Chapter 147: The Pattern

Fang Mu possessed an exceptionally strong associative ability. In his past life, he had seen a picture featuring two pigeons hanging above and a dead sheep lying below.

At that very glance, Fang Mu had grasped the meaning of the image instantly.

The moss before him formed the shape of a bridge, with two parallel straight lines positioned just beneath it, which naturally brought the character for "river" to mind. However, it remained unclear what the short line within this "river" represented.

Fish? Or perhaps water weeds?

The short line was too vague for Fang Mu to distinguish.

Once this was completed, the stone wall underwent a miraculous transformation, suddenly emitting a golden radiance.

A look of vigilance crossed Gray Seventy's face as he retreated swiftly, simultaneously grabbing Yellow Ninety to use him as a human shield.

Yellow Ninety: "..."

It was only at this moment that Yellow Ninety understood why Gray Seventy had spared his life earlier.

If he could, Yellow Ninety would have cursed aloud.

Being kept alive was supposed to be an asset? An asset my foot!

Judging by how practiced that movement was, Gray Seventy had clearly intended to use him as a meat shield all along.

The golden light gradually dissipated, leaving behind no other abnormalities.

When the golden radiance completely vanished, the true appearance of the stone wall was revealed.

There was no longer any stone wall ahead; the former dead end had been replaced by a pitch-black cavern, from which the faint sound of wind could be heard echoing.

Upon closer listening, one could discern that it was not the sound of wind at all, but rather the subtle weeping of ghosts. Because it was so faint, it merely sounded like the wind.

Fang Mu stood outside, seeing nothing within the cave save for impenetrable darkness.

Gray Seventy shoved Yellow Ninety and said harshly, "You go in first."

Since his intentions had already been exposed, he no longer bothered to conceal them, stating his purpose bluntly and directly.

Yellow Ninety shuddered. Evidently, being forced to act as the vanguard terrified him.

After all, no one knew what lurked inside the Vajra Bridge. One might encounter endless attacks immediately upon entering, or it might prove entirely safe.

Seeing that Yellow Ninety refused to budge, Gray Seventy let out a cold snort and brandished the prayer beads in his hand.

Golden light flooded the cavern once more, filling the space with a faint killing intent.

"Don't! Don't do it yet!" Yellow Ninety's eyes darted around. Gesturing toward Fang Mu, he blurted out quickly, "You can have him go! His strength is the lowest among us; let him be the vanguard first. Think about it—my power is greater, so I'll be much more useful further back."

Fang Mu's mouth twitched. Yellow Ninety lacked any notable talents, but his ability to shift blame onto others was truly remarkable.

After those words fell, the cavern lapsed into a deep silence.

Fang Mu pressed a hand to his waist, where nothing could be seen.

Having cast the Disguise Technique, everything before him had changed, making his waist appear completely empty. In reality, a formidable butcher's knife was concealed right there.

The moment Gray Seventy insisted on sending him in to scout ahead, these two men would instantly lose their utility.

Since the cave entrance was already open, killing them made no difference.

Initially, Gray Seventy's actions had caused Fang Mu to temporarily set that thought aside, as the two men could serve as convenient meat shields.

However, if a meat shield decided to rebel, there was no need to keep them alive.

Gray Seventy shook his head and said, "No, I want you to go, because I simply dislike the look of you."

Fang Mu lowered his hand, holding off on his attack for the moment.

Gray Seventy had no idea that this single choice had just bought him a little more time to live.

Hearing Gray Seventy's verdict, Yellow Ninety's face turned ashen.

Glancing at the prayer beads emitting golden light, Yellow Ninety weighed his options and ultimately decided he had no choice but to act as the vanguard.

Refusing meant certain death, whereas going in at least offered a sliver of hope for survival. Yellow Ninety might be foolish, but he was not stupid; such a simple choice was well within his capacity to make.

Gray Seventy stepped aside, gesturing for Yellow Ninety to lead the way.

Gazing into the pitch-black cavern, Yellow Ninety swallowed hard, gritted his teeth, hardened his expression, and stepped across the threshold.

The darkness at the entrance seemed almost liquid. The moment Yellow Ninety crossed over, it enveloped him completely.

In the blink of an eye, Yellow Ninety vanished without a trace.

Silence descended upon the cavern once more, neither of them speaking.

A moment later, Yellow Ninety's voice echoed from within: "It's fine! It's very safe inside. Hurry up and come in."

Gray Seventy sneered. "Step back out first."

Fang Mu frowned slightly. Gray Seventy truly was exceptionally crafty.

Without knowing the true situation inside, should Yellow Ninety have run into danger, he might easily be lying to lure them into a mutual destruction pact.

To take a step back, even if it were safe inside, what if Yellow Ninety was lying in wait to launch a fatal ambush the moment they entered?

Regardless of the scenario, the safest course of action was to make him come out first.

The darkness at the cave entrance rippled slightly, and Yellow Ninety squeezed his way back out.

Gray Seventy reached out, seized Yellow Ninety by the throat, and strode directly through the entrance, leaving Fang Mu behind in the outer cave.

Without hesitation, Fang Mu followed and stepped across as well.

Ghost One and Ah Bai, hiding in the shadows, exchanged glances. Under Ghost One's concealment, they too slipped through the entrance.

Once everyone had crossed over, the cave entrance began to shrink rapidly, vanishing entirely in the blink of an eye.

...

Inside the cavern.

Upon stepping through, Fang Mu's foot struck solid ground, which starkly contrasted with his expectations.

He had imagined the interior would be filled with bizarre objects or countless lurking horrors, never anticipating it to be this secure upon entry.

Lifting his gaze, Fang Mu found himself standing upon a passageway.

The walls on either side were made of stone, and the floor underfoot was paved with solid rock, forming a sharp contrast with the damp cavern outside.

"Boom!"

Gray Seventy raised his prayer beads, illuminating the surroundings with golden light and revealing the environment.

Taking in the surrounding stone walls, Fang Mu felt a slight jolt in his heart.

Unlike the exterior walls covered in damp moss, the walls inside the cave were carved with intricate patterns.

Approaching the stone wall, Gray Seventy stared at the carvings and said in astonishment, "This records the life of that eminent monk. It seems this truly is the Vajra Bridge."

With that, Gray Seventy produced an aged book and began walking along the passageway.

As he walked, he chanted aloud, reading the exact text inscribed in the book.

[A famine broke out; the eminent monk provided relief to six hundred and eighty-one refugees.]

[Bandits ran rampant; the eminent monk led his disciples to eradicate one hundred and forty-eight evildoers.]

[A plague struck; the eminent monk tested the medicine upon himself to heal the world.]

...

Listening to Gray Seventy's recitation, Fang Mu grew increasingly astonished.

Based on this account, this eminent monk was truly a holy figure, seemingly dedicated entirely to acts of benevolence from start to finish.

As Gray Seventy walked, he suddenly halted before a particular carving!

"Floods raged; the eminent monk led the people of Vajra Temple to combat the flood. Yes, it is this exact pattern."

Gray Seventy struggled to conceal his excitement, looking as though he had just struck gold!