After running an unknown distance, Fan Debiao fell again and refused to get up, panting as he said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, I can’t run anymore.”
Liu Dashao, hands on his hips and breathing heavily, looked back into the pitch darkness. The white beetles didn’t seem to be following, so he also sat down on the ground, nodding breathlessly, “Alright, let’s rest for a while.”
Once both had caught their breath, Fan Debiao said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, isn’t it strange? We’ve run so far, yet we haven’t seen Old Master Jia or the mercenaries driven into the river by those insects. It doesn’t make sense. Could they have gone downstream?”
Liu Dashao replied confidently, “I saw Old Master Jia and the others heading upstream in the water. They had flashlights, but after I found you and we surfaced for air, I lost sight of them.”
At this thought, Liu Dashao began to feel uneasy. Could there be an underwater passage not far from where they had entered the water? He shared this idea with Fan Debiao, who said anxiously, “Dashao, what if we can’t find Old Master Jia? Should we go back and look for them? I’m scared.”
Liu Dashao tried to reassure him, “Don’t be afraid. We’ll find them. Let’s go back and look for them now.” They stood up, ready to retrace their steps.
Just then, a splash from the dark river beside them caught their attention, followed by a sharp curse: “Damn these immortal bugs, they’ve really done me in!”
Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao were overjoyed—it was Old Master Jia’s voice. Soon, the sound of people emerging from the water was heard, and several flashlights turned on, revealing Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao standing on the shore. Everyone was delighted. Old Master Jia shouted in his sharp voice, “You brats, I thought you were right behind us. We couldn’t find you after we got ashore, and we were all worried.”
After some discussion, they learned that Old Master Jia and the others had swum upstream for a while before coming ashore on the opposite side of the dark river. Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao had been on the other side, separated by the river, and thus couldn’t find each other. Fearing to attract the insects, they hadn’t dared to call out. Later, they decided to swim back across the river in hopes of finding the two, and luckily, they succeeded.
Liu Dashao recounted their encounter with the mercenaries and the white beetles. Everyone shook their heads, indicating they hadn’t encountered them. Old Master Jia gritted his teeth and said, “That American doctor still hasn’t given up. If I run into that bastard who hypnotized me, I’ll kill him myself.”
Liu Dashao then said, “It seems the reason we escaped the temple without encountering the dire wolves is that the mercenaries ran into them, killing many and thus attracting the white beetles.”
Old Master Jia nodded, “Exactly. Given the number of beetles, they must have not only killed many dire wolves but also fought with the beetles. But the mercenaries probably didn’t know that the more you attack these beetles, the more they multiply. In the end, they were driven into the dark river.”
Everyone agreed. Old Master Jia continued, “Dashao, how many of the mercenaries who jumped into the dark river survived? Where did they come from?”
Liu Dashao thought for a moment and said, “It was too dark to see clearly, but judging from the sounds, there were about three or four. They appeared from a protruding part of the cliff.” He pointed in the direction he and Fan Debiao had come from, mentioning the large number of white beetles there.
Old Master Jia pondered and said, “Dashao, while searching for you, we reached the end of the upstream—a massive underground waterfall, tens of meters high, with no passage or exit. Now, it seems the corner you discovered might be the exit of this underground canyon. You said there are many beetles there, so it’s very dangerous. But we have no choice but to check it out.”
Cai Qingchong frowned and said, “Old Master Jia, perhaps you should check the map again. We’ve confirmed there’s no exit upstream, but maybe it’s downstream? Dashao mentioned many beetles there. If you’re not sure, we shouldn’t take the risk.”
Hearing this, Liu Dashao was reminded of the horrifying sight of Yang Weidong and the mercenary being burned by flames. He quickly added, “Old Master Jia, I agree. If those white beetles don’t leave that spot, we really shouldn’t go there.”
Old Master Jia sneered, “There’s much knowledge in our line of work that you don’t understand. Ancient underground tombs or structures have many rules. The dark river near an underground structure is called ‘the dragon’ in feng shui—the source is the dragon’s head, the endpoint is the tail, and the middle is the body. Tombs or palaces are only built at the head or body of the dragon, never downstream, to prevent water from flooding and destroying the site due to geological changes. So, the possibility of an exit downstream is almost nonexistent. We’ve already searched upstream and found no exit or structure, so we must look in the middle section. The appearance of those Americans might indicate they found the exit but were driven back by the beetles.”
Hearing Old Master Jia’s analysis, everyone fell silent.
Old Master Jia spread his hands and said somewhat indignantly, “I know how terrifying those beetles are. I’m just sharing my conclusion based on years of experience. Whether we go there or not is up to you. I know my role—I’m just an advisor.”
Liu Dashao quickly said, “Old Master Jia, please don’t misunderstand. We asked for your help on this mission because you’re an expert and an authority in this field. We’re just asking because we don’t understand. Please don’t take it the wrong way.”
Old Master Jia snorted and said slowly, “Fine. Let me explain. Those white beetles are dynamic creatures. After a thousand years of dormancy, once awakened, they’ll fly around looking for targets. They might not stay in one place. As long as we’re careful, keep our eyes and ears open, and use the dark river as protection, the danger is manageable. We just need to stay alert and cautious. It seems the exit is there, and we have no other choice.”
Liu Dashao chimed in, “Old Master Jia is right. The beetles emit light and make fluttering sounds, so we can detect danger early. And if that’s the exit, we have no choice but to go through it. We should get moving now.”
After running an unknown distance, Fan Debiao fell again and refused to get up, panting as he said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, I can’t run anymore.”
Liu Dashao, hands on his hips and breathing heavily, looked back into the pitch darkness. The white beetles didn’t seem to be following them, so he also sat down on the ground, nodding breathlessly, “Alright, let’s rest for a while.”
Once both had caught their breath, Fan Debiao said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, don’t you find it strange? We’ve run so far, yet we haven’t seen Old Master Jia or the mercenaries who were driven into the river by those bugs. It’s quite unusual. Could they have gone downstream?”
Liu Dashao replied firmly, “I saw Old Master Jia and the others heading upstream in the water. They had flashlights, but after I found you and we surfaced for air, I lost sight of them.”
At this thought, Liu Dashao began to feel uneasy. Could there be an underwater passage not far from where they had entered the water? He shared this idea with Fan Debiao, who anxiously said, “Dashao, if we can’t find Old Master Jia, what should we do? Let’s go back and look for them, okay? I’m scared.”
Liu Dashao tried to reassure him, “Don’t be afraid. We’ll find them. Let’s go back now.” They stood up, ready to retrace their steps.
Just then, a splash from the dark river beside them caught their attention, followed by a sharp curse: “Damn these immortal bugs! They’ve really done me in!”
Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao’s hearts leapt with joy—it was Jia Zhuangyuan’s voice. Soon, sounds of people emerging from the water were heard, and several flashlights turned on, revealing Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao standing on the shore. Everyone was overjoyed. Jia Zhuangyuan shouted in his sharp voice, “You brats! I thought you were right behind us. We couldn’t find you after we got ashore, and we were all worried sick.”
After some discussion, they learned that Jia Zhuangyuan and the others had swum upstream for a while before coming ashore on the opposite side of the dark river. Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao had been on the other side, separated by the river, and thus couldn’t find each other. Fearing the bugs, they hadn’t dared to call out. Later, they decided to swim back across the river in hopes of finding the two, and luckily, they succeeded.
Liu Dashao recounted their encounter with the mercenaries and the white beetles. Everyone shook their heads, indicating they hadn’t seen them. Jia Zhuangyuan gritted his teeth and said, “That American doctor still won’t give up. If I run into that bastard who hypnotized me, I’ll kill him myself.”
Liu Dashao then said, “It seems the reason we escaped the temple without encountering the dire wolves is because the mercenaries ran into them, killing many and attracting those white bugs.”
Jia Zhuangyuan nodded, “Exactly. Judging by the number of bugs, they not only killed many dire wolves but also fought the bugs. But those mercenaries probably didn’t know that the more you attack these bugs, the more they multiply. In the end, they were driven into the dark river.”
Everyone agreed. Jia Zhuangyuan continued, “Dashao, how many mercenaries did you see jump into the river and survive? Where did they come from?”
Liu Dashao thought for a moment and said, “It was too dark to see clearly, but from the sounds of splashing, I’d guess three or four. They appeared from a protruding part of the cliff.” He pointed in the direction he and Fan Debiao had come from, mentioning the large number of white beetles there.
Jia Zhuangyuan pondered and said, “Dashao, while searching for you, we reached the end of the upstream—a massive underground waterfall, dozens of meters high, with no passages or exits. Now, it seems the corner you discovered might be the exit of this underground canyon. You said there are many beetles there, so it’s very dangerous. But we have no choice but to check it out.”
Cai Qingchong frowned and said, “Old Master Jia, perhaps you should check the map again. We’ve confirmed there’s no exit upstream, but maybe it’s downstream? Dashao mentioned there are many beetles there. If you’re not sure, we shouldn’t take the risk.”
Hearing this, Liu Dashao was reminded of the horrifying sight of Yang Weidong and the mercenary being burned by flames. He quickly added, “Old Master Jia, I agree. If those white beetles don’t leave that spot, we really shouldn’t go there.”
Jia Zhuangyuan sneered, “There’s much knowledge in our line of work that you don’t understand. Ancient underground tombs or structures have many rules. This dark river near an underground structure is called a ‘dragon’ in feng shui and burial studies—the source is the dragon’s head, the endpoint is the tail, and the middle is the ‘dragon’s body.’ Tombs or palaces are only built at the head or body of the dragon, never downstream, to prevent water from flooding and destroying them due to geological changes. So, the chance of an exit being downstream is almost zero. We’ve already searched upstream and found nothing, so the exit must be in the middle section. The appearance of those Americans might indicate they found the exit but were driven back by the beetles.”
Hearing Jia Zhuangyuan’s analysis, everyone fell silent.
Jia Zhuangyuan spread his hands and said somewhat indignantly, “I know how terrifying those beetles are. I’m just sharing my conclusion based on years of experience. Whether we go there or not is up to you. I know my role—just an advisor.”
Liu Dashao quickly said, “Old Master Jia, please don’t misunderstand. We asked for your help on this mission because you’re an expert and an authority in this field. We’re just asking because we don’t understand. Please don’t take offense.”
Jia Zhuangyuan snorted and said slowly, “Fine. Let me explain. Those white beetles are dynamic creatures. After a thousand years of dormancy, once awakened, they’ll fly around looking for targets. They might not stay in one place. If we stay alert, keep our eyes and ears open, and use the dark river as protection, the danger is manageable. As long as we’re cautious and prepared, it shouldn’t be a big problem. It seems the exit is there, and we have no other choice.”
Liu Dashao chimed in, “Exactly. Old Master Jia is right. Those beetles emit light and make fluttering sounds, so we can detect danger early. And if that’s the exit, we have no choice but to go through it. We should get moving now.”
After running an unknown distance, Fan Debiao fell again and refused to get up, panting as he said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, I can’t run anymore.”
Liu Dashao, hands on his hips and gasping for breath, looked back into the pitch-black darkness. The white beetles didn’t seem to be following them, so he also sat down on the ground, nodding breathlessly, “Alright, let’s rest for a while.”
Once both their breaths had somewhat steadied, Fan Debiao said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, don’t you find it strange? We’ve run so far, yet we haven’t seen Old Master Jia or the mercenaries who were driven into the river by those insects. It doesn’t make sense. Could they have gone downstream?”
Liu Dashao replied with certainty, “I saw Old Master Jia and the others heading upstream against the current in the water. They had flashlights with them, but after I found you and we surfaced for air, I lost sight of them.”
At this thought, Liu Dashao began to feel uneasy. Could there have been an underwater passage not far from where they had entered the water? He shared this idea with Fan Debiao, who said anxiously, “Dashao, what if we can’t find Old Master Jia and the others? Should we go back and look for them? I’m a bit scared.”
Liu Dashao tried to reassure him, “Don’t be afraid. We’ll find them. Let’s go back and look for them now.” The two stood up, ready to retrace their steps.
Just then, a splash from the dark river beside them caught their attention, followed by a sharp, angry curse: “Damn these thousand-year-old cursed bugs, they’ve really done me in!”
Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao’s hearts leapt with joy—it was Jia Zhuangyuan’s voice. Then came the sounds of people emerging from the water, and several flashlights turned on, illuminating Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao standing on the shore. Everyone was overjoyed. Jia Zhuangyuan shouted in his sharp voice, “You brats! I thought you were right behind us, but when we got ashore, we couldn’t find you. You had us all worried!”
After some discussion, Liu Dashao learned that Jia Zhuangyuan and the others had swum upstream for a while before coming ashore on the opposite side of the dark river. Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao had been on the other side, separated by the river, and thus couldn’t find each other. Fearing the insects, they hadn’t dared to call out. Later, they decided to re-enter the water and swim across, hoping to find the two, and luckily, they had succeeded.
Liu Dashao recounted their encounter with the mercenaries and the swarms of white beetles. Everyone shook their heads, indicating they hadn’t encountered them. Jia Zhuangyuan gritted his teeth and said, “That American doctor still hasn’t given up. If I run into that bastard who hypnotized me, I’ll kill him myself.”
Liu Dashao then said, “It seems the reason we escaped the temple without encountering the dire wolves is because the mercenaries ran into them, killing many and attracting those white insects.”
Jia Zhuangyuan nodded, “Exactly. Judging by the number of those insects, they not only killed a lot of dire wolves but also fought with the insects. But those mercenaries probably didn’t know that the more you attack these insects, the more they multiply. In the end, they were driven into the dark river.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Jia Zhuangyuan continued, “Dashao, how many of those mercenaries who jumped into the river survived? And where did they come from?”
Liu Dashao thought for a moment and said, “It was too dark to see the exact number, but from the sounds of splashing, I’d guess three or four. They appeared from a protruding part of the cliff wall.” He pointed in the direction he and Fan Debiao had come from, indicating where the large number of white beetles had appeared.
Jia Zhuangyuan pondered for a moment and said, “Dashao, while searching for you, we reached the end of the upstream section—a massive underground waterfall, dozens of meters high, with no passages or exits. Now, it seems the corner you discovered might be the exit of this underground canyon. You said there are many beetles there, so it’s very dangerous. But we have no choice but to check it out.”
Cai Qingchong frowned and said, “Old Master Jia, you should double-check the map. The upstream end has no exit, but maybe it’s downstream? Dashao mentioned there are many beetles there. If you’re not sure, we shouldn’t take the risk.”
Hearing this, Liu Dashao was reminded of the horrifying scene of Yang Weidong and the mercenary being burned by flames. He quickly added, “Old Master Jia, I agree. If those white beetles don’t leave that spot, we really shouldn’t go there.”
