After Master Diao gave his orders, several people took out guns equipped with ropes, loaded them, and with a simple pull of the trigger, the ropes shot up and tightly adhered to the head of the Buddha statue.
Liu Dashao quickly counted the ropes. Each rope matched one person perfectly. Since Wang Zhicai and Lin Miaoke lacked the strength to climb, two strong men carried them up. Liu Dashao had initially thought Wang Feifei might also need help, but she flatly refused his offer. To his surprise, she climbed with remarkable agility, moving faster than anyone else, light as a swallow.
At this moment, Fan Debiao and Jackson had relaxed so much that they even started a climbing race, leaving Liu Dashao both amused and frustrated.
Just halfway up the climb, the coffins around them suddenly began to tremble again, accompanied by the same eerie creaking sound. This unexpected “surprise” startled Liu Dashao so much that he nearly let go and fell.
This time, the tremors were faster and the creaking louder. Whether it was psychological or not, no one could tell, but everyone ignored the fear and rushed upwards in a frenzy.
“Just a minute—this isn’t a corpse reanimation! Everyone, stop climbing now!” Suddenly, Ni Ren Zhang shouted.
As soon as Ni Ren Zhang spoke, Master Diao quickly signaled everyone to halt. Instantly, the tomb chamber fell silent. Beams of flashlight darted everywhere, making Liu Dashao feel dizzy.
The sound echoed throughout the chamber, seeming to draw closer. It created a suffocating pressure that was unbearable.
Hanging in midair wasn’t a pleasant experience, and Liu Dashao had already grown to hate it. He had sworn never to do anything like this again, but now he had no choice.
In truth, life is full of things beyond our control. Even if you have a thousand reasons not to do something, under pressure from danger, power, or interest, you often have no choice but to act.
As Liu Dashao was lost in thought, suddenly a “gege” sound came from directly above. Liu Dashao clearly remembered there were no coffins on top of the Buddha statue—so why was this sound coming from there? But now he understood why Ni Ren Zhang had ordered everyone to stop. There was something just as dangerous above them as what had come from the coffins.
Liu Dashao wasn’t the only one who heard the sound. Others weren’t deaf, and soon the entire chamber erupted into chaotic chatter, making Liu Dashao’s head throb.
At some point, Fan Debiao swung over and said, “Boss, what the hell is going on? This is driving me nuts! Can’t a guy even climb in peace anymore?”
Liu Dashao hadn’t understood anything from the beginning, so he had no idea what was happening now either. He couldn’t answer Fan Debiao and simply looked upward at Ni Ren Zhang.
With only flashlights illuminating the scene, Ni Ren Zhang appeared hazy and indistinct above. Wrapped head to toe, no one could tell what he was doing. As the only one who seemed to understand the situation, no one dared to act rashly without his signal.
Fan Debiao, seeing Liu Dashao staring at Ni Ren Zhang, mimicked him and squinted upward. After a pause, he muttered, “What are you looking at that guy for? I swear I haven’t seen him sprout wings or anything.”
Indeed, Ni Ren Zhang had no wings. Though he was an annoying figure, Liu Dashao always felt a sense of security with him leading the way. Without realizing it, he had come to rely on him in this place.
Liu Dashao didn’t respond to Fan Debiao. He kept his eyes fixed on Ni Ren Zhang above. Master Diao, impatient, swung over to Ni Ren Zhang’s side to find out what was happening.
Before Master Diao could speak, both Ni Ren Zhang and Master Diao simultaneously looked up. Liu Dashao, too far away, could only see their faces with his flashlight. He couldn’t see what was above them, but judging from their reaction and the sound coming from the top of the statue, Liu Dashao was certain something was up there.
So Liu Dashao decided to climb higher to close the distance and see what Ni Ren Zhang and Master Diao had discovered. Holding his flashlight between his teeth, he pushed himself upward. Seeing Liu Dashao suddenly climb up, Fan Debiao followed closely behind.
As they climbed, suddenly both Master Diao and Ni Ren Zhang shuddered simultaneously. Liu Dashao immediately sensed something was wrong. Master Diao was an experienced man, and Ni Ren Zhang was no novice either. If both were frightened enough to tremble, whatever was above must be extremely dangerous.
Seeing this, Liu Dashao instinctively stopped climbing. He shined his flashlight upward and saw a dark mass above them, emitting the same “gege” sound. Though he couldn’t make out exactly what it was, it radiated a heavy oppressive force.
Gathering his courage, Liu Dashao was about to climb closer for a better look when suddenly the dark mass shifted. Immediately after, Master Diao shouted, “Everyone, get down to the ground—now! Hurry!”
Liu Dashao knew something was terribly wrong. Without thinking, he released his grip and slid straight down. The friction burned his palms. When he reached the ground and shined his flashlight on his hands, his fingers were bleeding. With nerves so sensitive, the pain was unbearable.
In this critical moment, with no idea what the dark mass was, Liu Dashao didn’t even consider treating his wounds. He swept the flashlight beam around, searching desperately for Master Diao and Ni Ren Zhang.
Suddenly, several flares were shot into the air, instantly lighting up the entire tomb chamber. The gunshots came from behind him. Liu Dashao turned and saw Master Diao, Ni Ren Zhang, Jackson, and Lao Wu standing there, still holding their guns.
Ni Ren Zhang stared upward, his fearless eyes now filled with fear. The others looked equally terrified, eyes wide with shock.
Liu Dashao sensed something was wrong and turned his head upward. In just one second, one second was all it took—Liu Dashao was paralyzed with fear. Every nerve in his body tensed.
Covering the surface of the Buddha statue were layers upon layers of black “Jiu Shi Yin” snakes, one on top of another. The “gege” sound was the sound of their scales rubbing together.
Not only that, but from the coffins on the surrounding walls, countless “Jiu Shi Yin” snakes were also emerging.
These snakes varied in size, with glowing red eyes like bloodshot pearls, enough to send chills down anyone’s spine.
Liu Dashao had only recently witnessed their aggression and toxicity, and the memory was still fresh. Now, faced with such a massive swarm, there was no way twenty-some people could handle them all.
Before he could think further, a swarm of “Jiu Shi Yin” snakes surged toward them, the “gege” sounds grating on the ears. Several of Master Diao’s braver men had already raised their machine guns, firing nonstop at the snakes below. Snake flesh flew everywhere, and purple-black liquid splattered on the ground, releasing thick smoke.
However, this blind shooting had little effect. The snakes were getting closer, their numbers growing. It was becoming impossible to fight them off like this. Eventually, they would all end up like the dead men they’d seen before. Liu Dashao’s mind was blank—he couldn’t think of any solution.
At this moment, one of Master Diao’s men, unable to bear it any longer, shouted that he would fight the snakes head-on. He pulled out a yellow package from his backpack, hard and solid, with a white cord extending from the bottom.
Looking closer, it was clearly a fuse. Naturally, the package in his hand was explosives. He took out a cigarette, placed it between his lips, lit it with a lighter, took a few quick puffs, and then used the glowing tip to ignite the fuse.
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