The underground burrow was pitch-dark with no trace of daylight. Yang Kai sat on one side and the four from Yunxia on the other, each recovering their strength. From outside came occasional rustling sounds — those alien insects scurrying back and forth.
The four from Yunxia clearly had no intention of waiting around to die. Once they had recovered more or less, they began planning to fight their way out. During their recovery they kept discussing in hushed voices, wary of Yang Kai eavesdropping.
After roughly a full day and night, they finally made their move. They rose quietly and crept closer to Yang Kai in a slow advance. Yu Aoqing's fair face was covered in killing intent, and Miao Lin was no different. Behind them followed Zhang Yu and Luo Qianqian.
When they had closed to less than ten feet, Yang Kai suddenly opened his eyes and looked at them with an expression that was half a smile.
The four from Yunxia froze.
"Let me guess," Yang Kai said, completely at ease, his voice kept low so as not to startle those insects. "You don't actually want to kill me right now, do you?"
Yu Aoqing was cold as ice. Hearing this, she said: "You know?"
"Of course I know. Isn't that your specialty — letting others go first and bear the risk for you? I've seen it enough times on the way here. You want me to charge out ahead, don't you?"
Yu Aoqing nodded slightly, her voice frigid: "Since you know, don't even think about resisting. Otherwise, you'll regret it."
Yang Kai let out a snort. "I'm certainly no match for the four of you. But if you want to kill me, I'm afraid you'll have your hands full. If you're not worried about the commotion from our fight drawing those insects, go ahead and try."
Yu Aoqing's expression faltered. The reason she was being so careful and quiet was precisely because she feared attracting the alien insects outside. Yang Kai clearly understood her intentions, which was why he kept his voice low as well.
"I'm warning you — don't get any ideas. If you want to escape, do it on your own!" Yang Kai snorted coldly. "I will not be your spearhead!"
"You don't want to escape?" Yu Aoqing softened her tone slightly, seeing that intimidation hadn't worked. "Those insects dragged us here for no good reason. Staying in this place means certain death. If you charge out with us, you might actually have a chance of surviving!"
Yang Kai shook his head decisively. "I want to escape, yes, but I won't be used. Besides, even if I cleared the way and we all got out, how would I know you wouldn't turn on me?"
"I can give you my word!" Yu Aoqing quickly pressed, seizing on his apparent wavering. "As long as you go first, if we make it out, everyone from the Yunxia Sect will leave you alone."
"Don't bother. I won't trust a woman with a heart as venomous as a snake's." Yang Kai gave a cold laugh and closed his eyes.
Yu Aoqing and the others didn't know that the area outside was already shrouded in that strange mist the alien insects had produced, but Yang Kai was fully aware of it. Even if they managed to escape this burrow, they wouldn't get far.
In that case, why waste the effort?
"Sister Qing, just kill him! He's stubborn and useless — keeping him alive serves no purpose!" Miao Lin had long harbored murderous intent toward Yang Kai, and now seeing he could not be put to use, he naturally wanted to cut him down.
Yu Aoqing took a deep breath and slowly shook her head.
In the current situation, escape was all that mattered. This boy was infuriating, true, but actually killing him would certainly alert those insects — the loss would outweigh the gain.
"Go ahead and escape. I won't interfere with your plan. Heh, I'd actually like to see whether you really can leave this place!" Yang Kai flashed a grin at Yu Aoqing.
"May those insects gnaw you to pieces and leave you dead with no grave!" Yu Aoqing cursed viciously, then turned to the other three. "Let's go!"
The four from Yunxia slipped out of the burrow. Perhaps because it was nighttime, the large insects standing guard outside were not startled by their movements and simply stood there, blank-eyed and motionless.
Before long, the four figures vanished into the corridor.
But before half a cup of tea had passed, a violent burst of fighting erupted outside, punctuated by the shouts of the four from Yunxia. They had clearly been detected and were now being pursued by the alien insects.
The sounds of battle gradually receded until they disappeared entirely.
A cold smirk played on Yang Kai's lips, but he remained unmoved, continuing his meditation in perfect calm.
In truth, escaping this burrow was not particularly difficult. The insects themselves were not that hard to deal with — the four from Yunxia had all managed to break out when discovered, and Yang Kai could have done the same. The only thing truly trapping him was that bizarre mist. He had no idea how the insects produced it, but its lethality was enormous, and it made him deeply wary.
After roughly two hours, Yang Kai heard heavy footsteps approaching from outside.
He opened his eyes to look. Yu Aoqing staggered back in, her hairpins askew, hair in disarray, her entire body wracked with exhaustion. Behind her came Luo Qianqian, and then Miao Lin.
Zhang Yu was absent. Presumably, he was already beyond saving.
After those insects returned the three here, the perimeter guard outside grew far stricter than before.
The three from Yunxia now looked nothing like the arrogant, domineering figures they had been earlier. All that remained were the hollow looks of broken spirits and the weariness of utter defeat. Wounds large and small covered their bodies — they looked utterly wretched.
They had indeed escaped the burrow, but once the sky-darkening swarm of alien insects gave chase, there was nowhere to hide and nowhere to run. They fought until their hands went soft from the killing and still the insects kept coming. Eventually they were surrounded and dragged back.
Yu Aoqing and Luo Qianqian crouched on the ground, their delicate bodies trembling. Miao Lin was no better off.