Volume One: Another World Chapter Thirty-Three: Aaaaaaaa

Just as Li Yu broke through the floorboards, the noise he made was heard by those above.

“You have people stationed below?”

“Damn it, there are others down there?”

The two men in black spoke in unison, surprise flickering in their eyes. Judging from each other's expressions, it wasn't the other's doing—could there be a third force involved?

The taller man in black had acted from the arch bridge. He glared at the other, asking, “Which faction are you from? How dare you make moves on the Qing clan’s territory!”

“If it weren’t for your little play here, I wouldn’t have dared make a move myself,” the shorter man sneered, kicking the corpse aside. “An array has been set up all around; no one outside will notice. There’s no need for you to shout.”

The taller man was Qing Huangyi, a member of the Qing clan’s shadow division. Yesterday, he had been secretly assigned to “kidnap the princess and Li Yu,” and now waited here for the next contact. During the process, they had learned of the internal arrangements, so most were somewhat lax, thinking it was just a staged act within the clan. But unexpectedly, the contact turned out to be an infiltrator from outside. Caught off guard, half the shadow division was slaughtered!

In truth, the two sides were evenly matched, but the sudden violence tipped the balance against the shadow division.

“Enough, let’s hurry. Capturing the princess is a great merit!” the shorter man declared, waving his hand and lunging at Qing Huangyi.

...

Li Yu pulled Qing Anqi into the water, and they were swept away by the rushing current.

Li Yu didn’t try to determine direction; he had no idea where they would end up, but escaping from here was paramount. The water carried them, darkness all around, only the occasional louder splash when the stream struck stone.

After some unknown time, Li Yu sensed more space above, hurriedly pulling Qing Anqi up for air.

“Are you alright?” Li Yu gasped, clawing at the slick stone wall to steady himself, but his grip slid again and again. Aside from his hands, other parts of his body ached faintly.

In the rapids, even seeing a protruding rock ahead, he’d have no time to react—only crash into it headlong.

“I’m fine,” Qing Anqi panted, nearly suffocated just moments ago.

“I’ll untie your ropes—ah ah ah ah!” Li Yu shouted.

“Ah ah ah ah ah ah!” That was Qing Anqi’s voice.

Li Yu had managed to free one hand to help untie her, but suddenly his body was lifted, thrown by the current.

The two were hurled out of the water and plunged below.

After a while, Li Yu struggled out of the deep pool, dragging the unconscious Qing Anqi with one hand.

“Pah!”

Li Yu spat out blood and looked up.

Luminous plants grew in many places, casting a faint light. On the tall cliff wall, an irregular cave gaped open, from which water shot out and crashed down into the pool below.

They had emerged from that cave.

Li Yu wiped the blood from his lips and checked Qing Anqi’s exposed skin. He saw no wounds; she must have fainted from the force of hitting the water.

Li Yu had taken marrow-cleansing pills several times; his physique was much improved. If he hadn’t shielded Qing Anqi during the impacts, his own injuries would be far less severe.

“Ay, what a thrill!” Li Yu untied Qing Anqi’s ropes and, hoisting her over his shoulder, staggered downstream.

...

Meanwhile, tension filled the room, where five or six fourth-tier experts had gathered. Qing Huangyi, though mortally wounded, managed before dying to break part of the array outside the house, sending out a message.

Though the operation was secret and within the clan’s territory, several fourth-tier experts stood guard around.

They slaughtered the intruders inside, then descended to the cellar’s tunnel.

“We cannot escape blame. You—go report to the lord,” an elder pointed at someone. “The rest, come with me. Perhaps we can still catch up.”

After Qing Huangyi broke the array, he died; they assumed the intruders had kidnapped the two.

Li Yu’s thunder bloodline aside, Qing Anqi’s bloodline was also second-tier—a guaranteed third-tier expert, and a member of the Qing clan. If anything happened, the clan could not bear the consequences.

This was enough to shake the clan to its core.

...

At this moment, Li Yu stared at the branching streams, hesitating. “Draw lots to see who’s the fool.”

It landed on the fourth branch; Li Yu stepped forward—toward the third branch.

He didn’t walk along the bank but waded through the water, avoiding leaving tracks.

After he entered, two fourth-tier Qing clan experts tracked him, one assessing, “Who knows how many are in this group—they left no trace at all.”

“Let’s take this path; I feel it’s most likely.” The other replied, “Let’s gamble on our luck; splitting up isn’t safe!”

They darted into the fourth branch.

...

Li Yu sensed astonishing spiritual power approaching behind him (the fourth-tier experts rushing at full speed). His hair stood on end, but thankfully he felt no one closing in. Relieved, he quickened his pace.

“It hurts!” Li Yu gritted his teeth. He didn’t know when his left thigh had been scraped; though not bleeding, the pain was intense.

As the path deepened, water that had reached his knees rose to his waist.

Walking on, Li Yu suddenly slipped, dragging Qing Anqi into deep water. The current covered a pitch-black hole, which erupted with tremendous suction.

Not only did it pull the river water inward, but Li Yu and Qing Anqi were caught, unable to break free. The suction only grew, relentless in its pull.

“Ah ah ah ah ah ah,” Qing Anqi woke at that moment. Unable to see anything, she felt a force tearing at her, panicked and screamed, struggling desperately.

Li Yu had managed to hold on, even grabbing a stone newly exposed by the receding water. With a bit more time, he might have dragged Qing Anqi ashore.

But with her wild struggling, he lost his grip, fell back into the water, and was sucked into the tunnel!

“Ah ah ah ah ah ah!” Li Yu shouted in fury, “Anqi, you fool!”

...

The voices echoed through the tunnel. The two fourth-tier experts halted.

“I think that was the princess’s voice?”

“Damn it, how dare they harm our lady!” The other cursed. The passage was narrowing; they couldn’t fly, only run. “Let’s catch up!”

He grabbed his companion’s sleeve, about to stride forward, but the loose stones beneath their feet shifted; he slipped, pulling the other off balance, and both fell.

“Ah ah ah ah ah ah!” Unprepared, they were carried away by the rushing water.