Shui Miao sprinted rapidly and arrived at the crossroads, where the gunfire had already ceased. There, he saw Wang Xiaomi staring at the ground, her face full of fear. She had just changed the magazine, and a few meters inside the cave in front of her lay two monster corpses, their heads blown apart by her shots. Within a three-meter radius, brains and green blood splattered everywhere. “Xiaoshui, we should leave quickly. There might be more monsters inside the cave, and I don’t have many bullets left,” she said. Wang Xiaomi wasn’t carrying many bullets to begin with—only six remained in her pistol. If more monsters appeared, she was worried she wouldn’t be able to handle them. If it hadn’t been for her decent marksmanship and quick reactions, she probably would have been killed by these creatures already.
“…”
Xiaotudou also ran out and, upon seeing the two monster corpses, was startled and quickly covered his mouth.
Shui Miao raised his hand, placing a finger in front of his lips to signal for silence. He listened carefully for a moment but heard no unusual sounds. “Xiaomi jie, just now Xiaotudou and I only saw two large monsters and the two smaller ones inside the bronze coffins. I think there probably aren’t any other big monsters left inside the cave. Why don’t we take this opportunity to check the other bronze coffins and see what’s really inside?”
Shui Miao dashed swiftly to the intersection. The gunfire had already ceased, and he saw Wang Xiaomi staring at the ground with a terrified expression. She had just reloaded her magazine. About three to five meters inside the cave in front of her lay the corpses of two monsters, their heads blown apart by Wang Xiaomi. Within a three-meter radius, their brains and green blood were splattered everywhere.
“Xiao Shui, we need to leave quickly. There might be more monsters in this cave, and I’m running low on bullets,” Wang Xiaomi said. She didn’t have many bullets left—only six rounds remained in her pistol. If more monsters appeared, she feared she wouldn’t be able to hold them off. If it weren’t for her decent marksmanship and quick reflexes, she might have already been killed by these creatures.
“…”
Little Potato also ran out and was immediately startled at the sight of the two monster corpses. He quickly covered his mouth.
Shui Miao raised a finger to his lips, signaling everyone to stay quiet. He listened intently for a moment but heard nothing unusual. “Sister Xiaomi, Little Potato and I only saw two large monsters and two small ones inside the bronze coffin. I don’t think there are any other big monsters in the cave. Why don’t we take this chance to check the other bronze coffins and see what’s inside?”
With the big monsters dead, Shui Miao thought it was the perfect opportunity to eliminate the small ones to prevent future trouble. Once the small monsters were dealt with, this place could become his territory. He really wanted to hide here and cultivate, breaking open more large rocks to allow earth spiritual energy to flow in. This would make it an ideal place for qi cultivation.
“Senior Brother, there are so many bronze coffins here. There must be more monsters. Let’s just leave quickly and come back with more people next time,” Little Potato said. The sight of the monster corpses made him uncomfortable, and the foul smell they emitted made him dizzy and nauseous.
Little Potato took a few steps back. Because he cultivated earth spiritual energy, his sensitivity to smells was particularly acute.
Shui Miao and Wang Xiaomi, on the other hand, were far less affected.
“No, this cave is our secret. We can’t tell anyone else. Only the three of us should know about it,” Shui Miao thought to himself, feeling that Little Potato was too naive. How could someone like him ever become the master of a Taoist temple?
At that moment, Wang Xiaomi said with a grave expression, “Xiao Shui, I’m worried that one of the bronze coffins in this cave might contain a large amount of gu poison—the kind that turns people into monsters. In other words, I suspect these monsters were once human. Moreover, we’ve already inhaled the air here, so we might already be poisoned. If we recklessly open more bronze coffins, wouldn’t the risk be too great?”
Wang Xiaomi’s concerns were not unreasonable.
However, she didn’t make the decision herself. Instead, she left it to Shui Miao.
“We can leave, but we need to kill those two small monsters first,” Shui Miao said as he walked straight into the cave. Wang Xiaomi quickly followed, and Little Potato pinched his nose and trailed behind.
Once inside the cave, Shui Miao noticed that the bronze coffin had been pushed halfway open, and the two small monsters were no longer inside. He quickly looked up and saw that there were openings above the cave, seemingly leading to a complex network of passages. “This is trouble. We killed two big monsters, but two small ones escaped. If we come back here in the future, they’ll definitely cause endless problems!”
“Senior Brother, why don’t we break open the large rocks and flood this place? That way, we can drown them,” Little Potato suggested. Since they might not be able to return, he thought it would be better to break open the rocks now. This would also allow earth spiritual energy to flow more abundantly into the area around the Taoist temple.
Wang Xiaomi shook her head. “That won’t work. I noticed earlier that their feet and hands resemble those of lizards. I suspect they’re monsters adept at swimming. Water won’t drown them. This cave only has moss, which must be their food source. This further proves they aren’t afraid of water. We’re not well-prepared now. Let’s come back next time with more equipment. We can definitely kill them all, or even capture them alive. For now, we should remove the corpses of the two monsters we just killed. First, if we’ve been poisoned, we can use their bodies for testing. Second, by removing the corpses, the small monsters won’t know we killed them. Lastly, if we leave the bodies here, how will we be able to drink the water if the dried well fills up in the future?”
Moss!
