On her wedding night, she went into exile with her pharmacy arsenal

Chapter 2122 The End of the Passage

The passageway is not new; it must be at least a year old.

Judging from the scale of this project, it could not have been accomplished by a small number of people. The passage slopes gently downwards, perhaps leading to the outskirts of the city or to some underground stronghold.

Chunni, who was being escorted by the guards, was still pale. Although the pain in her body had not worsened, it had not eased at all.

She forced herself to remain calm, her face solemn.

The passage was quiet, with only the sounds of a few people's footsteps, breathing, and the faint crackling of the oil lamp burning.

The air became increasingly humid, and the temperature gradually dropped. Occasionally, the sound of water droplets falling from above could be heard, "drip, drip," which sounded particularly clear in the quiet passage.

As Yan Ruyu walked, she suddenly stopped.

She gestured for the guards to bring the oil lamp closer to the wall so they could examine a mark on it closely. It was a shallow engraving, like a horizontal line casually drawn with the tip of a knife, with one every few steps, clearly a mark left during the excavation.

“These markings are very regular.” Huo Changhe also came over, his gaze falling on the engraving. “It’s like they’re recording the length of the passage or indicating where to turn.”

When Chunni was brought closer and saw the mark, her pupils contracted slightly, and she subconsciously pursed her lips.

Yan Ruyu noticed her reaction, glanced at her, and said with a half-smile, "It seems you've seen these markings before."

Chunni pursed her lips and didn't say anything, but turned her head away to avoid Yan Ruyu's gaze.

"It's alright if you don't want to tell me." Yan Ruyu didn't press the matter, withdrew her gaze, and continued walking forward. "You'll know when we get there."

The passageway continued to extend, seemingly without end.

After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a gentle bend suddenly appeared in the passage ahead.

The guard holding the oil lamp slowed his pace, cautiously turned the corner, and only after seeing nothing unusual ahead did he signal the others to follow.

After turning the corner, the passage became slightly wider than before, and the chisel marks on the wall became more regular.

After another half an incense stick's time, the musty smell in the air gradually faded away, replaced by a faint scent of grass and wood.

"We should be close to the exit soon," Huo Changhe said in a deep voice, gripping the sword at his waist. "Be on guard."

The guards immediately tensed up, keeping a closer eye on Chunni, one hand on the hilt of their swords, ready to deal with any unexpected situation.

Yan Ruyu slowed her pace and scanned the area ahead warily.

After walking several dozen more steps, a faint light finally appeared ahead, and the scent of grass and trees grew stronger.

"It's natural light," the guard holding the oil lamp said in a low voice, blowing it out and putting it away.

The group quickened their pace and headed towards the light.

The further they went, the brighter the light became. When they reached the end of the passage, they found that the exit was blocked by dense bushes, leaving only a gap that could only allow one person to pass through.

The guard pushed aside the bushes and went out first. Only after confirming that the surroundings were safe did he turn back to signal.

Yan Ruyu and Huo Changhe led Chunni out of the passage and stood in a grove of trees.

It was late at night, and moonlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground.

The surroundings were quiet, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind and the occasional chirping of insects in the distance.

"Is this... the dense forest outside the city?" Huo Changhe looked around, recognized the terrain, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

Yan Ruyu was also somewhat surprised. She had thought the passage would lead to the outside of the city or to some hidden stronghold, but she did not expect it to be in the wilderness.

After pondering for a while, the group headed deeper into the woods.

The mountain path was rugged, and the moonlight was blocked by the dense foliage, making visibility even dimmer.

After walking about three miles, a dilapidated mountain god temple appeared ahead. Most of the temple's walls had collapsed, and the gate hung crookedly on the doorframe, covered with cobwebs and dust, clearly having been abandoned for a long time.

Huo Changhe instructed his guards to leave Chunni in place to watch over her, while he and Yan Ruyu walked towards the mountain god temple.

The temple was in a mess, with statues lying on the ground, broken and incomplete, and the ground covered with withered branches and leaves.

"It doesn't look like anyone has been here," Yan Ruyu said softly, looking around.

Huo Changhe shook his head, squatted down, brushed aside the fallen leaves on the ground, revealing a flat bluestone slab underneath: "This slab is very clean, without any dust, obviously someone moved it recently."

He stood up and pushed the bluestone slab with all his might.

The stone slab was heavy, and Huo Changhe struggled to move it, revealing a dark opening. A damp smell, similar to that in the secret passage, wafted out.

“There’s another passage below.” A knowing glint flashed in Yan Ruyu’s eyes.

Huo Changhe called out to the guards outside, "Bring Chunni in."

The guards escorted Chunni into the mountain god temple. When she saw the hole in the ground, a hint of panic flashed in Chunni's eyes.

Yan Ruyu looked at the cave entrance, then at Chunni: "Looks like we've found the right place."

Huo Changhe took a spare oil lamp from the guard, lit it, and threw it into the cave entrance. The lamp slowly descended, illuminating the scene below—a vertically downward passage, about ten feet deep, with its bottom connecting to a horizontal tunnel.

"I'll go down first." Huo Changhe said, then leaped into the cave entrance and landed steadily at the bottom of the tunnel.

After he signaled that it was safe up there, Yan Ruyu jumped down as well, while the guards escorted Chunni down slowly along the groove in the cave wall.

The tunnel at the bottom was narrower than the previous passage. Huo Changhe walked in front, holding an oil lamp, while Yan Ruyu and the guards followed behind, escorting Chunni. The group slowly moved forward along the tunnel.

Yan Ruyu subtly switched her eyes and looked up into the distance.

There's still no hidden room here, just a passageway. Turn the corner ahead, and that should be the end.

This one is much shorter than the previous one.

A moment later, the exit appeared.

Yan Ruyu turned her head to look at Chunni, whose face was ashen.

Before they even got outside, one of the guards suddenly became agitated.

He listened carefully, then turned to look at Huo Changhe.

Huo Changhe raised an eyebrow slightly, and the guard leaned close to his ear and whispered a few words.

Upon hearing this, Huo Changhe's eyes also showed a hint of surprise.

Emerging from the secret passage, a night breeze blew by, carrying a faint scent of grass and trees, unlike the previous ones; this grassy fragrance was quite unique.

Yan Ruyu sniffed and glanced around, trying to find the source of this peculiar smell.

She looked up and her eyes widened in surprise. Under the moonlight, there was a large herd of horses, all of them plump and strong. It was the middle of the night, and the horses were all resting.

Yan Ruyu could imagine what a magnificent scene it would be if these horses galloped together.

She suddenly realized what the Liu family had done with the land they had taken from the people, instead of using it to grow grain.