Jia Zhuangyuan sneered, “There’s a lot of knowledge in our line of work that you don’t understand. Ancient underground tombs or structures have many rules. This dark river near an underground structure is called a ‘dragon’ in feng shui and burial studies—the source is the dragon’s head, the endpoint is the tail, and the middle section is the ‘dragon’s body.’ Tombs or palaces are only built at the head or body of the dragon, never downstream, to prevent water from flooding and destroying them due to geological changes. So, the possibility of an exit downstream is almost nonexistent. We’ve already searched upstream and found no exit or structure, so the only option is to look in the middle section. The appearance of those Americans might be a clue—they found the exit but were driven back by the swarms of insects.”
Hearing Jia Zhuangyuan’s analysis, Liu Dashao and the others fell into silence.
Jia Zhuangyuan spread his hands and said somewhat indignantly, “I know how terrifying those insects are. I’m just basing this conclusion on my years of experience. Whether we go there or not is up to you. I know my role—I’m just an advisor.”
Liu Dashao quickly said, “Old Master Jia, please don’t misunderstand. We asked you to join this mission because you’re an expert and an authority in this field. We’re just asking because we don’t understand. Please don’t take offense.”
Jia Zhuangyuan snorted and said slowly, “Forget it. Let me explain—those white beetles are dynamic creatures. After a thousand years of dormancy, once awakened, they’ll fly around searching for targets to attack. They might not stay in one place. As long as we’re careful, keep our eyes and ears open, and use the dark river as protection, the danger is manageable. As long as we stay alert and cautious, we should be fine. It seems the exit is likely there, and we have no other choice.”
Liu Dashao chimed in, “Exactly. Old Master Jia is right. Those beetles emit light and make fluttering sounds, so we can detect the danger early. And if that is the exit, we have no choice but to go through it. We should get moving now—time is of the essence.”
After running an unknown distance, Fan Debiao fell again and refused to get up, panting as he said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, I can’t run anymore.”
Liu Dashao, hands on his hips and breathing heavily, looked back into the pitch darkness. The white beetles didn’t seem to be following, so he also sat down on the ground, nodding breathlessly, “Alright, let’s rest for a while.”
Once both had caught their breath, Fan Debiao said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, don’t you think it’s strange? We’ve run so far, yet we haven’t seen Old Master Jia or the mercenaries who were driven into the river by those insects. It’s quite unusual. Could they have gone downstream?”
Liu Dashao replied firmly, “I saw Old Master Jia and the others heading upstream against the current in the water. They had flashlights, but after I found you and we surfaced for air, I lost sight of them.”
At this thought, Liu Dashao began to feel uneasy. Could there be an underwater passage not far from where they had entered the water? He shared this idea with Fan Debiao, who said anxiously, “Dashao, what if we can’t find Old Master Jia? Should we go back and look for them? I’m scared.”
Liu Dashao tried to reassure him, “Don’t be afraid. We’ll find them. Let’s go back and look for them now.” They stood up, ready to retrace their steps.
Just then, a splash from the dark river beside them caught their attention, followed by a sharp curse: “Damn these immortal bugs, they’ve really done me in!”
Both Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao felt a surge of joy—it was Jia Zhuangyuan’s voice. Then came the sounds of people emerging from the water, and several flashlights turned on, revealing Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao standing on the bank. Everyone was overjoyed. Jia Zhuangyuan shouted in his sharp voice, “You brats, I thought you were right behind us. We couldn’t find you after we got ashore, and we were all worried.”
After some discussion, they learned that Jia Zhuangyuan and the others had swum upstream for a while before coming ashore on the opposite bank of the dark river. Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao had been on the other side, separated by the river, and thus couldn’t find each other. Fearing to attract the insects, they hadn’t dared to call out. Eventually, they decided to swim back across the river in hopes of finding the two, and luckily, they succeeded.
Liu Dashao recounted their encounter with the mercenaries and the swarms of white beetles. Everyone shook their heads, indicating they hadn’t encountered them. Jia Zhuangyuan gritted his teeth and said, “That American doctor still hasn’t given up. If I run into that bastard who hypnotized me, I’ll kill him myself.”
Liu Dashao then said, “It seems the reason we escaped the temple without encountering the dire wolves is because the mercenaries ran into them, killing many and thus attracting the white beetles.”
Jia Zhuangyuan nodded, “Exactly. Judging by the number of beetles, they not only killed many dire wolves but also fought with the beetles. But the mercenaries probably didn’t know that the more you attack these beetles, the more they multiply. In the end, they were driven into the dark river.”
Everyone agreed. Jia Zhuangyuan continued, “Dashao, how many mercenaries did you see jump into the river and survive? Where did they come from?”
Liu Dashao thought for a moment and said, “It was too dark to see clearly, but from the sounds of splashing, I’d guess three or four. They appeared from a protruding part of the cliff.” He pointed in the direction he and Fan Debiao had come from, indicating where the large number of white beetles had appeared.
Jia Zhuangyuan pondered and said, “Dashao, while searching for you, we reached the end of the upstream—a massive underground waterfall dozens of meters high, with no passages or exits. Now, it seems the corner you discovered might be the exit of this underground canyon. You said there are many beetles there, so it’s very dangerous. But we have no choice but to check it out.”
Cai Qingchong frowned and said, “Old Master Jia, perhaps you should check the map again. We’ve confirmed there’s no exit upstream, but maybe it’s downstream? Dashao mentioned there are many beetles there. If you’re not sure, we’d better not take the risk.”
Hearing this, Liu Dashao was reminded of the horrifying sight of Yang Weidong and the mercenary being burned by flames. He quickly added, “Old Master Jia, I agree. If those white beetles don’t leave that spot, we really shouldn’t go there.”
Jia Zhuangyuan sneered, “There’s much knowledge in our line of work that you don’t understand. Ancient underground tombs or structures have many intricacies. The dark river near an underground structure is called the ‘Dragon’ in feng shui and burial studies—the source is the dragon’s head, the endpoint the tail, and the middle section the ‘dragon’s body.’ Tombs or palaces are only built at the head or body of the dragon, never downstream, to prevent water from flooding and destroying the burial site or structure due to geological changes. So, the possibility of an exit downstream is almost nonexistent. We’ve already searched upstream and found no exit or structure, so the only option is the middle section. The appearance of those Americans might indicate they found the exit but were driven back by the beetles.”
Hearing Jia Zhuangyuan’s analysis, both Liu Dashao and the others fell silent.
Jia Zhuangyuan spread his hands and said somewhat indignantly, “I know how terrifying those beetles are. I’m just drawing this conclusion based on years of experience. Whether we go there or not is up to you. I know my role—I’m just a consultant.”
Liu Dashao quickly said, “Old Master Jia, please don’t misunderstand. We asked for your help on this mission because you’re an expert and an authority in this field. We’re just asking because we don’t understand. Please don’t take it the wrong way.”
Jia Zhuangyuan snorted and said slowly, “Forget it. Let me explain. Those white beetles are dynamic creatures. After a thousand years of dormancy, once awakened, they’ll fly around looking for targets. They might not stay in one place. As long as we’re careful, keep our eyes and ears open, and with the dark river as protection, the danger is manageable. We just need to stay alert and cautious. It seems the exit is there, and we have no other choice.”
Liu Dashao then said, “Exactly. Old Master Jia is right. The beetles emit light and have fluttering sounds, so we can detect danger early. And if that’s the exit, we have no choice but to go through it. We should get moving now.”
After running for an unknown distance, Fan Debiao fell again and refused to get up, panting as he said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, I can’t run anymore.”
Liu Dashao, hands on his hips and gasping for breath, looked back into the pitch-black darkness. The white beetles didn’t seem to be following them, so he also sat down on the ground, nodding breathlessly, “Alright, let’s rest for a while.”
Once both of their breathing had somewhat stabilized, Fan Debiao said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, don’t you find it strange? We’ve run so far, yet we haven’t seen Old Master Jia or the mercenaries who were driven into the river by those insects. It doesn’t make sense. Could they have gone downstream?”
Liu Dashao replied with certainty, “I saw Old Master Jia and the others heading upstream in the water. They had flashlights with them, but after I found you and we surfaced for air, I lost sight of them.”
At this thought, Liu Dashao began to feel uneasy. Could there have been an underwater passage not far from where they had entered the water? He shared this idea with Fan Debiao, who nervously said, “Dashao, what if we can’t find Old Master Jia and the others? Should we go back and look for them? I’m scared.”
Liu Dashao tried to reassure him, “Don’t be afraid. We’ll find them. Let’s go back and look for them now.” The two stood up, ready to retrace their steps.
Just then, a sudden splash from the dark river beside them caught their attention, followed by a sharp, cursing voice: “Damn these thousand-year-old cursed bugs, they’ve really done me in!”
Both Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao felt a surge of relief—it was Jia Zhuangyuan’s voice. The sound of people emerging from the water followed, and several flashlights lit up, revealing Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao standing on the shore. Everyone was overjoyed. Jia Zhuangyuan shouted in his sharp voice, “You brats! I thought you were right behind us. We couldn’t find you after we got ashore, and we were all worried sick.”
After some discussion, Liu Dashao learned that Jia Zhuangyuan and the others had swum upstream for a while before coming ashore on the opposite side of the dark river. Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao had been on the other side, separated by the river, and thus couldn’t find each other. Fearing the insects, they hadn’t dared to call out. Later, they decided to re-enter the water and swim across, hoping to find the two, and luckily, they succeeded.
Liu Dashao recounted their encounter with the mercenaries and the swarms of white beetles. Everyone shook their heads, indicating they hadn’t encountered them. Jia Zhuangyuan gritted his teeth and said, “That American doctor still hasn’t given up. If I run into that bastard who hypnotized me, I’ll kill him with my own hands.”
Liu Dashao then said, “It seems the reason we escaped the temple without encountering the dire wolves is because the mercenaries ran into them, killing many and attracting those white beetles.”
Jia Zhuangyuan nodded, “Exactly. Judging by the number of beetles, they not only killed a lot of dire wolves but also fought with the beetles. But those mercenaries probably didn’t know that the more you attack these beetles, the more they multiply. In the end, they were driven into the dark river.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Jia Zhuangyuan continued, “Dashao, how many of the mercenaries who jumped into the river survived? And where did they come from?”
Liu Dashao thought for a moment and said, “It was too dark to see the exact number, but from the sounds of splashing, I’d guess three or four. They appeared from a protruding part of the cliff wall.” He pointed in the direction he and Fan Debiao had come from, indicating where the large number of white beetles had appeared.
Jia Zhuangyuan pondered for a moment and said, “Dashao, while searching for you, we reached the end of the upstream—a massive underground waterfall, dozens of meters high, with no passage or exit. Now, it seems the corner you discovered might be the exit of this underground canyon. You said there are many beetles there, so it’s very dangerous. But we have no choice but to check it out.”
Cai Qingchong frowned and said, “Old Master Jia, perhaps you should check the map again. We’ve confirmed there’s no exit upstream, but maybe it’s downstream? Dashao mentioned there are many beetles there. If you’re not sure, we shouldn’t take the risk.”
Hearing this, Liu Dashao was reminded of the horrifying scene of Yang Weidong and the mercenary being burned by flames. He quickly added, “Old Master Jia, I agree. If those white beetles don’t leave that spot, we really shouldn’t go there.”
Jia Zhuangyuan chuckled coldly, “There’s a lot of knowledge in our line of work that you don’t understand. In ancient underground tombs or structures, there are many rules. This dark river near the underground structure is called the ‘Dragon’ in feng shui and burial studies. The source is the dragon’s head, the endpoint is the tail, and the middle section is the ‘dragon’s body.’ Tombs or underground palaces are only built at the head or body of the dragon, never downstream, to prevent water from flooding and destroying the burial site or structure due to geological changes. So, the possibility of an exit downstream is almost nonexistent. We’ve already searched upstream and found no exit or structure, so the exit must be in the middle section. The appearance of those Americans might be a clue—they found the exit but were driven back by the beetles.”
Hearing Jia Zhuangyuan’s analysis, both Liu Dashao and the others fell into silence.
Jia Zhuangyuan spread his hands and said somewhat indignantly, “I know how terrifying those beetles are. I’m just drawing this conclusion based on my years of experience. Whether we go there or not is up to everyone. I know my role—I’m just a consultant.”
Liu Dashao quickly said, “Old Master Jia, don’t misunderstand. We asked you to join this mission because you’re an expert and an authority in this field. We’re just asking because we don’t understand. Please don’t take it the wrong way.”
Jia Zhuangyuan snorted and said slowly, “Forget it. Let me explain—those white beetles are dynamic creatures. After a thousand years of dormancy, once they awaken, they’ll fly around searching for targets. They might not stay in one place forever. As long as we’re careful, keep our eyes and ears open, and use the dark river as protection, the danger is manageable. If we stay alert and cautious, it shouldn’t be a big problem. Now, it seems the exit is likely there, and we have no other choice.”
Liu Dashao chimed in, “That’s right. Old Master Jia is correct. The beetles emit light and make flapping sounds, so we can detect the danger early. And if that’s the exit, we have no choice but to go through it. We should get moving now—there’s no time to waste.”
After running for an unknown distance, Fan Debiao fell again and refused to get up, panting as he said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, I can’t run anymore.”
Liu Dashao, also gasping for breath, looked back into the pitch darkness. The white beetles didn’t seem to be following them, so he too sat down on the ground, nodding breathlessly, “Alright, let’s rest for a while.”
Once both had somewhat caught their breath, Fan Debiao said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, don’t you find it strange? We’ve run so far, yet we haven’t seen Old Master Jia or the mercenaries who were driven into the river by those insects. It’s quite unusual. Could they have gone downstream?”
Liu Dashao affirmed, “I saw Old Master Jia and the others heading upstream against the current in the water because they had flashlights. After I found you and we surfaced for air, I lost sight of them.”
At this thought, Liu Dashao also began to feel uneasy. Could there be an underwater passage not far from where they had submerged? He shared this idea with Fan Debiao, who anxiously replied, “Dashao, if we can’t find Old Master Jia and the others, what should we do? Should we go back and look for them? I’m a bit scared.”
Liu Dashao tried to reassure him, “Don’t be afraid, we’ll find them. Let’s go back and look for them now.” They stood up, ready to retrace their steps.
Just then, a splash from the dark river beside them caught their attention, followed by a sharp curse, “Damn these immortal bugs, they’ve really done me in!”
Both Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao felt a surge of joy—it was Jia Zhuangyuan’s voice. Sounds of people emerging from the water followed, and several flashlights turned on, revealing Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao standing on the bank. Everyone was delighted. Jia Zhuangyuan shouted in his sharp voice, “You brats, I thought you were right behind us. We couldn’t find you after we got ashore, and we were all worried sick.”
After exchanging information, they learned that Jia Zhuangyuan and the others had swum upstream for a while before coming ashore on the opposite side of the dark river, thus missing Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao. Fearing to attract the insects, they hadn’t dared to call out. Later, they decided to re-enter the water and swim back to the other side, hoping to find the two, and luckily, they did.
Liu Dashao recounted their encounter with the mercenaries and the white beetles. Everyone shook their heads, indicating they hadn’t encountered them. Jia Zhuangyuan gritted his teeth, “That American doctor still hasn’t given up. If I meet that bastard who hypnotized me, I’ll kill him myself.”
