Chapter 124: Fierce Battle at the Black Hole

“What was that flickering just now? What kind of monster was that!?” Ye Dong’s heart jolted. “They’re naked and even have tails—am I seeing things?”

“Hmph, you’re just startled by something unfamiliar,” Lixing said softly, full of disdain. “Stick close to me later, don’t fall behind!”

“Unfamiliar?!” Ye Dong was about to retort when the second searchlight was quickly brought over. Though annoyed, he was eager to see clearly what was moving beneath the earth hole.

With a sharp “crack!”, just like the first searchlight, the second searchlight’s beam shone into the pit like the power of the sun itself. Two massive beams resembled a pair of scorching eyes, scrutinizing every movement within the dark abyss.

“Shh shh shh shh.”

If Ye Dong thought the blurry shadows beneath the first light were an illusion, what he now saw was undeniably real. If he tried to convince himself otherwise, even he wouldn’t forgive himself.

Where the second light fell, it illuminated a group of creatures feasting on something. Upon being exposed to the light, they scattered and hid in unseen corners.

“How disgusting!” Ye Dong swallowed hard, unable to help himself. “Damn it, what are these naked monsters?”

“Hmph, those are ghostly creatures!” Lixing whispered with contempt. “He Wentian, those naked things below are called ‘Ghost Loaches.’ They have agile limbs, sharp teeth, and disgusting long tongues. They live year-round beneath certain ancient tombs, never seeing sunlight. Don’t get scared out of your wits by them later!”

“What are you talking about? You want to start a fight again?” Ye Dong was irritated by Lixing’s rude attitude, who showed him no respect.

“Alright, alright, you two settle down,” Elder Wei interrupted from the side. “Once we’re beneath the tomb, we’re brothers—don’t cause conflicts now!”

Elder Wei raised his hand, signaling his men to secure the few Yin-afflicted individuals before walking briskly over to Huang Wuchang. “Master, there are a lot of ghost loaches down here. What are your orders?”

Huang Wuchang stroked his beard and shook his head. “These are beasts, not ghosts or evil spirits. We have no choice but to kill our way through.”

“Understood,” Elder Wei nodded, gripping the weapon at his waist. He shouted to everyone behind him, “Get your weapons ready! Prepare to fight down in the pit!”

“Fight those monsters down there? Are we turning this into a tomb-raiding maze!?” Ye Dong was anxious, nervously licking his lips as he tightened his grip on the Prison Flame sword.

“Hmm?” Huang Wuchang’s eyes flickered when he noticed Ye Dong holding a treasured weapon. “Good kid. As Wei said, you really found a treasure in the Fiery Tomb.”

Strangely, although Huang Wuchang was surprised by Ye Dong’s Prison Flame, he never considered taking it for himself.

“Hmph, knives, spears, and staves are mere mortal tools. How could they compare to my ‘Dian Cang Heart-Refining Gourd’ at my waist?” Huang Wuchang patted his prized possession smugly, diverting attention away from Ye Dong.

The assistants checked their gear and divided into groups. This was a matter of life and death; the more experienced dared not be careless or underestimate the enemy.

“Let’s keep things professional. Don’t argue, or if Master gets angry, he might really kill us,” Lixing said as he tied a thick rope around Ye Dong’s waist armor. “If you want to live after descending into the catacomb, stay close to the team. Don’t try to be a hero like last time!”

Seeing Lixing’s somewhat improved attitude—helping him with climbing gear and reminding him to stay safe—Ye Dong’s anger dissipated considerably.

“Alright, one thing at a time,” Ye Dong tugged the rope and extended his fist toward Lixing.

“Hmph,” Lixing chuckled and bumped his fist with Ye Dong’s.

“As usual, Lixing leads the vanguard down first. We’ll follow behind, using fire to cover Lecheng and Yinzi!” Elder Wei’s brief instructions seemed lacking in detailed strategy, but Ye Dong, sharp as ever, understood well. These men were battle-hardened veterans, some deeply acquainted with Elder Wei and his close aides. Their familiarity explained the terse orders.

“Ready!?” Lixing called to the eight fully armed men behind him.

They snapped their gas masks shut and gave him a thumbs-up.

“Look at their gear and posture—no different from SWAT!” Ye Dong was surprised. “This tomb-raiding gang is seriously professional. You’d think they’re here to rescue some big shot!”

“Good!” Lixing snapped his gas mask down and was the first to leap into the black pit.

