Huanzhu Time Travel: Yan Luo's Unbreakable Love in the Yong Dynasty

Chapter 513: Searching for the Secret Valley, Perilous Situation

The moonlight, like still water, gently spilled across the winding mountain path, outlining a slender yet resolute silhouette of the hurrying swallow. Clutching the ancient book she had brought from the Shadow Pavilion's secret chamber, she followed the old man's directions towards the mysterious valley where the Shadow Pavilion's headquarters were located. At this moment, she was dressed in black, a long whip slung across her waist, each step firm and powerful, determined to utterly shatter the conspiracy of this mysterious organization.

The mountain path was rugged, with jagged rocks on both sides. Occasionally, the hooting of owls would pierce the silent night, sending chills down one's spine. Little Swallow, however, was oblivious to all this. Only one thought occupied her mind: to find the Shadow Pavilion headquarters and uncover the truth behind the conspiracy.

"Hmph, Shadow Pavilion, your good days are over!" Little Swallow muttered to herself, tightening her grip on the long whip at her waist and quickening her pace. Moonlight shone on her face, illuminating her bright and determined eyes, revealing a fearless courage.

After walking for an unknown amount of time, the mountain path gradually widened, revealing a deep valley. The valley was shrouded in thick fog, obscuring its interior; only the faint sound of flowing water could be heard. Little Swallow stopped, cautiously observing her surroundings, pondering to herself, "This should be the headquarters of the Shadow Pavilion, but what secrets does this pervasive fog hold?"

She cautiously entered the valley, each step taken with extreme care, her eyes constantly scanning her surroundings. Suddenly, she heard soft footsteps coming from her left. She quickly hid behind a large rock, holding her breath. Several dark figures hurried past her, the leader whispering, "Be careful, everyone. The Shadow Pavilion hasn't been peaceful lately. If outsiders break in, we'll all be in deep trouble!"

Little Swallow was startled, secretly relieved that she had hidden in time. Only after the shadowy figures had gone far away did she emerge from behind the boulder and continue walking. As she walked, she discovered a clear stream in the valley, its water shimmering in the moonlight.

"The stream looks normal, but something feels off." Little Swallow frowned, squatted down, and touched the water with her hand. The moment her fingers touched the water, ripples suddenly appeared on the surface, and then a swarm of sharp arrows shot out from the stream, heading straight for Little Swallow.

"Oh no!" Little Swallow exclaimed, leaping backward and drawing her long whip from her waist. She swiftly swung it, deflecting each incoming arrow. The arrows fell to the ground with a crisp sound.

"That was close!" Little Swallow patted her chest, still shaken. "This Shadow Pavilion is indeed full of traps." She stood up and carefully observed her surroundings, noticing that the positions of several stones by the stream were somewhat strange, as if someone had deliberately placed them there.

"Could this be the trigger point for the mechanism?" Little Swallow wondered. She picked up a stone and threw it at the other stones. Sure enough, as soon as the stone landed, a volley of arrows shot out from the stream.

"I knew it!" Little Swallow's lips curled up slightly, revealing a smug smile. She avoided the rocks and carefully walked forward along the stream, finally reaching the depths of the valley.

Deep in the valley, a magnificent building appeared before the little swallow. The building was imposing, surrounded by high walls with several watchtowers on them, where guards patrolled back and forth. The little swallow hid behind a large tree, observing the activity inside the building.

"With such tight security, getting in won't be easy," Xiao Yanzi muttered to herself, frowning. She looked down at the ancient book in her hand and suddenly had an idea: "Perhaps this book contains clues about how to enter the Shadow Pavilion headquarters."

She opened the ancient book and began to read it carefully. Sure enough, the book recorded some of the mechanisms and secret passages of the Shadow Pavilion headquarters. Following the description in the book, Little Swallow found a hidden path on the side of the building. This path was covered by weeds and would be completely invisible without careful observation.

The little swallow followed the path and came to a stone door hidden in the mountain wall. The stone door was tightly closed, and strange symbols and patterns were carved on it. The little swallow carefully studied these symbols and patterns and found that they were somewhat similar to the content of the murals in the Shadow Pavilion recorded in ancient books.

