Reunion: The Guardians of the Five Elements

Chapter 20

Everything was all going fast. From the moment that the others are on the upper level to them running away from the fast-moving spiders as they climbed gigantic stairs a few meters away from the lift that Liu Sang lead her to. "Ah Sang, behind you!" Liu Sang instantly moved to the side at the same time, a spider jumped towards him and hit the same spider with a flaming torch, getting it killed. "Ah Sang, hurry. Give me your hand." He looked up to see Bo Sying's hand reaching for him. Then, he jumped and grabbed her hand with his right hand while his left grabs onto the wall to help him climb up. In a hard pull, Bo Sying got her partner on the last step. Slouched on the floor and catching their breaths for a second and then hastily, though sluggishly stood up and move to the only opening entryway that they can see. Upon entering, they both saw a statue of an armored person. By the looks of it and the completeness of the armor to its weapons and medals, they knew instantly that they have reached the General's tomb. "Quick. Try looking for a secret lever or buttons on the armor. There should be something that can help us find your locket." Bo Sying heard Liu Sang and follow his lead by touching the statue everywhere. "Be careful. We might activate any traps that are in here." He warned her which she nodded in understanding.

The two looked for anything that can give of that looked like a secret button or a lever everywhere but none was budging to every poke and push that they made but time is not on their side when suddenly, Liu Sang stopped looking for the locket and turn his backpack and started searching inside until he pulls out liquid gas and a lighter. Then he pours the gas around the statue in a circle with them being inside it. "Ah Sang?" "We don't have much time Xiao Sying. Continue looking, use your eyes. Maybe you can see things through any object. I know I'm asking so much but that locket is our only way out now." Bo Sying looked at Liu Sang's back figure and then at her hands. To be honest, she tried doing that before but failed. She has done it a lot during her training but whenever she does try to look, she sees the past of that object, all the time. And not just through it. But, this time, I have to. Ah Sang trusts me. He believes in me. And I can't let him down. I need to do this. We need this to work. Determination can be seen in her eyes as she faces the statue again and touched the bottom part of the statue and concentrates, hard. As Bo Sying focused on her task, Liu Sang guarded the entryway for any spider that would pass the entrance. I'll make sure nothing happens to her. He thought in full resolution as he prepare his arrows to be soaked in gas. When he was about done, the first horde of spiders entered but the monsters didn't get too far when Liu Sang aimed his arrow at the puddle of liquid gasoline causing a huge fire at the entrance, and all the spiders that wanted to get in got burned. "I can hold these spiders as long as I can. Don't worry about anything, Xiao Sying." He said when he heard his partner's s frantic breathing and unsettled heartbeat. After saying that, he heard her breathe normally and her heartbeat settled as well. Then, he continued his detailed attack on the spiders as per the sound they make. He needs to be precise. He doesn't have enough arrows and liquid gas to kill all of them, but just enough until they can get out of here alive.

Come on Sying. Concentrate. Just see through the statue. Not the general's past life. She thought as her eyes and mind keep on giving her images of the general's past and the people he encountered. She also saw Qi Zhang Wei with Li Ju Lai strolling around the garden, talking and smiling like they are going on a date with the general as their guard. Oh come on! I need to look for the locket, not his past. Please, mind. We can do this. I must. And then, suddenly, Bo Sying saw dark colors. Combinations of grays, browns, and black. The color of the statue! I can see it inside! She internally celebrated and then she started her thorough scanning of the whole statue until she saw gears in the middle going much deeper in. She followed it and right over the layers of mud, rocks, sand, and cement, lays the golden locket but for further looking, she saw smoke around it. A trap. I need to warn Ah Sang about it before opening it. She thought as she positioned herself at the middle part of the statue then looked back only to be taken by shock. Bo Sying saw fire everywhere, burnt spiders splattered all over the place, and then she saw Liu Sang, taking deep breaths as he lit the whole place, where he poured the gasoline around them, in flames. "Ah Sang, you're bitten. You shouldn't-" "Where?" He asked as she ran towards him and help him by placing his left hand over her shoulders to support him. He's been fighting while I look for the locket. And he got bitten over his right arm and legs. Damn it. She cursed herself as she lead him, carefully but fast-paced, and point to the middle part of the statue. "It's in here, inside the belly. But, we have to push harder so we can open it. But, we have to be careful. Once we did that, smoke will attack us. I'm not sure what kind of smoke it is but we need to be fast to avoid the smoke." Liu Sang nodded to her as she placed his left hand over the middle while she does the same. "Alright, in three, we push. When I say duck, we duck. Got that?" Liu Sang looked at his partner who nodded at him. "One. Two. Three!" Both pushed hard until it budge and is going further in. Then, Liu Sang heard a four clicking sound and gears moving from the belly. "Duck!" At that moment, the pushed belly of the statue sprayed smoke when a spider jumped that is supposed to attack them was now being burned by the acid. "It's acid, pressurized acid. It wasn't smoke." "I know, you don't have to elaborate it." Bo Sying snickered at the sass her partner is giving but then smiled as she place Liu Sang on the ground, near the statue, just beneath it and her. After that, she ripped a large portion of her dress and wrapped it around her hand. The realization took in why she did that but he was second late. The moment she put her hand inside the opened hidden compartment, the cloth wasn't able to help protect her from the acid that burned her whole hand. She tried suppressing her scream but the pain she's feeling is making it harder for her to keep it in. Taking a deep breath, she pushed herself in, just so she can reach the locket, bearing the pain that it is causing her until she managed to reach the necklace of the locket. Instantly, she pull her hand with the locket in her hand as she stumbled having no strength to keep herself standing. When Bo Sying expects the floor, she felt a warm and firm grip wrapped around her. "Hey! Xiao Sying, don't sleep. We still need to get out of here. Stay with me. Xiao Sying!" Liu Sang said, cradling an exhausted Bo Sying trying so hard to keep herself awake but doesn't have the strength to sit up. But, she still has enough to lift her burnt hand and show him the locket. "W-we c-c-a-can now." In between breaths, she managed to say that to him which he smiled proudly at her. "Then, bear the pain for a while." Liu Sang said, grabbing her hand where the locket is careful as both concentrates.

"The locket is our ticket out. Whatever happens, both of us, with all our power, get ourselves transported where the other locket is. Alright, Xiao Sying?" Bo Sying smiled, determined as she nodded at him. "Yes, Ah Sang."