Jia Zhuanyuan nodded solemnly and said, “Yes, that’s exactly what I think. Now, with this object in hand, I’m even more convinced of the truth behind the legend. This water monster must be the guardian at the entrance to the Wujie Demon Vault.”
At this point, Liu Dashao asked, “Senior Jia, then why didn’t you say so earlier? I asked you whether there were any aquatic creatures in this lake, so why didn’t you tell everyone back then?”
Jia Zhuanyuan replied with a bitter smile, “Legends are just legends—I wasn’t certain myself. Besides, if we couldn’t find any man-made traces above the lake’s surface, we might have had to seek another path altogether. So why should I bring it up and add unnecessary mental pressure to everyone? Diving into this lake is inherently dangerous, and no one knows what this water monster really is.”
He then looked around at everyone and continued earnestly, “But now it’s different. With over twenty years of tomb-hunting experience, my gut tells me this lakebed must be the entrance to the Wujie Demon Vault. Even if there is a water monster, we must still go down and investigate. Honestly speaking, this volcanic lake has probably existed for thousands of years. It’s impossible that no fish have ever lived here. There must be a reason behind this unnatural calmness. I believe the existence of the water monster is suppressing the reproduction and population of aquatic life in the lake.”
Fan Debiao asked in confusion, “So you’re saying, Senior, that the monster devours large amounts of aquatic life, causing the lake’s surface to remain so still?”
Jia Zhuanyuan nodded without further words, and everyone fell into silence.
It seemed inevitable that they would have to dive into the lake. But no one knew what the monster was or where it might be hiding. Looking at the calm surface, Liu Dashao felt a chill run down his spine, as if a pair of eyes were watching them from deep within the blue waters.
Everyone sat silently on the rocks for a while, until Liu Dashao suddenly looked up and asked Jia Zhuanyuan, “Senior Jia, since you mentioned that ancient records described the appearance of a water monster in the volcanic lake of Dayingshan, didn’t those records say anything about what it looked like?”
Jia Zhuanyuan expressionlessly shook his head and replied, “The ancient texts were vague. They only mentioned that during certain years, people had seen a large monster in the lake—massive and pitch-black. That’s all.”
“How can we guess its nature from just ‘massive and pitch-black’?” Fan Debiao muttered.
Suddenly, Jia Zhuanyuan stood up and looked at everyone, saying, “Whether for duty or personal reasons, I want to try diving in. You all can wait onshore.”
With that, he took off his backpack, pulled out a black, leather-like garment, removed his outer coat, and put on the black suit. When he finished dressing and looked up to see the astonished expressions on everyone’s faces, he chuckled and said, “This is the legendary ‘water suit.’ Now, take a look at this.” He pulled out two long, thick needle-like objects, about the thickness of chopsticks, from his bag. Pang Xiaotai shouted excitedly, “I know! These are the Water-Splitting Spikes!”
Jia Zhuanyuan nodded with a smile, “Exactly. These are the Water-Splitting Spikes. This set was a gift from a friend over a decade ago. In our line of work—mountain climbing, diving, tunneling—we must have professional tools to be effective.”
After a short pause, he turned serious and said, “There must be secrets hidden in this lake. Once I go down, you all must stay alert. If I don’t surface within twenty minutes, it probably means something has happened to me.” He glanced quickly at Liu Dashao as he finished speaking.
Liu Dashao stared intently at the calm lake and slowly said, “Senior Jia, we know absolutely nothing about what’s beneath this lake. Isn’t it too reckless for you to go down alone?”
Everyone began talking at once, echoing the same concern—urging caution and trying to avoid unnecessary risks.
Jia Zhuanyuan frowned and shouted, “Enough! If I don’t go down to check, what do you all suggest we do? No one knows the conditions underwater. We can only find out by going down ourselves. I’ve been through situations like this before. My diving skills and experience are second to none. I’m afraid that if these impulsive young men go down, they’ll get themselves into trouble. That’s why I decided to go alone. Are you all implying that I’m not capable enough?”
Everyone quickly denied this, and Liu Dashao gestured for silence. He stepped forward and said, “Senior Jia, we all understand your good intentions. We’re just concerned about you. Going down alone is risky. If something happens or danger arises, there’s no one to back you up.”
Jia Zhuanyuan blinked his small eyes and smiled at Liu Dashao, “How many of these young men can hold their breath underwater for twenty minutes and dive a hundred meters? Who among you dares to accompany me on this dive?”
Liu Dashao was momentarily speechless.
At this moment, Caiqingchong suddenly stood up and said to Jia Zhuanyuan, “Senior Jia, do you happen to have another water suit? I’d like to accompany you underwater. Although my diving skills aren’t as good as yours, I can still assist you.”
Jia Zhuanyuan looked at Jiao Yiming in surprise, unable to speak for a while. Everyone else was equally astonished—none of them had expected Caiqingchong to be such a skilled diver.
After a moment, Jia Zhuanyuan turned to his backpack, pulled out another water suit, and handed it to Caiqingchong. He said, “I do have two water suits, but only one pair of Water-Splitting Spikes.” He hesitated briefly before adding, “No, you take the spikes. I’ll use my dagger.”
