Several hours earlier.

Deep within a dim corridor near the tomb’s entrance, the air felt thick with dust. The faint beam of a flashlight cut through the darkness, revealing uneven stone walls and scattered debris.

Every sound seemed amplified in the confined space—their breathing, the faint scrape of shoes against the ground, even the subtle shift of loose gravel.

Ye Chen leaned against the cold wall for a brief moment. His clothes were torn in places, and bruises covered his arms and shoulders. He clicked his tongue in irritation, his voice low but sharp. "Damn it... what kind of monster was that old man?"

The memory of their encounter still lingered vividly in his mind. That monstrous speed and strength, the sheer killing intent—he had never faced something like that.

He had fought soldiers, mercenaries, agents, and even trained operatives. But that old man... he was something else entirely; he had inhuman powers.

"Fortunately, we jumped into the valley and found this entrance," Ye Chen continued, exhaling slowly. "Otherwise, we’d already be dead."

It wasn’t an exaggeration. He knew his limits well. Facing that old man head-on would have been suicide. If those hands that could shatter trees with a slap hit him, he would definitely be dead without doubt. Maybe even his corpse won’t leave a full body.

Escaping had been their only option, and even that had depended more on luck than anything.

Beside him, Lu Shixun held the flashlight, his pale face revealing lingering fear despite his efforts to remain composed. He scanned the corridor carefully, his eyes sharp and full of caution, as if expecting danger to emerge from any corner.

"Brother Ye," Lu Shixun said after a moment, his voice quieter now, "who exactly was that old man? Why would he attack us like that? Could it have something to do with our jailbreak?"

Ye Chen frowned, his expression tightening as he considered the question. After a brief pause, he shook his head. "No. I don’t think he’s connected to any official agency."

Lu Shixun glanced at him, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "Did you remember something?"

"...No," Ye Chen replied after a beat. "Just intuition."

Lu Shixun’s lips twitched slightly, though he didn’t argue.

Intuition wasn’t something you could measure or prove, but it wasn’t something you could dismiss either—especially when it came from someone like Ye Chen, who has avoided so many dangers in his life because of his intuition.

After a few seconds of silence, Ye Chen spoke again, his tone more thoughtful. "I’ve dealt with the military and the police before. There’s a certain... feeling you get when facing them. Like discipline and structure. But those gunshots earlier, they didn’t give me such familiarity."

"Whoever they are, they’re different."

Lu Shixun nodded slowly, absorbing his words. "Then it doesn’t really matter who they are," he said. "What matters is what we do next. They won’t give up easily."

"Of course they won’t," Ye Chen replied, his gaze darkening slightly. "That old man... the killing intent I felt earlier was nothing to scoff at. I am certain he wasn’t going to just let go. He won’t stop until we’re dead."

The thought hung heavily between them.

After a moment, Ye Chen spoke again, his voice quieter but more focused. "Shixun... do you think it’s possible that the old man already found the treasure inside this tomb?"

Lu Shixun hesitated, the question clearly weighing on him. "It’s... possible, after all, his strength is so abnormal," he admitted. "But if that’s true..."

He didn’t finish the sentence. He didn’t need to. As they both understood.

If that old man had already obtained whatever lay within the tomb, then their situation was far worse than they had initially thought.

"Brother Ye," Lu Shixun said after a moment, a hint of hope creeping into his voice, "what about your organisation? Can they send support?"

Ye Chen shook his head without hesitation. "They’re not even in this country. Even if they start moving now, it’ll take too long. Do you think that old man would just wait for them to arrive?"

Lu Shixun fell silent.

"...Then what about the others who escaped with us?" he suggested, though his confidence faltered as he spoke. "They might make it in time. Maybe they could help."

Ye Chen turned his head slightly, looking at him with an expression of seeing an idiot, which made Lu Shixun immediately regret speaking.

"Those people?" Ye Chen said flatly. "They’re not my subordinates. They followed me because I showed strength and because it benefited them."

"Escaping the prison was in their collective interest."

"The moment I become a liability, they won’t hesitate to turn on me. Do you understand?"

Lu Shixun nodded awkwardly, his earlier optimism fading. "Yeah... I get it now."

Criminals like them didn’t believe in loyalty. Strength was the only currency that mattered. Lose that, and you become the next prey.

"It seems we’re on our own," Lu Shixun muttered.

"That’s right," Ye Chen said calmly. Then, after a brief pause, he added, "But don’t overthink it. That old man’s strength might not come from the treasure we’re after."

Lu Shixun looked at him sceptically. "You’re sure about that?"

Ye Chen gave a faint smirk. "Intuition."

Lu Shixun nearly sighed out loud, but he held it back. ’God dammit, intuition!’

They continued forward, their footsteps echoing softly through the corridor. After a few minutes, the narrow passage finally opened into a wider chamber. The sudden space made the air feel slightly less oppressive, though the sense of unease remained.

At the far end stood a massive metallic door.

It was tall, imposing, and intricately designed. A lion and a dragon were engraved onto its surface. Even in the dim light, the craftsmanship was unmistakable.

"Is this it..." Ye Chen murmured, his eyes fixed on the door.

"Let me check first, the doors like this usually have hidden traps." Lu Shixun said quickly, his earlier fear replaced by excitement.

***

[A.N: Read Author’s Thoughts]