Escape from the jaws of death

Hu Yang shouted loudly, "Tashi Danba, what are you doing! Can you still hold on?" Tashi Danba ignored him. With one hand holding the rope and the other grabbing something from the edge of the bridge, he then gestured for them to pull him up.

Only when both of them safely reached the ground did Hu Yang let out a sigh of relief.

As soon as they landed, Kirk and Hu Yang immediately began giving first aid. Zhang Li only had a palm injury, which was treated with a simple pressure bandage. However, Tashi Danba was in much worse condition. His arms had been tied up with the rope for too long, cutting off circulation in many places. Hu Yang applied medicine to promote blood flow, but surprisingly, Tashi Danba was the more mentally stable one. Tashi Danba showed them the object he had collected from the edge of the bridge. It was a cluster of crystals, pinkish-purple in color, but none of them recognized it. Hu Yang said he had seen something similar before, and perhaps Lao Xiao would know. The three of them thought Tashi Danba had risked his life to go back down just for this item, which seemed not worth it, but Tashi Danba had his own reasons. He tucked the crystal cluster into his chest, ignoring Hu Yang as he continued to treat his arms, and asked, "What method did you use to drive them away?"

Hu Yang glanced at the insecticide can on the ground and explained, "It's a gas. It makes the hamsters feel fear, but it doesn't kill them."

Tashi Danba looked around. The black hamsters hadn't retreated; they were just lurking in the distance, still eyeing the four of them with greedy gazes. He also looked at the bottle and sniffed it, but he didn't ask about any particular smell.

Hu Yang said, "You don't need to smell it. Our noses can't detect that kind of smell."

Tashi Danba asked curiously, "What's going on? Captain, it seems like you know everything. It's like you were prepared for all of this."

Hu Yang replied, "You're right. This isn't my first time in caves like this. A few years ago, we did a scientific expedition. We discovered an ice cave on the Malan Mountain. Except for not finding murals, everything else was similar to this. We were a team of eighteen, and only three of us made it out alive: me, Lao Xiao, and an old colleague, Old Tan, whose waist got broken and couldn't do any more fieldwork."

Kirk was shocked, "Only three people survived?"

Hu Yang said solemnly, "Yes. Lao Xiao and I have kept this history hidden for a long time. As I mentioned earlier, three of our team fell into the ice river and froze to death. Ten others were eaten alive by these devilish creatures."

"Ten people? What about the other two?" Kirk asked.

Hu Yang gave him a sharp look and continued, "When we returned, I consulted several experts about the hamsters and whether they had any natural predators. After hearing my description, all the experts agreed that these hamsters, living in colonies, are the natural enemies of all large creatures. They probably don't have any direct enemies. I also asked the experts for ways to deal with them. Most recommended using fire, but one expert gave me an idea. He said that before mice die in the lab, they secrete a substance that quickly evaporates into the air, which makes other mice avoid the area. He suggested I collect this air, but he wasn't sure if it would work on hamsters. Now, it seems it does."

About ten minutes later, Tashi Danba tried to move his curled fingers slightly, and the color in his arms gradually lightened. He stood up, looked into the distance, and said, "But they haven't left. It seems like they're still gathering."

Hu Yang said, "Hmm, the space is too large, and the wind is spreading the scent. Once the gas in the bottle runs out, they'll probably come after us again."

Kirk said, "That's too dangerous! We should leave now! Can you walk?" He asked Zhang Li, who nodded.

Hu Yang said, "It's too late. Their movement speed in the cave is much faster than ours. If we keep walking like this, we won't even make it halfway before they catch up."

"Then what do we do?" Kirk anxiously looked at his captain.

Hu Yang scratched his beard, looking troubled, and said, "There's only one way —"

"Blow this place up!" Tashi Danba interrupted. "Once we destroy the ice bridge and ice platform, these hamsters won't be able to climb the ice walls."

Hu Yang nodded, but his expression showed reluctance. Kirk said, "But if we destroy it, we won't be able to see this beautiful ice cave again."

Hu Yang was of the same mind. He said, "Yeah, these ice crystals took millions of years to form, but right now, we can't afford to think about that. I'm not a saint, and maybe I'll feel guilty, but life is more precious." He glanced at Zhang Li and said, "There's dynamite and cluster bombs in the bag. They're sometimes used for geological surveys or mining. You should be familiar with how to use them."

Zhang Li took one last look at the crystal-filled ice room, a place he both loved and hated, and said coldly, "Drill the hole."

After planting the explosives, Hu Yang pressed the detonator from a distance. With a huge explosion, the ice platform, ice bridge, ice beams, and ice columns collapsed and fell into the unfathomable abyss. The magnificent wonder of the ice cave was gone, and the hamsters were separated from them by an insurmountable gap, unable to follow.

Kirk stood on the edge of the cliff, sighing, "We'll never see it again. What a pity."

Zhang Li said, "But we're safe."

