Stealing the Pen: Kirin's Primordial Lotus

"Zhang Haining, Uncle Xu and the others have gone inside!"

"The magnetic field there is too strange! Our current methods are completely incapable of detecting anything inside!"

"Something's wrong! Fifth Brother and the others have been attacked!"

"Something's coming, the footsteps are chaotic, and there are many people!"

"There were even reptiles among the footsteps!"

"We're getting closer!"

After hearing the report, Zhang Haining's heart sank. He immediately realized that this was clearly a carefully designed trap! By taking advantage of the information discrepancy between their side and Yanjing, they successfully lured the clan leader and the prince away, leaving only Uncle Xu and the others isolated and helpless, at their mercy.

"We must notify the clan chief and the others immediately! We absolutely cannot let the enemy succeed!" Zhang Haining made a decisive decision and issued the order without hesitation, and quickly arranged for people to contact the Zhang family members who were far away in Yanjing.

At the same time, he knew that the situation was extremely critical, and the slightest carelessness could lead to the annihilation of the entire army. So he shouted loudly, "Attention everyone! Do not scatter, stay united, and wait for the best opportunity to break out, but remember not to be greedy for battle!" After saying this, Zhang Haining personally guarded the person responsible for delivering the message, while the others stared intently at the entrance as if facing a formidable enemy, ready for battle.

Time ticked by, and a tense atmosphere filled the air. Finally, the person transmitting the message shouted anxiously, "Give me five more minutes! Time is running out!" Despite large beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, his movements were exceptionally swift and efficient.

Five...four...three...two...one! As the final countdown sounded, the man breathed a sigh of relief and said: Alright! Now we can safely evacuate!

Zhang Haining glanced hastily at the badly damaged communication device, a resolute glint in his eyes. Then, he swiftly drew his longsword from its sheath, its blade gleaming coldly and ruthlessly. In an instant, he flashed forward, unleashing a flurry of attacks on the swarming black-haired snakes that were charging towards them...

"Charge out!"

As Zhang Haining's deep and powerful command rang out, the group sprang into action like a precisely functioning machine. Each person skillfully wielded their tightly gripped weapons, and amidst the flashing blades, countless ferocious, relentlessly charging black-haired snakes were slain. But these terrifying creatures did not retreat an inch; instead, they charged forward with even greater frenzy.

Meanwhile, in the cave where Wu Xie and the others had rested, a similarly thrilling scene was unfolding.

The man who had been guarding the cave entrance suddenly ran back into the cave in a panic, and said to Brother Chen, who was standing at the front as the leader, with a look of terror on his face: "Brother Chen... Brother Chen, something bad has happened! There are so many people outside the cave, and it seems that there are far more than just humans!" As he spoke, the man pointed to the dark, seemingly endless sandy area in the distance.

Upon hearing this, Brother Chen was startled and immediately sprang to his feet, a fine layer of sweat instantly appearing on his forehead—at this moment, even the most foolish person could guess what had happened.

"Damn it! We've fallen into a trap the enemy meticulously set!" Brother Chen cursed through gritted teeth, grabbing his subordinate who was in charge of maintaining contact with the outside world and pulling him close. He roared, "Find a way to contact Uncle Xu right now! Let them know what's going on here!"

However, after the man holding the walkie-talkie called out several times into the microphone, the response he received was not the one he expected. Instead, he heard a sinister and chilling scream.

"Hiss hiss hiss~"

Hehe~ Haha~

The sound, like something out of hell, echoed in the quiet cave, making everyone's heart tighten and giving them goosebumps from the voice on the pager.

"We can't get in touch with Brother Chen and Uncle Xu!" The person holding the pager looked at Brother Chen in a panic.

Brother Chen stared at the pager in the man's hand, his face ashen. "This machine has been in your possession the whole time. Has it been touched by anyone?"

The man thought for a moment, and was about to shake his head, when he suddenly remembered something. "Yes, last night that poplar tree suddenly came to find me and patted my shoulder. I felt someone touch my pocket."

"Could it be!" The man glanced at Brother Chen somewhat guiltily.

“What if it’s already happened? Let’s think about how to get out of here first!” The man with glasses behind Brother Chen pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses. “From the beginning, Yang Shu was in cahoots with that Cheng Ye. Although they didn’t communicate much along the way, they made a lot of small moves.”

"Fourth Brother, what do you think we should say now?" Brother Chen looked at Fourth Brother with a stern face.

"Let's get out of here first. I estimate that the clan leader and his men are not far from us. We can try sending them a signal flare." The fourth brother knew very well who was following them.

"Quickly pack up everything necessary, and leave the unnecessary stuff here!" After giving the instructions, Brother Chen immediately gathered the important supplies and led everyone out of the cave.

"Cheng Ye, this..." Uncle Xu pointed in astonishment at the small yellow flower that was swaying slightly and blooming beautifully on the stone platform in front of him. He really couldn't understand how such a delicate yellow flower could be nurtured in such a dark, damp environment full of gravel and dust.

Cheng Ye also stared at the yellow flower just a few steps away from him, but his eyes seemed somewhat unfocused and dazed at this moment: "This is a Buddha's head flower, famous for growing on the head of a Buddha statue. However, this is what we call it here, and it is extremely rare, almost a legend in our area. This place is not always blessed by the sun—only at certain special times can sunlight penetrate through many obstacles to shine into this place."

Upon hearing this, Uncle Xu's eyes lit up with excitement. He excitedly pushed up his reading glasses and tiptoed closer to the magical little yellow flower. He then whispered to Wu Xie beside him, "Xiao Wu, you're the most skilled photographer in our team! Quickly get out your camera and record this amazing sight!"

Upon receiving the instructions, Wu Xie immediately opened his backpack and pulled out a small, exquisite digital camera. He then carefully checked his surroundings for any potential dangers, and only after confirming that everything was safe did he begin to constantly change shooting angles, trying to capture the unique charm of the little yellow flower that was growing tenaciously in dire circumstances from all angles.

"My goodness! This is absolutely beautiful!" At this moment, Fatty Wang was completely captivated by the picturesque world of the blooming yellow flower, unable to tear himself away, and his feet unconsciously drew closer and closer to it...

Yang Shu and Cheng Ye, who had been silently observing the situation from a short distance behind the crowd, both frowned and secretly felt a chill for those who were gradually being drawn in.

The "click" sound, amidst the sounds of praise in the cave, failed to attract anyone's attention; they were all captivated by the Buddha head flower beside the stone platform.

As Wu Xie examined the photos on his camera, he noticed that pebbles were still falling from the edge of the Buddha's Head Flower. Turning his head, he realized that everyone except Yang Shu and Cheng Ye was already standing on the suspended stone platform.