Zhang Qiling moved without a sound, yet at an astonishing speed, showing no inclination to stop and consult a map.
Zhang Haike could only quicken his pace, diligently holding the lamp for the clan leader, while stealing glances to decipher the map.
Truth be told, calling these chaotic, jumbled patterns a map was an exaggeration. It was impossible to know which generation it originated from. Ever since past clan leaders had met their demise in the sacred land like offerings, the clan's maps had never been updated.
As it was, Zhang Haike struggled to make sense of the map, only discerning some general topography and structures. The truly important mechanisms and passages were conspicuously absent.
...Who on earth drew this? Could it have been a spy who infiltrated the clan?
Zhang Haike reasonably suspected that the deaths of previous clan leaders were inextricably linked to this kindergarten-level map.
Just then, he keenly sensed an unusual airflow ahead and immediately halted.
Zhang Qiling had also stopped, examining the area before them by the lamplight—
It was a colossal, bottomless chasm that spanned the entire space, plunging downwards!
Air, carrying a hint of moisture and a foul odor, wafted up from below, suggesting a pool of water at the depths.
After a moment of observation, Zhang Qiling half-crouched and picked up a pebble, tossing it into the abyss. A long time passed without an echo, indicating it wasn't a height one could simply jump down.
He looked at Zhang Haike, signaling for his subordinate to identify the location.
Zhang Haike, the subordinate, wished he could rise to the occasion and demonstrate his intelligence and capability before the clan leader. However, staring at the map, he longed to travel back in time and smash the skull of the old fellow who drew it.
...The map clearly depicted a downward spiral staircase at this very spot, yet there was no sign of any stairs in sight.
He fell silent for a moment, then chose to show the map to Zhang Qiling.
Zhang Qiling glanced at it and fell into a state of bewilderment. However, the Zhang family had struck him as unreliable from the outset, and this situation merely cemented their reputation for being on a path of unreliability. Zhang Qiling accepted this calmly, withdrew his gaze, and continued to observe the chasm.
Sensing understanding in the younger Zhang's eyes, Zhang Haike...
He opened his mouth, wanting to offer an explanation for the Zhang family, but then he considered that Zhang Qiling's poor impression of the inner clan's eccentrics was perhaps beneficial.
He was not from the inner clan; he was from the overseas Zhang family.
Thus, Zhang Haike closed his mouth with a clear conscience, his mind already beginning to ponder when he could arrange for the clan leader to visit the overseas Zhang family after their departure.
Meanwhile, Zhang Qiling had finished his observation of the chasm and its surroundings. After a moment of thought, he walked directly to a corner hidden in darkness.
His fingers, employing the "Fa Qiu Zhi" technique, slowly traced the stone wall, as if confirming the presence of a mechanism in this rough, dust-covered corner.
Zhang Haike was considered a standout of the Zhang family in this generation, possessing skills and knowledge of mechanisms beyond the ordinary. Yet, under these dim conditions, he couldn't locate a mechanism after just a brief examination.
This caused a slight sense of frustration within him.
Just as he was rallying his spirits, intending to seize the opportunity to learn the clan leader's methods of deciphering mechanisms—
"Click!"
The mechanism had already been unlocked.
Zhang Haike: ...
Zhang Qiling was unaware of why Zhang Haike was standing still, blocking the way. He waited quietly for two seconds, and with no movement from Zhang Haike, he lost patience, bypassed him directly, and left the map-carrying subordinate alone and forlorn in the dusty corner.
At the edge of the chasm, a square brick, dark as night, was now exposed. It appeared to be made of the same material as the turtle shell at the entrance.
Zhang Qiling examined it closely. The brick had only one hole, shaped peculiarly, like a scale.
...This must be a keyhole. Perhaps the spiral staircase on the map wasn't absent, but rather, it would only emerge after unlocking the mechanism with a specific key.
He stood up, thinking. Looking further, some of the stone patterns on the inner edge of the chasm now appeared remarkably regular, distinctly different from natural formations.
So, when Zhang Haike finally recognized that he was the "useless one," and approached with even greater caution, he saw Zhang Qiling suddenly turn to him and extend his right hand with conviction.
Zhang Haike: ...?
That hand had just touched the stone wall and unlocked the mechanism, its fingertips smudged with dust, clearly visible in the lamplight.
Zhang Haike, maintaining a calm exterior while his mind worked at lightning speed, observed for a moment, then put on an expression of sudden realization and took out a piece of paper from his bag to wipe Zhang Qiling's hand clean.
Zhang Qiling: ...
"The key."
He shifted his position slightly, indicating for Zhang Haike to look at the scale-shaped keyhole.
Zhang Haike, with his strong professional expertise, understood all the details at a glance. In that instant, the used paper in his hand felt as hot as if it were burning.
Despite everything—
"Clan leader, there is no key," Zhang Haike practically squeezed the words out of his throat, genuinely despairing at the clan's unreliability.
"Information about the sacred land is generally known only to successive clan leaders, and related items are secretly passed down from one clan leader to another."
"And then..."
Zhang Haike didn't say the rest, but Zhang Qiling had already fully understood.
Then, those clan leaders had all met their end in the sacred land, leading to a complete break in the lineage. Even if there had been backup keys, they were likely buried and lost amidst the turmoil of many years.
Zhang Qiling slowly withdrew his hand, making a firm note in his blank mind—
Next time he chose a trading partner, he should first assess whether they had any brains.
As the two handsome Zhangs stood there in speechless exasperation, suddenly, strange sounds echoed from the depths of the chasm!
The sounds were like the violent grinding of stones against each other, or like countless fingernails scraping against walls, piercing and chaotic, seemingly rushing upwards!
Zhang Haike listened intently for a few seconds, his expression changing:
"Something is climbing up. If it's not massive, it's a swarm of insects. Clan leader—"
Before he could finish, with a "swish," Zhang Qiling, who had somehow moved behind him, unzipped his backpack.
Zhang Haike watched as Zhang Qiling rummaged through the bag, pulled out a grappling hook, and carefully inserted one end into his own hand.
At that moment, the sound seemed to sense something and abruptly stopped, as if it had no intention of continuing its ascent.
Zhang Haike breathed a sigh of relief at the cessation of the sound, but he still didn't quite understand Zhang Qiling's actions.
"Clan leader, what are you doing?"
"Going down." Zhang Qiling looked up at him, his gaze innocent and sincere.
Then, gripping the other end of the grappling hook, he leaped into the chasm with a "whoosh"!!
Zhang Haike: ?!!! What the hell!
At this moment, his feelings mirrored those of Wu Tianzhen when he first met Zhang Qiling in Changbai Mountain. He instinctively moved to jump down as well, but a glance at the end of the grappling hook in his hand made him stop abruptly.
...The clan leader had placed his life in his hands.
Zhang Haike's spirit suddenly sharpened. Gritting his teeth, he quickly wrapped the other end around his hand several times, securing it tightly, and adopted a stance with his feet.
He braced himself for immense pulling force, but strangely, the force never came, as if the bottom were empty.
As he grew anxious, a sudden, explosive shriek erupted!!
A thick, serpentine black object shot out from the chasm, its thrashing colliding with the top and shattering countless rocks!
And with it came a familiar blade's hum!
Zhang Haike felt the weight on the grappling hook rapidly lessen, as if Zhang Qiling were ascending at extreme speed. Realizing something, he looked up!
Zhang Qiling was kneeling on the back of the emerging, unknown creature, his Black Gold Ancient Sword deeply embedded within it!