Chapter 24 - 24 24 The Village on the Other Side of the Underground River

Words : 1937 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

24: Chapter 24 The Village on the Other Side of the Underground River 24: Chapter 24 The Village on the Other Side of the Underground River Three comrades-in-arms were deeply worried about Number 325, their anxiety burning like wildfire. Only Lin Xiaosu was not the same as them. Because Lin Xiaosu had seen with his own eyes that Number 325 was already dead... Those two murderers carried his body on their backs, leaped up, and directly dove into the deep pool, never to resurface. This layer was impossible to uncover using conventional detective methods. Ordinary thinking would suggest descending from the cliff naturally follows the path along the valley by the pool to another place, who would have thought they actually went into the deep pool? Could there be a secret base in this pure, wild state of the deep pool? Lin Xiaosu stood by the pool, pretending to check the surroundings, shaking his head lightly: “No traces!” “No traces? How is that possible?” Chang Ye’s heart leaped: “The signs above are obvious, and below there is nothing but a body of pool water...” Lin Xiaosu’s gaze fell into the pool water. It was quiet all around, everyone’s eyes focused on the pool water. “Doesn’t it feel strange?” Lin Xiaosu said: “The water rushing down from above is so swift; the amount is clearly substantial, yet the pool water does not overflow.” “Underground River!” Chang Ye exclaimed: “Do you suspect that Number 325 was injured after jumping off the cliff and was swept away by the underground river?” “That’s a possibility!” Lin Xiaosu said: “Shall we go down and check?” “Dive!” Chang Ye and Number 88 both pointed to their waists at the same time, and a strange helmet suddenly emerged around their necks, enveloping their heads. Lin Xiaosu did the same. Qianlong Warriors are hexagonal warriors for sea, land, and air. Qianlong Clothing inherently has diving characteristics; once the helmet is activated, it becomes an oxygen-sustaining diving suit, capable of staying underwater for five hours. Lin Xiaosu’s Fake Dragon Armor also possessed this capability. They entered the water, and Number 88 in the lead emitted a faint glow, guiding the people behind him. It was very dim underwater, but still, the entrance to the dark underground river, swirling and swallowing huge volumes of water, was clear to see. A figure glided past swiftly, turning back to give him a smug smile, Lin Xiaosu was startled—Xinyue! Damn! Xinyue was not wearing a helmet, she swam freely in the water like a fish... What kind of damn gene ability was this? Passing through the unpredictable underground river with the raging currents was a real test of courage. Although Lin Xiaosu never showed a frightened expression throughout the journey, his face inside the Qianlong Suit was somewhat pale. He saw those two murderers entering the underground river’s entrance with Number 325, but what exactly was inside, he did not know. A soft hand extended from the side. And grasped his hand. Lin Xiaosu turned to see Chang Ye inside the Qianlong Helmet, looking at him with a gentle smile, much cleaner and purely comforting than Xinyue’s. Hand in hand, the two slid into the Dark River. Amidst the rapid swirling of the current, they turned seven or eight bends in an instant, and accompanied by a splash, surfaced from an obscure cave, where the Dark River turned into a visible river. On the river bank, distinctive footprints appeared. The appearance of these footprints made Number 88’s expression incredibly grim: “These are human footprints, not Number 325’s!” “On the cliff, the wounds he suffered were not caused by wild beasts, but by people!” Chang Ye also said. “Let’s go! Track these footprints and see who they belong to!” Number 88 led the way, following the footprints upstream. Ahead was a cave entrance; they stepped out and saw a village outside. It was a very ancient-looking village. The brick-and-tile houses were dilapidated. Isolated from the outside world, and without any electrical facilities. But there were people. An elderly woman sat in front of the decrepit house, sewing; up the hillside in front of them were seven or eight vegetable patches, with lush greens, chili peppers, cucumbers, exuding the essence of rural life. An old farmer leaned on his hoe, his head askew as he looked at them. “There’s still a village here.” Chang Ye looked around. “It’s normal to have a village here; in the big mountains, there are always some people who can’t bear to leave their homeland.” Number 88 said. “I’ll go ask if they’ve seen any strangers...” Xinyue said. Lin Xiaosu stepped forward: “Let me do it.” “Darn it, you even compete with me for asking directions, without getting any points.” Xinyue was annoyed. Lin Xiaosu replied: “I grew up in the countryside, I’m best at dealing with old farmers.” Xinyue stopped; she couldn’t refute that reasoning... Lin Xiaosu slowly approached the old farmer, who also watched him; everything seemed harmonious. “This village looks quite old, over a hundred years, right?” The old farmer nodded slightly, without speaking. Lin Xiaosu said: “What about the village’s people?” The old farmer cracked a smile, raising his hand to point: “Look, those going up the mountain, those heading to the river, everyone just busying themselves with little livelihoods, that’s all the people we have here.” Chang Ye followed his pointing hand and indeed saw some people on various slopes. Lin Xiaosu said, “I’m asking about the real villagers, not you bandits.” Chang Ye and Number 88 both felt a jolt in their hearts. The old farmer slowly lifted his gaze, his eyes