Yu Jin Chang An (With Jin's Chang'An)

Chapter 7

"General, do you want to go in?" asked Luo Teng.

Li Shuang's expression remained composed. "Cover your nose and mouth, let's go in and explore."

She gave the order, and several men covered their mouths with cloth. Luo Teng took the lead, lighting a torch. He shone it at the entrance before slowly descending the stairs step by step.

The staircase was deeper than imagined, going about twenty feet underground. There was no light, only Luo Teng's torch illuminating the surroundings. The further they went down, the stronger the putrid smell became. Fortunately, the men were all seasoned warriors, somewhat accustomed to such odors.

Finally, they reached the end of the stairs and entered a chamber about three yards long and ten yards wide. The scene before them was truly shocking. Inside the chamber, there was an iron-barred dungeon, with the dungeon door broken open and the bars bent as if struck by some wild beast. Inside the dungeon, the bloodstains were dried up, but the scattered bones, some still decomposing, some already reduced to dry bones, covered the ground.

In the blink of an eye, it became impossible to discern how many people were present.

As Li Shuang and the others stepped into the dungeon, Luo Teng was about to move forward when Li Shuang pulled him back. "Wait," she whispered, "there's movement inside." Just then, a pair of eerie green eyes flashed in the dimness, and the low growls of wolves echoed around them.

As the torchlight revealed the scene beyond the dungeon bars, they saw a pack of wild wolves feasting on a corpse. The gruesome sight made Luo Teng nauseous. Li Shuang recognized the largest wolf—the alpha—among them.

She kicked a small stone toward its snout, causing it to yelp in pain. The alpha wolf turned and fled through another hole in the dungeon wall, followed by the rest of the pack.

"Damn it," Luo Teng muttered, "Do these pups have no sense of smell? How can they eat something like that?"

With the wolves gone, they assumed the dungeon held nothing else. But just as Li Shuang took the torch and prepared to move toward the center, an icy wind carrying a foul stench swept over her. Her guards shouted a warning, and she raised her sword just in time to block an attack.

Before her stood a figure with a covered face, ragged clothing, and unnatural strength.

The voice that emerged from the person was surprisingly that of an old woman. Li Shuang was taken aback. The woman knocked the torch out of her hand, sending it flying and crashing against the iron bars.

It rolled on the ground, but thankfully, it remained lit, casting light on the wrinkled face of the mysterious intruder.

Li Shuang saw, behind the disheveled black hair, a face full of wrinkles, with some even stained with blood, and faint signs of decay on the cheeks and neck. Yet, despite being so dirty and ugly, this old woman's clothes were adorned with exquisite jewels.

What was the identity of this old woman... When they entered the dungeon just now, they hadn't noticed her presence at all. Could her martial arts skills be so advanced?

While Li Shuang was pondering, the old woman suddenly made a move, attempting to grab Li Shuang's neck. Li Shuang blocked and dodged sideways.

The torch on the ground gradually dimmed, and the dungeon grew darker.

Li Shuang's vision was obstructed, and her movements slowed. Yet the old woman seemed entirely unaffected. Li Shuang knew she couldn't possibly defeat this formidable old woman in the confined space.

Before she could fully process this thought, a large blade sliced through the air, piercing the old woman's side. The blade withdrew, momentarily halting the woman's actions.