"No, we're not safe!" Tashi Danba insisted. "From the moment we entered this ice cave, I've felt like we've been in danger. Even now, that feeling hasn't gone away. It's even stronger."

"Really? What kind of feeling is that? Why don't I feel it? The poachers are dead, the hamsters have been blocked. What else is there to fear?" Kirk couldn't understand at all.

Tashi Danba insisted, "I can't explain it, but it's a feeling, or maybe an intuition. I can always sense danger. There's no mistake."

Kirk muttered, still skeptical, but Hu Yang spoke up, "I think he's right, Kirk. Don't forget, although we haven't had any direct confrontations with the poachers since we entered the cave, you only saw three to four poachers, and we only found two skeletons. Plus, there were no bags or firearms around the skeletons. How do you explain that?"

Kirk replied, "Maybe another one of them fell into the deep ravine."

Hu Yang said, "Then why, in this echoing cave where you can clearly hear a person's breath, didn't we hear any screams? If they fell, they would have screamed in agony!"

Kirk was left speechless. At this moment, Tashi Danba spoke up, "They're still in the cave, and they're farther away from the hamsters than we are." He turned his gaze toward the side cave behind them, and in the distance, a flash of light appeared, followed by gunshots—first a "clink," then the "boom boom" sound from overhead.

Tashi Danba raised his head and saw a huge ice column falling from the ceiling. Without hesitation, he quickly accelerated using a Tibetan wrestling technique, crashing into the three of them to push them aside. The ice column crashed onto the ice cliff, sending ice fragments flying. Tashi Danba exclaimed, "Good job!" He quickly grabbed Kirk's gun and ran after the source of the sound.

Hu Yang and Kirk scrambled to their feet. Panting, Hu Yang said to Kirk, "You wanted to know how the other two died, right? They were crushed by these massive falling ice columns. Old Tan's waist was broken the same way." He added, "Take care of Zhang Li. I'm going to check it out." Then, he ran after Tashi Danba.

Kirk looked at Tashi Danba's back and marveled, "Wow, what is this guy made of? Just a moment ago, he was on the brink of death, and now he's full of life again."

Zhang Li recalled a story his team leader had told him. The leader had said, "The furious Tashi Danba charged at the enemy, grabbed its horns, and slammed his huge fists into its head, punch after punch, until the male wild yak was howling and begging for mercy on its knees!"

Hu Yang followed behind, watching Tashi Danba grow farther away from him. He had to stop to catch his breath and muttered, "This guy… is crazy!"

Tashi Danba saw a thin, tall figure ahead, holding what looked like a gun, weaving in and out like he was at home. Tashi Danba quickly caught up and was almost there when someone suddenly lunged out of a side cave and grabbed him around the waist! Tashi Danba felt his arms trapped as though locked in steel bands, unable to move. The person behind him shouted, "Quick, shoot!" The figure in front of them, seemingly prepared, stopped as soon as Tashi Danba was held, raising a gun.

Tashi Danba struggled with all his strength, and the person holding him didn't expect someone to be stronger than them. The grip loosened, and without thinking, Tashi Danba quickly elbowed the person in the neck, twisting his body to throw them in front of him. The entire maneuver was completed in an instant, and at the same moment, a gunshot rang out. Tashi Danba saw the man in front of him, a bearded, small-eyed figure, whose eyes bulged like dead fish. Blood poured from his mouth, and it seemed he was done for. Tashi Danba didn't have time to push the man aside and immediately fired his gun.

Tashi Danba's rifle, which was as thick as an iron rod, had long since fallen somewhere. He was holding Kirk's silenced submachine gun, but despite pulling the trigger several times, it didn't fire. The person in front of him, yelling something and starting to run, heard the gun not fire and raised his own weapon. But before he could shoot, "bang bang," ice shards flew from next to him. He ducked and ran off, and Tashi Danba distinctly heard him shout, "Your ancestors!"

Hu Yang approached, holding the smoking double-barrel shotgun, panting. "Whew…whew… First, disengage the safety, like this! Alright, now it's ready!"

Tashi Danba was ready to chase, but the dead strong man was holding on so tightly that Tashi Danba couldn't shake him off even after two attempts. In a panic, he grabbed the man's arms, twisted them gently, and broke them. He ignored Hu Yang's stunned expression and ran after the enemy.

The people of Dawa Nuco Village had a saying: "Don't anger a herd of wild yaks; when they go crazy, they're like devils. And never anger Tashi Danba; when he goes crazy, even the devil will tremble."

Hu Yang glanced at the dead body. The man was sliding down the slanted ice path toward another cave, leaving a trail of blood behind him. "Hey, don't go so fast, whew… This gunshot wound… It's from a fragmentation shell, be careful! They are professional poachers!"

When Hu Yang looked up again, Tashi Danba had already run far ahead.

