Chapter 66

Chapter 65

Li Zhuiyuan was just about to speak a reminder, but the sound was still in his throat, not yet having time to shout out, when a detection team member suddenly soared into the air.

Everyone was greatly shocked, hurriedly raising their heads. Many flashlight beams also shone upwards. In their panic, they only saw a thick, sturdy body rising higher and higher, swinging non-stop.

This scene caused the scene to collapse directly.

The lifted body swiftly fell down. That pair of lantern-like eyes drew two red light trails in the night sky. Then, it rushed straight towards the mountain cave.

Everything happened too fast and too suddenly. Some of the detection team members outside were so scared they stood stunned in place, some fell down and scraped their hands but their knees were too weak to get up, among which were also mixed quite a few instinctive sharp screams and shouts.

If they had encountered other sudden accidents, this group of detection team members who worked outdoors year-round and had a certain level of organization would not have panicked to such an extent. But the problem was, facing such a thing suddenly emerging in the midnight darkness, being scared silly was a normal reaction for a normal person.

In comparison, Li Zhuiyuan and the other three who had experienced multiple strange events had stronger endurance. While others were still bewildered and helpless, Runsheng had already reached out and grabbed Li Zhuiyuan's arm, preparing to lift the boy. Xue Liangliang and Tan Wenbin mutually supported each other to stand up.

From a purely rational perspective, they should now have more opportunity to avoid and move than the others. But, unfortunately, those 'two big lanterns' actually ignored the others on the river beach and rushed straight towards them.

This was its cave, and now it wanted to go home.

The four people located inside the cave suddenly had no way out. To continue standing in place meant either being swallowed by that thing or being crushed to death by it in this mountain cave.

Runsheng lifted Li Zhuiyuan, turned around, and ran straight into the cave. Tan Wenbin and Xue Liangliang followed closely. The four people reached the front of the pit inside the mountain cave and, without hesitation, collectively leaped down.

The moment they leaped down, Runsheng pulled Li Zhuiyuan in front of him, protecting him with both arms and using his own body as a buffer.

Perhaps because that thing often entered and exited here, the tunnel wall rock was polished very smooth, even to the point of being slippery. After the four people jumped down, they slid swiftly downwards at an angle like riding a slide.

And behind them, a harsh friction sound, like truck tires skidding non-stop on a smooth road, continuously came. Along with it, the inside of the tunnel also began to tremble violently.

Because Li Zhuiyuan was protected by Runsheng, he could look back. That pair of huge red lanterns always followed closely behind. Vaguely, he could see the two legs swinging non-stop below the red lanterns; they were the detection team member who was bitten at the beginning.

At this time, Li Zhuiyuan's ears heard a downward sound, like the sound of a huge wind.

This meant the tunnel was fast approaching its end, and below should be empty. The four people were very likely to fall to their deaths!

But at this time, firstly, there were fundamentally no other feasible measures. Not to mention they couldn't do it, even if they could, trying to stabilize their body shape to slow down at this moment would result in being swallowed in one gulp by that thing behind them.

Secondly, if they had to choose an ending for themselves, it seemed better to fall to their deaths and seek a quick end than to be eaten by that thing.

Soon, a feeling of weightlessness appeared. The four people slid out of the tunnel and then quickly fell.

Even while falling, Li Zhuiyuan still looked up towards the place they had slid out of the tunnel. That pair of red lanterns had stopped, stopped at the tunnel exit, and didn't follow down.

Just like that, the red lanterns became smaller and smaller and more and more blurred in his vision.

"Plop! Plop! Plop!"

Continuous sounds of falling into water.

Li Zhuiyuan felt a stinging sensation when the water surface hit his back, but at the same time, his heart was relieved. He was clear that the big guy's life was temporarily preserved because there were two people in the team who were very good swimmers.

Without moving randomly, just cooperating, Runsheng quickly grabbed himself and swam towards one side. The undercurrent was very deep, but the undercurrent was not wide. Soon, the two people reached the shore.

