The Entirely Black Domain
After walking for about an incense stick's duration, a fork appeared ahead in the cave. The two paths looked nearly identical, with similar width and height, even the broken stones on the ground almost the same.
Zhao Feng stood at the fork, looked left, then looked right.
"Which way?"
Lin Taichu did not rush to decide. He crouched and examined the footprints on the ground. There were fresh footprints in the left passage, from more than one person—at least five or six people had passed through here recently. There were also footprints in the right passage, but fewer than on the left, and they looked older.
"Left."
Lin Taichu stood, lifted the lantern, and walked into the left passage.
They had walked fewer than a hundred steps when a burst of voices came from ahead. The voices were not loud, but they carried far in the underground cave.
Lin Taichu slowed his steps and signaled the Guards behind him to keep quiet. The lantern light shone forward, and he saw that at the end of the passage was a slightly open space, where firelight was flickering.
Lin Taichu walked into the space and saw four or five people sitting around a fire. Hearing footsteps, these people all turned their heads at once, their hands pressing to their weapons. Firelight shone over their faces, and Lin Taichu recognized one of them.
Zhou Jin was sitting beside the fire, holding a piece of dried rations. When he saw Lin Taichu walk out of the passage, the expression on his face stiffened for a moment.
"Lin Taichu?"
Lin Taichu was also a little surprised. He had not expected to run into Zhou Jin on the hundredth floor. According to the information he had gathered, Zhou Jin was active year-round