si-mexico Chapter 204 Disheartened
Chapter 204 Disheartened
The sound of metal colliding was getting closer and closer, accompanied by rude shouting and laughter, Gao Xingchen and Nan Li's hearts were in their throats. They exchanged glances and saw uneasiness in each other's eyes.
"Someone is here!" Gao Xingchen whispered, signaling Nan Li to hide behind the boulder. He clenched the dagger in his hand, which was their last weapon for self-defense.
The noise was getting closer and closer, and a group of ragged bandits holding swords and knives appeared in front of them. The leader was a burly man with a face full of flesh and a hideous scar on his left cheek. He was the notorious owner of the Ma Village in this area.
"Hahaha, it seems that God still favors me, Ma, and lets me find a treasure in this remote place!" The leader of Ma Village saw the strange pattern engraved on the huge rock behind Gao Xingchen and Nan Li at a glance. He knew that behind this pattern, there might be a shocking treasure hidden.
Gao Xingchen protected Nan Li behind him calmly, looked at the head of Ma Village with cold eyes, and said in a deep voice: "My friend, we just strayed into this place by mistake, and we have no intention of competing with you for anything."
"Stop talking nonsense!" A skinny and monkey-like henchman beside the Ma village chief shouted, "Get out of here if you know what's best for you, or don't blame us for being ruthless with our swords!"
"We were the first to discover the things here!" Nan Li walked out from behind Gao Xingchen, saying in a cold tone, "If you want to steal them, it depends on whether you have the ability to do so!"
"Oh, you're such a hot chick!" Village Chief Ma stared at Nan Li with lustful eyes, his greedy gaze wandering over her body. "As long as you behave, I promise to make sure you have delicious food and drinks!"
"Looking for death!" Nan Li's eyes turned cold, and suddenly a dagger flashing with cold light appeared in his hand, and he aimed it directly at the face of the leader of Ma Village.
The leader of Ma Village obviously didn't expect Nan Li to attack so quickly. He was caught off guard and could only dodge backwards in embarrassment.
"You bitch, if you don't accept my toast, you'll have to drink a penalty!" The leader of Ma Village became furious and with a command, the surrounding bandits rushed forward and surrounded Gao Xingchen and Nan Li.
A melee inevitably broke out. Although Gao Xingchen was unarmed, he was agile and responsive, and managed to fend off the attacks of several gangsters. However, two fists were no match for four hands, and he soon fell behind.
Although Nan Li was skilled in martial arts, he was outnumbered and gradually began to lose strength. At this moment, the village chief Ma suddenly pulled out a hidden weapon from his arms and shot it at Nan Li!
"Be careful!" Gao Xingchen shouted and rushed towards Nan Li desperately, using his body to block the fatal attack.
"Puff!" The hidden weapon pierced deeply into Gao Xingchen's shoulder, and blood instantly dyed his clothes red.
"Gao Xingchen!" Nan Li exclaimed, and hurriedly supported the staggering Gao Xingchen, her eyes full of worry and self-blame.
"I'm fine..." Gao Xingchen endured the severe pain and wanted to comfort Nan Li, but suddenly he felt dizzy, his eyes went dark, and he passed out...
Gao Xingchen staggered through the dark ruins carrying the unconscious Nan Li on his back. His clothes were soaked with sweat, and the wound on his shoulder was aching slightly from the intense exercise. But he didn't dare to stop, because he knew that in this dangerous place, stopping would mean death.
Nan Li's breathing was weak and her body was cold. Gao Xingchen's heart seemed to be tightly grasped by an invisible hand. Every breath was accompanied by unspeakable pain. He kept telling himself to hold on and to find a way out to take Nan Li away from this hellhole.
The passages of the ruins were intricate and complex, like a maze, and Gao Xingchen could only rely on the weak firelight and intuition to grope his way forward. The surroundings were terribly quiet, with only his heavy footsteps and heavy breathing echoing, adding to the oppression and fear.
"Ahem..." Nanli suddenly coughed a few times. Gao Xingchen's heart tightened. He quickly stopped and gently put her down. He asked anxiously, "Nanli, how are you? What's wrong with you?"
Nan Li slowly opened her eyes, looked at Gao Xingchen with a dazed look, and said weakly: "I... I'm fine... just a little cold..."
