Chapter 114: The Most Terrifying Thing Is the Human Heart

The group’s boots thudded against the ground, a sound they now deeply regretted. If they had known, they would have worn soft-soled, sound-dampening shoes; these leather boots were far too resonant and clamorous.

Should they walk on tiptoes?

As they continued, however, it seemed these stone figures were truly just stone. Brother Ma and the others breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if they had merely been frightening themselves. After all, they had encountered so many monsters already—even a headless creature—that it was inevitable their imaginations would run wild.

Since there was no immediate danger and everyone was somewhat exhausted, with some even injured, they naturally had to stop and rest. Lin Feng was busy changing dressings and bandaging the wounds of Feng Sha and the others.

He also asked about Sui Yi’s condition, to which she merely indicated that it was nothing of concern. This left many of them speechless.

Dammit, is she a monster? How could her recovery be this fast?

In a corner, Brother Ma, feeling parched, asked around for water, but finding none, he had to give up. However...

"Miss Jiu, the other monsters are one thing; they could be biological mutations or controlled by poison—such strange people have existed since ancient times, as you surely know. But those headless ones... what do you make of them?" Brother Ma asked bluntly, hitting upon the very question weighing on everyone's minds.

Among all the monsters they had seen, the headless ones were by far the most terrifying.

"I observed them. The clothes on each headless person were different, resembling those of ancient times, though the styles didn't perfectly align with any specific history—they were only vaguely similar, making it hard to identify their era. But there were both men and women, all headless, yet moving as if alive. This defies biological laws..." Gong Jiu spoke with great seriousness.

Hua Yaofei nodded, then turned to ask her, "Do you even know what biological laws are? You always failed biology, didn't you?"

"..."

Miss Hua, could you be a little more serious?

Gong Jiu glared with wide, angry eyes. Sui Yi, glancing at the area before them, pondered for a moment before suddenly saying, "Gong Jiu, do you remember that person we encountered in the mountain path earlier?"

"Which one?"

"The one who fell from the wall..."

Gong Jiu immediately made the connection. Compared to these monsters, that weak corpse-person was the one she found most repulsive.

"That one... oh, you mean the Bitter Ghost Child?"

The Bitter Ghost Child!

Brother Ma and the others, who had also experienced that ghastly thing, immediately perked up.

"Miss Sui Yi, are you suggesting that these people were possessed by the Bitter Ghost Child?"

Throughout their journey, Sui Yi had earned everyone's respect with her superior combat prowess, sharp wits, and wise reactions. Brother Ma, having been saved by her twice, was naturally deeply convinced.

"It is merely a guess... perhaps it isn't the Bitter Ghost Child, but some other strange creature. The world is vast; rather than believing in the most ethereal ghosts, it is better to believe in the extraordinary people and abilities of this world."

She paused, her voice dropping slightly as she added calmly, "But the most terrifying thing of all... is the human heart."

The human heart.

Brother Ma’s brow furrowed, a glint flashing in his eyes. The others turned solemn as well.

It seemed as if everyone’s thoughts were unfurling like a thousand tangled threads, perhaps following the dark recesses of their own minds. The human heart, indeed, was the most terrifying thing.

After about a minute of silence, Hua Yaofei, appearing inexplicably irritable, spoke in a sharp tone, "Right, Gong Jiu, what exactly is depicted on that pirated, shoddy map of yours?"

"The map..." Gong Jiu rolled her eyes and unfolded it.

At one glance, everyone felt like fainting. The outer circle was legible, but the inner circle...

It was a perfectly square, blank void!

—Are you playing a joke on me?

Those who had pinned their hopes on it now rolled their eyes. Given that she was their employer and provider, Brother Ma and his men were unable to voice their frustrations, while Hua Yaofei just let out a cold, mocking laugh.

—Why didn't you just bring some toilet paper from home!

It would have been better than this knock-off, pirated piece of junk! At least it could be used when nature called.

As for this thing? It would be too abrasive even for wiping one's backside!

"Let me see." Sui Yi took the map from Gong Jiu’s hand, felt it, and handed it back, though she cast a glance at the silently brooding Gong Jiu.

Miss Gong Jiu was rarely this quiet.

Guilt? Or...

Gong Jiu noticed Sui Yi’s gaze and averted her eyes. She raised her brows, tucked the map into her coat, and turned to walk over to Feng Sha, bending down to inquire about his condition. It was clear that Feng Sha was her most loyal subordinate and the one she relied upon most; Sui Yi had previously observed her ignoring the lives of others while holding Feng Sha in high regard.

The difference in affection was evident.

It was no surprise that she was personally checking on his injuries now.

The wound on Feng Sha's arm had been treated by Lin Feng with the medicine from his bag and wrapped in bandages; it wasn't life-threatening, though it caused excruciating pain during movement.

"Miss, I'm fine..." Feng Sha said softly.

Looking up, he could see the soft, short strands of Gong Jiu's hair sliding from the side of her face.

Short, yet flying like the proud sun, never admitting defeat, never speaking of failure.

