Leo threw four or five stones in succession. As soon as the stones hit the water, they made a “plop” sound and sank, quickly drowned out by the sound of the water. Domingo couldn’t detect anything unusual, but Chloe sensed something was off.
“Listen to the sound of the stones hitting the water; it’s flowing water!”
“Yes,” Leo threw a few more stones, “and it’s at least two or three meters deep.”
“You mean…” Chloe’s voice involuntarily rose.
Leo casually tossed a few more stones. “I did a stone divination. It showed a major hexagram, a prime omen, good fortune amid bad, a dead end turning into a live path.”
“What are you two talking about?” Domingo couldn’t understand their cryptic conversation, but Chloe’s tone suggested a breakthrough.
“We have a way out,” Leo said straightforwardly.
“Really? Where?” Domingo looked around. Though she couldn’t see, she had gradually adapted to the darkness and could somewhat distinguish between water and the Diamond Wall.
“This stone was originally a foothold for the craftsmen building the Diamond Wall,” Chloe explained. “From the sound of the stones hitting the water, this channel was once a small river used by craftsmen to transport materials. So, this river must lead somewhere within the underground palace.”
Domingo exclaimed, “Do we have to jump in? Where will we swim to?”
Leo cleared his throat. “Not swim to somewhere, but let the river take us wherever it leads.”
“But I can’t swim!” Domingo was on the verge of tears.
Earlier, all three had been swept into the water, and she had been unconscious the longest. Domingo indeed couldn’t swim.
“It’s okay,” Leo reassured her. “We don’t need to swim, just…”
“Just what?” Domingo asked anxiously.
She thought Leo had figured out a way to escape without jumping into the river.
“Just jump in and relax.”
Domingo shook her head vigorously, her wet hair whipping against Leo’s chest like a whip.
“No way, I’ll die!” Domingo said seriously.
The experience of nearly drowning had left her terrified. She wouldn’t dare go into the water again.
Staying on this stone offered some hope of rescue, but jumping into the water felt like a certain death.
“Domingo,” Chloe reached out to comfort her.
She knew the situation in the Western Xia Treasury and understood that unless those above drained all the water from it, they couldn’t reach the Iron Gate below.
Even so, their exact location was unknown. Waiting for rescue might mean starving to death first.
Chloe’s hand touched another hand. She patted it lightly but realized it was Leo’s hand after a moment.
Chloe blushed and couldn’t find the words to speak.
Leo pretended not to notice and said to Domingo, “Domingo, I’ll hold you. You don’t have to do anything, just relax.”
Domingo was still hesitant, but somehow, hearing that Leo would hold her made her feel much more at ease.
She stopped speaking.
Chloe felt a sense of dissatisfaction growing in her heart, feeling somewhat upset.
It seemed like Leo was only focused on Domingo and ignoring her.
Although she prided herself on being a good swimmer and didn’t need help, still…
At least you could ask if I needed help!
Leo didn’t know Chloe’s thoughts. Seeing that he had convinced Domingo, he began to prepare.
To prevent them from getting separated, he took off his shirt, twisted it into a rope, and tied it around their waists.
Domingo’s face turned as red as an apple. Unlike before when she leaned against Leo’s chest, she now moved slightly away.
The intimate contact made her body feel hot as if Leo’s body was burning coal.
After tying them together, Leo led Chloe and Domingo to the edge of the stone and said, “I’ll count to three and then we’ll jump in. Relax, it’ll be fine.”
Domingo nodded. As they were about to enter the water, she had no choice but to press her chest against Leo’s, too embarrassed to speak.
Leo, on the other hand, was calculating the direction of the current and the best spot to enter the water, completely forgetting his previous thoughts.
“One, two, three!” Leo counted to three and tilted his body, jumping in with Domingo in his arms. Chloe felt the pull of the rope and followed them into the water.
“Plop! Plop!” Two splashes.
Domingo felt a chill as her body hit the water. Her mouth opened involuntarily, swallowing a mouthful of water that went down her windpipe, causing her to cough.
Leo held her tighter and said, “It’s okay, relax.”
He tried his best to keep Domingo above water. After a while, Domingo felt herself floating in the water but could breathe freely.
Except for swallowing a mouthful of water at first, it felt like she was floating on an inner tube down the current.
Domingo gradually relaxed. Her hands moved from Leo’s waist to his neck, wrapping around him.
In the darkness, Leo sensed the direction of the current with his body. He felt an increasing undercurrent pushing them rapidly forward.
If there were rocks or walls ahead, it could be dangerous.
As he thought about this, Leo suddenly found it hard to breathe. Something cold yet warm pressed against his face, changing shape freely.
The smooth texture was palpable even through clothes.
Leo felt a rush of heat and imagined Domingo pressing her chest against his face.
This…
As these thoughts crossed his mind, he momentarily forgot they were in danger and drifted into another direction mentally.
“Who knew she had such…” Leo was still lost in thought when suddenly the water level rose sharply, submerging all three of them completely.
At the same time, the dark underwater passage lit up with an eerie blue light from above. They could see small groups of fish swimming like birds above them.
Chloe and Leo could swim and knew to hold their breath. They were fine for now.
But Domingo had been enjoying a moment of peace and didn’t expect to be submerged suddenly. She swallowed mouthfuls of water and started thrashing wildly.
It felt like they had entered a vast space beneath a large river.
Normally, they could just float to the surface to escape. But the undercurrent kept pushing them deeper underground.
Tied together as they were, they couldn’t swim up even if they tried.
And with Domingo drowning again, time was running out.