CHAPTER 522: I LOVE YOU

"How dare you show your face?"

Veins bulged on Gongyang Han’s forehead; he wished he could tear Song Jie apart right then and there.

If it weren’t for this scoundrel’s incompetence, for falsely reporting intelligence, for even acting as a traitor and informing the Wude Army Guard of the White Lotus Sect Young Master’s whereabouts, how would they have been trapped in the city, and how could they have nearly died under a hail of arrows?

"You..."

Just as Gongyang Han was about to speak, he heard the dense sound of arrows being shot from behind him, occasionally mixed with the nearly imperceptible whistling of sharp weapons slicing through the air.

These were several unadorned Longswords, shot swiftly from behind the Wude Army soldiers. They skimmed above the cobblestone pavement, stabbing toward the people inside the building.

Flying swords!

Two White Lotus Sect Members standing on the periphery couldn’t dodge in time and were directly pierced through the heart by the sword blades. They collapsed to the ground without even a grunt, losing their lives.

Beside Gongyang Han, an old man with unfocused eyes rapidly chanted incantations using his Nen, immobilizing the hovering flying swords. Meanwhile, a large, sturdy Monk with a shaven head nimbly leaped up, wielded a heavy staff, and knocked two flying swords to the ground.

Only then did the other White Lotus Sect Members react, drawing their weapons to strike at the remaining flying swords.

However, the Wude Army Guards were already charging toward the building.

"Brothers, watch how I protect the Young Master!"

Song Jie shouted, and with hands moving like lightning, he swept up tables and chairs, throwing them all at the entrance to block the door. He barely held off the rain of arrows, but two pierced through, one in his left shoulder and one in his right.

Blood streamed from both shoulders, but Song Jie seemed to feel no pain as he turned around and anxiously said to Gongyang Han, "Young Master, it’s dangerous here, follow me quickly!"

Without waiting for Gongyang Han to resist, he grabbed his wrist and dragged him towards the back courtyard.

This building was a tavern. The courtyard had a water mill, a water basin, and a horse stable; in the center of the courtyard, there was also a huge pit.

The pit was about three meters in diameter, its entrance neatly rounded and smooth. By the moonlight, one could vaguely see that the pit plunged straight down, deep and seemingly bottomless, as if leading to the very depths of the earth.

A White Lotus Sect Member who had followed them subconsciously asked, "What is this...?"

"No time to explain, jump!"

Song Jie looked panic-stricken. He threw Gongyang Han down the hole and then, along with several black-robed companions, jumped in after, disappearing from the tavern courtyard.

At this moment, the charging Wude Army Guards effortlessly broke through the barricade of tables and chairs at the entrance. The bearded middle-aged man at the front even swung a heavy lance from atop his horse, smashing through the courtyard wall and charging forth amid dust and debris.

"Jump!"

The white-browed old man who had stayed by Gongyang Han’s side no longer hesitated and leaped into the pit. The other White Lotus Sect Members also gathered their courage and jumped down after him.

The pit turned out to be far deeper than anyone had anticipated. As the White Lotus Sect Members plummeted down the slick tunnel walls, the pitch-black darkness and the whistling wind in their ears filled them with Mo Da fear. They screamed in terror, desperately clawing at the walls, only to have their fingers scraped to the bone.

Fortunately, at an extreme depth, the straight tunnel finally began to curve. It was like a massive slide, allowing them to decelerate gradually.

Finally, the White Lotus Sect Members were ejected from the tunnel at a manageable speed, landing in a disoriented heap on the ground.

COUGH. COUGH.

Gongyang Han coughed desperately, fighting against the intense urge to vomit. He steadied himself against the wall and shook his head to clear it.

CLACK.

In the darkness, someone uncapped a tinderbox and lit a torch, bringing light into the void.

The person holding the torch was Song Jie.

The White Lotus Sect Members groaned in pain as they stood up, examining their surroundings by the light of the torch.

They found themselves on an elliptical earthen platform. It wasn’t particularly large. Above them was the end of the slide-like tunnel they had just descended. Around the platform’s perimeter were seven other tunnel entrances, all level with the platform and seemingly leading in different directions.

One White Lotus Sect Member murmured, "This is..."

"This is the underground tunnel network beneath Lvzhou City."

Song Jie took several torches from the tunnel wall and handed them to his companions. "As you all know," he explained, "our Lvzhou branch, like other White Lotus branches, has been digging secret tunnels under the city. These are for transporting personnel and supplies, and for passing intelligence."

"The plan to abduct the Auspicious Beast of Annam was also based on these underground tunnels.

However, just a few hours ago, while clearing the existing tunnels, one of my subordinates accidentally discovered another network beneath Lvzhou City—a massive system of passages that, as far as we know, no one has ever entered before."

The White Lotus Sect elder frowned. "A network?"

"Exactly." Song Jie nodded. "These tunnels appear artificially carved, yet they also look as if they are entirely natural formations.

I speculate they were constructed by some ancient noble, using monsters adept at digging, to secretly build his tomb and guard against tomb raiders.

Hundreds of years ago, Lvzhou was nothing but a desolate wilderness. The city’s construction dates back to a time before the previous dynasty. Moreover, the tunnels were buried deep underground, which is why they remained undiscovered until now.

I had intended to inform the Young Master and everyone else, but the plan to abduct the Auspicious Beast went awry, which delayed things..."

"Went awry?" Gongyang Han grew angry upon hearing this, staring at Song Jie and demanding, "Explain yourself properly! Why did you fail to bring the Auspicious Beast, and why did the Wude Army Guard suddenly launch an attack?"