Chapter Forty-Four: Woven Coral

  Usually, he doesn't react that quickly. This time, however, his hands were faster than his brain. As soon as I finished speaking, Ma Si Zhe let go of my hand. Without any warning, I was free-falling, dropping down.

  Ma Si Zhe stood on the last step of the stairs and shouted down 'How is it? Is it deep? If it's not deep, I'll go take a look'

  It seems like I'm being experimented on, and I've lost my temper, deciding not to speak. Ma Si Zhe shouted twice, seeing that I didn't respond, took over He Ying's flashlight and shone it down. I was just about to look up when Ma Si Zhe suddenly shook the light, making me unable to open my eyes, so I quickly covered them with my hand.

  "You're dead..." Ma Si Zhe's words trailed off halfway.

  I frowned and looked up, couldn't see anything clearly. 'You took the flashlight away, it's piercing my eyes, I can't see now.'

  Ma Si Zhe said with a quivering voice, "I'm telling you, don't be afraid of anything you see later."

  I'm afraid of your sister, hurry up and put away the flashlight

  Ma Si Zhe moved the flashlight to one side, no longer shining it directly on my face. Then he swallowed a mouthful of saliva and said, 'You mustn't look down at your feet, I'll think of a way to pull you up.'

  When Ma Si Zhe said that, I felt a bit uneasy and suddenly broke out in cold sweat. Snake? That white-bearded old corpse? Or would Jiang Liu be lying there intact again if I looked down? People are cheap, the more they're not allowed to look, the more curious they become, my brain struggled for a moment before deciding it was better not to look.

  "Now listen to me and take a step to the left." Ma Si-zhe was directing me from above, I carefully moved to the left. As a result, the space on the right side became larger.

  I was on high alert and hadn't let my guard down, but then I remembered something called "lingering light". I vaguely felt that there was something behind me that seemed to be moving. My neck stiffened, and I froze in place.

  Suddenly, Ma Si Zhe also fell silent. I licked my lips, feeling a bit uneasy. Just as I was wondering what was going on, a pair of icy hands touched the back of my neck.

  I took a deep breath and remained still. The hand's touch was like tofu, cool and smooth, slowly circling around my body, reaching out to my chest.

  I've found all sorts of weird things here, and they're all pretty likable to me - either hugging or embracing. However, this is indeed not a pleasant thing for people, I'd rather be whipped by vines a few more times than deal with corpses again. Because from the beginning until now, the corpses I've seen are too heavy-handed.

  My hands on my chest were getting more and more restless, stretching further inwards. I didn't dare stop him, letting him roam all over me. I cast a pleading glance at Ma Si Zhe.

  Ma Si Zhe handed the flashlight to Huo Ying and let him hold it steady before picking up his own gun.

  I saw Ma Si Zhe slowly aiming his gun at me, and it seemed like he was going to shoot the thing behind me. I quickly shook my head, not to mention whether or not I believed in Ma Si Zhe's marksmanship, last time he shot, I was lucky enough to only lose my hearing temporarily, this time if I wasn't so lucky, I would be completely deaf.

  I shook my head slightly, afraid of disturbing the brother or sister behind me. Ma Si Zhe ignored my shout and raised his gun at something behind me. The bullet seemed to brush past my ear and flew by with a whizzing sound, as if it had hit something behind me.

  He suddenly withdrew his hand, let out a loud cry, and fell over.

  Ma Si Zhe saw that thing no longer moving, and with a burst of energy, he jumped down from the steps.

  "You're really bold, what if I get exposed by you?" I said with a lingering fear.

  Ma Si Zhe's face relaxed 'Ah, believe in Master Ma's marksmanship'

  "How could I trust you? You almost deafened me last time"

  "Last time wasn't it you who got deafened by me? How was I supposed to know that the bullet hitting that white bone would make such a loud noise?"

  I'm too lazy to think about what Marx said, now I'm more interested in things lying on the ground.

  "Where's the flashlight?" I asked Marx Zhe. Huo Ying handed over the flashlight, I turned it on and shone it backwards.

  "This one glance almost scared me to death, isn't this the old corpse with a white beard from the secret room? Now his beard has turned red, and there's a big hole in his head, but not a single drop of blood has flowed out."

  "How did he end up here?" I said in disbelief.

  Ma Si Zhe shook his head 'Don't know, probably has feelings for you'

  I feigned a sorrowful face 'But you killed him'

  I held the flashlight and looked around, the vines were intertwined and woven together, without any gaps. How did this thing get in? Did it come from that hole above like us?

  I was studying when Marx patted me on the back.

  "What's up"

  "Hurry up and get on" with a hint of anxiety in his voice "Quickly get on"

  I turned back to look at the stairs, which were three or four meters high from where I was, and it was impossible to climb up.

  What's wrong?

  Ma Si Zhe pointed at the ground.

  As I looked, the old corpse on the ground slowly crawled up. The red beard above his knee was like an octopus's tentacles, slowly crawling and stretching towards us. Huo Ying blocked us from behind, took out a knife from her bag, and held it in front of her body.

  I thought I was a big man, but I couldn't hide behind a woman's back. My brain got hot and I wanted to rush forward. But I was pushed back by Huo Ying, it seemed she thought I was in the way. I had no choice but to give up and honestly stay at the back.