Gao Xingchen took off his coat and put it on Nanli, then held her tightly in his arms, hoping to warm her cold body with his body temperature.
“I’m sorry…” Nan Li’s voice was as weak as a mosquito’s hum, “It’s all my fault… I got you into trouble…”
"Don't talk nonsense. Didn't we agree to face it together?" Gao Xingchen's voice trembled a little. He tried hard to hold back the tears in his eyes. "Don't worry, I will definitely take you out!"
After a short rest, they set out on their journey again. However, Nanli's injury forced them to slow down, and the dangers in the ruins became more and more numerous.
They encountered attacks by poisonous insects, nearly fell into hidden traps, and were even chased by a group of unknown creatures. Every crisis was like a huge rock, pressing them so hard that they could not breathe, and the flame of hope became weaker and weaker.
"Gao Xingchen, are we...are we unable to get out?" Nan Li's voice was filled with despair, and her eyes were dim, as if she had lost all hope.
Gao Xingchen looked at the woman in front of him who was once high-spirited, cold and sharp, but now became so fragile and helpless. His heart felt like it was being cut by a knife.
"No, we will definitely be able to get out!" Gao Xingchen held Nan Li's hand tightly and said in a firm tone, but he himself was not sure. They were like wild beasts trapped in a cage, and they saw no hope of escape.
In order to find water, Gao Xingchen had to place Nanli in a relatively safe place again and stepped into the dark unknown alone. However, fate seemed to play a cruel joke on them. During the search for water, Gao Xingchen accidentally stepped on empty space and fell into a bottomless trap...
Gao Xingchen's body fell rapidly in the air, the wind whistled in his ears, and darkness appeared in front of his eyes. He subconsciously stretched out his hand, trying to grab something, but he only grabbed a handful of cold air.
"boom!"
With a loud bang, Gao Xingchen fell heavily to the ground. The severe pain made his eyes go black and he almost fainted. He struggled to get up, but found that his body seemed to be falling apart and he had no strength at all.
"Damn it!" Gao Xingchen gritted his teeth, his heart filled with regret and self-blame. He shouldn't have left Nanli alone there to find water. If something happened to him, what would happen to Nanli?
Gao Xingchen endured the severe pain and climbed up from the ground. He looked around with the weak light. This was a small space, surrounded by hard stone walls, with only a narrow passage leading to the unknown darkness.
"Nanli! Where are you?" Gao Xingchen shouted loudly, his voice echoed in the empty trap, but there was no response.
Gao Xingchen's heart sank to the bottom. He knew he had to find Nan Li as soon as possible, otherwise the consequences would be disastrous. He dragged his injured body forward step by step. Every step he took was like walking on the edge of a knife, and the pain was unbearable.
After an unknown amount of time, Gao Xingchen finally returned to Nan Li's side. However, the scene before him was like a thunderbolt.
Nan Li's face was as pale as paper, her lips were purple, her breath was weak, and her clear eyes were dim. Gao Xingchen hurried forward, hugged Nan Li in his arms, and asked anxiously: "Nan Li, what's wrong with you? Hang on, I will definitely take you out!"
Nan Li opened her eyes weakly and looked at Gao Xingchen. The corners of her mouth slightly raised, revealing a bitter smile: "Don't... don't waste your energy... I... I can't do it anymore..."
"No, no! You will be fine!" Gao Xingchen's eyes were moist. He frantically circulated the internal energy in his body, trying to heal Nan Li, but found that her injuries had deteriorated to the extreme and were beyond his control.
Despair surged into Gao Xingchen's heart like a tide. He hugged Nan Li tightly, tears streaming down his face uncontrollably.
Just when Gao Xingchen was about to give up, he suddenly felt a weak energy wave coming from not far away. He raised his head and looked in the direction of the energy wave, and found that there was a hidden cave on the stone wall.
The entrance to this cave is very hidden, and if you don't look carefully, you can't find it at all. Gao Xingchen felt a glimmer of hope in his heart. He held Nan Li and walked to the entrance of the cave with difficulty. A powerful force seemed to be calling them.
"Nanli, hold on a little longer, we may still have hope!" Gao Xingchen took a deep breath and walked into the cave holding Nanli...