The Sickly Regent Prince Who Was Abandoned as a Substitute Bride

Chapter 619

Darkness instantly swallowed his figure, and the air was filled with the smell of damp earth and rust. The stone steps underfoot were slippery and difficult to walk on, and he could vaguely hear hurried footsteps ahead. Captain Wang and his personal guards followed closely behind, the torchlight flickering in the narrow passage, casting their shadows long and short.

Deep within the secret passage, the suppressed breathing of the scarred man in black could still be heard, while the footsteps of Zhao Xuan and his companions echoed like a death knell in the sunless underground tunnel. A new contest had quietly begun in this pitch-black darkness.

The air in the secret passage grew increasingly murky, sticky water droplets seeping from the damp stone walls. The sound of footsteps on the stone steps was amplified infinitely in the narrow passage, echoing layer upon layer, as if countless shadows were following behind. Zhao Xuan, carrying a long sword, walked at the front. The torchlight cast flickering shadows on his face. He pursed his lips, his gaze as sharp as a hawk's—the sound of the scarred man in black entering the secret passage had not yet dissipated. The hurried footsteps should have been about ten feet ahead, but just as they turned a corner, the sound vanished abruptly, as if swallowed by darkness.

"Stop!" Zhao Xuan abruptly raised his hand, pressing his palm forward, his voice low yet carrying an undeniable authority. The Captain Wang and his three personal guards behind him immediately halted, gripping their weapons tightly and scanning their surroundings warily. The secret passage was instantly filled only with the crackling of torches and the slightly heavy breathing of the group; it was so quiet you could hear your own heartbeat pounding in your chest.

"Something's not right..." Captain Wang lowered his voice, his Adam's apple bobbing. "This secret passage is narrow; even if he ran fast, he should have made some noise. How could this be..."

Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Xuan caught a glimpse of several tiny black shadows hurtling towards him at incredible speed from the corner of his eye on the stone walls on either side! The shadows slid along the stone walls, making a sharp whooshing sound as they cut through the air, drawing cold silver streaks in the firelight—they were arrows!

"Watch out!" Zhao Xuan's shout and the crisp sound of drawing his sword rang out almost simultaneously. He twisted his wrist rapidly, and the longsword drew a dense, impenetrable silver arc in front of him. The crisp "clanging" sounds blended together as arrows struck the blade, scattering sparks and bouncing off one by one. Some arrows embedded themselves in the opposite stone wall, their fletchings still humming, and the rust clinging to their fletchings falling off in a soft rustling sound.

The arrow rain came too densely and too quickly, attacking from both sides simultaneously, with more than ten arrows flying at once. Zhao Xuan managed to protect himself, but couldn't protect his entire back. A young guard reacted a little slower, only managing to raise his arm to block, when an arrow pierced through his forearm with a "thud," the barbed arrowhead deeply embedded in his flesh. The guard groaned, staggered back half a step, his face instantly turning deathly pale, cold sweat rolling down his forehead and into his collar.

"Damn it!" Captain Wang roared, slashing down two arrows with his sword and shielding his personal guard. "These bastards actually set up an ambush here!"

Zhao Xuan deflected the last arrow with a single sword stroke, his gaze sweeping across the stone walls on either side—the arrows had actually been shot from inconspicuous grooves in the walls, the hidden doors of which were now closed, virtually unnoticed unless one looked closely. He took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "Never mind the wounds, bandage them up first and keep up! This secret passage is riddled with traps, so everyone be on high alert!"

The guard gritted his teeth, tore off a piece of his clothing to hastily wrap the wound, and blood instantly stained the cloth, but he still stood tall and said: "Don't worry, General, I can still walk!"

The group continued onward, the stone steps beneath their feet gradually becoming steeper, a faint smell of dust filling the air. After rounding an even sharper bend, the path suddenly opened up before them—a three-way intersection. The three passages, like three lurking venomous snakes, led darkly into the unknown depths. The left passage faintly emitted the sound of dripping water, the right passage carried a musty, decaying odor, while the middle passage was eerily silent, as if a silent behemoth lay with its mouth agape, awaiting its prey.

"This...which way should we go?" Captain Wang frowned, his voice filled with barely concealed anxiety, staring at the three forks in the road. "That scarred thief is very cunning; he might have deliberately created these forks to buy time, or..."

Zhao Xuan didn't speak immediately. He crouched down and gently brushed the dust from the ground with his fingers. Only when the torch was close enough could he see a shallow footprint at the entrance to the middle passage, its edges still clinging to fresh soil—exactly the same as the soil on the stone steps the scarred man in black had just trod. He then looked up at the stone walls of the three passages. The left and right walls were covered in cobwebs, clearly untouched for a long time. Only on the wall of the middle passage was a very faint scratch, as if brushed by the hem of a robe.