"Xiao Yuan, are you alright?"

"I'm alright, Runsheng *ge*, how about you?"

"I have thick skin and flesh."

Li Zhuiyuan took out his flashlight, knocked it, and then turned it on again.

Every person in the detection team had such a waterproof flashlight, tied to their body. In non-special circumstances, it would absolutely not be lost. The only problem was, this thing was a bit clumsy and bulky and often had poor contact, but the repair method was also very simple: just find a stone and knock it.

"Pa! Pa! Pa!"

Li Zhuiyuan continuously switched the flashlight on and off.

Not long after, the same response was transmitted from the opposite side.

The movement of the underground river was very large, the echo was severe, and shouting words over a long distance was fundamentally impossible to transmit.

The boy pressed the light twice for a long interval, meaning there were two people on his side. The opposite side quickly did the same operation. It seemed Xue Liangliang and Tan Wenbin had reached the shore from that side.

Li Zhuiyuan held the flashlight and swung the beam, indicating that they shouldn't rush to gather yet, and that each side should check the situation on their respective shores to see which was more suitable.

Xue Liangliang's side also swung the light beam, indicating they understood.

This was not a light language; the basis of exchange was the understanding ability of both sides.

Next, Li Zhuiyuan began to use the flashlight to observe his surroundings. In order to save electricity, Runsheng's flashlight was temporarily not used, and the same was true on the opposite shore; there was only one light.

This side along the shore was not only not narrow, but on the contrary, it was very spacious. There was generally more than ten meters distance between the rock wall and the undercurrent.

But the problem was, this rock wall was a bit too smooth, like a whole big mirror. Runsheng tried to climb with bare hands, but in the end, he had to give up; it was fundamentally impossible to go up.

For this, Li Zhuiyuan also did not feel disappointed. After all, that thing was at the very top. Even if they could climb up this way, who knows if they would encounter it.

At this time, the opposite shore hit up light language. First, it was urgent, high-frequency flashing light, and afterwards, it was vertical swinging.

"Runsheng *ge*, Liangliang *ge*'s side has a discovery, let's go over."

"Okay."

But just as Li Zhuiyuan was preparing to hang the flashlight back on his body, the flashlight beam swept across a human shadow.

At first, the boy thought his eyes were playing tricks, because in an environment dominated by pitch black, he trusted his ears more.

The flashlight shone back again, and that person appeared again. He stood there, right hand grasping the rock wall, right leg extended out a section, exposing half of his face, as if he was peeping.

Runsheng immediately took two steps forward, coming to the boy's side. Very obviously, he also saw it.

"Xiao Yuan, shall we go see?"

Runsheng knew that in dangerous situations, the boy would always choose stability. But this time, the boy's answer was:

"Runsheng *ge*, let's walk forward."

"Okay."

Out of caution, Li Zhuiyuan had only checked the area around the shore earlier. He hadn't gone to the front position yet. But looking at that person's figure and posture, it was very obvious that on that person's left side, there was a concave area.

Either there was just a protruding edge there, or there was a new cave mouth inside.

He roughly calculated the time he and the other three had slid and fallen from inside the tunnel and the time of free fall after leaving the tunnel. He could barely calculate a vertical drop. And under this drop, blindly following the direction of the underground river flow, what awaited them would probably not be the sunlight after walking out of the water curtain cave, but further downwards.

The best method to leave here was to find a path that could go upwards.

The flashlight always fell on that 'peeping' human shadow. That person not only did not avoid but remained motionless.

Could it be that it wasn't a person?

When the distance was close enough, and the flashlight light clearly showed the texture of stone, Li Zhuiyuan's heart relaxed a bit. Indeed, it wasn't a person; it was a stone carving.

It was just that the shape of this stone carving was inevitably a bit too strange.

Li Zhuiyuan wasn't sure if the stone carving originally had paintings, but now not a single bit could be seen. From the body shape and posture of the stone carving, it should be a female.