A thought occurred to Shui Miao. If the small monsters survived on moss, then there would be a way to deal with them in the future.
“Alright, let’s leave now,” Shui Miao said as he turned and quickly walked out. “By the way, I have woven bags in my pack. Let’s put the monsters in them and hoist them up.”
“Woven bags aren’t good. Use the plastic bags I have…”
“I’ll keep watch for you…”
Little Potato couldn’t stand the smell of the monsters and put on a gas mask. Shui Miao and Wang Xiaomi also put on masks, placed the monster corpses into bags, and carried them to the rope. They tied one of the bags to the rope. However, Shui Miao and Little Potato soon found it extremely difficult to climb up. After several attempts, they could only make it about five or six meters before losing strength and being unable to climb further.
Fortunately, Wang Xiaomi had received professional training. She climbed up first.
The well was over 150 meters deep, and even Wang Xiaomi was exhausted by the climb.
After more than half an hour, Wang Xiaomi and Xiao Liu worked together to pull Shui Miao and Little Potato up.
Finally, they hauled up the monster corpses as well.
Looking at the bulging plastic bags, Xiao Liu and the others initially thought they contained something valuable. But when they touched them, they instinctively thought of human corpses. Without anyone needing to tell them to leave, they were so frightened that they quickly backed away.
Shui Miao immediately called Director Zhang and asked him to come personally.
At that moment, Director Zhang was the only person Shui Miao could think of.
Director Zhang had already gone to bed, but when he saw it was Shui Miao calling, he quickly got up and rushed over.
Upon seeing the monster corpses, Director Zhang was stunned. After hearing the full story, he personally took the corpses away and arranged for a forensic examination overnight.
Shui Miao and the other two went to the hospital to check if they had been infected or poisoned. The results came back normal, and the three of them returned that same night. The next morning, Shui Miao and the others went to the city to buy a hoist, ropes, a stretcher, and other tools. They set up the equipment above the dried well, making it easier to descend. Shui Miao also planned to hoist up all the bronze coffins.
At noon, Director Zhang, dressed in civilian clothes and driving a private car, came again. He called Shui Miao and the other two into his car and immediately asked who else knew about this matter. When he learned that very few people were aware, he took out several X-ray films and handed them to Shui Miao.
“According to our forensic examination, these monsters have the same bones and organs as humans. However, their blood, skin, appearance, and a few minor organs differ from ours. The forensics team boldly speculates that these creatures were human a hundred years ago. But why they underwent such drastic mutations in such a short time remains a mystery. Because this matter is of great importance and could directly impact human evolution, we cannot take it lightly.”
“Now, we have two options. First, report this to higher authorities and let the state handle it. If we do that, this land will no longer belong to you, though the state will compensate you. Second, keep it a secret. I’ll try to pull some strings, and we can establish a biopharmaceutical company here. We can use the unique immune cells from these monsters’ bodies to develop drugs for treating human diseases. Once successful, we’ll make huge profits. However, the prerequisite is to maintain secrecy. If this gets out, the government will inevitably step in and take over.”
Director Zhang laid out the options clearly. All Shui Miao and the others had to do was make a choice.
Little Potato and Wang Xiaomi both looked at Shui Miao, waiting for him to decide.
After a moment of thought, Shui Miao shrugged. “There’s nothing to think about. We have the money and the people. Why shouldn’t we do this ourselves?”
“Alright then! I’ll contact a few old classmates when I get back and ask them to contribute,” Director Zhang said, feeling excited that the Chen family’s revival might be near. He added, “Wang Xiaomi, you must ensure secrecy here. If these security guards aren’t reliable, replace them. We don’t need too many people here. In the future, when the biopharmaceutical company is established, you’ll all be shareholders.”
Director Zhang knew that Wang Xiaomi was close to Shui Miao, but relationships were one thing—interests were another. Without shared interests, true cooperation was impossible.
Wang Xiaomi remained very calm. After thinking for a moment, she nodded. “I think we should reassign them to manage the southern area. Little Potato and I can handle things here. What do you think, Manager?”
She turned to look at Shui Miao.
“While we shouldn’t harbor ill intentions, we must remain cautious. Xiao Liu and the others shouldn’t know too much. Sister Xiaomi, you can handle this as you see fit,” Shui Miao said without hiding anything from Wang Xiaomi. He then asked Director Zhang directly, “Uncle, what about those gold ingots? Are they real?”
“Yes, they’re real…”
Director Zhang hesitated slightly, thinking that matters involving money shouldn’t be discussed openly. If Wang Xiaomi and Little Potato wanted a share, it could complicate things. After a pause, he looked seriously at Wang Xiaomi and Little Potato and said, “You must never reveal this windfall. If word gets out, not only will the gold ingots be confiscated, but you might also be accused of tomb raiding. As for you, Shui Miao, I’ve had experts examine the gold ingots you gave me. They’re genuine, but their value hasn’t been fully appraised yet. Once they’re sold, I’ll transfer the money directly to your account. We can use it to start the biopharmaceutical company.”
“Great! Thank you, Uncle. When the time comes, just give us 70%, and you can keep the rest as our token of appreciation,” Shui Miao said. He appreciated people who settled accounts clearly. Since his uncle had helped him greatly, he naturally didn’t want to shortchange him.
