749 Banshee’s Wail (2/2)
It was very strange that all the entries and exits of the Khan's mausoleum were at the two far ends, and that in the front there was nothing but firm walls. ”It's supposed to be here. The map says that the halls are connected to each other in a circle…” Han Fen explained.
Gu Shenwei chose the exit on the right side once again.
And once again, he was right. They made it to the golden hall once again without triggering any trap mechanisms.
”I presume it's because the mausoleum is unfinished.” Old Man Mu, when they were progressing through the passageway, gave a guess as to why there was no defense.
The look of the golden hall seemed to have verified his words. There were only smooth stone walls, and if weren't for the gold scrapings on the ground, they would have thought that they were in the wrong place.
Old Man Mu was very disappointed. ”Turns out that it's not unfinished. Someone has looted the gold.”
The golden hall was relatively small, but it would still a huge project to pave six of its surfaces; they could only imagine how much gold there used to be in this hall. ”The Waning Moon Hall took it,” Deng Yuanlei said enviously, feeling pain in his heart as if those now-gone gold used to belong to him.
Han Fen didn't care about the gold. She found the exit immediately and cheered, ”This is it. It leads to the valley.”
The tunnel was uneven, and there were even puddles of water on the floor. Han Fen led, and the other four followed her. Deng Yuanlei and Lu Mian had injured legs, and they didn't walk far before they started panting heavily. They sat down and refused to continue.
Han Fen ignored them and kept on pushing forward. The oil lamp was still on her head, yet she seemed to have forgot about its existence.
”Are you sure we're not walking to hell? It seems like the further we go, the deeper it gets,” Old Man Mu asked in confusion. ”And there's also more and more water.”
”Ah!” with a scream, Han Fen backed up quickly and almost knocked down the two people behind her. ”There's a lake ahead.”
An underground lake was blocking their path. It turns out that the passage they'd walked through was built to prevent the mausoleum from being flooded. The lake seemed like it had formed naturally and it probably was connected to some river, leading outside.
”Let's swim across.” Thinking that the Hall Leader was right above, Han Fen became fearless.
Gu Shenwei shook his head and said, ”The road ahead must have been blocked.”
”How do you know?” Han Fen tried to make out the other side of the lake, but all she saw was darkness.
Gu Shenwei pointed at a sticking pillar of stone and a repaired stone platform, ”This should be the old dock. Lotus shipped away the gold and left the boat on the opposite side. In the south part of the mausoleum, there should be plenty of treasure left that Lotus didn't have enough time to bring away, which is why she would block the passage.”
Gu Shenwei believed this as it was also what he would do if he were Lotus, so it was probably her plan.
”Even so, we should still swim across and check it out.” Han Fen knew little about the Master Commander's other plans, and all she wanted do was to get as far away from the Hall Leader as possible.
Deeply experiencing the pains of being an ordinary person, Old Man Mu was also a little tired. Besides, it was not necessary for him to try to escape. ”Let's take another path. Why risk it?”
”There's no other way. Every hall only has two exits, and the other one's surely a dead end.”
”Even so, there's no need to hurry. I mean, Han Wuxian won't be up there waiting for you forever. Just find a spot and hide. THhn when she's leaves, you'll be free to go.”
Han Fen understood this, but she was too afraid, ”Won't the Hall Leader discover this mausoleum?”
”You think everybody's as smart as you are?” Old Man Mu asked impatiently.
”Then let's take a risk this time – actually, I can't swim since I grew up in the desert, and we didn't have much water there.”
Shaking his head and sighing, Old Man Mu turned and started walking away. In a low voice, he muttered, ”I would have ditched this kind of disciple as well if I were Han Wuxian…”
”Where are you going?” Han Fen said in her surprise.
”I'm going back. I'd rather lie on silver than stay in a damp and dark place like this.”
Gu Shenwei shared Old Man Mu's opinion. Han Fen could have forced them to stay, but she followed them anyway after pondering for a while.
Deng Yuanlei and Lu Mian had already returned to the gold hall, and were trying their best to open the stone door of the entry and retrace their steps to the silver hall.
”You need more strength to open it.” Han Fen pushed the two aside and pressed her palm on a brick.
The door didn't open.
Han Fen thought about it for a bit as she tilted her head, and then pressed the switch again, this time with greater strength.
It still wouldn't open.
Han Fen backed up three steps in horror, ”The ghosts have haunted the door.” Suddenly she burst into laugh. ”Hall Leader won't be able to come in now. You're such good ghosts. Thank you.”
Old Man Mu gave a resigned glance at the Dragon King, ”For god's sake, there're no ghosts. I think that they're just disciples of the Waning Moon Hall ordered by Lotus to stay and guard the treasure. They've been jerking you around and yet you still feel happy about it.”
Han Fen shook her head firmly, ”No way. That can't be true. If they were disciples of the Waning Moon Hall, they would have started running for their lives as fast as I was after hearing that the Hall Leader's above them.”
”Hey!”
Han Fen turned around instantly and stared at the others. ”Who?”
The four shook their heads simultaneously and became alert, since the source of the voice was not among them.
”Ha.”
Han Fen hurried to the corner in a single step. The oil lamp on her head shook, but didn't fall. ”I have the magic lamp on my head; the old man has thick Yang qi; the Dragon King has a strong killing aura. Han Fen little baby, don't be afraid. Don't be afraid.”
Gu Shenwei looked at the stone door leading into the tunnel. There was a shadow there and nobody knew when it had appeared. It looked like a bamboo pole, stretching to the ceiling.