章節 23: Trapped!
"Ugh…ouch..", a voice echoed close by. Opening his eyes to a dark ceiling as he heard the voice, young master Hai groaned as he sat up slowly, pushing off the small rocks that were laying on top of him.
"Ba Chen!", the young master called out in a strained voice.
"Hai-ge.", he whined, and Hai Yin got up as quickly as he could, digging under the rock and rubble to see young master Chen beneath it.
"Ba Chen! Are you alright?", Hai Yin asked, helping the young master sit up.
Coughing a bit, Ba Chen nodded. "Where are we?", he asked
"I do not know.", Hai Yin responded, worry on his face as he glanced around to see nothing but dirt and rock around them. "We need to find everyone.", said Ba Chen, the two young master's helping each other stand.
"Kang Lei!", Hai Yin called out as he dug with his hands as did Ba Chen, but there was no answer.
"Hai-ge, do you think that the others are…", Ba Chen began to say, but Hai Yin cut him off.
"Ba Chen shut up and help me find them!", the young master shouted, as he anxiously continued to dig, he would not dare allow his mind to even go there.
As the two continued to dig, a black robe appeared as Ba Chen wiped away the debris, "Hhh Hai-ge, I think I found Kang-ge!", Ba Chen shouted and Hai Yin jumped up, shoving him out of the way, quickly moving the rock and rubble. As Hai Yin had cleared everything, he was disappointed to see that it was only Kang Yixing, however filled with hope to find another person.
"Kang Yixing!", Hai Yin, tapped the disciples face and he suddenly opened his eyes, squinting heavily.
"Ugh.", he sat up, groaning loudly. "What happened? Are we underground?", Kang Yixing asked.
"It appears.", said Hai Yin as he continued digging through the rocks.
"Where is young master Kang and young master Vu?", Kang Yixing asked, but Hai Yin did not answer. Although the young master hid it well, Kang Yixing could see how panic-stricken he was. Dropping to his knees, Kang Yixing began to help look through the rock and stubble.
After what felt like hours in the dim underground, the three continued to search. "Hai-ge, I do not think that they are here.", Ba Chen whined, standing up trying to comfort his dirty bleeding hands.
"Do not stop looking for them!", Hai Yin said firmly, but Kang Yixing also stood.
"Young master Chen is right, it does not appear that they are here.", but Hai Yin ignored him. "Fine, have it your way young master.", Kang Yixing rolled his eyes, pulling out his sword.
"What are you doing!?" Hai Yin finally stopped digging, an angry look on his face.
"I am getting us out of here young master.", Kang Yixing responded.
"But what about the others?", Ba Chen whined.
"You would dare leave behind the heir of your clan?", Hai Yin shouted angrily.
"And what concern is the heir of the Kang to you young master?" said Kang Yixing as the two glared at each other. "We have no idea where we are and two of us are missing, wouldn't it make sense to get help from people who actually live here?", said Kang Yixing.
"Then go, I will not leave him.", said Hai Yin as he carefully stepped over the rubble to dig in another spot.
"You mean them.", said Kang Yixing with a smirk, turning his back and holding his sword up toward the ceiling
"Kang Yixing, will that be safe? What if the ceiling collapses?", Ba Chen whined.
"Then assist me and shield us from the rubble should it fall okay?", said Kang Yixing and with irritation, young master Hai stood walking back over and standing beside Ba Chen, "I will protect you.", he said and Ba Chen nodded.
Taking a deep breath, Kang Yixing swung his sword with the intention of breaking a hole into the ceiling and at the same time, young master Hai signed his hands to create a barrier, but nothing happened for either one of them. Glancing at each other, the three realized that they were in more trouble than they had originally thought.
***
On the other side of a thick wall that had been created when the ground collapsed, Kang Lei narrowed his eyes to see nothing above him, but a thick dirt ceiling. Grabbing his head, the young master sat up, "ugh, what happened?", he asked as he glanced around.
"I thought you had died.", said a low voice behind and Kang Lei turned around to see Vu Zhan balled up with his knees to his chest in a corner.
Kang Lei struggled to his feet, stumbling over and sitting closer to the young master. "Are you alright?", he asked as he saw blood on the young master's head.
"What do you care?", he responded.
Letting out a sigh, Kang Lei continued on, "Where are the others?"
"They are probably dead like we will soon be.", said Vu Zhan.
"We will be if we sit here and give up!", said Kang Lei standing up with furrowed brows. Pulling out his sword, Kang Lei swung Juntuan, but nothing happened. "Huh?", said Kang Lei confused as he looked at his sword.
"It is pointless.", said Vu Zhan.
Rolling his eyes, Kang Lei turned back toward the young master, "and why is that?", he said growing increasingly annoyed by Vu Zhan's pitiful mood.
"Because this is a spirit energy blocking tomb, it is built to capture intruders, and this is where they remain trapped until they die. There are thousands placed all over, fifty feet beyond the Flourishing Ancient Woodland Sec's manor.", Vu Zhan explained, as he fiddled with his fingers.