“Come on, do you really see me as an outsider?” Director Zhang waved his hand dismissively. “I don’t want a single penny. Once the company is up and running, just give me 30% of the shares in the biopharmaceutical company.” Director Zhang had his own plans. He could tell that Shui Miao valued his friends highly and might distribute shares to everyone. Rather than letting others take too much, he decided to claim 30% first to help Shui Miao retain his position as the majority shareholder.
“No problem. I’d even give you 50%,” Shui Miao said. When it came to money, he was very generous with those he trusted. He also knew that starting a company was no small matter. As a young person with little experience, he relied entirely on Director Zhang’s help. Giving up 50% of the shares meant nothing to him.
“Haha, you said it!” Director Zhang observed Little Potato and Wang Xiaomi, noting that they were smiling and seemed unconcerned. He felt reassured about Shui Miao’s two friends.
“General Manager, the village secretary is here with a group of villagers armed with clubs and sticks!” Before Director Zhang could finish speaking, Xiao Liu, who was on watch, rushed over anxiously.
“What does he want?”
Hearing this, Shui Miao quickly got out of the car. Wang Xiaomi and Little Potato followed.
“Interesting. Does he want to cause trouble?” Director Zhang remained seated in the car, lit a cigarette, and chuckled coldly. “Shui Miao, don’t go over. Just talk by the car. I want to hear what the secretary of Jingshui Village has to say.”
“Senior apprentice, there are so many bronze coffins here. There must be more monsters than just these. Let’s get out of here quickly and bring more people next time,” Xiaotudou said. Seeing the monster corpses made him feel uneasy all over. The stench from their bodies made his head spin and his stomach churn, and he felt like vomiting.
Shui Miao dashed swiftly to the intersection. The gunfire had already ceased, and he saw Wang Xiaomi staring at the ground with a terrified expression. She had just reloaded her magazine. About three to five meters inside the cave in front of her lay the corpses of two monsters, their heads blown apart by Wang Xiaomi. Within a three-meter radius, brain matter and green blood were splattered everywhere.
“Xiao Shui, let’s get out of here quickly. There might be more monsters in this cave, and I’m running low on bullets,” Wang Xiaomi said. She didn’t have many bullets left—only six rounds remained in her pistol. If more monsters appeared, she feared she wouldn’t be able to hold them off. If it weren’t for her decent marksmanship and quick reflexes, she might have already been killed by these creatures.
“…”
Little Potato also ran out and was immediately startled at the sight of the two monster corpses. He quickly covered his mouth.
Shui Miao raised a finger to his lips, signaling everyone to stay quiet. He listened intently for a moment but heard nothing unusual. “Sister Xiaomi, Little Potato and I only saw two large monsters and two smaller ones inside the bronze coffin. I don’t think there are any other big monsters in the cave. Why don’t we take this chance to check the other bronze coffins and see what’s inside?”
With the big monsters dead, Shui Miao thought it would be best to eliminate the small ones as well to prevent future trouble. Once the small monsters were dealt with, this place could become his territory. He really wanted to hide here and cultivate, breaking open more large rocks to allow earth spiritual energy to flow in. This would make it an ideal place for cultivation.
“Senior Brother, there are so many bronze coffins here. There must be more monsters. Let’s just leave quickly and come back with more people next time,” Little Potato said. The sight of the monster corpses made him uncomfortable, and the foul smell they emitted made him dizzy and nauseous.
Little Potato took a few steps back. Because he cultivated earth spiritual energy, his sensitivity to smells was particularly acute.
Shui Miao and Wang Xiaomi, on the other hand, were far less affected.
“No, this cave is our secret. We can’t tell anyone else. Only the three of us should know about it,” Shui Miao thought to himself, sighing inwardly at Little Potato’s naivety. How could someone like him ever become the master of a Taoist temple?
At that moment, Wang Xiaomi said with a grave expression, “Xiao Shui, I’m worried that one of the bronze coffins in this cave might contain a large amount of gu poison—the kind that turns people into monsters. In other words, I suspect these monsters were once human. Moreover, we’ve already inhaled the air here. What if we’ve been poisoned? Wouldn’t it be too risky to carelessly open more bronze coffins?”
Wang Xiaomi’s concerns were not unfounded.
However, she didn’t make the decision herself. Instead, she left it to Shui Miao.
“We can leave, but we need to kill those two small monsters first,” Shui Miao said as he strode into the cave. Wang Xiaomi quickly followed, and Little Potato, pinching his nose, trailed behind them.
Upon entering the cave, Shui Miao noticed that the bronze coffin they had seen earlier had been pushed halfway open, and the two small monsters were no longer inside. He immediately looked up and saw that the cave had openings above, seemingly leading to a complex network of passages. “This is trouble. We killed two big monsters, but two small ones escaped. If we come back here in the future, they’ll definitely cause endless problems.”
“Senior Brother, why don’t we break open the large rocks and flood this place? That way, we can drown them,” Little Potato suggested. Since they might not be able to return, he thought it would be better to break the rocks now. This would also allow earth spiritual energy to flow more abundantly into the area around the Taoist temple.