Tashi Danba gritted his teeth and said, "Unforgivable! Brutally killing Tibetan antelopes! Unforgivable! Not sparing their own kind! Even more unforgivable is that they dare to sacrifice their own comrades as bait!" His anger flared up! He was like a fierce lion, his muscles rippling as he sprinted through the cave like a cheetah. No matter how the figures ahead tried to escape, he kept his eyes locked on them. He dove through one cave after another, through corridors, enduring the freezing cold and flying ice shards. Nothing could stop him now. Bloodthirsty sins must be repaid with blood.

The figure ahead seemed to sense the terrifying power behind him. He tried to escape, using his knowledge of the terrain and turning sharply to flee, occasionally turning to fire back, but his aim was off. After chasing for an unknown time, Tashi Danba saw a flash of light ahead and then the sky slowly opened up. He realized that his pursuit had led him out of the ice cave. The poacher had indeed known the terrain well, easily finding an escape route. This only made Tashi Danba angrier. They knew the escape route but stayed in the cave. It was clear now—they intended to use the dangerous terrain to bury the entire expedition team in the ice forever. But why? Tashi Danba couldn't figure it out.

Upon leaving the ice cave, the snow was thick. The poacher's movements were sluggish. As Tashi Danba closed in, he fired without hesitation. The sound of his submachine gun was quiet—"tat tat tat"—but the bullets went wide and none hit the poacher. He quickly ran out of bullets and looked at the gun in surprise. How could it be empty after just a few shots? He wasn't used to these recoil-less weapons. When he trained, he liked to use a Browning high-power handgun, with its weight, power, and feel. He even owned an Israeli Desert Eagle. But with this small submachine gun, there was no recoil, and the magazine was quickly emptied. The poacher turned around and began to fire back.

Tashi Danba dove into the snow, using the natural cover. Snow flew everywhere. The poacher, realizing Tashi Danba was out of ammo, grew bolder and approached. Just as he was about to get close, something flew from behind the ice rock, knocking the gun out of his hand. It was Tashi Danba's thrown submachine gun. He couldn't aim well with it, but when he threw it, it hit its mark perfectly. Before the poacher could grab his hunting rifle, Tashi Danba leaped, knocking the man to the ground. But in the snow, it wasn't as easy as on solid ground. Tashi Danba thought he would press the poacher firmly into the snow, but instead, he sank into it. The poacher used the opportunity to roll away, kicking some snow into Tashi Danba's face in the process.

Tashi Danba, half-kneeling in the snow, didn't stand up but leapt again. The poacher rolled away once more, and Tashi Danba missed. The two struggled in the snow. The poacher was strong and familiar with the slippery terrain. Several times, Tashi Danba thought he had the poacher pinned, only for him to escape. The snow was slippery, and Tashi Danba couldn't use his wrestling techniques. The poacher took advantage of the terrain, and when the two were locked in a deadlock, the poacher suddenly jumped back two steps, luring Tashi Danba forward. Tashi Danba, not realizing what was happening, took a step, and suddenly his foot slipped into an ice trap. He quickly reacted, stretching his arms out to brace himself, and managed to avoid falling completely, but he was stuck and couldn't move.

The poacher walked over, stepping on the snow with a creepy "kakakaka" sound. He squatted in front of Tashi Danba, looking down at him. His brows were thick, his eyes small, with a dark face, sporting a small mustache and a felt hat, puffing white smoke. He sneered and said, "You killed my brother! I will tear you apart to avenge him!" The man who had grappled with Tashi Danba earlier was his brother. The two brothers looked similar.

Tashi Danba coldly responded, "You should go meet your brother."

The poacher was unexpectedly quick. As soon as he saw Tashi Danba's eyes, he immediately did a roll on the ground, making a "clang" sound as his rifle hit the snow. The poacher didn't waste time, rolling and scrambling down the snow slope, escaping far away.

Hu Yang, holding his smoking double-barrel shotgun, approached and cursed, "This thing needs reloading after every shot, otherwise that little bastard would never have gotten away. Come on, I'll pull you up. You're really heavy!"

Tashi Danba asked, "Why are you so slow?"

Hu Yang replied, "Because you're so reckless! I still need to leave markers along the way, or Kirk and the others won't be able to find us! But, fortunately, everyone survived." He rummaged through his pockets for a long time before pulling out a half-crushed pack of cigarettes, taking one out and offering it to Tashi Danba. Tashi Danba shook his head, rejecting it, and Hu Yang lit it for himself. The two of them waited at the cave entrance for Kirk and Zhang Li.

Hu Yang fiddled with the walkie-talkie and said with a bitter smile, "I don't know if it's broken, but we still don't have a signal."

Tashi Danba said, "Maybe it's because we're too far. We don't know how far we've walked inside the glacier. It's already dark."

Hu Yang looked at Tashi Danba with a downcast expression and asked, "What do you think of these people?"

Tashi Danba said, "Clearly, they weren't panicking and running away. They purposely led us into the glacier cave. It seems like they were determined to kill us, but I still don't know why."

Hu Yang took two deep drags from the cigarette, staring into the distance, where the crescent moon hung in the sky. His voice was hoarse as he said, "It's the jackals!"