water pit

My heart sank, thinking that it was over. After the black thud, I thought I would suffer from broken bones and fractures. However, after falling for a short while, I landed on the ground with a smack. Besides my sore buttocks, the rest of me was intact.

I picked up a glow stick, but before I could examine it closely, I saw a figure crouching in the corner under the glow. The person tilted their head, scrutinizing me. Just as I was about to scream in fright, they suddenly asked, "Cao Nuan Song?"

"Huh?" I was momentarily stunned. Why did this voice sound so familiar? Impatiently, the person asked again, "Are you a human or a ghost?"

Upon hearing this, I thought, "Oh damn, it's Dashou!" Unable to contain my joy, I was about to speak when, from the hole above, there came a stiff sound of footsteps. I quickly gestured to Dashou to keep quiet. Unexpectedly, the old corpse had followed us. If he came down, both of us would be in trouble.

Dashou seemed to sense that we were avoiding something. He focused on the sounds from above. The footsteps approached, almost right above us. Just then, the footsteps suddenly disappeared. I felt a tightness in my chest, and cold sweat broke out. Dashou also realized something was wrong. He pulled out a dagger, eyeing the hole cautiously.

I quickly stashed the glow stick in my clothes, staring at the hole above as if an eternity passed. The footsteps resounded again, moving away from us. We both breathed a sigh of relief.

At that moment, a voice to my left exclaimed, "What is that thing?"

Due to the previous tension, I hadn't noticed that Zhao Jun, who had disappeared with Dashou, was squatting nearby. He startled me, and I complained softly, "I almost got scared to death by you, instead of that old zombie."

Dashou sheathed his dagger and came over to help me up, asking, "Where are the others? Why are you the only one down here?"

Excitedly, I retorted, "Don't ask me. Both of you are here. Han Sheng said you were injured, but you seem pretty lively to me."

Dashou rolled his eyes, "I'm full of vitality, robust and mighty."

In this eerie and dark setting, meeting them was truly a relief. I couldn't help but relax and jokingly say, "I heard it was your pee that attracted the group of giant lizards."

Dashou blushed, "After being in the mountains for so long without finding any hair, can't I relieve myself? Besides, those lizards are definitely suspicious. It's not like I peed Five-Grain Liquor; why are they all flocking to me?"

I remembered Han Sheng saying something similar and asked him what was going on. Dashou recalled, "Those beasts acted like they'd gone mad, attacking suddenly. It was as if they caught you sleeping with their wives. Before choosing the camping spot, I carefully examined the surroundings. No signs of large animal feces were found, and giant lizards usually have a strong territorial sense. They wouldn't venture this far to attack us."

I questioned, "Are you saying someone is scheming behind this?"

Dashou shrugged, "I don't know about that."

I turned to Zhao Jun, asking, "What's your story? Han Sheng said Dashou fainted, and you two didn't wait for us at the well. How did you end up here?"

Zhao Jun's expression wasn't great as he replied, "I injected this guy with antibiotics in the well, planning to wait for you guys. But suddenly, the old man appeared in the mine. I vowed to skin him alive the next time I met him. If not for carrying this guy, I would have caught that old man."

Dashou stared at him, not arguing. It seemed that Zhao Jun, considering Dashou's injury, had refrained from chasing the old soldier. I asked, "Did the old man suddenly appear from the collapsed opening you guys entered?"

Zhao Jun shook his head, "No, he should have come from another entrance. I noticed he was quite familiar with the surroundings down here, suspecting he had been here before."

A thought flashed through my mind, resolving a previous question. If the old soldier had been here before, it explained why he risked attacking us near the burial pit. Initially, I thought he wanted to take advantage of us finding the Fox Hu King's tomb and trap us inside. However, if he already knew about this place, his true intention might be to conceal something here. Unfortunately, the collapse exposed the mine, thwarting his plan.

I simplified my thoughts for them, suggesting, "It appears the old soldier has been following us. His motive seems to be to wait for an opportunity to attack us. Let's be bolder and assume that he has been down here before, discovering some secret. Unable to hide or take it away alone, he pretended to guide us, planning to strike later. The sudden lizard attack might also be related to him."

