Chapter 37: Chapter 37: In the Next Life, I Will Serve You as a Horse or Ox
 

After a brief moment of shock, everyone screamed in alarm.

“The cave has collapsed! The cave has collapsed!”

In the pitch-dark, the crowd huddled together and rushed to the buried entrance, frantically beating against the stone walls.

Cries, shouts, and the horrific screams emitted during the trampling interwove, instantly turning this cave into a living hell.

Guan Yidao commanded the government officials to light a torch and then whipped them into order, finally managing to control the chaos!

Yet still, some were sobbing uncontrollably, others were madly pounding the ground.

“We’re going to die! We’re going to die! We can’t get out!”

“I want to get out, I don’t want to die!”

“Let me out!”

After a long while, the people gradually ceased their desperate actions, but they turned their resentful gaze towards Qi Yue.

“It’s all because of you, if you had just killed that Qian at the start, none of this would have happened.”

“Yes, Miss Qi, for your own selfish desires, you allowed Qian Faliang to live until now and doomed us all!”

“Qi Yue, it’s all your fault, let me out quickly.”

“Let us out!”

“…”

They shouted as they crowded towards Qi Yue, their eyes hollow and crazed under the light of the fire.

Suddenly, Shen Yu rushed out, stood in front of Qi Yue, and shouted loudly, “You heartless creatures, what right do you have to demand Qi Yue to do this and that!”

She pointed her hand among the crowd.

“You, and you, and you, haven’t each one of you been tortured by Qian Faliang? Without Qi Yue, could you have lived until today?”

“You people, weren’t you crying at night wanting to die, now wouldn’t death suit your wishes!”

Pointed out by Shen Yu, a group of men were instantly petrified.

Back then, when humiliated by Qian Faliang, they surely had to maintain some dignity.

But today…

Shen Yu didn’t understand this mindset, but Qi Yue did.

She didn’t speak but slowly drew out the firewood chopping knife from her bosom.

Under the torchlight, the firewood chopping knife shone brilliantly, instantly making the encroaching crowd take three steps back!

“If anyone else has an issue with me, feel free to come at me, and I assure you will be the first to die.”

Qi Yue’s voice was as cold as ice, and the crowd, as if they suddenly recalled their lost memories, hastily retreated.

They remembered.

Qi Yue had used this firewood chopping knife to instantly overturn Qian Faliang’s six lackeys.

She could also use poison!

It would make their lives worse than death, unbearable.

Turning to see Qian Faliang lying on the ground, not knowing if he was alive or dead, the crowd finally found a vent for their frustration.

They pounced on him, crazily trampling Qian Faliang’s emaciated body until the air was thick with the smell of blood.

“Enough!”

Guan Yidao angrily reprimanded them, raising his whip and beating several of the ring leaders.

“There’s limited air in this cave, and with a dead body, it will quickly start to stink. If you want to live, back off.”

Hearing this, a flicker of hope seemed to reignite in the hearts of the people.

“Commander, are you saying we might still be able to get out alive?”

“Commander, please think of a way to save us!”

Guan Yidao was inwardly anxious, raised his hand once more with the whip, and drove the people to sit down by the stone walls.

“From now on, keep your mouths shut. I, Guan Yidao, have a family to support, and I do not wish to die. I will definitely find a way to get us out!”

The restless crowd finally settled down.

Qi Yue, watching the several blazing torches, spoke faintly.

“Commander Guan, if you want to live, extinguish the torches first!”

“You just said it yourself, the air here is thin, and if we let the torches burn freely, it won’t be long before everyone suffocates to death.”

These people might not understand what oxygen is, but they knew that combustion produces harmful substances.

Guan Yidao immediately ordered the torches to be extinguished!

The cave again plunged into darkness.

Qi Yue reached out her hand to test it and, indeed, it was the pitch-black darkness where one cannot see one’s fingers.

After a moment of silence, she heard Guan Yidao moving towards the location of Qian Faliang.

