Chapter 650 - Chapter 650: Chapter 650: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 7) (1/2)

Chapter 650: Chapter 650: Life and Death in Two Days and Two Nights (Part 7)

The setting sun gradually sank below the horizon.

The drawbridge of Macheng County was being slowly raised, preparing to close the city gate.

At this moment, a young girl, under the protection of a young master and several servants, sprinted out from the South City Gate. In the rolling dust, they quickly disappeared into a sea of yellow sand.

The soldiers guarding the city watched the fading figures and whispered to each other.

“Wasn’t the one who left the city earlier a servant of Lord Di’s family?”

“That’s right. The young girl in the middle seems to be the miss of Lord Di’s family, and who is that young man?”

“Didn’t they say that the Second Young Master of Di family went missing last night? I’m afraid the man next to their miss might be her fiancé, the son of Constable Zhang in our governmental office. But, at the moment, what is she doing leaving the city?”

“Who knows? It’s better for us common folks not to meddle in what these nobles are doing, lest we bring trouble upon ourselves.”

“Indeed…”

South City.

“Your Honor, there’s a new discovery!”

There was a sudden commotion ahead, and someone soon brought a small silk flower, handing it to Di Yelei.

“Our brothers found it up there and discovered a cave halfway up the mountain. It seems like people have been coming in and out. Moreover, many large stones seem to have been piled up at the entrance of the cave. Fearing the bandits might still be inside, our brothers did not take the initiative to act without orders, so they came to report immediately!”

As expected from men born as constables, their judgment in sizing up the situation was strong.

Di Yelei looked at the small silk flower and silently put it away: “What is this cave used for? Is it natural or man-made? How deep is it? How many people can it hold inside? Have you investigated carefully?”

“There’s a brother on our team who lives nearby. He said this cave is a naturally formed karst cave, which the locals call Qinglong Cave or Nine Connected Rings.”

“This cave is Qinglong Cave?” Di Yelei was surprised! He couldn’t help but look up.

“Yelei, have you heard of this cave?” Zhang Peng, who was beside him, was also surprised.

“Of course, I have, although I don’t know much about it.”

Di Yelei nodded affirmatively, with a worried expression on his face: “It is said that there is a rock cave inside that can accommodate about twenty people. If you continue further in, only one person can crawl through, passing through nine different sized caves along the way. There are also two large underground rivers in the middle, and one can leave through an exit on the other side of the North Mountain.”

“Your Honor is correct; the Qinglong Cave is indeed as you describe.”

The soldier also hastily added: “But the terrain inside the cave is very complex, and it is easy for people to get lost. In addition to the dense stalactites and rock bamboos, there are many poisonous insects, countless waterholes of varying depths, and hot and cold caves with different temperatures. It is terrifying to stay inside. If it’s the rainy season, the rising water levels of the underground rivers will cause flooding in the cave. So…”

“In other words, if the bandits have food, hiding for ten days or half a month inside without coming out would be quite easy?” Zhang Peng asked in surprise.

“…I’m afraid so!”

Di Yelei looked up at the direction of the cave entrance on the mountain above, his lips tightly pressed as he remained silent for a while.

“Give the order to rest in place. Without my command, no one is allowed to act rashly! Otherwise, there will be strict punishment!”

“Yes, Your Honor!”

It was only then that everyone stopped searching and rested where they were.

Zhang Peng walked silently over to Di Yelei’s side and picked a spot to sit down casually, wiping the sweat off his forehead.

“Yelei, we can’t just sit here and do nothing. We need to think of a good plan!”

Di Yelei, who had been quietly lost in thought, looked up at Zhang Peng, raised his hand, and casually wiped his face.