With a loud bang, the door of the secret room slammed shut. The scrawled, ghost-like Runes on the surface flashed with an eerie red light, looking for all the world like the opening scene of a horror movie.
Jiang Ye's knees turned to jelly, and he almost dropped to the floor.
"What the hell! Are you kidding me? This is for real?!" Trembling, he pointed at the Runes, feeling like he was staring at something far worse than a ghost.
Though her own heart was hammering against her ribs, Ye Shuli forced a calm facade.
"Relax, just relax! It's nothing more than a beat-up door—you think it can stop me?" Putting on a casual front, she patted Jiang Ye on the shoulder and reassured him, "Don't panic, I've got you covered!"
Yet, before her words had even settled, the secret room began to shake violently, as if caught in an earthquake.
The air grew thinner by the second. Jiang Ye felt like a fish out of water, gasping for breath.
"Sister Li... I... I can't breathe..." His face turned pale as he grabbed Ye Shuli's hand with a death grip, clinging to her like a drowning man to a straw.
Ye Shuli wasn't faring any better. Dizziness washed over her, and she felt as though she might kick the bucket the next second.
Still, she gritted her teeth, forcing herself to stay upright and study the Runes.
These things looked awfully familiar...
Wait a minute!
Could this possibly be...
"Jiang Ye," Ye Shuli said, her voice trembling slightly, "come take a look at this... doesn't it look a bit like those ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs I told you about?"
Jiang Ye stared blankly. "An-ancient what now? Sister Li, this is a bit of a crisis, are you really thinking about archaeology right now?!"
Giving him an exasperated roll of her eyes, Ye Shuli snapped, "Cut the crap! Get over here and look!"
Dizzy and lightheaded, Jiang Ye shuffled closer and squinted at the scribbles. After careful consideration, he offered with utter sincerity, "Sister Li, if I may be frank, aside from being even more abstract than oracle bone inscriptions, I can't make sense of this at all."
Ye Shuli slapped a hand to her forehead, feeling a headache coming on.
"Do you know anything about abstract art? This is art, you uncultured swine!" Despite her harsh words, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck her.
Wait!
Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs...
Sacrifices...
Mechanisms...
Could it be...
She suddenly recalled a paper she had once read in a museum, which documented a type of mechanism found in ancient Egyptian tombs that could only be activated by deciphering hieroglyphic text.
Could it really be such a coincidence?
Her heart racing, Ye Shuli began to study the Runes intensely, combining her rudimentary knowledge of ancient Egyptian script to try and decipher their meaning.
Time ticked away second by second. The air grew thinner and thinner, and Jiang Ye had already started rolling his eyes back.
Just as Ye Shuli was about to give up, she noticed a particular Rune appearing repeatedly in a very specific position.
"Got it!" Ye Shuli cried out in excitement, pointing at the symbol. "If I'm not mistaken, this Rune means 'open'! The ones next to it must be instructions on how to trigger the mechanism!"
Following the directions indicated by the Runes, Ye Shuli felt along the wall for a moment until her fingers brushed against a hidden button tucked away in an inconspicuous corner.
"This is it!" Without a moment's hesitation, Ye Shuli pressed the button.
*Rumble—*
A mechanical grinding sound echoed through the room as a secret door suddenly materialized in the wall. Fresh air rushed in from the outside, instantly banishing the suffocating atmosphere.
Jiang Ye dragged in huge breaths of fresh air, feeling as though he had just walked through the gates of hell and back.
He looked at Ye Shuli, his eyes filled with awe and... something else.
"Sister Li..." he began, but Ye Shuli suddenly slapped a hand over his mouth.
"Shh—" She pressed a finger to her lips, her gaze fixed warily on the secret door.
"It sounds like... something is coming."
The secret door slowly crept open, and a dark shadow appeared in the threshold.
Startled out of his wits, Jiang Ye instinctively grabbed Ye Shuli, shrinking behind her and trembling like a leaf.
"Sister Li... protect me!" he stammered, his voice no louder than a mosquito's buzz.
