Zuo Lin'an checked the time. It was only six ten, still fifty minutes away from seven o'clock. It wasn't time for him to appear yet.
He chose a relatively tall withered tree a short distance away, sat on a branch, and stared in their direction, idly passing the time.
Right then, one of the three finally cracked under the pressure.
It was Zi Yao.
Though she was sharp-witted and highly intelligent, she had been raised in the pleasure quarters since childhood. Her greatest talent lay in playing with men's hearts and seducing them.
When they had first entered the dungeon, her composure had only been because she had Lin Deyou to protect her.
But now...
She could already tell that Lin Deyou could barely save himself. Was there any hope left for her?
Especially since they had all just heard Bai Liu's agonizing screams. The blood-curdling sounds had echoed from afar, yet they felt as though they were ringing right next to their ears, terrifying all three of them to their core.
Zi Yao cautiously nudged closer to Lin Deyou, wrapping her two fair, slender arms gently around him.
“Young Master Lin, I'm a little scared.”
Lin Deyou instinctively pulled her into his embrace. “Don't be afraid. I'm here.”
Zi Yao nodded slowly, leaning her weight against him.
Princess Jinyang took in this scene from where she sat. She appeared to merely cast a casual glance, but in truth, she was cursing Zi Yao in her heart.
However, she also knew she had no right to demand Lin Deyou cast Zi Yao aside to protect her. After all, he had only come here for Zi Yao in the first place.
Princess Jinyang was also plunged into deep anxiety.
Realizing she still had two uses of her ability to perceive the specter's location, she wanted to know if it was coming straight for them after killing Bai Liu. Thus, she decided to use it once more.
After all, with only the three of them left in the entire dungeon, the specter had no other choice but to target them.
So, was the specter still far away, or had it already approached their vicinity?
Zuo Lin'an was leaning against the tree with his eyes closed, resting, when that familiar sensation of being watched suddenly resurfaced.
“This is...”
Princess Jinyang was perceiving his location again.
He merely cast a casual glance downward before closing his eyes again, acting as if he hadn't noticed a thing.
Princess Jinyang opened her eyes. Cold sweat was pouring from her forehead, and she instinctively raised her hand to wipe it away with her sleeve.
Lin Deyou noticed the change in her expression. “Princess, what's wrong?”
Princess Jinyang didn't hide anything and told him the truth.
Lin Deyou's eyes widened slightly, and he whispered, “In the vicinity? Which direction?”
Jinyang pointed. “Over there, but I don't know the exact distance.”
Hearing this, Lin Deyou slowly stood up.
“Wait for me here. I'll go out and take a look.”
Zi Yao hurriedly grabbed his hand. “Young Master! Take me with you, I want to go with you.”
Princess Jinyang also wanted to tag along. What if something happened while they were left behind?
Lin Deyou pried her hand off his sleeve.
“Stop fooling around. I'm just going out to gauge the specter's status. It just killed someone, so it won't attack us right away. This is the perfect opportunity to observe it.”
Zi Yao took a deep breath and slowly let go.
It was no joke.
Though she was terrified that Lin Deyou might abandon her, he was going to look for the specter. As a Second-Rate martial artist, he would surely be fine, but she might not be.
She was just an ordinary woman who would be out of breath after taking a few steps. If Lin Deyou left her in front of the specter, she wouldn't even have time to cry for help.
With that thought, Zi Yao slowly let go. “Then... Young Master Lin, you must stay safe. Please come back quickly. Zi Yao will wait for you here.”
Lin Deyou nodded, then left the cave, heading in the direction Jinyang had pointed.
Noticing this, Zuo Lin'an raised an eyebrow. This guy actually dared to come looking for him.
Zuo Lin'an blinked, flipped down from the tree, and began to stroll slowly through the woods.
Before long, Lin Deyou arrived.
Upon spotting Zuo Lin'an's figure, he instantly darted behind a tree, hiding himself and completely suppressing his aura.
However, to Zuo Lin'an's perception, that living body aura remained incredibly conspicuous.
Even so, Zuo Lin'an pretended to be oblivious and continued to stroll casually.
Lin Deyou didn't dare get too close, merely observing from a distance. Sensing that Zuo Lin'an didn't seem aggressive at the moment, he began to slowly creep closer.
Just as he closed the distance to about ten meters from Zuo Lin'an, Zuo Lin'an suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Lin Deyou's eyes widened, and he suddenly spun around and bolted!
He vanished in the blink of an eye.
The corner of Zuo Lin'an's mouth twitched upward into a smirk as he continued to wander aimlessly through the woods.
Sometimes he revealed his figure, and sometimes he hid it.
This scene was witnessed by Lin Deyou, who, after realizing the specter hadn't pursued him, had plucked up his courage to return. This time, however, he didn't dare get close.
Zuo Lin'an found Lin Deyou's contradictory nature—bold yet cowardly—quite amusing.
As he wandered, the hour drew near.
Zuo Lin'an stopped, turned around, and began walking toward the place where Lin Deyou was hiding.
Of course, he wasn't looking for Lin Deyou; he was heading toward the cave.
Seeing this, Lin Deyou immediately shifted to another hiding spot, steering clear of Zuo Lin'an's path.
He watched with his own eyes as Zuo Lin'an walked toward the cave.
In truth, the moment he had stepped out, he had no intention of returning to the cave. He planned to abandon both Princess Jinyang and his beloved Zi Yao.
By now, Jinyang and Zi Yao inside the cave had also sensed that something was wrong.
Lin Deyou had been gone for far too long!
So long that the specter's execution time was almost upon them, yet he was still nowhere to be seen.
Princess Jinyang finally realized what was happening, her face turning pale.
She leaped to her feet, gritting her teeth. “Oh no! Lin Deyou has abandoned us!”
With tearful eyes, Zi Yao stared outside the cave. Feeling a sudden chill, she instinctively wrapped her arms around herself.
This freezing aura was highly unusual.
She knew the specter had arrived!
Princess Jinyang's face drained of all color. Under the dim sky, she had already spotted the dark figure standing beneath a withered tree.
And those crimson eyes, brimming with despair and blood.
Jinyang stared intently at the figure, covering her mouth as she slowly backed away. Then, her legs gave out, and she collapsed heavily onto the ground.
“No... how can this be...”
“Third Young Master Lin? Are you there?”
Princess Jinyang screamed toward the outside of the cave several times, but received no response. Her expression grew increasingly pale and desperate.
She knew that just like Zi Yao, she had been abandoned.
“Damn it... Damn dog! Worthless servant!”
“Lin Deyou!”
She summoned her courage and screamed at the top of her lungs.
“Get out here!”
“I am the biological daughter of the current Emperor of the Great Xuan Dynasty! I am Princess Jinyang! You must protect me!”
“Otherwise, don't even think about your Lin Duke's Manor getting off easy!”
Hiding nearby, Lin Deyou sneered inwardly as he heard her shouting and screaming.
Even if Princess Jinyang died, no one on the outside would ever know it had anything to do with him.
After all, she was dying inside a dungeon.
Rate on N.U.
