Village on the Other Side of the Underground River

Chapter 24: The Village on the Other Side of the Underground River

The three comrades were worried sick about Number 325, their hearts burning with anxiety.

Lin Xiaosu, however, was different from them.

This was because Lin Xiaosu had personally seen Number 325 die…

The two murderers carried his corpse on their backs, leaped up, and went straight into the deep pool, never to be seen again.

This level of disappearance was something that conventional detective methods could absolutely not uncover.

In normal thinking, after descending the cliff, one would naturally follow the valley by the pool to another place. Who could have imagined that they actually went into the deep pool?

Was there some secret base within this completely wild, deep pool?

Lin Xiaosu landed by the pool's edge, put on a show of inspecting the surroundings, and lightly shook his head, "No traces!"

"None? How could there be none?" Chang Ye's heart leaped: "The traces above were obvious. Below this, apart from the pool water..."

Lin Xiaosu's gaze fell upon the pool water.

It was very quiet all around, and everyone's eyes were fixed on the pool water.

"Doesn't it feel strange?" Lin Xiaosu said, "The water flow from above is so rapid and strong, the volume of water is clearly very large, yet this pool water hasn't overflowed."

"Underground river!" Chang Ye said, "You suspect Number 325 jumped off the cliff after being injured and was washed away by the underground river?"

"That's a possibility!" Lin Xiaosu said, "Or, should we go take a look in the water?"

"Go!"

Chang Ye and Number 88 simultaneously tapped the waistbands of their gear. A strange helmet suddenly emerged from their necks, encasing their heads.

Lin Xiaosu did the same.

Qianlong warriors were all hexagonal warriors, proficient in land, sea, and air.

The Qianlong combat suit itself had diving capabilities. Once the helmet was activated, it would form a self-sufficient oxygen diving suit, allowing them to stay underwater for five hours.

Lin Xiaosu's pseudo Dragon Scale Armor also had this function.

As they entered the water, Number 88, who was at the very front, emitted a faint glow all over his body. This light served as a guide for those behind him.

It was very dark underwater, but the entrance to the underground river, which was spinning and swallowing a large amount of water, was still clearly visible.

A figure slipped past, looking back and giving him a smug smile. Lin Xiaosu was startled. Xinyue!

What the hell!

Xinyue wasn't wearing a helmet. She swam freely in the water like a fish…

What kind of damn gene was this?

Passing through the unpredictable underground river with the strong current was a test of courage.

Although Lin Xiaosu didn't show any signs of fear throughout, his face inside the Qianlong suit was still a little pale.

He had seen the two murderers take Number 325 into the entrance of the underground river, but he had no idea what the situation was like inside.

A hand reached out from the side, very soft.

It grasped his hand.

Lin Xiaosu turned his body and saw Chang Ye inside his Qianlong helmet. She looked at him and smiled slightly. This smile was much purer than Xinyue's, a pure comfort.

The two held hands and slid into the underground river.

Following the rapid spiral of the water current, they made seven or eight turns in an instant. With a splash, they surfaced from a dark cave, and the underground river transformed into a clear river from here on.

On the riverbank, very clear footprints appeared.

As soon as these footprints were spotted, Number 88's face turned extremely grim: "These are human footprints, but not Number 325's!"

"On the cliff, the injuries he sustained were not from a wild beast, but from a person!" Chang Ye also said.

"Let's go! Follow the footprints and see who this divine being is!" Number 88 took the lead, walking along the riverbank.

Ahead was a cave entrance. As soon as they exited the cave, they saw a village outside.

This was a very old-looking village.

The brick and tile houses were dilapidated.

It was disconnected from the outside world and had no electrical facilities.

But there were people.

An old woman sat in front of a dilapidated house, doing needlework. On the hillside in front of them, seven or eight vegetable patches were cultivated, with lush green vegetables, chili peppers, and cucumbers, exuding an air of rural life.

An old farmer leaned his hoe against the ground, tilting his head to look at them.

"There's a village here too." Chang Ye looked around.

"It's normal for there to be a village. There are always people in the mountains who can't bear to leave their homeland," Number 88 said.

"I'll go ask him, see if he saw any strangers…" Xinyue said.

Lin Xiaosu stepped forward: "Let me!"

"Damn it, you're trying to snatch even asking for directions? You don't get any points," Xinyue said, annoyed.

Lin Xiaosu replied, "I grew up in the countryside, I'm best at dealing with old farmers."

Xinyue stopped. She couldn't argue with that reason...

Lin Xiaosu slowly walked towards the old farmer. The old farmer also looked at him. Everything was harmonious.

"This village is quite old, maybe over a hundred years old?"

The old farmer nodded gently, remaining silent.

Lin Xiaosu asked, "Where are the villagers?"

The old farmer grinned, pointing with his finger, "See, some are up on the mountain, some are down by the river. They're busy with their little livelihoods, just these folks."

Chang Ye followed his gaze and indeed saw people on various hillsides.

Lin Xiaosu said, "I'm asking about the real villagers, not you bandits."

Chang Ye and Number 88's hearts trembled simultaneously.

The old farmer slowly raised his gaze, his eyes clouded with confusion, "You... I don't understand what you're saying. I'm just a farmer..."