She wasn't peeping... she was observing.

The two words were very close, but they represented completely different states. The former was centered on himself and Runsheng, while the latter was centered on the stone carving figure.

Li Zhuiyuan shone the flashlight towards the back left of the stone carving and found a mountain cave, and inside there were still stairs.

Immediately after, Li Zhuiyuan again shone the flashlight on the body of the stone carving. This time, it was a back view.

Now, the female characteristics could be clearly seen, even the design of the skirt hem. Benefiting from appreciating A Li's clothing every day, Li Zhuiyuan could now restore the style of the skirt in his mind based on the existing texture for this stone carving.

She wasn't carved somewhere else and then brought here. She was carved directly on this corner rock wall. Many parts of the front half of her body were one with the rock wall.

Li Zhuiyuan retreated several steps back in the direction they had come. Runsheng also followed backwards. The two people returned to the state of being face to face with the stone carving.

"Xiao Yuan, it's a bit scary, ah..."

What could make Runsheng afraid was never a real object, but the atmosphere.

And Li Zhuiyuan wanted to find this kind of atmosphere again.

When he had approached step by step earlier, he had a familiar feeling. Now, this feeling returned, and he also thought of where it came from.

In many ancient tombs, at the position of the main chamber, on the wall above the tomb owner's coffin, they would paint... a "Woman Opening Door Picture".

The academic circle had many guesses about this. Li Lan agreed with: It meant that after the tomb owner's death, they would be led by another underworld world opening the door.

Of course, the underworld world here didn't refer to Yama's hell, but would point to different places depending on different periods, different regions, and different religious beliefs. Some were to lead oneself to ascend to immortality, some were purely to lead oneself back to another residence not inferior to the yang world, where one could indulge and enjoy life as before.

In short, it was not a place where living people could go.

Linking it again to the stone stairs inside the cave behind...

This was not the position of the main tomb chamber, nor was it the location of a normal tomb path. Then, the stone carving here, again, was for leading whom?

Li Zhuiyuan turned his body and looked towards the surging underground river.

When rational thinking didn't work, then they had to change their thinking.

If the underground river could be analogized to the Yellow Springs dark river and the like, then the stairs and the stone statue of the woman opening the door standing here, wasn't it to welcome the ghosts from inside the Yellow Springs to come in as guests?

If this was really a tomb, then how hospitable was the tomb owner in life, that even after death they still wanted to joyfully welcome ghosts from all directions?

Li Zhuiyuan looked towards the opposite shore of the river. After greeting over there, the light was always on, occasionally swinging the light to indicate they were still alive.

The boy began to signal, indicating that they should come to his side.

Both sides had discoveries. As for where specifically to gather, it depended on who had influence in the team.

Soon, that side responded; they were going into the water.

Runsheng went to the edge of the shore to wait. Not long after, the two wet people were helped up by Runsheng.

"Hu... hu..." Tan Wenbin knelt on the ground, slowly breathing.

Xue Liangliang spat out several mouthfuls of water and then walked towards Li Zhuiyuan: "Xiao Yuan, we discovered a boat on our side, but it's a stone boat, carved together with the shore edge rock."

"Then look at the one on our side."

Xue Liangliang held the flashlight, first looking at the stone carving, and then at the stone stairs inside the cave.

Li Zhuiyuan briefly introduced the meaning of the "Woman Opening Door Picture" and his own view to Xue Liangliang. After listening, Xue Liangliang immediately echoed: "Then the boat we discovered on the opposite shore, isn't that the Yellow Springs ferry boat?"

Li Zhuiyuan nodded: "It seems indeed consistent."

Xue Liangliang asked: "Xiao Yuan, then shall we go up the stairs, or..."

Li Zhuiyuan: "Wait for rescue."

At this time, Tan Wenbin shouted: "The water is rising!"

Li Zhuiyuan and Xue Liangliang immediately went to check. The river water level had indeed risen.

Earlier when they were on the shore, there was still a drop, but now the drop was not only flattened, but the water in the river began to overflow the shore.

Li Zhuiyuan lifted his flashlight and shone it towards the upper wall again: "No wonder the stone wall above is so smooth, the original water level will rise and wash up to above."

Xue Liangliang: "This is nature's ghost axe divine work."

"Liangliang *ge*, now it seems it's not the time to sigh."

"Whatever, because we're only left with one choice."

"Let's go." Li Zhuiyuan made the decision. "We can only go up."

Runsheng walked in front, Li Zhuiyuan and Xue Liangliang walked side by side, and last was Tan Wenbin. They hadn't specially practiced, but everyone seemed to naturally know their position.

The stone stairs were very smooth, and there were no handrails. Everyone could only bend their backs and walk up carefully, from time to time still needing to use their hands to press on the stair surface to maintain balance.

Tan Wenbin joked: "If there was an elevator here like in a hotel, that would be great." Xue Liangliang responded: "Then aren't you still thinking that after going up, it would be great if there was a room with a bed where you could lie down and rest for a bit?"

"Of course, and it would be best to brew a pot of tea again."

After walking for quite a long section, the flashlight finally shone to the top end.

The top end was dark red, with a door and a window. The door was still open.

Li Zhuiyuan felt that the stone carving at the very bottom of the stone stairs should be carved here; it was more suitable.

Tan Wenbin: "It really is what I said. Unexpectedly, there really is a house."

Runsheng: "Xiao Yuan?"

"Let's go in, Runsheng *ge*."

"Okay."

There was no turning back now. In fact, the hope of waiting for rescue was not high from the beginning, because the rescue team first had to solve the big thing above. Now, adding the characteristic that the underground river would rise, putting hope on rescue was meaningless.

Runsheng entered the door. Next was Xue Liangliang. Before entering the door, Li Zhuiyuan checked the window beside it and found that like the door, it was all made of stone, but the color was still bright, just a bit dark.

This meant that even if the underground river rose again, it would not flood up to here.

This double door was fixed and could not be pushed; it was always kept open.

After walking in, the furnishings inside the room were also all stone carvings: two rows of long benches, a bed, plus a tea table, and on top, there was still a tea set.

The teapot had no lid. The flashlight shone down and could see white liquid. Lifting his head again, he discovered that the top end was not flat, but had quite a few stone edges extending down, among which the largest and thickest one, its tip, was just right against the open-lidded teapot.

Xue Liangliang pointed at the teapot: "Binbin, your tea."

Tan Wenbin said curiously: "What is this? I seem to have seen similar photos in a magazine."

Xue Liangliang: "Stone stalactite."

Tan Wenbin: "Sounds very expensive. Can you drink it?"

Xue Liangliang: "Calcium carbonate sediment."

Tan Wenbin sighed: "As soon as this scientific name comes out, it suddenly has no high-end feel."

Li Zhuiyuan looked around and said: "No road."

This stone house was not big, just the size of a normal folk house hall, but the only place where the door was open was the one they came in from. The other three sides were all rock walls.

Tan Wenbin said speechlessly: "No way, spending so much effort to build such a long stone stairs, just for this place?"

"Everyone look around again to see if there is a hidden passage." After Li Zhuiyuan finished speaking, he walked towards the bed. He reached out and touched it, then climbed up, holding the flashlight to check the gap in the bed, and then discovered that this bed had no gap.

Xue Liangliang then focused on researching the tea set, touching here and twisting there: "Everything here is fixed stone. Let's find out what's not fixed. Maybe there's a mechanism."

"Okay!" Runsheng squatted down to check those chairs.

"Okay, find a mechanism." Tan Wenbin responded while yawning and walked to the edge of the east wall, reaching out to rub his eyes. He wasn't being lazy, but genuinely tired. After all, he had been busy all day, and the first half of the night was spent looking for people. It should be the second half of the night now.

