Chapter 00008: Escape from the Ape's Jaws
# Escape from the Ape's Jaws
Chapter 8
Novel: After the Myth
Chapter 8: Escape from the Ape's Jaws
Ding Huan stood up and walked deeper into the cave.
No matter what, he couldn’t ask Qin Yi about it now.
First, Qin Yi had no idea about Ding Baishan’s affairs, and second, with his current strength, asking such questions would be suicidal.
After taking just a few steps, Ding Huan suddenly stopped.
If his father had gone to the Qin family in Yanjing for his sake, what reason could he have used to make the Qin family believe him and agree to a marriage alliance with Baiyu Group? He had heard of the Qin family in Yanjing—they were no small clan.
The Qin family’s willingness to ally with Baiyu Group could only be for one of two reasons: either for money, to get Baiyu Group to invest in them, or… What was the whole world searching for right now? Including himself, and the upcoming Ocean Gene project in a few months… Wasn’t everyone looking for genes that could fuse with the human body? Could it be that his father’s disappearance was also related to genes?
Or perhaps Baiyu Group had developed a superior gene that could fuse with the human body, and his father had taken it to Yanjing to seek allies? The more Ding Huan thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
He clearly remembered that in his past life, Baiyu Group had collapsed just a few months later.
The reason for its collapse seemed to be the development of a gene called Sailu.
This gene could resist aging, making people look ten to twenty years younger and even extend their lifespan by ten to twenty years.
The exact timing… it should have been around this time.
The Sailu gene could indeed make those who fused with it appear much younger, and even their organs would visibly rejuvenate.
The terrifying part was that those who fused with the Sailu gene would die within a few months.
This incident led to the collective suicide of Baiyu Group’s top executives.
The top executives of Baiyu Group committing mass suicide? Even a dog wouldn’t believe that.
Clearly, they had been killed.
The strange thing was that Baiyu Group had first introduced the anti-aging Sailu gene, only for it to be proven a failure a few months later.
After Baiyu Group’s collapse, Yongtang Gene Biotech quickly launched its own anti-aging gene serum, the Jianyuan Gene.
Baiyu Group’s lifespan-extending, anti-aging Sailu gene led to its downfall, while Yongtang became the world’s second-largest gene corporation thanks to the Jianyuan Gene serum.
If all this was just a coincidence, Ding Huan wouldn’t believe it himself.
“Where is he going?” Seeing Ding Huan walking deeper into the cave, Qiao Yi asked in confusion.
“Who cares where he’s going? The farther he goes, the quieter it’ll be for us,” Bai Chuanqiang scoffed.
Liu Aimei opened her mouth as if she wanted to call out to Ding Huan, but in the end, she said nothing.
Ding Huan simply didn’t want to stay with these people.
As long as that foolish woman refused to hand over the medicinal herbs, this situation would never end.
Even if the Great Desolate Golden Ape couldn’t break into the cave, these people wouldn’t last long without food.
He had food in his bag.
If he were alone, he could last three to five days, but with the four of them outside, it would be gone in a day.
That Bai Chuanqiang didn’t seem like a good person—if he got hungry enough, he’d definitely try to steal.
What Ding Huan didn’t expect was that the cave was incredibly deep.
He had walked over a hundred meters and still hadn’t reached the end.
He didn’t dare go any further.
The place was eerie, and from the deeper parts, strange sounds occasionally echoed.
Finding a relatively hidden recess in the cave wall, Ding Huan squeezed himself in.
Hiding here, he could last two or three days.
Another day passed quickly.
Even though he was over a hundred meters deep in the cave, Ding Huan could still hear the sound of the giant ape pounding on the cave entrance.
He ignored it, ate some food, and continued cultivating using the Luo Shi Scripture.
On the third day, just as Ding Huan finished eating and was about to start cultivating again, a piercing scream echoed through the cave.
It sounded like Bai Chuanqiang.
Had the giant ape broken into the cave? That didn’t seem possible.
The ape was, at best, equivalent to an external martial artist.
With its massive size, how could it possibly squeeze into the cave?
The sound of stumbling footsteps reached Ding Huan’s ears, and he immediately went on alert.
He grabbed a knife from his bag and stared in the direction of the cave entrance.
Despite the near-total darkness, Ding Huan could make out a figure staggering along the cave wall.
It was Qiao Yi.
Ding Huan didn’t make a sound as Qiao Yi passed by him, still clutching the wall as he fled deeper into the cave.
A faint smell of blood reached Ding Huan’s nose.
Qiao Yi must have been injured.
What had happened? Ding Huan decided to shoulder his bag and head back toward the cave entrance instead.
The Great Desolate Golden Ape definitely couldn’t enter the cave.
Since Qiao Yi, someone he disliked, had come in, he would go out.
When Ding Huan returned to his original spot, he saw Qin Yi sitting pale-faced on the ground and Liu Aimei huddled nearby, sobbing quietly.
Strangely, Bai Chuanqiang was nowhere to be seen.
“What happened?” Ding Huan asked.