  The old corpse's beard drew closer and closer, Huo Ying suddenly grabbed it, wrapped several circles around his arm, took out a knife and went to cut it. The thing shrank back, pulling the beard out of Huo Ying's hand. Then it stretched towards Ma Si Zhe behind him.

  Before Ma Si could react, the beard had wrapped itself around his waist. The old corpse climbed up along the inner wall of the rattan, wrapping Ma Si tightly in its beard, sticking to both sides like a sucker, pulling him upwards. It seemed to be in a hurry to pull Ma Si away from here.

  Huo Ying reacted quickly and grabbed hold of Ma Si Zhe, I saw the situation and also rushed over to help.

  Maybe because of my and Huo Ying's obstruction, the thing couldn't be pulled no matter how hard they tried. Turning around, he fiercely swung his beard to the side, and both I and Huo Ying were flung off. But Ma Si Zhe was still tightly wrapped on it.

  This thing is obviously aimed at Marx Zhe, but when did Marx Zhe offend him? Was it just now that Marx Zhe said he couldn't bear to part with me and he wasn't happy about it?

  I'm not unhappy yet, but he's already unhappy.

  Looks like Ma Si Zhe has snatched his treasure, thinking of this, I suddenly remembered, isn't it snatching someone else's treasure? Where is the silver turtle in Ma Si Zhe's bag?

  I found the reason and quickly told Huo Ying: 'I know why he didn't let Ma Si Zhe go, that silver tortoise is still in his bag.'

  After finishing speaking, I went to pull the backpack on Marx's body. Marx shouted "No way, the Silver Turtle can't be given to him. If we give it to him, this trip will be in vain for both of us."

  I certainly know the importance of this silver turtle, based on Uncle Cheng's actions just now, it is likely that this silver turtle is the root of solving this matter. Even if it is not the root, it is a very important link.

  Now it seems that either Ma Si Zhe or Yin Gui will have to be handed over. I thought for a while and came up with an idea, but I'm not sure if it's feasible.

  "Huo sister, I'll take out the Silver Turtle later and put it on me. You and Ma Si Zhe think of a way to save me." I have no other choice but to let Ma Si Zhe and Huo Ying save me, after all, their combined fighting strength is stronger than mine and Huo Ying's.

  I took a heroic look at Marx, who was hanging in mid-air, and fumbled through his bag for half a day before pulling out the silver tortoise and putting it on myself. Come on, today you won't kill me, I'll find time to kill you later.

  I had just put away the silver tortoise when the old corpse suddenly released Marx, and his beard stretched out towards me. I didn't even have the chance to struggle, and was easily wrapped up.

  Just like before, that old corpse wrapped itself around me and dragged me upwards. It seems it's really after this Silver Turtle.

  I was amazed at how he could identify the location of the silver turtle, if it wasn't for some special substance on the silver turtle, or if he had a telepathic connection with the silver turtle. Although it sounds far-fetched, I couldn't think of any better explanation.

  Ma Si Zhe was thrown to the ground and Huo Ying hurriedly helped him up. Ma Si Zhe said something, and the two of them began searching on the ground with flashlights in hand.

  I was pulled up uncontrollably, my body scraping against the steps one by one. I exerted myself to grab onto a step, my fingers turning white from the force.

  "Think of a solution quickly!" My strength has reached its limit, and I had no choice but to shout at Marx.

  "How much longer can you hold on?" Ma Si asked me.

  "What's wrong with you, do you still want to go to the toilet?"

  "If it didn't come from above, then there must be a way down here. Hold on for a bit longer, let me see if I can find it."

  "Then hurry up." I turned around and took a glance at that thing stuck on the wall. "I reckon I won't be able to hold out for much longer."

  I can clearly feel the strength in my waist getting stronger and stronger, my hands are about to lose their grip on the stairs 'I'm not going to make it'

  Ma Si Zhe excitedly shouted 'I found it'

  Along with Ma Si Zhe's voice, my hand was completely let go and I was pulled up by a pair of hands.

  "Sun Yi" Ma Si Zhe and Huo Ying shouted at me from below, I looked at the rattan on both sides and had an adventurous idea, anyway, it's all death, let's try.

  In a panic, I couldn't find the dagger and could only bite my own hand ruthlessly. As the blood slowly flowed out, I saw the vines on both sides start to shake.

  This trick really worked, I squeezed out some blood and waited for the right moment to wipe it on the old corpse's body. At this time, a vine suddenly stretched out from beside me, wrapping around the old corpse.

  Then, the old corpse was entwined with vines, and I was entwined with the old corpse's beard, hanging there like that. Fortunately, the vines restrained him and didn't continue to drag me up.

  If the water outside rushes in, none of us can escape, and being dragged all the way down from this staircase is really painful.

  Ma Si Zhe asked me below 'How are you? What's going on?'

  Nothing for now, but can't say for sure later

  I was suspended for a while and felt that waiting like this wasn't going to work, so I slowly reached into my bag to feel for the dagger.

  At this time, the trapped white-bearded corpse began to stir restlessly.

  Struggling to break free from the vines' restraint, but they only got tighter. He started banging his head against the wall like a madman. Once, twice, and I was miserable below, my eyes seeing stars from being flung about.