“This way.” Zhao Xuan stood up, pointing his longsword at the middle passage, his tone resolute. “He was in a panic and didn’t know where to go. Footprints and scratches don’t lie.”

Following instructions, the group stepped into the passage. They had barely gone three zhang (approximately 10 meters) when a cracking sound suddenly came from above, as if something heavy was loosening. Zhao Xuan looked up sharply and saw the stone slab above them slowly sinking, with loose stones falling from the edges. A huge boulder, at least ten feet wide, was pressing down at an alarming speed, accompanied by a deafening roar, and it looked like it was about to seal off the entire passage!

"Oh no! It's a rockfall trap!" Captain Wang broke out in a cold sweat and instinctively tried to back away.

"Hurry up!" Zhao Xuan didn't retreat but advanced. He took a deep breath, his arm muscles bulging, and held his longsword upright in front of him, the tip pressed against the sinking boulder. With a "hum," the sword groaned under the immense pressure, his legs sank half an inch into the stone steps, his knees creaking softly, veins bulging on his forehead, and sweat instantly soaking through his clothes. The boulder was held in place by the sword tip, leaving a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through, with stone chips constantly hitting his shoulders, causing a sharp pain.

"What are you standing there for!" Zhao Xuan's voice was hoarse from the exertion, but it carried the force of thunder. "Hurry up!"

Captain Wang snapped out of his daze, gritted his teeth, and was the first to duck and squeeze through the gap, followed by the wounded guard, and then the other two guards. Just as the last man had slipped through, Zhao Xuan felt a sharp pain in his arm; the blade of his sword was almost broken. He jerked his sword back and leaped backward like a cat—and the instant he landed, the boulder crashed heavily onto the stone steps with a deafening roar, kicking up clouds of dust that completely blocked the passage, preventing even a sliver of light from getting through.

"General!" Captain Wang shouted from the other side, his voice filled with lingering fear.

Zhao Xuan rubbed his slightly numb arm and waved his hand: "It's alright, keep chasing." He looked at the blocked stone wall, his eyes darkening—this scarred man in black clearly knew the secret passage inside and out, and had even planned his escape route. It seemed that this man was no ordinary assassin, and there must be a bigger scheme behind him.

The group continued deeper into the passage, which gradually became damp, and the soil under their feet became increasingly soft, even allowing them to leave deep footprints. After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a faint light suddenly appeared ahead, followed by a staggering figure that came into view—it was the scarred man in black! He seemed to have tripped over something and was leaning against the stone wall, panting. Hearing footsteps behind him, he turned around abruptly, the scars on his face contorting even more grotesque in the firelight.

"Zhao Xuan!" The scarred man's voice was hoarse, filled with a desperate madness. He looked at Zhao Xuan, who was closing in step by step, and a trace of despair flashed in his eyes, but it was immediately replaced by ruthlessness. "You really think you can catch me? Let me tell you, I personally helped build this secret passage. It is full of traps and dangers. Every step is a deadly trap! If you dare to come in, you can just wait to die here!"

Zhao Xuan sneered, his longsword pointing straight at the other man's throat, the cold light of the blade reflected in his eyes: "Enough nonsense! You can't escape. Today, you either surrender or..." He paused, his tone as cold as frost, "...die here."

"Death? Who dies is still uncertain!" The scarred man suddenly drew a short dagger from his waist. The dagger gleamed with a ghostly blue light, clearly poisoned. He let out a strange cry and pounced like a ghost, the short dagger aimed straight for Zhao Xuan's heart. His move was ruthless, completely disregarding his own defense, as if he wanted to die together with him.

Zhao Xuan was prepared. He sidestepped the dagger's edge, his longsword flashing diagonally towards his opponent's wrist. The two grappled in the narrow passage, the clanging of their weapons making the stone walls vibrate. The torches swayed violently in the air, casting shadows that darted and shrank on the walls like a frenzied puppet show. The scarred man's attacks were fierce, but he was already showing signs of fatigue. His breathing was rapid, and his steps were unsteady; clearly, his previous escape and injuries had exhausted him.

Zhao Xuan seized the opportunity, deliberately feigning an opening by slightly lowering his left shoulder. The scarred man, as expected, fell for the trap, thinking he had a chance, and thrust his dagger straight at Zhao Xuan's left shoulder. In that instant, Zhao Xuan's wrist twisted swiftly, and his longsword, like a serpent emerging from its hole, dodged the dagger while its tip precisely pierced the scarred man's right shoulder, where he was holding the dagger!

