Under the fist

Chapter 44 Bait, Monster
The narrow passage twists and turns, the stone walls are extremely smooth, and the downward slope makes it impossible to stop.

Feeling the speed of the descent, Lian Youming held the girl in his arms with one hand and gripped the military dagger with the other, its sharp point pointing downwards, ready to deal with any sudden changes at any time.

Even now, he is still recalling those conversations with the martial arts world.

It turns out that many skilled individuals from various schools and sects have joined the White Lotus Sect.

Has something extraordinary happened in this martial arts world in the past?
There are also the secrets guarded by the old man who guards the mountain, the purpose of the White Lotus Sect, and the various sects and factions in the martial arts world. All of these things seem to be connected invisibly.

dark.

Dead silence.

Apart from the rustling of their clothes as they slid down, all that could be heard was the pounding of their hearts.

Lian Youming held the girl tightly; he had made this decision after careful consideration.

Before the other person's identity is confirmed, this person may be dangerous, but at the same time, they may also be a source of hope.

If the other party is truly a good person, then bringing her down is naturally to save her.

But if it's a bad guy, or someone from the White Lotus Cult, judging from the girl's current behavior, she hasn't shown any martial prowess or murderous intent, which means she still wants to keep up the act.

If that's the case, why not go together?

Those who are also in the same profession can naturally be used to deal with those江湖人 (jianghu people, people from the martial arts world).

Now, Changbai Mountain is a gathering place for all sides, a den of dragons and tigers. Li Da has disappeared again, and if Lian Youming wants to escape unscathed, it will be as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Therefore, he had no choice but to use one tiger to devour another, taking a risky gamble. Even if this vicious tiger had other plans, he was at least safe until the other side completely dropped its disguise.

Furthermore, Lian Youming also wanted this person to openly and honestly break off all pretense of civility. He was really tired of living in fear, but this person didn't offer any resistance at all. He couldn't very well just strangle her to death, could he?

To crush someone who offers no resistance?
Besides, if things really came to a head on the mountain just now, not only would we not be able to win, but there were also so many people hiding in the shadows. There would be no benefit whatsoever.

As for the two Xingyi Sect members, the reason Lian Youming chose to mention Xue Hen's name was because he was unsure whether they were genuine or imposters from the White Lotus Sect. He wanted to use Xue Hen to provoke their killing intent and make a judgment.

But given the current situation, no one can be trusted. Who knows if there are traitors among the various sects? Since the White Lotus Sect has a better chance of winning, Lian Youming naturally wants to bring this person down with him.

Suddenly, a cool breeze came from the depths of the passage, carrying a rotten smell.

Lian Youming tightened his grip on the knife, his fingers exerting force, the veins in his arms bulging, and his feet began to push outwards, slowing his descent. His mind also became tense.

In the darkness, a very faint and intermittently flickering light suddenly appeared in his field of vision.

"Hurry up!"

Before they finished speaking, the two had already slid out of the passage.

Below the passage, a huge rope net was hanging.

Before he could adjust his balance, Lian Youming and the girl landed on it together.

But as soon as she landed, the girl turned pale with fear and said, "Look at what's next to us!"

Lian Youming's expression also turned somewhat unpleasant; he had already sensed it without the other party needing to remind him.

Turning his head, he saw a horrifyingly thin face, with sunken cheeks and two rows of black teeth, like dried-out cured meat. A pair of black, hollow eyes stared straight at him, and he almost kissed them.

"Dead."

"Japanese soldiers?"

Looking at the mummified corpse's clothes and attire, Lian Youming frowned deeply.

He glanced at it briefly and saw seven or eight mummified corpses scattered in the net, all huddled together with them.

Seeing that the net was not high off the ground, Lian Youming simply cut a hole in the rope beneath him and let himself fall down first. Once he had regained his balance, he caught the girl who jumped down.

Then, the mummies fell to the ground all at once, like dumplings being dropped into a pot.

"How could he have died like this?"

Lian Youming quickly examined the body again and found that it was completely intact, with the only wound on its neck, as if some wild beast had bitten through its throat.

He didn't have time to look closely, worried that there might be martial arts masters coming down from above. He only glanced at them briefly before carefully examining his surroundings.

This place turned out to be a naturally formed cave, and the light source was a few bulbs on the wall, flickering and very weak. In addition, there were thick electrical cables on the wall extending like monstrous pythons into five tunnels, interconnected in all directions, like a spider's web.