Wang Xiaomi shook her head. “That won’t work. I noticed earlier that their feet and hands resemble those of lizards. I suspect they’re monsters adept at swimming. Water won’t drown them. This cave only has moss, which must be their food source. This further proves they aren’t afraid of water. We’re not well-prepared now. Let’s come back next time with more equipment. We can definitely kill them all, or even capture them alive. For now, we should remove the corpses of the two monsters we killed. First, if we’ve been poisoned, we can use their bodies for testing. Second, by removing the corpses, the small monsters won’t know we killed them. Lastly, if we leave the bodies here, how will we ever be able to drink the water if the dry well fills up again?”
Moss!
A thought occurred to Shui Miao. If the small monsters survived on moss, then there might be a way to deal with them in the future.
“Alright, let’s leave now,” Shui Miao said, turning around and walking out quickly. “By the way, I have woven bags in my pack. Let’s put the monsters in them and hoist them up.”
“Woven bags aren’t good. Use the plastic bags I have…”
“I’ll keep watch for you…”
Little Potato couldn’t stand the smell of the monsters and put on a gas mask. Shui Miao and Wang Xiaomi also donned masks, placed the monster corpses into bags, and carried them to the rope. They tied one of the bags to the rope. However, Shui Miao and Little Potato soon found it extremely difficult to climb up. After several attempts, they could only manage to climb five or six meters before running out of strength. They simply couldn’t make it to the top.
Fortunately, Wang Xiaomi had received professional training. She climbed up first.
The well was over 150 meters deep, and even Wang Xiaomi was exhausted by the climb.
After more than half an hour, Wang Xiaomi and Xiao Liu worked together to pull Shui Miao and Little Potato up.
Finally, they also hauled up the monster corpses.
Looking at the bulging plastic bags, Xiao Liu and the others initially thought they contained something valuable. But when they touched them, they instinctively thought of human corpses. Without needing to be told to leave, they were so frightened that they quickly backed away.
Shui Miao immediately called Director Zhang and asked him to come personally.
At that moment, Director Zhang was the only person Shui Miao could think of.
Director Zhang had already gone to bed, but upon seeing Shui Miao’s call, he quickly got up and rushed over.
When he saw the monster corpses, Director Zhang was stunned. After learning what had happened, he personally took the bodies away and summoned a medical examiner for an overnight examination.
Shui Miao and the other two went to the hospital to check if they had been infected or poisoned. The results came back normal, and the three of them returned overnight. The next morning, Shui Miao and the others went to the city to buy a hoist, ropes, a litter, and other tools. They set these up above the dry well, making it easier to descend. Shui Miao also planned to hoist up all the bronze coffins.
At noon, Director Zhang, dressed in civilian clothes and driving a private car, came again. He called Shui Miao and the other two into his car and immediately asked who else knew about this matter. When he learned that very few people were aware, he took out several X-ray films and handed them to Shui Miao.
“According to our medical examiner’s analysis, these monsters have the same bones and organs as humans. However, their blood, skin, appearance, and a few minor organs differ from ours. The medical examiner boldly speculates that they were human a hundred years ago. But why they underwent such drastic mutations in such a short time remains a mystery. Because this matter is of great significance and directly related to human evolution, we cannot take it lightly.”
“Now, we have two options. First, report it to the higher-ups and let the state handle it. In that case, this land will no longer belong to you, though the state will compensate you. Second, keep it a secret. I’ll try to pull some strings, and we can establish a biopharmaceutical company here. We can use the unique immune cells from these monsters to develop drugs for treating human diseases. Once successful, we’ll make huge profits. However, confidentiality is crucial. If this gets out, the government will inevitably step in and take over.”
Director Zhang laid out the options clearly, leaving the decision to Shui Miao and the others.
Little Potato and Wang Xiaomi both looked at Shui Miao, waiting for him to decide.
After a moment of thought, Shui Miao shrugged. “There’s no need to hesitate. We have the money and the people. Why shouldn’t we do it ourselves?”
“Alright then! I’ll contact a few old classmates when I get back and ask them to contribute,” Director Zhang said, feeling excited about the prospect of the Chen family’s resurgence. He added, “Wang Xiaomi, you must ensure confidentiality. If these security guards aren’t reliable, replace them. We don’t need too many people here. In the future, when the biopharmaceutical company is established, you’ll all be shareholders.”
Director Zhang knew Wang Xiaomi was close to Shui Miao, but relationships aside, interests had to be secured. Without shared interests, true cooperation would be impossible.
Wang Xiaomi remained very calm. After some thought, she nodded. “I think we should reassign them to manage the southern area. Little Potato and I can handle things here. What do you think, Manager?”
She turned to look at Shui Miao.
“While we shouldn’t harm others, we must remain cautious. Xiao Liu and the others shouldn’t know too much. Sister Xiaomi, you can handle it as you see fit,” Shui Miao said without hiding anything from Wang Xiaomi. He then asked Director Zhang directly, “Uncle, what about those gold ingots? Are they real?”
“Yes, they’re real…”
Director Zhang hesitated slightly, thinking that matters involving money shouldn’t be discussed openly. What if Wang Xiaomi and Little Potato wanted a share? That would be troublesome. After a pause, he looked seriously at Wang Xiaomi and Little Potato and said, “You must never reveal this windfall. If word gets out, not only will the gold ingots be confiscated, but you might also be accused of tomb robbery. As for the gold ingots you gave me, Shui Miao, I’ve had experts examine them. They’re genuine, but the price hasn’t been finalized yet. Once they’re sold, I’ll transfer the money directly to your account. We can use it to start the biopharmaceutical company.”
