Guan’er pulled A’Shui’s hand and walked toward the other end of the tunnel. A’Shui knew this path led underground, not to the garden on the surface. Shen Langhun listened to the sounds of mechanisms being destroyed in the distance growing fainter, and his heart couldn’t help but fill with wariness. Where exactly was this little girl Guan’er leading them?
Dim oil lamps were embedded in the tunnel walls. Snow was falling on the surface, yet it was somewhat stuffy underground. The passage paved with green bricks had some accumulated water, but one could tell no one had walked here for a long time. A’Shui’s eyes moved, “Does this path lead to the water dungeon?”
Guan’er nodded, her face somewhat pale, “That’s right. This place is exactly the same as the water dungeon where you were held. Miss Xue escaped from here. They all thought the water dungeon was a dead end, but they kept water snakes in the water dungeon. Those water snakes kept drilling and drilling, loosening the stones below the water inlet and leaving a large gap. Miss Xue swam out through the gap. After she escaped from here, my master closed the water dungeon. He told me to block the exit, but I…” She bit her teeth and said, “I only blocked it with stones that can be removed at any time. Apart from myself, no one else knows about this.”
The entrance to the water dungeon was a copper door. A’Shui looked quietly at that familiar copper door. She had thought she could remain calm, but her body began to tremble slightly. Darkness, pain, swimming water snakes, the terror of near death, unbreakable iron shackles… Neither Guan’er nor Shen Langhun noticed her fear – her facial expression remained very calm. The copper door was hung with dozens of iron chains and a huge lock, sealing this door tightly shut – it was indeed a dead end.
Shen Langhun reached into his bosom and produced a thin iron wire, inserting it into the keyhole. After he fiddled with it a few times, the huge lock opened with a sound. Guan’er looked at him in amazement. Shen Langhun was indifferent to such activities. With both hands, he pushed, and the copper door opened with a thunderous sound. What met their eyes was indeed the water dungeon that had been sealed for a long time.
Suffocating air rushed toward them. A’Shui closed her eyes, her chest felt stifled, and she felt an indescribable urge to vomit. Memories of the water dungeon lingered – inside that door was a hell full of malice. It seemed that if she looked inside once more, she would suddenly discover that she had never actually been saved, that she was still in that dark and terrifying water dungeon, and everything now was just a dream she had while dying. Intense fear filled her heart, her chest felt nauseous and she wanted to vomit. She bit her teeth and suddenly thought… so… so intense emotions really could make someone vomit. When Tang Lici heard her say she “liked Little Fu,” he nearly killed her and then violently vomited – that was also from intense emotion… She opened her eyes, and all her fear suddenly turned into sourness. Those… those intense emotions that made him vomit – were they from anger, or from something else… fear? Disappointment? Heartbreak?
He wanted to be loved by someone who “could die for him,” but… actually no one truly loved him, because there wasn’t a single person who didn’t fear him.
With a splash, Shen Langhun jumped into the water, groping to move a large stone from the bottom. The water in the dungeon immediately flowed more violently, and the air seemed fresher. Guan’er brought an oil lamp from the tunnel wall inside, but the light was dim, and beneath the water flow it was still pitch black – nothing could be seen clearly. Unknown things were still swimming in the water, most likely water snakes. After groping for a while, Shen Langhun said, “There’s indeed a passage down here. Guan’er, you can escape from below.”
Guan’er looked at the black water surface, obviously very frightened, “What about you two? Aren’t you leaving?”
“I want to find Miss Xue to verify what you said.” Shen Langhun said calmly, “Besides, Miss A’Shui and I came in to help Kuanglan Wuxing rescue Miss Xue from here. Now that his whereabouts are unknown, at least we must confirm that he and Miss Xue are safe before we can leave.”
Guan’er said angrily, “Are you crazy? Right now he’s causing chaos above, so my master has no mind to look for you. This is a great opportunity. If you don’t leave, in a while there will be my master’s people everywhere. Where do you think you can escape to then?”
A’Shui said in a low voice, “Elder Brother Shen is right. We must first find Miss Xue.”
Guan’er stamped her feet, “You… you’re all sick, stubbornly refusing to see reason! I don’t know where Miss Xue lives. There are nine tunnels down here – let’s see how you’re going to search!”
A’Shui reached into her bosom and produced a bag of copper coins, “Guan’er, sister doesn’t have much to help you with. If you escape, use this money for travel expenses. With your abilities, perhaps one day you really can find your mother. Don’t abandon yourself to despair, don’t kill people, otherwise you’ll definitely regret it in the future.” She patted her head, “Go.”
Guan’er stood there stunned, then suddenly burst into loud sobs.
Shen Langhun listened quietly to the sounds of mechanisms being destroyed above. Strangely, though the sounds of mechanisms were endless, he didn’t hear any sounds of people fighting. He grasped A’Shui’s hand, “I feel the situation is wrong. Let’s go quickly and catch up with Kuanglan Wuxing.”
A’Shui nodded. Shen Langhun grabbed her and they rushed along the path they came, passing through this passage that had been untraveled for so long, retracing their steps, urgently pursuing from where Kuanglan Wuxing had passed. Along the way, no one blocked them at all, as if the important figures of the brothel had all quietly withdrawn from this underground maze that led in all directions.
All along the way were damaged mechanisms. Soon Shen Langhun and A’Shui reached Xue Tao’s disheveled boudoir. At a glance, they could see she had already been taken away by Kuanglan Wuxing. Shen Langhun glanced around, his heart growing cold. He pulled A’Shui and rushed outside, but a figure flashed and someone blocked the doorway, smiling faintly at the two of them.
The newcomer had black hair reaching to his waist and wore a peach-colored dress – it was Yu Konghou. Shen Langhun gripped his short blade while A’Shui’s expression changed slightly. Looking at Yu Konghou’s expression, he seemed to have been waiting here for a long time.
“You two came in such haste – won’t you have a cup of wine before leaving?” Yu Konghou smiled charmingly, his countenance truly beautiful beyond compare. As he smiled, figures moved behind him – Yu Qifeng, Bai Suche, Lady Hongchan and others were arrayed behind him. In the distance stood a masked man in black. Yu Konghou held a short sword slanted in his hand, “I never thought the girl A’Shui would actually be a heroine among women. Saving Lin Bu at the top of Liren Residence was one thing, but tonight you actually dared to lead people in a secret infiltration – no wonder Master Liu was enchanted by you, Hao Wenhou died for you, and Young Master Tang was moved by you too.”
“How could Young Master Tang be moved by a woman like me?” A’Shui said in a low voice, “Miss Tao overestimates me.”
Yu Konghou smiled radiantly, “I need only hang you on the wooden stake outside the door to know whether he’s truly moved by you or not!” From beginning to end he didn’t glance at Shen Langhun once, but asked gently, “Shen Langhun, do you still want to make a move?”
Shen Langhun glared angrily at Yu Konghou. Though Fu Cui was dead, she had called a sow his wife and tricked him into stabbing Tang Lici, causing Tang Lici serious injury. From that moment, his enmity with the brothel was as deep as the sea! Though he knew he was no match, he gripped his short blade tightly, his eyes showing not the slightest intention of retreating, “You neither-male-nor-female monster! From top to bottom, the brothel doesn’t have a single human being – they’re all beasts worse than sows!” He gently pushed A’Shui behind him, “You go quickly. You know the way here.”