The floor under their feet was spinning faster and faster.
The corpse pupae were getting closer and closer to Lu Fei and Luo Xingfa.
"Run!"
Lu Fei dragged Luo Xingfa and ran for their lives.
Luo Xingfa was already out of strength, and with a serious injury, he simply couldn't run fast.
"Manager Lu, go on without me! It's enough that Hao can survive. I cannot hold you back..."
The corpse pupae were already behind the two of them. Luo Xingfa, showing signs of exhaustion, did not want to be a burden to Lu Fei.
At the critical moment, the black umbrella flew out, its strands wrapping around his body and pulling him along.
The two jumped into the passage together.
Outside the passage, those corpse pupae, with their hollow and cold eyes, stared straight at them.
"Don't look back, keep running!"
Lu Fei supported Luo Xingfa and ran out of the passage in one breath. Seeing that the corpse pupae did not follow, they finally stopped to catch their breath.
"Manager Lu, how did that stone come just now?"
Luo Xingfa was out of breath.
"There are only a few of us in the ancient tomb. Besides that old brute Luo Youliang, who else could it be?" Lu Fei snorted coldly.
"That old man is too cunning! It's all my fault for not keeping an eye on him and letting him escape!"
Luo Xingfa gritted his teeth in hatred, his face filled with regret as he strained to look around.
"The place is this small, where could he hide?"
"There is only one exit, and Master Xiang is guarding it outside. He can't get out, so he must be waiting for us ahead," Lu Fei wiped away his sweat, drank some water, and slowly walked to the exit, peering inside and giving a cold laugh.
"Little Umbrella, go ahead."
The black umbrella swayed slightly and flew into the exit first.
In less than two minutes, a heart-wrenching scream came from inside, making Luo Xingfa shudder.
"Mr. Luo, let's go."
Lu Fei pushed Luo Xingfa into the tunnel and took the rear.
Luo Xingfa moved his numb limbs and struggled to climb upward.
This section of the passage was particularly dark and exceptionally long.
Without Lu Fei pushing him from behind, he felt he would never make it out.
It seemed like an eternity had passed.
Suddenly, Luo Xingfa felt a burst of light, and the air became refreshingly clear.
"We're almost there! Mr. Lu, we'll be out soon."
Hope was within reach.
Luo Xingfa found a new surge of strength and, with one final push, climbed out.
"Mr. Luo!"
As soon as he poked his head out, he heard Master Xiang's concerned voice, and then was helped out by Master Xiang's assistant.
He had no strength left and collapsed in the grass.
Immediately after, Lu Fei also crawled out.
"Manager Lu!" Master Xiang finally let out a sigh of relief, "Thank goodness, you're all back!"
By then, the sky was fully bright, with the sunlight filtering through the layers of leaves and branches.
"Where is Luo Youliang?"
Lu Fei nodded at him and looked around.
They saw Luo Youliang, wrapped from head to toe in black hair, leaning against a large tree, his limbs seemingly cut by sharp objects, bloodied and without any strength to escape.
"This ground rat tried to escape several times, but fortunately, I spotted him and didn't give him the chance. In the end, I saw that he was already under the control of Manager Lu's artifact, so I let him out." Master Xiang explained with a smile.
"I trouble you, Master Xiang." Lu Fei nodded.
"Not at all, I haven't done much. It must have been very dangerous for you in the tomb, Shopkeeper Lu." Master Xiang took a breath, his face full of concern.
"When I saw that you hadn't appeared for a long time, I cast a divination, and it was extremely ominous!"
"What exactly happened in the tomb?"
"It's a long story, but in short, the child's longevity should be restored," Lu Fei waved his hand, breathing in the fresh mountain air.
"That's wonderful! As expected, with Shopkeeper Lu's help, even the most perilous troubles can turn for the better!"
Master Xiang was overjoyed, seeing how exhausted Lu Fei and Luo Xingfa were, he immediately called the driver to send someone up the mountain to assist them.
In contrast to their joy, Luo Youliang's face was clouded with resentment, glaring at Lu Fei.
"You didn't keep your word!"
"Where did I not keep my word?" Lu Fei looked at him indifferently.
"You said that if I led you to Immortal Tianfu, you would let me go. What do you mean by this now?"
Luo Youliang gritted his teeth, so agitated that the lump on his throat pulsed with each breath.
Hearing this, Luo Xingfa struggled to sit up from the grass, angrily pointing at Luo Youliang: "You've done nothing but evil, harming your own wife and son, and my Hao! In the end, you even tried to kill us with the traps in the ancient tomb! How dare you say we didn't keep our word?"
"I don't care. You promised me! To break your promise is to invite heavenly retribution!" Luo Youliang stiffened his neck.
"You..." Luo Xingfa was so angry his heart ached.
Master Xiang was also disgusted by this man's shamelessness, frowning deeply.
"It's okay."
Lu Fei smiled, signaling everyone to stay calm, and stepped forward to stand in front of Luo Youliang.
The sunlight cast a shadow over him, like a dark cloud looming over Luo Youliang.
"What are you going to do? I warn you, killing is against the law!" Luo Youliang immediately panicked.
Lu Fei stretched out his hand, recalling the black umbrella with a faint smile on his face.
"It's quite ironic hearing those words from you. But you're right, I am a law-abiding good citizen who has never killed anyone. I do what I say, and now I'm letting you go, so why don't you leave?"
"Leave?"
Luo Youliang was stunned.
Then, his eyes widened, and he began to tremble all over, his gaze filled with an intense desire to tear Lu Fei to pieces, for he couldn't even lift a hand.
His tendons in both hands and feet had been severed.
Forget about escaping; he was having a hard time even moving.
The black umbrella was ruthless in its action.
Lu Fei liked it.
"You're not leaving? Then we'll be on our way first. This deep in the mountains, there might be man-eating beasts, so we need to get down the mountain as soon as possible."
After Lu Fei finished speaking, he picked up Xiao Hei and stood up, gesturing for everyone to head down the mountain.
As he passed by Luo Youliang, he accidentally stepped on Luo Youliang's leg.
The wound opened up, and more blood gushed out.
"Oops, sorry! I slipped! You better run fast. I heard that the smell of blood attracts beasts. If you get eaten by one, it won't be my fault."
Lu Fei smiled with feigned kindness and led everyone away.
"Despicable! Shameless! Fickle and treacherous, you are not even human..."
Luo Youliang lost control and cursed wildly.
But no one paid him any attention; they all hoped he would die soon.
The group gradually moved further away.
Gugu gu!
Eerie bird calls echoed all around, as rows of carrion birds perched on the trees, staring at Luo Youliang with eyes that seemed to be looking at the dead.
"Stop! Stop!" he shouted in panic.
"I know the secret of the ancient tomb's mechanism. If you take me down the mountain, I will tell you..."
"There are treasures beneath the bronze coffin..."
However.
No one turned back.
In the deep, old forest, he was soon left alone.
The plants and trees around him swayed, as if eerie shadows were flitting by from time to time.
The final stage of his life would be spent in endless terror.
"He reaped what he sowed!"
In response, Master Xiang just gave a cold hum.