The Papalarian's dark eyes turned, and he replied, "Everyone, have you forgotten a fact? Our Captain loves causing trouble, and according to my sixth sense, the development of this situation should proceed in the most bizarre way, in a direction you couldn't possibly anticipate."
"As for speculating on traps," the Papalarian shook his head vigorously, his chubby cheeks waggling as he did so, "it's too easy to guess, I don't think that's the case."
Fang Hong was infuriated and immediately took personal revenge, giving the guy a shove that made him stagger, and said irritably:
"Say something useful."
Parker clutched his head and retorted angrily, "Isn't this useful?"
Luo Hao pressed his hands on the Shield and snorted, "Only women have a sixth sense."
But this statement only drew dual hostility from Elisa and Gita, with Miss Nightingale immediately confronting him: "Fatty Luo, what? Looking down on women?"
Only then did Luo Hao realize he misspoke and quickly surrendered by raising his hands.
However, regarding whether the Papalarians actually have a sixth sense, the few members within the Seven Seas Travel Group eventually reached a consensus—because they were earnestly reminded by Xiangzi that Papalarians also have another identity.
Thus Luo Hao and Elisa both got their perfect answer.
Only Parker was somewhat annoyed, but he couldn't figure out how to refute in time. He couldn't possibly bring up his experience with the gender-changing belt, lest the Shield of Lufu would laugh their heads off.
Our King of Nightingales felt somewhat indifferent for a moment.
Shortly thereafter, the two groups arrived at the end of this long cave, where a broad underground space awaited, a big door stood silently closed at the end of the darkness.
Upon seeing this door, everyone turned their gaze toward Fang Hong. They had previously speculated that the smugglers would gather their forces in one place and set a trap for them, and behind this door seemed to align perfectly with that possibility. If guessed correctly, they might be facing a potential battle.
Fang Hong looked at the wooden door.
Aside from thick and tall, he couldn't think of any other words to describe this door at the moment— the double doors were tightly closed, simple and unadorned, the solid wood surface pitted in places, only a few iron bands rusted, and the handle long gone.
Assuming unknown dangers and henchmen lurk behind the door, there's still another option—wait for Abed to arrive with the troops, and when the Blind Followers are caught from both sides, they'd naturally fall apart. Yet Fang Hong felt uneasy, as if just as the Papalarians previously mentioned, everything went too smoothly.
So smooth it felt incredulous.
Where were the cunning Blind Followers who acted so slyly within the city, they had only encountered dull and ignorant opponents before?
The Arcanists too seemed to vanish without a trace.
He couldn't help but think about the few Clockwork Fairies he'd encountered before, whose owner seemed yet to appear. Could it be related to that small incident with the Duke Clan Hunter in the lower cave?
After pondering for a moment, Fang Hong actually came to a conclusion.
The members of the Seven Seas Travel Group were quite accustomed to their Captain's method of thinking. Seeing Fang Hong's expression, Luo Hao stepped forward voluntarily: "I'll open the door."
"Be careful." Fang Hong reminded him.
Luo Hao nodded, "I understand."
As the only Iron Guard in the group, it was a task only he could undertake—regarding the people of the Shield of Lufu, currently, their level wasn't as high as his.
He walked forward, placed his hands on the big door, lowered his body, gave a deep grunt, and pushed hard. The door creaked open slightly, while Luo Hao shifted his stance, using his shoulder to ram the door forcefully.
The door banged open slightly.
He immediately rolled back alertly, picked up the Great Shield from the ground to brace it forward, peering behind the door, finding it pitch black with not even a hint of light.
"Flame Light Technique—"
Xiangzi snapped his fingers.
A light passed through the door, and a ball of flame suspended in mid-air, casting a misty light in all directions, revealing the scene behind the door.
Actually, Fang Hong had already seen the situation behind the door before Xiangzi cast the spell: it was a hall—a bit like a giant stepped classroom, laid out vertically from the door towards the center, high steps descending to a podium, backed by rows of stone benches.
But the hall was empty at the moment—or not entirely empty, the air was filled with the thick scent of blood.
Everyone, having gone through the previous battle, instinctively became wary of this smell, thinking swarms of flesh monsters might once again attack from the darkness. But Elisa turned back and said to them, "No sound."
"There are bodies."
Luo Hao said softly.
Everyone was taken aback, seeing a layer of hazy light in the hall, not the black light, but a soft white light.
Fang Hong was startled, hastily walking in that direction. The white light emanated from underneath the last row of chairs, and as he approached, he found a body lying face down on the ground, its luminescence the gentle light emitted by Starlight before revival.
But the dead Blind Followers didn't look like this.
Fang Hong found the outfit of the corpse somewhat familiar, walking over to flip the figure over, realizing it wore the robes of an Arcanist.