Liu Dashao then said, “It seems the reason we escaped the temple without encountering the dire wolves is that the mercenaries ran into them, killing many and thus attracting the white beetles.”
Jia Zhuangyuan agreed, “Yes, judging by the number of beetles, they not only killed many dire wolves but also fought with the beetles. But the mercenaries probably didn’t know that the more you attack these beetles, the more they multiply, eventually driving them into the dark river.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Jia Zhuangyuan continued, “Dashao, how many mercenaries did you see jumping into the dark river and surviving? Where did they come from?”
Liu Dashao thought for a moment and said, “It was too dark to see the exact number, but from the sounds of splashing, I’d guess three or four. They appeared from a protruding part of the cliff wall.” He pointed in the direction they had come from and mentioned the large number of white beetles there.
Jia Zhuangyuan pondered and said, “Dashao, while searching for you, we reached the end of the upstream—a massive underground waterfall dozens of meters high with no passages or exits. Now, it seems the corner you found might be the exit of this underground canyon. You said there are many beetles there, so it’s very dangerous. But we must check it out.”
Cai Qingchong frowned, “Old Master Jia, you’d better check the map again to confirm. The upstream end has no exit, but maybe it’s downstream? Dashao mentioned many beetles there. If you’re not sure, we’d better not take the risk.”
Hearing this, Liu Dashao was reminded of the horrifying sight of Yang Weidong and the mercenaries being burned by flames. He quickly added, “Old Master Jia, I agree. If those white beetles don’t leave that spot, we really can’t go there.”
Jia Zhuangyuan sneered, “There’s much knowledge in our line of work that you don’t understand. Ancient underground tombs or buildings have many intricacies. The dark river near an underground structure is called ‘the dragon’ in feng shui tomb studies—the source is the dragon’s head, the endpoint the tail, and the middle section the ‘dragon’s body.’ Tombs or palaces are only built at the head or body of the dragon to prevent water from flooding and destroying them due to geological changes. So, the possibility of an exit downstream is almost nonexistent. We’ve already searched upstream and found no exit or structure, so we must look in the middle section. The appearance of those Americans might indicate they found the exit but were driven back by the beetles.”
Hearing Jia Zhuangyuan’s analysis, both Liu Dashao and the others fell into silence.
Jia Zhuangyuan spread his hands, somewhat resentful, “I know how terrifying those beetles are. I’m just analyzing based on my years of experience. Whether to go there or not is up to you all. I know my role—just a consultant.”
Liu Dashao quickly said, “Old Master Jia, please don’t misunderstand. We invited you on this mission because you’re an expert and authority in this field. We’re just asking because we don’t understand. Please don’t take it the wrong way.”
Jia Zhuangyuan snorted, speaking slowly, “Alright, let me explain. Those white beetles are dynamic creatures. After a thousand years of dormancy, once awakened, they will surely fly around seeking targets. They might not stay in one place. As long as we’re careful, keep our eyes and ears open, and with the dark river as protection, the danger is manageable. We just need to be alert and cautious. Now, it seems the exit is there, and we have no other choice.”
Liu Dashao timely added, “Exactly, Old Master Jia is right. The beetles emit light and have the sound of flapping wings, so we can detect danger early. Moreover, if that’s the exit, we have no choice but to pass through. We should continue on our way without delay.”
Just then, suddenly, a “splash” came from the underground river beside them, reaching their ears. Then came a shrill curse: “Damn it, these indestructible thousand-year-old pests nearly killed me.”
After running an unknown distance, Fan Debiao fell again and refused to get up, panting as he said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, I can’t run anymore.”
Liu Dashao, hands on his hips and gasping for breath, looked back into the pitch darkness. The white beetles didn’t seem to be following. He then plopped down on the ground, nodding breathlessly, “Alright, let’s rest for a while.”
Once both had caught their breath, Fan Debiao said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, isn’t it strange? We’ve run so far, yet we haven’t seen Old Master Jia or the mercenaries driven into the river by those bugs. It’s quite unusual. Could they have gone downstream?”
Liu Dashao affirmed, “I saw Old Master Jia and the others heading upstream against the current in the water. They had flashlights, but after I found you and we surfaced for air, I lost sight of them.”
At this thought, Liu Dashao began to feel uneasy. Could there be an underwater passage not far from where they entered the water? He shared this idea with Fan Debiao, who anxiously replied, “Dashao, if we can’t find Old Master Jia, what should we do? Let’s go back and look for them, okay? I’m scared.”
Liu Dashao tried to reassure him, “Don’t be afraid, we’ll find them. Let’s go back now.” They stood up, ready to retrace their steps.
Just then, a splash from the dark river beside them caught their attention, followed by a sharp curse, “Damn these immortal bugs, they’ve really done me in.”
Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao were overjoyed—it was Jia Zhuangyuan’s voice. Sounds of people emerging from the water followed, and several flashlights turned on, revealing Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao on the bank. Everyone was delighted. Jia Zhuangyuan shouted, “You brats, I thought you were behind us. We couldn’t find you after we got ashore, and we were all worried.”
After some discussion, they learned that Jia Zhuangyuan and the others had swum upstream for a while before coming ashore on the opposite side of the dark river, separated from Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao. Fearing to attract the bugs, they didn’t dare to call out. Later, they decided to swim back across the river in hopes of finding the two, and luckily, they did.
Liu Dashao recounted their encounter with the mercenaries and the white beetles. Everyone shook their heads, indicating they hadn’t encountered them. Jia Zhuangyuan gritted his teeth, “That American doctor still hasn’t given up. If I meet that hypnotist bastard, I’ll kill him myself.”
Liu Dashao then said, “It seems the reason we escaped the temple without encountering the dire wolves is that the mercenaries ran into them, killing many and thus attracting the white bugs.”
Jia Zhuangyuan agreed, “Yes, judging by the number of bugs, they not only killed many dire wolves but also fought with the bugs. The mercenaries probably didn’t know that these bugs multiply when attacked, eventually driving them into the dark river.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Jia Zhuangyuan added, “Dashao, how many mercenaries did you see jump into the river and survive? Where did they come from?”
Liu Dashao thought for a moment, “It was too dark to see clearly, but from the sounds, I’d say three or four. They appeared from a protruding part of the cliff wall.” He pointed out the location where he and Fan Debiao had come from, mentioning the large number of white beetles there.
Jia Zhuangyuan pondered, “Dashao, while searching for you, we reached the upstream end—a massive underground waterfall with no passage or exit. The corner you found might be the exit of this underground canyon. With so many beetles there, it’s dangerous. But we must check it out.”
Cai Qingchong frowned, “Old Master Jia, perhaps you should check the map again. The upstream end has no exit, but maybe downstream? With so many beetles at the place Dashao mentioned, unless you’re certain, we shouldn’t risk it.”
Recalling the mercenaries and Yang Weidong being burned by flames, Liu Dashao quickly agreed, “Old Master Jia, I think so too. If those white beetles don’t leave that spot, we really can’t go there.”
Jia Zhuangyuan sneered, “There’s much knowledge in our line of work that you don’t understand. Ancient underground tombs or structures have many rules. The dark river near such structures is called ‘the dragon’ in feng shui—the source is the head, the endpoint the tail, and the middle the ‘dragon body.’ Tombs or palaces are built at the head or body, never downstream, to prevent water from flooding and destroying them due to geological changes. So, an exit downstream is almost impossible. We’ve checked upstream and found nothing, so the exit must be in the middle. The appearance of those Americans might indicate they found the exit but were driven back by the beetles.”
Hearing Jia Zhuangyuan’s analysis, everyone fell silent.
Jia Zhuangyuan spread his hands, somewhat resentful, “I know how terrifying those beetles are. I’m just analyzing based on my years of experience. Whether to go there or not is up to you. I know my role—just an advisor.”
Liu Dashao quickly said, “Old Master Jia, don’t misunderstand. We asked for your help because you’re an expert, an authority in this field. We’re just asking because we don’t know. Please don’t take offense.”
Jia Zhuangyuan snorted, “Fine. Let me explain. Those white beetles are dynamic creatures. After a thousand years of dormancy, once awakened, they’ll fly around seeking targets. They might not stay in one place. If we stay alert and use the dark river as protection, the danger is manageable. The exit is likely there, and we have no other choice.”
Liu Dashao timely added, “Right, Old Master Jia is correct. The beetles emit light and have flapping sounds, so we can detect danger early. If that’s the exit, we have no choice but to go through. Let’s move on without delay.”
After running for an unknown distance, Fan Debiao fell again and refused to get up, panting as he said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, I can’t run anymore.”
Liu Dashao, hands on his hips and gasping for breath, looked back into the pitch darkness. The white beetles didn’t seem to be following them, so he also sat down on the ground, nodding breathlessly, “Alright, let’s rest for a while.”
Once both had caught their breath, Fan Debiao said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, don’t you find it strange? We’ve run so far, yet we haven’t seen Old Master Jia or the mercenaries who were driven into the river by those insects. It’s quite unusual. Could they have gone downstream?”
Liu Dashao replied confidently, “I saw Old Master Jia and the others heading upstream in the water. They had flashlights with them. After I found you and we surfaced for air, I lost sight of them.”
At this thought, Liu Dashao began to feel uneasy. Could there be an underwater passage not far from where they had submerged? He shared this idea with Fan Debiao, who anxiously said, “Dashao, what if we can’t find Old Master Jia and the others? Should we go back and look for them? I’m scared.”
Liu Dashao tried to reassure him, “Don’t be afraid. We’ll find them. Let’s go back and look for them now.” Both stood up, ready to retrace their steps.
Just then, a splash from the dark river beside them caught their attention, followed by a sharp curse, “Damn these immortal bugs, they’ve really done me in!”
Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao’s hearts leapt with joy—it was Jia Zhuangyuan’s voice. Sounds of people emerging from the water followed, and several flashlights turned on, revealing Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao standing on the bank. Everyone was delighted. Jia Zhuangyuan shouted in his sharp voice, “You rascals, I thought you were right behind us. We couldn’t find you after we got ashore, and we were all worried.”
After some discussion, they learned that Jia Zhuangyuan and the others had swum upstream for a while before coming ashore on the opposite side of the dark river, separated from Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao. Fearing to attract the insects, they hadn’t dared to call out. Later, they decided to re-enter the water and swim across, hoping to find the two, and luckily, they did.
Liu Dashao recounted their encounter with the mercenaries and the white beetles. Everyone shook their heads, indicating they hadn’t encountered them. Jia Zhuangyuan gritted his teeth, “That American doctor still hasn’t given up. If I meet that bastard who hypnotized me, I’ll kill him myself.”
Liu Dashao then said, “It seems the reason we escaped the temple without encountering the dire wolves is because the mercenaries ran into them, killing many, which in turn attracted the white beetles.”
Jia Zhuangyuan agreed, “Yes, judging by the number of beetles, they not only killed many dire wolves but also fought with the beetles. However, the mercenaries probably didn’t know that the more you attack these beetles, the more they multiply, eventually driving them into the dark river.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Jia Zhuangyuan continued, “Dashao, how many mercenaries did you see jumping into the river and surviving? Where did they come from?”
Liu Dashao thought for a moment, “It was too dark to see clearly, but from the sounds of splashing, I’d say three or four. They appeared from a protruding part of the cliff wall.” He pointed in the direction they had come from, indicating where a large number of white beetles had appeared.
Jia Zhuangyuan pondered, “Dashao, while searching for you, we reached the end of the upstream—a massive underground waterfall, dozens of meters high, with no passage or exit. Now, it seems the corner you found might be the exit of this underground canyon. You mentioned many beetles there, which sounds very dangerous. But we must check it out.”
Cai Qingchong frowned, “Old Master Jia, perhaps you should check the map again. We’ve confirmed there’s no exit upstream, but maybe it’s downstream? Dashao mentioned many beetles there. If you’re not sure, we’d better not take the risk.”
Hearing this, Liu Dashao was reminded of the horrifying sight of Yang Weidong and the mercenary being burned by flames. He quickly added, “Old Master Jia, I agree. If those white beetles don’t leave that spot, we really shouldn’t go there.”
Jia Zhuangyuan sneered, “There’s much knowledge in our line of work that you don’t know or understand. Ancient underground tombs or buildings have many rules. The dark river near an underground structure is called ‘the dragon’ in feng shui tomb studies—the source is the dragon’s head, the endpoint the tail, and the middle section the ‘dragon’s body.’ Tombs or palaces are only built at the head or body of the dragon, never downstream, to prevent water from flooding and destroying the tomb or building due to geological changes. So, the possibility of an exit downstream is almost nonexistent. We’ve already searched upstream and found no exit or structure, so the exit must be in the middle section. The appearance of those Americans might indicate they found the exit but were driven back by the beetles.”
Hearing Jia Zhuangyuan’s analysis, Liu Dashao and the others fell silent.
Jia Zhuangyuan spread his hands, somewhat resentfully, “I know how terrifying those beetles are. I’m just basing this on years of experience. Whether we go there or not is up to you. I know my role—just an advisor.”
Liu Dashao quickly said, “Old Master Jia, don’t misunderstand. We asked for your help on this mission because you’re an expert and an authority in this field. We’re just asking because we don’t understand. Please don’t take offense.”
Jia Zhuangyuan snorted, speaking slowly, “Fine, let me explain. Those white beetles are dynamic creatures. After a thousand years of dormancy, once awakened, they’ll fly around seeking targets. They might not stay in one place. We just need to be careful, keep our eyes and ears open, and with the dark river as protection, the danger is manageable. As long as we stay alert and cautious, it should be fine. Now, it seems the exit is there, and we have no other choice.”
Liu Dashao chimed in, “Exactly, Old Master Jia is right. The beetles emit light and make fluttering sounds, so we can detect danger early. And if that’s the exit, we have no choice but to go through it. Let’s not delay any further; we should continue on our way.”
After running an unknown distance, Fan Debiao fell again and refused to get up, panting as he said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, I can’t run anymore.”
Liu Dashao, hands on his hips and gasping for breath, looked back into the pitch darkness. The white beetles didn’t seem to be following. He then sat down heavily, nodding breathlessly, “Alright, let’s rest for a while.”
Once both had caught their breath, Fan Debiao said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, don’t you find it strange? We’ve run so far, yet we haven’t seen Old Master Jia or the mercenaries driven into the river by the bugs. It’s quite unusual. Could they have gone downstream?”
Liu Dashao replied confidently, “I saw Old Master Jia and the others heading upstream against the current in the water. They had flashlights, but after I found you and we surfaced for air, I lost sight of them.”
This made Liu Dashao feel uneasy. Could there be an underwater passage not far from where they had submerged? He shared this thought with Fan Debiao, who anxiously said, “Dashao, what if we can’t find Old Master Jia? Should we go back and look for them? I’m scared.”
Liu Dashao tried to reassure him, “Don’t be afraid. We’ll find them. Let’s go back and look for them now.” They stood up, ready to retrace their steps.
