Chapter 71: Lu A’yao’s Warning

Of course I didn’t agree with what he said. The man wasn’t even dead yet, and even if he were, I’d still want to bring him back and give him a proper burial.

But Fourth Brother wasn’t joking. He was dead serious, trying to discuss it with me—or maybe he never intended to ask for my opinion at all. After all, everyone here listened to him. If he said to leave someone behind, who would dare disobey?

When I didn’t respond, Fourth Brother asked, “You’re not saying anything, so I’ll take that as agreement. We leave in an hour.”

Seeing that this was about to become a done deal, I couldn’t care about saving face anymore. I immediately resorted to my childhood trick—throwing a tantrum. I rushed over, wrapped my arms around Fourth Brother’s leg, and refused to let go. “No, no, no, let’s talk about this! Don’t be hasty! I helped you run the shop for months, didn’t I? I even paid the utilities during that time. Come on, Fourth Brother, do me a solid and let him come with us. He’s really capable. He’ll be a valuable asset.”

“He’s only valuable when he’s conscious. Right now, he’s no different from a corpse. Don’t make a scene. Let go. Move!” Fourth Brother clearly hadn’t expected me to be this shameless. I clung on tight, and even after he tried shaking me off a few times, I didn’t budge.

I ignored the surprised stares from the people around us. Chen Si, you bastard, I’m humiliating myself like this for you. Even my own father never got this treatment! Thinking it over, the only reason Fourth Brother wouldn’t agree was probably just that. Maybe if I compromised a little more, he’d give in.

“I don’t have any job in the team. I’ll carry him myself. I swear I won’t be a burden. How about that?” I said with a grin, though in my mind I was already sharpening my knife.

My relationship with Fourth Brother wasn’t that distant. Seniority didn’t mean much between us. I gave him face because he was putting on airs, but if he kept pushing it, it’d be an insult to the bond we had from stealing bird eggs together as kids.

Maybe he was finally annoyed by my antics. After hearing what I said, Fourth Brother finally relented. “You’re sure you want to carry him? We’ve got a long way to go once we’re inside. Think it through. Don’t come crying to me later when you’re too exhausted to walk.”

“I’ve thought it through! I won’t! I swear!” I nodded so hard it looked like a chicken pecking rice. I knew that as long as I got him to agree now, it’d be fine. He could say whatever he wanted, but if I really collapsed halfway through, he wouldn’t just leave me behind. It’d be much easier to argue about it later.

Fourth Brother nodded, and I took that as a yes. I let go of his leg with a laugh and pointed at him. “You agreed. No backing out now.”

Fourth Brother looked at me, half amused, half exasperated. He waved me off and went to light a cigarette. Then he walked over to Hou Jinshan, who was still struggling on the ground, and started talking to him about something.

I turned around and saw a few of the guys in the back handing out canned food. I walked over to get mine, and the burly man handing them out stuffed two of the biggest cans into my arms as if he was trying to feed me to death.

The stone path stretched nearly twenty meters, lined with people sitting on both sides. I didn’t know anyone, so I quietly took my giant cans and sat down next to Lu A’yao. She had just finished treating his wounds and was still rolling up a cloth bundle full of needles and thread.

I pulled out a can of beef and handed it to her. “Thanks. I might need your help again on the road ahead.”

Her hands froze mid-wrap. She looked up at me for a long moment before finally taking the can. Without saying a word, she picked up her backpack with one hand and walked to the front of the group.

I sat down and stared at her back, popped the tab on my can, and found myself completely baffled.

Just then, a chubby guy sitting next to me said, “Don’t be surprised. She’s probably never met anyone like you in this line of work. Honestly, neither have I.”

What’s that supposed to mean? Are polite and civilized people that rare in this business?

“I’m Old Luo. Been working under Fourth Brother for three years, in charge of supplies. Nice to meet you.” Old Luo pointed to the large backpack leaning against his side. Then he shifted his weight and pulled out a few disposable spoons from a side pocket, handing them to me. He nodded toward the still-unconscious Lu A’yao. “He’s in bad shape. Your buddy?”