In the previous days, at this time, he should be in the tent competing with Runsheng to see who snored louder.

Subconsciously using his hand to lean on the wall, Tan Wenbin forced himself to blink his eyes, trying to drive away the sleepiness.

After forcing his spirit up a bit more, he planned to continue helping with the search. Then, he looked at his left hand in surprise and was stunned to find that his left hand had actually sunk into the wall.

"I'm screwed!"

Tan Wenbin instinctively wanted to pull his hand out. Who knew that the more he exerted force this way, the stronger the suction came from the other end.

When the other three people heard him call out and turned to look at him, they just happened to witness Tan Wenbin's entire body sticking to the wall. Runsheng's reaction speed was fast enough; he wanted to go and pull him, but his hand hadn't even touched Tan Wenbin when Tan Wenbin's entire body completely sank in and disappeared.

Along with his entry, the wall also began to soften and shake.

"Binbin *ge* seems to have found the entrance."

Li Zhuiyuan said, stretched his hand over, and his fingertip penetrated very naturally. After stretching it further inside, he felt a suction coming from inside.

Not only did the boy not resist, but on the contrary, he actively leaned forward a bit. The next moment, he only felt himself being pulled into a sticky substance, but this state did not last long. He was soon thrown out, and after running several steps forward, he finally maintained his balance.

Except for being completely soaked again, there was no other discomfort.

Li Zhuiyuan looked forward and saw Tan Wenbin just slump and sit there with his back to him. When he lifted his flashlight upwards, his pupils suddenly contracted. A huge snake head was suspended in front of him.

"Ah ah ah ah!"

Tan Wenbin's voice shouted.

Li Zhuiyuan went forward and patted his arm: "Fake, this is a stone carving."

"Ah ah ah ah..." Tan Wenbin continued to shout while looking at Li Zhuiyuan, then his voice gradually calmed down. His hand began to grope on the ground, "Eh, where's my flashlight?"

Obviously, after he entered here, he shone his flashlight a bit and directly came face to face with this stone carving snake head. His whole body was scared silly.

Li Zhuiyuan held the flashlight and shone it towards the ground to help him find it, but found that he couldn't see anything in front.

"Binbin *ge*, stop."

Tan Wenbin stopped. He also saw it and reached out to probe forward: "Xiao Yuan, it's a cliff in front, my flashlight fell down."

"It's okay, as long as you're okay." Li Zhuiyuan walked to the edge and continued to shine the light, but it was too deep and too dark below, and nothing could be seen.

At this time, Runsheng and Xue Liangliang also came in, their bodies all wet.

Tan Wenbin immediately reminded: "There's a stone carving snake head in front, be careful not to be scared."

But even with the reminder, when they actually shone the flashlight over, the figures of the two people also paused for a moment.

Li Zhuiyuan had already come here below the snake head to check. At first, he thought this was just a separate snake head stone carving. The facts proved he was wrong. Only the snake head extended to the platform where he and the others were now located. Its body was complete, only erected upwards.

The snake body had densely carved scales, which were very good for hands and feet.

Li Zhuiyuan pointed upwards and said: "We, climb up."

There was nothing to hesitate about, because currently there were no choices. To leave here, they could only go one way to the end. The most important thing was that this snake body was going upwards, conforming to the direction of survival.

The four people climbed onto the snake head, like climbing a ladder, step by step upwards.

And just like when they climbed the stairs earlier, they held the flashlight and shone upwards while climbing.

Suddenly, the flashlight shone on the snake tail at the top end, and a human shadow stood there.

Another stone carving?

This was Li Zhuiyuan's first thought, but soon, the facts overturned his cognitive habits. That human shadow retreated backwards; he was moving!

The four people currently climbing the snake obviously all saw this scene. After all, everyone looked up when climbing up.

Because of this change, the four people simultaneously stopped their actions, not knowing whether they should continue up.

"Xiao Yuan?"

"Runsheng *ge*..."