Just then, a splash from the dark river beside them caught their attention, followed by a sharp curse, “Damn these immortal bugs, they’ve really done me in.”
Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao were relieved—it was Jia Zhuangyuan’s voice. Sounds of people emerging from the water followed, and several flashlights turned on, revealing Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao on the bank. Everyone was overjoyed. Jia Zhuangyuan shouted, “You brats, I thought you were right behind us. We couldn’t find you after we got ashore, and we were all worried.”
After exchanging information, they learned that Jia Zhuangyuan and the others had swum upstream for a while before coming ashore on the opposite side of the dark river, thus missing Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao. Fearing to attract the bugs, they hadn’t called out. Later, they decided to swim back across the river to find the two, and luckily, they did.
Liu Dashao recounted their encounter with the mercenaries and the white beetles. Everyone shook their heads, indicating they hadn’t encountered them. Jia Zhuangyuan gritted his teeth, “That American doctor still hasn’t given up. If I meet that hypnotist bastard, I’ll kill him myself.”
Liu Dashao then speculated, “It seems the reason we escaped the temple without encountering the dire wolves is that the mercenaries ran into them, killed many, and thus attracted the white bugs.”
Jia Zhuangyuan agreed, “Yes, judging by the number of bugs, they not only killed many dire wolves but also fought with the bugs. Probably, the mercenaries didn’t know that these bugs multiply when attacked, eventually forcing them into the dark river.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Jia Zhuangyuan added, “Dashao, how many mercenaries did you see jump into the dark river and survive? Where did they come from?”
Liu Dashao thought for a moment, “It was too dark to see clearly, but from the sounds of splashing, I’d say three or four. They appeared from a protruding part of the cliff wall.” He pointed out the location and mentioned the large number of white beetles there.
Jia Zhuangyuan pondered, “Dashao, while searching for you, we reached the end of the upstream, a underground waterfall tens of meters high with no passage or exit. The corner you mentioned might be the exit of this underground canyon. But with so many beetles, it’s very dangerous. However, we must check it out.”
Cai Qingchong frowned, “Old Master Jia, you better check the map again. The upstream end has no exit, but maybe it’s downstream? With so many beetles at the place Dashao mentioned, if you’re not sure, we shouldn’t risk it.”
Recalling the scene of Yang Weidong and the mercenaries being burned by flames, Liu Dashao quickly agreed, “Old Master Jia, I think so too. If those white beetles don’t leave that spot, we really can’t go there.”
Jia Zhuangyuan sneered, “There’s much knowledge in our line of work that you don’t know or understand. Ancient underground tombs or buildings have many considerations. The dark river near underground structures is called ‘Dragon’ in Feng Shui tomb studies, with the source as the dragon’s head, the endpoint as the tail, and the middle as the ‘dragon’s body.’ Tombs or palaces are built at the head or body, not downstream, to prevent water from geological changes from flooding and destroying the tomb or building. So, the possibility of an exit downstream is almost nonexistent. We’ve checked upstream and found no exit or building, so the exit must be in the middle. The appearance of those Americans might indicate they found the exit but were driven back by the beetles.”
After Jia Zhuangyuan’s analysis, everyone fell silent.
Jia Zhuangyuan spread his hands, somewhat resentfully, “I know how terrifying those beetles are. I’m just basing this conclusion on my years of experience. Whether to go there or not is up to you. I know my role—just a consultant.”
Liu Dashao quickly said, “Old Master Jia, don’t misunderstand. We asked for your help on this mission because you’re an expert and authority in this field. We’re just asking because we don’t understand. Please don’t take offense.”
Jia Zhuangyuan snorted, speaking slowly, “Forget it. Let me say this: those white beetles are dynamic creatures. After a thousand years of dormancy, once awakened, they’ll fly around looking for targets. They might not stay in one place. We just need to be careful, keep our eyes and ears open, and with the dark river as protection, the danger is manageable. As long as we’re alert and cautious, it shouldn’t be a big problem. It seems the exit is there, and we have no other choice.”
Liu Dashao then added, “Right, Old Master Jia is correct. The beetles have light and make fluttering sounds, so we can detect danger early. And if that’s the exit, we have no choice but to go through there. We should get moving now.”
After running an unknown distance, Fan Debiao fell again and refused to get up, panting as he said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, I can’t run anymore.”
Liu Dashao, hands on his hips and gasping for breath, looked back into the pitch darkness. The white beetles didn’t seem to be following. He then sat down heavily, nodding breathlessly, “Alright, let’s rest for a while.”
Once both had caught their breath, Fan Debiao asked Liu Dashao, “Dashao, isn’t it strange? We’ve run so far, yet we haven’t seen Old Master Jia or the mercenaries driven into the river by those bugs. It’s quite unusual. Could they have gone downstream?”
Liu Dashao affirmed, “I saw Old Master Jia and the others heading upstream against the current in the water. They had flashlights, but after I found you and we surfaced for air, I lost sight of them.”
Liu Dashao began to feel uneasy. Could there be an underwater passage not far from where they dived? He shared this thought with Fan Debiao, who anxiously replied, “Dashao, what if we can’t find Old Master Jia? Should we go back and look for them? I’m scared.”
Liu Dashao tried to reassure him, “Don’t be afraid. We’ll find them. Let’s go back now.” They stood up, ready to retrace their steps.
Suddenly, a splash from the dark river beside them caught their attention, followed by a sharp curse, “Damn these immortal bugs, they’ve really done me in.”
Both Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao felt a surge of joy—it was Jia Zhuangyuan’s voice. Sounds of people emerging from the water followed, and several flashlights turned on, revealing Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao on the bank. Everyone was delighted. Jia Zhuangyuan shouted, “You brats, I thought you were right behind us. We couldn’t find you after we got ashore, and we were all worried.”
After exchanging information, they learned that Jia Zhuangyuan and the others had swum upstream for a while before coming ashore on the opposite side of the dark river, separated from Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao. Fearing to attract the bugs, they didn’t dare to call out. Later, they decided to swim back across the river to find the two, and luckily, they succeeded.
Liu Dashao recounted their encounter with the mercenaries and the white beetles. Everyone shook their heads, indicating they hadn’t encountered them. Jia Zhuangyuan gritted his teeth, “That American doctor still hasn’t given up. If I meet that bastard who hypnotized me, I’ll kill him myself.”
Liu Dashao then said, “It seems the reason we escaped the temple without encountering the dire wolves is because the mercenaries ran into them, killing many and attracting those white bugs.”
Jia Zhuangyuan agreed, “Yes, judging by the number of bugs, they not only killed many dire wolves but also fought with the bugs. The mercenaries probably didn’t know that these bugs multiply when attacked, eventually driving them into the dark river.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Jia Zhuangyuan continued, “Dashao, how many mercenaries did you see jumping into the river and surviving? Where did they come from?”
Liu Dashao thought for a moment, “It was too dark to see clearly, but from the sounds of splashing, I’d say three or four. They appeared from a protruding part of the cliff wall.” He pointed in the direction they had come from, mentioning the large number of white beetles there.
Jia Zhuangyuan pondered, “Dashao, while searching for you, we reached the end of the upstream, a underground waterfall dozens of meters high with no passage or exit. The corner you found might be the exit of this underground canyon. You said there are many beetles there, which is very dangerous. But we must check it out.”
Cai Qingchong frowned, “Old Master Jia, you should check the map again. The upstream end has no exit, but maybe it’s downstream? Dashao mentioned many beetles there. If you’re not sure, we shouldn’t risk it.”
Recalling the scene of Yang Weidong and the mercenary being burned by flames, Liu Dashao quickly added, “Old Master Jia, I agree. If those white beetles don’t leave that spot, we really shouldn’t go.”
Jia Zhuangyuan sneered, “There’s much knowledge in our line of work that you don’t know or understand. Ancient underground tombs or buildings have many rules. The dark river near underground structures is called ‘Dragon’ in Feng Shui burial studies—the source is the dragon’s head, the endpoint the tail, and the middle part the ‘dragon’s body.’ Tombs or palaces are only built at the head or body to prevent water from flooding and destroying them due to geological changes. So, the possibility of an exit downstream is almost none. We’ve searched upstream and found no exit or structure, so the exit must be in the middle. The appearance of those Americans might indicate they found the exit but were driven back by the bugs.”
Hearing Jia Zhuangyuan’s analysis, everyone fell silent.
Jia Zhuangyuan spread his hands, somewhat resentful, “I know how terrifying those bugs are. I’m just analyzing based on my years of experience. Whether to go there or not is up to you. I know my place—just a consultant.”
Liu Dashao quickly said, “Old Master Jia, don’t misunderstand. We asked for your help because you’re an expert and authority in this field. We’re just asking because we don’t know. Please don’t take offense.”
Jia Zhuangyuan snorted, “Fine, let me explain. Those white beetles are dynamic creatures. After a thousand years of dormancy, once awakened, they’ll fly around looking for targets. They might not stay in one place. If we’re careful, keep our eyes and ears open, and use the dark river as protection, the danger is manageable. The exit must be there, and we have no other choice.”
Liu Dashao timely added, “Right, Old Master Jia is correct. The beetles have light and make flapping sounds, so we can detect danger early. If that’s the exit, we have no choice but to go through. Let’s not delay and continue our journey.”
After running an unknown distance, Fan Debiao fell again and refused to get up, panting as he said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, I can’t run anymore.”
Liu Dashao, hands on his hips and gasping for breath, looked back into the pitch darkness. The white beetles didn’t seem to be following, so he also sat down on the ground, nodding breathlessly, “Alright, let’s rest for a while.”
Once both had caught their breath, Fan Debiao said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, don’t you find it strange? We’ve run so far, yet we haven’t seen Old Master Jia or the mercenaries driven into the river by those bugs. It’s quite unusual. Could they have gone downstream?”
Liu Dashao affirmed, “I saw Old Master Jia and the others heading upstream against the current in the water. They had flashlights, but after I found you and we surfaced for air, I lost sight of them.”
At this thought, Liu Dashao began to feel uneasy. Could there be an underwater passage not far from where they entered the water? He shared this idea with Fan Debiao, who anxiously said, “Dashao, what if we can’t find Old Master Jia? Should we go back and look for them? I’m scared.”
Liu Dashao, trying to sound reassuring, said, “Don’t be afraid, we’ll find them. Let’s go back and look for them now.” They stood up, ready to retrace their steps.
Just then, a splash from the dark river beside them caught their attention, followed by a sharp curse, “Damn these immortal bugs, they’ve really done me in.”
Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao’s hearts leapt with joy—it was Jia Zhuangyuan’s voice. Sounds of people emerging from the water followed, and several flashlights turned on, revealing Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao standing on the bank. Everyone was delighted. Jia Zhuangyuan shouted in his sharp voice, “You brats, I thought you were right behind us. We couldn’t find you after we got ashore, and we were all worried.”
After exchanging information, they learned that Jia Zhuangyuan and the others had swum upstream for a while before coming ashore on the opposite bank of the dark river, separated from Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao. Afraid of attracting the bugs, they didn’t dare to call out. Later, they decided to swim back across the river in hopes of finding the two, and luckily, they did.
Liu Dashao recounted their encounter with the mercenaries and the white beetles. Everyone shook their heads, indicating they hadn’t encountered them. Jia Zhuangyuan gritted his teeth and said, “That American doctor still hasn’t given up. If I run into that bastard who hypnotized me, I’ll kill him myself.”
Liu Dashao then said, “It seems the reason we escaped the temple without encountering the dire wolves is that the mercenaries ran into them, killing many and thus attracting the white bugs.”
Jia Zhuangyuan agreed, “Yes, judging by the number of bugs, they not only killed many dire wolves but also fought with the bugs. But these mercenaries probably didn’t know that the more you attack these bugs, the more they multiply. In the end, they were driven into the dark river.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Jia Zhuangyuan continued, “Dashao, how many mercenaries did you see jump into the dark river and survive? Where did they come from?”
Liu Dashao thought for a moment and said, “It was too dark to see clearly, but from the sounds of splashing, I’d say three or four. They appeared from a protrusion in the cliff wall.” He pointed in the direction he and Fan Debiao had come from, indicating where a large number of white beetles had appeared.
Jia Zhuangyuan pondered and said, “Dashao, while searching for you, we reached the upstream end—a massive underground waterfall with no passage or exit. Now, it seems the corner you found might be the exit of this underground canyon. You said there are many beetles there, which is very dangerous. But we have to check it out.”
Cai Qingchong frowned and said, “Old Master Jia, you’d better check the map again. The upstream end has no exit, but maybe it’s downstream? Dashao mentioned many beetles there. If you’re not sure, we shouldn’t take the risk.”
Hearing this, Liu Dashao was reminded of the horrifying sight of Yang Weidong and the mercenary being burned by flames. He quickly added, “Old Master Jia, I agree. If those white beetles don’t leave that spot, we really shouldn’t go there.”
Jia Zhuangyuan sneered, “In our line of work, there’s much knowledge you don’t understand. Ancient underground tombs or structures have many rules. This dark river near an underground structure is called ‘the dragon’ in feng shui and burial studies—the source is the dragon’s head, the endpoint the tail, and the middle section the body. Tombs or palaces are only built at the head or body, never downstream, to prevent water from flooding and destroying them due to geological changes. So, the possibility of an exit downstream is almost nonexistent. We’ve searched upstream and found no exit or structure, so the exit must be in the middle section. The appearance of those Americans might indicate they found the exit but were driven back by the bugs.”
Hearing Jia Zhuangyuan’s analysis, Liu Dashao and the others fell silent.
Jia Zhuangyuan spread his hands and said somewhat indignantly, “I know how terrifying those bugs are. I’m just sharing my conclusion based on years of experience. Whether to go there or not is up to you. I know my role—just a consultant.”
Liu Dashao quickly said, “Old Master Jia, don’t misunderstand. We asked for your help because you’re an expert and authority in this field. We’re just asking because we don’t understand. Please don’t take offense.”
Jia Zhuangyuan snorted and said slowly, “Fine, let me explain. Those white beetles are dynamic creatures. After a thousand years of dormancy, once awakened, they’ll fly around seeking targets. They might not stay in one place. As long as we’re careful, keep our eyes and ears open, and use the dark river as protection, the danger is manageable. We just need to stay alert and cautious. It seems the exit is there, and we have no other choice.”
Liu Dashao then said, “Exactly, Old Master Jia is right. The beetles have light and make fluttering sounds, so we can detect danger early. And if that’s the exit, we have no choice but to go through it. Let’s not delay any further; we should continue on our way.”
After running an unknown distance, Fan Debiao fell again and refused to get up, panting as he said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, I can’t run anymore.”
Liu Dashao, hands on his hips and gasping for breath, looked back into the pitch darkness. The white beetles didn’t seem to be following them, so he also sat down on the ground, nodding breathlessly, “Alright, let’s rest for a while.”