As soon as he asked, he saw bloodstains everywhere from the cave entrance to the outside.
Seeing it was Ding Huan, Liu Aimei immediately cried out, “Bai Chuanqiang… the ape tore him apart…”
“How did the ape get in?” Ding Huan understood why the two women were so terrified and why Qiao Yi had fled into the cave like his life depended on it.
The ape eating someone might have been bearable, but tearing someone apart in such a bloody manner was too gruesome.
Qin Yi was still trembling, but Liu Aimei, though visibly shaken, managed to answer Ding Huan’s question.
“We were so hungry… Qin Yi decided to hand over the medicinal herbs. Bai Chuanqiang said the ape must have left, so he took the herbs and went out first. But as soon as he reached the entrance, the ape charged from the side, grabbed him, and… tore him apart in mid-air…”
At this, Liu Aimei broke down crying again.
The scene was something she would never forget—it was too horrifying.
Ding Huan figured it out.
Qiao Yi must have been injured while fleeing in panic, crashing into the cave wall.
“Were the herbs handed over?” Ding Huan asked urgently.
“Bai Chuanqiang had the herbs. The ape took him, and we don’t know where the herbs are now.”
Liu Aimei’s voice was steadier now, though her face was still pale.
Ding Huan realized the herbs were undoubtedly in the Great Desolate Golden Ape’s possession now.
To the ape, those herbs were incredibly precious.
Having recovered them, the ape would surely hide them away immediately.
With that thought, he immediately headed for the cave entrance.
“What are you doing?” Liu Aimei asked in alarm as she saw Ding Huan moving toward the entrance.
Ding Huan turned and said, “This might be our only chance to escape. If we wait for the ape to return, we’ll never get out.”
“You think the ape’s gone? How do you know?” Liu Aimei’s emotions had stabilized a bit after talking to Ding Huan.
Ding Huan replied, “I’m guessing the ape went to hide the herbs. Once it’s done, it’ll definitely come back for revenge.”
This wasn’t just a guess.
He had seen many vengeful beasts in his time, and the Great Desolate Golden Ape was said to be even more vengeful.
Even the honey badger’s notorious vindictiveness couldn’t compare to many of these beasts.
This Great Desolate Golden Ape was still young and not very intelligent.
It wouldn’t consider that the humans might flee as soon as it left.
“What if you’re wrong?” Liu Aimei asked, her voice trembling.
Ding Huan smiled. “If I’m wrong, then I’m wrong. When you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place, you have to make a choice, don’t you? Making it sooner gives you more options. I suggest you come with me. Staying here doesn’t seem to have much of a future.”
With that, Ding Huan started walking again.
“Wait for us!” Liu Aimei quickly got up when she saw Ding Huan was serious about leaving.
Her legs were still shaking, but the thought of staying and possibly meeting the same fate as Bai Chuanqiang made her unable to stay a moment longer.
Ding Huan stopped.
He had a decent impression of Liu Aimei.
“Qin Yi, let’s go!” Liu Aimei seemed more resilient than Qin Yi.
Not only had she gotten up, but she also went to pull Qin Yi to her feet.
“I… I…” Qin Yi couldn’t form a complete sentence.
The image of Bai Chuanqiang being torn apart had left her too shaken to think straight.
“Hurry up. I’ll only wait ten seconds,” Ding Huan said from the side.
He had no idea where the ape had gone to hide the herbs, but he knew that every minute they stayed here increased their danger.
“Should we call Qiao Yi? He ran deeper into the cave,” Liu Aimei suggested.
Ding Huan turned and walked away without a word.
Call Qiao Yi? No way.
By the time they got him, it would be too late.
Seeing that Ding Huan didn’t even bother to respond, Liu Aimei didn’t bring up Qiao Yi again.
She quickly dragged Qin Yi to her feet, grabbed their bags, and stumbled after Ding Huan toward the cave entrance.
Outside the cave, the scene was chaotic.
The ground was littered with shattered rocks and deep pits, along with Bai Chuanqiang’s mutilated, bloody corpse.
It was enough to send chills down anyone’s spine.
Without hesitation, Ding Huan charged down.
The cave entrance was originally about four to five meters above the ground, but the ape’s constant pounding had created a slope, making it easy to descend.
“The ape’s really gone. Let’s hurry!” Liu Aimei didn’t see the ape.
Seeing Ding Huan rush down, she pulled Qin Yi along and stumbled after him.
Qin Yi’s legs were weak, and the two of them lost their balance, tumbling down.
Fortunately, the slope created by the ape’s attacks cushioned their fall, and they weren’t hurt.
Ding Huan didn’t pay attention to the two behind him.
He chose a different direction from the one they had come from and quickened his pace.
It was better to take a detour than to retrace their steps.
After interacting with Ding Huan, Liu Aimei had gained some understanding of him.
Seeing him rush off, she pulled Qin Yi along and followed.
Qin Yi, after some time to recover, finally regained some composure.
She no longer needed Liu Aimei to drag her and could keep up on her own.
(End of Chapter)