Though amused by his cowardice, the uncertainty of the situation wiped any smile from Ye Shuli's face.
She wrapped an arm around Jiang Ye and lowered her voice. "Don't be scared, I'm here!"
Despite her brave words, she hadn't the slightest clue what was going on. In this pitch-black space, heaven only knew what kind of monster was lurking outside.
However, when the shadow stepped fully into the light, both of them froze.
"A... chicken?" Jiang Ye's eyes bulged in utter disbelief.
Sure enough, standing right before them was a magnificent rooster with brightly colored feathers. It puffed out its chest, stood proudly in the doorway, and cast a haughty glare in their direction, its eyes filled with...
Utter contempt?
*Cluck-cluck-cluck—*
The rooster let out a piercing crow, and then...
It turned around and bolted!
"Hey! Don't run!" Recovering his wits, Jiang Ye took off in hot pursuit. "Sister Li, we're having chicken soup tonight!"
Ye Shuli: "..."
She massaged her temples in speechless disbelief. What on earth was happening here?
The previous tension instantly vanished, replaced by an absurd sense of comedy.
Yet, having survived a brush with death, Ye Shuli realized her feelings toward Jiang Ye had undergone a subtle shift.
Watching Jiang Ye's retreating figure as he chased the chicken, the corners of her mouth curved upward as an indescribable emotion welled up in her heart.
Jiang Ye chased the chicken back into the room, holding it up triumphantly. "Sister Li, extra food for tonight!"
Suddenly, as if realizing something, his expression turned serious. He pulled Ye Shuli into a tight embrace. "Sister Li, if you hadn't been here, I'd definitely be a gonner."
His voice carried a hint of choke, warming Ye Shuli to her core.
She pressed herself tightly against Jiang Ye, basking in the warmth of his embrace. The romantic tension between them reached its absolute peak.
Unable to help himself, Jiang Ye lowered his head and kissed Ye Shuli.
She was startled at first, but then eagerly returned the kiss.
In that single moment, they sealed their commitment to one another.
"Ahem."
An abrupt voice shattered the lovely atmosphere.
"Excuse me, you two. In broad daylight, try to have some consideration for others..."
The two instantly sprang apart as if shocked by electricity.
Scratching the back of his head, Jiang Ye offered an awkward laugh. "Well... the mood was right, I couldn't help myself..."
Blushing furiously, Ye Shuli shot him a murderous glare. "Shut up!"
The speaker was none other than the random bystander who had been trapped in the adjacent secret room.
Winking lecherously, he looked back and forth between them. "Congratulations! Going through fire and water really brings a couple together, huh?"
Jiang Ye flashed a cheeky grin and didn't bother to deny it, owning up immediately. "Obviously! My Sister Li is so amazing, I'd better lock her down fast!"
Too lazy to entertain him, Ye Shuli turned her attention to the bystander. "Do you know the way out?"
The bystander pointed behind himself. "The exit's right over there. I just came from that way."
The three of them left the secret room together and finally emerged back onto the surface.
As the sunlight washed over her, Ye Shuli felt as though she had been reborn.
Bolstered by the cultivation resources acquired in the secret room, Ye Shuli's strength advanced in leaps and bounds.
Those who had once mocked and bullied her no longer dared to step out of line; every single one of them treated her with utmost respect, and some even actively tried to curry favor with her.
In this Xuanhuan Continent, Ye Shuli had finally managed to gain a firm footing.
Yet, the vengeance owed by her family weighed on her heart like a massive boulder.
She knew her journey was far from over, and the challenges ahead would only grow more formidable.
Jiang Ye gripped Ye Shuli's hand, his gaze resolute. "Sister Li, no matter what happens, I will stay by your side."
Ye Shuli smiled faintly and squeezed his hand back.
At that moment, a figure in black silently materialized behind them, handing Ye Shuli a letter. "Miss Ye, this is a message from the family head."
Ye Shuli took the letter and unfolded it. Her expression darkened instantly...
"It seems the real show is about to begin."