Once both had caught their breath, Fan Debiao said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, don’t you find it strange? We’ve run so far, yet we haven’t seen Old Master Jia or the mercenaries driven into the river by those insects. It’s quite unusual. Could they have gone downstream?”
Liu Dashao affirmed, “I saw Old Master Jia and the others heading upstream against the current in the water. They had flashlights, but after I found you and we surfaced for air, I lost sight of them.”
At this thought, Liu Dashao began to feel uneasy. Could there have been an underwater passage not far from where they submerged? He shared this idea with Fan Debiao, who anxiously replied, “Dashao, what if we can’t find Old Master Jia and the others? Should we go back and look for them? I’m scared.”
Liu Dashao tried to reassure him, “Don’t be afraid. We’ll find them. Let’s go back and look for them now.” They stood up, ready to retrace their steps.
Just then, a splash from the dark river beside them caught their attention, followed by a sharp curse, “Damn these immortal bugs, they’ve really done me in!”
Both Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao felt a surge of joy—it was Jia Zhuangyuan’s voice. Sounds of people emerging from the water followed, and several flashlights turned on, revealing Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao standing on the bank. Everyone was delighted. Jia Zhuangyuan shouted in his sharp voice, “You brats, I thought you were right behind us. We couldn’t find you after we got ashore, and everyone was worried.”
After exchanging information, they learned that Jia Zhuangyuan and the others had swum upstream for a while before coming ashore on the opposite side of the dark river, separated from Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao. Fearing to attract the insects, they hadn’t dared to call out. Later, they decided to swim back across the river in hopes of finding the two, and luckily, they did.
Liu Dashao recounted their encounter with the mercenaries and the white beetles. Everyone shook their heads, indicating they hadn’t encountered them. Jia Zhuangyuan gritted his teeth, “That American doctor still hasn’t given up. If I meet that hypnotist bastard, I’ll kill him myself.”
Liu Dashao then said, “It seems the reason we escaped the temple without encountering the dire wolves is because the mercenaries ran into them, killing many, which in turn attracted the white beetles.”
Jia Zhuangyuan agreed, “Yes, judging by the number of beetles, they not only killed many dire wolves but also fought with the beetles. However, the mercenaries probably didn’t know that the more you attack these beetles, the more they multiply, eventually driving them into the dark river.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Jia Zhuangyuan continued, “Dashao, how many mercenaries did you see jump into the dark river and survive? Where did they come from?”
Liu Dashao thought for a moment and said, “It was too dark to see the exact number, but from the sounds of splashing, I’d estimate three or four. They appeared from a protruding part of the cliff wall.” He gestured towards the direction he and Fan Debiao had come from, indicating where a large number of white beetles had appeared.
Jia Zhuangyuan pondered and said, “Dashao, while searching for you, we reached the end of the upstream, a underground waterfall dozens of meters high with no passage or exit. Now, it seems the corner you discovered might be the exit of this underground canyon. You mentioned many beetles there, which is very dangerous. But we have to check it out.”
Cai Qingchong frowned, “Old Master Jia, perhaps you should check the map again. The upstream end has no exit, but maybe it’s downstream? Dashao mentioned many beetles there. If you’re not sure, we’d better not take the risk.”
Hearing this, the memory of Yang Weidong and the mercenary being burned by flames flashed in Liu Dashao’s mind. He quickly added, “Old Master Jia, I agree. If those white beetles don’t leave that spot, we really can’t go there.”
Jia Zhuangyuan sneered, “There’s much knowledge in our line of work that you don’t know or understand. Ancient underground tombs or buildings have many rules. The dark river near underground structures is called ‘the dragon’ in feng shui tomb studies—the source is the dragon’s head, the endpoint the tail, and the middle section the ‘dragon’s body.’ Tombs or palaces are only built at the head or body of the dragon, never downstream, to prevent water from flooding and destroying the tomb or building due to geological changes. Therefore, the possibility of an exit downstream is almost nonexistent. We’ve already searched upstream and found no exit or structure, so we must look in the middle section. The appearance of those Americans might indicate they found the exit but were driven back by the beetles.”
Hearing Jia Zhuangyuan’s analysis, both Liu Dashao and the others fell silent.
Jia Zhuangyuan spread his hands and said somewhat indignantly, “I know how terrifying those beetles are. I’m just drawing this conclusion based on years of experience. Whether to go there or not is up to you all. I know my role—just a consultant.”
Liu Dashao quickly said, “Old Master Jia, please don’t misunderstand. We asked for your help on this mission because you’re an expert and authority in this field. We’re just asking because we don’t know. Please don’t take offense.”
Jia Zhuangyuan snorted and said slowly, “Forget it. Let me explain, those white beetles are dynamic creatures. After a thousand years of dormancy, once awakened, they will fly around seeking targets. They might not stay in one place. As long as we’re careful, keep our eyes and ears open, and with the dark river as protection, the danger is manageable. We just need to be alert and cautious. It seems the exit is there, and we have no other choice.”
Liu Dashao then timely added, “Exactly, Old Master Jia is right. Those beetles emit light and have fluttering sounds, so we can detect danger early. Moreover, if that’s the exit, we have no choice but to pass through. We should continue our journey without delay.”
After running an unknown distance, Fan Debiao fell again and refused to get up, panting as he said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, I can’t run anymore.”
Liu Dashao, hands on his hips and gasping for breath, looked back into the pitch-black darkness. The white beetles didn’t seem to be following them, so he also sat down on the ground, nodding breathlessly, “Alright, let’s rest for a while.”
When both of their breathing had somewhat stabilized, Fan Debiao said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, don’t you think it’s strange? We’ve run so far, yet we haven’t seen Old Master Jia or the mercenaries who were driven into the river by those insects. It doesn’t make sense. Could they have gone downstream?”
Liu Dashao replied firmly, “I saw Old Master Jia and the others heading upstream in the water. They had flashlights with them, but after I found you and we surfaced for air, I lost sight of them.”
At this thought, Liu Dashao began to feel uneasy. Could there have been an underwater passage not far from where they had entered the water? He shared this idea with Fan Debiao, who said anxiously, “Dashao, what if we can’t find Old Master Jia and the others? Should we go back and look for them? I’m a bit scared.”
Liu Dashao tried to reassure him, “Don’t be afraid. We’ll find them. Let’s go back and look for them now.” The two stood up, ready to retrace their steps.
Just then, a splash from the dark river beside them caught their attention, followed by a sharp, cursing voice, “Damn these immortal bugs! They’ve really done me in!”
Both Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao felt a surge of relief—it was Jia Zhuangyuan’s voice. Soon, the sound of people emerging from the water filled the air, and several flashlights turned on, revealing Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao standing on the shore. Everyone was overjoyed. Jia Zhuangyuan shouted in his sharp voice, “You brats! I thought you were right behind us, but when we got ashore, we couldn’t find you. You had us worried sick!”
After exchanging a few words, Liu Dashao learned that Jia Zhuangyuan and the others had swum upstream for a while before coming ashore on the opposite side of the dark river. Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao had been on the other side, and the two groups had lost sight of each other. Fearing the insects, they hadn’t dared to call out. Later, they decided to re-enter the water and swim across, hoping to find the two, and luckily, they had succeeded.
Liu Dashao recounted their encounter with the mercenaries and the swarms of white beetles. Everyone shook their heads, indicating they hadn’t encountered them. Jia Zhuangyuan gritted his teeth and said, “That American doctor still hasn’t given up. If I run into that bastard who hypnotized me, I’ll kill him with my own hands.”
Liu Dashao then said, “It seems the reason we escaped the temple without running into the dire wolves is because the mercenaries encountered them, killing many and attracting those white beetles.”
Jia Zhuangyuan nodded, “Exactly. Judging by the number of beetles, they not only killed a lot of dire wolves but also fought with the beetles. But those mercenaries probably didn’t know that the more you attack these beetles, the more they multiply. In the end, they were driven into the dark river.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Jia Zhuangyuan continued, “Dashao, how many of those mercenaries who jumped into the dark river survived? And where did they come from?”
Liu Dashao thought for a moment and said, “It was too dark to see the exact number, but judging by the splashes, there were probably three or four. They appeared from a protruding part of the cliff wall.” He gestured in the direction they had come from and mentioned the large number of white beetles there.
Jia Zhuangyuan pondered for a moment and said, “Dashao, while searching for you, we reached the end of the upstream section—a massive underground waterfall, tens of meters high, with no passage or exit. Now, it seems the corner you discovered might be the exit of this underground canyon. You said there are many beetles there, so it’s very dangerous. But we have no choice but to check it out.”
Cai Qingchong frowned and said, “Old Master Jia, you should double-check the map. We’ve confirmed there’s no exit upstream, but maybe it’s downstream? Dashao mentioned there are many beetles there. If you’re not sure, we shouldn’t take that risk.”
Hearing this, Liu Dashao was reminded of the horrifying scene of Yang Weidong and the mercenary being burned by flames. He quickly added, “Old Master Jia, I agree. If those white beetles don’t leave that spot, we really shouldn’t go there.”
Jia Zhuangyuan sneered, “There’s a lot of knowledge in our line of work that you don’t understand. Ancient underground tombs or structures have many rules. This dark river near an underground structure is called a ‘dragon’ in feng shui and burial studies—the source is the dragon’s head, the endpoint is the tail, and the middle section is the ‘dragon’s body.’ Tombs or palaces are only built at the head or body of the dragon, never downstream, to prevent flooding from geological changes that could destroy the tomb or structure. So, the possibility of an exit downstream is almost nonexistent. We’ve already searched upstream and found no exit or structure, so the only option is the middle section. The appearance of those Americans might indicate they found the exit but were driven back by the beetles.”
Hearing Jia Zhuangyuan’s analysis, both Liu Dashao and the others fell into silence.
Jia Zhuangyuan spread his hands and said somewhat indignantly, “I know how terrifying those beetles are. I’m just basing this on my years of experience. Whether we go there or not is up to you. I know my role—I’m just a consultant.”
Liu Dashao quickly said, “Old Master Jia, don’t misunderstand. We asked you to join this mission because you’re an expert and an authority in this field. We’re just asking because we don’t understand. Please don’t take it the wrong way.”
Jia Zhuangyuan snorted and said slowly, “Fine. Let me explain. Those white beetles are dynamic creatures. After a thousand years of dormancy, once they wake up, they’ll fly around looking for targets to attack. They might not stay in one place. As long as we’re careful, keep our eyes and ears open, and use the dark river as protection, the danger is manageable. The exit is likely there, and we have no other choice.”
Liu Dashao chimed in, “Exactly. Old Master Jia is right. Those beetles emit light and make fluttering sounds, so we can detect the danger early. And if that’s the exit, we have no choice but to go through it. We should get moving now.”
After running for an unknown distance, Fan Debiao fell again and refused to get up, panting as he said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, I can’t run anymore.”
Liu Dashao, hands on his hips and gasping for breath, looked back into the pitch-black darkness. The white beetles didn’t seem to be following them, so he also sat down on the ground, nodding breathlessly, “Alright, let’s rest for a while.”
Once both of them had caught their breath, Fan Debiao said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, don’t you find it strange? We’ve run so far, yet we haven’t seen Old Master Jia or the mercenaries who were driven into the river by those insects. It doesn’t make sense. Could they have gone downstream?”
Liu Dashao replied firmly, “I saw Old Master Jia and the others heading upstream in the water. They had flashlights with them. After I found you and we resurfaced, I couldn’t see them anymore.”
At this thought, Liu Dashao began to feel uneasy. Could there have been an underwater passage not far from where they had entered the water? He shared this idea with Fan Debiao, who said anxiously, “Dashao, what if we can’t find Old Master Jia and the others? Should we go back and look for them? I’m scared.”
Liu Dashao tried to reassure him, “Don’t be afraid. We’ll find them. Let’s go back and look for them now.” The two stood up, ready to retrace their steps.
Just then, a splash from the dark river beside them caught their attention, followed by a sharp curse: “Damn these thousand-year-old bugs! They’ve really done me in!”
Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao were overjoyed—it was Jia Zhuangyuan’s voice. Then came the sound of people emerging from the water. Several flashlights turned on, revealing Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao standing on the shore. Everyone was delighted. Jia Zhuangyuan shouted in his sharp voice, “You brats! I thought you were right behind us. We couldn’t find you after we got ashore, and we were all worried sick.”
After exchanging a few words, Liu Dashao learned that Jia Zhuangyuan and the others had swum upstream for a while before coming ashore on the opposite side of the dark river. Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao had been on the other side, and they had lost sight of each other. Fearing the insects, they hadn’t dared to call out. Later, they decided to re-enter the water and swim across, hoping to find the two, and luckily, they had succeeded.
Liu Dashao recounted their encounter with the mercenaries and the white beetles. Everyone shook their heads, indicating they hadn’t encountered them. Jia Zhuangyuan gritted his teeth and said, “That American doctor still hasn’t given up. If I run into that bastard who hypnotized me, I’ll kill him with my own hands.”
Liu Dashao then said, “It seems the reason we escaped the temple without encountering the dire wolves is because the mercenaries ran into them, killing many and attracting those white beetles.”
Jia Zhuangyuan nodded, “Exactly. Judging by the number of beetles, they not only killed a lot of dire wolves but also fought with the beetles. But those mercenaries probably didn’t know that the more you attack these beetles, the more they multiply. In the end, they were driven into the dark river.”
Everyone agreed. Jia Zhuangyuan continued, “Dashao, how many mercenaries did you see jumping into the dark river and surviving? Where did they come from?”
Liu Dashao thought for a moment and said, “It was too dark to see clearly, but judging by the sounds, there were about three or four. They appeared from a protruding part of the cliff.” He pointed in the direction he and Fan Debiao had come from, indicating where the white beetles had appeared in large numbers.
Jia Zhuangyuan pondered for a moment and said, “Dashao, while searching for you, we reached the end of the upstream—a underground waterfall dozens of meters high with no passage or exit. Now, it seems the corner you found might be the exit of this underground canyon. You said there are many beetles there, so it’s very dangerous. But we have no choice but to check it out.”
Cai Qingchong frowned and said, “Old Master Jia, you should check the map again to confirm. We’ve already determined there’s no exit upstream, but maybe it’s downstream? Dashao mentioned there are many beetles there. If you’re not sure, we shouldn’t take the risk.”
Hearing this, Liu Dashao was reminded of the horrifying scene of Yang Weidong and the mercenaries being burned by the flames. He quickly added, “Old Master Jia, I agree. If those white beetles don’t leave that spot, we really shouldn’t go there.”
Jia Zhuangyuan sneered, “There’s a lot of knowledge in our line of work that you don’t understand. In ancient underground tombs or structures, there are many rules. This dark river near the underground structure is called ‘the dragon’ in feng shui and tomb studies. The source is the dragon’s head, the endpoint is the tail, and the middle section is the body. Tombs or underground palaces are only built at the head or body of the dragon, never downstream, to prevent water from flooding and destroying the tombs or structures due to geological changes. So, the possibility of an exit downstream is almost nonexistent. We’ve already searched upstream and found no exit or structure, so the only option is to look in the middle section. The appearance of those Americans might be a clue—they found the exit but were driven back by the beetles.”