This was his Miss Jiu.

But at this moment, Miss Jiu seemed unusually silent, quiet, and still.

It made her feel like a stranger to him.

His heart sank inexplicably...

Meanwhile, the stooped Gong Jiu looked at Feng Sha, then, after a second glance, appeared somewhat distracted.

For some reason, the look Sui Yi had given her earlier surfaced in her mind.

It was cold, indifferent...

She...

Gong Jiu felt a chill in her heart, which spread to her neck and the back of her head...

*Swish!*

Sudden!

*Swish!*

A sharp, piercing sound tore through the air, originating from Sui Yi’s direction!

Brother Ma and the others watched in horror as Sui Yi suddenly lashed out at Gong Jiu...

The Xieya dagger in her hand traced a cold, ruthless arc through the air, aimed directly at Gong Jiu’s neck...

Her speed was too fast!

By the time the others could react, she was already behind Gong Jiu...

*Thud!*

Someone was kicked by Sui Yi against the wall.

A heavy impact echoed loudly!

*Click, click, click!*

A row of gun barrels was raised.

A-Hai and his men pointed their pistols at Sui Yi’s head, while Hua Yaofei and her group aimed their weapons at A-Hai’s men!

And Brother Ma’s gun was pointed at the head of the person in front of Sui Yi...

A three-way standoff!

The air was thick with murderous intent!

The dark, swirling suspicions that had been hidden beneath the surface had boiled over, releasing the acrid scent of blood.

Brothers who had called each other family, benefactors who had been deeply thanked, enemies who had once harbored intense hatred...

Now... everything was inverted!

Sui Yi rotated the Xieya dagger in her palm, carving a clean, curved light.

The crisp sound of the blade slicing through the air plucked at everyone's nerves.

The tip of the blade pressed against the neck of the man on the wall. Her elbow pinned his chest.

The man could not move, his expression one of terror.

Sui Yi, however, remained indifferent.

"Gouzi!" A-Fei and the others, who were close to Gouzi, cried out, then glared at Sui Yi with murderous intent!

"Sui Yi, I suspected you long ago. You claimed to know nothing about this ancient tomb, yet everything you do is perfectly timed, and you easily resolve every danger. Who are you? You are connected to the Ye family—the builders of this tomb—how could you know nothing? I believe you orchestrated all of this." Almost instinctively, A-Hai showed hostility toward this outsider...

He had poured his limited sensitivity and cleverness into suspecting Sui Yi.

Even though she had helped them many times, it could not change their deeply ingrained suspicions.

Because everything about her was too mysterious.

It was as if she were bound to this ancient tomb by a thousand invisible threads.

As he spoke, A-Fei and the others joined in, showing their collective hostility toward Sui Yi.

However...

"I should be asking what you people are doing!" Hua Yaofei glanced at Gouzi with a cool expression and a playful tone. "But regardless of what she is doing, or what you are doing, no one is allowed to touch the person who saved my life... otherwise..."

Her gun barrel swept across the heads of A-Hai and his men.

"Although my marksmanship isn't as good as your Miss Jiu's, blowing your brains out is still well within my capabilities."

Shen Di and the others narrowed their eyes, aiming their weapons at the heads of these men as well.

Sui Yi didn't react at all, her gaze fixed solely on Gouzi.

On the other side, Brother Ma, standing apart, looked back and forth between the three sides. Deep in thought, he fiddled with his gun, clicked it a few times, and slowly raised it, aiming the barrel at Lin Feng.

"Tell me, why did you fart earlier?"

Everyone: "..."

Lin Feng: "..."

Damn!

--------

Inside the tomb, dark yet illuminated by light, the atmosphere was treacherous.

"A-Hai, save me... Sui Yi, she..." Gouzi’s face was deathly pale; his weak, fearful appearance made A-Hai and the others anxious, and they tightened their grip on their pistols.

"Sui Yi, let Gouzi go! Otherwise..."

Suddenly, Gong Jiu straightened up, grabbed A-Hai, and slowly drew the gun from her waist, stroking it for a moment.

She looked over, her voice clear and elegant, her gaze icy. "Gouzi has been with me for ten years. Sui Yi, you want to kill him? Did you ask me first?"

"Miss Jiu..." Gouzi looked moved, his eyes slightly glassy.

Sui Yi glanced at him, tilted her head slightly, and said calmly, "And if I want to kill him?"

Gong Jiu’s eyes turned cold.

"Then you die!"

With that, her gun was pointed at the back of Sui Yi’s head.

Fast as lightning!

Even Hua Yaofei could not stop it—naturally, she couldn't, because she had just admitted her marksmanship was inferior to Miss Jiu's.

Yet, she made no move to stop it either.

—Sister, what happened to the 'life-saving benefactor' we talked about?

At that moment, Hua Yaofei merely revealed a cold, eerie smile.

*Bang!!!*

The gunshot rang out abruptly.

All friendship, gratitude, trust, and unspoken agreement...

—Collapsed into pieces.