“So, which way should we go this time?” Everyone looked at each other in dismay as they saw two endless caves in front of them.
“We chose the left branch last time, so let’s just try the right side this time?”
“What do you think, brother Ji Bai?” Huo Lei attempted to seek out Ji Bai’s opinion on the matter.
“Either way is fine.” Ji Bai didn’t waste any thought on it.
There was no solid reasoning behind whichever side they’d choose. When it came to underground exploration, Ji Bai’s experience was limited. From how he saw it, they’d be going in blind no matter the path they picked, so it was completely unnecessary to purposely overwork their brains over the selection process.
“But what should we do if we were to meet those goblins again? Our current condition…” Said Xiaomu worryingly.
“It shouldn’t be a problem as long as we can catch a whiff of their stench beforehand…” Muttered Huo Lei to himself.
“The goblins are unable to take advantage of their numerical superiority in such narrow caves.” Said Ji Bai after analyzing the situation.
“…Brother, have you ever contemplated the possibility that the creatures hiding in here are not limited to just goblins?” After arriving at the cave’s entrance, Huo Lei’s complexion turned grave and he suddenly halted his footsteps.
“I haven’t ruled out that possibility yet.”
“…It’d be better if we head to the left side instead.” Suggested Huo Lei suddenly.
“Eh? Why?” Asked Xiaomu in a puzzled manner.
“There’s a charred smell from burning fabric emanating from the right side… We trolls are all too familiar with this type of smell; It’s possible that there are goblins or some other unfriendly creatures in that direction.” Huo Lei narrowed his eyes.
“Since Mr. Huo Lei said so, let’s head to the left side then.”
“Agreed.”
“No comment.”
After discussing the actions they would be taking, Ji Bai and Huo Lei respectively carried a torch each and cleared the path ahead, with Xiaomu and Lil’ Sha following close behind them.
“Obscene middle-aged man?”
“Mhm.”
“If we’re still unable to find a way out after we’ve exhausted all our food, will we die here with our bodies’ ending as sustenance for cockroaches and poisonous bugs —just like that man yesterday?”
“This possibility exists.”
“You really do not know how to comfort someone, do you? Obscene middle-aged man…”
“It’s also possible for the goblins to discover us, and then…”
“I didn’t permit you to list every possibility out.”
“…”
“Eh? Guys, listen! Isn’t there the sound of water inside?”
“Seems like it. It really is… Don’t tell me there’s an underground canal?”
The sound of water flowing became louder along with the distance narrowing.
The moment they left the cave, their vision was suddenly treated by a wide panorama.
Situated above a canal was a large stone bridge wide enough so that five people could walk on it side by side. Under its perilous heights were rapids, with violent and giant waves.
“I didn’t expect… the sewers in this border town to actually possess an underground canal of such scale.” Xiaomu couldn’t help but take a step forward.
“I wonder where exactly this canal connects to…”
“Look, there seems to be a cave in front of us. Let’s go in and take a look, perhaps it’s a path that could lead us to a back entrance of the sewers!”
“…It’s best to be a bit more cautious.” Lil’ Sha inexplicably felt a palpitation in her heart.
“Don’t you worry, little cat-girl! There’s no way for goblins to ambush us since we’re surrounded on both sides by the canal. Besides, even if they were waiting to ambush us in the cave ahead, it’d be impossible for them to utilize their numerical advantage due to the size of this stone bridge. Everything will be fine with me in their way!” Filled with confidence, Huo Lei patted his chest.
”Seems that way…” For some unknown reason, Lil’ Sha felt a nagging uneasiness in her heart. Other than the sound of running water, the canal before her seemed to be a bit too eerily quiet.
“What do you think, brother?”
“It should be alright.”Ji Bai slowly said after he had contemplated for a moment and conducted a series of meticulous observations around their surroundings.
At least in his knowledge and experience, it was impossible for either demons or goblins to conceal themselves in the water. There are exceptions to that, but they shouldn’t appear in human cities.
“See! There’ll definitely be no problem since my human brother has also said so! No need to worry, let’s go!”
