This sudden movement terrified everyone, as if a bucket of icy water had been poured over them on a cold winter day. Who had said bats were blind? This one could clearly see and catch things. The five of them trembled uncontrollably, and even the iron-cast offering table began to shake. The six men feared the bat would discover them, but the more they feared, the more they shook, unable to stop. They were afraid of being noticed, yet powerless to extinguish the lamp. However, the bat seemed completely unaware of their presence.
It slowly approached the white dog. They could hear the bat sniffing excitedly. It circled the dog a few times, suddenly stopped, and faced the group. Slowly, it inserted the tube on its face into the white dog’s belly. Even the dazed Su Yougui was startled awake by this sight. Fan Debiao covered his mouth as he watched the bat insert its tube into one of the bulges on the dog’s stomach.
A squelching sound filled the air as the bulge began to shrink. The bat sucked one bulge after another until, in no time, all the swellings on the dog’s belly had disappeared. Liu Dashao thought to himself: So this thing loves to suck centipede eggs.
After finishing the eggs, the giant bat suddenly spread its wings: “…Zhi…zhi…”
The sound was sharp, piercing, and extremely unpleasant. As it spread its wings, its belly was exposed under the lamplight. Liu Dashao focused his gaze—oh no, damn it… Hanging from the bat’s lower abdomen were surely no fewer than a thousand strange worms. As it chirped, the worms wriggled nonstop, as if in wild delight.
Su Yougui, already running a fever, could no longer hold back. He vomited violently, but since he hadn’t eaten anything all afternoon, only clear liquid came out. As he vomited, the others felt their throats itching too… Seeing thousands of strange worms hanging from the belly of a creature—alive and wriggling—it was impossible not to imagine what it would be like if those worms were on their own bodies.
Fan Debiao whispered to Liu Dashao, “This doesn’t make sense. We’ve made so much noise, and there’s even a lamp here. Why hasn’t this old monster reacted at all?”
Liu Dashao’s face turned pale. Suddenly, he coughed loudly, causing the others to curse him inwardly. Yet the bat seemed not to hear at all, not even glancing their way.
A chill ran through Liu Dashao’s heart as he whispered to the others, “It already knows we’re here. It just doesn’t care—it must think we’re already its prey…”
Fan Debiao’s eyes reddened. “No way! I’ll grab the detonator and die with it! I won’t let it take us alive… Oh my God, maybe that Huang Peng was eaten by this thing!”
At this, Huang Shitou’s eyes immediately turned red, and he reached for the detonator. Gu Shuanwa reacted quickly and grabbed his hand.
Liu Dashao said solemnly, “Save it for when we’re really about to die!”
The bat walked to the door and pushed the previously discarded wildcat with its claws, dragging it to the center. It turned its head and looked at the six men hiding under the table. Suddenly, it chirped a few times, and a transparent mucus began to flow from its tube.
Hu Beikang, a grown man, finally burst into tears: “Oh no, it’s drooling at the sight of us…”
Liu Dashao steeled himself and said, “Everyone, get ready. We’ll all rush out together. I’ll hold it off while you run!”
As soon as he said this, everyone froze. Fan Debiao shouted, “Master Liu, what are you talking about?”
Liu Dashao said firmly, “Don’t try to stop me or argue with me. I’ve spent years learning martial arts to expel evil spirits. You’re just ordinary people…”
Before he could finish, Fan Debiao, moved, tightly gripped Liu Dashao’s hand: “Master Liu, we’ll remember you!”
Hu Beikang, tears and snot streaming down his face, said, “Master Liu, you’re truly a good man!” Liu Dashao was momentarily stunned. Damn it, not even one of them is willing to die with me…
The bat flapped its wings and let out a long, piercing screech that hurt their eardrums. Liu Dashao gripped his machete and shouted, “Let’s go together! Whether we live or die depends on this!”
Fan Debiao roared, “When Master Liu charges in, you all run as fast as you can!” Liu Dashao, just gathering his strength, nearly collapsed from hearing this. Gu Shuanwa quickly pushed him from behind.
Just as they were about to charge out and face their fate, they suddenly heard a rustling sound from the stone wall. More rustling came from the entrance of the hidden chamber. Startled, they saw a centipede head appear from each side…
“Damn it! These two were guarding the place! Oh no, today…” Fan Debiao nearly dropped his miner’s lamp. Hu Beikang, trembling with fear, said, “We’re real men. How can we run away at the first sign of danger? I’ll stay and fight with Master Liu!” Liu Dashao sighed inwardly: These guys should’ve been actors in an opera—they’re wasted here.
