Little Mute beckoned to the three of them. Together, the four moved aside two stones outside the cliff face, their surfaces worn smooth by the waves. A well-concealed cave lay within the cliff, pitch-black, without a trace of light.
Qian Wanyu handed out four pieces of moonstone. "One for each of us."
"Seventh Sister, it's very dry inside this cliff." There was no sign of seawater having soaked it.
"Walk behind me."
Little Mute led the way, followed closely by Qian Wanyu, with Dongfang Minghui behind her and Wei Junlan bringing up the rear. Nothing happened to any of them along the way.
The passage twisted and turned, rising one moment and sloping downward the next. The walls at every bend were smooth, as though they had been polished long ago. Qian Wanyu rubbed a hand over one, then held her palm under the moonstone's light. A little green moss clung to it, still wet. It must have been brought up from the depths of the sea.
Seeing them standing still, Little Mute looked back. Once he spotted the green moss on Qian Wanyu's hand, he instinctively glanced down at his feet. A little seaweed was caught on them, and he pointed at his claws.
"Come on. Keep leading the way."
Qian Wanyu also shone her moonstone over the path they had already traveled. Whenever she spotted seaweed, she tossed it aside.
Dongfang Minghui and Wei Junlan watched her from the side. Only after they had covered a long stretch did Dongfang Minghui ask quietly, "Seventh Sister, do you suspect something?"
"No."
The winding passage was long, and none of them knew how much time they had spent feeling their way through the darkness. Just as Wei Junlan suggested taking a break before continuing, Little Mute gestured for them to