Chapter 28 - Crumbling
"We need to leave quickly, Young Master." Tang Lingling said in a worried tone.
Her barrier may be blocking the debris falling upon them for now but the cave hasn't stopped trembling ever since Lee Tao decided to inject his profound qi into the thick wall.
At this rate, they would be buried alive by the cave.
"We don't know the structure of this cave, Young Master." Tang Lingling said.
However, her expression became dumbfounded when she realized Lee Tao was still injecting his profound qi at the thick wall.
'Young Master has really gone crazy.' Tang Lingling cried inwardly as she glanced at their current surroundings.
"Tang Lingling." Lee Tao suddenly said, shocking Tang Lingling as he finally said a word after causing the earthquake.
"Yes?"
"If you don't shut up for the next 30 minutes or so, I'm going to have you buried here." Lee Tao grunted.
"Do you think I need a human detector to explain what I just did and what's going on? This is why I hate women, especially those with the jade beauty look. Always nagging and causing distraction when I'm trying to do some business," he added.
Ignoring the disbelief expressed by Tang Lingling, Lee Tao returned to his task as he dug out even more walls and stored them into his spatial ring.
'Heh, with this much amount, I can finally create that…' Lee Tao grinned evilly as he clasped his hand.
"Alright, let's check on the other side and see how many of them are still alive." Lee Tao said as he began walking in a leisurely manner.
It was almost like the earthquake happening had nothing to do with him.
Sometime later, Lee Tao halted his movement when he saw Lin Cheng, Yao Meixiang, and the others struggling hard to stop the debris.
"Oh my, they are still alive?" Lee Tao exclaimed as he found it surprising to not see a single death occurred.
Lee Tao's voice echoed throughout the entire cave and the members from Lin Cheng's group looked at him in disbelief.
"I-Is that man for real?" One man said in a stuttering tone as he was still trying to block off the debris.
"Yao Meixiang, you indeed have a good fiance." Another man snorted as he glared at Lee Tao.
Meanwhile, Lin Cheng twitched his brows slightly before smiling awkwardly at Lee Tao.
"Brother Lee Tao really knows how to joke in a tense situation." Lin Cheng uttered as he used his profound qi to knock away some debris.
Lee Tao shrugged his shoulders.
"I guess you are all safe and sound. Save me some trouble." Lee Tao said as he waved his hand. "Good luck in defending. I'll see you later."
"You're really going to leave us like this?" Yao Meixiang suddenly said as she held a dumbfounded expression.
They were about to be squashed by the falling debris yet Lee Tao didn't even bother to lend a helping hand.
Lee Tao raised an eyebrow as he looked at Yao Meixiang in confusion.
"Why wouldn't I leave?" Lee Tao asked. "The cave is crumbling down so it's obvious I'm going to leave."
"Aren't you going to help us?" Yao Meixiang asked. "We're having difficulty here and it would be helpful if you lend a hand."
Lee Tao pondered for a few moments.
He rubbed his chin slightly before shaking his head. "Nah, it's too much work and you're fine. Just hold on, I'll be leaving the cave first."
Tang Lingling, Yao Meixiang, Lin Cheng, and everyone else in the cave held a gawking expression at Lee Tao.
He was unwilling to help even when his own fiance was in a hitch. Such a man was never seen in their life but now their vision was broadened by Lee Tao.
"Unbelievable…" Tang Lingling muttered as she understood Lee Tao less and less.
Lee Tao ignored their gaze as he turned around, ready to exit the cave.
"Y-Young Master… Yao Meixiang is struggling and based on their current dilemma, I doubt they could hold on any longer." Tang Lingling knew she was going overboard with her words but she wanted to make sure Lee Tao wouldn't regret his decision.
"Is my safety more important or are strangers more important to you?" Lee Tao asked as he halted his movement.
Tang Lingling was dumbfounded and her expression turned solemn.
With a serious tone, Tang Lingling replied, "Young Master's safety is more important than anything."
Lee Tao nodded his head.
"Then let's leave the cave." Lee Tao patted her shoulders as he continued his movement.
Tang Lingling quickly followed behind, leaving Yao Meixiang and the others to fend for themselves.
Yao Meixiang's heart started to ache when she witnessed Lee Tao leaving the cave without caring for her safety.
Sometime later, Lee Tao began communicating with Xiao Chu about her data recording on the cave structure and the exit path.
"Xiao Chu, what's the current condition of the cave?" Lee Tao asked Xiao Chu mentally.
"Replying to your question. The structure of the cave is unstable and would most likely collapse in another 30 minutes or so." Xiao Chu replied.
Lee Tao nodded his head.
"I see… show me the exit path in projection." Lee Tao said.
Xiao Chu nodded her head as she flung her sleeve slightly, revealing a screen projection that showed a map of the cave they're currently in.
Lee Tao smiled as he found the exit path already.
"Are you really not going to rescue your fiance?" Xiao Chu suddenly asked. It was something that she had never done before.
Xiao Chu was a system despite her loli girl appearance and she doesn't have any emotions.
Thus, Lee Tao was surprised by her questions.
"Why do you care about their survival?" Lee Tao answered her with a question of his own.
"According to the data gathered, Yao Meixiang's cultivation realm would most likely soar, and it would be a waste for her to die here." Xiao Chu replied as she suggested keeping her alive for now.
Lee Tao pondered for a moment before agreeing with her words.. "You're right, Xiao Chu."