“Great! Thank you, Uncle. When the time comes, just give us 70%. The rest is our way of showing gratitude to you,” Shui Miao said. He appreciated people who settled accounts clearly. Since his uncle had helped him greatly, he naturally didn’t want to shortchange him.
“Come on, do you really see me as an outsider?” Director Zhang waved his hand dismissively. “I don’t want a single penny. Later, when the company is established, just give me 30% of the shares in the biopharmaceutical company.” Director Zhang had his own plans. He could tell that Shui Miao valued his friends greatly and might distribute shares to everyone. Rather than letting others take too much, he decided to ask for 30% first to help Shui Miao retain his position as the majority shareholder.
“No problem. I’d even give you 50%,” Shui Miao said. When it came to money, he was very generous with those he trusted. He also knew that starting a company was no small matter. As a young person with little experience, he relied entirely on Director Zhang’s help. Giving up 50% of the shares meant nothing to him.
“Haha, you said it!” Director Zhang observed Little Potato and Wang Xiaomi, noting their relaxed and smiling expressions. He felt reassured about Shui Miao’s two friends.
“General Manager, the village secretary is here with a group of villagers armed with clubs and sticks!” Before Director Zhang could finish speaking, Xiao Liu, who was on watch, rushed over anxiously.
“What does he want?”
Hearing this, Shui Miao quickly got out of the car. Wang Xiaomi and Little Potato followed.
“Interesting. Does he want to cause trouble?” Director Zhang remained in the car, lit a cigarette, and smirked. “Shui Miao, don’t go over. Just talk by the car. I want to hear what the secretary of Jingshui Village has to say.”
Shui Miao and Wang Xiaomi, however, were clearly in a better state.
“No, this cave must remain our secret. No one else must know about it. Only the three of us can know about this place,” Shui Miao sighed inwardly. Xiaotudou was just too naive—how could he ever become the head of the Taoist temple in the future?
At this moment, Wang Xiaomi, with a serious expression, said, “Xiaoshui, I’m a bit worried that some of the bronze coffins in this cave might be hiding large amounts of poisonous insects, and that it’s these insects that turned humans into monsters. In other words, I suspect these monsters were originally humans who mutated. Also, we’ve already breathed in the air here—maybe we’ve already been poisoned. If we recklessly open more bronze coffins, wouldn’t that be too risky?”
Wang Xiaomi’s concerns were not without merit.
However, she still did not make the final decision, leaving it to Shui Miao instead.
“Fine, but we have to kill those two small monsters first,” Shui Miao strode directly into the cave. Wang Xiaomi hurriedly followed, while Xiaotudou, pinching his nose, followed in as well.
Inside the cave, Shui Miao quickly noticed that the bronze coffin had already been pushed halfway open, and the two small monsters were no longer inside. He immediately looked up and saw more openings in the cave ceiling, which looked complicated and led who-knows-where. “Now we’ve got a problem. We killed two big monsters, but the two small ones escaped. Coming back here again will surely bring endless trouble!”
Shui Miao dashed to the intersection, where the gunfire had already ceased. He saw Wang Xiaomi staring at the ground with a terrified expression. She had just reloaded her magazine. About three to five meters inside the cave in front of her lay the corpses of two monsters, their heads blown apart by her shots. Within a three-meter radius, their brains and green blood were splattered everywhere.
“Xiao Shui, we need to leave quickly. There might be more monsters in this cave, and I’m running low on bullets,” Wang Xiaomi said. She didn’t have many bullets left—only six rounds remained in her pistol. If more monsters appeared, she feared she wouldn’t be able to hold them off. If it weren’t for her decent marksmanship and quick reflexes, she might have already been killed by these creatures.
“…”
Xiao Tudo also ran out and was immediately startled at the sight of the two monster corpses. He quickly covered his mouth.
Shui Miao raised a finger to his lips, signaling everyone to stay quiet. He listened intently for a moment but heard nothing unusual. “Sister Xiaomi, Xiao Tudo and I only saw two large monsters and two smaller ones inside the bronze coffin. I don’t think there are any other big monsters in the cave. Why don’t we take this chance to check the other bronze coffins and see what’s inside?”
With the large monsters dead, Shui Miao thought it was best to eliminate the smaller ones to prevent future trouble. Once the small monsters were dealt with, this place could become his territory. He really wanted to hide here and cultivate, breaking open more large rocks to allow earth spiritual energy to flow in. This would make it an ideal place for Qi cultivation.
“Senior Brother, there are so many bronze coffins here. There must be more monsters. Let’s just leave quickly and come back with more people next time,” Xiao Tudo said. The sight of the monster corpses made him uncomfortable, and the foul smell they emitted made him dizzy and nauseous.
Xiao Tudo took a few steps back. Because he cultivated earth spiritual energy, he was particularly sensitive to smells.
Shui Miao and Wang Xiaomi were far less affected.
“No, this cave is our secret. We can’t tell anyone else. Only the three of us should know about it,” Shui Miao thought to himself, feeling that Xiao Tudo was too naive. How could he ever become the master of the Taoist temple with such a mindset?