Caiqingchong, already removing his outer coat, laughed and said, “Senior Jia, I have my own underwater weapon. Don’t worry about me. You keep the Water-Splitting Spikes for yourself.”
Once Caiqingchong was fully dressed, everyone stood up and began giving them last-minute instructions—reminding them to be cautious, first to assess the general situation underwater, and if possible, to find clues. If not, they must immediately return upon encountering the monster.
Finally, Jia Zhuanyuan impatiently said, “What are you all doing? Do I really need you young ones reminding me at my age?”
Then, he grabbed Caiqingchong and walked toward the lakeshore. Everyone exchanged helpless glances—Jia Zhuanyuan was indeed a man of strong personality, sometimes leaving them both amused and exasperated.
They watched the two walk to the lake’s edge and slowly wade into the water. With splashes echoing, the two disappeared from sight. Ripples spread outward from where they had gone under, gradually fading until the lake returned to its original stillness.
Everyone turned their eyes back. Yang Weidong, clearly worried, asked, “Do you think they’ll meet the monster?”
Fan Debiao spat and said, “Don’t jinx us! Could such a monster really live for thousands of years? It might’ve died long ago, its remains turned into lakebed mud by now. Chongzi and Senior Jia will surely return safely with good news.”
Yang Weidong gave an awkward chuckle, his eyes fixed on the lake where Jia Zhuanyuan and Caiqingchong had disappeared, saying nothing more.
Everyone fell silent, watching the lake. In truth, each of them was deeply worried about the two, but no one wanted to say it aloud. They silently prayed that the two would successfully find the entrance clues and return safely to the lakeshore.
Ten minutes passed, and the lake remained calm. Everyone grew anxious, stretching their necks, eyes fixed on the mysterious blue water. Fan Debiao even stood up, pacing nervously along the shore.
Another five minutes passed. It had been fifteen minutes since Jia Zhuanyuan and Caiqingchong had entered the water. Everyone’s hearts began to race. Liu Dashao stood up slowly, walking toward the lake, his hands sweating. The others followed him forward.
Just as they approached within a few meters of the water’s edge, the entire surface of the lake suddenly rippled. Before anyone could react, a thunderous “Boom!” erupted from about twenty meters ahead of them. A long, pitch-black shape burst from the water, letting out a roar that echoed across the entire crater. Everyone’s hearts sank—what they had feared had finally happened. The monster—the legendary water monster—had finally appeared before them.
When they focused on the creature, its appearance was almost unbelievable! Had everyone seen dinosaurs in sci-fi movies? The part of the monster visible above the water bore a striking resemblance to the plesiosaur from *Jurassic Park*—the long-necked aquatic dinosaur.
Everyone rushed toward the lakeshore. The plesiosaur seemed furious, rapidly swimming toward them, apparently chasing something. Fan Debiao, with sharp eyes, shouted, “Senior Jia and Chongzi are right in front of it, swimming toward us!”
Liu Dashao immediately shouted, “Yang Weidong, open fire—cover them!” Before he even finished speaking, Fan Debiao and Yang Weidong had already opened fire with their Type 56 submachine guns. Bullets whistled through the air, striking the plesiosaur-like monster. It seemed unprepared for this sudden attack, and the bullets quickly hit the exposed parts of its body.
Its body began showing bullet holes, and red blood began flowing out, quickly turning the surrounding lake water crimson. It let out piercing cries, shaking its long neck and relatively small head. It stopped chasing Jia Zhuanyuan and Caiqingchong and quickly dove back into the water. Its massive body created waves that splashed all the way to the shore, reaching the people standing there.
Thankfully, Jia Zhuanyuan and Caiqingchong were already less than ten meters from the shore. Everyone rushed into the shallow water with their guns, staying alert for any movement in the lake while quickly helping the two ashore.
Collapsed on the rocky shore like exhausted men, Jia Zhuanyuan and Caiqingchong gasped for breath, coughing violently. It was clear that the monster had chased them from deep underwater all the way to the surface and nearly to the shore, leaving the two utterly exhausted.
A few minutes later, Caiqingchong finally cursed, “Damn! That monster was huge, and fast underwater. I almost became its snack!”
Fan Debiao, still shaken, asked, “What was that thing?”
Liu Dashao replied, “It looked exactly like the plesiosaur from the dinosaur era. Could it really have survived extinction? But plesiosaurs are supposed to be gentle creatures. Why does this one in the volcanic lake seem so aggressive?”
Jia Zhuanyuan snapped, “You don’t know anything! This is indeed a plesiosaur, but this one is particularly fierce!”
His words surprised everyone. What was a plesiosaur? It wasn’t something commonly seen even in dinosaur movies.
Jia Zhuanyuan then said to everyone, “We should stay away from the shore. We’ve injured it, and it’s bound to be angry. Be careful—it might swim secretly to the shore and snatch one of us away for a snack.”
Hearing this, everyone’s hearts raced. They quickly helped the exhausted Jia Zhuanyuan and Caiqingchong away from the lakeshore.