"Ah—" The scarred man cried out in pain, his short dagger clattering to the ground. Blood gushed from the wound on his right shoulder, staining half of his clothes red. He staggered back a few steps, leaning against the stone wall, staring at Zhao Xuan with venomous eyes, but a strange smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"You think... that's the end of it?" He panted heavily, slamming his left hand against the stone wall behind him, where there was an inconspicuous protrusion. As he pressed down, a soft "click" sounded, and the entire secret passage suddenly began to shake violently!

The stone steps beneath our feet began to crumble, and dirt and stones rained down from above. The torch was shaken so badly that it almost slipped from our hands, and even standing became difficult. The stone walls on both sides of the passage groaned and creaked, as if they might collapse at any moment. A thick, pungent smell of dust filled the air, making it hard to breathe.

"Hahaha..." The scarred man laughed wildly as he swayed, blood oozing from the corner of his mouth. "I've tampered with the foundation of this secret passage. As long as the mechanism is pressed, it will completely collapse in half an hour! Zhao Xuan, neither you nor I will leave here alive today!"

Zhao Xuan looked at the falling stones and then at the scarred man who seemed to have gone mad. His eyes darkened. This contest was clearly more dangerous than he had imagined.

Zhao Xuan's eardrums buzzed from the falling rocks, and the thick dust choked his throat. He abruptly pulled a staggering soldier behind a stone pillar, but his own back slammed into a millstone-sized rock. With a muffled groan, he gripped his sword tightly at his waist, his roar piercing the deafening crash of the collapse: "Find an exit! Don't huddle together!"

Before he could finish speaking, a sickening cracking sound came from the overhead beam, and several cracks spread out like a spiderweb. Zhao Xuan reacted swiftly, kicking open the half-open stone box beside him and stuffing the two terrified soldiers inside. He then rolled to the corner, watching helplessly as the spot where he had just stood was instantly swallowed by rubble. He wiped the dust from his face; blood seeping from his forehead mixed with dirt, covering half his face, but he dared not be distracted—Captain Wang was leading his men, groping along the swaying stone wall. Some men dug their fingernails into the cracks, drawing blood; others gritted their teeth and persevered despite being hit on the shoulder by falling debris. The secret passage was filled with desperate gasps.

"General! This way!"

A hoarse shout pierced the chaos; it was from the guard whose left arm had been pierced by an arrow. Half his body was embedded in a hollow in the stone wall, his right hand gripping a loose brick tightly, his knuckles white from the force. Zhao Xuan looked in the direction of the sound and saw a dark crack faintly visible behind the brick. Most of the moss on the edges of the brick had been rubbed away, indicating that it had been recently disturbed.

"Get out of the way!" Zhao Xuan rushed forward, his boots slipping on the wet ground. He simply bent his knees to gather his strength and slammed his shoulder hard into the stone wall. The first impact only caused the bricks and stones to fall into dust. The second impact made the hidden door make a crisp "click". With the third impact, he used almost all his strength, and the hidden door finally creaked open. A damp, musty smell mixed with the smell of dirt rushed out.

"Hurry up!" Zhao Xuan braced himself against the swaying hidden door, pushing the first soldier, Captain Wang, inside with his left hand, and grabbing two slower guards with his right. Stone chips rained down on his back, his armor crackling, but he kept his eyes fixed on the last wounded soldier who crawled in, until the man staggered and disappeared into the side passage, before suddenly turning and leaping in himself.

The instant his boot left the secret passage, a deafening roar, like the earth collapsing, erupted behind him. The stone door to the side passage slammed shut under the immense impact, the blast of air carrying scalding dust that assaulted their faces. Zhao Xuan gripped the doorframe tightly, feeling the entire mountain tremble. Debris continued to crumble from the side passage's walls. Clinging to the cold rock, the group listened to the thunderous rumble of the collapsing passage behind them, a sound that lasted for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, until the final muffled thud silenced the world eerily, leaving only their heavy breathing and suppressed coughs.

Acrid dust filled the side passage. Zhao Xuan pulled out a tinderbox and blew on it. The orange-red flame flickered in the narrow passage, illuminating the terrified faces. Captain Wang's left arm had been struck by a falling rock, blood soaking his armor, yet he was still counting heads. The wounded soldier who had discovered the secret door was ashen-faced, the bandage over his arrow wound soaked with blood, yet he forced himself to say, "It's nothing." Zhao Xuan handed him his water pouch, his voice hoarse with thirst: "Keep up, this side passage leads out."

The path beneath our feet grew steeper and steeper, with loose stones constantly rolling down from our feet, their destination unknown.