"Well, that just saved us the demolition fee," Ye Chenfeng remarked with satisfaction, clapping his hands. Oh, I'm such a genius, he thought proudly.
Ke Luan wiped the water from his forehead, watching with mild exasperation. Shouldn't we investigate first? Young Master Ye really does jump straight to action.
When the smoke cleared, the ground floor had vanished, replaced by a gaping hole. Ye Chenfeng approached, surprised by his handiwork. Wait, was my Fiery Fist really that powerful? He shook his head. No way! That thing is definitely down there.
For good measure, he unleashed another triple Fiery Fist before jumping down into the darkness below.
"Captain! Young Master Ye went straight in—what should we do?" Zhao Fei asked, panicking as he watched Ye disappear into the pit.
Ke Luan shrugged helplessly and followed. As the others dove in one by one, Zhao Fei was left alone, looking nervously at the dark forest surrounding them. Goosebumps rose on his skin. No way I'm leaving Master Ye behind, he thought. "Here I come!" And with that, he leapt in after the others.
As Ye Chenfeng landed, he ignited flames in his hands to illuminate the surroundings. In the dark, his priority was to prevent any sneak attacks. Fiery Fist x3! He unleashed a barrage of fire into the shadows, revealing more of the cave's murky interior. Is that… water? he wondered, hearing it ripple in the darkness. When he looked down, he realized he was standing in a shallow, inky pool.
Curiously, he scooped some of it up. Black water? Ye Chenfeng thought, frowning. Am I in an advanced-level area? But he brushed off the thought. So what? I'm at the peak of intermediate Ice and Fire magic. Plus, with my speed, I can outrun almost anything here.
A low, eerie moan from deeper in the cave interrupted his thoughts. Squinting, he saw a figure moving toward him, drawn by the firelight.
"Who are you? How did you end up in this black pool?" he asked.
"Cough, cough," came the reply, and as the figure emerged, Ye Chenfeng saw she was a young woman, soaked through and clearly exhausted.
She's… actually pretty cute, he thought, noticing the way her wet clothes clung to her. But he enlarged the flame cautiously, keeping his guard up. "I… I'm Yingsu. I was… thrown in here," she said weakly, meeting his questioning gaze.
"Thrown in?" Ye Chenfeng asked, skeptical. "There was an explosion just now—I saw a flash of red light!" she explained.
Wait, Ye Chenfeng thought, was that my attack that brought her here?
"Really? Well, you should be careful next time." He looked her over with an indifferent gaze, trying to ignore the strange mix of curiosity and suspicion she stirred in him.
Just then, Ke Luan and the others arrived, with Ke Luan giving Yingsu a wary glance. What is that?! he thought, uneasy.
Standing beside him, Zhao Fei whispered, "Boss, what… what's up with her?" Though Yingsu was undeniably attractive, something about her made them instinctively recoil.
"All right, everyone head back. I'll take care of this," Ye Chenfeng ordered, glancing at Yingsu, noticing a faint sadness in her expression.
Ke Luan scratched his head. "So… no investigation, then?"
"Just take everyone in the factory and let them recuperate," Ye Chenfeng replied. Then, with a small smirk, he added, "Paid vacation."
He couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy at the thought. Man, I've never had such legendary treatment myself.