Chapter 568: 568: Strike First

Zhang Ke refused without hesitation, his tone icy: “I won’t tie the rope. Who knows if you’ll run away if I get into trouble? Just choose a gap between the trees when you get into the water.”

Su Man wanted to persuade him, but the look in Lu Yuwen’s eyes silenced her…

Zhang Ke was completely in control of the rhythm on the boat.

He instructed Su Man to retrieve the arrows from the water;

Lu Yuwen to prepare the short rope to bind the arrows;

When Su Man returned, he told her to inform him of the exact location of the arrows.

Su Man and Lu Yuwen complied obediently, following his command to the letter.

As the task of positioning the arrows required Zhang Ke to get into the water, some compromise was essential for cooperation.

Zhang Ke understood this well.

However, despite the complying attitudes of Su Man and Lu Yuwen, he still did not trust them. Before jumping into the water, he replaced the ordinary hemp rope with Mr. Dongguo’s rope.

One end was tied around his waist, and the other was knotted around Lu Yuwen’s wrist.

Lu Yuwen calmly suggested, “It’s better if you tie it to the boat. If something really happens, I’m afraid I won’t be much help to you.”

“Isn’t she also here?” Zhang Ke sneered at Su Man, “I believe she could abandon the boat, but she definitely won’t abandon you.”

Su Man gritted her teeth, seething internally.

“It seems you still don’t trust us,” Lu Yuwen calmly responded, sitting on the boat with his tied hands resting on the back of the front seat. “Even if I try to persuade you further, it would be seen as an excuse for escape. So, I will make only one request. Su Man must stay on the boat when you are in the water.”

“Are you afraid of dying?” Zhang Ke mocked, tightening the rope around his waist, “Don’t worry, I’ll untie you if we can get out of this damn place.”

After he finished speaking, he dove into the water.

With a splash, Zhang Ke submerged under the water.

Su Man, clearly annoyed, reluctantly watched the water surface before sitting down beside Lu Yuwen.

She loathed cooperating with someone like Zhang Ke.

He was selfish, ruthless, and would resort to any means to achieve his ends. He cruelly injured Lu Yuwen’s knee to prevent him from escaping. Who knows what he might do once they escaped the maze!

At this thought, she glanced at Lu Yuwen.

Lu Yuwen was calming himself in quiet meditation.

His peaceful demeanor reminded Su Man of Yan Qingwen… ah, how she longed for her teammates. She thirsted for their exit from this labyrinth.

Su Man prayed earnestly in her heart.

…

As time passed, the weather was fair and sunny.

Zhang Ke and Su Man took turns diving underwater – one to bind arrows, the other to locate them.

The short rope used for binding arrows was quickly diminishing on the boat.

After Zhang Ke had dived once again, Lu Yuwen told Su Man, “Next time you look for arrows, try to find ones farther and deeper.”

Su Man was taken aback, “You mean…”

“Yes, just as you thought.” Lu Yuwen nodded, “Xiao and Yang Zi were both killed because of me. After leaving the maze, Zhang Ke will certainly not let me go, nor untie the rope. We must make the first move.”

“How dare he?!” Su Man’s face darkened immediately.

Lu Yuwen found her expression amusing and explained, “Don’t underestimate him. Even though he can’t defeat you physically, he still has two items.”

Su Man asked, “What items?”

Lu Yuwen’s smile faded as he replied, “One is Mr. Dongguo’s wolf, and the other is Mr. Dongguo’s book, which was stolen from me. The former has strong attacking power, and the latter can negate the effectiveness of items. If you have any items, be careful.”

Su Man became cautious.

If things were as Lu Yuwen said, then this was indeed the best opportunity to kill Zhang Ke.

She was confident in dealing with Zhang Ke, but not so sure about dealing with Zhang Ke armed with items. If Zhang Ke lived until they escaped the maze, neither her nor Lu Yuwen would survive!

“I know what to do.” Su Man finally nodded slowly.