Li Zhuiyuan's words were just at the tip of his tongue when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his brain. He couldn't help but press his forehead on the scales, using the coolness from above to sober himself up.

At this moment, the snake body he was grasping seemed to come alive, starting to twist.

But when Li Zhuiyuan looked up again, the twisting feeling disappeared again.

An illusion?

"Xiao Yuan?" Runsheng inquired again.

Li Zhuiyuan forced himself to shake his head and force himself to calm down: "Runsheng *ge*, up!"

"Okay!"

Runsheng accelerated his climb and then reached the top.

When Li Zhuiyuan climbed up, he found another platform in front. Following Runsheng's flashlight, he looked forward and saw another huge snake head.

"No, something's not right..."

Li Zhuiyuan bit his teeth tightly. He felt something was wrong.

At this time, Tan Wenbin and Xue Liangliang also climbed up. The two people began to pant.

Runsheng asked: "Xiao Yuan, do you still want to continue climbing upwards?"

Li Zhuiyuan raised his hand, indicating for Runsheng to wait a bit and let him think about where something was wrong.

He began to recall all the details since going up the stairs and the various conversations among the four people. The feeling of something being wrong became stronger and stronger, and he began to wonder why he had only noticed it now.

Who knew, just at this time, his own voice actually sounded:

"Runsheng *ge*, continue climbing upwards, this is a ladder. As long as we keep climbing upwards, we will definitely get out!"

Li Zhuiyuan's eyes widened. Who exactly was imitating his voice?

But just when the boy wanted to open his mouth to remind them, he was horrified to find that he actually couldn't make a sound.

He forcefully pinched his own neck with both hands, trying to force himself to make a sound to remind them, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't do it.

He wanted to rush over and grab Runsheng, but his legs felt like they were filled with lead and couldn't move.

"Binbin *ge*, Liangliang *ge*, hurry up, ah, just grit your teeth and persist a bit more. Go up and you'll be out, it won't be tiring."

"Okay, persist!"

"I'm fine, Xiao Yuan."

Tan Wenbin and Xue Liangliang continued to walk forward, and at this time, Runsheng had already taken the lead and climbed onto the snake head.

Why don't you quickly realize that I'm not moving, ah? Why don't you quickly realize that I'm not here, ah!

But as Xue Liangliang's flashlight in his hand swept across, Li Zhuiyuan was stunned to see Runsheng, who was already on the snake head, just turning over his body, bending his waist, and receiving a small boy up.

After the small boy was received up, he even specially turned his head and looked towards him.

The corner of his mouth held a mocking smile.

What exactly are you?

No, what exactly is this place?

Li Zhuiyuan closed his eyes and began to try *zou yin*. Generally, when encountering this kind of special situation, *zou yin* could often see things that couldn't be seen in reality.

However, he failed. *Zou yin* was unsuccessful.

This was the first time he had failed since learning *zou yin*.

Of course, there was another possibility, and that was...

He was actually already in a dream!

Li Zhuiyuan looked upwards and began to imagine himself floating upwards in the seawater, floating upwards, according to the method of ending *zou yin* before...

He woke up, opened his eyes, and found himself just standing in the water, and the water level had already reached his neck. It was very, very close to submerging his mouth and nose.

Turning his head to look at his side, he discovered that all four people were neatly standing below the stone stairs, not even having stepped onto the first step.

Runsheng, Tan Wenbin, and Xue Liangliang were still closing their eyes, completely unaware.

Inexplicably, Li Zhuiyuan sensed that there seemed to be a gaze looking at him from behind. He immediately turned his body in the water and looked behind.

The stone carving of the woman opening the door, which was originally supposed to be facing away from the stone stairs, had unexpectedly changed to facing the stone stairs at this time.

In the beginning, she had exposed her right hand, right leg, and right half of her face, while the other half was all integrated with the stone wall.

Now, she exposed her left hand, left leg, and left half of her face.

This side profile had the corner of her mouth upturned with a mocking smile.