As the two centipedes fully emerged, the bat screeched anxiously. The female centipede crawled to the dead wildcat, lifted its tail, and stabbed it into the cat’s belly. As the centipede’s tail tube pulsed, dozens of bulges began to appear on the cat’s stomach.
Liu Dashao suddenly understood. No wonder there were only two centipedes in this place—the bat must have eaten all the young ones!
Su Yougui, suffering from centipede venom and burning with fever, had already lost his senses. Now he began to ramble, “Oh no, eating them raw without cooking first… this might cause problems…”
Fan Debiao burst into tears, “You’re like this and still care about whether the bat eats properly? You… you… were you a chef in your past life and didn’t get your fill?”
Seeing the centipedes finish their work on the wildcat, the bat chirped joyfully. It grabbed the cat and plunged its tube into the cat’s belly. As the squelching sound echoed, Huang Shitou couldn’t help covering his ears. The bat raised its head, its large eyes sweeping over the group. Suddenly, it flapped its left wing. Liu Dashao hadn’t even realized what was happening when the two centipedes moved forward, looking eager to attack. He was horrified: If these two creatures attacked together, not one of the six might escape.
Seeing the panic on his companions’ faces, Liu Dashao thought grimly, “Looks like we have no choice but to fight.” At this moment of life and death, Liu Dashao surprisingly calmed down. Thoughts raced through his mind like lightning. He turned to Fan Debiao and said, “Keep the lamp steady. Huang Shitou, light all the oil lamps!”
Fan Debiao didn’t know what he was planning but nodded quickly. Liu Dashao quietly lit the other two oil lamps and said, “Run if you can! Take care of yourselves!”
“Burn it!” he shouted fiercely, hurling the two oil lamps at the bat. Inspired by the earlier success of burning the centipedes, he knew fire was their weakness. The two lamps smashed near the bat, and flames instantly roared up over a foot high. The bat, ancient and cunning, had never expected such a ruthless move from the humans. It had underestimated them.
“Zhi…” the bat shrieked in pain, flapping its wings and retreating rapidly. The strange worms hanging from its belly fell into the fire, popping like firecrackers. Covering its lower abdomen, the bat backed against the stone wall. The two centipedes fled faster than the wind. Seeing an opening in the doorway, Liu Dashao called out to the others and ran toward the exit. Fan Debiao and Hu Beikang supported Su Yougui, following closely behind Liu Dashao, while Gu Shuanwa and Huang Shitou brought up the rear.
The bat wasn’t seriously injured, just startled. Now, noticing the fleeing humans, it angrily shrieked again, spread its wings, and blocked the doorway with its massive shadow. Liu Dashao cursed, “Damn it, it jumps so fast.” There was no room for tricks now—it was a fight to the death. He raised his machete and charged forward, swinging the blade straight at the bat’s head.
But before the blade could reach, the bat’s left wing swept toward him. Liu Dashao felt a powerful gust strike his back, sending him helplessly flying toward the bat’s embrace. “Oh no, my ancestors!” Thinking of the thousands of worms on the bat’s body, Liu Dashao nearly fainted. If he got caught in its arms, death would be better than enduring that.
In that split second, the bat’s wide, grotesque chest loomed before him, its stench making Liu Dashao’s eyes roll back. He silently cursed, “Damn it, I’m done for!”
Liu Dashao flipped his hand and slashed the knife toward his own neck. The five men screamed together, “Master Liu!!”
The bat wouldn’t let him die so easily. Two sharp claws grabbed his wrist, and Liu Dashao felt his wrist break. Looking up, he saw the bat’s hideous face. It nodded, and the sharp tube on its mouth plunged straight toward Liu Dashao’s crown. Tears streamed down Liu Dashao’s face, and he felt his bladder let go—he was as good as dead.
Just then, a loud shout rang out: “Damn it!” Huang Shitou, wielding a kitchen knife, leaped forward. Seeing the bat, he knew this was the creature that had killed his brother. Watching Liu Dashao about to suffer the same fate, his face flushed red with rage. In his heart, a surge of righteousness rose. Silently chanting, “Brother Jing Ke, come quickly!”—he was imitating Liu Dashao’s spirit-summoning technique to the fullest—he leaped forward and slashed his knife at the bat’s sharp tube.
