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

Chapter 24

When Li Shuang woke up from unconsciousness, she found herself halfway sunk in muddy soil. She tried to move her legs slightly but found that the more she struggled, the deeper she sank into the mud. Li Shuang immediately calmed down and dared not move anymore. It was pitch black all around, with only a faint light shining from about ten yards away. With this faint light, she faintly saw a person lying beside her. The person lay flat on the muddy ground, with only the feet in heavy boots sinking into the swamp. Li Shuang gently called out to him, "Your Highness?"

The man grunted lightly, awakened by her call. As he moved slightly, Li Shuang saw his body sink a bit, and she quickly exclaimed, "Don't move!"

Sima Yang quickly realized their current situation, "A swamp?"

"Yeah, doesn't seem natural, more like a trap set intentionally by someone."

Li Shuang looked up and saw a big dark hole above their heads. It seemed they had fallen from above just now, and at this moment, there were four or five thick wooden stakes sealing the opening. This must be a trap set by someone.

"I finally understand where those trees went."

It turned out they were brought here to make traps, not burnt, not used for construction, not taken away, just used directly underground. But who could it be, and why would they do such a thing?

After a moment's thought, she and Sima Yang led their respective guards toward the woods to investigate. Li Shuang originally intended to circle around the outside of the forest since Sima Yang was there, and she couldn't risk letting the prince enter the woods in case something went wrong. However, when they arrived at the edge of the woods, they faintly heard cries for help coming from within. Li Shuang never believed in superstitions, so she ordered her guards to protect Sima Yang while she went to investigate the forest herself. But Sima Yang refused. Under his insistence, the two of them, along with their guards, entered the woods together.

Fallen trees were everywhere, leaving behind a desolate forest filled with stumps. In the eerie atmosphere of the barren woods, the air seemed even more sinister.

Following the cries for help, they went deeper and Li Shuang felt increasingly uneasy. The path they were taking seemed to be getting closer to where they originally found the old woman who was supposedly resurrected. Just as Li Shuang was about to ask everyone to stop, a white figure suddenly attacked from the side.

Li Shuang drew her sword, but before she could engage, the assailant's movements were unexpectedly swift. In an instant, he had seized Sima Yang and pulled him forward. Li Shuang and her guards hurriedly pursued, but after taking two or three steps, the ground beneath them suddenly gave way, and they all fell into an underground stone chamber.

Inside the chamber, piles of white bones littered the ground, the nauseating stench dissipating. Li Shuang's gaze closely followed the white figure as it dragged Sima Yang into a dilapidated cave beyond the stone chamber. Li Shuang chased after them, but to her surprise, the cave resembled a labyrinth. Not long into their pursuit, several paths diverged ahead. Li Shuang ordered everyone to split up and search. She was about to venture into a rightward passage with one of her guards when the white figure suddenly appeared.

In a flash beside her, the guard was instantly knocked to the ground. Li Shuang's eyes narrowed, raising her sword to block. She managed to intercept the assailant's attack, forcing him to pause momentarily.

Upon closer inspection, Li Shuang realized that the object the assailant's attack met was an elegant steel folding fan, and the person wielding it was... the spy?

The nobleman who had escaped from the dungeons of Lu City?

It was him!

"Well, General Li is indeed formidable," he chuckled softly, as if casually greeting her on the street.