Chapter 83: The Human Face

There was a foul stench in the air with every breath I took, sickening enough to make one retch. Still, I forced myself to suppress my shock, my mind racing with possible strategies. Of course, I didn’t think I could escape smoothly if this presence meant harm. The fact that it could approach me so stealthily was shocking in itself. I had always prided myself on my keen vigilance. Moreover, this thing behind me hadn’t made any move—had it intended to, it would have acted already.

Gradually, my nerves settled. I endured the chilling, fetid odor and glanced sidelong at Black Sunglasses. He appeared perfectly calm, yet the hand gripping my wrist tightened with mounting force, as if he were restraining himself. Was he preparing to turn and strike back? At this thought, my briefly calmed heart leapt into my throat again, and I readied myself as well. If Black Sunglasses turned, I would too, widening the distance between us at once, ready to defend or attack as the situation required.

Just as it seemed Black Sunglasses’ restraint was about to snap, the breathing vanished. I tested the air again—yes, whatever it was had truly gone. I slowly turned my head to confirm, finally letting out a sigh of relief. Then I asked Black Sunglasses, “What was that thing?”

“It’s the same thing that attacked Old Ghost and his men. Its speed is astonishing. I only caught a glimpse of it and didn’t dare move. Its claws are very long and smeared with blood. It can sneak up on us without a trace and kill us just as quietly—that much I’m certain. Fortunately, it didn’t harm us, though I can’t understand why.”

Having said this, Black Sunglasses fell silent. I pressed him for more, but he said nothing, so I let it go. The scene settled into quiet once more. Old Ghost’s side also grew still. We waited about half an hour before there was movement from them again. This time, however, it wasn’t another attack—they were preparing to act.

Both Black Sunglasses and I crouched low, watching their movements intently. I was certain Old Ghost knew of our presence, but he didn’t seem worried I’d interfere. Likely, he didn’t see me as a threat at all, hardly giving me a second thought.

That was fine by me—it spared me a great deal of trouble. Honestly, not knowing the combat strength of those with him, I wouldn’t dare make a rash move. I wasn’t foolishly overconfident. Besides, there was still Lady Gu there. If conflict broke out, never mind whether I could fight them, their firepower alone could turn me into a sieve. Even with Black Sunglasses on my side, victory was far from assured.

At this moment, I saw them tossing cold fireworks all around—over a dozen in total. The area was instantly illuminated, and I finally saw our surroundings clearly. It resembled a natural cavern, with a wide fissure running through the center, like an underground canyon. I couldn’t tell how deep it went. I watched as a cold firework was dropped down and disappeared without a trace—the light swallowed by the abyss, indicating an unfathomable depth.

From below came a series of harrowing noises—part wind, part the wailing of countless ghosts. The sound was chilling. What lay beneath, how deep it truly was, I did not know. Yet, inexplicably, a word surfaced in my mind: the Underworld.

In a flash, I shook the thought away, berating myself for letting my imagination run wild. Looking around, I saw we were on the far side of the canyon, quite a distance away, just as I’d vaguely glimpsed before. In the center of the canyon hung a suspension bridge, black in color—at first glance, one might mistake it for a natural stone bridge. It looked ancient. On the far side of the bridge stood a massive coffin, the likes of which I had never seen. From here, it appeared pitch-black, its details obscured by darkness.

Aside from these, there was little else remarkable—though ruined statues and stone pillars littered the area, weathered and broken by ages of erosion.

Old Ghost and Lady Gu approached the bridge, apparently studying it, while the others stood guard with their guns, vigilant for another attack. For some reason, that thing from before had quieted down, vanishing without a trace. I asked Black Sunglasses if he’d gotten a good look at it. He fell silent, then whispered, “To be honest, I didn’t see it clearly either. Though its shape resembled a monkey, I’m certain it wasn’t one. Its face was somewhat... somewhat...”

Sensing his hesitation, I urged him on. He replied, cautiously, “It looked a bit like a human face.”

His words didn’t shock me much—just a mild surprise. After all, it wasn’t the first time I’d encountered creatures with human-like faces. Back on Dalong Mountain, and again in the desert catacombs, I’d seen such things before. So when Black Sunglasses said this, I didn’t find it too startling.

What did surprise me was that everywhere connected to the ancient Li Kingdom seemed plagued by such sinister things. It was hard to fathom what mysterious existence my ancestors’ homeland truly was.

Lost in thought, I was suddenly startled as Old Ghost waved a hand in our direction. Had they discovered us? Several men, guns at the ready, began advancing toward us. It was clear—we’d been found. With no alternative, Black Sunglasses and I stood up, tense and gripping our guns tightly. The chaos earlier had cost me my submachine gun, so I drew my pistol instead.

Black Sunglasses, on the other hand, didn’t even bother with his weapon. He simply stood up, shrugged, and said lightly, “It’s useless—there are too many of them.”

“If it comes to it, at least I’ll take one down with me.”

He gave a brief laugh but said nothing more. I found this odd, but then he whispered, “Don’t worry. They probably knew we were here all along. The fact that they’re only coming now means it’s business—they likely won’t start a fight with us.”