Lian Youming pursed his dry lips, looking extremely surprised and suspicious.

It's been so many years since Japan surrendered, how can there still be electricity inside? Are there still living people inside?

While observing, he quickly walked towards the second tunnel on the right, the layout of the map clearly appearing in his mind. He asked, "What's your name?"

"Xiao Li."

The girl still appeared weak and obedient, terrified and frightened, her eyes trembling, yet she still followed closely. Lian Youming sighed, as if from the moment he saved her, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and move forward.

However, the further you go in, the more carvings appear on the stone walls, and there is even a huge stone tablet embedded in them.

"What kind of scribbling is written on this?"

Unexpectedly, the girl then retorted, "Unauthorized entry will result in death!"

The voice was very soft and low, like a murmur in a dream.

Lian Youming didn't hear clearly and didn't understand, so he subconsciously asked, "What did you say?"

Before they could ask any further questions, a muffled thud suddenly sounded at the entrance of the tunnel, as if a large rock had fallen to the ground.

Lian Youming's expression changed slightly, and he quickly led the girl to quicken their pace. After walking thirty or forty meters, their field of vision suddenly opened up.

"There is actually an ancient tomb hidden in this underground fortress."

At the end of the tunnel was a stone chamber with a huge stone coffin lying horizontally inside. There were also many rotten wooden boxes piled up on all sides, and silver coins and ingots were scattered on the ground, as well as a corpse lying there.

This person wasn't a mummified corpse, nor was he a Japanese soldier. He was middle-aged and wearing a Zhongshan suit...

"You came in through another entrance?"

Lian Youming reacted as if he had seen a ghost, quickly stepping forward. Upon touching the body, he found it was still slightly warm, indicating it had only recently died. Looking closer, he saw the large man's hands were covered in calluses, and his tall, strong frame clearly indicated he was a member of a martial arts school.

Yet this person had his hands and feet twisted and broken, and there was a gash on his neck with the skin and flesh turned outwards, which was extremely horrifying.

"How come this death is just like those of the Japanese soldiers?"

Lian Youming's expression was strange. He suddenly raised his eyes and looked around with extreme vigilance, while also taking out his pistol.

"Strange, why is there so little blood from such a big wound?" The girl finally spoke, her voice trembling and very soft.

Lian Youming's eyes flickered. Of course he had seen it too, but what should he think of such a strange scene?

There were no light bulbs in the stone chamber, but surprisingly, torches were lit in all four corners.

Lian Youming suddenly felt a bit cold, especially since he was in a tomb chamber with a stone coffin beside him.

"It can't be some zombie or monster that jumps out and sucks people's blood, can it?"

He naturally didn't believe such nonsense, but the corpse's arteries had been bitten open, and most of its blood had disappeared into thin air, and the Japanese soldiers had also died in the same way. What could be the explanation?

Lian Youming glanced at the corpse's hands and feet again; the injuries that had broken bones and tendons were no ordinary matter.

In an instant, a chilling thought popped into his head.

Could it be man-made?

But why drink blood?

Lian Youming couldn't help but think of what Yan Lingyun had said before: his "Three Yin Earthly Fiend Force" could nourish and strengthen one's vital energy, and its principles were extremely unorthodox.

Could there be martial artists who use their essence and blood to practice their skills?

Lian Youming suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

This underground fortress is hiding a wicked being who practices martial arts using human blood—this is outrageous!

"That scoundrel Xie Laosan didn't explain things clearly..."

But then, a thought flashed through his mind, and Lian Youming suddenly swallowed hard.

Something is wrong.

The map Xie Laosan gave us was of unknown origin and had no backstory. It might just be some kind of bait, meant to lure a group of martial artists to their deaths...

Just as his hands and feet were turning cold, a shrill scream suddenly rang out from the other end of the tomb.

"what!"

Lian Youming immediately took Xiao Li and rushed over to where the sound came from.

Torches lit up the way, and there were also many flickering electric lights, as if they were welcoming them.

When they reached a three-way intersection, Lian Youming saw a young man in a shirt lying on the ground.

"What happened to you?"

The young man's face was filled with terror, and as soon as he opened his mouth, hot blood gushed out.

"There's... cough cough... help... help me..."

(End of this chapter)