Li Tui's words landed, and the mine tunnel fell silent for a moment.
Su Lueying stared at him, her lips pressed white, but she said nothing.
"Go!"
Without waiting for her reaction, Li Tui turned and plunged into the darkness. Gritting her teeth, Su Lueying followed.
The two raced through the maze, their pursuers snapping at their heels. Li Tui was less familiar with this place than Su Lueying and nearly ran into dead ends several times, relying entirely on her clipped directions from behind. "Left!" "Turn right!"
In the end, they squeezed into a hollow behind a seeping rock wall and held their breath. The pursuers' footsteps passed outside, accompanied by angry curses.
"...Split up and search! Scar said, dead or alive, we need to see the body!"
The footsteps scattered.
The hollow was cramped, leaving the two nearly pressed together. Blood still seeped from Su Lueying's wounded right arm, its metallic scent mingling with mildew. She turned her head, trying to keep as far from Li Tui as she could.
After quite a while, there was no movement outside.
Li Tui spoke first, his voice kept low. "What did you touch in there?"
Su Lueying was silent for a moment. "I didn't touch anything I shouldn't have. There was something in the inner room, and I accidentally kicked an empty can."
"And then they discovered you."
"Mm." Su Lueying paused. "They found that things were missing—the straw paper and those stones."
Li Tui frowned. "They knew someone had gone in, and that what was stolen had markings on it."
"Yes." Su Lueying admitted it. "We made too much of a stir."
Li Tui said nothing. This stupid woman was far too reckless, but there was no point saying that now.
"What was drawn on the straw paper?"
Su