At that moment, Wang Xiaomi said with a grave expression, “Xiao Shui, I’m worried that one of the bronze coffins in this cave might contain a large amount of gu poison—the kind that turns people into monsters. In other words, I suspect these monsters were once human. Moreover, we’ve already inhaled the air here and might have been poisoned. If we recklessly open more bronze coffins, wouldn’t the risk be too great?”
Wang Xiaomi’s concerns were not unfounded.
However, she didn’t make the decision herself but left it to Shui Miao.
“We can leave, but we need to kill the two small monsters first,” Shui Miao said as he walked straight into the cave. Wang Xiaomi quickly followed, and Xiao Tudo held his nose and went in after them.
Once inside, Shui Miao noticed that the bronze coffin had been pushed halfway open, and the two small monsters were no longer inside. He quickly looked up and saw that the cave had openings above, seemingly leading to a complex network of passages. “This is trouble. We killed two large monsters, but two small ones escaped. If we come back here in the future, they’ll definitely cause endless problems.”
“Senior Brother, why don’t we break open the large rocks and flood this place? That way, we can drown them,” Xiao Tudo suggested. Since they might not be able to return, he thought it would be better to break open the rocks now. This would also allow earth spiritual energy to become more abundant around the Taoist temple.
Wang Xiaomi shook her head. “That won’t work. I noticed that their feet and hands resemble those of lizards. I suspect they are creatures adept at swimming and won’t drown. This cave only has moss, which is likely their food source, further proving they aren’t afraid of water. We’re not well-prepared now. Let’s come back next time with more equipment. We can definitely eliminate them all, or even capture them alive. For now, we should remove the corpses of the two monsters we killed. First, if we’ve been poisoned, we can use their bodies for testing. Second, by removing the corpses, the small monsters won’t know we killed them. Lastly, if we leave the bodies here, how will we be able to drink the water if the dried well fills up again?”
Moss!
A thought occurred to Shui Miao. If the small monsters survived on moss, there would be a way to deal with them in the future.
“Alright, let’s leave now,” Shui Miao said as he turned and quickly walked out. “By the way, I have woven bags in my pack. Let’s put the monsters in them and hoist them up.”
“Woven bags aren’t good. Use the plastic bags I have…”
“I’ll keep watch for you…”
Xiao Tudo couldn’t stand the smell of the monsters and put on a gas mask. Shui Miao and Wang Xiaomi also put on masks, placed the monster corpses into bags, and carried them to the rope. They tied one of the bags to the rope. However, Shui Miao and Xiao Tudo found it extremely difficult to climb up. After several attempts, they could only make it about five or six meters before losing strength and being unable to go further.
Fortunately, Wang Xiaomi had received professional training and managed to climb up first.
The climb was about 150 meters deep, and Wang Xiaomi was exhausted by the time she reached the top.
After more than half an hour, Wang Xiaomi and Xiao Liu worked together to pull Shui Miao and Xiao Tudo up.
Finally, they also hauled up the monster corpses.
Seeing the bulging plastic bags, Xiao Liu and the others thought they contained something valuable. But when they touched them, they instinctively thought of human corpses. Without needing to be told to leave, they were scared off on their own.
Shui Miao immediately called Director Zhang and asked him to come personally.
At that moment, Director Zhang was the only person Shui Miao could think of.
Director Zhang had already gone to bed but, seeing it was Shui Miao’s call, quickly got up and rushed over.
Upon seeing the monster corpses, Director Zhang was stunned. After understanding the situation, he personally took the bodies away and arranged for a forensic examination overnight.
Shui Miao and the other two went to the hospital to check if they had been infected or poisoned. The results came back normal, and the three returned overnight. The next morning, Shui Miao and the others went to the city to buy a hoist, ropes, sliding poles, and other tools. They set these up above the dried well, making it easier to descend. Shui Miao also planned to hoist up all the bronze coffins.
At noon, Director Zhang, dressed in casual clothes and driving a private car, came again. He called Shui Miao and the other two into his car and immediately asked who else knew about this matter. When he learned that very few people knew, he took out several X-ray films and handed them to Shui Miao.
“According to our forensic examination, these monsters have the same bones and organs as humans. However, their blood, skin, appearance, and a few minor organs differ from ours. The forensics team boldly speculates that these creatures were human a hundred years ago. But why they underwent such drastic mutations in such a short time remains a mystery. Because this matter is of great importance and could directly impact human evolution, we cannot take it lightly.”
“Now, we have two options. First, report it to higher authorities and let the state handle it. In that case, this land will no longer be yours, though the state will compensate you. Second, keep it a secret. I will try to pull some strings, and we can establish a biopharmaceutical company here. We can use the unique immune cells from these monsters to develop drugs for treating human diseases. If successful, we will make huge profits. However, confidentiality is crucial. If this gets out, the government will inevitably step in.”
Director Zhang laid out the options clearly, leaving the decision to Shui Miao and the others.
Xiao Tudo and Wang Xiaomi both looked at Shui Miao, waiting for him to decide.
After a moment of thought, Shui Miao shrugged. “There’s no need to choose. We have the money and the people. Why not do it ourselves?”
“Alright then! I’ll contact a few old classmates when I get back and ask them to contribute,” Director Zhang said, feeling excited that the Chen family’s revival might be near. He added, “Wang Xiaomi, you must ensure confidentiality. If these security guards are unreliable, replace them. We don’t need too many people here. In the future, when the biopharmaceutical company is established, you will all be shareholders.”
