Blacksmith Ye quietly led the way through the dense woods, with Wang Yan and Ye Shisan following swiftly behind. They circled several li around the cliff at the stockade entrance before finally reaching a well-hidden corner...
There was some loose rubble in the corner, with a large boulder resting among it. Nothing looked out of the ordinary.
But then!
"Hup!" Blacksmith Ye walked over to the enormous boulder, which weighed well over a thousand jin, wrapped his broad hands around it, and heaved. He actually lifted it up, revealing a hole beneath it wide enough for one person to enter...
"I'll take it!" Ye Shisan hurried over to help, taking the boulder from him and setting it aside...
"Let's go in!" Blacksmith Ye wasted no words and climbed straight into the hole. Wang Yan followed, while Ye Shisan went last and put the boulder back over the entrance...
The beginning of the tunnel was rather narrow, allowing only one person to crawl through at a time. But this stretch was less than a zhang long, and then it suddenly opened into a passage tall enough to stand in...
"Don't use a torch!" Seeing Blacksmith Ye feeling around for something ahead, Wang Yan hurriedly spoke in a low voice. He tapped his Storage Bag and took out a handful of Spirit Stones. Multicolored spiritual light spread from them. It was not very bright, but it was enough to see clearly...
If they used a torch, warm air or even smoke would inevitably escape, along with the smell. Some tiny detail might give them away, so caution was best...
"All right!" Blacksmith Ye glanced back at Wang Yan, nodded, and headed onward... The other two followed...
The surrounding tunnel walls bore traces of excavation, but there was no sign of any black