“Chapter Fifty-Five”

"Chapter Fifty-Five"

"What on earth just happened?"

"Xu Fang and Ouyang Dong knelt on the ground, tapping and searching, but the perfectly restored tiles were seamless, impossible to open."

"Did they fall into a trap?" Xu Fang asked anxiously. Having fallen into a trap himself before, he knew that without his earth abilities, he might have been skewered. Now, with both the boss and An falling together, if there was a trap below, wouldn't they be in danger?"

"Impossible, they're both so strong; how could anything happen to them?"

"Udo took out a hammer from her space, and Ouyang Dong kept hammering at the tile, panting with exhaustion, yet not even a crack appeared."

"These tiles are incredibly hard, my hands are numb."

Little Fu by the side was in a panic, spinning around in anxiety. He had just yawned, and right after the yawn, his owner vanished, leaving him only to stare at the ground and howl in distress.

Grandma Wu stood there, arms crossed, reflecting on Lin An's recent actions and the stones on the ground that had returned to their original state, when suddenly a memory surfaced.

Among the explorers who ventured here a decade ago were people she knew. They had mentioned that the real city of Mous was difficult to enter, having sought the expertise of many scholars and using various ancient texts, legends, and documents to find a way in.

They had thought that entering this city was to arrive in Mous City, but upon reflection, their entry seemed too effortless. If Mous was just the ruins outside, it did not match what her old friends had described.

Grandma Wu looked down at the ground.

"Could it be that the real ancient city lies beneath this palace?"

Beneath the palace's stone bricks, within the thick walls, a circular vertical shaft connects the surface to the underworld.

Although legends of Mous City have been passed down through the ages, few know that this ancient city is, in reality, a vast subterranean metropolis.

What they had seen on the surface was merely a small fraction of the ancient city.

To survive in the perilous forest, the ancients used labor and wisdom, striving generation after generation to build this underground city. However, due to unknown reasons, the history and culture of Mous City were severed, hiding its true face.

The underground ancient city, untouched for many years, is now swirling with dust due to the sudden intrusion of two outsiders.

Lin An, unconcerned with the disarray around him, urgently calls out to the person below.

"Shen Xiuzhe! Shen Xiuzhe!"

He had not expected the other to follow him down, and even more, to protect him during the fall.

At the edge of the shaft, there was a steep staircase, almost vertical. Lin An was unaware of the interior structure, so when he opened the entrance, he fell straight down.

And in the last moment, Shen Xiuzhe grabbed him, cushioning Lin An's fall with his own body.

Now, Shen Xiuzhe appeared to have passed out. Lin An was filled with guilt, having only wanted to keep everyone safe by entering alone, yet now he had dragged Shen Xiuzhe into this predicament.

"What if he doesn't wake up..."

Lin An's heart tightened. He placed his hand over the other's chest, feeling the heartbeat under his palm, and was slightly reassured before he continued to call out his name.

They must have fallen about ten meters or so, which isn't much for those with special abilities, but the stone ground was incredibly hard. Shen Xiuzhe, holding him and bearing the weight of both, had landed on his back. At the moment of impact, Lin An even heard a muffled groan from him.

"What now? We don't even have any medicine. What if his spine is injured? Should we get back up quickly? Does Udo have any medicine? What medicine should I use?"

"Lin An's mind was in turmoil, calling out the other's name, unsure of what else he could do."

"A warm hand lifted, pressing on the back of Lin An's neck."

"Lin An startled, then exclaimed with relief, 'You're awake, are you alright?'"

"Shen Xiuzhe slowly opened his eyes, his deep, black phoenix eyes meeting Lin An's at close range."

"It was then that Lin An realized he was still lying on top of the other: 'Sorry, I, I'll get up right away.'"

"As he tried to push off the ground to stand, the hand at his neck pressed down again, causing Lin An's chin to collide with Shen Xiuzhe’s chest, eliciting another muffled groan from him."

"Where do you want to go? Trying to run away again?" Shen Xiuzes's eyebrows slightly furrowed, his expression undisturbed, yet his hand on the other's neck pinched slightly.

Lin An reflexively shrank his neck, accustomed to Shen Xiuzes's fierce appearance but gentle demeanor around him. Now, seeing that gloomy and cold face up close, Lin An hurriedly explained in panic, "I didn’t run away, I just didn’t want to be a burden to everyone."

His voice grew fainter, and Lin An lowered his eyes, feeling a tightness in his chest even though he was a zombie who didn't even breathe.

He was not used to being looked at with such cold eyes by the other, except for their first encounter, Shen Xiuzes had never looked at him with such an icy expression.

"I know you don’t want to trouble everyone, but we are companions. We should discuss things together, not just you taking risks alone in the name of our welfare," Shen Xiuzes was indeed very angry, "Did you ever consider how others feel, waiting obediently above for your return? Have you thought about their anxiety, desperately trying to save you?"

