OFTLHFRO C177
by berryChapter 177: The Secret Passage to Wolf King Fortress
Luo Mingchen gave an awkward laugh. “Little Lan, there aren’t just the two of us. There are more than twenty people with us.”
Lan Fei gave a slight nod.
“They may come as well.”
Although Luo Mingchen was delighted, he still asked, “Wouldn’t that be too much trouble?”
“It won’t.”
Hearing that answer, Luo Mingchen and Huo Yan led Lan Fei back to their camp.
The man who had spoken earlier hurriedly asked, “Young City Lord, what about us?”
Lan Fei answered coldly with a single word.
“Leave.”
“Why?”
The man tried to press for an explanation, taking only two steps forward before two enormous black wolves bared their fangs.
The group was so frightened that none of them dared approach again.
The couple had no idea why Lan Fei refused to let those people enter, but neither of them asked.
It didn’t matter.
As long as they could get in, everyone else was of little concern.
With such a massive wolf pack passing by, it was impossible for Wu Song not to notice.
The moment he saw Lan Fei, his face lit up. Holding a sapphire in his hand, he hurried over.
“Young City Lord! We’ve come from Yunzhou!”
At Wu Song’s words, Lan Fei stopped and looked toward the sapphire.
One of the black wolves approached Wu Song, frightening the men behind him so badly that they instinctively reached for their swords.
A wolf of that size—
Not to mention an entire pack—
Was overwhelmingly intimidating when it drew close.
Wu Song quickly motioned for his people not to move before cautiously offering the necklace.
The great black wolf gently took it in its mouth and carried it before Lan Fei.
After examining it, Lan Fei said,
“Follow behind us.”
The black wolf then returned the necklace to Wu Song.
Wu Song was overjoyed.
“Thank you, Young City Lord!”
His group immediately began packing up.
There was actually very little to gather.
They merely folded the tents. If they truly needed to leave in haste, they could simply abandon them.
For the most part, they were only waiting to see when Luo Mingchen’s group would depart.
Returning to their own tent, the couple found Huo Yuhui still awake and told him to get dressed—they were heading to Wolf King Fortress.
As for Huo Xiang and Huo Xinyue…
Luo Mingchen had originally intended to carry Huo Xinyue away together with her blanket.
However, the moment he picked her up, she woke.
“Daddy…”
Huo Xinyue rubbed her sleepy eyes before wrapping her arms around Luo Mingchen’s neck and nuzzling him.
“I dreamed that big brother came riding a big black wolf to find us.”
Although Luo Mingchen knew it was simply because she had been thinking about him all day, he still found it rather remarkable.
“Well… your big brother really did come riding a big black wolf to find us. Now we’re going to his home to play. Be good, Yueyue. You can sleep a little longer.”
“Really?”
Every trace of sleep instantly vanished.
“Daddy! I want to see big brother!”
Luo Mingchen: “……”
Did she really like him that much?
After quietly feeling sorry for himself for a while, Luo Mingchen helped Huo Xinyue get dressed.
“Big brother!”
Waiting outside, Lan Fei suddenly heard Huo Xinyue calling him.
Looking toward the sound, he saw a round little bundle charging happily toward him.
Afraid the bow in his hand might accidentally hurt her, Lan Fei deliberately leaned it against the great black wolf.
Huo Xinyue threw herself into his arms.
“Big brother! Yueyue missed you so much! Did you miss Yueyue?”
Lan Fei gently stroked her little head.
A faint blush spread across his pale face.
For a moment, he didn’t know how to answer.
Instead, he asked,
“Are you cold?”
Fortunately, Huo Xinyue was still a child.
Her attention shifted instantly.
“Not at all! Daddy made me wear four layers!”
As she spoke, she proudly held up four tiny chubby fingers.
She wore two thinner garments underneath.
Outside those were a lightly padded cotton jacket and an especially thick fur cloak.
Freezing was practically impossible.
Watching the scene, Luo Mingchen felt another pang of jealousy.
“Our daughter really is being stolen away…”
Huo Yan replied calmly,
“We simply won’t bring her to Wolf King Fortress again. Give it a few years—she’ll forget.”
Luo Mingchen imagined the scenario and couldn’t help laughing.
“Why do I suddenly feel like we’re the villains breaking apart a pair of star-crossed lovers?”
“Are we?”
The two looked at each other for a long moment.
Well…
Judging by how jealous they both looked—
They really did resemble exactly that.