"Could this be the entrance to the Shadow Pavilion headquarters?" Little Swallow was filled with doubt. She tried to apply the solution recorded in the ancient book to the stone door. The stone door slowly opened, and an old and decaying smell rushed out.

Little Swallow took a deep breath and stepped through the stone gate. Behind the gate was a long passage, with several oil lamps embedded in the walls on both sides, their flickering light casting the passage in an alternating dim light. Little Swallow cautiously moved forward, her eyes warily observing her surroundings.

Suddenly, a fork in the road appeared ahead. The two paths looked exactly alike, making it difficult to choose. Little Swallow stopped and thought for a moment before deciding to take the left path. As soon as she stepped into the left path, she heard the sound of a mechanism activating behind her. Turning around, she saw the stone door slowly closing, completely blocking her escape route.

"It seems there's no turning back." Little Swallow gritted her teeth and continued walking forward. She hadn't gone far when another stone gate appeared ahead, bearing a huge Shadow Pavilion emblem.

Little Swallow walked to the stone gate and pushed it, but the gate didn't budge. She examined the stone gate carefully and found a groove on it, the shape of which was similar to a jade pendant described in an ancient book.

"Could it be that this jade pendant is needed to open the stone door?" A thought struck Xiao Yanzi. She took out the jade pendant the old man had given her from her bosom and carefully placed it into the groove. As soon as the jade pendant was placed in the groove, the stone door slowly opened, and a strong gust of air rushed out from inside, making Xiao Yanzi's hair and clothes flutter loudly.

"Finally in!" Little Swallow excitedly walked through the stone gate. Inside was a huge hall, with various weapons and hidden weapons placed around the perimeter. In the center was a huge stone platform with a glittering box on it.

Little Swallow eagerly stepped forward, wanting to open the box and see what was inside. The moment her hand touched the box, an alarm suddenly blared throughout the hall. Immediately afterward, a group of dark figures surged out from all directions, surrounding Little Swallow.

"Hmph, we've finally waited for you, Little Swallow!" the leader of the shadowy figures said coldly. "Do you think you can easily uncover the secrets of the Shadow Pavilion? How naive!"

Little Swallow warily surveyed the surrounding shadows, gripping her long whip tightly in her hand, and shouted, "You bunch of villains, today I will expose your conspiracy and wipe you all out!"

The shadowy figures let out a sinister laugh, and the leader waved his hand, causing them to pounce on Little Swallow. Little Swallow, fearless, brandished her long whip and engaged the shadowy figures in a fierce battle.

The long whip in Xiao Yanzi's hand was like a black lightning bolt, each swing creating a whistling sound that forced the shadowy figures to retreat. However, the shadowy figures were numerous and highly skilled, and Xiao Yanzi gradually began to feel the strain.

"No, this can't go on!" Little Swallow thought anxiously. While fighting, she observed her surroundings, searching for a way out. Suddenly, she noticed a small door on one side of the hall, which seemed to lead to the outside.

"That's it!" Little Swallow exclaimed with delight. She swung her whip forcefully, forcing back the surrounding shadows, and then rushed towards the small door. Seeing this, the shadows all gave chase.

Little Swallow arrived at the small door and pushed hard, but the door was locked. She looked back and saw that the shadowy figures had caught up and were about to grab her. In this critical moment, Little Swallow suddenly noticed a mechanism next to the door. Without thinking, she reached out and pressed the mechanism.

With a click, the door slowly opened, and Little Swallow seized the opportunity to dart out. Outside was a narrow passage, at the end of which was a window. Little Swallow ran towards the window, leaped, and jumped out.

"Phew, finally escaped!" Little Swallow landed on the ground, panting heavily. She looked back in the direction of the Shadow Pavilion headquarters, her eyes filled with determination: "You wait, I will definitely come back, and then it will be your end!"

Having said that, Little Swallow turned and walked out of the valley. The sky was already turning a pale white, a new day was about to begin. Little Swallow knew she was one step closer to uncovering the Shadow Pavilion's conspiracy, but even greater challenges awaited her…