The Lost Tomb : Extras & Special Stories

(Extra Story: 2015 Chinese New Year Special) Chapter 4: Truth

Xiao Hua was silent for a moment, and I shouted again: "Why aren't you saying anything?"

"I am assessing the risks." Xiao Hua answered.

"What are the risks of talking?"

"If you want to tell the truth, of course there will be risks." Xiao Hua paused: "When will you start your plan?"

My mind and body were fired up, and I started to gasp at this time. I was afraid to hold the decaying railing on the side, but when I looked down, I saw that I had already climbed seven or eight floors. The entrance down below looked blurry.

I knew which plan Xiao Hua was asking me about, and I secretly cursed. I wouldn't have suggested truth or dare if I knew he was going to talk about such a bad topic.

I stopped, leaned against the wall, and gasped out, "You'll know when it starts."

"Planning this kind of thing isn't so easy. Having said that, even if the losses are heavy, it has to be carried out. Otherwise, it would be better to maintain the status quo." Xiao Hua's voice came floating up.

I said in my heart that I already knew this.

I wasn't a competent leader. I was often timid, and would retreat whenever I encountered losses. I always hoped everyone would get in and out safely, but such stories didn't exist in reality. I could never achieve Xiao Hua's level of understanding. It was normal to determine who to save and who to leave behind, but I couldn't do it. If I did, then I was afraid it would only happen once in my lifetime.

If I left more people behind, my self-loathing would swallow me up one day. And for me, once was enough.

"Alright, I'll play with you this once." Xiao Hua said: "You go first."

I heard his voice approaching, wiped the sweat from my face with my T-shirt, went up, and then asked him, "Is Xie Lianhuan your father after all? How come I saw your name under his family tree?"

Xiao Hua paused and gave a tsk from below, "Why are you asking about family affairs?"

"I can't ask about your business since that will be like exposing your scars, right? It's not like I can beat you. I have to rely on you to save my life later. It's better for everyone to be friendly."

Xiao Hua's laugh came from below: "You want to reciprocate. Fine, I won't ask you what you don't want to answer." After a pause, Xiao Hua said, "No, he didn't have any descendants. He adopted me into the genealogy, but I don't know him very well. Er Ye abides by the rules, and it's all according to the genealogy."

"You're an only child, yet you were adopted by others. Didn't your father have any opinions on it?"

"This was definitely something they considered based on the situation at that time. If he didn't have any children, there may have been some instability in the family, so this was set up very early." Xiao Hua said. "By the way, when did you read my family tree? Who let you read it, and where did you read it?"

I can't give Xiuxiu up, I said to myself and immediately responded, "It's your turn to ask me."

I had climbed to the eleventh floor by this point, and my legs were a little tired. Some of the gas lamps on this floor failed and went out from time to time, so I placed my hands on the concrete wall. I was a little surprised when I looked up and actually saw the top. If we kept going up, we'd reach the end of the staircase.

This really did appear to be a stairwell.

The gas lamp's light was smoky, and the underground was very hot, despite the walls being very cool. I didn't know where the heat was coming from.