"Whoever did this knew this place well. They must have been here for quite some time," Yuan Gang reminded them.
Niu Youdao nodded slightly in agreement. The river had eroded some stretches here into a maze; if Shang Shuqing had not led the way, they would have had trouble finding their bearings. If the other party did not know the place well, they naturally could not have found the torches so easily to tamper with them. Turning his head, he asked Shang Shuqing behind him, "County Princess, did people who used to come through here ever notice anything unusual?"
Shang Shuqing said, "I never heard of anything. Probably not."
Niu Youdao asked, "How long has this tunnel been unused?"
Shang Shuqing replied, "I'm not sure either. At the very least, after Father King met with disaster, many things fell silent under the Imperial Court's purge. This place was never put back into use."
They understood. In other words, the other party might have spent years here, so being thoroughly familiar with the surroundings was entirely possible. As for how that person had entered, it might not have been through an entrance Prince Ning had planned out. With such a vast area, who could guarantee there were no other holes or passageways?
Niu Youdao fell silent for a moment, then said, "There's actually nothing much to worry about. The other party's strength should be limited. Otherwise, they could have come straight for us—there'd be no need for this. We can't let them lead us around by the nose. If we keep running like this, we'll wear ourselves weak, making it easier for them to succeed. We need to keep our heads and not put ourselves at a disadvantage." With that, he set Shang Shuqing down from his back and tilted his