Chapter 87: The Sound of the Xun

The Kaleidoscope nodded, "Don't worry, Third Brother. I'll keep the rear tightly sealed. You stay safe!"

Zhang Ghostface said nothing, taking a deep drag of his cigarette. Gripping his long blade, he strode forward into the abyss ahead, illuminated only by a faint beam from a flashlight, like a fearless commando marching to his fate. He didn't look back.

Everyone held their breath, eyes wide with anticipation, afraid to miss any sudden developments or the dazzling moments of this 'battle of the century.' Within the chamber, only Zhang Ghostface's faint boot steps and the occasional drip of water from the tomb could be heard; all other sounds seemed to vanish.

The tense atmosphere lingered for a long while. No sounds of fierce combat or collisions came from the distance. The prolonged restraint made me feel like I was suffocating, dizziness clouding my mind. I suddenly recalled the sketch "Selling Cars" performed by Zhao Benshan, Gao Xiumin, and Fan Wei at a Spring Festival gala years ago—sure enough, the lack of oxygen painted gold stars before my eyes, though I managed to stay upright without reaching out to steady myself.

"Why is it so quiet?" Iron Crutch Liu whispered, clutching his throat. "Did Third Brother get taken out by that three-headed monster?"

His words sent a chill through me. Zhang Ghostface was our strongest fighter; if he'd been dispatched so quietly, we stood no chance. If that were true, it was as if our death warrant had already been signed.

The team’s backbone had now shifted from Zhang Ghostface to the Kaleidoscope. Hearing Iron Crutch Liu’s worries, the Kaleidoscope just smiled, saying nothing, seeming confident in Zhang Ghostface’s skills.

The silence dragged on for another five or six minutes. Still, nothing from the front, not even the faintest sound. At last, Iron Crutch Liu couldn't hold back any longer: "Sixth Brother, let me go check ahead. We can't just sit here forever." He picked up his two-pronged weapon and prepared to move forward.

"Get back!" The Kaleidoscope shot Iron Crutch Liu a glare. "Third Brother gave clear instructions—wait for him to return before we make any moves."

"But it's been almost half an hour…" Iron Crutch Liu hesitated.

"Back!" The Kaleidoscope’s rebuke forced Iron Crutch Liu to retreat, shaking his head as he crouched back down.

Click!

Just as Iron Crutch Liu settled in, the flashlight the Kaleidoscope had placed earlier suddenly went out, plunging the distant path into darkness once more.

I was startled. Could the ancient tomb guardians or alchemists have become so intelligent? Could they really have figured out how to switch off a flashlight? But that couldn’t be right—there were no flashlights in the Yuan Dynasty. Even if there were a living ancient here, they’d never seen such a device. Perhaps Zhang Ghostface himself had turned it off?

---

The Kaleidoscope frowned, staring into the darkness ahead, clearly unsettled. He turned to Iron Crutch Liu, "Keep watch in all directions. Be careful for ambushes."

Iron Crutch Liu acknowledged, then pulled a flashlight from his gear, scanning the surroundings.

Boom! Boom!

As we crouched in anxious silence, two heavy thuds echoed through the cave. The sudden noise sent a chill down my spine. Whatever it was must weigh a hundred pounds at least. Wouldn’t such a blow leave a crater in the ground?

"What was that?" Iron Crutch Liu exclaimed, waving his flashlight wildly toward the distance. In its beam, the three-headed host that had been standing there had vanished.

"This is bad!" The Kaleidoscope roared, horror etched across his face, cold sweat streaming down his cheeks. "Third Brother might have been killed by that three-headed monster—the sound we just heard could mean it's coming our way."

Everyone was seized by terror. Zhang Ghostface, with his status and skill, had been taken out so quietly, perhaps in a single fatal blow—no struggle, no sound. Our fear multiplied and grew, threatening to overwhelm us.

Whoosh… whoosh… whoosh…

As we reeled in confusion, something even more terrifying happened. After the heavy falls, three currents of sound, like ancient ocarinas, swept through the cave—loud, grating, and far from pleasant, more like something from a horror film, making our skin crawl and sending shivers down our spines.

Goosebumps erupted over my body, and my head spun. Another moment and I might faint.

"What do we do!" Iron Crutch Liu yelled, covering his ears and shouting at the Kaleidoscope.

"How the hell should I know? If you can't help, shut up," the Kaleidoscope shouted, his nerves frayed by the piercing ocarina sounds.

Hearing the curses, Iron Crutch Liu scowled, eyes wide, dropping his hands from his ears and drawing his two-pronged weapon. "Damn it, I've had enough of you. I've always disliked you. I’ll send you to join your ancestors, right now." He strode toward the Kaleidoscope.

"Kicker, you're not the only one who can fight. Stop acting like some candle-blower from the Ghost Lantern tales. You just want to wipe us out and steal the treasure for yourself, right? Well, I’m not letting you get away with it. I'm going to cripple you now and leave you as a lump of meat," the Kaleidoscope retorted, rolling up his sleeves, ready for a showdown.

---

At this moment, Lord Dragon strode over, face twisted in anger. "Kaleidoscope, you're nothing but a troublemaker. If not for you, we might have made it through already. Third Brother wouldn't have lost his life so young."

"Cut the crap! If you’ve got the guts, take care of that monster yourself!"

Lord Dragon gave Iron Crutch Liu a dark look. "Kicker, let’s do it. Show him what we're made of."

Iron Crutch Liu sneered, the two exchanging glances. Lord Dragon glanced at Fat Lin, who frowned, watching Lord Dragon’s mischievous expression.

"What's wrong—afraid of you, Master Wan?" The Kaleidoscope taunted, his face full of mockery.

Iron Crutch Liu snorted and charged forward.

"Stop gawking at useless books—come help!" Lord Dragon called to Fat Lin, then closed in with Iron Crutch Liu, confronting the Kaleidoscope.

Fat Lin nodded and joined the fray, and the four were set for a "men’s doubles match."

Lord Dragon specialized in "thunder striking soft targets," landing a resounding slap across the Kaleidoscope’s face. The slap was crisp, spinning the Kaleidoscope around in a "fat pig pirouette," nearly knocking him to the ground. Before he could steady himself, Iron Crutch Liu followed up with a kick to the Kaleidoscope’s ample backside. With a cry, the Kaleidoscope went down in a "dog eats dirt" tumble. He tried to rise, but before he could react, Lord Dragon, Iron Crutch Liu, and Fat Lin rushed in, surrounding him and laying into him with a volley of kicks, a relentless barrage that left one breathless.

Accompanied by the horror-film ocarina sounds, the fight raged for about five minutes before the three finally stopped their overwhelming "three-on-one" assault. They stepped back, Iron Crutch Liu sneered, drawing his two-pronged weapon. "I've had enough of you, but I won't take your life. You say I'm a cripple? I'll take out one of your legs."

He raised his weapon, about to strike.

"Wait!" A shadow swept in with a low whisper, landing beside Iron Crutch Liu, gripping his weapon in a firm hand.