"Th... thousands...You mean…", Kang Lei stuttered as his eyes grew wide and his heart nearly stopped.
"That's correct, no one will know that we are here.", Vu Zhan responded.
"But you knew...you knew these traps were out here, why didn't you say anything?!", Kang Lei asked in a panic.
"I did not know how far I had wandered away from the manor.", Vu Zhan answered.
"Well we must at least find the others.", said Kang Lei shaking his head and letting out a sigh, "Hai Yin! Ba Chen! Kang Yixing!", the young master began to call out.
"No one will hear you out here Kang Lei, you are wasting your breath!", Vu Zhan loudly interrupted, growing annoyed.
Kang Lei stopped yelling and turned back toward Vu Zhan, "What do you suppose I do Vu Zhan? Sit here and wallow like you?!", Kang Lei shouted.
"Can't you see that I am grieving?!", the young master jumped up, storming over and grabbing Kang Lei by the collar.
"And do you think your Mother would have wanted you to give up like this?", said Kang Lei, gripping Vu Zhan's wrist, forcibly removing his hand.
"What do you know!?", Vu Zhan yelled with tears in his eyes.
"My Mother is gone as well.", Kang Lei said, softening his voice.
"Was she sick?", Vu Zhan calmed his self, sitting back on the ground and Kang Lei joined him.
"I do not know, she passed when I was very little. Although I can't remember her, a part of me has always felt like something was missing.", Kang Lei responded.
"My Mother was sick my whole life, I knew she would go someday, but I was never able to prepare myself to lose her.", Vu Zhan sniffled.
"No matter how hard one tries, no one will ever be prepared to lose someone they love.", said Kang Lei.
Things were quiet for a minute while Kang Lei sat with Vu Zhan while he cried, but the young master suddenly spoke, his voice shaky. "Kang Lei?"
"Huh?"
"Were you telling the truth when you said you could not bring my Mother back?", Vu Zhan asked.
Letting out a sigh, Kang Lei began to speak, "When my Father became clan leader, he banned certain practices of the previous clan leader, I was never taught such a thing."
"But could it be done?", Vu Zhan asked anxiously.
"It could, but she would not be how you remembered."
"What do you mean?"
"Necromancy rips a person's spirit from the place it went to after they passed. If the ritual is done correctly, the person would be resurrected, but forever stuck in a confused fit of rage no matter where it came from because their soul no longer belongs in this world. Would you want to bring your Mother back knowing you pulled her from paradise?", Kang Lei asked with tears in his eyes.
With his eyes watering, Vu Zhan turned away from Kang Lei, "No…I could never do that to her.", the young master cried. Holding back his own tears, Kang Lei nervously placed a hand on the young master's back and to his surprise, Vu Zhan allowed it.
***
On the other side of the thick wall, the group of three sat still, young master Hai sitting as comfortable as he could in the lotus position with his eyes closed.
"Hai-ge, do you think that they have realized we have been gone for too long?", Ba Chen asked, but the young master said nothing, still sitting with his eyes closed.
"Let him alone young master, he is trying to calm himself.", Kang Yixing answered.
"Huh? You think he is anxious? Hai-ge does not look like he is worried.", said Ba Chen seeing how relaxed Hai Yin appeared.
"We are powerless, and everyone thinks that we are out looking for young master Vu, even the heir to the Hai clan must be worried that we will not be found.", said Kang Yixing.
Taking another glance at Hai Yin, Ba Chen's face only grew more worried, "Are you not worried?", he asked.
"I am not worried, all four heirs are out of the manor, they will realize something is wrong eventually.", said Kang Yixing, acting as though he hadn't a care in the world, although in his mind he was panicking as well. He had been sent to look after young master Kang for this very reason, but they had gotten separated, and he did not even know if the kid was still alive.
Sitting alone, young master Hai was indeed panicking, they still hadn't met up with the other two young masters and that worried him the most. Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, the young master's eyes snapped open as he had an idea, "do you have your signal flares.", he suddenly asked.
"Of course.", Kang Yixing answered, and Ba Chen nodded.
"Good, we will use them to draw attention.", said Hai Yin and as the young master finished speaking, Kang Yixing understood.
Huddling together, the two young masters along with Kang Yixing turned the bottom of their flares releasing them. With hope in their eyes, the three watched the signal flares shoot up. If this plan worked, the flares should be strong enough to reach the surface, if even a tiny spark passed through to the surface of the rock, spiritual energy would no longer be blocked and each clan flare would be able to take shape up into the sky, alerting the clan leaders they needed help.
"What do we do now Hai-ge? How do we know if it worked?", Ba Chen asked.
"All we do now is wait.", said Hai Yin, still staring up at the ceiling with his brows furrowed.
***
On the other side of the wall, Kang Lei and Vu Zhan sat quietly, "Do you suppose anyone knows we are missing?", Vu Zhan said.
