Part 1: The Labyrinth's Chaos
Li Junce now understood Cheng Mubai's nature as an "artist" completely exposed within this labyrinth. His artistic sensibility lacked direction, order, and harmony.
Despite Cheng Mubai's passion, he lacked the sustaining power to follow through. As a result, the entire labyrinth, from design to construction, had been changed multiple times. Some doors, once opened, merely revealed a solid wall.
Some staircases were half-built and then abandoned, left suspended in mid-air. Even the cobbled walkways would suddenly drop off without reason.
However, overall, the complex labyrinth seemed to spiral, drawing people constantly deeper, down into the earth.
Li Junce's situation had slightly improved because he had picked up a torch left behind by a "predecessor." Lighting it with his Tinder Tube finally gave him better illumination.
Cheng Mubai would sometimes suddenly appear or use his laughter to lure the intruder deeper. Li Junce felt himself sinking further into the maze's depths.
For a moment, Li Junce felt that the Black Sheep Lord, who was three years his senior, was like a demon from the deep earth—a demon cloaked in luxurious silk, lurking within the walls, columns, and rafters of this bizarre structure. The thought sent a chill down his neck.
"Is Cheng Mubai advancing toward the maze's center, or is he trying to get out…"
Overthinking was useless. Cheng Mubai lived by whims and impulses, so to cope with him, Li Junce first had to synchronize his own way of thinking with the man's state of mind.
Even so, for a man like Cheng Mubai to abuse the immense power and wealth of an Elector was the most severe form of poison.
After centuries of wear and tear, the Elector system was showing serious flaws. It seemed that the hope of tomorrow could no longer be pinned on such a system.
But if reform was necessary, what system should replace the old one? Would simply adopting a monarchy or empire, like the neighboring countries, be a good solution?
At this thought, Li Junce forcibly shook his head. At this moment, his mind had to break free from the labyrinth of thought. If he couldn't find the underground exit soon, he risked freezing or starving to death. A dead end was likely ahead.
First, deal with the immediate demon; then, worry about the future monsters.
Holding the torch, Li Junce saw more horrors: the dying curses scrawled on the walls, Cheng Mubai's scrawls in phosphorous bone paint, and even some eerie sigil patterns.
"Is Cheng Mubai dabbling in black magic?!" Li Junce's sole conclusion was that this Black Sheep Lord was barely human anymore, seeming more like a Dark Sorcerer.
However, based on Li Junce's understanding, most so-called black magic was just elaborate trickery. There were no recorded cases of an unkillable Dark Sorcerer. As long as he was a man, Li Junce was confident he could kill him.
Part 2: The Lakeside Rendezvous
At the end of an endless corridor, Li Junce pushed open the final, heavy wooden door. A rush of cool, humid air, carrying the smell of lake water, greeted him. The space beyond opened up, and in the distance, he vaguely saw two figures nestled together—one large, one small.
Clearly, these were not Cheng Mubai and a clone, but Princess Mont Angelina and Jade, the "mother and son."
"Jade! Princess!" Li Junce's voice echoed in the cavernous underground space. The call was more a confirmation of the target found than an expectation of a reply. The young knight, who had once managed the Tiger Wing Duchy and seen countless storms, felt an inexpressible surge of complex emotion: relief, lingering fear, and a heavy sense of responsibility.
The echo faded, and he keenly picked up another faint sound—not Cheng Mubai's mockery, but… human voices. He held his breath and listened. The tracking instincts honed in the snow forests of the past served him well now.
The torchlight danced, illuminating the figure in the distance. Her voluminous skirt was covered in dust and cobwebs, and her hair was slightly dishevelled. Yet, her inherent radiance, like a pearl veiled in dust, shone even brighter in this gloomy place, catching the eye.
The woman was none other than the Raven Princess, Mont Angelina.
The Jade she was holding also spotted his father. The little face instantly lit up, and he waved his small hands, his crisp childish voice filled with undisguised joy.
"Daddy!"
Li Junce strode forward, extending his strong arms, and carefully took his son from Mont Angelina's embrace. The child's soft body slightly eased his tightly wound nerves.
"Jade, were you scared?" he asked in a low voice, quickly scanning his son to ensure he was unharmed.
The little fellow shook his head hard, his small hand even patting his father's arm, his tone full of trust.
"Not at all! Because Nana was here! Nana is amazing, maybe even better than Daddy!"