“That’s the only way.” Ji Bai silently nodded his head, his eyes flitting past the iron portcullis above the entrance. Its surface had already rusted due to the damp air — From the looks of it, it had been abandoned for a very long time.
‘Even the obscene middle-aged man has said that it’s alright. Perhaps it’s just my imagination…’ Thought Lil’ Sha.
After coming to a decision, everyone crossed the gate and stepped onto the stone bridge.
“Eh? Isn’t that…” Xiaomu, who was responsible for bringing up the rear, unconsciously cast her gaze behind and noticed a cat-toy solitarily laying in the passageway they had walked through earlier.
‘Lil’ sister Sha is so clumsy. She can’t even take care of her own belongings.”
Xiaomu sprang back to the gate entrance and picked up the lost cat-toy in the entrance of the passageway.
“Eh? Big sister Xiaomu, what are you doin-…”
“Here, you’ve dropped your cat-toy again.” Said Xiaomu with a smile, waving the cat-toy in her hand.
“Ohh! Thank you, big sister Xiaomu~” Lil’ Sha heaved a sigh.
‘After all, this is actually Xiaomi’s most beloved cat-toy. That child would probably be unhappy if I lost it, right?’
‘Thank god it has been discovered in time’
“Try not to be this forgetful next time. Here…”
“Mhm~”
“Creak…” The iron portcullis faintly shook inside the stone crevice it was embedded in.
“Boom!” A loud sound rang out from behind Ji Bai and Huo Lei, who had already gotten up the stone bridge.
“?! What’s going on??”
Lil’ Sha, who was just planning to extend her hand towards Xiamu to receive the cat-toy, froze when her face was dyed in a streak of crimson.
Without any warning, the iron portcullis embedded in the stone crevice had fallen at a fast speed.
Xiaomu’s eyes went vacant as she collapsed into a pool of blood. Unfortunately, she hadn’t managed it to pass through the gate’s entrance. Or- to be more precise- only the upper half of her body successfully made it through before the portcullis fell…
The cat-toy fell inside the pool of blood, rolling on the ground and leaving a trail of blood behind.
“…Big sister Xiaomu!!” Lil’ Sha knelt down with bitter tears streaming down her face. She grabbed onto the iron bars of the portcullis, doing her utmost to lift the iron spikes upwards.
Upon witnessing this scene, Ji Bai and Huo Lei rushed over.
“Young lady Xiaomu!? You gotta keep it together! Hang in there, I’ll immediately push this blasted gate open!” Huo Lei pushed and pulled on the portcullis with all his might, even turning blue in the face. Yet, even though he was a troll, the iron spikes remained stuck to the ground, impervious to his attempts to shake or lift them.
“Stop it, Huo Lei.” Ji Bai’s composed voice arrived in his ears.
He got down on one knee and slowly closed Xiaomu’s eyelids.
“Her breathing has already …stopped.”
“W-… What?” Lil’ Sha’s complexion turned pale as she fell into a daze.
Her companion, who had been alive only a moment ago, was just an ice-cold corpse now. For her mind, this was something completely unacceptable.
’Why did she have to pick up the cat-toy? Why did I have to lose it? Would things have ended differently if I hadn’t lost it?’
Lil’ Sha could only feel a large weight weighing down her heart, as teardrops the size of beans flowed from her eyes incessantly.
“Damn it…!! How could this happen?!” Bellowed Huo Lei as he ferociously smashed his hammer onto the ground.
Ji Bai crouched on the floor with a sword in his hand and lowered his head. His iron-helmet ensured that nobody knew what his current emotions were.
“Oh my? Did I smash the wrong person? My sincerest apologies.” The sudden arrival of a boorish voice disrupted the atmosphere.
“Who is that?!”
The trio turned around. While it was unknown when he had arrived, there was now an additional person on the bridge — A lofty troll with his body covered with scars.
Raising a massive stone ax with one hand, he was currently looking at Ji Bai’s group with a face full of mockery.
“Well now, this is quite the conundrum. I wasn’t planning to kill any women at all. They can still be used for a round of enjoyment, after all. Sorry for my miscalculation! Hahahaha!”