C29 The Snakes Are like the Tide

In that instant, everyone instinctively retreated.

To think there was a creature of such size in the ancient tomb—how had it survived, or more to the point... what was it?

Ouyang Derong's hands shook as he slowly lifted the high-powered flashlight.

The beam illuminated the pyramid, revealing a wolf as large as a tiger bathed in the circular glow of the incandescent light. The wolf, with its elongated fangs and blood-red eyes, fixed its gaze on Lin Hao and the group.

"A wolf here?" Elder Sun expressed his astonishment.

"No!" Ouyang Derong corrected, "This wolf is a statue, not a living being!"

"If it's not alive, then what moved just now...?"

Elder Sun's question hung in the air as everyone noticed the sudden appearance of numerous blood-red vipers on the altar. The snakes cascaded down like a flood, spreading out in every direction.

"It was these snakes that moved!" Lin Hao cried out, "Opening the tomb door changed the air inside, awakening these venomous serpents."

"What do we do now?" Qin Sisi asked, her voice laced with panic.

The sight of snakes could unnerve anyone, man or woman, sending shivers down their spine.

And these red snakes, spreading like a brushfire, with comb-like crests on their heads, seemed as if they'd leapt straight out of myth, like enchanted mountain spirits.

"We need to get out, now!" Lin Hao urged, his anxiety mounting.

The snakes were likely still groggy, their aggression minimal for the moment. But once they came to their senses, they would undoubtedly turn on Lin Hao and his companions.

After all, who wouldn't be irritable after being rudely awakened from a deep slumber?

The group was ready to leave when suddenly, the bronze door slammed shut as if alive, the heavy thud echoing ominously.

"What do we do now?"

"This is life-threatening! We need to find a way out, and fast!"

"Hey, you know how to open the door, don't you? Try to open it, now!"

"…"

The elders were thrown into disarray, frantic as ants on a hot surface, crowding desperately around Lin Hao.

"Back off, all of you!" Lin Hao bellowed, "What happened to the confidence you had earlier?"

"I'm telling you straight, I know how to get in through this door, but how to get out? Sorry... I'm clueless!"

Lin Hao wasn't kidding. He had been eyeing the door for a long while, and the monitor offered nothing beyond a brief history of the door—no clues on how to open it.

"No way!"

Elder Sun was terrified. He lunged forward, seizing Lin Hao by the collar. "If you know how to get in, then you must know the way out!"

"I don't care what your intentions are, but this is no time for jokes. Open the door now, and let us out!"

Lin Hao shoved him off. "What's gotten into you? I'm out of options. If you've got a solution, by all means, go ahead!"

"Are you out of your mind? I'm trapped here too. If I could leave, do you think I'd be standing here waiting to die?"

As Elder Sun looked ready to lunge again, Ouyang Derong quickly intervened, grabbing Elder Sun's arm. "Calm down, Old Sun. This is no time to lose our composure!"

"Hao's got a point. I've checked the door too—it's a one-way entrance. If we want to survive, we can't afford to waste more time. Let's find the next chamber's door. If there's no way out, we keep moving forward!"

Ouyang Derong's words caused Lin Hao to furrow his brow. He noticed that although Ouyang appeared somewhat flustered, he lacked the acute anxiety one would expect from a brush with death. His demeanor was oddly out of character.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's find that entrance, fast!" urged one of the elders.

Yet, the man who was quick to push them verbally stood still, not lifting a finger.

Lin Hao recognized him; he had a reputation for his expertise in authenticating antiques and calligraphy. His name was Li, possibly Li Cheng.

"So why are you still standing there? Get moving!" Lin Hao snapped.

He wasn't their father or their son. Why should he indulge these men?

The elders were visibly upset, puffing their cheeks and glaring, but ultimately, they were powerless to act.

Lin Hao knew better than to depend on those old-timers; if he did, he'd likely end up a frozen corpse.

He grabbed Qin Sisi's hand and steered her to the side.

"Stick with me if you want to live!" Lin Hao commanded.

Qin Sisi nodded, her eyes fixed on the cluster of snakes nearby.

The snakes seemed disoriented but were evidently aware of Lin Hao and company's presence.

The elders, cunning as they were, realized that following Lin Hao increased their chances of locating the entrance and escaping the venomous serpents' encirclement.

While they appeared to be scouring for the entrance, they were, in fact, inching closer to Lin Hao.

Lin Hao, observing this, kept his comments to himself. He scanned the area, with the monitor displaying a stream of information.

After a thorough search along the walls, he failed to find the entrance, which even set him on edge.

"Have you found it yet?" Qin Sisi inquired.

Lin Hao shook his head.

He was about to speak when he sensed an oddity in the surrounding light.

Turning, he saw the elders brandishing torches as if to fend off an attack.

"Damn these fools!"

Lin Hao's anger flared at the sight.

He snatched the torch from Elder Sun's grip, tossed it to the ground, and stomped it out.

"What on earth are you doing?" Elder Sun demanded, fuming.

Lin Hao shot him a furious look. "If you're keen on dying, that's your prerogative, but don't drag us down with you!"

"Snakes are cold-blooded; they're highly sensitive to heat. They can't see clearly in the wild, relying instead on thermal sensing!"

"Are you lighting those torches because you want them to snap out of their stupor faster, or because you think they can't spot you?"

The old men, jolted by Lin Hao's rebuke, quickly discarded their torches and extinguished the flames.

Just then, Qin Sisi tugged at Lin Hao's clothing.

He turned to face her.

She pointed behind Lin Hao, her voice shaking as she said, "Look behind you…"

Lin Hao felt a sudden jolt of alarm and turned around anxiously.

The sight that met their eyes sent shivers down everyone's spine. A mass of snakes slithered slowly towards them, flicking their tongues menacingly and emitting eerie noises, as if in a display of intimidation. It was the kind of scene that would startle anyone upon first glance.