Director Zhang was aware of Wang Xiaomi’s close relationship with Shui Miao, but beyond personal connections, securing interests was paramount. Without mutual interests, genuine cooperation would be unattainable.
Wang Xiaomi remained very calm. After thinking for a moment, she nodded. “I think we should assign them to manage the southern area. Xiao Tudo and I can handle things here. What do you think, Manager?”
She turned to look at Shui Miao.
“While we shouldn’t harbor ill intentions, we must remain cautious. Xiao Liu and the others shouldn’t know too much. Sister Xiaomi, you can handle it as you see fit,” Shui Miao said without hiding anything from Wang Xiaomi. He then asked Director Zhang directly, “Uncle, what about those gold ingots? Are they real?”
“Yes, they are real…”
Director Zhang hesitated for a moment, considering that financial matters should not be openly discussed. If Wang Xiaomi and Xiao Tudo demanded a share, it could lead to complications. After a brief pause, he looked at them with a serious expression and said, “You must keep this windfall absolutely secret. If it gets out, not only will the gold ingots be confiscated, but you could also be accused of tomb raiding. As for the gold ingots you gave me, Shui Miao, I’ve had them examined by experts. They are indeed genuine, but the final price hasn’t been settled yet. Once they’re sold, I’ll transfer the money directly to your account. It will just be the right amount to start the biopharmaceutical company.”
“Great! Thank you, Uncle. When the time comes, you only need to give us 70%. The rest is our way of showing gratitude to you,” Shui Miao said. He appreciated people who settled accounts clearly. Since his uncle had helped him greatly, he naturally wouldn’t shortchange him.
“Tch, do you still see me as an outsider?” Director Zhang curled his lip and waved his hand. “I don’t want a single cent. Later, when the company is established, just give me 30% of the shares in the biopharmaceutical company.” Director Zhang had his own plans. He could see that Shui Miao valued his friends greatly and might distribute shares to everyone. Rather than letting others get too much, he decided to ask for 30% first to help Shui Miao retain his position as the largest shareholder.
“No problem. 50% would be fine too.”
When it came to money, Shui Miao was very generous with those he trusted. He also knew that starting a company was no small matter. As a young person who knew nothing, he relied entirely on Director Zhang’s help. Giving up 50% of the shares meant nothing to him.
“Haha, you said it yourself!” Director Zhang observed their expressions. Seeing Xiao Tudo and Wang Xiaomi smiling and indifferent, he felt reassured about Shui Miao’s two friends.
“General Manager, the village secretary is here with a group of villagers armed with clubs and sticks!” Before Director Zhang could finish speaking, Xiao Liu, who was on watch, rushed over anxiously.
“What does he mean by this?”
Hearing this, Shui Miao quickly got out of the car. Wang Xiaomi and Xiao Tudo followed.
“Interesting. Does he want to cause trouble?” Director Zhang remained in the car, let out a cold laugh, and lit a cigarette. “Shui Miao, don’t go over. Just talk by the car. I want to hear what the secretary of Jingshui Village has to say.”
Wang Xiaomi shook her head. “That won’t work. I just noticed that their hands and feet looked somewhat like a lizard’s. I suspect they are aquatic monsters that are good at diving. Water won’t kill them. There’s moss inside the cave, which is obviously their food source, proving further that they are not afraid of water. We’re not well-prepared now. Let’s come back next time with more equipment—we can definitely kill them all or even capture them alive. Right now, we’d better take the two monster corpses with us. First, if we were poisoned, we could use their bodies for testing. Second, removing the corpses will prevent the small monsters from knowing we killed them. Also, if we leave the corpses here and water fills the dry well later, how could we drink that water?”
Moss!
Shui Miao’s eyes sparkled as he thought: if the small monsters survived by eating moss, then he would have a way to deal with them in the future.
“Okay, let’s leave now.” Shui Miao turned around and quickly walked out. “Oh, there are some plastic bags in my backpack. Let’s use them to pack the monsters and lift them up.”
“Plastic bags are not good. Use these rubber ones from me…”
“I’ll keep watch…”
Unable to bear the smell of the monsters, Xiaotudou put on a gas mask. Shui Miao and Wang Xiaomi also put on masks, packed the monster corpses into bags, and carried them to the ropes below. They tied one of the ropes around the bags. Then, Shui Miao and Xiaotudou suddenly found climbing up extremely difficult. They tried several times but could only climb up to about five or six meters before running out of strength—they couldn’t climb any further!
Fortunately, Wang Xiaomi had received professional training, so she climbed up first.
Climbing up more than 150 meters exhausted her greatly.
Half an hour later, Wang Xiaomi and Xiao Liu managed to pull Shui Miao and Xiaotudou up.
Finally, they pulled the monster corpses up together.
Seeing the bulging plastic bags, Xiao Liu and others thought they were carrying something valuable. When they touched the bags, they naturally assumed they were human corpses. Without anyone chasing them away, they instinctively moved away in fear.
Shui Miao directly called Director Zhang and asked him to come in person.
At this point, Shui Miao could only think of Director Zhang.
Director Zhang had already gone to bed when he saw the call from Shui Miao and immediately got up and rushed over.
