Chapter 178: Charcoal-Grilled Turtles

Startled, I spotted a Stone Tortoise statue in the corner of the tomb passage. Taking two quick steps, I used the Stone Tortoise as a foothold to scramble up the wall. Just as I poked my head over the top, I realized Lu Ayao was right on the other side of the wall, directly beneath me. At that exact moment, he cracked his whip, sending a White Corpse Turtle Immortal flying just as it was about to lunge for his face.

In the past, whenever Lu Ayao used his whip or any other long-range weapon, I generally gave him a wide berth. Perhaps due to his training since childhood, the strength he exerted when using a whip was two or three times greater than his normal physical power. The White Corpse Turtle Immortal, its flesh already torn open, was sent spiraling away. Black blood sprayed through the air, missing my face by a mere two inches.

My heart skipped a beat. I watched as Lu Ayao kicked off the wall, leaping high into the air. He flipped a full hundred and eighty degrees mid-air, his left-hand blade appearing out of its sheath at some point. The blade instantly ripped open the belly of the White Corpse Turtle Immortal, and a horrific screeching sound pierced my ears.

As the blade flashed past, I instinctively pulled my head back. When I peeked out again, the White Corpse Turtle Immortal’s shell had shattered into five pieces. It slammed heavily onto the ground and breathed its last in an instant.

Damn, that was cool, I thought, leaning against the wall in admiration.

He Yu had spotted me at some point and began cursing loudly. “You bastard! Don’t just sit up there watching! He can hold them off, but I sure as hell can’t last much longer! I’m almost out of ammo! Once I’m dry, you two can just wait to collect my corpse!”

I snapped back to reality and raised my flashlight, finally grasping the gravity of the situation. About fifteen to twenty White Corpse Turtle Immortals had Lu Ayao and He Yu surrounded. He Yu was providing cover fire while Lu Ayao picked off the turtles one by one, but the killing speed was too slow. The two Mauser C96s in He Yu’s hands wouldn’t last much longer, and the pair had already been backed into a corner.

These White Corpse Turtle Immortals were clever. They knew Lu Ayao’s whip was better suited for attacking groups, so they deliberately spread out to attack the two men separately. This tactic prevented He Yu and Lu Ayao from coordinating effectively.

I felt around my backpack and suddenly remembered I had over ten meters of thick rope inside. A plan formed in my mind, and I shouted down to the two men, “He Yu! Give me the liquor!”

He Yu tried to play dumb. “Huh? What liquor? Why do you want liquor at a time like this!”

Lu Ayao didn’t have time for He Yu’s nonsense. He flipped through the air to dodge an attack from a White Corpse Turtle Immortal and simultaneously kicked He Yu’s backpack. The force of the kick was perfectly judged; a small bottle of Shaodaozi liquor tucked into the side pocket of the pack popped out. I reached out and caught the bottle firmly by the neck.

“You two!” He Yu sounded like he was about to cry. “That’s my last precious bottle! You can’t do this to me!”

I gripped the liquor and dropped back down from the wall, quickly shrugging off my backpack. I pulled out the twenty meters of thick rope and flipped my knife in my hand. I began cutting the long rope into several shorter sections and then rapidly knotted them back together.

I had made this kind of net trap many times before. Back in the day, I used them to catch sparrows or to throw stones into the river to trap fish, so my hands moved with incredible speed. The twenty meters of rope was soon transformed into a massive net.

He Yu’s screams suddenly erupted from the other side of the wall. “Holy shit! This thing bit my ass! Gan Ji, are you done yet? Ow, ow, ow! Old Lu, hit it, hit it! My ass!”

“Almost there, last step! Just hold on a bit longer!” I shouted back, while frantically dousing the rope in the liquor.

The entire bottle of Shaodaozi was sacrificed to the rope on the ground. Once I was sure the rope was thoroughly soaked, I gathered it up. The moment I lifted it, the overpowering scent of the strong liquor hit me, nearly making me faint. I cursed He Yu in my head. Who brings liquor this strong into a tomb? Was he trying to have a one-night stand with a Zongzi?

I climbed back up the wall and moved a few steps along the top, trying to find the best spot to drop the net. He Yu’s position was awkward; he was right in the middle of the White Corpse Turtle Immortals. If I threw the net now, he’d be trapped inside with the turtles.

Lu Ayao finished off another White Corpse Turtle Immortal, looked up at me, and immediately shouted, “Throw it to me!”

In the heat of the moment, I didn’t have time to overthink. I grabbed a corner of the large net, swung it twice to build momentum, and hurled it over. My aim had always been terrible, but Lu Ayao had clearly anticipated that. Just as I threw it, he performed two consecutive somersaults, landing exactly where the net was falling.

