Chapter 19 – The underground old lady, Part 5
He then sent the gown forward.
Gongsun Lu E clenched her teeth and pushed out with her feet against the rock face; her body flew up into the air and she heard the noise from the flapping gown and stretched out her hands towards it. Her right hand grabbed the lower half of the gown but her left hand grabbed thin air. As soon as Yang Guo felt his arm go heavy, he immediately swung the gown towards the cave. He was afraid that she would slip so he quickly leapt over to her and lightly grabbed her waist, holding her steadily by the cave entrance.
Gongsun Lu E was delighted and called out; “Brother Yang that was a great idea.”
Yang Guo laughed, “We don’t know what kind of vicious beasts are hiding in this passageway; we’ll just let fate decide.” He then bent his body and went into the cave.
Lu E handed the dagger to Yang Guo and said, “You take it.” Yang Guo gave her the gown and she covered her body with it.
The cave was extremely narrow; the two of them could only go through it on their hands and knees. The dampness from the crocodile pool caused the cave floor to be damp and slippery and the stench was extremely unpleasant.
Yang Guo crawled along and laughed, “This morning we were enjoying the beauty of the Passion Flowers; flowers were everywhere, birds were singing and we were surrounded by fragrant scents. After just a few hours the scenery has changed to this; I really have caused you great trouble.”
Lu E said, “How can it be blamed on you?”
After crawling along for a while, the passageway gradually became higher and they were able to walk along it. They walked for a very long time but still they did not reach the end. The ground became flatter and flatter.
Yang Guo laughed, “Looks like our bitter experience is turning to joy; we’re slowly reaching safety.”
Lu E sighed and said, “Brother Yang, I know you’re not feeling in the best of spirits, but you don’t have to try to cheer me up…” Before she finished her words, there was a sudden laugh from the left up ahead, “Ha-ha, ha-ha, ha-ha!”
What they heard just now was definitely laughter but it sounded sad; within the ‘ha-ha ha-ha’ sound there was mourning and sorrow. Yang Guo and Gongsun Lu E had never heard a sound like this. It didn’t sound like calls or laughter. There was also the fact that they were deep down in a cave in complete darkness and weren’t prepared for such a noise. This was much more frightening than coming upon some kind of vicious beast. Though Yang Guo was brave, he couldn’t stop himself from jumping; his head bumped into the roof of the cave painfully.
Gongsun Lu E was so scared that she broke out in a cold sweat with goose bumps all over and hugged his legs.
The two of them didn’t know what to do; they didn’t dare to advance or retreat.
Lu E whispered, “Is it a ghost?” She said these words very quietly; but after these words the same voice called out, “Yes, I’m a ghost, I’m a ghost, ha-ha, ha-ha!”
Yang Guo thought, “Since they called themselves a ghost, this person isn’t one.” So he said loudly, “I am Yang Guo, and along with me is Miss Gongsun. The two of us have run into some danger and we’re just trying to find a way to escape it; we have no ill intentions…”
That person interrupted, “Miss Gongsun? What Miss Gongsun?”
Yang Guo said, “The daughter of Valley Master Gongsun, Gongsun Lu E.” No further sound came; it was as if that person had suddenly disappeared without a trace.
When that person was howling out with their cry that wasn’t a cry and a laugh that wasn’t a laugh, the two of them were extremely frightened. But they were even more frightened after this sudden silence in the darkness; the two of them clung to each other, not daring to make a single move.
After a long time, the person suddenly shouted out, “What Valley Master Gongsun; is it Gongsun Zhi?” The words were filled with anger but they could now clearly tell it was a woman’s voice.
Gongsun Lu E plucked up her courage and said, “My father’s name is indeed Zhi, does Old Senior know my father?”
The person chuckled coldly and said, “Do I know him? Ha-ha, do I know him?” Lu E did not dare to interrupt and just kept silent.
After a while, the person shouted, “What’s your name?”
Lu E said, “Junior’s name is Lu E, the Lu (green) as in red and green, E (calyx) as in the calyx of a flower.”
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