Super Island Tycoon

Chapter 1318: Chapter 1317: Sneaky

Who knows why there’s no trace of Qiu Qingqing coming here. That doesn’t seem logical. Jiang Zai wondered, unless someone else came in between him and Qiu Qingqing. Jiang Cheng felt a chill running down his spine at the thought. He stopped thinking about it and continued walking forward.

Jiang Cheng kept moving forward, ignoring the cold and eerie atmosphere. All he wanted now was to find Qiu Qingqing as soon as possible and hoped she was okay.

However, this cave had no other paths; there was only one way forward. He had been walking for almost ten minutes when he saw what seemed like a light ahead. It must be the entrance to Stone Valley, Jiang Cheng thought. But after another ten minutes, he realized the light was still distant, not any closer. Jiang Cheng stood still, looking ahead. Something was wrong with this cave. It felt like a mirage in the desert, providing no hope.

Jiang Cheng carefully pondered; Bai Ze had said this path was easy to walk and would lead out. But it was clearly not as he mentioned. Bai Ze surely had no reason to deceive him. So what’s the problem now? Jiang Cheng couldn’t figure it out.

He used the light from his flint to examine the walls of Zhou Country. They were bare, with nothing on them, and the ground remained uneven.

What exactly is the issue? Jiang Cheng looked forward; there was indeed a distinct light ahead, appearing within reach. He took a few more steps. Suddenly, the light he had seen vanished. Jiang Cheng was startled.

This light definitely wasn’t real, he thought. He squatted down to examine the footprints on the ground carefully. Behind him, there were only his footprints, and ahead, there was no sign of Qiu Qingqing. The ground was covered with many stones and earth, appearing untouched. But precisely because it was too tidy, Jiang Cheng found it unnatural. No matter what, if it rained or was windy—if the weather was unusual—the ground should show signs of erosion. But it was so tidy here. Jiang Zai felt it was likely someone’s deliberate work.

Jiang Cheng’s initial suspicion about entering was correct. There were others here. He took out an ultrasonic detector and checked the display; he confirmed he was alone. Seeing the light ahead again, he knew that simply moving forward would eventually exhaust him. The thin and cold air meant he couldn’t last long.

Using the detector’s infrared, he checked the light ahead. He noticed the infrared beam wasn’t passing through, indicating the light was solid. Jiang Cheng realized he had made a big mistake.

He still held the detector. This time he didn’t move toward the light; he walked in the opposite direction. After a few steps, he found the light that had been behind him disappeared, and real light appeared ahead. Jiang Zai smiled and walked forward.

The path just now was a diversion set up by someone who had been here before. The lights seen were merely reflections on the walls. Walking in that direction only led in circles. The correct route was actually behind.

Jiang Cheng saw what they referred to as Stone Valley. True to its name, it was full of stones of all shapes and sizes accumulated here. There were also large rocks and all sorts of strange stones. Looking at the stones on the ground, he noticed they had various shapes. Jiang Zai picked up a piece from the ground and realized it was actually jade.

Here it was still daytime. The weather seemed not too different from before. Jiang Cheng was sure he hadn’t traveled through time or anything. However, the temperature was still very hot. It might have been just too cold in the cave, and he wasn’t quite used to this sudden change. This place reminded him of Flame Mountain, which he had only seen on TV before. Although it lacked red rocks and scorching heat, it was almost entirely composed of rocks and mountains, with no vegetation or rivers.

The air was very dry.

Jiang Cheng looked around and saw no signs of life, not even animals.

The environment was truly harsh. Jiang Cheng thought. Where could he find Qiu Qingqing?

Jiang Cheng took a few steps forward and saw the place was completely barren.

Just as Jiang Cheng lowered his head, he suddenly felt something press against his lower back. He quickly stopped.

He wanted to turn around and look, ”Don’t move! If you want to live, stay still,” a stranger’s voice said. Jiang Cheng had no choice but to remain motionless, standing still.

Jiang Cheng looked down to see a gun pressed against his waist. His heart skipped a beat,

”Squat down, hands on your head,” the man continued.

Jiang Cheng slowly squatted down and heard many footsteps approaching. He realized there were others coming, and became increasingly alert.

”Hey, there’s a suspicious person here,” said the man who had threatened Jiang Cheng with the gun.

Slowly, someone lifted Jiang Cheng’s head. He saw the man in front of him looked extremely fierce. His gaze was like a predator sizing up prey. Jiang Cheng found such a look extremely unpleasant. ”Are you a spy sent from the other side?” The man asked suspiciously, but Jiang Cheng detected certainty in his tone. He knew he was now being considered a spy.

”Which side?” Jiang Cheng responded.

”Playing dumb, huh?” The man sneered, glancing at Jiang Cheng with disdain. ”Take him away,” he ordered the people behind him. Suddenly, everything went black for Jiang Cheng, and he lost consciousness.

When Jiang Cheng woke up again, he found himself in a dark room. It seemed small and covered in dust. He moved his fingers and noticed his wrists were bound together. But they weren’t tied too tightly, perhaps because they thought there was no one nearby to hear him if he shouted for help.

Jiang Cheng looked around the room, barely big enough to fit three or four people. There was only one small window above him, at an angle, letting in the only few rays of sunlight into the room.

He tried to struggle with the rope binding his wrists. Fortunately, he could easily break free of the rope. Slowly moving his fingers and wrists, he found he could effortlessly loosen it.

Just after he moved his wrists a bit, Jiang Cheng heard a sound at the door, indicating someone was coming. He heard footsteps.

Quickly, Jiang Cheng put his hands behind his back in a disguise. As expected, the door opened from the outside.

He quietly watched the entrance as three men entered. Dressed in black, they seemed to be the ones watching over Jiang Cheng. The leader turned to the two men behind him after noticing Jiang Cheng looking at him, and said, ”Awake, awake.”