Martial Arts: The Secret Villain Starting from Huashan

"Several months, several months?"

At this moment, after listening to Xu Xingchen's detailed explanation, Gongsun Lu'e's pretty face turned even paler, and her delicate body began to tremble again, as if a breeze could blow her down.

There was a slight tremor in his voice and his eyes were filled with fear and disbelief. It was as if he had just realized that he was standing on the edge of a cliff and would fall into an abyss in the next moment.

Xu Xingchen frowned. He could feel that Gongsun Lu'e's fear was gradually turning into panic.

"what happened?"

Xu Xingchen's voice was full of concern. His eyes were firm and gentle as he looked directly into Gongsun Lu'e's eyes, trying to capture her gaze and bring her back to her senses from the shadow of fear.

"Ah! I... I thought of... something. It seems... hey, my father would leave every few months. When he came back, he would always bring some livestock with him and bring them to the alchemy room."

For a moment, Gongsun Lu'e's voice began to tremble unconsciously, and every word seemed too heavy to speak out. Her beautiful eyes became confused and frightened, as if she had touched upon some deep secret in her memories.

"No one is allowed to get close. Even I can only wander outside the door."

Gongsun Lu'e's delicate hands unconsciously clasped Xu Xingchen's arm. Her originally soft fingers now seemed a little stiff due to nervousness. Her breathing became rapid at this moment, as if she was trying to suppress the shock in her heart.

"But after Dad came out of the alchemy room, the livestock he brought from outside disappeared. We thought they were refined into some kind of medicine, but now it seems..."

Gongsun Lu'e's voice suddenly stopped, and the blood color on her delicate face faded, replaced by a paleness of fear, as if she had thought of some terrible possibility, and a trace of fear flashed in her beautiful eyes.

"Is it difficult...could it be..."

Gongsun Lu'e's voice stopped abruptly. Her voice was full of trembling and uncertainty. Her beautiful eyes became confused, as if she was frightened by the guess she was about to say. Her heartbeat accelerated, and a cold feeling rose from her spine, making her feel dizzy.

After saying this, Gongsun Lu'e fell silent. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

She couldn't continue to speak out that terrible guess, because that meant she would have to face a truth that could overturn her worldview. Her mind kept replaying the scene of the livestock being brought into the alchemy room and her father's mysterious and serious expression.

This incident made Gongsun Lue'e feel upset. Whenever she thought of the livestock she brought and then looked at the many crocodiles here, she already had the answer in her heart, but she was not willing to say more.

"Miss Gongsun, it seems that your father Gongsun Zhi is raising these crocodiles!!"

Xu Xingchen said lightly.

This sudden conclusion made Gongsun Lu'e feel dizzy, as if the truth had hit the most vulnerable part of her heart. A hint of fear flashed across her beautiful eyes, but more of it was disbelief.

She had never imagined that her father, the highly respected master of the valley, would have such a deep connection with these ferocious crocodiles.

"How can this be……"

Gongsun Lu'e's voice trembled, and her slender hands unconsciously clasped Xu Xingchen's arm, as if seeking support.

"Why does Daddy want to... raise these? Is it... some unspeakable secret?"

At this moment, in order to divert her attention, Gongsun Lu'e looked at the dark cave entrance in front of her and couldn't help feeling a little uneasiness in her heart. Her eyes revealed hesitation and worry, because the cave in front of her looked so eerie and terrifying.

It was like a portal to another world. Gongsun Lue'e could not imagine what kind of danger was hidden in the dark cave in front of her, and she didn't know whether she could deal with it.

"Mr. Xu, are we going in this way?"

Gongsun Lu'e's voice trembled slightly, and she tightly grasped the sleeve of Xu Xingchen beside her.

Hearing the voice, Xu Xingchen nodded. His eyes were firm and deep, as if he had seen through the unknown ahead. He turned to face Gongsun Lue'e and spoke softly with a steady and confident voice.

"That's right, follow me. I don't know if there are any ferocious beasts ahead. Be careful."

His words revealed an unquestionable determination, and every word was full of power, as if able to dispel all the haze ahead. At the same time, Xu Xingchen also expressed his vigilance against unknown dangers.

Remind Gongsun Lu'e to stay alert and be ready to deal with possible dangers at any time.

Afterwards, Xu Xingchen took Gongsun Lue'e with them, bent down, and walked carefully towards the depths of the cave.

They pressed their bodies against the cold cave wall, feeling the rough and hard texture of the rock surface, and tried not to make any sound. In such an unknown and potentially dangerous environment, every bit of caution was particularly important.

The footsteps of Xu Xingchen and Gongsun Lu'e echoed in the cave. These slight sounds seemed extremely abrupt in the quiet cave, forming a sharp contrast with the silence outside the cave.

Xu Xingchen and Gongsun Lue'e were extremely cautious in every step, fearing that one careless move would alert potential danger. As Xu Xingchen and Gongsun Lue'e went deeper into the cave.

The air around them became increasingly humid, as if water could be squeezed out of it. A foul and fishy smell filled the air, like a mixture of rotten fish and moldy plants, making people want to vomit.

The water from the crocodile pond seeps into the cave, making the cave wall slippery, as if it were coated with a thick layer of grease. Every step must be taken with extreme caution, as if one might fall if not careful.

Gongsun Lu'e couldn't help but frown, a trace of discomfort revealed on her pretty face. She covered her mouth and nose with her other slender hand, trying not to inhale too much of the polluted air.

Her steps became more cautious, for fear that she would accidentally slip and fall, which would have disastrous consequences.

Xu Xingchen noticed her discomfort and said softly.

"Miss Gongsun, hold on a little longer."

At this moment, Xu Xingchen and Gongsun Lu'e continued to move forward cautiously, taking every step very steadily. Their steps were light and slow, for fear of attracting any unnecessary attention.

Xu Xingchen's eyes flashed sharply in the darkness. With the support of his inner strength, his eyes were like an owl's, able to capture all subtle changes in the dim light.

He remained alert at all times, listening to every movement around him. Xu Xingchen had a keen sense of hearing and was able to distinguish the source and nature of every sound in the cave.

Because Xu Xingchen knew in his heart that in this strange place, any tiny clue could become the key to their survival. Therefore, Xu Xingchen did not dare to slack off at all and paid full attention to everything around him.

Suddenly, a faint sound came from the depths of the cave, breaking the silence around them. Although the sound was faint, it was like a stone thrown into a calm lake, causing ripples in the hearts of the two people.

Xu Xingchen and Gongsun Lue'e, both of them felt their hearts tense up instantly, as if they were being tightly grasped by an invisible hand. Xu Xingchen immediately stopped and his body tensed, like a bowstring ready to be shot at any time.

At the same time, Xu Xingchen signaled Gongsun Lu'e to stay still, his eyes serious and deep, as if he could penetrate the endless darkness and reach the source of the sound, ready to take quick action at any time and anywhere.

The two held their breath, tried to minimize their presence, listened carefully to the faint sound, and tried to distinguish its source and nature. The sound gradually became clear, and it seemed to be the crawling sound of some creature.

The sound echoed in the cave with an indescribable weirdness. It seemed to come from another world, low and long, making people think of some ancient legends and mysterious creatures.

This made Gongsun Lu'e feel uneasy, as if something was spying on them in the dark. She tightly grasped Xu Xingchen's arm with her slender hands, and the sweat on her palms revealed her inner fear.

Gongsun Lue'e's jade fingers trembled slightly, her eyes were full of worry, and her beautiful eyes looked at Xu Xingchen beside her, revealing a kind of prayer and dependence, as if she was seeking an answer, or a kind of comfort.