Chapter 973: A Situation That Could Drive Anyone Mad
Ling Mo rolled up the membrane and stuffed it into his pocket, exhaling lightly as he moved towards the fence. Ripples spread across the water as he advanced, his gaze fixed on the depths of the arched passage. But aside from the murky water and the moss-covered walls, there was nothing else to be seen.
There was no sound, not even a whisper. The entire passage was eerily silent, save for the splashing of water as Ling Mo moved. Yet this silence only added to the oppressive atmosphere. Ling Mo felt as if something lurked beneath the water, waiting patiently for him to draw near.
The thought of eyes hidden beneath the surface made Ling Moâs skin crawl. Despite his apprehension, he cautiously approached the gap in the fence and slipped through.
âSplashâŠâ
As the Zombie Puppet entered the passage, Ling Moâs main body followed Yuwen Xuan deeper into the narrow corridor.
Xu Shuhan walked silently behind Ling Mo, occasionally glancing at him.
âHow much further do we have to goâŠâ she thought hesitantly.
Though the time spent wasnât long, traversing such a claustrophobic underground space was increasingly unbearable. The deeper they went, the stronger this feeling became. Not to mention the environment was changing⊠The silt underfoot grew thicker, and the walls were coated with a heavier layer of mucus. Unlike before, this mucus layer had a tinge of blood, and there were suspicious fragments scattered about.
Walking through such a passage, it felt as if something could be stepped on at any moment, or something might fall from the mucus layer on either sideâŠ
Itâs too oppressive! But the real source of pressure wasnât the passage itself, it wasâŠ
Xu Shuhan stole a glance at Yuwen Xuan ahead. He was about ten meters away, always at the edge of the light. This gave the impression that if they slowed down even a bit, Yuwen Xuan would slip back into the darknessâŠ
âNo, no, no, itâs not thatâŠâ Xu Shuhan stared at his back for a moment, shaking her head, âThe point isnât these wild thoughts, itâs something elseâŠâ She looked at Ling Mo again. From her angle, his profile seemed calm, his gaze as deep as ever. Even at such close proximity, she couldnât detect any irregularities in his heartbeat.
âBut if there was something, Ling Mo would sense it before me, right? So⊠am I overthinking?â Xu Shuhan frowned, âBut that inexplicable unease has returned. Since Ling Mo has decided, I canâtâŠâ
Should I tell him that I feel uneasy? Itâs not just the feeling of being swallowed by darkness, but also the sensation of being watched⊠And the source is right ahead⊠But why is Yuwen Xuan so determined and fervent in leading us there? And Ling Mo, why did he choose to cooperate without asking questionsâŠ
âWeâre almost there.â Yuwen Xuanâs voice suddenly broke the silence.
He continued moving forward, swaying left and right: âHang in there⊠Just a bit further and youâll see something amazingâŠâ
âWhere did you hide before?â Ling Mo, who had been silent, suddenly asked.
Yuwen Xuan paused, slowly turning his head.
Perhaps due to the lighting, Xu Shuhan felt Yuwen Xuanâs smile was odd⊠He smiled, speaking softly, âWeâve passed it. Itâs not important, anyway. Arenât you eager to leave? Letâs hurry and see, then we can go.â
âPassed itâŠâ Ling Mo seemed to ask casually, nodding at the response, âLetâs go.â
âHeheheâŠâ Yuwen Xuan glanced at them, chuckled, and turned back, continuing forward.
âWhatâs the point of asking that? If youâre going to ask, why not ask what he wants us to see⊠The feeling ahead is really unsettlingâŠâ Xu Shuhan sighed inwardly.
But as Yuwen Xuan turned, a low voice suddenly reached Xu Shuhanâs ears: âBe careful.â
âCareful?â Xu Shuhan was taken aback, quickly looking up. But all she saw was Ling Moâs nonchalant figure moving forward⊠His expression was calm, even his breathing remained steady⊠ⱀáŽÎĆâżĐĆ
âCareful of what?â Xu Shuhan pondered, shocked and confused.
In that brief moment, Ling Moâs words were indeed short⊠But what was he warning about? Or was he trying to remind her of something?
âNo, no! Iâm mistaken⊠The issue isnât what he said, but why he said it!â Xu Shuhanâs pupils contracted as she realized, âLing Mo trusts Yuwen Xuan⊠So he wouldnât be specifically wary of him! Just now, in less than a second, Yuwen Xuan turned⊠His clothes, his movements, would make faint sounds, and Ling Mo seized this opportunity⊠Only then could he ensure Yuwen Xuan wouldnât hear anything! Even if he did, it would be masked by his own noiseâŠâ
âBut what could make him so cautious? No, setting that aside, Ling Moâs real intention was to warn me about Yuwen Xuan? ButâŠâ Xu Shuhan looked at Yuwen Xuan again. Though this madman was reckless, he didnât seem problematic, âLing Mo didnât show this before, yet suddenly⊠Did he confirm some suspicion during that idle conversationâŠâ
The already oppressive atmosphere became even heavier after Ling Moâs warning⊠The long passage, the swaying figure aheadâŠ
âAlmost there?â Ling Mo suddenly spoke again.
Yuwen Xuan seemed unaffected, but Xu Shuhanâs heart skipped a beat. Though she still couldnât figure out the issue, hearing Ling Mo speak made her tense up instinctively. Fortunately, she wore a mask, so she didnât need to disguise her expression, nor did she have to maintain a calm gaze when looking at Yuwen XuanâŠ
âAlmost, almostâŠâ Yuwen Xuan replied without turning.
But after a few steps, he seemed to sense something, slowing his pace until he stopped completely.
Behind him, Ling Mo and Xu Shuhan stood silently, showing no intention of moving forwardâŠ
âWhatâs wrong?â Yuwen Xuan, now outside the circle of light, turned his head, his voice low.
Though his expression was hidden, his movements conveyed a hint of urgency: âDonât stop now, just a hundred meters more and weâll be above ground. Why waste time nowâŠâ
âIt is quite a waste⊠If it werenât for you leading the way.â Ling Moâs words startled Xu Shuhan.
Leading the way? What does that mean?
And his tone⊠Wait, this matter-of-fact attitude of burning bridges, whatâs going on! Did I completely misunderstand? His âbe carefulâ wasnât complicated, but a threat?
âIâm about to go crazy, so be carefulâŠâ Is that it?!
âNo, no⊠While the air here is bad and the environment disgusting, itâs not enough to drive him mad silentlyâŠâ Xu Shuhan stood stunned behind Ling Mo, âSo whatâs really happening here!â
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