"But this place is like a ghost town; how many people dare to come to such a place?" Leng Ruoli said with her delicate eyebrows knitted tightly, a hint of helplessness in her voice.
As soon as her words fell, a chilling and ear-piercing wail echoed from the distance, making everyone's scalp tingle.
Following that, Leng Ruoli took out over a dozen flashlights from her spatial dimension and distributed them to Yin Chen, Ye Ying, and the others. Everyone turned on their flashlights to illuminate the path and cautiously followed the sound.
However, just as the group had taken a few steps, strange movements erupted from behind them. A figure with disheveled hair, clad in a white robe, swiftly flew past them.
Upon noticing the anomaly, Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan immediately shone their flashlights behind them, but there was no trace of anything there.
Seeing this, Leng Ruoli took out two more pistols from her sleeves, handed one to Jun Mohan, and they both cautiously watched their surroundings.
At that moment, the same eerie, ear-piercing wail reached their ears again.
"Those walking at the back, you must remain vigilant and constantly be aware of any movement behind you," Jun Mohan sternly reminded them. He did not wish to lose any more of his subordinates.
"Yes, Your Highness, your subordinate understands!" the guards replied respectfully.
"Alright, let's go ahead together and see who is playing tricks here." Leng Ruoli's bright, dark almond eyes swept towards the source of the wail with a chilling glint.
Subsequently, the Cold King and his consort, leading the group, followed the sound to the outside of a dilapidated, half-collapsed brick house overgrown with weeds. The wailing stopped.
"Your Highness, Your Consort, perhaps this subordinate could take a few men to investigate who is causing trouble here," Yin Chen said, cupping his hands in a respectful bow.
Unexpectedly, Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan immediately rejected his suggestion.
"No, the situation inside this mansion is unclear. None of you are to enter without authorization," Leng Ruoli stated sternly.
"Then, Your Consort, are we just giving up?" Ye Ying suddenly interjected.
Leng Ruoli pondered for a moment and then looked at Jun Mohan, saying, "Your Highness, let's go in together. However, before we enter, everyone must consume a Ten Thousand Poisons Pill that I developed. After taking this pill, unless you are afflicted with a rare, potent poison, ordinary poisons will not harm you."
With that said, Leng Ruoli took out two small porcelain bottles from her sleeves, poured out the antidote pills, and decisively swallowed one herself. Then, she distributed them to Jun Mohan and his guards.
After everyone had taken the antidote pills, Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan stepped through the main entrance of the dilapidated house.
Due to years of neglect, the entire outer courtyard was littered with rubble and overgrown with various weeds. Several trees along the courtyard path had grown into towering giants, their branches and leaves lush, obscuring the bright moonlight and casting only dark shadows.
As they walked along the main path of the courtyard and arrived at the entrance of the main courtyard, the two tightly shut, dark-colored doors suddenly opened by themselves, emitting a grating, ear-piercing sound. Then, Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan saw two skeletons draped in white clothes inside the doors.
Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan showed no fear upon seeing the two skeletons. The couple strode across the threshold, leading their guards inside.
After all of them had entered the house, the two dark-colored doors automatically closed again, making everyone's hair stand on end. This place was truly too bizarre!
"Everyone, do not wander off! Keep close to Your Consort and Your Highness's footsteps," Leng Ruoli loudly reminded them.
But as soon as her words ended, two guards behind them were suddenly dragged away by something.
"Your Highness, Your Consort, Yin Shi and Ye Jiu are missing," Ye Ba immediately reported.
Upon hearing this, everyone immediately shone their flashlights around. They found nothing unusual in the room, which was covered in dust and laced with cobwebs, nor could they see any sign of Yin Shi and Ye Jiu.
"Who is playing tricks here? Come out!" Leng Ruoli shouted loudly.
After her outburst, a long while passed, and no one responded to Leng Ruoli.
"Since you all dare not show yourselves, do not blame us for being impolite."
"Ye Ying, pour all the lamp oil you are carrying into every corner of this room. We will set this entire mansion ablaze." Leng Ruoli's face revealed a sly smile after she uttered this lie.
As expected, the people hiding in the dark finally spoke.
"If you do not wish for your three guards and this child to be burned to death in the fire, then feel free to set it ablaze." A sinister female voice emanated from the darkness. Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan listened carefully to the voice, finding it familiar but unable to recall who it was.
"Heh! You finally decide to acknowledge us," Leng Ruoli's eyes flashed with ferocity as she spoke coldly and mockingly.
"Hmph, whether I come out or not, you will all die tonight," the female voice replied.
"Speak, you abducted our people and lured us here. Now that your objectives have been met, why do you continue to hide in the shadows and not show yourself? What exactly are you afraid of?" Leng Ruoli provoked intentionally.
"Am I afraid of you? What a joke," the female voice exclaimed in a loud tone.
"Since you are not afraid, why do you not reveal yourself and play tricks behind our backs?" Leng Ruoli seized the opportunity to press.
It seemed she had managed to infuriate the hidden assailant. As soon as she finished speaking, a dense rain of needles shot out from all directions of the room. Each needle was no larger than a sewing needle, and they all flew towards Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan.
"Everyone be careful! These needles are all poisoned!" Leng Ruoli's expression changed slightly as she immediately warned them. With that, she quickly took out two long bath towels from her spatial dimension and handed one to Jun Mohan. Shielding the guards behind them, they brandished their towels like phantoms, intercepting the tiny, sewing-needle-sized poisoned darts.
Several volleys of these poisoned needles were fired. After all the needles from the darkness had been released, Leng Ruoli and Jun Mohan breathed a sigh of relief.
But just then, the same eerie wailing sound echoed from the darkness again. This time, the wail was even more bizarre than before.
"Jun Mohan, I suspect there is more than one mastermind hiding in the dark," Leng Ruoli voiced her conjecture.
They exchanged a glance, and Jun Mohan nodded in agreement.
Simultaneously, a metal door directly in front of their position suddenly opened automatically.