Chapter 46

Leaving aside the series of preparations and the deception process beforehand, the method for his final escape was actually quite simple.

As long as there was no one else in the cave, he just needed to find a way to get everyone else outside. Once he was near the cave entrance, he could then devise a plan to lure Tie Miaqing and the others back into the cave. Once they were inside, he would reappear from his hiding spot near the entrance and quickly escape. In the vast and desolate ancient wasteland, it would be difficult to find him again.

Moreover, their main concern was more important, and it was unlikely they would waste time trying to catch him.

He had even planned out his hiding spot near the entrance. Throughout the journey, he had been constantly thinking about how to escape, observing the terrain and environment, and always preparing for the worst, ready to run at any moment. When he entered the cave, he noticed a recess in the tunnel above the entrance that was suitable for hiding.

The key to his escape plan was to make those people believe that he couldn't run away and wouldn't run away.

Of course, with a large sum of money involved, he wouldn't just run away without trying his best.

After confirming that Tie Miaqing and the others had left, he returned and quickly sat down where he had been sitting before, three incense sticks ago.

The incense sticks had long since burned out, and with no one else around, he didn't bother to light them again. He closely watched the subtle changes in the drifting smoke...

The stars were shining brightly as Tie Miaqing and her group emerged from the cave, returning to the place where they had first met Yu Qing.

Looking around at the night sky, Tie Miaqing glanced at the always reserved Xu Fei and Chong'er, and turned to Sun Ping, saying, "They've been on the move all day and must be tired. Get them something to eat and drink, and let them rest early."

"Alright," Sun Ping agreed, but then gestured for her husband, Zhu Shangbiao, to do it.

Seeing that even Yu Qing's two companions needed to be taken care of, Cheng Shanping was somewhat dissatisfied and said, "Boss, what's going on? This concerns the master's life, and we can't afford to waste time. Are we just going to let that kid waste time and mess around? We let him stay inside alone without anyone watching him. Aren't you afraid he'll run away?"

Chong'er slightly pursed her lips, though she didn't speak, she firmly believed that Yu Qing wouldn't abandon them.

With Xu Fei and Chong'er around, Sun Ping didn't believe Yu Qing would run either, and replied, "If he can dig another tunnel from so deep underground and escape, that would be his skill. If he has that skill, I wouldn't blame him."

Cheng Shanping was speechless. He thought about it and realized that digging a tunnel from such a deep underground in a short time was impossible. Guarding the entrance would indeed prevent anyone from escaping, but that wasn't his main concern.

Tie Miaqing lifted her hat, her eyes fixed on Cheng Shanping's, and said sincerely, "Old Cheng, we agreed to let him try. If we had a way, we wouldn't need him to try." Though she said this to comfort him, she actually had high hopes for Yu Qing.

She still vividly remembered the situation with the "An" and "Fou" characters and was deeply wary of the mysterious existence.

"Ah!" At this point, Cheng Shanping could only sigh and shake his head.

Sun Ping noticed a hint of doubt in Cheng Shanping's eyes, sensing a kind of inexplicable anxiety from him. She could understand it as concern for the master's safety, but it wasn't as obvious before. She clearly felt that this unease had only appeared after Yu Qing's arrival, and she couldn't explain why.

Hearing the discussion, Xu Fei was deeply worried. He wondered what misfortune he had brought upon himself to end up with "Ashi Heng." He now regretted meeting that "Shiheng brother." If he hadn't known him, he wouldn't be in this predicament, living in fear.

This experience made him realize that the path of the martial world was not easy, and he had completely given up his unrealistic dreams, only wanting to survive and leave...

As they waited, the group ate and drank, but Xu Fei and Chong'er, lying on a pile of dry grass in a corner, couldn't sleep, their hearts heavy with worry.

In the middle of the night, Tie Miaqing and the others turned their heads toward the cave entrance, and a faint smell of smoke finally drifted out...

Deep inside the cave, Yu Qing, sitting cross-legged, noticed that the smoke was gradually thinning.

The airflow in the cave was poor, and the gathered smoke was slowly dissipating, indicating that a lot of time had passed.

Yu Qing secretly smiled bitterly, realizing that this attempt was indeed futile. He had done his best and needed to leave. If he lingered, the smoke would completely dissipate, and Tie Miaqing and the others would likely come in to check, raising suspicions. At that point, none of the three might be able to escape.

To escape, he needed to do so when Tie Miaqing and the others believed it was impossible.

His abilities were limited, and he could only apologize to Xu Fei and Chong'er.

Just as he was about to stand up and throw the remaining wood into the molten lava to increase the smoke, and just as he was about to give up observing the smoke, his eyelids suddenly twitched, and his eyes widened in surprise.

