FI CH 36

Chapter 36: Underground Labyrinth (VI)

Bai Hua glanced at Kurosawa and, without any hesitation, motioned for him to carry Xiao Jiu. The two of them followed closely behind Xiao Lin Yuan.

The storage room was already a complete mess from the collapse—its original structure unrecognizable—but Xiao Lin Yuan seemed to still remember its layout. He continued further inside and patted several times on a thick, rough section of the wall. Following his movements, a stone seam in the shape of a door began to sink inward. With another firm push, the stone door slid sideways and locked into place, revealing a hidden passage behind it.

Xiao Lin Yuan entered first, looked back at the two of them, and said nothing—just gestured for them to follow.

They already knew from their time in the rainforest that Lin Yuan could see clearly in the dark. Even though Bai Hua was a sentinel, keeping up in such a narrow and dim tunnel was exhausting. It was even tougher for Kurosawa, who had to carry Xiao Jiu on his back. Fortunately, the tunnel wasn’t difficult to navigate; the path was flat, and they quickly adjusted by feeling along the wall.

At a fork in the tunnel, Xiao Lin Yuan unhesitatingly chose the downward path.

Although Bai Hua wasn’t familiar with the underground city, after staying there for a few days, he had learned that such structures would typically have more than one or two emergency exits to the surface. Normally, people would head upward to escape. But Bai Hua didn’t question it—he simply kept following the child.

The further down they went, the more he could sense the humid, damp smell in the air—it was the scent of fresh water.

It seemed they were heading toward the water storage chambers.

This tunnel was like an isolated cocoon, completely cutting off the chaos outside. All they could hear was the gentle trickle of flowing water.

Finally, the boy stopped at a spot and opened another stone door using the same technique. Just as expected, beyond the door was a water storage room. The source above was unclear, but a fine stream of water constantly flowed through cracks in the wall into a pool.

This wasn’t the only reservoir. Bai Hua noticed a passage at the bottom of the pool that seemed to connect to several other sealed chambers.

At this moment, Xiao Lin Yuan walked over to Kurosawa and took Xiao Jiu from his arms. He gently placed him on the ground and examined his injuries carefully. Then he tore a strip of cloth from the hem of his pants, soaked it in the water pool, and began gently wiping Xiao Jiu’s face.

His movements were swift and precise—nothing like what one would expect from a child. Breaking the silence between them, he said, “This place is the safest. Once it’s quiet upstairs, you can go back the same way to the storage room. Whether you leave or stay afterward—it’s up to you.”

This was likely the most Xiao Lin Yuan had spoken to anyone since their arrival. Bai Hua knew that if they wanted to ask questions, this was their chance. “Lin Yuan, how did you end up here?”

As soon as Xiao Lin Yuan heard this question, he froze mid-motion, his expression becoming wary. “Who sent you?”

Kurosawa could tell immediately from his reaction that he had likely snuck into the underground city without telling anyone—not even Xiao Jiu. Perhaps no one in the entire place even knew his real name.

Bai Hua had clearly noticed the shift in his demeanor as well, but before he could speak, Kurosawa cut in.

When it came to coaxing information out of someone, Kurosawa was clearly more skilled. “Who else could it be? When are you planning to go back?”

Upon hearing that, Xiao Lin Yuan’s brows furrowed tightly. He seemed convinced now that they were sent by one of his parents. “I already said—when I’ve had enough fun, I’ll go back on my own. I’ll do everything I’m supposed to do.”

Kurosawa said, “But it’s too dangerous here.”

Xiao Lin Yuan lowered his head, looking at Little Jiu as he replied, “I can’t leave him alone. I want to take him with me.”

Bai Hua didn’t know how deep the bond between Lin Yuan and Feng Xu had grown over the past month, but trust at this age was often the purest and most direct.

But through this brief exchange, Bai Hua suddenly recalled something. He and Kurosawa had once looked into Lin Yuan’s personal records—they knew both his parents were important members of the United Military and also ability users. Naturally, they placed high expectations on him. Growing up under such pressure likely didn’t make for a happy childhood.

So was that why Lin Yuan ran away? And even hid in such a secluded place?

Adults often had complex reasons or excuses for their actions, but children were different. Their motives were usually the simplest and most honest.

Bai Hua glanced at Kurosawa, who had a similarly thoughtful expression. It seemed his thoughts were along the same lines. Neither of them continued questioning any further.

Not long after, Xiao Jiu woke up. He still looked a little dazed upon regaining consciousness, but the moment he saw Xiao Lin Yuan, he immediately relaxed. “Gege.”

Xiao Lin Yuan’s expression instantly softened. “Does anything hurt?”

Xiao Jiu moved slightly, and Bai Hua could clearly sense that his movements were a bit strained. But perhaps not wanting to worry his brother, Xiao Jiu still replied, “No.”

“That’s good.”

Xiao Jiu asked, “What happened?”

“An outsider came in.”

“Then do we need to leave from here?”

“Let’s assess the situation first.”

Perhaps the earlier experience had been too terrifying, because Xiao Jiu seemed to only now feel the lingering fear. Grabbing onto Xiao Lin Yuan’s clothes, he nervously asked, “Gege, will you abandon me like the others?”

“I won’t.”

“Then why did you come here? This place is… this place is…”

“Don’t be afraid. I’ll take you away.”

Kurosawa and Bai Hua had been silently watching them all along, but the more they listened to the brothers’ conversation, the more odd it sounded—almost as if there was another exit within this reservoir room.

Bai Hua finally couldn’t help but ask, “Is there another way out from here?”

Xiao Jiu softly answered, “There is a path, right at…”

Right where—neither of them heard clearly. All they felt was a sudden haze before their eyes.

That feeling—it was like they were transitioning from reality into a mental landscape. Or perhaps…

They were returning to reality.

In the blink of an eye, the scenery around them changed again. The walls were mottled and weathered, the stone pillars dilapidated and decayed—everything seemed to be covered in a thick layer of dust. They were still in the original great hall, and the flame continued to burn quietly in the oil lamp.

Bai Hua looked around uncertainly and asked, “We’re back?”

“Mm,” Kurosawa softly responded.

“What about the others?”

“Haven’t seen them.”

This illusion felt like a journey through an underground labyrinth. As they gazed at the time-worn hall, the place no longer felt unfamiliar. Because the layout remained unchanged, they knew exactly which path led to where, and how many hidden passages lay behind each turn. They could even visualize the layout of this entire floor in their minds…

Bai Hua recalled the last thing Xiao Jiu said and turned to Kurosawa.

“Let’s go to the water storage room.”

The two of them returned from the third basement level to the second. From memory, they located the storage room—its entrance had almost completely collapsed. They squeezed through the gaps between the rocks and found the same thick wall from before.

Kurosawa knocked a few times on the wall in the same spot. Slowly, a doorway-shaped crack formed in the seam of the wall.

As before, Bai Hua walked ahead. Even in total darkness, he still remembered the way. After reaching a fork in the path, they continued deeper down. The dampness in the air and the mixed, murky odors were exactly the same as in the spiritual illusion.

Bai Hua stopped in front of a spot he remembered and looked back at Kurosawa.

Kurosawa said, “This is the place.”

Once again, they opened the secret door before them. This time, the water in the pool was no longer full—instead, it had completely dried up.

The passage at the bottom of the pool was now visible. Bai Hua saw it clearly—it was a path, and at the same time, the entrance to a naturally formed cave.

This was the road Xiao Jiu had spoken of.

(To be continued…)