Chapter Fifty-One: I've Got Plenty of Money

Amid a torrent of frenzied curses, a crowd surged forward. Su Ye frowned at the sound; despite the hoarse, grating voices, he could still distinguish Zhou Yuyang and his group, especially the all-too-familiar tone of Song Chenxin. Under the faint moonlight, beams from several flashlights swept by, glaring directly into Su Ye and his companions’ faces, forcing them to shield their eyes with their hands.

“Damn it, how are they still fine? Quick, where’s the water? The food? And the antidotes!” Zhou Yuyang rushed to the front, so unsteady he could barely remain upright.

Su Ye’s anger flared, but upon seeing Zhou Yuyang and the others, he was taken aback and suppressed his urge to lash out. Their appearance was truly wretched.

These sons and daughters of wealth, who had arrived in glamorous clothes and adorned with gold and silver—some even sporting stylish sunglasses, like celebrities on an outdoor adventure—were now utterly unrecognizable. Each was disheveled and filthy, their hair and faces smeared with grime. Yet, these were trivial details compared to the heavy, metallic stench of blood that clung to every one of them.

A few were so weak they needed support, and some were swathed in bandages wrapped multiple times around their limbs. Worse still, their skin was red and swollen in many places, crisscrossed with fresh scratches, as if they’d just endured a brutal ordeal. Clearly, they were poisoned.

By contrast, Su Ye and his small group appeared clean and robust, their spirits unbroken.

Li Haoxuan, seeing his chance, dashed forward with his backpack, ingratiating himself with a servile cry, “Brother Yang, you’ve been through so much! I have everything here, all for you! Please let me join your team this time! We have plenty—yes, yes, take it all, just leave me a single pill, alright, fine, take everything.”

His backpack was snatched away at once, leaving him standing awkwardly, watching his supplies disappear with obvious regret. Undeterred, he quickly darted back to seize the packs of his two companions and presented those as well to Zhou Yuyang’s group.

Now only Su Ye and Mu Xia’s backpacks remained.

Zhou Yuyang, Song Chenxin, and Chen He devoured antidotes and food as if starved for days, bandaging their wounds as they stuffed their mouths. A few girls started sobbing as they ate.

From a distance, Su Ye watched without much sympathy or pity. He was no saint. Since these so-called prodigies had chosen to come here, they had only themselves to blame.

“You two, bring your backpacks here,” Zhou Yuyang barked, gulping his food, his expression menacing in the stark flashlight beams.

“How laughable,” Su Ye sneered coldly. He had no intention of groveling like Li Haoxuan.

Mu Xia’s voice was equally firm. “Zhou Yuyang, what kind of attitude is that? These are our supplies—are you planning to just take them by force?”

“So what if I am? If you won’t hand them over, I’ll beat you until you do!” Zhou Yuyang roared, with Song Chenxin, Chen He, and others closing in behind him.

Su Ye clenched his fists, sparks of lightning crackling between his fingers. He said darkly, “You’re courting death—”

Mu Xia quickly stepped in front of him, her voice trembling with emotion. “What do you think you’re doing? Zhou Yuyang, I dare you to lay a hand on us! When I get back, I’ll have my family demand an explanation from yours.”

Zhou Yuyang stopped abruptly, sneered, and swept his eyes over them. “You just don’t know what’s good for you. We’ve had an accident and need your medicine—name your price. Money’s no object to me!”

Mu Xia’s cheeks flamed with anger. “Show off all you like, it means nothing to me! If I wasn’t moved by pity, you wouldn’t get a single thing from us. And you think you can bully us?”

Li Haoxuan interjected loudly, “Enough, Mu Xia! Have you been brainwashed by Su Ye? How long have we known Brother Yang and the others? We barely know Su Ye! What’s wrong with sharing our supplies? When we go down to the cave, we’ll need Brother Yang to lead us. Don’t you get it?”

Mu Xia ground her teeth in fury, shocked by Li Haoxuan’s craven betrayal.

Su Ye shook his head in quiet dismay. They had faced so many dangers together, yet Li Haoxuan betrayed them without a moment’s hesitation.

Just then, a few girls at the back of the group approached, tears streaming down their faces. “Mu Xia, please give us the antidote! We ran into so many terrifying things, even monsters, and lost all our supplies. If I don’t get the antidote, I’ll die. Please, can you spare some?”

“Yes, Mu Xia, Su Ye, please give me some food. I haven’t eaten for a whole day and night. Yesterday at noon, I almost ate leaves. I got separated from the others and want to go back to find them.”

A look of pity crossed Mu Xia’s face. Even though Zhou Yuyang was despicable and Li Haoxuan disgusting, she couldn’t bear to let others die.

“How did you get separated? So many are missing—where did they go?” Mu Xia asked, then handed her backpack to the girls.

One of them, sobbing, explained, “I don’t know. There were thirty-six of us at first, but after running into those beasts and with so many poisoned, Zhou Yuyang led everyone in a rush to escape. People disappeared as we ran. I’m so scared. If only I’d gone with you—we’re all injured, but you’re not hurt at all. I think my wrist is dislocated; it still hurts so much…”

As she spoke, many turned to Su Ye and Mu Xia, their eyes filled with envy and regret. If only they had followed Su Ye, would they be suffering now?

Zhou Yuyang, incensed, barked, “All you know how to do is cry! I shouted at everyone to keep up. If they couldn’t, it’s not my problem. Should we all have stayed behind to die? I’m here to find the Cold Feast Clam, nothing else!”

Li Haoxuan beamed, eager for praise. “Brother Yang, we’ve already found a way down! Tomorrow morning, we can go. Su Ye, what are you looking at? We discovered the path together—who I tell is no concern of yours!”

Su Ye clenched his fists, swept a cold gaze over the group, then turned and walked away. This time, he would face the dangers alone.

Mu Xia called after him twice, but receiving no reply, she sighed and quickly led the other girls away to tend their wounds in a secluded spot.

Su Ye found a place to sit, checked his backpack, and discarded anything unnecessary. He needed to travel light—he would have to carry clamshells on the way back. He also realized he had become the group’s enemy once more, and that nothing ahead would be easy.

Time passed slowly. Exhausted and famished, Zhou Yuyang’s group quickly settled down to rest. Now and then, someone groaned in pain, but most remained silent.

At six the next morning, Su Ye was the first to rise and stretch. Glancing at Zhou Yuyang’s group sprawled in disarray, he said nothing and headed for the entrance near the rocks.

In the early morning, the vast cave presented a different kind of beauty. This time, Su Ye examined the descent more carefully. Not only was there a steel cable leading downward, but also two straps, each the width of three fingers—like those used by construction workers, already soaked and darkened by mud. These were easy to miss.

There were also strange, man-made steps carved into the cliff, their surfaces worn smooth.

“It seems previous teams used this very route.”

With boldness, Su Ye pulled on his gloves, gripped the steel cable, and clamped his shoes tight, sliding downward.

He zipped down some ten meters before bracing himself and landing on the steps. He had practiced this kind of descent at the spiritual energy academy, so his heart was steady, unafraid.

Looking down, he saw that the cave floor, once flooded, now showed only shallow streams, the water reflecting a riot of colors in breathtaking beauty.

Inspired by the sight, Su Ye slid swiftly downward, the six or seven hundred meters vanishing beneath him as he reached the cave floor.

With a splash, his feet touched down on the water’s surface at the bottom of the vast cavern…