Soon, strange whistles echoed throughout the cave!

Qi Yue was startled.

It was surprising that Guan Yidao, merely responsible for transporting convicts, actually understood the whistle language of criminals?

The whistles soon stopped, and Zhao Jingjing perked her ears up, listening intently to the sounds outside.

Unexpectedly, there was not even a single response!

But she roughly understood Guan Yidao’s intentions.

He had hoped to impersonate Qian Faliang and contact people outside, hoping they would dig open the cave.

Unfortunately, that path had obviously failed.

Either those people had already fled, or… the recent collapse was massive, burying the entire mountain solidly, burying the people outside as well, so naturally, no sound could travel through!

If it was the latter reason, it meant that they couldn’t dig an exit from the inside either.

There was only one path left—waiting to die!

Thinking of this, Qi Yue’s heart nearly stopped for a moment.

She had calculated everything, but she hadn’t foreseen that Qian Faliang would have people move sand and stones to bury the entrance!

To live another life, was she actually going to die from a lack of itch?

No no no, she couldn’t die.

Although she couldn’t leave this cave, she still had her space, a space with food and drink, which could keep her alive indefinitely.

Alive until someone discovered this cave, discovering the over three hundred skeletons here.

But what about the Zhao family?

In the darkness, she turned her head to look in the direction of Zhao Xiyan.

It was pitch black, she couldn’t see anything.

But in Qi Yue’s mind, a pair of eyes appeared out of nowhere, both affectionate and smiling.

Zhao Xiyan!

Yes!

She could heartlessly abandon anyone in this cave, but the thought of Zhao Xiyan tore at her heart.

Should she let Zhao Xiyan enter the space too?

No, absolutely not.

The space was her biggest reliance in this world; she couldn’t expose it!

Not even for Zhao Xiyan.

Forget it, if it was to be abandoned, then so be it; fate dictated as much, and there was nothing she could do.

She was only voice-controlled, perhaps a bit of a face-controlled too, but not to the extent of dying or living for a man!

Qi Yue thought messily when suddenly Guan Yidao’s rough voice sounded.

“Miss Qi, do you have any ideas?”

She was annoyed, thinking, to have or not to have, and responded without thinking.

“No!”

In the silence, Guan Yidao seemed to pivot on his feet.

“It doesn’t seem like Miss Qi is someone who resigns to fate. If you really have a way, why not let everyone live together.”

The way he said it, it was as if he was sure she had a way.

“I don’t!”

Qi Yue was a bit angry.

Why should she have a way to let these people live together with her!

She wasn’t a holy mother or father, needing to pledge her heart to the heavens and her life for the people!

Yes, that was right.

She only needed to live for herself!

“But Miss Qi’s reactions suggest you do!”

In the dark, Guan Yidao’s voice was clear, certain and carried a strong oppressiveness.

Qi Yue jumped to her feet, ready to retort, when suddenly she heard a restrained cry of pain.

“Ah…”

This was Cong Zhonglan.

Was she about to give birth?

“Cong Zhonglan, are you going to give birth?” Shen Yu also heard it and asked anxiously.

“Zhao, Mrs. Zhao…ah…”

With a scream, Shen Yu also panicked.

“Cong Zhonglan, don’t move, I’m going to come check on you.”

Cong Zhonglan was staying not far from the Zhao family, so it wasn’t difficult to reach her.

“Please, Miss Qi, save my child. I know you have a way, you… please save my child!”

Hearing this intermittent plea, Qi Yue knew this woman was being severely troubled by the child in her belly.

With the sound of chains and a “splash”, it seemed Cong Zhonglan’s criminal husband had knelt down.

In the dark, his voice trembled terribly, like he was sobbing.

“Miss Qi, please save my wife, save her! I will be your ox and horse in the next life, to repay your kindness.”

Then, the sound of “thump thump thump” followed.

Qi Yue’s pupils contracted.

That man, to save his wife, was kneeling and kowtowing?