Just as they had walked about ten meters away, just as Jia Zhuanyuan had predicted, a loud “Boom!” came from behind them. The monster reappeared from the lake not far from the shore, roaring furiously at them.
Liu Dashao now saw clearly that the creature’s head and mouth were in the shape of a streamlined inverted triangle—its head was relatively small, but its mouth was huge, lined with rows of sharp, spike-like teeth. It looked extremely fierce.
Seeing the group fleeing from the shore, the monster seemed furious. It thrashed its neck and head in the lake, letting out continuous roars. In a moment, the hundred-meter-wide lake was churned into a chaotic, violent scene.
When they reached the rocks where they had previously discovered man-made traces, Jia Zhuanyuan said, “Put me down here. Let me rest.”
Everyone quickly laid him and Caiqingchong down, then turned to look at the roaring monster in the lake, their hearts pounding with fear. Fortunately, the two had excellent diving skills and were lucky—if they had arrived at the shore just a little later, the consequences would have been unimaginable.
Still panting heavily, Caiqingchong leaned against a rock, pointing at the plesiosaur in the water and shouting, “You bastard! If you’ve got the guts, come chase me again! Showing off in the water doesn’t make you a hero!”
His words made everyone chuckle. After all, a plesiosaur was just an animal—how could it be called a hero? But his outburst did help ease the group’s fear a little.
About ten minutes later, the plesiosaur in the lake seemed to realize the group wouldn’t approach the shore again. It appeared tired from its rampage and, unwilling to leave the water to chase them, finally circled the lake once and slowly sank beneath the surface.
At this point, everyone turned their attention back, recalling that they hadn’t yet asked Jia Zhuanyuan and Caiqingchong what clues they had found underwater.
After resting onshore, Jia Zhuanyuan and Caiqingchong had regained much of their strength. Jia Zhuanyuan leaned on a rock and said, “We followed the man-made rock downward. The lakebed structure is strange—it’s a funnel-shaped slope, and the man-made stone blocks follow this slope all the way to the bottom. When we reached a depth of nearly a hundred meters, we saw a strange stone carving—it looked like some ancient demonic creature, dark and embedded in the underwater rocks. Just as I and Caiqingchong were about to examine it closely to figure out its purpose, the monster appeared. I felt a chill run down my back, probably caused by the undercurrent from a large creature approaching. Without even turning around, I knew it must be the monster. I immediately grabbed him and fled. You all know what happened next—the bastard chased us relentlessly, as if we had destroyed its nest. Several times, if not for our quick underwater turns, we might have become its snack.”
After Jia Zhuanyuan finished, Liu Dashao asked, “Senior Jia, what do you think that strange demonic carving could be?”
Jia Zhuanyuan pondered for a moment and replied, “It might be a directional clue or a mechanism trigger. We had just discovered it when the plesiosaur chased us from behind. I didn’t have time to examine it or touch it.”
Liu Dashao nodded and said, “The fact that these rocks extend so deeply, including that demonic symbol, confirms your judgment. The entrance to the Wujie Demon Vault might indeed be inside this volcanic lake. But first, we must find a way to deal with the plesiosaur.”
Jia Zhuanyuan shook his head in frustration and said, “True, but this creature was the ruler of the seas millions of years ago. In water, it’s extremely fast and aggressive. It won’t be easy to defeat it.”
Seeing Jia Zhuanyuan’s discouraged expression, everyone felt the plesiosaur was indeed a formidable challenge. Liu Dashao looked at everyone’s helpless expressions and sighed, “Let’s rest here for a while. There must be a way. While we rest, everyone think about possible solutions.”
So, everyone sat down, took out food and water, and began resting.
After about ten minutes, having satisfied their hunger and thirst in silence, Jia Zhuanyuan even pulled out a long black iron pipe from his backpack, filled it with tobacco, and began smoking.
The issue of the water monster was brought up again, but no one could think of a way to defeat it. After all, underwater, their guns were useless. The plesiosaur, having been a dominant force millions of years ago, was superior in both speed and strength. What could they do?
Jia Zhuanyuan listened silently to the discussion without offering any opinion. Eventually, everyone fell silent again, unable to think of a way to deal with the monstrous creature.
At this moment, Jia Zhuanyuan tapped his pipe and said slowly, “The only way now is to find a way to distract the plesiosaur or lure it out of the water so we can shoot it.”
Everyone turned their eyes to Jia Zhuanyuan, filled with hope, waiting for him to propose a feasible plan.
Jia Zhuanyuan blinked his small eyes proudly and continued, “These creatures ruled the Earth millions of years ago, but they have a clear weakness—they’re not very intelligent. Their actions are purely instinctual. We can use this to our advantage—either distract it or lure it into a trap. To be safe, we must kill it.”
Fan Debiao then said, “But this thing never leaves the lake. How can we kill it? We already injured it with our guns earlier. Even if we lure it to the surface, once it hears gunfire again, I bet it won’t show its face again.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Even the dumbest creature would remember being hurt. If it got shot twice, it would probably never surface again.
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