“Zhi…zhi…” The bat shrieked in pain and released Liu Dashao. Liu Dashao felt something fall on his head. He reached up and touched it—half of the bat’s tube, bloody and broken. He realized now that the tube’s tip was as hard as iron, sharp enough to pierce bone. But the material wasn’t too tough, or Huang Shitou wouldn’t have been able to cut it so easily. After landing the blow, Huang Shitou felt his heart pounding so hard he could barely breathe. He clutched his chest, gasping for air. Liu Dashao, seeing this unexpected turn, thought, “If I don’t take advantage of this opportunity, I’m not Liu Dashao!”
He inhaled deeply, turned around, and slashed his knife at the bat’s right wing. With a “squelch,” a large gash opened.
“Yes!” After enduring so much, the group finally felt a surge of relief with Liu Dashao’s strike.
But the bat, a demon with real power, remained composed despite the injuries. It retreated to the centipedes, shrieked, and seemed to command them to attack. By now, the fire on the ground was nearly out. Without the threat of flames, the centipedes raised their heads and prepared to charge.
The six men, having narrowly escaped death, had no will to fight anymore. They shouted in unison and fled toward the exit. But just then, a sudden twist occurred. The two centipedes suddenly turned their heads and bit into the bat’s body. The bat, completely unprepared, was thrown to the ground. Enraged, it struck with its sharp claws, piercing holes through the centipedes’ backs.
“Damn it! They’re turning on each other!” Fan Debiao shouted excitedly, his voice almost as high-pitched as the famous tenor Hu Songhua. Liu Dashao was so happy he wanted to kiss the centipedes, thinking, “If someone had eaten my child for years right in front of me, even a fool would rebel!”
The bat grabbed one centipede and tried to tear it apart, but the other bit into its wing. Now, a deadly battle had truly begun.
The group had no interest in watching who would win. They swarmed toward the exit. Hu Beikang reached the door, suddenly let go of Su Yougui, lit a lighter, and quickly threw in three detonators. His speed was astonishing. While everyone was focused on escaping, no one expected Hu Beikang, usually timid, to come up with such a brilliant plan—to stop the pursuers and rid the world of evil. Everyone couldn’t help but cheer.
After shouting “Great!” Fan Debiao suddenly looked puzzled and asked, “Where did you get three detonators?” Huang Shitou and Liu Dashao were busy lifting Huang Peng’s body. They heard Hu Beikang proudly say, “Aren’t they the three I threw in earlier and then picked back up?” Fan Debiao turned pale, “Those with short fuses?”
The air seemed to freeze. The group’s faces turned pale in unison as they screamed, “Run!”
Huang Shitou saw that his brother’s body couldn’t be carried anymore. Crying out “Brother!” he ran with the others toward the exit. Just as they reached the cave mouth, the ground suddenly shook violently. A hot wave surged from inside, and with “Boom…Boom…” the three detonators exploded. The shockwave lifted the group into the air like small boats in a storm, flying over ten meters away. Rocks and debris flew, smoke rose, and their ears roared like thunder. For a moment, the world spun.
After an unknown amount of time, the group regained consciousness, feeling chest pain and spitting blood. The sky was beginning to lighten. Huang Shitou looked back in despair at the completely collapsed cave, thinking of his brother’s body buried with the old monsters. Tears streamed down his face.
But then, from a pile of rubble a few meters away, a figure suddenly rolled over. Thin and dark-skinned—it was none other than his brother! Huang Shitou was shocked: Was he a zombie? Then another figure emerged from below, covered in dust, and spat out a puff of white smoke: “Oh my ancestors!” It was none other than Liu Dashao!
Huang Shitou jumped over and helped Liu Dashao up, too grateful to speak. Who would risk their life for a dead man? In Huang Shitou’s heart, Liu Dashao had now become a god…
Liu Dashao gave a bitter smile, wiping the blood from his mouth and nose. “You saved me once too. I just wanted to do something for you—it’s the only way I could feel at peace.” Huang Shitou was deeply moved, hugging Liu Dashao tightly… Liu Dashao had another thought—he had used Huang Peng’s body as a shield when the detonators exploded, so he saved himself while helping someone else. There was no reason not to do it.
As Huang Shitou gazed gratefully at Liu Dashao, Liu’s eyes suddenly turned cold, fixed on a spot. Huang Shitou, curious, followed his gaze and saw Gu Shuanwa rising from the ground.
Liu Dashao suddenly spoke, “Gu Shuanwa, what’s that falling from you?”
Gu Shuanwa froze, looked down, and saw a yellow cloth bag on the ground. The bag had opened, revealing its contents: an old-looking book, a few talismans… Liu Dashao recognized those talismans immediately—they were the same ones he had placed on the infant corpse’s box!
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage