That Dropped Chinese Novel’s Useless Me Says No to the System

Chapter 146 The Cave

The one who discovered it was a young soldier delivering meals. He had carried the food in that morning, but before a single stick of incense burned down he came running out sobbing.

He was so terrified he could barely string a sentence together. “T-the cave… inside… n-no one’s there anymore! All gone! Only hoes, shovels, bamboo baskets… n-not a single shadow of a person!”

The guards at the entrance didn’t believe him. They took torches and went in to check—only to find the place truly empty.

No blood. No drag marks.

As if everyone had simply been blown away by the wind.

And with guards posted for twelve full hours, not even a bird could have slipped inside.

That only made it stranger.

My whole body went rigid.

Lian couldn’t… he couldn’t have really been swallowed by that formation, could he?

The system murmured in my mind: [Based on spiritual energy readings, he may not be dead.]

“So he’s alive?”

[He might also be temporarily in an alternate space.]

I clenched my teeth. “Could you—just once—speak human language?”

[Meaning: alive or dead depends on plot allocation.]

…

Eunuch Wang finally panicked. He didn’t even finish spitting out his grape skins before springing to his feet.

This was already the fourth group to vanish. If something went wrong again, when the higher-ups demanded accountability, his head would be the first to roll.

So that very day he personally led a squad of golden-armored soldiers into the cave to investigate.

Naturally, I followed.

The cave mouth sat behind the cliff, with three layers of guards and bright torches.

Walking up to the entrance, we saw thick wooden beams propping it open. Damp air swept out from within, cold enough to cling to the skin. Wet mud coated the ground.

We hadn’t gone far before we found the abandoned tools—pickaxes, hoes, hemp rope—scattered everywhere in a mess.

If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed anyone had been working here at all.

There weren’t even footprints on the ground, as if someone had deliberately wiped them clean.

“No one.”

“Reporting to Eunuch Wang: the bottom of the cave has collapsed. Digging farther may cause another cave-in.”

Eunuch Wang flicked his horsetail whisk, shaking with fury. “Useless fools! You can’t even handle this?”

Then he turned to look at me, his eyes unreadable.

I hurriedly bowed. “Eunuch Wang, I can search again if needed.”

Truth was, I wanted to find some trace of Lian.

But I found nothing. Not even a token or a coded sign—nothing to indicate he’d tried to leave any message. Whatever happened must have been sudden.

I had no choice but to give up.

We returned with no results.

By the time we exited the cave, dusk was settling in. The wind carried a faintly sweet metallic smell.

As I neared the camp, I saw two golden-armored soldiers roughhousing near a tent.

The one they were “roughhousing” with—was that same simple-minded boy I had seen earlier.

That kid usually crouched in a corner smiling blankly.

Now they were dragging him by the hair, one yanking his arm while the other kicked his legs.

“Hey, brat, didn’t you like smiling? Come on then, smile for us again!”

The boy only grinned foolishly, silent.

I couldn’t stand it and strode forward.

“What are you doing? He didn’t offend anyone.”

“Hey, mind your own business.”

“A favorite of Eunuch Wang, huh? You think you can lecture us now?”

My eyes rolled inwardly. I forced a light laugh. “The Eunuch’s temper wasn’t great just now. If anyone causes trouble again and he hears of it, it won’t just be scolding.”

The two men froze, exchanged looks, and loosened their grip.

“Hmph. Lucky brat.”

When they left, I crouched down.

The simpleton was still smiling, though the corners of his mouth quivered faintly.

I sighed. “Hey, you alright?”

He suddenly blinked at me.

My heart lurched—hard.

That was not the gaze of a fool.

He whispered, barely audible, “Tonight… west side… red banners… don’t make a sound…”

Before I could react, he slipped back into his vacant grin, muttering nonsense again.

I stared at him.

A sharp chill crept up my spine.

Lian and the others… maybe they were still alive.

But what exactly was this “west side red banner”?

While I was still puzzling over it, the system’s heartless digital voice cut in: [Host, this likely means to meet on the west side of the red banners tonight.]

I rubbed my temple. “You’re not even sure?”

[Plotline currently unstable. Branches may generate automatically based on character interaction. System cannot interfere.]

“Easy for you to say,” I muttered. “If things go wrong, you dying with me?”

[The system has no physical form and cannot accompany the host in death.]

“Fine. You win.”

I cursed internally but kept my face calm. The “simpleton” was back to chewing on his fingers and giggling. I sighed and murmured, “Got it.”

It was either a clue or a trap. My life wasn’t worth much anyway.

Night fell.

After Eunuch Wang soaked in his hot spring, scrubbed his back thrice, and drank two cups of floral tea, he finally went to sleep.

I held my breath, lifted the curtain beside his pillow, and quietly slipped out the gold-edged token.

“I really have lost my mind,” I muttered, tiptoeing out of the tent.

Outside, the night was ink-black. Wind pushed the red banners until they snapped and fluttered.

I was just about to move when darkness sliced across my vision—two halberds crossed before me.

“State your purpose!”

The two armored guards barked in unison, the cold gleam of the blades nearly making me confess everything on the spot.

I raised my hands in a hurry. “Brothers, keep your voices down—Eunuch Wang just fell asleep.”

Their posture remained rigid, but their tone softened. “No going out after lights-out.”

“Yes, yes,” I said, bowing repeatedly. “But the Eunuch ordered me to find something that glows under moonlight—‘moon-spirit grass’—before he wakes.”

I produced the token.

The guards straightened at once, saluting. They no longer dared obstruct me.

“One’s never heard of this moon-spirit grass,” one muttered.

I hid a smirk. Of course you haven’t. I made it up.

I followed the wind toward the west side of the red banners. Silence.

“Great. Duped.” I scratched my head.

Half a cup of tea passed. Nothing. Not even a bug.

I sighed and was about to head back when a night owl cried in the distance.

Further west.

Suspicious, I approached—and found a small creek concealed by tall grass.

“So… creekside?”

I had barely stepped closer when the grass rustled violently and something shot out.

I nearly yelped.

The simpleton burst from the brush, hair wild, eyes unnervingly bright. “What took you so long?”

“I thought you meant the west—” I glared at him, heart hammering. “Wait—you're not a fool?!”

He chewed on a blade of grass, giving me a sideways look. “You’re the fool.”

I had no comeback.

His eyes sparkled—sharp, earnest, almost like Mu Cangli’s fierce young clarity.

“Let me ask you,” he stepped closer, voice lowered to a thread, “you know a guy with a fan, and another about your age? None of you look like mountain laborers.”

I froze. That description—Hua, Mu Cangli!

“You saw them? Where are they?!” My voice cracked with urgency.

“They went into the cave too,” the boy said. The grass blade quivered at his lips. “And they never came out.”

I turned to stone.

“They went in? And… also vanished?”

He nodded.

I couldn’t speak. My chest tightened.

So I really was the only one still outside.

I muttered weakly, “System… they all went to follow the plot, right? So can I go home now?”

[Host attempting to abandon main storyline. Warning: current plot trajectory has changed. Exiting may result in—]

I rolled my eyes. “I knew it. There had to be a trap somewhere.”

I didn’t even have time to ask what he meant, because the boy suddenly added,

“They’re good people. They gave me food. Told me that if I ever saw a young master and a pretty one, I should pass the message along.”

I froze.

That was… me and Lian.

A knot twisted in my chest.

“Hua, Mu Cangli… whatever the case, Lian should’ve gone looking for you by now.” I clenched my teeth, half mocking myself. “I probably won’t be joining this time.”

But the words left a faint heaviness behind my ribs.

I was clearly the type to bend with the wind—so why was I suddenly acting sentimental?

Maybe because ever since the night he was taken away, something inside me had been hanging, unmoored.

I sighed and started to turn, but the boy grabbed my arm.

“They told me to bring all of you in,” he panted, eyes flickering. “I just… didn’t make it in time to stop that pretty one.”

My head snapped up. “Bring us in? Into where?”

“The cave, of course,” he answered without hesitation.