Second Brother led me around the left half of the relief carvings, casually explaining them as we went...
All the while, I kept stealing glances toward where Mom stood. But judging by Second Brother’s current attitude, he clearly didn’t want me getting close to her.
I didn’t trust the man before me one bit.
Whether his words were true or not, the fact that he’d already subdued Mom meant the gun was now in his possession.
That he hadn’t harmed me yet didn’t make him harmless.
Wu Datong’s gruesome end had happened just a corridor away. Whether human interference played a role in his being devoured by the monster—I had no way of knowing.
I was still completely lost about these people’s tangled relationships. For now, better not defy Second Brother. I’d observe him carefully for any weakness...
Thinking this, I gave a silent nod.
Seeing my thoughtful expression, Second Brother smiled smugly.
“Your reaction’s perfectly normal. You’re just a kid. When I first encountered the Dragon Tamer Clan’s culture, I found it hard to believe too.”
“Had you learned about the Dragon Tamer Clan’s culture before?”
I followed his lead and asked.
“Of course. I’ve worked alongside your dad in this field. He always loved weaving the Clan’s history into stories for us.”
“So even though I’d never been here, I’d long heard of Dragon Tamer culture.”
“Heh heh... Only after arriving did I realize—this was once the underground palace of the Dragon Tamer Clan.”
“Never imagined... a place like this actually exists.”
As he spoke, Second Brother ran a hand over the wall carvings behind him, face alight with excitement.
Dad again...
I pursed my lips. That was just how Dad was—he loved telling stories.
Analyzing Second Brother’s words, I sensed he knew *something*, but clearly not much.
Meaning: before Mom led us here, no one except her knew this was the ancient underground palace of the Dragon Tamer Clan.
This felt unreasonable. Tomb exploration is dangerous. Would anyone willingly follow Mom down here to their deaths, completely in the dark?
Second Brother was a tomb raider too—he knew the risks. Unless he had another motive, he wouldn’t be here.
Now at odds with Mom and in control, he hadn’t threatened me. Instead, he was trying to earn my trust.
Two possibilities: one, his kindness was family-driven protection; two, I still held some utility for him.
I cut the thought short.
Second Brother had already resumed explaining the reliefs.
“Even with the chaos-causing monster, the Dragon Tamer Clan suffered heavy losses on land. So they tried living underground.”
He pointed to the wall carvings. Vaguely, I could make out figures descending into water.
Abstract as they were, his interpretation made sense.
“They raised livestock, built homes... tried coexisting with the man-eating monster.”
Frowning, I stared at the next relief—and froze.
It showed people in various poses: clothed, unclothed, washing, sleeping...
But what chilled me most were the figures with only half their bodies.
Wu Datong’s death flashed in my mind. My face paled. My body trembled slightly.
Maybe earlier fear had numbed me—I hadn’t fully processed his horror then.
But now, recalling it... I couldn’t bear the image. This wasn’t something a high school girl should witness. It was too terrifying.
“They slaughtered all their horses, offered them as sacrifices in the monster’s lair. When horses ran out, they sacrificed livestock...”
Second Brother quickly scanned the following reliefs.
“So everything Wei Chuanyi said was true...”
He took a deep breath, studying the carvings. I looked too.
“The monster demanded daily food. To survive, in the Clan’s later days... they began feeding *people* to it!”
“One day, the monster suddenly collapsed.”
“The Dragon Tamer Clan consumed its corpse...”
Second Brother glossed over details, face twisted with excitement, speech growing slurred.
“Everyone who ate the flesh went frenzied, lost sanity. They bit others—killed them, then ate their corpses...”
“And in the lair... a baby monster hatched.”
“The madness and the new dragon’s birth caused agony. Underground humans split: one faction fled to the surface, escaping this hellish kingdom; the other stayed.”
One carving showed mad Clan members and the newborn monster laughing wildly underground. Their faces were grotesquely carved—so distorted they no longer looked human.
This must be the legendary depiction of hell...
I pursed my lips again. Sheer terror seized my mind. My legs trembled uncontrollably.
Under the crimson glow, I helplessly scanned the dark tunnel mouths around me.
Overwhelmed by the dire situation, my nose stung. Tears welled up.
“If all this is true...”
Second Brother glanced at me, swallowing hard.
I swallowed too, eyes red-rimmed, lips twitching as I stared at him.
Noticing my distress, he tempered his excitement and cleared his throat lightly.
“This floor’s a massive raw jade slab. Carve and polish it? Enough to live ten lifetimes. Truly tempting.”
He stomped the crimson jade floor—deliberately changing the subject.
I knew nothing about jade. Numbly, I nodded. Despair and fear drowned everything. Even if the floor were paved with cash, joy felt impossible here.