Hearing this, Li Junce finally turned completely, his gaze resting on Mont Angelina. All the emotions of surviving a crisis condensed into the two simplest and most solemn words.
"Princess, you must be tired."
Mont Angelina tidied her slightly messy hair and shook her head. Her voice, though tired, was still clear.
"No, I should apologize. My impulsiveness dragged you and your son into danger."
She then concisely explained their escape.
Beneath the padding at the bottom of the pit, there was an even deeper secret door. Using some "little tricks" she had learned during her travels, she opened the mechanism and, using an oil lamp found in the pit, she and Jade felt their way to this place.
"This looks like a small lakeside dock," she said, pointing to a small boat by the water, only large enough for three people. "We should be able to enter the lake on it. But the only way out is blocked by that gate."
She paused, her sharp gaze sweeping over the gate and the surrounding environment, calmly analyzing.
"This is likely the escape route Cheng Mubai reserved for himself. The pit we fell into was both a prison and an emergency exit for him when needed. Pit -> Labyrinth -> Dock -> Boat into the Lake -> Rendezvous… He designed a perfect retreat."
Li Junce gazed at the heavy gate, nodding slowly, completely agreeing with Mont Angelina's deduction.
This Princess was brave and resourceful, remaining calm in danger—definitely not a fragile woman sheltered in a boudoir.
"In that case, the Black Sheep Lord's bad habit is almost unimaginable. He must have wasted a lot of useless intelligence and expense…"
Li Junce's sentence was cut short by a sudden spasm of nervousness. Mont Angelina let out a terrifying shriek. The piercing scream was completely uncharacteristic of the brave Princess, leaving Li Junce slightly alarmed.
"Was that shriek just now from you, Your Princess?" The question was incredibly rude, but Mont Angelina had no time to challenge him. She just nodded repeatedly, her fair finger pointing directly at Li Junce's feet.
Li Junce's gaze followed Mont Angelina's finger, and his tension quickly dissolved. He lifted his foot and crushed the large, shiny, fat cockroaches crawling all over the floor with his shoe.
"Whether it's the residences of royal officials and nobles or the common streets, don't people play cricket fighting games for gambling? Cockroaches are essentially the crickets' siblings. Why hate them so much?"
"Even siblings aren't always likable, and besides…"
"Besides?"
"I don't even like crickets. So hating cockroaches isn't particularly unfair, there's no reason for you to criticize me!"
"I'm not criticizing you."
"Yes, you are."
At this point, both realized their conversation had completely deviated from the topic. For the critical situation they faced, this was completely unimportant.
The three of them were still trapped at the dock with no way out, their lives still in danger, yet they were discussing crickets and cockroaches.
Jade, standing between the two, suddenly stretched out his hands.
"Don't argue. You two need to make peace, because Jade doesn't like Daddy and Nana arguing."
The man and woman, caught in a useless dispute, immediately flushed, though the cover of darkness hid their embarrassment from others.
Mont Angelina smiled at Jade. "Jade, you are such a good boy. How could that annoying man have such a sweet child? Why don't you be my child instead!"
"Okay! Then Jade will have a mommy! I'll have a Daddy and a Mommy!"
The child's words made the scene even more awkward.
Li Junce frowned, then coughed, pretending to speak. "Jade, this wasn't really an argument. Adults just have differences of opinion sometimes."
After speaking, Li Junce immediately turned and walked away, as if trying to hide something. But it was indeed time to quickly find the exit.
Li Junce went to inspect the surroundings.
On the exposed, damp lakeside soil, there happened to be a piece of wood. The adult and the child sat down on the wood, waiting for Li Junce to return. However, both their stomachs suddenly rumbled simultaneously. The Princess and the child exchanged an embarrassed smile.
The child said, "Jade likes Nana very much."
"Thank you." The Princess pulled the child's head onto her chest, embracing him like a mother.
"Does Nana like my Daddy?"
The child's question was completely unexpected. The Princess merely blinked, not answering immediately.
"Jade likes Nana and likes Daddy, so I hope you two can also get along."
"…You are right. Alright, then let's get along, for Jade's sake." Nana replied, though somehow, she felt a part of her was being dishonest.
The father of this adorable child, that annoying father, returned, pointing in one direction.
"There's a mechanism over there, but the turntable is missing. Once we have the turntable, we can open the gate and leave."