Chapter Fifty: Fleeing into the Night

Ghostface Zhang removed his mask, revealing that terrifying, twisted face once more.

“It’s over, it’s over. ‘Wu Yifan’ has disappeared,” Mengya muttered under her breath.

Ghostface Zhang took the teacup, tilted his head back, and drank it down. Glancing at Mengya’s pale face, he let out a cold snort.

I laughed to myself. Sure, Ghostface Zhang was handsome, but with that “ghost face” of his, no girl would dare get close. Kissing him would be out of the question.

“Let’s go.” Ghostface Zhang stood and strode out without looking back.

Iron Crutch Liu and Kaleidoscope exchanged glances and followed.

“Qiutong, let’s go. Leave the cleaning up to Miss Mengya,” Master said.

“Master…” I looked at him awkwardly. “Master… Mengya said she wants to come with me.”

He hesitated. “If she comes with us down into the tomb, won’t she just slow us down?”

I smiled. “Master, you’re mistaken. Mengya is far more capable than I am.”

“Alright, pack up quickly. They’re waiting upstairs.”

Mengya rinsed the teapot, stored away the incense burner, switched off the lights and air conditioning, locked the door, and nodded to me.

We stepped out of the antique market’s main gate and saw three SUVs, including mine.

When Ghostface Zhang noticed Mengya following, he frowned. “Qiutong, why did you bring a woman?”

Feeling awkward, I avoided his gaze. “She said she’d be worried otherwise.”

Ghostface Zhang snorted but said nothing, slipping into the front passenger seat of the lead vehicle.

I got into my car’s passenger seat while Mengya took the wheel. It was just the two of us.

“Keep close,” the chubby driver of the first car shouted back before revving the engine.

We drove for hours, and by the time the sun was about to set, the lead car finally stopped. I looked around—somehow, we’d ended up deep in the mountains.

“Rest here,” the chubby driver shouted again, pulling over to the roadside.

Mengya and I got out, locked the car, and surveyed the area. Besides us, there was Master, Ghostface Zhang, Kaleidoscope, Iron Crutch Liu, Dragon King, and eleven other men I’d never seen, including the fat driver.

“Let’s eat something first.” Master walked over and pointed to the trunk of the car ahead. “There are compressed biscuits and sausage inside.”

Mengya and I each grabbed two packs of compressed biscuits and four of those red-skinned sausages. The biscuits were almost inedible—dry and tasteless, like chewing on wax. I couldn’t imagine how long I’d have to endure this kind of life.

“Master, how much farther do we have to go?”

“We should reach an old friend’s place in Shenyang tonight and stay there.”

I tossed the biscuits aside; they were just too awful. Maybe I’d eat them if I got truly hungry. The others, though, were wolfing them down as if they were delicacies. Who knew what they’d been through?

“Hey, where’s Ghostface Zhang?” I glanced around but didn’t see him.

Mengya pointed at a tree beside the road. There he was, perched in the crook of its branches, having just finished a few sausages. A cigarette dangled from his fingers as he stared pensively into the distant mountains.

“Don’t let him confuse his preferences,” Mengya joked with a smirk.

Suddenly, a shout came from the lead car.

We all jumped, thinking something had happened. Ghostface Zhang leapt from the tree and ran over.

“What’s wrong?”

Kaleidoscope was surrounded by electronic gear, looking ecstatic.

“Third Brother, there’s a tomb nearby.”

We were all stunned. Iron Crutch Liu’s face lit up. “Where? Let’s get started!”

Ghostface Zhang shook his head and eyed the surroundings. “We can't go into this tomb.”

“Third Brother, you’d pass up a fortune?” Iron Crutch Liu was anxious.

Ghostface Zhang snorted, placing a hand firmly on Kaleidoscope’s shoulder and squeezing hard. Kaleidoscope yelped in pain, sweat beading on his forehead.

“Kaleidoscope, can't you tell this is a tomb you can enter but not leave?”

Kaleidoscope hesitated, then shook his head.

“This is a ‘quicksand tomb.’”

“What? A sand tomb?” Iron Crutch Liu was horrified. If he’d listened to Kaleidoscope, they might have lost their lives.

A quicksand tomb meant the coffin and burial items were sunk deep into the shifting sands, protected by the natural geology.

“Heh, I just thought Old Seven fears nothing, and we’re well equipped this time. I figured it’d be fine,” Kaleidoscope said with a fawning smile.

Everyone knew he was just settling a score.

Iron Crutch Liu stepped forward and punched Kaleidoscope in the face, making him grunt in pain.

“Enough, enough,” Dragon King interjected, pulling Iron Crutch Liu back. “Maybe Fifth Brother didn’t see it either.”

Iron Crutch Liu wanted to curse, but Dragon King gave him a look, glancing at Ghostface Zhang. Iron Crutch Liu spat and turned away.

“I say we camp here for the night,” Ghostface Zhang said gravely.

“What?” Everyone was surprised.

“Weren’t we going to sleep at Xu Fatty’s place tonight?” Dragon King asked.

“One day won’t make a difference, and I’m exhausted from the journey.”

The elders exchanged glances, nodded, and began pitching tents along the mountain road.

As I went to help, I caught a glimpse of a sly smile flickering across Kaleidoscope’s face.

Night fell, and Mengya and I sat in our tent. Just as we were about to turn off the light and sleep, a rustling sound came from outside.

“What’s that?” Mengya whispered.

“Could it be wolves in the mountains?”

I shivered and sat up, carefully opening the tent flap. Suddenly, a dark figure shot towards me, clamping a hand over my mouth.

“Mmm!” I couldn’t speak.

“Don’t make a sound!” The voice was hoarse.

Looking closely, I realized it was Ghostface Zhang.

“Uncle, what are you doing out here so late?”

“Don’t ask. Just follow me.” With that, he slipped down to the base of the mountain.

I motioned to Mengya. She followed and zipped the tent shut as we set off after him.

Ghostface Zhang glanced back and, with a few leaps, landed on a boulder nine or ten meters up the mountainside like a martial arts master.

Cold sweat broke out on my forehead. I’d never trained in martial arts—how was I supposed to get up there?

Mengya just smiled, sprang off the mountainside, and in three agile bounds joined Ghostface Zhang.

He gave her a sideways glance. “Didn’t expect you to have skills, woman.”

“Likewise, Master Ghostface,” Mengya replied with a teasing smile.

“Great, you’re both up there. What about me?” I said anxiously.

Ghostface Zhang sighed and shook his head, pulling a rope from his belt and tossing it down.

“Hold on tight. I’ll pull you up.”

I gripped the climbing rope with both hands. With a powerful yank, Ghostface Zhang hoisted me up as if I were weightless. I nearly fainted from the rush, but managed to plant my feet on the rock beside them.

I let go of the rope, collapsed, and wiped the sweat from my brow.

Ghostface Zhang looked at me with a heavy sigh and handed me a cigarette. “Here, have one.”

I waved him off. “I don’t smoke.”

He took the cigarette back with a cold snort. “What kind of man doesn’t smoke?”

I was embarrassed. Who said men had to smoke? Not wanting to argue, I just squatted and lowered my head.

“Get up. We’re going higher.”