Chapter 091
Chapter 91: The Maze
The wooden boat glided into the chute and emerged into a vast karst cave, strewn with broken and rotting boats floating like corpses upon the water.
Above them, the ceiling shimmered with night-luminescent stones embedded deep into the rock, casting a soft green glow across the cavern’s gloom.
The iron chain that had pulled them in snapped back swiftly. Li Yuan Ling’s gaze swept around the cavern. All she saw were fragments of decaying wood and wrecked boats, with the still water around them veiled in a thin mist.
“What are we supposed to do now?” she asked, her delicate brows furrowing. She turned curiously toward Li Mu Sheng.
Instead of answering, Li Mu Sheng motioned with a tilt of his chin, directing her attention to the edge of the cave where a stone stele stood upright.
Following his gaze, Li Yuan Ling spotted glowing lines of script etched upon the stele:
This is a subterranean water maze. Beware of poisonous mists and submerged dangers. Take care to protect your wooden boat—damages will incur penalties ranging from ten to two hundred patterns, depending on severity.
The first boat to reach the end of the maze will earn twenty bonus patterns. Within the maze, each hexagonal copper coin engraved with the wooden boat sigil grants an additional twenty patterns.
Time limit: Two hours. Any boat that fails to reach the endpoint within this time will forfeit all accumulated patterns.
…
After reading through the rules of the third round, Li Yuan Ling let out a light laugh. “So this is the final challenge? It seems simple enough. Just find copper coins—it might come down to luck.”
Across from her, Li Mu Sheng spread his hands. “If my dear sworn younger sister is so confident, then I’ll leave it all to you.”
Her smile froze. She turned to him, eyes rolling slightly in thought, then swept over to the soft stool beside him, seating herself with a graceful swirl of her sleeve.
Grasping his sleeve in her slender fingers, she smiled sweetly, a hint of playfulness in her voice. “Why should I step in, when I have such a mighty sworn elder brother? Passing this last round should be a breeze for someone like you.”
Li Mu Sheng narrowed his eyes and replied dryly, “Just so you know, my sense of direction isn’t great. I can’t promise I won’t steer us into some dead end of the maze.”
“What?” she stiffened, still clutching his sleeve. Her brow creased in worry. “Then what should we do?”
Li Mu Sheng didn’t answer.
Just then, more boats came sliding down the chute behind them, one after another, landing gently upon the water in the cave.
Once all nine remaining wooden boats had arrived, the chute—made of wood and stone—began to creak and shift. Amid the rumble of iron wheels, it retracted and vanished into the cave wall.
After glancing around and reading the stele’s rules, the passengers quieted. Then, a deep voice echoed from above:
“The final round begins now. Esteemed guests, please steer your wooden boats to the end of the maze on your own.”
With the announcement, wisps of smoke began to rise from the carved seams of the glowing stone. They thickened rapidly, spreading through the entire karst cave.
“Careful, the mist is poisonous. Hold your breath and shield yourself with martial Qi!” someone warned.
The boats were quickly swallowed by the fog. Within moments, all ten vessels were cloaked in a hazy veil, their outlines barely visible.
Soon, the sound of boats gliding through water echoed softly. One by one, the vessels began to drift deeper into the maze, propelled by martial Qi.
“Aren’t we going too?” Li Yuan Ling asked, covering her nose and mouth. A soft aura of martial Qi shimmered around her to guard against the toxic mist.
Li Mu Sheng sat calmly on his stool, showing no fluctuation in Qi. He glanced at her and said, “No rush. Let them scout ahead for us.”
Unseen by anyone, thin threads of Qi extended from his fingertips, threading silently into the bodies of those on the other boats.
As the vessels disappeared into the depths, so too did the fine filaments, vanishing without a trace into the fog.
“Young master, why do you linger? Could it be you were waiting for this humble girl?”
A gentle voice rose through the mist.
Another wooden boat drifted close to theirs, coming to a quiet stop beside them.
Han Mei Yan stood tall and graceful in her ornate palace robes, her figure elegant, her face partially veiled by fine gauze. Strands of hair fell across her cheeks, adding a careless charm to her already enchanting presence.
Li Yuan Ling instinctively frowned at the sight of her. But Han Mei Yan’s eyes flitted lightly over, and she offered a soft compliment. “This younger sister is truly lovely.”
As if caught by a spring breeze, Li Yuan Ling’s heart warmed. Her expression softened, and she smiled back, saying, “We’re about to head in. If elder sister doesn’t mind, would you like to travel together?”
Han Mei Yan’s long lashes fluttered as she turned her gaze to Li Mu Sheng, her voice tender and shy. “Young master, may this humble girl truly accompany you?”
Her eyes met his, as deep as autumn waters, glimmering with a captivating light that seemed to pull at the soul.
Li Mu Sheng examined her for a moment, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. “Young lady… why do you give off such a flirty air?”
Han Mei Yan’s smile froze.
She stared at him, narrowing her eyes. Then her gaze dropped as she sighed softly. “Perhaps this humble girl’s cheap powder and common charm are too vulgar for young master’s taste.”
As she straightened her posture, her curvaceous figure was revealed in full—graceful and alluring, her long legs poised like a dancer’s. Her voice remained soft as water, yet carried a melody that tugged at the heartstrings, stirring desire without effort.
Li Mu Sheng studied her from head to toe, then slowly nodded. “Curves where they should be. No complaints about that body—very nice.”
Then he added cheerfully, “Young lady, why don’t you take off the veil? I’m not really a fan of mystery beauty.”
Once again, Han Mei Yan paused. Her gaze shifted slightly as she looked at him for a long moment.
Then, withdrawing her earlier flirtation, she bowed gracefully and said, “Young master truly has a firm and resolute heart. This humble girl was out of line just now.”
Li Mu Sheng raised a brow, glancing from her to the man on her boat—Zhang He.
“You two from the demonic path?” he asked bluntly.
Han Mei Yan and Zhang He exchanged a look, their expressions changing subtly.
Zhang He quickly spoke up, “Young master misunderstands. This is my distant cousin. She just arrived in the Imperial Capital, and I’m showing her around Floating Boat City.”
Li Mu Sheng nodded slightly. “Your cousin is quite the beauty.”
Then he waved his hand lazily. “You two lead the way. I’ll leave this final round to you. With your skills, I doubt the maze will be too much of a problem.”