Ye Qiu held the Qiankun Bag, opened its mouth, and gave a light shout at the Water-Towning Beast: “Collect!”
Whoosh—
The beast seemed pulled by a massive force, instantly sucked into the Qiankun Bag.
Miraculously, the bag’s size and weight remained unchanged.
“Truly a fine treasure,” Ye Qiu said with a smile.
Master Longbrow’s eyes reddened with envy. “Little brat, no matter what, I found the Water-Towning Beast first. Now you’ve got it, and I’ve got nothing. You owe me some compensation.”
“No problem,” Ye Qiu agreed readily. “When we get back, I’ll find you five.”
Master Longbrow’s eyes lit up. “For real?”
“For real,” Ye Qiu said. “Five burly Kanto men.”
You bastard!
Master Longbrow’s face turned livid with rage.
“Let’s go!” Ye Qiu chuckled, stepping forward.
Master Longbrow trailed behind.
After a few steps, they sensed something off and turned to see Xiao Zhan still rooted in place.
Master Longbrow snapped irritably, “Kid, what are you standing there for?”
Xiao Zhan’s lips trembled. “Boss, something just touched my leg. It was cold, like a dead man’s hand.”
Swish—
Ye Qiu darted to Xiao Zhan’s side, quickly inspecting his ankle.
There it was—a black handprint, like that of an infant.
“Boss, am I going to die?” Xiao Zhan asked, scared.
“Relax, with me here, you couldn’t die if you wanted to,” Master Longbrow said, placing a talisman on Xiao Zhan’s ankle.
He chanted silently, and the talisman burned, the handprint releasing wisps of black mist before vanishing.
Xiao Zhan, still shaken, said, “Boss, this place is too creepy.”
Ye Qiu didn’t speak, his gaze falling on the mud.
A new row of black handprints had appeared.
“Old man, what do you think it is?” Ye Qiu asked.
Master Longbrow replied, “Definitely some evil spirit, and a cunning one at that, to slip past our senses.”
Ye Qiu warned, “Everyone, stay sharp.”
He pressed forward.
“Little brat, where are you going?” Master Longbrow asked.
“I want to check ahead,” Ye Qiu said.
“Better not. This place is weird, and you’ve got the treasure. Let’s head up!” Master Longbrow urged, wary of trouble.
Ye Qiu turned, smirking. “What, scared?”
“Nonsense! I’m a master with nine strands of true qi. Unless it’s an immortal cultivator, I fear no one,” Master Longbrow declared, marching ahead.
“Stick close,” Ye Qiu told Xiao Zhan, following.
Xiao Zhan stayed tight on Ye Qiu’s heels.
The trio moved along the riverbed.
“Senior, how long does the water-repelling talisman last?” Xiao Zhan asked, worried it might fail, leaving them stranded underwater.
Master Longbrow answered, “An hour.”
“Good,” Xiao Zhan sighed in relief.
They walked on.
Ahead, massive reefs lay scattered, forming a two-metre-high cave mouth in their midst.
Water surged out, bubbling like boiling water.
“Odd, why’s there a cave here?”
Master Longbrow asked, then noticed Ye Qiu’s calm stare at the cave. “Little brat, did you already know about this cave?”
“Mm,” Ye Qiu hummed.
He’d spotted it from the boat using his Heavenly Eye, but its depth and destination were unclear, so he’d come to investigate.
“When did you know about this cave?” Master Longbrow asked.
“Saw it from the boat,” Ye Qiu said.
Master Longbrow rolled his eyes. “Who’re you fooling?”
“Don’t believe me?” Ye Qiu’s lips curled. “Little Sprout.”
“What little sprout…” Master Longbrow realised Ye Qiu was eyeing a certain spot, his face flushing red. “You filthy calf, stop slandering me!”
“Slandering you?” Ye Qiu sneered. “If you think it’s slander, strip and let Xiao Zhan judge.”
“You—” Master Longbrow was speechless with fury.
Then, Ye Qiu stared at the cave, his gaze unwavering.
“Boss, what are you looking at?” Xiao Zhan asked.
“This place is interesting,” Ye Qiu said to Master Longbrow. “There’s treasure inside. You going in?”
“No way,” Master Longbrow, still fuming, replied.
“Really not?” Ye Qiu said. “Don’t regret it later.”
“I won’t,” Master Longbrow insisted.
“Fine, then Xiao Zhan and I will go,” Ye Qiu said, stepping towards the cave.
Could there really be treasure?
Master Longbrow zipped forward, beating Ye Qiu to the cave entrance.
Xiao Zhan urged, “Boss, let’s go in, don’t let Senior nab all the treasure.”
Ye Qiu smiled, “No worries.”
Ten seconds later.
Master Longbrow burst back out, pointing at Ye Qiu and cursing, “You little bastard, tricking me? We’re not done!”
Xiao Zhan, puzzled, asked, “Senior, what’s wrong?”
Master Longbrow griped, “No treasure in there, just bones.”
What?
Xiao Zhan froze.
“Scared by a few bones? Some guts you’ve got,” Ye Qiu said, glancing disdainfully at Master Longbrow before entering the cave.
Xiao Zhan followed.
As they stepped in, Xiao Zhan gasped. The cave was filled with countless bones, like a mass grave.
“Boss, why so many dead here?” Xiao Zhan asked.
“Don’t know,” Ye Qiu said.
Master Longbrow caught up.
Ye Qiu ignored him, telling Xiao Zhan, “Stay cautious. Let’s go deeper.”
The trio ventured further.
Gradually, the cave sloped upward.
After what felt like ages, they exited, finding a dark river ahead.
The water was knee-deep, stretching endlessly.
Ye Qiu led Xiao Zhan and Master Longbrow along the river. Minutes later, another cave appeared.
This one was vast—ten metres wide, three metres high.
Ye Qiu activated his Heavenly Eye, studied the cave, and said, “Let’s go in.”
As they reached the entrance, a chilling gust hit them.
Xiao Zhan shone his torch inside, his face paling.
“Boss, look—what’s that?”