Hearing Jia Zhuangyuan’s analysis, Liu Dashao and the others fell into silence.
Jia Zhuangyuan spread his hands and said somewhat indignantly, “I know how terrifying those beetles are. I’m just basing this conclusion on my years of experience. Whether we go there or not is up to all of you. I know my role—I’m just a consultant.”
Liu Dashao quickly said, “Old Master Jia, please don’t misunderstand. We asked for your help on this mission because you’re an expert and an authority in this field. We’re just asking because we don’t understand. Please don’t take it the wrong way.”
Jia Zhuangyuan snorted and said slowly, “Fine, let me explain. Those white beetles are dynamic creatures. After a thousand years of dormancy, once they wake up, they’ll fly around looking for targets. They might not stay in one place. As long as we’re careful, keep our eyes and ears open, and use the dark river as protection, the danger is manageable. We just need to be alert and cautious. Now, it seems the exit is likely there, and we have no other choice.”
Liu Dashao chimed in, “That’s right. Old Master Jia is correct. Those beetles emit light and make flapping sounds, so we can detect the danger early. And if that’s the exit, we have no choice but to go through it. We should get moving now without delay.”
After running an unknown distance, Fan Debiao fell again and refused to get up, panting as he said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, I can’t run anymore.”
Liu Dashao, hands on his hips and gasping for breath, looked back into the pitch-black darkness. The white beetles didn’t seem to be following them, so he also sat down on the ground, nodding breathlessly, “Alright, let’s rest for a while.”
Once both had caught their breath, Fan Debiao said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, don’t you think it’s strange? We’ve run so far, yet we haven’t seen Old Master Jia or the mercenaries who were driven into the river by those insects. It doesn’t make sense. Could they have gone downstream?”
Liu Dashao replied firmly, “I saw Old Master Jia and the others heading upstream in the water. They had flashlights with them. After I found you and we surfaced for air, I lost sight of them.”
At this thought, Liu Dashao began to feel uneasy. Could there be an underwater passage not far from where they had entered the water? He shared this idea with Fan Debiao, who nervously said, “Dashao, what if we can’t find Old Master Jia and the others? Should we go back and look for them? I’m scared.”
Liu Dashao tried to reassure him, “Don’t be afraid. We’ll find them. Let’s go back and look for them now.” The two stood up, ready to retrace their steps.
Just then, a splash from the dark river beside them caught their attention, followed by a sharp curse: “Damn these thousand-year-old bugs, they’ve really done me in!”
Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao’s hearts leapt with joy—it was Jia Zhuangyuan’s voice. Then came the sound of people emerging from the water. Several flashlights turned on, revealing Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao standing on the shore. Everyone was overjoyed. Jia Zhuangyuan shouted in his sharp voice, “You brats! I thought you were right behind us. We couldn’t find you after we got ashore, and we were all worried sick.”
After some discussion, they learned that Jia Zhuangyuan and the others had swum upstream for a while before coming ashore on the opposite side of the dark river. Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao had been on the other side, separated by the river, and thus couldn’t find each other. Fearing the insects, they hadn’t dared to call out. Later, they decided to swim back across the river in hopes of finding the two, and luckily, they succeeded.
Liu Dashao recounted their encounter with the mercenaries and the white beetles. Everyone shook their heads, indicating they hadn’t encountered them. Jia Zhuangyuan gritted his teeth and said, “That American doctor still hasn’t given up. If I run into that bastard who hypnotized me, I’ll kill him myself.”
Liu Dashao then said, “It seems the reason we escaped the temple without encountering the dire wolves is because the mercenaries ran into them, killing many and attracting those white beetles.”
Jia Zhuangyuan nodded, “Exactly. Given the number of beetles, they must have not only killed many dire wolves but also fought the beetles. But those mercenaries probably didn’t know that the more you attack these beetles, the more they multiply. In the end, they were driven into the dark river.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Jia Zhuangyuan continued, “Dashao, how many mercenaries did you see jump into the river and survive? Where did they come from?”
Liu Dashao thought for a moment and said, “It was too dark to see clearly, but from the sounds of splashing, I’d estimate three or four. They appeared from a protruding part of the cliff wall.” He pointed in the direction he and Fan Debiao had come from, indicating where the white beetles had appeared in large numbers.
Jia Zhuangyuan pondered for a moment and said, “Dashao, while searching for you, we reached the end of the upstream section—a massive underground waterfall, dozens of meters high, with no passages or exits. Now, it seems the corner you discovered might be the exit of this underground canyon. You said there are many beetles there, so it’s very dangerous. But we have no choice but to check it out.”
Cai Qingchong frowned and said, “Old Master Jia, perhaps you should check the map again. We’ve confirmed there’s no exit upstream, but maybe it’s downstream? Dashao mentioned there are many beetles there. If you’re not certain, we shouldn’t risk it.”
Hearing this, the memory of Yang Weidong and the mercenary being burned by the flames flashed in Liu Dashao’s mind. He quickly added, “Old Master Jia, I agree. If those white beetles don’t leave that spot, we really shouldn’t go there.”
Jia Zhuangyuan sneered, “There’s much knowledge in our line of work that you don’t understand. In ancient underground tombs or structures, there are many rules. This dark river near an underground structure is called a ‘dragon’ in feng shui and tomb studies. The source is the dragon’s head, the endpoint is the tail, and the middle section is the ‘dragon’s body.’ Tombs or underground palaces are only built at the head or body of the dragon, never downstream, to prevent water from flooding and destroying the tombs or structures due to geological changes. So, the possibility of an exit downstream is almost nonexistent. We’ve already searched upstream and found no exit or structure, so the only option is to look in the middle section. The appearance of those Americans might be a clue—they found the exit but were driven back by the beetles.”
Hearing Jia Zhuangyuan’s analysis, Liu Dashao and the others fell silent.
Jia Zhuangyuan spread his hands and said somewhat indignantly, “I know how terrifying those beetles are. I’m just drawing this conclusion based on my years of experience. Whether we go there or not is up to you. I know my role—I’m just a consultant.”
Liu Dashao quickly said, “Old Master Jia, don’t misunderstand. We asked for your help on this mission because you’re an expert and an authority in this field. We’re just asking because we don’t understand. Please don’t take offense.”
Jia Zhuangyuan snorted and said slowly, “Forget it. Let me explain. Those white beetles are dynamic creatures. After a thousand years of dormancy, once awakened, they will fly around looking for targets to attack. They might not stay in one place. As long as we’re careful, keep our eyes and ears open, and use the dark river as protection, the danger is manageable. If we stay alert and cautious, we should be fine. It seems the exit is there, and we have no other choice.”
Liu Dashao chimed in, “Exactly. Old Master Jia is right. Those beetles emit light and make fluttering sounds, so we can detect the danger early. And if that’s the exit, we have no choice but to go through it. We should get moving now.”
After running for an unknown distance, Fan Debiao fell again and refused to get up, panting as he said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, I can’t run anymore.”
Liu Dashao, hands on his hips and gasping for breath, looked back into the pitch-black darkness. The white beetles didn’t seem to be following them, so he also sat down on the ground, nodding breathlessly, “Alright, let’s rest for a while.”
When both of their breathing had somewhat stabilized, Fan Debiao said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, don’t you find it strange? We’ve run so far, yet we haven’t seen Old Master Jia or the mercenaries who were driven into the river by those insects. It’s quite unusual. Could they have gone downstream?”
Liu Dashao replied firmly, “I saw Old Master Jia and the others heading upstream against the current in the water. They had flashlights with them, but after I found you and we surfaced for air, I lost sight of them.”
At this thought, Liu Dashao began to feel uneasy. Could there have been an underwater passage not far from where they entered the water? He shared this idea with Fan Debiao, who said anxiously, “Dashao, what if we can’t find Old Master Jia and the others? Should we go back and look for them? I’m a bit scared.”
Liu Dashao tried to reassure him, “Don’t be afraid. We’ll find them. Let’s go back and look for them now.” The two stood up, ready to retrace their steps.
Just then, a sudden splash from the dark river beside them caught their attention, followed by a sharp curse: “Damn these thousand-year-old bugs, they’ve really done me in!”
Both Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao felt a surge of joy—it was Jia Zhuangyuan’s voice. Then came the sounds of people emerging from the water. Several flashlights turned on, revealing Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao standing on the shore. Everyone was delighted. Jia Zhuangyuan shouted in his sharp voice, “You brats! I thought you were right behind us. We couldn’t find you after we got ashore, and we were all worried sick.”
After some discussion, they learned that Jia Zhuangyuan and the others had swum upstream for a while before coming ashore on the opposite side of the dark river. Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao had been on the other side, and they had lost sight of each other. Afraid of attracting the insects, they hadn’t dared to call out. Later, they decided to swim back across the river in hopes of finding the two, and luckily, they had succeeded.
Liu Dashao recounted their encounter with the mercenaries and the swarms of white beetles. Everyone shook their heads, indicating they hadn’t encountered them. Jia Zhuangyuan gritted his teeth and said, “That American doctor still hasn’t given up. If I run into that bastard who hypnotized me, I’ll kill him myself.”
Liu Dashao then said, “It seems the reason we escaped the temple without encountering the dire wolves is because the mercenaries ran into them, killing many and attracting those white beetles.”
Jia Zhuangyuan nodded, “Exactly. Judging by the number of beetles, they not only killed a lot of dire wolves but also fought with the beetles. But those mercenaries probably didn’t know that the more you attack these beetles, the more they multiply. In the end, they were driven into the dark river.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Jia Zhuangyuan continued, “Dashao, how many of those mercenaries who jumped into the river survived? And where did they come from?”
Liu Dashao thought for a moment and said, “It was too dark to see the exact number, but from the sounds of splashing, I’d guess three or four. They appeared from a protruding part of the cliff wall.” He pointed in the direction he and Fan Debiao had come from, indicating where the large number of white beetles had appeared.
Jia Zhuangyuan pondered for a moment and said, “Dashao, while searching for you, we reached the end of the upstream section—a massive underground waterfall, dozens of meters high, with no passages or exits. Now, it seems the corner you discovered might be the exit of this underground canyon. You said there are many beetles there, so it’s very dangerous. But we have no choice but to check it out.”
Cai Qingchong frowned and said, “Old Master Jia, perhaps you should check the map again to confirm. We’ve already determined there’s no exit upstream, but maybe it’s downstream? Dashao mentioned there are many beetles in that area. If you’re not certain, we’d better not take the risk.”
Hearing this, Liu Dashao was reminded of the horrifying scene of Yang Weidong and the mercenary being burned by flames. He quickly added, “Old Master Jia, I agree. If those white beetles haven’t left that spot, we really shouldn’t go there.”
Jia Zhuangyuan sneered, “There’s a lot of knowledge in our line of work that you don’t understand. In ancient underground tombs or structures, there are many intricacies. This dark river near the underground structure is called the ‘Dragon’ in feng shui and burial studies. The source is the dragon’s head, the endpoint is the tail, and the middle section is the ‘dragon’s body.’ Tombs or underground palaces are only built at the head or body of the dragon, never downstream, to prevent water from flooding and destroying the burial site or structure due to geological changes. So, the possibility of an exit downstream is almost nonexistent. We’ve already searched upstream and found no exit or structure, so the only option is to look in the middle section. The appearance of those Americans might be a clue—they found the exit but were driven back by the beetles.”
Hearing Jia Zhuangyuan’s analysis, both Liu Dashao and the others fell into silence.
Jia Zhuangyuan spread his hands and said somewhat indignantly, “I know how terrifying those beetles are. I’m just drawing this conclusion based on my years of experience. Whether we go to that place or not is up to everyone. I know my role—I’m just a consultant.”
Liu Dashao quickly said, “Old Master Jia, please don’t misunderstand. We asked you to join this mission because you’re an expert and an authority in this field. We’re just asking because we don’t understand. Please don’t take it the wrong way.”
Jia Zhuangyuan snorted and said slowly, “Forget it. Let me explain. Those white beetles are dynamic creatures. After a thousand years of dormancy, once they awaken, they’ll fly around looking for targets to attack. They might not stay in that one spot. As long as we’re careful, keep our eyes and ears open, and use the dark river as protection, the danger is manageable. We just need to be alert and cautious. It seems the exit is likely there, and we have no other choice.”
Liu Dashao chimed in, “Exactly. Old Master Jia is right. Those beetles emit light and make fluttering sounds, so we can detect the danger early. And if that is the exit, we have no choice but to go through it. We should get moving now.”
After running an unknown distance, Fan Debiao fell again and refused to get up, panting as he said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, I can’t run anymore.”
Liu Dashao, hands on his hips and gasping for breath, looked back into the pitch-black darkness. The white beetles didn’t seem to be following, so he too sat down, nodding breathlessly, “Alright, let’s rest for a while.”
Once both had caught their breath, Fan Debiao said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, don’t you think it’s strange? We’ve run so far, yet we haven’t seen Old Master Jia or the mercenaries driven into the river by those insects. It’s quite unusual. Could they have gone downstream?”
Liu Dashao replied firmly, “I saw Old Master Jia and the others heading upstream against the current in the water. They had flashlights, but after I found you and we surfaced for air, I lost sight of them.”
At this thought, Liu Dashao began to feel uneasy. Could there be an underwater passage not far from where they had entered the water? He shared this idea with Fan Debiao, who anxiously said, “Dashao, what if we can’t find Old Master Jia and the others? Should we go back and look for them? I’m scared.”
Liu Dashao tried to reassure him, “Don’t be afraid. We’ll find them. Let’s go back and look for them now.” They stood up, ready to retrace their steps.
Just then, a splash from the dark river beside them caught their attention, followed by a sharp curse: “Damn these immortal bugs, they’ve really done me in!”
Both Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao felt a surge of joy—it was Jia Zhuangyuan’s voice. Sounds of people emerging from the water followed, and several flashlights turned on, revealing Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao standing on the shore. Everyone was delighted. Jia Zhuangyuan shouted in his sharp voice, “You brats! I thought you were right behind us. We couldn’t find you after we got ashore, and we were all worried sick.”
After some discussion, they learned that Jia Zhuangyuan and the others had swum upstream for a while before coming ashore on the opposite side of the dark river. Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao had been on the other side, separated by the river, and thus couldn’t find each other. Fearing to attract the insects, they hadn’t dared to call out. Later, they decided to re-enter the water and swim across, hoping to find the two, and luckily, they succeeded.
Liu Dashao recounted their encounter with the mercenaries and the white beetles. Everyone shook their heads, indicating they hadn’t encountered them. Jia Zhuangyuan gritted his teeth and said, “That American doctor still hasn’t given up. If I meet that bastard who hypnotized me, I’ll kill him myself.”
Liu Dashao then said, “It seems the reason we escaped the temple without encountering the dire wolves is that the mercenaries ran into them, killing many and thus attracting the white beetles.”