Huo Yuhui carried Da Bai in his arms, while Huo Yan lifted the still-sleepy Huo Xiang into the carriage.
Luo Mingchen originally intended for Huo Xinyue to climb aboard as well.
Instead, she declared she wanted to ride the great black wolf with Lan Fei.
Before Luo Mingchen could object, Lan Fei said,
“It’s too cold tonight. I’ll let you ride when we get back.”
“Okay~”
Only then did Huo Xinyue obediently climb into the carriage.
The wolf pack led the way.
Meanwhile, the other merchant caravan secretly followed behind.
The defensive mechanism surrounding Wolf King Fortress had not yet been deactivated.
Instead of using the main route, Lan Fei led them through a waterway.
As the mechanism activated—
The great river split apart, revealing a broad road running straight down its center.
“Wow…”
Huo Xiang couldn’t help gasping in amazement.
Even sitting inside the carriage, Luo Mingchen was equally astonished.
Honestly…
When it came to ingenious mechanisms, the ancients truly were extraordinary.
Keeping a careful distance behind them, more than a dozen people from the other caravan hurried forward after seeing everyone disappear into the riverbed.
However…
They had only reached the halfway point when the mechanism shut once more.
Countless tons of river water crashed back into place.
More than half of their cargo was swept away.
Several people themselves nearly vanished with the torrent.
Before entering, Wu Song glanced backward once.
He didn’t even need to imagine what fate awaited those people.
This passage into Wolf King Fortress truly could not be used by outsiders.
The underground tunnel was pitch black.
On both sides, luminous crystals illuminated the darkness.
Most shimmered in pale blue, snowy white, and soft pink.
They were remarkably beautiful.
Everyone looked at them with longing.
Yet no one reached out to touch them.
After walking for some time, Lan Fei suddenly stopped.
“The crystals here must not be touched,” he said. “They’re poisonous. You will die.”
Hua Yaoyue studied them with great interest.
Fortunately, he valued his life even more than his curiosity.
Those riding inside the carriage merely admired them from afar.
Especially after hearing Lan Fei’s warning, no one had the slightest desire to touch them.
But those walking toward the rear…
As more and more crystals appeared—
Two men finally couldn’t resist.
They secretly pocketed several pieces and concealed them inside their robes.
Not long afterward—
Piercing screams echoed from behind.
“AAAAAH—!”
Hearing the commotion, Li Yunde and Zhu Qing turned to investigate.
Just then—
A blast of icy energy swept past their shoulders.
Almost instantly—
The screaming stopped.
Luo Mingchen froze.
That…
Felt remarkably similar to an ability.
It resembled one…
Though he couldn’t be completely certain.
The two men who had stolen the crystals had already transformed into human-shaped statues of sand.
Quite literally…
Human sand sculptures.
The stolen crystals stood out with striking clarity upon their bodies.
After understanding what had happened, everyone silently thanked their lucky stars that they hadn’t touched anything.
Since only his own subordinates had died, Wu Song looked deeply embarrassed and repeatedly warned everyone again.
The deaths of two people seemed to mean nothing to Lan Fei.
He calmly repeated,
“Every crystal along this passage is forbidden to touch.”
Now that they had seen an example firsthand, everyone wished they could shrink themselves to avoid brushing against anything.
Completely unaware of what had happened, Huo Xinyue suddenly leaned out the carriage window and asked in confusion,
“Daddy… why are there so many eyes?”
“Hm?”
Everyone followed the direction she was pointing.
Huo Yuhui and Huo Xiang couldn’t see anything at all.
Huo Yan could barely make out the faintest hint.
Even Luo Mingchen had to enhance all five of his senses before he could vaguely discern it.
Above them…
Embedded within some sort of jade…
Were countless eyes.
Large ones.
Small ones.
Beyond those countless staring eyes—
Whatever lay deeper remained completely invisible.
Luo Mingchen quickly withdrew his gaze before covering Huo Xinyue’s eyes.
“Those are just glowing stones. Don’t look at them.”
Huo Xinyue was still young and easily distracted.
“Okay~”
Huo Xiang asked curiously,
“Then why couldn’t I see them?”
That puzzled Luo Mingchen as well.
Even he had needed to strengthen his senses with his ability to perceive them.
So why…
Could Huo Xinyue see them so effortlessly?
By all logic, to an ordinary person, those things should have appeared as nothing more than a hazy blur.