I nodded and said yes, then didn’t bother continuing the conversation. I dug a spoon into the can and shoved it into my mouth. The moment the food hit my tongue, I felt like I’d ascended to heaven. I quickly shoveled in a few more bites.

This kind of food was something I wouldn’t touch under normal circumstances, but out here, it was a rare treat. I ate half the can myself and fed the rest to Lu A’yao. He’d lost so much blood—he needed the nourishment.

Lu A’yao had trouble swallowing, so it took me a full half hour to feed him. By the end, my hand was sore from gripping the spoon.

Before I could even rest, Old Luo handed me one of their warmer jackets and said break time was over. It was time to move on.

He brought out some professional straps and told me to squat down. A few others came over to help lift Lu A’yao onto my back and secure him tightly with the straps. Now we were literally tied together. If something happened and I couldn’t run, he wouldn’t make it either.

Luckily, Lu A’yao’s weight was manageable. If it had been He Yu, I probably wouldn’t have lasted more than a few steps.

Earlier, Fourth Brother had led us into this cave from a fork in the path. According to Old Luo, the other path led to a sealed stone door. They had originally planned to go that way, but changed course when they heard gunfire and Hou Jinshan’s desperate cries for help. So now, the stone door had become our destination.

I carried Lu A’yao at the back of the group. No one spoke as we marched forward. I got tired and yawned several times, but I still had to check every so often to make sure Lu A’yao was still breathing.

The thirteenth time I leaned in to check his breath, I suddenly felt the hand on my shoulder twitch. Then a very weak voice whispered in my ear, “Where are we now?”

I let out a breath of relief—finally, this guy was awake. Then I answered him, “In that new cave you guys found. Fourth Brother said there’s a stone door up ahead. They’re planning to go in and take a look.”

Lu A’yao stirred slightly, as if trying to lift his head. I quickly stopped him. “Don’t even think about it. Stay still. You’re covered in injuries. I’ve been carrying you this whole way. If you move around and tear open those stitched wounds, I swear I’m gonna lose it.”

Maybe he picked up on the edge in my voice, sensed I was really about to snap. For once, he behaved and stayed still. Then I heard him ask, “Is there something nearby?”

“Yeah,” I replied as briefly as I could. “The stone corridor is lined with shrines. Exactly like the ones on the bronze pillars.”

It had been four or five days since I entered the cave, and I hadn’t really rested at all. Even the most patient person would be on edge by now. The fact that I was still answering him calmly was already more than generous. And who knew how much longer this stone path would go on? The headless statues flanking both sides, barely an arm’s length away, made my skin crawl. They had no faces, yet I couldn’t shake the feeling they were watching me.

“Don’t go near that door. Someone took something. You need to get out of here, fast,” Lu A’yao said, tugging at the strap of the blade bag tied across my chest.

I heard him loud and clear. I stopped immediately, causing the person behind me to stumble and curse at me. I didn’t catch what he said—I wasn’t listening. I rushed forward a few steps and called out to Fourth Brother, who was leading the way.

Then I turned my head and asked Lu A’yao, “Why? Why can’t we go near that door? What are you trying to say?”

I’d never put much stock in divination or that kind of stuff, but Lu A’yao… in some ways, the guy really did have a kind of sixth sense. Seeing him react like this, I didn’t dare keep going. Something in me said I should listen to him.

His chest was rising and falling rapidly. He grabbed onto my blade bag, holding me back from moving forward. Just as he opened his mouth to speak, he suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood.

I was stunned to see faint crimson characters begin to appear on his face—handwritten talismanic script, glowing slightly as if painted in cinnabar. But the vision lasted only a moment. It vanished before anyone else could notice. Only I saw it.

A warning. That word sprang into my mind the moment I saw those markings.

The girl walking ahead noticed something was wrong and quickly ran over. Lu A’yao swallowed the blood in his mouth and said to me, “Someone took something from this place. He can’t get out. The treasure behind that door isn’t something ordinary people can claim. It mustn’t be opened.”

“Stay away from the shrines near you.”

Then, just a second before the girl reached us, he shoved something into my hand. I didn’t even have time to figure out what he was trying to do—he passed out again.