clouded: “You... I don’t understand what you’re saying, I’m just a farmer...” Lin Xiaosu gently shook her head: “Killing villagers to take over their ancestral homes, masquerading as villagers to engage in illegal activities, although common deeds for bandits, you should at least do your homework and learn how to be a real farmer, sorry, but your disguise is full of holes...” Number 88 and Chang Ye’s eyes turned cold as an autumn lake. Those people in their line of sight, under their keen attention, also seemed somewhat out of place. Yet, the old farmer in front of Lin Xiaosu still looked utterly perplexed: “You talking about bandits? There are no bandits here, the villagers are too poor, what’s there to rob?” Up until this moment, he still very much resembled a farmer. Lin Xiaosu tapped the ground gently with her toes: “Old man, what are you doing here? Digging pits to bury corpses?” Chang Ye’s icy eyes suddenly shot towards the old farmer’s hoe. There was fresh soil on the hoe. There was a freshly dug plot of land on the hillside. At first glance, it appeared to be a dug vegetable patch, but it could equally be plausible for burying bodies. Suddenly, the old farmer’s hoe soared upwards. With the soaring hoe, dust flew everywhere! The dust obscured Lin Xiaosu’s line of sight as the hoe came straight for Lin Xiaosu’s head. Chi! A bullet spun through the dust, hitting the old farmer’s wrist precisely, causing the hoe to fly from his hand. The man suddenly flipped over, tumbling down the cliff. Before he even hit the ground, a figure flashed in mid-air, like a hawk soaring through the sky. A slender palm sliced diagonally down, precisely cutting through the old farmer’s neck. The old farmer collapsed with a thud, and Chang Ye’s foot pressed onto the old farmer’s back, her hair flying about. This image contrasted starkly with the impeccable lady she was known for, elegantly navigating the city. Number 88 leapt down, his hand shaped like a dragon’s claw, digging into the fresh soil beneath, plunging two feet deep. With a thud, a body emerged, carried by his hand. As the dirt fell away, everyone’s faces changed simultaneously – the body was wearing a tattered Qianlong Armor, unmistakably Number 325! The quiet small village suddenly became a turbulent mess, seemingly thrown into chaos by Lin Xiaosu’s gunshot. Number 88, staring at the corpse of his comrade, his face as somber as still water. “All in uniform!” He declared. Taking the lead, Number 88 jumped down the hillside towards a small stream below, where the two people dressed as villagers changed color simultaneously. Chi! A carrying pole in their hands flew out, stabbing towards Number 88 in the air. With a kick, Number 88 turned the pole into a spear, stabbing one of them. His Dragon Scale vibrated in his hand, and a keen whistling filled the air – thump! The spear sunk into the neck of one villager. The other was caught off guard by the pole, tumbling into the stream. Just as he touched the water, Number 88’s toes touched the ground, sliding past as though skating on the waves – thump! His foot stamped on the man’s head, sending him sinking into the stream. Lin Xiaosu’s sharp eyes clearly saw brains scattered in the water. His eyes suddenly widened. Real killing? At the same time, Chang Ye moved fluidly like water, suddenly reaching the opposite hillside. Two men who looked like farmers leapt up, their hands no longer holding sickles but shiny daggers. However, the elegant Chang Ye suddenly became a wisp of light smoke. With the rise of the smoke, accompanied by a flash of silver light, two men fell to the ground, decapitated. Xinyue yelled, “They’re really killing!? Are these people actual villagers?” “Isn’t that obvious? Look at their skills, do they look like villagers to you?” Lin Xiaosu raised his gun, chi – from a big tree above, a figure dropped down, dressed as a villager but holding a sniper rifle in hand. Xinyue rocketed upwards, lunging for the old lady above. The old lady seemed a bit slow – despite the high-level combat unfolding below, she had been sewing at her doorstep all along. As Xinyue lunged, the old lady suddenly stood up, and the stool beneath her flew out of nowhere, crashing towards Xinyue. At the same time, she raised a spool of needlework in her hands, a faint glow shimmering... Xinyue’s figure flickered, vanishing below the needle spool. The old lady’s figure also flickered, disappearing as well. Two figures, in front of the dilapidated little hut, engaged in an explosive fight. To the naked eye, they would appear only as two swirling whirlwinds. Only Lin Xiaosu stood still, firing seven shots from his gun. Seven shots took down three hidden snipers in the jungle. With his sharpshooting ability, he theoretically could have taken down seven with seven shots, but these were no ordinary snipers – they were Genetic People. One avoided three of Lin Xiaosu’s shots before being taken down by the fourth; their ability to dodge bullets rivaled Xinyue’s. Bang! With a loud crash, the white-haired old lady was kicked away by Xinyue, her head smashing against a rock, blood and brains spilling out. Xinyue locked eyes on the bamboo grove to the left with a loud laugh: “Ha-ha, jungles are my favorite battleground!” She dashed straight through... Down below, Number 88’s loud shout followed: “Xinyue, into the house!” With that shout, two figures collided – Number 88 met with an expert, wrestling and rolling across the little stream. Xinyue said, “I’ll clear this battlefield first!” She charged into the bamboo grove, which was tumultuous as if swept by a tornado...

Chapter 24 - 24 24 The Village on the Other Side of the Underground River

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