Staring at the smoke drifting in the red glow, his eyes showed disbelief.

Was it the reaction of the molten lava bubbles bursting? No, he was sure it was a new kind of fluctuation, one he had never seen before. He focused intently, observing carefully...

In the smoke-filled molten lava lake, on a small island, a black dot emerged from the lava. After adapting to the smoky environment, it suddenly jumped out of the red lava and landed on the island, revealing itself to be a bug.

A dark brown bug, its color identical to the rocks around the molten lava lake, even its bumpy exoskeleton resembled the rocks. It had six legs with sharp spines, slowly turning its body on the island, its two large, black gem-like eyes carefully observing the smoky environment.

Sensing something amiss, the bug immediately spread its wings, which, when opened, revealed a faint blue sheen.

The bug was not large, slightly smaller than a human thumb, but its head was half the size of its body, with the rest tapering into a cone.

Seemingly to attract attention, the bug's sharp mouthparts spat out a series of sparks.

After a while of observation, with no abnormalities around, the bug seemed more at ease and slowly crawled away from the lava, jumping onto a bamboo shoot, using its sharp mouthparts to gnaw at the surface, as if looking for food...

Yu Qing, sitting outside, remained motionless, confirming that a small creature had emerged from the lava. Though he had never seen it before, anyone who wasn't foolish could guess what it was.

He waited, ensuring the creature's movements were stable and estimating its position. After taking a deep breath, Yu Qing slowly reached for a metal can the size of an apple, the one Tie Miaqing had made to contain the fire cricket.

He gently unscrewed the lid, tucked it into his belt, and slowly stood up, quietly approaching the cave entrance while continuously observing the smoke. If he sensed any abnormality from the bug, he immediately held his breath and remained still. Once the bug's behavior returned to normal, he continued his approach.

Reaching the entrance, he confirmed the environment and the bug's exact position. He slowly lifted one leg and braced it against the wall, ready to spring. Suddenly, he kicked off, launching himself into the red smoke.

In mid-air, Yu Qing forcefully threw the metal cup-shaped object, which shot toward the vague shadow of the bamboo shoot in the smoke.

The bug on the bamboo shoot reacted quickly, seeing something flash in the smoke and hearing the sound of it cutting through the air. It immediately jumped into the lava, moving at an incredible speed. However, by the time it reacted, it was too late. A black shadow enveloped it, and it was knocked back onto the bamboo shoot. The metal cup-shaped object was forcefully embedded into the rock, half of it sinking in.

Clang, clang, clang, clang...

The clear sound of metal collisions echoed inside the cup, which was visibly shaken loose by the bug inside and quickly bounced out of the rock.

A figure leaped onto the surface of the lava, ignoring the flames that instantly ignited on the soles of his shoes, and lunged forward.

Yu Qing quickly pressed the metal cup back onto the rock, a moment of intense danger.

The rapid clangs continued.

He quickly extinguished the flames on his shoes, feeling the strong vibrations inside the metal cup. Yu Qing was relieved, knowing that if he had been just a bit slower, the bug would have escaped.

After this experience, he finally understood why the bug was so hard to catch. Its reaction was incredibly fast, and even with his surprise attack, he almost failed. This explained a lot.

He was fortunate that the smoke from the Guan character technique had created a visual obstruction for the fire cricket, preventing it from noticing his approach. Without the smoke, it would have been impossible to get close to the bug, as it would have disappeared as soon as a human figure appeared in the underground space. No wonder Tie Miaqing and the others couldn't catch it.

Thanks to the smoke, he had managed to catch it.

Having no prior experience, he felt incredibly lucky.

Feeling the strong vibrations inside the cup, Yu Qing was surprised by the bug's strength, which explained its quick escape. He was relieved, knowing that with this creature in hand, he didn't need to rush his escape, and he had a chance to recover his wealth.

He was grateful that the opportunity had come just as he was about to give up, it was a close call...

The people outside had waited for a long time, from dusk until dawn, and were naturally filled with doubt.

Finally, Cheng Shanping, who had been sitting on the ground, stood up and said, "Boss, the smoke is thinning, and it will be dawn in an hour. Just waiting like this isn't a solution. We don't know what's happening inside. I'll go in and check."

Tie Miaqing hesitated. She had been patient until now because of the miracle she had witnessed. Otherwise, she wouldn't have let Yu Qing stay inside for so long. With no response from Yu Qing, her confidence was waning.

Because of this, she left the swing and walked past the group, saying, "I'll go."

She took a wet towel.

However, just as she reached the cave entrance, her graceful figure, half-covered by a hat, froze. She was puzzled, thinking, and gradually leaned in to listen.