That entrance was exactly where Second Brother was hiding. He still had a leg injury. Even if he’d spotted the monster and taken cover, he couldn’t be far. If Mom and I ran now, him shooting at us would be digging his own grave.

Before I could move, Mom grabbed my hand and bolted into the pitch-black passage. Her judgment matched mine—she was betting Second Brother wouldn’t dare fire. And she was right. We rushed in safely. The monster seemed to react; glancing back, I saw its tentacles pointing this way, but its limbs stayed still.

Thankfully, I still had the flashlight. We ran for our lives. I kept a sharp eye on the path ahead—no way was I stumbling into another trap.

Mom clearly knew the route. At every fork, she chose without hesitation, twisting through countless turns. By the time I was completely lost, we reached a small, pitch-black square stone chamber. Smooth, polished black walls surrounded us. Ahead lay another passage; the flashlight beam vanished into endless darkness.

I gasped for air. The air felt thinner here, mixed with our foul stench. Dizziness and nausea crept in.

Mom barely broke a sweat—just a faint flush on her cheeks. She pulled out her hand-drawn map, studying it while muttering under her breath. Then she tore a tiny black device with a red dot from her belt buckle, stomped it hard, and ground it underfoot.

“Your Second Brother really went all out—planting a tracker on us,” she said sarcastically, grinding it again with gritted teeth.

Bent over, hands on thighs, I wiped sweat from my face. Back then, I’d have dropped to examine a spy gadget like that. Not now. Zero interest.

“Can you tell me now? What have you all been doing this whole time?!” I clenched my teeth, lifted my head, locked eyes with her, and raised my injured left arm. Blood seeped through the bandage, staining it crimson.

Mom looked at my arm, then at my determined face. Her eyes softened, brimming with tears. I realized I’d been too harsh and softened my tone:

“I… I don’t want to die without knowing why.”

I murmured, head lowered.

“You won’t die!” Mom insisted firmly. After a hesitant pause, she nodded helplessly.

“Alright.”

She gestured toward the passage ahead. Seeing her relent, I hurried after her.

“As you see, this is an underground palace. Originally a massive lake-bottom cave. Humans reshaped it later. The first to modify it were the Dragon Tamer Clan I mentioned.”

Mom spoke softly, glancing back into the dark. The passage stood barely two meters high—tight for two side by side. Walls gleamed like polished black marble. The path ahead swallowed the light. The flashlight flickered, tightening my chest.

Even hushed, her voice echoed faintly.

I gestured for her to stop—Second Brother might be following, armed. She waved me off and continued calmly:

“This place is dangerous. Yet I kept you close. The reason…”

Her face turned grave. She pointed upward. I looked up at the smooth ceiling—confused.

“The people above—Yan An, your uncle (Second Brother), Wu Datong—everyone except Droma is compromised.”

She slowed, jaw tight.

“It’s complicated. No time to explain. Simply put: they share the same goal as those who ambushed you that night. They want to capture you alive.”

Her expression was dead serious. Staring into her eyes—filled with suppressed despair—I froze, speechless.

“Your father carries a massive secret. A ‘heavenly secret,’ rumored to alter humanity’s fate. Countless factions covet it. They’ve used bribery, threats, torture… to force him to speak.”

She lifted the red cord necklace, pinching the pendant—a tiny flat oval glass vial filled with crimson liquid.

“You always wanted answers… but how much can you truly bear?”

“If they take you, it’s checkmate for Wei Chuanyi. They’ll break your mind and body, make you beg your father to surrender the secret.”

“They’re capable of anything…”

Her voice grew strained, as if haunted. I swallowed hard and nodded silently.

“So even here, I keep you close. Xiao Ji… this is heavy, but real.”

She stopped, facing me. Her gaze softened.

“Living is always best. But in truly dire circumstances… death may be kinder.”

“I will survive!” I forced strength into my voice. Fear gripped me, but despair was useless here.

“Shh.”

Mom signaled silence, eyes locked ahead. I clamped a hand over my mouth. After a still moment, she called out—louder than before:

“Xiao Ji!”

I frowned, confused. Then—a faint echo. A chill shot through me.

*That’s not an echo…*

*Someone in the darkness ahead is mimicking Mom’s voice…*