Marrying Wife and Concubine Together: After Rebirth, I Remarried the Scumbag's Father on the Sp

Lin Ran interrupted her, her voice weak but firm, "If your uncle doesn't protect you, who will he protect? Don't worry, I don't care about this little injury. Hurry up and go!"

The two supported each other as they struggled through a patch of low bushes, finally spotting a narrow opening behind the rock face—the entrance to the secret passage.

The entrance to the cave was hidden by dense weeds, and it was impossible to spot unless you looked closely.

Just as they were about to crawl into the cave entrance, a cloud of thick smoke suddenly drifted up from behind them.

The bandits did indeed light the dry branches, and the fire spread with the help of the wind, billowing thick smoke that drifted towards the opposite bank of the underground river, choking the two men and causing them to cough repeatedly.

"Go inside quickly!" Lin Ran pushed Lin Yiwan hard.

Lin Yiwan didn't move. Instead, she turned around and stuffed the sword back into his hand: "You go first, I'll cover the rear."

Lin Ran was about to say something when she saw Lin Yiwan turn around and stare warily in the direction of the billowing smoke.

He knew her temperament; once she made a decision, she would never change it. He could only grit his teeth and be the first to enter the secret passage.

The secret passage was pitch black, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face, and the air was filled with the damp smell of earth. Lin Yiwan followed closely behind and crawled in. Just as she was about to grope her way forward, she heard the shouts and curses of the thugs behind her.

It turned out that several ruthless bandits who were good swimmers had actually swum across the underground river and were chasing after them towards the secret passage.

"Quick! Block the entrance!" Lin Ran's voice rang out in the darkness.

Lin Yiwan's heart stirred, recalling the loose boulder she had seen beside the cave entrance when she entered the secret passage.

She immediately turned around and, together with Lin Ran, pushed the boulder with all her might. The boulder was incredibly heavy, and the two of them were panting heavily, their arms aching so much they could barely lift them. Finally, before the bandits arrived, they pushed the boulder to the cave entrance, completely blocking the entrance to the secret passage.

After a loud "boom," the angry sounds of the bandits ramming and cursing could be heard outside, but they could no longer get any closer.

The two collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted. The secret passage was deathly silent, with only the sound of their heavy breathing audible.

After a long while, Lin Ran finally recovered. He took out a tinderbox from his pocket and gently blew on it. The faint flame flickered, illuminating their disheveled faces.

Lin Yiwan then noticed that Lin Ran had an arrow stuck in his back, his clothes were soaked with blood, and his face was as pale as a sheet of paper.

"How are your injuries?" Her voice trembled as she reached out to touch them, but then hesitated.

Lin Ran gave a wry smile, raised his hand to press the wound, and frowned: "It's nothing serious. Let's rest for a while and figure out a way to pull the arrow out once we've regained some strength."

The dim light from the tinderbox offered a small comfort to the two in the dark passageway.

Lin Yiwan was filled with mixed emotions as she looked at Lin Ran enduring the pain.

She knew very well that she had escaped danger entirely thanks to her uncle's selfless protection. If it weren't for him, she would probably have already fallen into the hands of ruthless bandits, her fate unknown.

She looked down at the wounds on her palms where the thorns of the vines had cut her, then looked up at the endless darkness deep within the secret passage, and made a silent vow in her heart.

No matter how treacherous the road ahead, she is determined to lead her uncle to find her missing maternal grandfather.

The cold air inside the secret passage was even stronger than outside, and the flickering light of the tinderbox cast long shadows of the two people.

Lin Hou felt excruciating pain from the arrow wound on his back. Every breath felt like a knife scraping his flesh. He gritted his teeth, and cold sweat trickled down his face, dripping onto the ground and spreading into a small patch of dark water.

Seeing his forced composure, Lin Yiwan felt a pang in her heart. She took out the last half of a dry ration from her pocket and held it to his lips: "Eat something to tide you over and replenish your strength."

Lin Ran shook her head, her voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible: "You eat, I don't have an appetite right now."

Lin Yiwan's tone was somewhat forceful. She broke off a small piece of dry food and stuffed it into his mouth. "No, how can you hold on if you don't eat? We still have to get out of here."

The dry rations were coarse, with a faint wheat aroma. Lin Ran chewed a few times and swallowed them with difficulty.

The warm food seemed to give him a bit of strength. He looked up at Lin Yiwan and saw her munching on the remaining dry food, her cheeks slightly flushed by the firelight. He felt a little relieved.

After resting for about fifteen minutes, Lin Ran tried to move his body. The sharp pain in his back made him gasp. He knew he couldn't delay any longer. The bandits might still be outside trying to find a way in. If they found another entrance, the two of them would really be trapped.

He leaned against the rock wall and slowly stood up. As soon as he exerted force, a tearing pain shot through his wound, and he staggered. Fortunately, Lin Yiwan caught him in time.

Lin Yiwan carefully took his arm and carried most of his weight on her own. "Slow down, the secret passage is narrow and can only accommodate one person at a time. I'll go ahead and scout the way, you follow me."

Lin Ran nodded without refuting. He knew that in his current situation, he simply couldn't walk ahead.

Lin Yiwan held the tinderbox in her hand, its faint light illuminating the path ahead.

The walls of the secret passage were uneven and covered with wet, slippery moss. The path underfoot was full of potholes, and one could easily trip over it if one was not careful.

The two walked forward, one step at a time, the only sounds being each other's breathing and footsteps, and the faint sound of dripping water in the distance.

After walking for about half an hour, Lin Ran's strength gradually gave out, his steps became heavier and heavier, and the blood seeping from the wound on his back had stuck his clothes and flesh together. Every movement was excruciatingly painful.

He gritted his teeth and didn't utter a sound, but the cold sweat on his forehead betrayed his pain.

Lin Yiwan noticed his unusual behavior, stopped, and turned to look at him: "Is it hurting a lot? Why don't we rest for a while longer?"

Lin Ran waved his hand, panting heavily, "No need, we'll probably reach the exit soon if we walk a little further."

As soon as he finished speaking, a rustling sound suddenly came from the darkness ahead.

The two instantly became alert. Lin Yiwan gripped her sword tightly, raised the tinderbox even higher, and stared intently into the darkness ahead.

The sound grew closer, like something crawling, accompanied by a soft rustling sound.

The moment the firelight shone on them, Lin Yiwan saw the true nature of the creature: a swarm of fiery red venomous snakes, crawling densely towards them.

Lin Ran's face turned deathly pale instantly, and his voice trembled, "Wanwan, quick! Get out of the way! This thing is called a Red-banded Snake, and it's extremely dangerous. Once you're bitten, you're guaranteed to die!"

Lin Yiwan was also startled. She had heard from her maternal grandfather that the red-banded snake was extremely venomous and could leave nothing but barren land in its wake, making it one of the most dangerous creatures in the mountains and forests.

Seeing the swarm of venomous snakes getting closer and closer, Lin Yiwan had a sudden inspiration and threw the tinder in her hand towards the snakes.