Chapter 102: Growing Interest
Hearing the system’s words, Yu Luo’s face fell slightly, and she no longer felt excited.
Opportunities and fortune were not as important as making sure her parents stayed alive and well. If she were alone, she might have taken the risk, but her parents were with her.
Given how much they loved her, if she went in, they would surely follow. According to the system, it couldn’t even guarantee their safety. If anything happened to her, her parents would be heartbroken beyond measure.
“In that case, I won’t go in for now. Once I’ve grown stronger—when I can move freely using lightness skill and have inner energy—then I’ll come back. Since this ancient tomb has been here for who knows how long, and even the bandits haven’t entered, I doubt anyone else will for a while.”
[Understood, Host. I will now begin monitoring the bandits outside. In the meantime, you and your group can rest, but avoid lighting fires in here. The tomb is too enclosed—smoke could suffocate you and alert outsiders.]
“Alright, thanks, System.”
A few men were stationed at the tomb entrance to keep watch. If anyone approached, they could ambush them with arrows.
The women, children, and elderly were placed deeper inside the tunnel, while the men stayed near the entrance, ready to defend themselves if needed.
“Everyone, just sleep where you are tonight. We can’t set up tents in here, so lay your extra clothes on the ground as bedding. No fires either—it’s too enclosed, and smoke could be deadly or attract unwanted attention.”
“Understood, Lord An. We’ll get some rest first, then set up our sleeping spots.”
Meanwhile, back at the bandits’ lair, the man who had locked Yu Luo in the cave was finally ready to present her to his master. It had been two and a half hours since she had escaped.
When he ordered his men to bring Yu Luo out, clean her up, and prepare her properly, one of his subordinates came running back in a panic, immediately kneeling before him.
“Third Commander! The woman is gone!”
“What?!”
Hearing this, the Third Commander shot up from his stone chair, his face full of disbelief.
He knew exactly how heavily guarded their lair was.
Forget a woman—even an experienced martial artist would struggle to escape without making a sound.
Seeing his reaction, the subordinate trembled in fear, bowing lower, not daring to breathe too loudly.
For something to make their Third Commander react like this, it had to be serious.
And in this place, once someone entered, they never left alive—unless they were dead.
“Third Commander, not only is she gone, but the lock on the iron door is still intact—completely undamaged, just as if no one had ever been inside.”
“The lock is still locked?!
Hah… I really underestimated that woman. I already thought she was bold, but it seems she’s more than that—she has real skills!”
The Third Commander’s disbelief turned into a cold, ruthless expression, his previous carefree attitude disappearing entirely.
“Pass down the order—miners one through ten, assemble at the cave entrance immediately!”
“Yes, sir!”
After his subordinate left, the Third Commander quickly made his way toward another cave.
After winding through several tunnels, he entered a chamber decorated with extravagant furnishings.
Everything inside was lavishly arranged, with furniture made of rare golden nanmu wood.
Ancient paintings and calligraphy adorned the walls, and in the center of the chamber, there was a steaming hot spring.
Despite the icy weather outside, the cave was filled with swirling mist, the warm air creating a dreamlike atmosphere.
A masked man sat leisurely at the edge of the spring, half-submerged in the water, seemingly enjoying himself.
“Why the rush? Your footsteps sound anxious.”
Even without turning around, the man recognized the Third Commander and sensed something was off.
“Master, the woman I brought back earlier… she’s gone. She was locked in the cave, but she vanished without a trace.”
Hearing this, the masked man suddenly stood up.
The Third Commander quickly lowered his gaze, not daring to look.
As the man stepped out of the water, his broad shoulders and toned waist came into view. His skin was firm, glistening with water droplets, highlighting his perfectly sculpted physique.
With a slight motion of his hand, the Third Commander hurried forward, presenting the man’s mask with both hands.
Within moments, the man donned a robe embroidered with golden threads. His belt was loosely tied, exposing a faint glimpse of his well-defined abs and muscular chest. His damp hair dripped water onto his black robe, soaking it slightly.
Even without seeing his face, his otherworldly presence and chiseled figure could make any woman weak in the knees.
“This woman… now I’m even more interested in her.”
“I understand, Master! I’ll search every inch of Jiucheng Mountain if I have to—I will find her!”
The masked man nodded slightly, and the Third Commander let out a quiet sigh of relief before bowing and retreating.
Within minutes, several shadowy figures left the cave, moving swiftly in the direction of the wilderness.
Less than an hour later, the Third Commander and his men reached the last peak of Jiucheng Mountain, searching desperately for any sign of Yu Luo.
But there was nothing.
Not only was there no trace of Yu Luo, but even the exiled group that had passed through earlier seemed to have vanished into thin air.
Night had fallen completely. Even with their martial skills, finding someone in these vast mountains was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
But the thought of their master’s wrath made the Third Commander grit his teeth and change tactics, splitting his men into three groups to continue the search.
The entire night passed in relentless searching.
By dawn, they had combed through countless areas, even checking some of the more obvious caves.
But there was no sign of Yu Luo.
They hadn’t found anyone—only other bandits from the mountain.
“Third Commander, what do we do? The master personally ordered us to capture that woman, but after searching all night, we hadn’t found a single clue. If we go back empty-handed, it’s not just failing our mission—our master will think we’re incompetent!”
