Chapter 37: Billowing Smoke

Learning that Chen Shangke was still alive, Cheng Xiangru was overjoyed. He immediately stepped forward, and together with Leng Ying, they hoisted Chen Shangke up and began to run toward the exit.

The pair of black-haired spiders and all their offspring watched them go the entire way. They seemed to want to stop the intruders, but they were no longer capable of doing so. After all, two other living human rations had been left behind, which was not an entirely unacceptable outcome for them. In the eyes of humans, they were terrifying, ugly monsters, but in their eyes, weren't these intruders also monsters with excellent nutritional value?

As they ran, Cheng Xiangru asked anxiously in a low voice, "Red Chubby, do you think Brother Chen will be alright?"

Leng Ying retorted irritably, "Look at him—does he look like he's alright?"

Cheng Xiangru quickly explained, "That’s not what I meant. I’m asking... is he going to die?"

Leng Ying shook her head. "I don't know. Let’s wait until we get out of here."

After the two escaped the tunnel, they continued to run along the corridor. They hadn't gone far when Leng Ying suddenly stopped.

"What are you doing?" Cheng Xiangru was frantic, worried that the black-haired spiders were catching up.

Leng Ying raised a hand to signal for silence. "Someone is coming!"

"Huh?" Cheng Xiangru was stunned. He hadn't expected anyone else to come down and guessed that the newcomers were likely accomplices of Gao Zhuang. He immediately became tense. This group was vicious and bloodthirsty, and they carried guns. To Leng Ying and Cheng Xiangru in their current state, they were far more dangerous than the black-haired spiders.

Leng Ying turned off her flashlight and gestured for Cheng Xiangru to put on his infrared night-vision goggles. Then, the two of them dragged Chen Shangke into a nearby doorway. Once Cheng Xiangru had settled Chen Shangke and remained perfectly still, he heard voices drifting from the direction of the tomb gate. Perhaps because of the tomb gate and the distance, the sounds were muffled.

Before long, the corridor was illuminated by the beam of a powerful flashlight, followed by the sound of chaotic footsteps. From somewhere, Leng Ying produced a small mirror. Backed against the tunnel wall, she slowly extended the mirror out of the doorway, and her eyes widened.

"What is it?" Cheng Xiangru whispered.

Leng Ying shushed him and gestured for him to help her carry Chen Shangke deeper into the tunnel. To avoid triggering any traps, they moved with extreme caution; before taking every step, Leng Ying probed the ground with her red-tasseled spear to ensure it was safe.

As they turned a sharp corner, a bright light suddenly flashed at the entrance of the tunnel just a few seconds later. Two heavily armed, masked men appeared, aiming their guns into the tunnel. Finding it empty, they pressed against the wall and moved toward the next opening.

Seeing the light flash by in the rear, Cheng Xiangru let out a sigh of relief. It was fortunate they had hidden in time; otherwise, they would have been in real trouble. He could roughly guess that after Yu the Big-Headed had escaped, even though he couldn't speak, he must have found a way to describe the situation below to the accomplice who had been keeping watch. Though he didn't know how many people had come, it was highly likely they were here to rescue Gao Zhuang and the others. He just didn't know what this group had prepared to deal with the spiders.

Currently, Cheng Xiangru and Leng Ying couldn't leave directly, and without knowing the situation outside, hiding here was relatively safe for the moment, but it wasn't a long-term solution. As Cheng Xiangru furrowed his brow, struggling to think of a plan, Leng Ying suddenly asked, "Do you remember that there was a door above the tomb gate?"

Cheng Xiangru recalled for a few seconds, then nodded. "I remember."

Leng Ying analyzed in a low voice, "Those who built these decoy tombs often chose to kill the laborers in various ways to ensure that information about the tomb's interior didn't leak. The most common method was to bury them alive down here."

Cheng Xiangru didn't understand why Leng Ying was suddenly bringing this up, so he just nodded in confusion without responding.

Leng Ying paused, then continued, "Some were cleverer and would secretly look for opportunities to dig a tunnel as a means of escape in case they were buried alive."

Cheng Xiangru’s eyes lit up; he understood what she meant. If things were as Leng Ying suggested, then the small door hidden above the tomb gate might well be an escape route. But thinking about it carefully, Cheng Xiangru felt something wasn't right, and his eyes dimmed again. If that really were an escape route, wouldn't it have been more discreet for the craftsmen to have sealed it with soil and stone? To install a door and deliberately lock it with a padlock was far too conspicuous—it was completely unnecessary!

Cheng Xiangru shook his head. "I don't think so. If there really were an escape route, it would make more sense for it to be hidden among the countless doorways on the sides of the corridor."

Leng Ying nodded and didn't speak further, beginning to hold her breath and listen intently for any movement outside. Their situation was dire, and neither knew where to go from here.

"Wait here. I'm going to check the situation," Leng Ying said, before lowering her body and running out.

Cheng Xiangru remained where he was, watching Chen Shangke, checking his breath and pulse every so often, terrified that he might suddenly die.

Before long, Leng Ying retreated back. "They’re setting a fire!"

"What do you mean?" Cheng Xiangru was startled.

Leng Ying said anxiously, "I saw that they’ve already rescued their people. I don't know where they got so much dry grass, but they’re setting it on fire in the corridor!"

Cheng Xiangru thought for a moment, then looked around uneasily. "It shouldn't reach us here, right?"

"Oh, why don't you understand? The fire isn't what's scary—the smoke is!" Leng Ying was truly becoming anxious, her voice rising involuntarily.

Only then did it hit Cheng Xiangru, and cold sweat began to pour down his back. Although this decoy tomb was large, it was ultimately a sealed space. Lighting a fire in here would consume a massive amount of oxygen and generate thick smoke and toxic gases. If they let these people set the fire properly and then seal the exit, Cheng Xiangru and the others would inevitably suffocate to death down here.

"Should we go out and fight them before the fire starts?" Cheng Xiangru asked, putting Chen Shangke down, his tone grave.

As soon as he spoke, he caught the faint smell of burning, and his face turned deathly pale.

Leng Ying shook her head. "I just took a look. There are at least four of them, and they all have guns. They’re setting the fire on purpose to force us out!"

Cheng Xiangru slammed his fist against the wall in frustration and lowered his head into deep thought. Time was running out. Staying here to wait was a dead end, and rushing out to fight that group was likely to end in disaster as well.

The smoke was growing thicker and more suffocating. Even though he couldn't see clearly, he could distinctly feel the rolling clouds of smoke pouring in. Cheng Xiangru racked his brain, but he could think of no solution. What was he to do now?