into the pool again to search for an exit or a trigger. Unfortunately, the depths were incredibly intricate, clearly designed by someone who had anticipated such an attempt. There was not a trace to follow; it was as complex as a labyrinth. If Wu Yu had known this, he would surely have been surprised, as he remembered a passage leading out from beneath that very pool. It seemed to have vanished, leaving the entire shipwreck like a massive, sealed fortress.

After exhausting his entire oxygen tank without finding anything, the Silent Brother returned, helpless. "Alas, there is nothing to be done. That young Comrade Wu outside is likely in grave danger this time."

"Let's move! Enter first. Since the way we came is blocked, we must find another route out as soon as possible!" Wu Naive finally decided.

"Agreed!" The group nodded, gathered their gear, and prepared to set off. No one noticed the complex look in A-Ning's eyes. She glanced at Wu Naive’s back, gave a few hand signals to her two remaining subordinates, and followed.

They entered a dim corridor where the floor tiles were engraved with complex inscriptions. Seeing the dragon-head carvings beneath the surrounding architecture, they exclaimed in surprise, "Could this be an emperor's tomb?" In ancient times, only an emperor would dare use dragons as decoration.

"Cross it first, then talk. Something is wrong here." Wu Naive frowned. There were tiny gaps between the inscribed tiles, which meant they were mobile! Before he could study them further, he felt his body lighten as his feet left the ground.

A-Ning’s two men had hoisted him up and charged forward, using him as a human shield! What shocked Naive even more was that A-Ning stayed behind, watching the surroundings vigilantly, showing no intention of stopping her men. In that instant, Wu Naive’s heart turned to ash. He never expected A-Ning to treat him this way! Women! He would never trust any woman again!

But did he even have a chance? When the sound of a triggered mechanism erupted beneath his feet and the dragon heads on both sides swiveled, jaws opening to unleash a barrage of arrows, Wu Naive felt utter despair. His only thought was an apology to Wu Yu. If not for him, he wouldn't have put himself in such danger. He didn't even know if his brother was dead or alive. In a single stroke, both remaining heirs of the Wu family were about to perish in this underwater tomb!

Regret flooded his heart, but it was too late. A sharp, intense pain told Wu Naive that he had been struck—not by just one or two arrows, but by hundreds. He felt as if there wasn't a single unblemished spot left on his body. "I must look absolutely hideous right now!" was his final thought before he felt himself being discarded by A-Ning and her men, disappearing after passing through a stone door.

He saw Fatty and "Expert Zhang" rushing toward him, looking at him with immense concern. "I didn't think I would die like this. I'm so unwilling!" Wu Naive looked weakly at Fatty, slowly closed his eyes, and collapsed into his arms.

"Naive! Naive!" Fatty shook him, shocked that A-Ning, who had been their teammate only a moment ago, had betrayed them so ruthlessly. By the time he realized it, it was too late.

"Ugh… I’m dead, Fatty? Expert Zhang, are you dead too?" Wu Naive looked at them blankly. "Fatty, stop shaking me, I’m getting dizzy!"

"Huh???" Fatty jumped back in shock, hearing the voice from his arms. "You’ve turned into a corpse? It shouldn't be this fast!"

"Blunt tips!" The Silent Brother crouched down, picked up an arrow, and said, "It’s not fatal!"

"I’m not dead?" Naive excitedly checked his body. Indeed, his clothes weren't even torn; the skin was just bruised and purple. This made him happy again, though the thought of A-Ning’s actions made him feel despondent.

"Wait a minute!" Fatty realized something and pulled Naive back two steps. "Who are you exactly? You feel different from that 'Expert' just now!" As he spoke, Fatty reached for the pistol at his waist.

"It’s me." Seeing this, the Silent Brother no longer hid anything and peeled off the human-skin mask he had been wearing.

"Silent Brother!!!" Naive and Fatty exclaimed in unison. "Silent Brother, it was you disguised as Expert Zhang all along?"

"Your acting, tsk tsk tsk!" Fatty shook his head, forced to admire how the Silent Brother had gone against his own nature to play such a character.

"Silent Brother, my brother, he..." Before Naive could finish, the Silent Brother interrupted, "Wu Yu is very strong; those Siren-brides shouldn't be a problem..." He paused, leaving the rest unsaid. Wu Yu’s curse was the real trouble. Based on his estimation, if Wu Yu exerted himself too much or engaged in prolonged slaughter, it would trigger a backlash. Combined with the massive, mutated sea creatures lurking above, it would be disastrous if he couldn't return to the boat in time.

Fatty and Wu Naive, however, breathed a sigh of relief. They knew the Silent Brother never lied; if he said it was fine, it was fine.

"Then let's go quickly. I don't want all the treasures snatched by that woman A-Ning," Fatty laughed. For some reason, he felt that the three of them acting together was a perfect fit! As for Wu Yu, that was a god-like existence; he dared not compare himself to him.

Soon, the three passed through the gate and entered a burial chamber. "What a huge coffin!" Fatty immediately spotted the bronze-cast coffin, and most notably, it had a hole the size of a fist in it!

"Look!" The Silent Brother suddenly spoke, looking behind them. The path they had taken was gone, replaced by a solid stone wall.