Chapter 576: The Only Way Out

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

The clerk gestured for them to keep quiet.

There were killers everywhere outside. They would lure the killers over if they made the slightest sound.

Yu Niaoniao, Lo Pingsha, and Ling Hai could only shut their mouths and swallow their doubts.

The clerk squatted on the ground and brushed away the dust, revealing a ring handle.

He grabbed the handle and pulled it up.

The secret door was pulled open, and a secret passage appeared in front of them.

“Come with me.”

Then he led the way into the secret passage.

Yu Niaoniao, Lo Pingsha, and Ling Hai looked at one another.

Although the clerk had just saved them, they were not completely sure that the clerk could be trusted. What if the clerk had hidden a trap in the secret passage?

If they went in further, wouldn’t they be walking into a trap?

But the killers outside were still looking for them everywhere. A few of them had already noticed the woodshed and were walking towards it.

Listening to the approaching footsteps, Lo Pingsha steeled himself and decided to take a chance!

He squatted down, placed one hand on the ground, and jumped into the secret passage.

After confirming that there was no danger in the secret passage, he looked up and gestured to Yu Niaoniao and Ling Hai, indicating that they could come down.

Hence, Yu Niaoniao and Ling Hai jumped down too.

The clerk climbed the ladder to close the secret door.

Right on the heels of that, they heard footsteps above their heads. It was obvious that someone had walked into the woodshed.

The men searched the woodshed. From time to time, a few whispered words came.

“Did you find them?”

“No.” “Search again. Look carefully.”

“Yeah.”

The clerk took out the match he carried and lit the torch.

With the dim firelight, Yu Niaoniao saw the interior of the secret passage clearly.

This was a narrow secret passage only wide enough for one person to pass through. On both sides were compacted earth walls. Because there were no doors or windows, the air could not circulate and was very stuffy.

The clerk led the way with a torch.

Yu Niaoniao followed closely behind.

After Ling Hai, Lo Pingsha fell last.

Yu Niaoniao looked at the back view in front and could not help but ask.

“Little brother, I still don’t know what to call you.” The clerk neither turned nor answered her.

Yu Niaoniao continued to ask.

“Why did you save us?”

The clerk still didn’t answer.

Yu Niaoniao’s heart skipped a beat as she suddenly asked.

“Did you expect an assassin to kill me tonight? The reason you especially came to remind me to turn off the lights was that you were afraid that the assassin hiding outside would discover my location.”

“From the looks of it, you shouldn’t be in cahoots with that group of killers, but you definitely know their background.”

“This secret passage could not be dug out in a short time. It meant that you had lived here for many years.

“Digging tunnels was not something a single person could do. It meant that you had accomplices, more than one. You have a lot of power locally. I wonder how you compare to the Deng family?”

This time, the clerk finally reacted.

He stopped and turned to her. He opened his mouth slightly. Instead of making a sound, he whippd out a thin silver needle.

There were walls on both sides. Yu Niaoniao did not dodge and was stabbed in the heart by the silver needles.

Before she could make a sound, she felt her vision go dark. Her body swayed and she fell backward.

Ling Hai hurriedly held her. “Princess Consort!”

Lo Pingsha hurriedly reached out to take Yu Niaoniao’s pulse. When he realized that she had only fallen asleep and was not poisoned, he felt a little relieved.

He looked at the clerk warily and questioned him.

“Why did you hurt her? Who the hell are you?”

The clerk looked helpless. “I didn’t mean to hurt the Princess Consort. She can only blame herself for being too smart. I’m afraid that if she continues to guess, she’ll guess everything about us.”

Lo Pingsha keenly caught the keyword. “Us? You really have an accomplice?”

The clerk didn’t answer. He turned back. “Don’t waste time. Let’s go.”

Ling Hai and Lo Pingsha refused to move.

The clerk said without looking back, “Don’t blame me for not reminding you.

The air here is bad. If you stay here forever, you’ll suffocate to death quickly.”

They would meet those killers if they went back. They would suffocate to death if they stayed here.

It seemed that their only way out now was to walk forward.

It was late at night and everyone in the Deng Mansion was asleep.

The courtyard was silent except for the rustling of leaves as the night wind stirred them.

Xiao Juan, who was wearing a black night suit, jumped down from the roof and silently landed on the grass.

He looked around to make sure no one was around and strode up the steps to the study door.

With a gentle push, he pushed open the study door.

He crossed the threshold and walked in.

When he walked to the bookshelf and was about to search for the Deng family tree, he suddenly stopped.

As if sensing something, he turned to the right and asked in a low voice.

“Who is it?”

On the right was an arched carved door with gauze curtains hanging under it. Behind the door was an inner room with a low couch and coffee table. It was usually used for lunch break.

The night wind stirred the gauze curtain, and it fluttered with it.

A moment later, a slightly hunched voice appeared behind the gauze curtain.

He lifted the gauze curtain with one hand and walked out slowly with his walking stick in the other.

It was the head of the Deng family, Deng Yuchuan!

He looked at the man standing nearby and asked unhurriedly as if he had seen an old friend.

“Your Highness, it’s only been half a day since we parted. Why are you here again? Did something land in our Deng family?”

Seeing him like this, Xiao Juan knew that he had been waiting here for a long time.

Deng Yuchuan must have expected him to visit the Deng family at night and had specially waited for him here.

In that case, there was no need for him to beat around the bush. He explained his intentions.

“I’m here for Li Niang.”

Deng Yuchuan asked, “Why do you have to investigate Li Niang?”

Xiao Juan was silent.

Deng Yuchuan said, “It seems that Your Highness is still wary of me. Why don’t I give you a gift as a token of my appreciation?”

He raised his walking stick slightly and knocked on the ground three times.

The red sandalwood walking stick collided with the white marble ground, producing a crisp sound.

A moment later, one of the white marble tiles slowly sank.

A narrow secret passage appeared in front of them.

Right on the heels of that, the clerk crawled out of the secret passage with a torch, followed by Ling Hai and Lo Pingsha.

Yu Niaoniao was still sleeping. Lo Pingsha carried her. When they saw Xiao Juan, they could not help but be stunned.

“Your Highness, why are you here?!”

Xiao Juan was also very surprised.

He had never expected Yu Niaoniao and the other two, who were supposed to be sleeping in the inn, to appear in the Deng family’s study! Deng Yuchuan placed his hands on his walking stick and smiled.

“Your Highness, are you satisfied with my gift?”