Though Ye Dong disliked Lixing, he couldn’t help but admire his skill and bravery at this moment. “Lixing’s abilities and courage are impressive—he must be a millionaire-level private bodyguard.”

Before Ye Dong could dwell on that, the eight men split into two groups, descending the ropes in front and behind.

“Shh!”

The rope’s sliding sound pierced Ye Dong’s ears, stirring memories of the perilous day when he and his brothers followed Officer Li to Shekou Mountain to slay the snake demon.

“This is far more troublesome than the snake hunt! These naked ghost loaches are truly disgusting!” Ye Dong forced a bitter smile, just as a voice crackled through the radio on Elder Wei’s left shoulder. “No flammable gases detected. Fire at will, Roger!”

“Roger, R!” Elder Wei swapped his dagger for a submachine gun and fixed his gaze on the pit below.

“Shh! Shh! Shh!”

As Ye Dong peered downward, a swarm of ghost loaches darted like phantoms, rapidly closing in on Lixing and the others.

“They’re so fast!” Lixing’s flamethrower roared to life, intense flames illuminating his surroundings.

“Rat-a-tat-tat!”

Gunfire erupted, echoing like the pounding of Ye Dong’s own heart. The eight assistants had arrived and engaged the ghost loaches, signaling the official start of this tomb-raiding operation.

“Let’s go down and support them!” Elder Wei shouted and immediately leapt into the pit.

“What guts!” Ye Dong, also a man, momentarily admired the fierce courage before sneering, “Am I, He Wentian, going to fall behind!?”

With a swift motion, the rope slid as Ye Dong descended into the pit.

Huang Wuchang glanced sideways, murmuring, “He Wentian’s got spirit. If he can temper his temper, with his intelligence and resources, he’ll surely achieve greatness.”

“Rat-a-tat-tat! Rat-a-tat-tat!”

Gunfire echoed relentlessly inside the pit. As Ye Dong hit the ground, Lixing approached. “Aim for their heads or hearts. Make every shot count; don’t waste ammo!”

“No problem!” Ye Dong smiled, raising his submachine gun and firing several rounds at the brainless ghost loaches charging wildly.

“Uwaaah!” The loaches collided with the bullets, their brains splattering and blood pooling on the ground.

“Not bad!” Lixing sneered. “You just killed a female. The males have hair and are much tougher. You need to shoot them in the heart!”

Ye Dong nodded repeatedly, shooting back-to-back with Lixing.

“Seems these guys really know their stuff,” Ye Dong marveled. “No fear facing these bizarre ghost loaches. They’ve got some skills.”

Of course, these were renowned tomb raiders, all summoned by the ‘Spirit Thief’ Huang Wuchang from across the country to join this grand tomb raid.

“Why are there so many ghost loaches!?” Lixing whispered anxiously to Elder Wei.

“Probably because this place is damp, preserving most of the loaches buried alive as burial companions,” Elder Wei said after dispatching a few loaches. “With so many living people buried here, these ghost loaches must have been war captives!”

“Wailing!” “Uwaaah!”

As the battle intensified, the ghost loaches’ snarls grew more ferocious, as if intent on tearing the invaders limb from limb.

After hearing Elder Wei’s and Lixing’s exchange, Ye Dong was stunned. “Buried alive? Wait, whose tomb is this?”

“What do you mean?” Ye Dong whispered urgently to Elder Wei. “Explain!”

Elder Wei’s eyes never left the enemies but his lips moved. “Even though we know the dragon-seeking and land-pointing art, it still took us a long time to find this tomb. To hide it so deeply and have so many living sacrifices, this must be either a royal tomb or that of a highly distinguished general!”

“Can you really tell that just from that?” Ye Dong was curious.

“It’s not a guess. It’s written right there. Look!” Elder Wei raised his head and aimed a flashlight tied to his gun at the stone wall.

Ye Dong’s eyes widened as he read the large characters: ‘Brave Battalion.’ Next to these characters, he spotted several abnormally large ghost loaches with four legs and four arms.

“What the hell!?” Ye Dong’s legs took two steps back.

“Whatever they are, take them all down!” Lixing’s lips curled as he pulled a grenade from his waist and hurled it at the giant ghost loaches.

“Boom!”

The grenade exploded, splattering a vast pool of blood.

“Strike first or suffer later! There’s no ghost loach a grenade can’t handle. If there is, throw two!” Lixing tossed two more grenades before finishing his sentence.

“Boom! Boom!”

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