Jia Zhuangyuan nodded, “Exactly. Given the number of beetles, they must have not only killed many dire wolves but also fought with the beetles. But those mercenaries probably didn’t know that the more you attack these beetles, the more they multiply. Eventually, they were driven into the dark river.”
Everyone agreed. Jia Zhuangyuan continued, “Dashao, how many of the mercenaries who jumped into the river survived? Where did they come from?”
Liu Dashao thought for a moment and said, “It was too dark to see clearly, but judging by the sounds, there were about three or four. They appeared from a protrusion in the cliff wall.” He pointed in the direction they had come from and mentioned the large number of white beetles there.
Jia Zhuangyuan pondered and said, “Dashao, while searching for you, we reached the end of the upstream—a massive underground waterfall, tens of meters high, with no passage or exit. Now, it seems the corner you found might be the exit of this underground canyon. You said there are many beetles there, so it’s very dangerous. But we have to check it out.”
Cai Qingchong frowned, “Old Master Jia, perhaps you should check the map again. We’ve confirmed there’s no exit upstream, but maybe it’s downstream? Dashao mentioned many beetles there. If you’re not sure, we shouldn’t take the risk.”
Hearing this, Liu Dashao was reminded of the horrifying sight of Yang Weidong and the mercenary being burned by flames. He quickly added, “Old Master Jia, I agree. If those white beetles don’t leave that spot, we really shouldn’t go there.”
Jia Zhuangyuan sneered, “There’s much knowledge in our line of work that you don’t understand. Ancient underground tombs or structures have many rules. This dark river near an underground structure is called ‘the dragon’ in feng shui tomb studies—the source is the dragon’s head, the endpoint is the tail, and the middle is the body. Tombs or underground palaces are only built at the head or body of the dragon, never downstream, to prevent water from flooding and destroying the tomb or structure due to geological changes. So, the possibility of an exit downstream is almost nonexistent. We’ve already searched upstream and found no exit or structure, so the exit must be in the middle section. The appearance of those Americans might indicate they found the exit but were driven back by the beetles.”
Hearing Jia Zhuangyuan’s analysis, both Liu Dashao and the others fell silent.
Jia Zhuangyuan spread his hands and said somewhat indignantly, “I know how terrifying those beetles are. I’m just analyzing based on my years of experience. Whether we go there or not is up to you. I know my role—just a consultant.”
Liu Dashao quickly said, “Old Master Jia, please don’t misunderstand. We asked for your help on this mission because you’re an expert and an authority in this field. We’re just asking because we don’t understand. Please don’t take it the wrong way.”
Jia Zhuangyuan snorted and said slowly, “Fine, let me explain. Those white beetles are dynamic creatures. After a thousand years of dormancy, once awakened, they will surely fly around, searching for targets. They might not stay in one place. As long as we’re careful, keep our eyes and ears open, and use the dark river as protection, the danger is manageable. We just need to be alert and cautious. It seems the exit is there, and we have no other choice.”
Liu Dashao then said appropriately, “Exactly, Old Master Jia is right. The beetles emit light and make fluttering sounds, so we can detect danger early. And if that’s the exit, we have no choice but to go through it. Let’s not delay any further; we should continue on our way.”
After running an unknown distance, Fan Debiao fell again and refused to get up, panting as he said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, I can’t run anymore.”
Liu Dashao, hands on his hips and gasping for breath, looked back into the pitch darkness. The white beetles didn’t seem to be following them, so he also sat down on the ground, nodding breathlessly, “Alright, let’s rest for a while.”
When both had caught their breath somewhat, Fan Debiao said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, don’t you think it’s strange? We’ve run so far, yet we haven’t seen Old Master Jia or the mercenaries driven into the river by those bugs. It’s quite unusual. Could they have gone downstream?”
Liu Dashao affirmed, “I saw Old Master Jia and the others heading upstream against the current in the water because they had flashlights. After I found you and we surfaced for air, I couldn’t see them anymore.”
At this thought, Liu Dashao began to feel uneasy. Could there be an underwater passage not far from where they entered the water? He shared this idea with Fan Debiao, who said anxiously, “Dashao, if we can’t find Old Master Jia, what should we do? Let’s go back and look for them, okay? I’m a bit scared.”
Liu Dashao tried to reassure him, “Don’t be afraid, we’ll find them. Let’s go back and look for them now.” Both stood up, ready to retrace their steps.
Just then, a splash from the dark river beside them caught their attention, followed by a sharp curse, “Damn these thousand-year-old bugs, they’ve really done me in.”
Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao were delighted; it was Jia Zhuangyuan’s voice. Sounds of people emerging from the water followed, and several flashlights turned on, revealing Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao on the shore. Everyone was overjoyed. Jia Zhuangyuan shouted in his sharp voice, “You brats, I thought you were following us. We couldn’t find you after we got ashore, and we were all worried.”
After some discussion, they learned that Jia Zhuangyuan and the others had swum upstream for a while before coming ashore on the opposite side of the dark river, thus missing Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao. Fearing to attract the bugs, they didn’t dare to call out. Later, they decided to swim back across the river in hopes of finding the two, and luckily, they did.
Liu Dashao recounted their encounter with the mercenaries and the white beetles. Everyone shook their heads, indicating they hadn’t encountered them. Jia Zhuangyuan gritted his teeth, “That American doctor still hasn’t given up. If I meet that bastard who hypnotized me, I’ll kill him myself.”
Liu Dashao then said, “It seems the reason we escaped the temple without encountering the dire wolves is because the mercenaries ran into them, killing many and thus attracting the white bugs.”
Jia Zhuangyuan agreed, “Yes, judging by the number of bugs, they not only killed many dire wolves but also fought with the bugs. The mercenaries probably didn’t know that the more you attack these bugs, the more they multiply, eventually driving them into the dark river.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Jia Zhuangyuan added, “Dashao, how many mercenaries did you see jumping into the dark river and surviving? Where did they come from?”
Liu Dashao thought for a moment, “It was too dark to see clearly, but from the sounds of splashing, I’d say three or four. They appeared from a protrusion in the cliff wall.” He pointed in the direction he and Fan Debiao had come from, indicating where the white beetles had appeared in large numbers.
Jia Zhuangyuan pondered, “Dashao, while searching for you, we reached the end of the upstream, a waterfall several dozen meters high with no passage or exit. Now, it seems the corner you found might be the exit of this underground canyon. You said there are many beetles there, so it’s very dangerous. But we have to check it out.”
Cai Qingchong frowned, “Old Master Jia, you should check the map again. The upstream end has no exit, but maybe it’s downstream? Dashao mentioned many beetles there. If you’re not sure, we shouldn’t risk it.”
Hearing this, Liu Dashao recalled the scene of Yang Weidong and the mercenary being burned by flames, a reminder of the terror of the white bugs. He quickly added, “Old Master Jia, I agree. If those white bugs don’t leave that spot, we really shouldn’t go there.”
Jia Zhuangyuan sneered, “There’s much knowledge in our line of work that you don’t know or understand. Ancient underground tombs or buildings have many rules. The dark river near an underground structure is called ‘the dragon’ in feng shui and tomb studies, with the source as the dragon’s head, the endpoint as the tail, and the middle as the body. Tombs or palaces are only built at the head or body to prevent water from flooding and destroying them due to geological changes. So, the exit is almost certainly not downstream. We’ve checked upstream and found no exit or building, so we must look in the middle section. The appearance of those Americans might indicate they found the exit but were driven back by the bugs.”
Hearing Jia Zhuangyuan’s analysis, Liu Dashao and the others fell silent.
Jia Zhuangyuan spread his hands in frustration, “I know how terrifying those bugs are. I’m just analyzing based on my years of experience. Whether to go there or not is up to you. I know my role is just as an advisor.”
Liu Dashao quickly said, “Old Master Jia, don’t misunderstand. We asked for your help because you’re an expert and authority in this field. We’re just asking because we don’t know. Please don’t take offense.”
Jia Zhuangyuan snorted, “Fine. Let me explain. Those white bugs are dynamic creatures. After a thousand years of dormancy, once awakened, they will fly around seeking targets. They might not stay in one place. If we’re careful, keep our eyes and ears open, and use the dark river as protection, the danger is manageable. The exit is likely there, and we have no other choice.”
Liu Dashao timely added, “Right, Old Master Jia is correct. The bugs have light and make flapping sounds, so we can detect danger early. If that’s the exit, we have no choice but to go through it. Let’s move on without delay.”
After running for an unknown distance, Fan Debiao fell again and refused to get up, panting as he said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, I can’t run anymore.”
Liu Dashao, hands on his hips and gasping for breath, looked back into the pitch darkness. The white beetles didn’t seem to be following them, so he also sat down on the ground, nodding breathlessly, “Alright, let’s rest for a while.”
Once both had caught their breath, Fan Debiao said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, don’t you find it strange? We’ve run so far, yet we haven’t seen Old Master Jia or the mercenaries who were driven into the river by those insects. It’s quite unusual. Could they have gone downstream?”
Liu Dashao replied firmly, “I saw Old Master Jia and the others heading upstream against the current in the water. They had flashlights, but after I found you and we surfaced for air, I lost sight of them.”
At this thought, Liu Dashao began to feel uneasy. Could there have been an underwater passage not far from where they had entered the water? He shared this idea with Fan Debiao, who anxiously said, “Dashao, what if we can’t find Old Master Jia? Should we go back and look for them? I’m a bit scared.”
Liu Dashao tried to reassure him, “Don’t be afraid. We’ll find them. Let’s go back and search for them now.” The two stood up, ready to retrace their steps.
Just then, a splash from the dark river beside them caught their attention, followed by a sharp curse, “Damn these immortal bugs, they’ve really done me in!”
Both Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao felt a surge of relief—it was Jia Zhuangyuan’s voice. Sounds of people emerging from the water followed, and several flashlights turned on, revealing Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao standing on the bank. Everyone was overjoyed. Jia Zhuangyuan shouted in his sharp voice, “You brats, I thought you were right behind us. We couldn’t find you after we got ashore, and we were all worried sick.”
After some discussion, they learned that Jia Zhuangyuan and the others had swum upstream for a while before coming ashore on the opposite bank of the dark river. Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao had been on the other side, separated by the river, and thus couldn’t find each other. Fearing to attract the insects, they hadn’t dared to call out. Later, the group decided to swim back across the river in hopes of finding the two, and luckily, they succeeded.
Liu Dashao recounted their encounter with the mercenaries and the swarms of white beetles. Everyone shook their heads, indicating they hadn’t encountered them. Jia Zhuangyuan gritted his teeth and said, “That American doctor still hasn’t given up. If I run into that bastard who hypnotized me, I’ll kill him myself.”
Liu Dashao then said, “It seems the reason we escaped the temple without encountering the dire wolves is that the mercenaries ran into them, killing many and thus attracting the white beetles.”
Jia Zhuangyuan agreed, “Exactly. Judging by the number of beetles, they not only killed many dire wolves but also fought with the beetles. However, the mercenaries probably didn’t realize that the more you attack these beetles, the more they multiply, eventually driving them into the dark river.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Jia Zhuangyuan continued, “Dashao, how many mercenaries did you see jumping into the river and surviving? Where did they come from?”
Liu Dashao thought for a moment and said, “It was too dark to see clearly, but judging by the sounds, there were about three or four. They appeared from a protruding part of the cliff wall.” He pointed in the direction they had come from and mentioned the large number of white beetles there.
Jia Zhuangyuan pondered and said, “Dashao, while searching for you, we reached the end of the upstream—a massive underground waterfall, tens of meters high, with no passages or exits. Now, it seems the corner you discovered might be the exit of this underground canyon. You said there are many beetles there, which makes it very dangerous. But we have no choice but to check it out.”
Cai Qingchong frowned and said, “Old Master Jia, perhaps you should check the map again. We’ve confirmed there’s no exit upstream, but maybe it’s downstream? Dashao mentioned there are many beetles there. If you’re not certain, we’d better not take the risk.”
Hearing this, Liu Dashao was reminded of the horrifying scene of Yang Weidong and the mercenary being burned by flames. He quickly added, “Old Master Jia, I agree. If those white beetles don’t leave that spot, we really shouldn’t go there.”
Jia Zhuangyuan sneered, “There’s much knowledge in our line of work that you don’t understand. Ancient underground tombs or structures have many rules. The dark river near an underground structure is called ‘the dragon’ in feng shui and tomb studies—the source is the dragon’s head, the endpoint is the tail, and the middle is the body. Tombs or palaces are only built at the head or body of the dragon, never downstream, to prevent water from flooding and destroying the tombs or structures due to geological changes. Therefore, the possibility of an exit downstream is almost nonexistent. We’ve already searched upstream and found no exit or structure, so the only option is to look in the middle section. The appearance of those Americans might indicate they found the exit but were driven back by the beetles.”
Hearing Jia Zhuangyuan’s analysis, Liu Dashao and the others fell silent.
Jia Zhuangyuan spread his hands and said somewhat resentfully, “I know how terrifying those beetles are. I’m just sharing my conclusion based on years of experience. Whether we go there or not is up to everyone. I know my role—I’m just a consultant.”
Liu Dashao quickly said, “Old Master Jia, please don’t misunderstand. We asked for your help on this mission because you’re an expert and an authority in this field. We’re just asking because we don’t understand. Please don’t take it the wrong way.”
Jia Zhuangyuan snorted and said slowly, “Fine, let me explain. Those white beetles are dynamic creatures. After a thousand years of dormancy, once they awaken, they will fly around searching for targets. They might not stay in one place. As long as we’re careful, keep our eyes and ears open, and use the dark river as protection, the danger is manageable. If we stay alert and cautious, we should be fine. It seems the exit is there, and we have no other choice.”
Liu Dashao then said, “Exactly, Old Master Jia is right. The beetles emit light and make fluttering sounds, so we can detect the danger early. Moreover, if that’s the exit, we have no choice but to go through it. We should continue on our way without delay.”
After running for an unknown distance, Fan Debiao fell again and refused to get up, panting as he said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, I can’t run anymore.”
Liu Dashao, hands on his hips and gasping for breath, looked back into the pitch darkness. The white beetles didn’t seem to be following them, so he also sat down on the ground, nodding breathlessly, “Alright, let’s rest for a while.”
Once both of their breathing had somewhat stabilized, Fan Debiao said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, don’t you find it strange? We’ve run so far, yet we haven’t seen Old Master Jia or the mercenaries who were driven into the river by those insects. It’s quite unusual. Could they have gone downstream?”
Liu Dashao replied confidently, “I saw Old Master Jia and the others heading upstream against the current in the water. They had flashlights, but after I found you and we resurfaced, I lost sight of them.”
At this thought, Liu Dashao began to feel uneasy. Could there have been an underwater passage not far from where they had entered the water? He shared this idea with Fan Debiao, who said anxiously, “Dashao, what if we can’t find Old Master Jia and the others? Should we go back and look for them? I’m a bit scared.”
Liu Dashao tried to reassure him, “Don’t be afraid. We’ll find them. Let’s go back and look for them now.” Both stood up, ready to retrace their steps.