"I can only hope so.", Kang Lei responded letting out a yawn and suddenly they heard loud noise above them.
"Did you hear that?", Vu Zhan asked and suddenly it sounded again.
"I did!", Kang Lei jumped up excited, his gaze fixed on the ceiling.
"They found us!", young master Vu yelled in disbelief and with one last bang, the ceiling blasted open.
"Young master Kang, young master Vu!", different disciples from each clan called out as they lowered rope to pull them up.
After getting rescued, Kang Lei and Vu Zhan came up from the tomb to see that the other two young masters along with Kang Yixing had been rescued as well.
"Kang-ge! Vu-Zhan!" Ba Chen ran over hugging them both at the same time.
Looking over at Ba Chen hugging the two young masters with a smile on each of their faces, Hai Yin finally felt that he could breath again. Letting out a deep exhale, the young master allowed a small smile to grace his face as he walked over and joined them.
"Hai Yin!", said Kang Lei happily as he saw the young master approaching.
"It's thanks to Hai-ge that we were all saved.", said Ba Chen.
"That is true, he would not give up on you two.", Kang Yixing came over adding in and young master Hai glanced his way momentarily.
Looking up at the sky, to see the three flares conjoined, all Kang Lei and Vu Zhan could do is smile.
"I should be going now, I am sure my Father is worried sick.", said Vu Zhan, smiling and nodding to everyone as he left.
"Wait Vu Zhan! I will walk back with you!", said Ba Chen running behind him and all of their disciples following.
"Good to see that you are well.", said Kang Lei with a smile and Hai Yin nodded, as the two stared at each other for a minute before Hai Yin turned away going back to the manor with his disciples following behind him.
"Young master are you injured?", Kang Yixing asked.
"No, I am just fine.", said Kang Lei as the two of them started walking back with their disciples also following.
"I was worried there for a minute.", Kang Yixing chuckled.
"What for? Hai Yin is quite resourceful.", said Kang Lei with a smirk on his face.
"So I see.", said Kang Yixing, cutting his eye at the young master. "and how did it go being stuck with young master Vu?", Kang Yixing wondered.
Kang Lei suddenly lowered his head and his smirk faded, "I think that we have a better understanding of each other, perhaps when he lays eyes on me tomorrow, he will not hate me so much. I feel for him though, things will be rough for him for a while.", Kang Lei answered.
"I see.", Kang Yixing responded.
"Xing-ge, he was desperate enough to ask about necromancy.", Kang Lei sighed.
"…", saying nothing, Kang Yixing snapped his head toward young master Kang Lei to see his reaction as he spoke of necromancy, and as expected, the young master seemed quite lost in his thoughts.
Walking ahead, young master Hai glanced behind to see Kang Lei walking not too far behind him with Kang Yixing at his side. "Did you hear me young master?", said one of the disciples and Hai Yin turned back around.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?", he responded although his mind was clouded at the moment.
As the young masters returned to the manor, every clan leader was relaxed to know that their heirs had safely returned. Soon after congregating in the main hall for a bit, everyone retired to their prepared rooms.
Lying in bed a night, young master Kang once again found himself struggling to sleep, so he threw on his outer robe, and decided to go for a walk. As the young master made his way outside, to his surprise, there on the manor side balcony stood Hai Yin with his long dark hair gently blowing in the light breeze of the night. With a smirk, Kang Lei quietly tip toed behind the unsuspecting person, with the intent to grab his shoulders, but Kang Lei himself was startled as the young master spun around, grabbing both his wrist.
"Hai Yin, it is just me, I come in peace!", said Kang Lei nervously letting out a chuckle, but with those dark brown eyes, the young master simply stared at Kang Lei for a while. As the two made eye contact for a minute, Kang Lei's heart began to race as he looked up at Hai Yin, an unreadable expression on the young master's handsome face.
"Do not sneak up on me.", said Hai Yin, suddenly letting go and redirecting his attention back to the view of the trees that were spread out along the Flourishing Ancient Woodland Sect manor.
Clearing his throat, Kang Lei stood beside Hai Yin, also checking out the view. "The air has felt cooler these past few nights, the weather will be changing soon.
"Mn.", Hai Yin responded, not saying much else. Glancing over at Hai Yin for a minute, Kang Lei felt himself at a loss for words, so he simply observed the young master, he hadn't noticed before, but Hai Yin stood at a few inches above him.
���Kang Lei.", Hai Yin suddenly spoke without taking his eyes off of the view.
"Huh?", said Kang Lei becoming startled, quickly staring down at the railing.
"We promised to meet before there was trouble last time."
"Mn.", Kang Lei responded as he scratched his fingernail against the stone railing in front of him.
"Since we are not leaving just yet, won't you join me tomorrow? There is somewhere I wish to take you.", said Hai Yin.
創作者的想法 
Ghostmane1991
Ghostmane1991 Hmmm, I wonder where Hai Yin wants to take Kang Lei? Thanks for reading, more to come ^_^
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