Chapter 361: Defects

Translator: 549690339

“Let me give it a try!”

Impatient, Su Man took the key from her, poking it back and forth into the lock, twisting it left and right–

But it wouldn’t budge.

“Could this key…be a fake?” Zhu Shu asked hesitantly.

Yu Yaqing’s face darkened instantly, “He tricked me!”

“Don’t panic, there might be usage restrictions.” Bai Youwei said calmly, “Let’s try again when daylight comes.”

“That’s a possibility.” Zhu Shu nodded in agreement to Bai Youwei’s words, “Just like Bluebeard’s dungeon, it can’t be entered at night, only during the day. We shouldn’t be discouraged; let’s try again tomorrow.”

Yu Yaqing, somewhat appeased by their logic, nodded her head they said, “Alright, let’s try again tomorrow.”

Then, Bai Youwei leisurely added, “Besides conditions, there might be another reason.”

Yu Yaqing cast her a doubtful look: “What reason?”

Bai Youwei casually said, “You mentioned earlier…the fewer the number of survivors, the more substantial the prize. If only one bride is left, she will receive a sevenfold reward. Regardless of the truth of the gardener’s words, as long as someone believes it, they might hide the true key to prevent us from advancing.”

Yu Yaqing froze, “You mean…someone among us…has hidden the real key?”

She cast her eyes over everyone present… Su Man, Zhu Shu, Bai Youwei, and … Hu Ya.

As Hu Ya met Yu Yaqing’s gaze, she instantly became flustered: “I didn’t…I didn’t take the key! Maybe they took it!”

Pointing at Zhu Shu, then at Bai Youwei!

“They’re both so cunning! They’re the ones who must’ve hidden the key!”

“Enough, stop shouting.” Bai Youwei flicked her eyelids, somewhat irritated, “You’re giving me a headache. Regardless, we will know what’s going on by tomorrow.”

Yu Yaqing thought for a moment and said, “You can return to your rooms, I want to go to the basement again.”

“You’re going alone?” Su Man said, “I’ll go with you.”

Zhu Shu hesitated for a while, “Then I’ll go too…”

Reluctantly Bai Youwei said, “Alright, alright, since we’re all going, let’s go.”

The women headed for the basement.

Hu Ya bit her lip and followed them.

The basement was gloomy and cold.

They ignited the torches on the walls and reached the end of the cage.

The passage was still there.

Warm air was flowing out of the passage.

Yu Yaqing bent over and crawled in. After a while, Su Man followed her into the passage.

It was expected to take a while, but unexpectedly, they both crawled back out after a short time, drenched in sweat, their faces flushed.

“It’s too hot, we can’t go in.” Yu Yaqing shook her head at them, “The original exit is blocked by a metal brazier, and now there’s a fire burning there, full of red-hot charcoals.”

“We can only wait until daylight when the fireplace has cooled before we can enter.” Su Man sighed, “Let’s go…”

A shrill scream suddenly echoed from the passage.

Everyone jumped in fright.

Everyone looked involuntarily at the dark opening, thinking about Cheng Xi’s current predicament, a chill ran up from their feet, causing their hair to stand on end.

One after another, the fluctuating cries, eerie and terrible, faintly mingled with Zhao Lanfen’s crying…

At the other end of the passage, it seemed like a human hell.

“Don’t listen anymore.” said Su Man with a grim face, “It’s all fake! Cheng Xi and Zhao Lanfen are already dead, it’s the Duke trying to scare us!”

Zhu Shu’s face also turned pale as she slowly said, “This is a women-only challenge, all the difficulties are targeting women’s weaknesses, we can’t fall for it.”

Fragility, timidity, sensitivity, suspicion, and jealousy!

These insignificant flaws, right now, might cost them their lives!