Lu Ayao gave a fierce tug with one hand, causing the net to unfurl completely. I had to grab the wall tightly to keep from being pulled down with it. He Yu rubbed his rear with one hand while catching the other end of the net Lu Ayao tossed him. The two of them quickly adjusted their positions.

A White Corpse Turtle Immortal suddenly tried to scurry out from under the net. Lu Ayao reacted instantly, taking two steps up the wall and running three paces along its surface before delivering a heavy kick that sent the escaping turtle flying back into the net.

Then he let out a sharp command: “Let go!”

He Yu released his grip immediately. I saw a spark flash in the air as Lu Ayao tossed his lighter into the net. The moment the flame touched the alcohol, a massive “Boom!” echoed out as a pillar of fire erupted.

The liquor He Yu brought was incredibly potent. In an instant, everything touching the rope began to burn violently. Fortunately, the rope we carried was fire-resistant and wouldn’t burn through immediately, so only the White Corpse Turtle Immortals trapped inside the net were being scorched.

Fearing they might escape, He Yu picked up several large stones and piled them on top. Only after the White Corpse Turtle Immortals had all flipped onto their backs and stopped struggling in the fire did he and Lu Ayao climb back up the wall.

“Heh, charcoal-grilled turtles! They’re well-seasoned now, definitely edible,” He Yu said, tossing aside his two ruined Mauser pistols.

The two of them were covered in grime. Lu Ayao’s hair was full of dust kicked up from the floor, but He Yu’s appearance was the most comical. His short-sleeved shirt had been shredded into ribbons by the turtles, and his rear had taken a final clawing, leaving half of it exposed. If that turtle had managed one more swipe, he would have been streaking. He looked like he was wearing the latest fashion trend.

My hands and body reeked of liquor. The smell was so strong I felt like I might vomit, so I quickly rubbed some wall dust on myself, hoping to mask the scent.

“Pah! If they come again, we’ll just do another round of charcoal-grilled turtles!” He Yu spat.

I quickly held up a hand to stop him. “Don’t even joke about it. I don’t have a second rope, and you don’t have a second bottle of liquor. We’d better get out of here before they get even angrier.”

Lu Ayao stowed his whip, and the two of us followed him as he ran back. Tian Xiaoqi was waiting for us at the end of the tomb passage. Seeing the three of us running toward her, she immediately handed He Yu his backpack and stepped aside to make a path for Lu Ayao.

Lu Ayao glanced at her, then stepped onto the Stone Tortoise to climb up. I didn’t know what he was planning, so I just stood at the base of the statue watching him. Realizing Tian Xiaoqi was with us, He Yu didn’t dare act as rowdy as before and hurriedly covered his exposed backside.

He Yu nudged me. “Do you have any spare pants? I forgot we had a lady with us. This is so embarrassing, letting her see my butt. It’s all your fault for being so slow earlier, otherwise that thing never would have bitten my tender skin.”

I rolled my eyes at him. “You’re blaming me? It’s your own lack of skill. You’re the only one who got bitten on the ass. Lu Ayao killed way more than you, and you don’t see him getting chewed up like that, do you?”

“Fine! You two are birds of a feather, ganging up to isolate me. I don’t care, I’m reporting you for discrimination!”

I was just about to speak when a massive grinding sound of shifting stone erupted above us. I looked up and saw the Stone Tortoise’s eyeballs shift a few inches to the side, and its tightly shut mouth creaked open just enough to leave a narrow gap.

Lu Ayao leaped down from above, landing beside us. He glanced back at the Thirteen Palaces, where the firelight had already grown much dimmer, and said to us, “Those White Corpse Turtle Immortals will be swarming back up soon. Quick, climb into the Stone Tortoise Mouth.”

Crawling through holes, now that’s something I’m good at, I thought to myself.

I cracked my neck and adjusted my backpack, preparing to bend down and be the first one into the Stone Tortoise Mouth, only to be held back by Lu Ayao.

“I’ll go first. Stay close behind me,” Lu Ayao said.

Tian Xiaoqi quickly shuffled in behind me. “I’m behind you. I have no interest in a certain someone’s backside, so I’d rather not be staring at it the whole time we’re in the tunnel.”

“Hey! I heard that! You’re so brazen about badmouthing me now that you don’t even bother doing it behind my back?” He Yu was practically fuming.

I heard Lu Ayao let out a short laugh. Turning back, I saw he was already squeezing into the Stone Tortoise’s mouth. I quickly adjusted my posture and followed him, beginning the crawl inside.