Shen Xiuzes's tone was sharp, determined to make the other realize his mistake, but the cool sensation in his chest made it hard for him to remain heartless.

"I’m sorry," Lin An apologized, burying his face in Shen Xiuzes's chest, his voice choked with sobs.

He knew he had betrayed everyone's trust and made a mistake, but he didn't want others to get hurt because of him. It didn’t matter what happened to him as long as everyone else was safe.

Shen Xiuzes sighed, gently stroking Lin An's back, finding it difficult to continue his reprimand.

"After we get out, you must apologize, and you can’t make everyone worry again." Shen Xiuzes's stern tone lasted only a few minutes before being defeated by the other's tears.

Lin An obediently hummed in agreement, lifting his head with tearful eyes.

The underground city lacked light, but their vision was unaffected. In the quiet darkness, their gazes merged, the emotions in each other's eyes exceptionally clear.

The usually emotion-concealing phoenix eyes, now gazed intently at Lin An, filled with a hint of fervor.

Lin An saw it clearly, feeling as if he was being scorched by the fervor in the other's eyes, anxiously averting his gaze in panic.

In the next instant, his face was gently cradled, Shen Xiuzhe leaned in slightly, touching his forehead to Lin An's, and whispered, "And don't make me worry again, okay?"

This pleading tone was a stark contrast to the usual image of Shen Xiuzhe, causing Lin An's cheeks to instantly flush with color.

With his eyes faintly reddened but no longer feeling the urge to cry, Lin An awkwardly attempted to rise from Shen Xiuzhe's embrace. This time, the latter didn't hinder him but instead stood up alongside him.

They were on the first level of the underground city, where the circular corridor was so narrow that it barely accommodated two people walking side by side.

The ceiling height was just two meters, and in some places, it was so irregular that they had to stoop to proceed.

After Lin An stood up, Shen Xiuzhe followed suit. The impact of the fall had been substantial, but his back had been reinforced with metal, so he wasn't injured.

His back was sore, and his internal organs felt a dull pain from the jolt, yet Shen Xiuzhe didn't show any signs of discomfort.

Upon standing, he naturally took Lin An's hand in his.

A flustered Lin An glanced at their joined hands, then back at Shen Xiuzhe, his expression slightly dazed.

Shen Xiuzhe arched an eyebrow, assertively stating, "This is to prevent you from running off again. Any objections?"

Lin An, feeling guilty, didn't dare to object. He sneakily glanced at their clasped hands and tentatively squeezed back.

"Is this the underground city? So the place you wanted to come to is here. This is the real Mo'us City?"

Shen Xiuzhe observed their surroundings. Clearly, this passage had been dug out by hand, and entering it required a special method. Lin An's tapping on the keystone pattern above was to open the entrance to the underground city.

They hadn't found traces of the explorers from over a decade ago above ground because those people had already entered the underground city.

Lin An knew there was no danger above; the real peril lay beneath, which is why he had wanted to come down alone.

If it weren't for Shen Xiuzhe noticing and following in time, those unaware of the entrance mechanism might never have been able to enter the real Mo'us City.

Lin An nodded, confirming the other's guess.

"Then, shall we... go back up?" Lin An asked stammeringly.

"No need. Now that we're here, let's keep going. I'll accompany you to search for traces of your parents, and we'll head back up after finding them."

The narrow confines were not conducive to a group, making it impossible to look out for others in case of danger. Shen Xiuzhe had not forgotten the words spoken by the people of Muling City before.

Within Mo'us City, it was quite possible that the "Serpent God" existed.

This was the lair of the destructive zombie serpent; although it was unclear if the serpent was still present, others would at least be safer above ground, finding it easier to hide and take shelter.

The pair followed the circular corridor outward; though carved from stone, the craftsmanship wasn't as exquisite as the ten stone statues in the palace, but the various facilities here were quite comprehensive.

Dwellings, cellars, schools, wells, corridors, and even lavatories were all in place, with some structures so complex that their purpose was beyond their understanding.

The underground city was riddled with intersections, and almost every short walk brought them to a crossroad, yet Lin An led Shen Xiuzhe through the maze with a confidence that suggested no hesitation in his steps.

"You know your way around here?" Shen Xiuzhe inquired.

Lin An felt a bit embarrassed, having previously concealed this fact: “Actually, everyone has seen the map.”

Everyone had seen the map? When?

Shen Xiuzhe retraced the route they had followed, then a possibility dawned on him: "Is it the carvings on the stone door?"

"Right, I memorized it when we came in."

After Lin An had cleaned the dust off the stone door, the regular patterns and lines turned out to be a map of the underground city. Shen Xiuzhe had also glanced at the complex pattern before but had not recognized it as a map.

Confused, Shen Xiuzhe kept his thoughts to himself.

It wasn't until Lin An led him through a hole in the ground, continuing downward, that he realized the underground city had more than one level.

Although the map was flat, the content it depicted was not a simple plan but a three-dimensional city layout.

No wonder the others had failed to discover it.