Lin Xiaosu shook his head gently. "Killing villagers and occupying their ancestral homes, disguising yourselves as villagers to commit illegal acts. Although it's something bandits often do, you should at least do your homework and learn how to be a real farmer. Sorry, your disguises are full of holes..."

Number 88 and Chang Ye's eyes turned as cold as autumn water.

Under their keen observation, the people in their sight also revealed subtle inconsistencies.

But the old farmer in front of Lin Xiaosu looked genuinely bewildered, "You say bandits? There are no bandits here. The villagers are very poor, what could they possibly rob?"

Even at this moment, he still looked very much like a farmer.

Lin Xiaosu tapped the ground lightly with his toe, "What are you doing here, elder? Digging a grave?"

Chang Ye's ice-cold eyes suddenly shot towards the farmer's hoe.

There was fresh soil on the hoe.

On the hillside, there was a newly dug patch of ground.

It looked like a vegetable patch, but it could just as easily have been for burying a body.

Suddenly, the old farmer's hoe was raised.

As it lifted, dust flew everywhere!

The sand obscured Lin Xiaosu's vision, and the hoe swung directly towards his head.

Ching!

A bullet spun out of the dust, striking the old farmer's wrist precisely. The hoe flew from his hand. He suddenly flipped over and plunged down the cliff.

Before he even hit the ground, a figure flashed in the air, like an eagle in flight.

A slender palm sliced down diagonally, hitting the old farmer's neck accurately.

The old farmer crashed to the ground. Chang Ye stepped on his back, her hair flying wildly. This image was a stark contrast to her usual image of a poised lady with perfectly styled hair, gracefully navigating the city.

Number 88 leaped down, his hands forming a dragon claw shape. He plunged a claw into the fresh soil beneath his feet, reaching two feet deep.

With a rumble, a corpse was lifted out.

As the dirt fell away, everyone's expression changed. The corpse was wearing a tattered Qianlong armor. It was none other than Number 325!

The quiet mountain village was suddenly thrown into chaos, as if completely disrupted by Lin Xiaosu's gunshot.

Number 88 stared at his comrade's corpse in his hands, his face ashen.

"Subdue everyone!" With those four words, Number 88 was the first to leap down the slope, charging towards a small stream below. On the bank of the stream, two people dressed as villagers simultaneously changed their expressions.

Ching!

A carrying pole flew from their hands, stabbing towards Number 88 in mid-air.

Number 88 kicked down. The carrying pole transformed into a long spear, piercing one of the men. He shook his Dragon Scales, and a sharp whistling sound filled the air. Puff! It pierced the man's neck.

The other man was caught off guard by the carrying pole and fell into the stream. The moment his body touched the water, Number 88 pushed off the ground, sliding like he was skimming the waves. Puff! He stomped on the man's head, and the man sank into the stream. Lin Xiaosu's divine eyes saw it clearly: there was brain matter in the river.

His eyes widened abruptly.

They were actually killing them?

At the same time, Chang Ye moved like flowing water, suddenly appearing on the opposite hillside.

Two people who looked like farmers on the hillside leaped up. They were no longer holding machetes, but gleaming daggers. However, the elegant Chang Ye suddenly transformed into a wisp of smoke. As the smoke dissipated, a silver light followed, and the light grazed the necks of the two men. They both fell, decapitated.

Xinyue cried out, "They're really killing them! Are these people even villagers?"

"Isn't that obvious? Look at their skills, do they look like villagers?" Lin Xiaosu raised his gun. Ching! A figure fell from a large tree above. This person was also dressed as a villager, but he was holding a sniper rifle.

Xinyue flew into the sky, lunging towards an old woman above.

The old woman seemed a bit slow. Despite the intense battle happening below, she remained by the door, doing needlework.

As Xinyue lunged, the old woman suddenly stood up. As she stood, the stool beneath her flew out of nowhere, hurtling towards Xinyue. Simultaneously, she raised a syringe in her hand, a faint glow emanating from it...

Xinyue's figure flickered, disappearing completely from beneath the syringe.

The old woman's figure also flickered, vanishing just as completely.

Two figures engaged in a spectacular battle in front of the dilapidated hut. To the ordinary eye, however, only two rapidly swirling vortexes could be seen.

Only Lin Xiaosu remained in place, but his gun fired seven shots in rapid succession.

These seven shots took down three hidden snipers in the jungle.

With his Sharpshooter God-level accuracy, he theoretically should have eliminated seven individuals with seven shots. However, these snipers were no ordinary marksmen; they were all Gene People. One of them managed to evade Lin Xiaosu's first three shots, only to be eliminated by his fourth. Their ability to dodge bullets was on par with Xinyue's.

Bang!

With a tremendous impact, the white-haired old woman was sent flying by a kick from Xinyue, her head smashing against a rock behind her, splattering blood and gore.

Xinyue's gaze locked onto the bamboo forest to her left, and she let out a hearty laugh. "Heh heh, the jungle is this young lady's most favored battlefield!"

She lunged forward...

A shout came from below: "Xinyue, get inside!" It was Number 88.

Accompanying the shout were the sounds of two figures colliding. Number 88 had engaged a master, and they tumbled and rolled across the stream.

Xinyue declared, "Let's clear this battlefield first!"

She charged into the bamboo forest, which churned like a tornado, a scene of utter chaos