I never imagined things would turn out this way. Jiang Feng, what was he thinking running off like that?
Besides, if he was going to run, he should have at least told me beforehand!
Even though I've been interacting with these people for a while, I'm still an outsider. I'm not one of them.
These guys are ruthless. I heard that of the first group sent down, only half a person returned, and that person was still salvageable. But Old Man Qu buried him on the spot without a word.
With such a group of vicious individuals, I have no doubt they would kill Jiang Feng.
"Fine! We'll do as Master Qu says!" I gritted my teeth.
Old Man Qu looked at me thoughtfully. I took a deep breath and said, "I'll go down with him to help you find the person, Master Qu."
The moment I said that, Old Man Qu was taken aback. Da Kui beside him also looked bewildered, his gaze on me strange.
If Jiang Feng went down alone, it would be certain death. But in this situation, if I didn't step forward, nothing else could be done.
Although I haven't known Jiang Feng for long, he's with us now.
He's just an ordinary person who hasn't done anything wicked. If I turn a blind eye and let him die, I would feel guilty for the rest of my life.
Besides, what dangerous places haven't I been to?
Risking myself for someone I've just met is indeed an unwise move.
But now, there's no other way.
They say plans can't keep up with changes, and it's truly never been more accurate.
My original plan was to wait for Old Man Qu to hit a few roadblocks and give up on going down, then we could leave.
But who knew Jiang Feng would be so impulsive?
Old Man Qu stared at me for a long time, then a smile appeared, "Brother Xiang is truly a man of character, loyal and righteous! A true man! Since you've said so, so be it!"
After bringing Jiang Feng back to our lodging, Fatty started to get restless.
"Master Xiang! Are you really going down?"
I looked at him and sighed, "What else can we do?"
"But..."
Jiang Feng and Jiang Lingxi still don't know the full situation. I haven't told them everything.
After Jiang Lingxi bandaged Jiang Feng's wounds, she came to my side and said, "I'm sorry..."
I gave a wry smile, "Sorry for what?"
"Uncle Jiang didn't ignore you intentionally. He just had his own difficulties."
Fatty said irritably, "What difficulties? Who are you guys working with anyway? Such a big thing, and you didn't even discuss it with us? Just run off? If we could have run, would we still be here?"
"Fatty, say a few less words," I said.
"I'm just telling the truth!" Fatty retorted angrily.
Jiang Feng said, "I'm sorry for causing trouble for you all... But I'll take responsibility for my own actions. If they want me to go into the tomb, I'll go alone. Brother Xiang doesn't need to accompany me."
"Uncle Jiang, why did you want to run?" I asked him.
He sighed, "My wife was hospitalized a while ago, and the children aren't around... I'm trapped here, and I'm very worried about her."
"But you should have told us in advance!" Fatty said.
"I originally wanted to discuss this with you. I knew you definitely wouldn't agree to me doing this, so I was thinking..."
"You were thinking of taking a desperate gamble?" I interjected.
He nodded and fell silent, his face filled with guilt.
Jiang Lingxi said, "Xiang Fei, didn't you say they wanted you to help them with something? Why can't they let us go?"
I knew it was impossible to keep things from them any longer, so I told them the truth, explaining everything from the beginning.
When they learned that Old Man Qu and his group were after treasure, they were both shocked.
"Guandong Army Treasure?!" Jiang Lingxi exclaimed in disbelief, "Does that treasure really exist?"
"I'm not sure, but it seems to be real," I said.
"Isn't that just a legend? My grandpa used to tell me about it when I was a child..." Jiang Lingxi said.
"Whether the treasure is real or not is not important now. The problem is that the place below is definitely not simple. They sent so many people down and none of them have returned. This time, if Jiang Uncle and I go down, it will likely be a near-death experience," I said.
After the situation was made clear, Jiang Lingxi and Jiang Feng's faces were filled with guilt.
Jiang Lingxi, in particular, hesitated to speak, her expression complex.
"Uncle Jiang, there's no other way now. It seems we have to take a trip to hell. However, I hope that once we go down, you will listen to me," I said earnestly.
As soon as I finished speaking, Jiang Lingxi gritted her teeth and said, "No! It's too dangerous down there. If you go, your chances are slim. I'll go with you."
"What are you going to do?" I frowned. "Don't cause trouble! You and Fatty stay up here. If something happens to us, you leave immediately."
"How do we leave?" Jiang Lingxi asked.
"Don't worry about that. I'll arrange it for you," I said, glancing at Fatty. "Fatty, if I don't make it back down there, there's one thing I need you to do."
"Pah! Pah! Pah! We haven't even gone down yet, what bad luck are you talking about? Besides, I can't handle your affairs. You have to do it yourself," Fatty said.
A moment of silence fell upon everyone. I called Fatty aside, took out a cigarette, and lit it.
"Fatty," I called out to him.
He looked at me, his eyes red. "Don't give me any last words. I don't want to do anything! It's your own business, handle it yourself. You know me, I can only manage myself."
I laughed, "You dead fatty, can you be a bit more reliable?"
"You know me, I'm just not reliable," Fatty pouted.
"Alright, stop messing with me. Let's talk business..." I took a puff of my cigarette and said, "I'll go find Da Kui in a bit and talk to him. If I don't make it back, I'll have him arrange for you and Jiang Lingxi to leave. As for other matters, we'll deal with them then."
"Master Xiang..." Fatty hesitated for a moment, "Are you really going down?"
"If I don't go, what other option is there?" I asked.
Fatty said, "Why don't we try to run away?"
"Run away?" I laughed. "Do you think that's possible? We're in the middle of nowhere, and they have so many people and hunting dogs. Where would we run?"
Fatty fell silent for a moment. I patted his shoulder, "Perhaps the situation down there isn't as bad as we think. If all else fails, I'll just try to blend in down there, stay for a few hours, and then come back up."
Hearing this, Fatty said, "That's a good idea!"