Zhu Yu tiptoed to the back of the stairs, where the space was relatively low. Even she, the shortest among the four, had to crouch.
She carefully stepped on the ground there, but the sensation underfoot revealed no obvious differences.
It seemed this place was just where someone might hide to eat rather than a proper entrance or exit.
Zhu Yu asked Fu Lu for the flint he carried, crouching and using its dim light to illuminate the dusty ground.
Because few people had walked here and no one had cleaned, over the years a thick layer of dirt had accumulated. Illuminated by the flame, there were footprints and drag marks visible, appearing to be left recently.
With closer observation, there were some less distinct footprints, like those sporadically left over time and then covered by dust again. So they weren't as obvious as the traces from two days ago when they first entered, but still noticeable upon closer attention.
