"Trying to escape little snake" said the dragon king. "Did you really think I would let you go that easily"
Tightening his hand on the robe beside heart little snake narrowed his eyes at the dragon.
"You..." He spoke through pain. "What have you d...
"Why don't we just light these torches?" Bai Jiu whined, clutching his small fire stick as they walked through the dark tunnel.
"We can't risk waking the chenhuos" Little Snake said firmly. "And you're the one who insisted on coming along when you were told to stay behind. So stop whining."
"You're so mean" Bai Jiu mumbled, moving closer to Ying Lei and grabbing the edge of his sleeve for comfort.
The group moved cautiously through the dark, damp tunnel. The glow of their fire sticks reflected faintly off the damp walls, making the shadows dance. Bai Jiu continued to cling to Ying Lei's sleeve, his eyes darting around nervously.
"Look" Pei siheng whispered, stopping the group. Ahead of them, the tunnel opened into a vast, glittering cavern. The sight was mesmerizing: piles of gold, diamonds, and intricate ornaments were strewn about, reflecting the faint firelight like tiny stars. Statues of unknown lined the walls, their faces carved in menacing expressions.
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But the real threat wasn't the treasures - it was chenhuos.
Dozens of chenhuos were scattered around the cavern. Some were curled up in piles of gold, while others rested in small chambers in the walls that looked like nests. Their rabbit-like bodies were tucked into little balls as they slept.
"There are so many of them" Little Snake whispered. "How are we supposed to catch them without waking them all up?"
"Let's get to work" Pei Sijing whispered, signaling her men. "Be careful. Don't make any noise."
Bai Jiu opened his medicine bag and took out a pouch of powder he had prepared earlier. Ying Lei grabbed a small pan to burn it. "Dragon King" Ying Lei called, motioning for him to light the powder.
The Dragon King released a small flame, igniting the powder. A thick, faintly glowing smoke began to rise. Ying Lei carefully carried the pan toward the chenhuos' nests, letting the smoke drift around them.
"Let's hope this works and they get paralyzed" Bai Jiu muttered, biting his lip nervously. Even they already tested this with the chenhuo they catched he was still nervous about it.
After a few tense minutes, Pei Siheng crouched near one of the chenhuos sleeping on a pile of gold. He carefully poked it. When it didn't react, he gently picked it up.
"It worked" he said with a grin, holding up the limp chenhuo.
"Quick, get them into the cages," Pei Sijing ordered her team.
"This is easier than I thought" Ying Lei said, handing down a chenhuo from a higher nest.
"Don't jinx it" Little Snake hissed, taking the creature and placing it in a cage.
Just as things seemed to be going smoothly, the ground began to shake. A deep growl echoed through the cavern, sending chills down their spines.
"What's happening?" Bai Jiu asked, clutching Ying Lei's sleeve again.