Seeing the monster corpses, Director Zhang was stunned. After understanding the situation, he personally took the monster corpses away and called a forensic expert that night for examination.
The three of them—Shui Miao, Wang Xiaomi, and Xiaotudou—went to the hospital together to check whether they had been infected or poisoned. The results showed everything was normal, so they returned home that night.
The next morning, the three of them went to the city to buy tools such as engines, ropes, and pulleys, and set them up above the dry well. This made going down the well much easier, and Shui Miao also planned to hoist all the bronze coffins up.
At noon, Director Zhang, dressed in plain clothes and driving his private car, came again. He picked up the three of them and immediately asked, “Who else knows about this matter?” When he learned that only a few people knew, he took out several X-ray films and handed them to Shui Miao, saying, “According to the forensic examination, these monsters have the same bones and organs as humans. However, their blood, skin, appearance, and some minor organs differ from those of humans. The forensic expert boldly speculated that these monsters were humans a hundred years ago, but why they mutated so drastically in such a short time remains a mystery. Since this matter is of great importance and directly affects human evolution, we cannot take it lightly. Now we have two paths ahead of us: one is to report to the higher authorities and let the state handle it, in which case this land will no longer belong to you, although the state will provide some compensation. The second is to keep it secret. I will try to find some connections and establish a biopharmaceutical company here to utilize the unique immune cells inside these monsters’ bodies to develop drugs suitable for treating human diseases. Once successful, we will gain huge profits. However, the premise is to maintain confidentiality. If this matter leaks out, the government will certainly intervene forcefully.”
Director Zhang made himself very clear. All Shui Miao and the others needed to do was make a choice.
Xiaotudou and Wang Xiaomi both looked at Shui Miao, leaving the decision to him.
Shui Miao thought for a moment and shrugged. “There’s no need to choose. We have money and people. Why not do it ourselves?”
“Alright then! I’ll go back and contact some old classmates to help out.” Feeling that the day for the Zhang family’s resurgence was near, Director Zhang was very excited. He continued, “Wang Xiaomi, you must ensure confidentiality. If these security guards are unreliable, replace them. We don’t need too many people here. Once the biopharmaceutical company is established, you will all be shareholders.”
Director Zhang knew that Wang Xiaomi was close to Shui Miao, but while relationships were important, interests must also be secured. Without shared interests, true unity could not be achieved.
Wang Xiaomi remained very calm. After thinking for a moment, she nodded. “I think we should assign them to manage the southern site. Xiaotudou and I can handle things here. What do you think, Manager?”
She turned her head to look at Shui Miao.
“One must not have the intention to harm others, but one must be prepared to guard against harm. Xiao Liu and others shouldn’t know too much. Xiaomi jie, you can handle this as you see fit,” Shui Miao said frankly to Wang Xiaomi and directly asked Director Zhang, “Uncle, what about those golden ingots? Are they real?”
“Yeah, they’re real…”
Director Zhang hesitated slightly, thinking that such matters directly involving money shouldn’t be discussed openly in front of everyone. If Wang Xiaomi and Xiaotudou wanted a share, it would be troublesome. He paused and then looked seriously at Wang Xiaomi and Xiaotudou, saying, “You must keep this small fortune a secret. If it leaks out, not only will all the golden ingots be confiscated, but you might also be charged with tomb robbing. Also, Shui Miao, the golden ingots you gave me have already been appraised by experts—they are genuine. However, their value hasn’t been estimated yet. Once they are sold, I will directly transfer the money to your account, which can be used to launch the biopharmaceutical company.”
“Great! Thank you, Uncle. When that happens, you just need to give us seventy percent. The rest can be considered our gift to you,” Shui Miao said. He liked to settle accounts clearly. Since his uncle had helped him greatly, he naturally couldn’t let his uncle be treated unfairly.
“Pfft, are you treating me as an outsider now?”
Director Zhang sneered slightly and waved his hand.
“I don’t want a single penny. Later, once the company develops, you just need to give the biopharmaceutical company thirty percent of the shares,” Director Zhang said. He had his own plans. He could see that Shui Miao valued his friends highly and might distribute the shares among everyone. Rather than giving away too many shares to others, he might as well claim thirty percent first to help Shui Miao maintain his position as the largest shareholder.
“No problem, fifty percent is fine.”
When it came to money, Shui Miao was very generous toward people he trusted. He also knew that running a company was no small matter. Being young and inexperienced, he completely relied on Director Zhang’s help. Giving away fifty percent of the equity was nothing to him.
“Hehe, you said it yourself!”
Director Zhang observed their expressions. Seeing that Xiaotudou and Wang Xiaomi were both smiling and seemed indifferent, he felt reassured about Shui Miao’s two friends.
“General Manager, the village secretary is coming with a group of villagers, carrying sticks and clubs!” As soon as Director Zhang finished speaking, Xiao Liu, who was on watch, rushed over urgently.
“What does he mean by this?”
Upon hearing this, Shui Miao immediately got out of the car, followed by Wang Xiaomi and Xiaotudou.
“That’s interesting. Could it be that he wants to cause trouble?” Director Zhang remained seated in the car, sneering coldly before lighting a cigarette. “Shui Miao, you guys don’t go over there. Just stay by the car and talk. Let me hear what the village secretary from Jing Shui Village wants to do.”
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