Chapter 33: Countless Doorways

The "Scroll of Mechanisms" once mentioned "breaking the chain of the repeating crossbow mechanism." However, if someone were to take that literally and rashly snap the main chain, it would be a disaster; it would trigger the trap immediately, turning the intruder into a pincushion.

The repeating crossbows hidden within the ancient tomb are controlled by many chains, and the main chain is precisely the one currently pulled taut beneath the ground. This main chain is connected to numerous trigger points; every time one is tripped, the main chain slides a short distance. It is this brief, life-or-death distance that causes the spring-loaded catches of the branch chains to snap, launching the crossbow bolts from their rails and covering the entire trap zone, devouring the life of any intruder.

If that is the case, why would the "Scroll of Mechanisms" suggest "breaking the chain"? Is that not simply courting death?

Cheng Xiangru carefully recalled the diagram beneath that line of text. He exhaled, lay flat on the ground, and shone his flashlight into the narrow opening. Sure enough, he could see, at an angle, the ingenious device beneath the trigger point.

Fixed to the underside of the half-brick beneath Leng Ying’s foot was a pitch-black iron chain, as thick as a piece of yarn. At the end of the chain was a pin, held in place by a hook. This hook formed a locking mechanism with several other metal components, keeping one link of the main chain trapped in place. The moment Leng Ying lifted her foot, a spring-loaded post beneath the brick would push it up, pulling the chain and the pin, unlocking the mechanism, releasing the main chain, and triggering the deadly crossbow trap.

What Cheng Xiangru had to do now was to break the chain beneath the brick without damaging the locking mechanism, ensuring the pin remained lodged inside the device, thereby rendering the trigger point beneath Leng Ying’s foot useless.

"Do you have anything in your bag that can cut an iron chain?" Cheng Xiangru looked at Leng Ying with expectant eyes.

Leng Ying nodded. She reached into her travel bag, fumbled around for a moment, and pulled out a pair of bolt cutters, handing them to the slightly stunned Cheng Xiangru.

She actually had them!

Cheng Xiangru took the bolt cutters, inserted them at an angle into the hole, and carefully located the chain. He gently closed the jaws, confirmed they had bitten into the metal, steadied his nerves, and squeezed the handles with all his might.

With a crisp "snap," the chain broke!

The surroundings were deathly silent; one could hear a pin drop. The main chain had not moved—the mechanism was disarmed!

"Done!" Cheng Xiangru handed the bolt cutters back to Leng Ying, stood up, dusted himself off, and let out a long breath of relief.

Leng Ying was skeptical. "Really?"

"You can lift your foot now. Don't worry, I wouldn't gamble with your life," Cheng Xiangru said, his tone firm and beyond doubt.

Leng Ying slowly lifted her numb foot. Seeing the half-brick rise along with it, she was terrified and immediately stepped back down.

"Trust me, it’s really fine now!" Cheng Xiangru looked at her with encouragement, much like someone coaxing a patient recovering from a serious illness to take their first step out of bed.

Leng Ying nodded solemnly and lifted her foot again. She ignored the brick as it slowly returned to its original position. Only when the sole of her shoe had left the ground and no mechanism had triggered did she finally relax. She sat heavily on the floor, gasping for air as if the simple act of lifting her foot had exhausted her entirely.

Cheng Xiangru looked up at the pitch-black openings on the walls on either side, feeling a lingering fear, as if he had just survived a brush with death. He was immensely grateful that he had studied those five transcribed scrolls so meticulously and committed them to memory; otherwise, he would have had no idea what to do in such a situation.

"Thank you," Leng Ying said softly.

Cheng Xiangru waved his hand with a smile. "You're welcome. This thing looks complicated, but it's actually quite simple to disable..."

"That's not what I meant."

"Then what?"

Leng Ying didn't answer immediately, as if she were choosing her words. Just then, gunshots and shouting erupted nearby, causing Cheng Xiangru and Leng Ying to jump to their feet.

They had encountered danger here, and it seemed Gao Zhuang and his group had run into trouble on the other side. Recalling the giant black-haired spider from earlier, Cheng Xiangru couldn't help but shiver. In this massive, suspicious tomb, there were deadly traps and unknown creatures—it was hard to imagine what else lurked within.

Leng Ying quickly packed her bag, turned off her flashlight, and put on her infrared night-vision goggles. "Quick! Let's go see!"

Cheng Xiangru also killed his light. Using the infrared goggles, he and Leng Ying quickly retreated from the tunnel and returned to the main corridor. The gunfire had ceased, and the shouting had died down. Cheng Xiangru couldn't imagine what had happened ahead, nor did he dare to think about it; he only hoped that Chen Shangke was alright.

Having had his nerves frayed by the crossbow trap, Leng Ying was even more cautious now. She moved slowly, using the barrel of her gun to probe the ground with every step, terrified of triggering another mechanism. Even though he was anxious, Cheng Xiangru didn't dare to be reckless and followed closely behind her.

They walked straight ahead, ignoring the countless arched doorways on either side of the corridor. The tunnel wasn't as long as Cheng Xiangru had expected; after about ten minutes, they reached the end. Directly in front of them and to both sides were three arched doorways, identical to the ones they had passed earlier.

"This is troublesome." Leng Ying observed their surroundings, biting her lip and furrowing her brow.

Cheng Xiangru noticed that there were no bullet holes or casings here; in fact, there were no signs of a struggle at all. This meant that Gao Zhuang's first encounter with danger and the situation that had just occurred were not here—they could be in any one of these arched doorways.

With so many branching paths, which one should they choose?

Cheng Xiangru looked around, feeling as if every doorway were a greedy, gaping maw, waiting to devour any living thing that entered. His scalp tingled.

"What now?" Leng Ying was also at a loss.

A battle raged within Cheng Xiangru’s heart. After a long period of hesitation, he let out a soft sigh. "Forget it, let's leave."

"Have you really made up your mind?" Leng Ying asked.

Deep down, Cheng Xiangru wanted to save Chen Shangke, but his experience with Leng Ying made him realize that each of these doorways likely held immense danger. Not to mention that Gao Zhuang’s group was armed and ruthless, the giant spider alone, along with the potential for various mechanical traps, was not something he and Leng Ying could easily handle. If they persisted, they wouldn't just fail to save the others; they might end up throwing their own lives away.

Perhaps, giving up now was enough.

"I've made up my mind. Let's head out," Cheng Xiangru said, his voice heavy with disappointment.

Leng Ying nodded without a word and turned to leave. Perhaps, if not for Cheng Xiangru, she wouldn't have wanted to stay here for even another second.

However, just as they reached the middle of the corridor, they were startled to hear a series of rapid, panicked footsteps.

"Shh!" Leng Ying pulled Cheng Xiangru into a nearby doorway, crouching down to observe from the shadows.

The footsteps grew closer. Suddenly, a light flickered on, and a man with a large head rushed out from another doorway, looking back every few steps. He held a pistol in one hand and a flashlight in the other, his expression as wretched as if he had a lump of excrement stuck in his throat.

Cheng Xiangru recognized him as "Big-Headed Yu" from Gao Zhuang’s crew.

Why had this guy run out alone? And where were the others?