"That makes sense, but it's too late now," Dashou remarked.

Suddenly, we were startled. Looking towards the sound, we realized it was the old soldier. Unsure when he had discovered us, he had probably left. Hearing Dashou's cursing, he leisurely said, "Done cursing? This is a water reservoir. Don't expect to leave. Save some energy and live a few more days. Honestly, I didn't want to harm you, but you insisted on coming up the mountain. A few small fries like you want to dig up Fox Hu King's tomb. Do you know who's buried down there? Open your eyes in your next life."

"Oh, by the way, the young master of Dragon Mountain Pavilion is down there. Let you die with clarity. Your Cao family lineage ends here. Don't worry about the loneliness on the road to the Yellow Springs. I'll send a few more people to accompany you."

"Old man, spare us the useless chatter. If you have the guts, come down and fight me one-on-one. I'll beat you to death before getting out," Dashou retorted.

The old soldier didn't respond, probably having left already. Hearing Dashou about to speak again, I kicked him, "He's gone. Stop swearing. Moreover, why should you go up alone?"

Dashou shot me a glance, "Lack of education, really. This is called the strategy of stimulating morale. If he believes it's only me going up, he might bring me out. After killing him, I can save you two."

Zhao Jun snorted, "How can he be as idiotic as you?"

Seeing them about to argue again, I intervened, "You heard what the old man said. He seems to know a lot about Fox Hu King's tomb. Plus, when he mentioned the Cao family, he referred to our recent generations. He appears to know a lot about the Cao family affairs, maybe even an insider."

I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache coming on. With all these confusing events, my head hurt. Dashou's analysis echoed my thoughts. If the second master hadn't perished in Wumeng, it was likely he and Han Sheng came here.

 If that was the case, the old soldier's disguise near the burial pit was probably an attempt to dig a trap for the second master.

Moreover, his mention of the Cao family, saying "Cao family lineage ends here," indicated a deep understanding of our family affairs. It seemed like he was an insider.

I sighed, "The old man might be waiting for a chance to ambush us. Let's boldly assume that he had been here before, discovering a secret in the mine. Unable to hide or take it away alone, he pretended to guide us. When he realized he couldn't stop us from going up the mountain, he feigned leading the way and intended to strike later. The sudden lizard attack was probably part of his plan."

"You're right, but it's too late now," Dashou repeated.

The concept of day and night didn't exist down here, making us anxious. Time seemed to pass slowly, and impatience set in. I got up and tapped the nearby rock walls, but they all produced a dull sound. There were no weak layers or hidden doors.

"Don't waste your energy. We've tried everything," Dashou said, explaining they had even considered using explosives, but the surrounding walls were solid rock. If they detonated something, the falling debris would likely crush us.

I suggested, "What if we blow a hole underwater? Find a crack, open it, and, if lucky, we might swim out. Water can reduce the impact, preventing the entire cavern from collapsing."

Dashou, taking the initiative, said, "Looks like the university student's brain is still useful. We can give it a try. Anything is better than being trapped here."

Once the decision was made, I volunteered to explore the underwater environment. The pool likely contained melted snowwater from nearby mountains, freezing cold. I tested it, shivered at the bone-chilling sensation, and suggested that even if we found an exit, we might not make it if we didn't restore our body temperature within twenty minutes.

I removed my upper clothing, as an extra layer would not provide much insulation underwater. Wet clothes, once out of the water, would only draw away body heat. I took a few deep breaths, filled my lungs with air, and dived down.

The water was clear, and before reaching the opposite side, I could already see the cracks in the rock walls. While observing, a peculiar crevice caught my attention. It was about the width of a small arm, and as I approached, I noticed it was concave on the inside, unlike the others. Moreover, the wear on the edges differed from the surrounding cracks. I touched it and had a sudden realization.

Resurfacing, I gasped for air and informed them, "I think I found a way out."