Chapter Six: Blast Your Sister

Longzi and Danzi both found themselves in a dilemma. At that moment, they suddenly thought of Captain Nuo. If only Captain Nuo were here, everything would be easily resolved. But right now, Captain Nuo was also in danger, only managing to cope due to his many years of experience.

Danzi pulled out the walkie-talkie from his pocket. The small, pale green light on it blinked intermittently, indicating it could still connect to the captain. Danzi turned the volume up to the maximum, about to call out, when suddenly the walkie-talkie emitted a burst of static, startling him so much that he dropped it on the ground.

The darkness and their tense minds made the sound seem even louder, sending chills down their spines.

Longzi quickly picked up the walkie-talkie, pressed the call button, and shouted, “Captain Nuo! Captain Nuo! Can you hear us?”

The two of them waited quietly for a reply. Half a minute passed—still nothing. Danzi snatched the device and called several more times, but there was still no response.

Just as he was about to turn down the volume and consider their next move, the walkie-talkie suddenly crackled with a broken, urgent voice: “Quick, go back!”

They heard a few hurried words, which left both Longzi and Danzi shocked. Something was happening, but they didn’t know what, and panic began to set in.

“Could something have happened to Captain Nuo?!” Danzi asked hesitantly, half to himself, half to Longzi.

“Maybe Captain Nuo’s in trouble!” Longzi replied.

“Then let’s hurry over and help him!” Danzi said, growing anxious.

“No, wait. From the way Captain Nuo sounded, since he didn’t respond at first but answered after we called, it means he can still handle things. Plus, he told us to go back, so he doesn’t need our help, and we probably couldn’t help much anyway,” Longzi analyzed calmly.

“So we’re just going back?” Danzi asked.

“Yes…and no,” Longzi said, still undecided.

“Then what should we do?” Danzi pressed, growing more impatient. “Are we going back or not?”

Longzi glanced at his watch. It was two thirty in the afternoon, two and a half hours before their agreed meeting time. Besides, nothing unexpected had happened to them, and there was no immediate danger.

“We set out this August, and now it’s nearly the new year—we were supposed to return by the end of the year. I don’t want any more surprises. Too much has happened on this journey, things we couldn’t handle. I think it’s best if we wait for Captain Nuo,” Longzi decided firmly.

“But—fine. Before we leave, let’s set off a firecracker. At least it’ll be a blessing for our safe return,” Danzi said with a hint of regret.

Since they were about to leave, he wanted to make some noise—perhaps they’d never get another chance to encounter this floating palace. So Danzi decided to go all out and set off an explosive in the underground chamber, to put his mind at ease once and for all.

Longzi silently agreed, watching as Danzi placed the explosive at what seemed to be the “elevator shaft.” He pulled out the fuse and slowly climbed up to the Golden Throne Hall. Longzi helped him, and soon they were both up.

Danzi glanced at Longzi, pulled out two cigarettes, handed one to Longzi, and lit it for him before lighting his own. The lighter burned a bit longer than expected, and Danzi accidentally burned himself, cursing fiercely before taking a few deep drags and flicking the ash away.

Bringing the glowing cigarette tip to the fuse, he muttered, “What a shame! What a shame!” The moment the cigarette touched the fuse, it caught fire at once, racing greedily downward like a snake.

Longzi grabbed Danzi and they ran, knowing the area below was hollow; if the structure collapsed, no one would be able to save them.

The fuse was only six meters long, just enough for them to get clear before a loud boom echoed behind them. Then, silence. After a while—

“Nothing happened?!” Danzi asked in disbelief.

“Mm. Maybe the building’s structure is too strong, all made of stone. Our explosives are just for scaring off fish—they’re not very powerful,” Longzi explained.

“I’m going to check it out!” Danzi said, unable to contain his disappointment, and ran back.

“Danzi, don’t go! We should leave!” Longzi shouted after him, but Danzi didn’t turn back. He clearly wanted to see what had happened.

Longzi followed, taking the chance to check if the Golden Throne Hall had been affected by the explosion.

“Longzi, come here! I found something new!” Danzi called urgently.

Longzi quickened his pace, watching the surrounding buildings for any changes.

As he reached the side of the golden throne, he was stunned by what he saw. The blast had opened a hole about four or five square meters wide at the “elevator shaft.” Under Danzi’s flashlight, stairs appeared, and he could vaguely see a continuing stairway below.

“Is this a passage to the underground?” Longzi muttered to himself.

“Let’s go see! There’s still plenty of time. It won’t take long to go down and take a look. We’ll be back in no time,” Danzi said, unwilling to let the opportunity slip by.

Longzi knew that Danzi’s words rarely matched his actions—especially when it came to treasures or money. Danzi dabbled in everything, but if there were a beautiful woman in front of him, he probably wouldn’t spare her a glance.

Before Longzi could object, Danzi was already descending the still-intact rope, shining his flashlight around below.

“Longzi, hurry! I think I see a turtle shell! Hurry up!” Danzi called out excitedly.

At the mention of a turtle shell, Longzi slid down the rope in one smooth motion, stamping the ground to test its stability after the explosion.

Shining his own flashlight, he peered downward. Just as he’d guessed, there were several more levels below, the stairs steep, so he could only catch glimpses of something shell-like through the gaps.

Worried about danger, he lit some paper and tossed it down. The burning scraps floated, scattering sparks and illuminating the structures around them. Each level had a shaft in the same position as the “elevator shaft.” The paper drifted with the air currents, landing about a level and a half down before settling to the side.

Seeing the flame still burning, not extinguished quickly, Longzi said, “Danzi, I think there’s ventilation down there. First, the fire didn’t go out, so there’s plenty of oxygen. Second, the paper drifted in one direction, so there’s moving air. Third, you can feel a cool breeze.”

“Enough with your points—so long as we won’t suffocate. I’ll tie the ropes together and we’ll go down!” With that, Danzi took another coil of rope from his bag, tied one end to the existing line, and gave it a tug to check its strength. Satisfied, he tossed the rope in a graceful arc, watching as the coil spun and landed on the stairs below.

“Let’s go!” Danzi slid down the rope.

“What’s gotten into you today? Possessed, are you? In such a hurry, you’d think you were reincarnating! Can’t you be a bit more restrained?” Longzi shouted after him.