Lin Yuan scratched his head, looking utterly confused. "Plan? What plan? Did I just say I had a plan? I don’t remember that at all." His gaze drifted, as if he were desperately trying to recall some fleeting memory, but in the end, he only grasped at air and awkwardly grinned at Su Jiu'er.
Su Jiu'er sighed, rubbing her temples. This guy always faltered at critical moments, making her worry more than her own troublesome dog. "Forget it, let’s go to my hometown to avoid the storm for now." She massaged her temples, feeling a dull ache creeping in. "Nan Gong Xuan must be itching to tear you apart and turn you into dumpling filling. It’s too dangerous for you to be out here alone—more dangerous than a single dog on Valentine’s Day."
"Your hometown? Where is it? It wouldn’t be some remote mountain area where there’s no signal and you can’t even order takeout, would it?" Lin Yuan grimaced as if Su Jiu'er’s hometown was some savage wasteland. "I’m terrified of bugs! Even more than cockroaches! Especially those fuzzy ones; just looking at them gives me goosebumps all over."
"Xiangxi," Su Jiu'er replied tersely, choosing her words carefully as if every extra syllable would cost her life points.
"Xiangxi? Isn’t that the place for corpse transportation?" Lin Yuan's eyes widened, nearly popping out of their sockets. "What if zombies come knocking at night and want to play hide and seek with me? I’m terrified of ghosts! Even more than bugs! Especially those with long hair; just thinking about it makes my scalp crawl."
Su Jiu'er couldn’t be bothered with his theatrics and simply dragged him onto the plane, as if pulling a reluctant Samoyed to the vet.
...
A few hours later, the plane landed at a remote little airport. Aside from a few crooked trees, all that surrounded them was the howling wind, desolate like the surface of Mars.
As soon as Lin Yuan stepped off the plane, he felt the fresh air and the scent of flowers, a stark contrast to the noise and pollution of the city. It was as if he had traveled from a smog-filled garbage dump to a natural oxygen bar. "Wow! This air is so fresh! Better than my home air purifier! Just one breath feels like it could extend my life!" Lin Yuan took a deep breath, feeling invigorated. "But this bird song is a bit loud; I wonder if it’ll disturb the neighbors and affect Old Wang's sleep quality."
Su Jiu'er rolled her eyes at him. This guy never missed an opportunity to crack jokes. "This is the mountains, not your neighborhood; there’s no property management here to complain about noise."
They hopped into an old Jeep and bumped along the winding mountain road, feeling like their insides were being jostled around until they finally arrived at a hidden valley surrounded by mountains and lush trees—a secluded paradise.
The valley was filled with greenery and flowing streams, and the air was infused with a faint aura of spiritual energy that invigorated him more than any energy drink he had ever tried. It felt like a true utopia. "Wow! This place is beautiful! More stunning than any game scene I’ve ever played! It’s like a fairyland!" Lin Yuan exclaimed excitedly as he looked around like a bird released from its cage. "But this road is bumpy—there are more potholes than when I delivered takeout; I feel like my backside is about to split into eight pieces."
Su Jiu'er parked the car and pointed towards a grove of bamboo deep in the valley. The lush green bamboo swayed gently in the breeze, as if beckoning to them. "That is our family's secret training ground, a feng shui treasure where spiritual energy gathers. It's even more magical than you can imagine."
Lin Yuan curiously walked over and discovered an ancient cave hidden within the depths of the bamboo grove. The entrance was covered in moss, exuding a mysterious aura, as if it were a gateway to another world. "Wow! This cave looks so thrilling! It's even more exciting than the haunted house I visited last time! I feel like there are many rare treasures inside, just waiting for me to explore!" Lin Yuan rubbed his hands together, eager to go in. "Could there be some treasure? Or maybe a Martial Arts Manual? Something that would turn me into a master overnight and lead me to the pinnacle of life?"
Su Jiu'er shook her head helplessly. This guy seemed to think of nothing but treasure and Martial Arts Manuals. He was like a terminally ill case of adolescent delusion. "Stop dreaming; all that's inside are spider webs and bat droppings. It's not as exciting as you think."
The two entered the cave, where the light was dim and the air damp. The sound of dripping water echoed, creating an eerie atmosphere, as if they had stepped onto the set of a horror movie. "I say, Jiu'er, there aren't any Mechanism Traps in this cave waiting for us to trigger, are there?" Lin Yuan's voice trembled like a frightened little rabbit. "I'm terrified of Mechanism Traps! More than ghosts! Especially those Dark Arrows and poisoned needles; just thinking about them sends chills down my spine."
Su Jiu'er ignored him and continued forward, her steps light and steady, as if she were well-acquainted with everything in the cave.
Suddenly, Lin Yuan felt something hard underfoot that hurt his sole. Looking down, he saw a stone slab engraved with mysterious characters. The inscriptions twisted and abstracted, resembling drunken worms crawling across paper. "Wow! What is this? Could it be some ancient relic recording the secrets of an Ancient Civilization?" Lin Yuan exclaimed excitedly, as if he had discovered a new continent. "Could there really be treasure here? Enough to make me rich overnight so I can marry a beautiful heiress and reach the peak of life?"
Su Jiu'er also stopped, carefully examining the characters on the stone slab in the faint light. Her brow furrowed as if she were deciphering a complex code. "This seems to be..." Su Jiu'er murmured, her tone laced with surprise and excitement, "an ancient Top-tier Martial Arts Technique! It is said that mastering it allows one to fly through the skies and achieve anything!"
At that moment, an eerie sound suddenly echoed from deep within the cave—like a low growl from some beast or wails from the depths of hell that sent chills down their spines. "What was that sound?" Lin Yuan's face turned pale with fear as he clutched Su Jiu'er's clothing tightly like a drowning puppy. "It can't be some monster, can it? One with three heads and six arms, with green skin and sharp fangs?"
Su Jiu'er’s expression turned serious, her eyes flashing with caution. "Be careful!" she whispered, as if warning Lin Yuan and herself at the same time.
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