Just then, a sudden splash from the dark river beside them caught their attention, followed by a sharp curse: “Damn these thousand-year-old bugs! They’ve really done me in.”
Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao’s hearts leapt with joy—it was Jia Zhuangyuan’s voice. Then came the sounds of people emerging from the water. Several flashlights turned on, revealing Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao standing on the shore. Everyone was overjoyed. Jia Zhuangyuan shouted in his sharp voice, “You brats! I thought you were right behind us. We couldn’t find you after we got ashore, and we were all worried sick.”
After some discussion, Liu Dashao learned that after swimming upstream for a while, Jia Zhuangyuan and the others had come ashore on the opposite side of the dark river, separated from Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao. Fearing to attract the insects, they hadn’t dared to call out. Later, they decided to swim back across the river in hopes of finding the two, and luckily, they had succeeded.
Liu Dashao recounted their encounter with the mercenaries and the swarms of white beetles. Everyone shook their heads, indicating they hadn’t encountered them. Jia Zhuangyuan gritted his teeth and said, “That American doctor still hasn’t given up. If I run into that bastard who hypnotized me, I’ll kill him myself.”
Liu Dashao then said, “It seems the reason we escaped the temple without encountering the dire wolves is because the mercenaries ran into them, killing many and thus attracting the white beetles.”
Jia Zhuangyuan nodded, “Exactly. Judging by the number of beetles, they not only killed many dire wolves but likely also fought with the beetles. But those mercenaries probably didn’t know that the more you attack these beetles, the more they multiply. In the end, they were driven into the dark river.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Jia Zhuangyuan continued, “Dashao, how many of the mercenaries who jumped into the river survived? And where did they come from?”
Liu Dashao thought for a moment and said, “It was too dark to see exactly how many, but from the sounds of splashing, I’d guess three or four. They appeared from a protruding part of the cliff wall.” He pointed in the direction he and Fan Debiao had come from, mentioning the large number of white beetles there.
Jia Zhuangyuan pondered for a moment and said, “Dashao, while searching for you, we reached the end of the upstream section—a massive underground waterfall, tens of meters high, with no passages or exits. Now, it seems the corner you discovered might be the exit of this underground canyon. You said there are many beetles there, so it’s very dangerous. But we have no choice but to check it out.”
Cai Qingchong frowned and said, “Old Master Jia, perhaps you should check the map again. We’ve confirmed there’s no exit upstream, but maybe it’s downstream? Dashao mentioned that place is swarming with beetles. If you’re not certain, we’d better not take the risk.”
Hearing this, Liu Dashao was reminded of the horrifying sight of Yang Weidong and the mercenary being burned by flames. He quickly added, “Old Master Jia, I agree. If those white beetles haven’t left that spot, we really shouldn’t go there.”
Jia Zhuangyuan sneered, “There’s a lot of knowledge in our line of work that you don’t understand. Ancient underground tombs or structures have many specific rules. This dark river near an underground structure is called a ‘dragon’ in feng shui and burial studies—the source is the dragon’s head, the endpoint is the tail, and the middle section is the ‘dragon’s body.’ Tombs or underground palaces are only built at the head or body of the dragon, never downstream, to prevent water from flooding and destroying the tomb or structure due to geological changes. So, the likelihood of an exit downstream is almost nonexistent. We’ve already searched upstream and found no exit or structure, so the only option is the middle section. The appearance of those Americans might be a clue—they found the exit but were driven back by the beetles.”
Hearing Jia Zhuangyuan’s analysis, Liu Dashao and the others fell silent.
Jia Zhuangyuan spread his hands and said somewhat indignantly, “I know how terrifying those beetles are. I’m just basing this on my years of experience. Whether we go there or not is up to everyone. I know my role—I’m just a consultant.”
Liu Dashao quickly said, “Old Master Jia, please don’t misunderstand. We asked for your help on this mission because you’re an expert and an authority in this field. We’re just asking because we don’t understand. Please don’t take it the wrong way.”
Jia Zhuangyuan snorted and said slowly, “Forget it. Let me explain: those white beetles are dynamic creatures. After a thousand years of dormancy, once they awaken, they’ll fly around searching for targets. They might not stay in one place. As long as we’re careful, keep our eyes and ears open, and use the dark river as protection, the danger is manageable. With early warning and caution, we should be fine. It seems the exit is there, and we have no other choice.”
Liu Dashao chimed in, “Exactly. Old Master Jia is right. Those beetles emit light and make fluttering sounds, so we can detect danger early. And if that is the exit, we have no choice but to go through it. We should get moving now—there’s no time to waste.”
After running an unknown distance, Fan Debiao fell again and refused to get up, panting as he said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, I can’t run anymore.”
Liu Dashao, hands on his hips and gasping for breath, looked back into the pitch darkness. The white beetles didn’t seem to be following, so he also sat down, nodding breathlessly, “Alright, let’s rest.”
Once both had somewhat caught their breath, Fan Debiao said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, don’t you find it strange? We’ve run so far, yet we haven’t seen Old Master Jia or the mercenaries driven into the river by those bugs. It’s quite unusual. Could they have gone downstream?”
Liu Dashao affirmed, “I saw Old Master Jia and the others heading upstream in the water. They had flashlights, but after I found you and we surfaced for air, I lost sight of them.”
At this thought, Liu Dashao began to feel uneasy. Could there be an underwater passage not far from where they entered the water? He shared this idea with Fan Debiao, who anxiously replied, “Dashao, what if we can’t find Old Master Jia? Should we go back and look for them? I’m scared.”
Liu Dashao tried to reassure him, “Don’t be afraid. We’ll find them. Let’s go back now.” They stood up, ready to retrace their steps.
Just then, a splash from the dark river beside them caught their attention, followed by a sharp curse, “Damn these immortal bugs, they’ve really done me in.”
Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao’s hearts leapt with joy—it was Jia Zhuangyuan’s voice. Sounds of people emerging from the water followed, and several flashlights turned on, revealing Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao on the shore. Everyone was delighted. Jia Zhuangyuan shouted in his sharp voice, “You brats, I thought you were right behind us. We couldn’t find you after we got ashore, and we were all worried.”
After some discussion, they learned that Jia Zhuangyuan and the others had swum upstream for a while before coming ashore on the opposite side of the dark river, separated from Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao. Fearing to attract the bugs, they didn’t dare to call out. Later, they decided to swim back across the river in hopes of finding the two, and luckily, they did.
Liu Dashao recounted their encounter with the mercenaries and the white beetles. Everyone shook their heads, indicating they hadn’t seen them. Jia Zhuangyuan gritted his teeth, “That American doctor still hasn’t given up. If I meet that bastard who hypnotized me, I’ll kill him myself.”
Liu Dashao then said, “It seems the reason we escaped the temple without encountering the dire wolves is because the mercenaries ran into them, killing many and attracting the white bugs.”
Jia Zhuangyuan agreed, “Yes, judging by the number of bugs, they not only killed many dire wolves but also fought the bugs. But the mercenaries probably didn’t know that the more you attack these bugs, the more they multiply, eventually driving them into the dark river.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Jia Zhuangyuan continued, “Dashao, how many mercenaries did you see jumping into the river and surviving? Where did they come from?”
Liu Dashao thought for a moment, “It was too dark to see clearly, but judging by the splashes, there were about three or four. They appeared from a protruding part of the cliff.” He pointed roughly in the direction they had come from, mentioning the area where many white beetles had appeared.
Jia Zhuangyuan pondered, “Dashao, while searching for you, we reached the upstream end—a underground waterfall several dozen meters high with no passage or exit. Now, it seems the corner you found might be the exit of this underground canyon. You said there are many beetles there, which is very dangerous. But we must check it out.”
Cai Qingchong frowned, “Old Master Jia, perhaps you should check the map again. The upstream end has no exit, but maybe it’s downstream? Dashao mentioned many beetles there. If you’re not sure, we shouldn’t risk it.”
Hearing this, Liu Dashao was reminded of the horrifying sight of Yang Weidong and the mercenaries being burned by flames. He quickly added, “Old Master Jia, I agree. If those white bugs don’t leave that spot, we really shouldn’t go there.”
Jia Zhuangyuan sneered, “There’s much knowledge in our line of work that you don’t understand. Ancient underground tombs or structures have many rules. The dark river near an underground structure is called ‘the dragon’ in feng shui and tomb studies—the source is the dragon’s head, the endpoint the tail, and the middle section the body. Tombs or palaces are only built at the head or body, never downstream, to prevent water from flooding and destroying them due to geological changes. So, the exit is almost certainly not downstream. We’ve checked upstream and found nothing, so the exit must be in the middle section. The appearance of those Americans might indicate they found the exit but were driven back by the bugs.”
Hearing Jia Zhuangyuan’s analysis, everyone fell silent.
Jia Zhuangyuan spread his hands, somewhat resentfully, “I know how terrifying those bugs are. I’m just analyzing based on my years of experience. Whether to go there or not is up to you. I know my place—just a consultant.”
Liu Dashao quickly said, “Old Master Jia, don’t misunderstand. We asked for your help because you’re an expert and authority in this field. We’re just asking because we don’t understand. Please don’t take offense.”
Jia Zhuangyuan snorted, speaking slowly, “Forget it. Let me explain. Those white bugs are dynamic creatures. After a thousand years of dormancy, once awakened, they’ll fly around seeking targets. They might not stay in one place. If we stay alert, with the dark river as protection, the danger is manageable. The exit is likely there, and we have no other choice.”
Liu Dashao chimed in, “Exactly, Old Master Jia is right. The bugs emit light and make flapping sounds, so we can detect danger early. If that’s the exit, we have no choice but to go through. Let’s not delay; we should continue our journey.”
After running for an unknown distance, Fan Debiao fell again and refused to get up, panting as he said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, I can’t run anymore.”
Liu Dashao, hands on his hips and gasping for breath, looked back into the pitch-black darkness. The white beetles didn’t seem to be following them, so he also plopped down on the ground, nodding breathlessly, “Alright, let’s rest for a while.”
When both of their breathing had somewhat stabilized, Fan Debiao said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, don’t you find it strange? We’ve run so far, yet we haven’t seen Old Master Jia or the mercenaries who were driven into the river by those bugs. It doesn’t make sense. Could they have gone downstream?”
Liu Dashao replied firmly, “I saw Old Master Jia and the others heading upstream in the water. They had flashlights with them, but after I found you and we surfaced for air, I lost sight of them.”
At this thought, Liu Dashao began to feel uneasy. Could there have been an underwater passage not far from where they had entered the water? He shared this idea with Fan Debiao, who said anxiously, “Dashao, what if we can’t find Old Master Jia and the others? Should we go back and look for them? I’m scared.”
Liu Dashao tried to reassure him, “Don’t be afraid. We’ll find them. Let’s go back and look for them now.” The two stood up, ready to retrace their steps.
Just then, a splash from the dark river beside them caught their attention, followed by a sharp, cursing voice: “Damn these immortal bugs! They’ve really done me in!”
Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao’s hearts leapt with joy—it was Jia Zhuangyuan’s voice. Then came the sound of people emerging from the water. Several flashlights turned on, revealing Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao standing on the shore. Everyone was overjoyed. Jia Zhuangyuan shouted in his sharp voice, “You brats! I thought you were right behind us. We couldn’t find you after we got ashore, and we were all worried sick.”
After some discussion, Liu Dashao learned that Jia Zhuangyuan and the others had swum upstream for a while before coming ashore on the opposite side of the dark river. Separated by the river, they had lost sight of each other. Fearing the bugs, they hadn’t dared to call out. Eventually, they decided to re-enter the water and swim across, hoping to find Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao—and they had succeeded.
Liu Dashao recounted their encounter with the mercenaries and the swarms of white beetles. Everyone shook their heads, indicating they hadn’t encountered them. Jia Zhuangyuan gritted his teeth and said, “That American doctor still hasn’t given up. If I run into that bastard who hypnotized me, I’ll kill him myself.”
Liu Dashao then said, “It seems the reason we escaped the temple without encountering the dire wolves is because the mercenaries ran into them, killing many and attracting those white bugs.”
Jia Zhuangyuan nodded, “Exactly. Judging by the number of bugs, they not only killed a lot of dire wolves but also fought the bugs. But those mercenaries probably didn’t know that the more you attack these bugs, the more they multiply. In the end, they were driven into the dark river.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Jia Zhuangyuan continued, “Dashao, how many mercenaries did you see jump into the river and survive? Where did they come from?”
Liu Dashao thought for a moment and said, “It was too dark to see clearly, but judging by the splashes, there were about three or four. They appeared from a protruding part of the cliff wall.” He gestured toward the direction they had come from and mentioned the large number of white beetles there.
Jia Zhuangyuan pondered for a moment and said, “Dashao, while searching for you, we reached the end of the upstream section—a massive underground waterfall, dozens of meters high, with no passages or exits. Now, it seems the corner you discovered might be the exit of this underground canyon. You said there are many beetles there, so it’s dangerous. But we have no choice but to check it out.”
Cai Qingchong frowned and said, “Old Master Jia, perhaps you should check the map again. We’ve confirmed there’s no exit upstream, but maybe it’s downstream? Dashao mentioned a lot of beetles there. If you’re not sure, we shouldn’t take the risk.”
Hearing this, Liu Dashao was reminded of the horrifying sight of Yang Weidong and the mercenary being burned by flames. He quickly added, “Old Master Jia, I agree. If those white beetles don’t leave that spot, we really shouldn’t go there.”
Jia Zhuangyuan sneered, “There’s a lot of knowledge in our line of work that you don’t understand. Ancient underground tombs or structures have many rules. This dark river near an underground structure is called a ‘dragon’ in feng shui and burial studies—the source is the dragon’s head, the endpoint is the tail, and the middle section is the ‘dragon’s body.’ Tombs or palaces are only built at the head or body of the dragon, never downstream, to prevent water from flooding and destroying the burial site or structure due to geological changes. So, the possibility of an exit downstream is almost nonexistent. We’ve already searched upstream and found no exit or structure, so the exit must be in the middle section. The appearance of those Americans might be a clue—they found the exit but were driven back by the swarms of bugs.”
Hearing Jia Zhuangyuan’s analysis, both Liu Dashao and the others fell into silence.
Jia Zhuangyuan spread his hands and said somewhat indignantly, “I know how terrifying those bugs are. I’m just basing this on my years of experience. Whether we go there or not is up to you. I know my role—I’m just a consultant.”
Liu Dashao quickly said, “Old Master Jia, don’t misunderstand. We asked for your help on this mission because you’re an expert and an authority in this field. We’re just asking because we don’t understand. Please don’t take it the wrong way.”
Jia Zhuangyuan snorted and said slowly, “Fine, let me explain. Those white beetles are dynamic creatures. After a thousand years of dormancy, once they wake up, they’ll fly around looking for targets to attack. They might not stay in one place. As long as we’re careful, keep our eyes and ears open, and use the dark river as protection, the danger is manageable. As long as we stay alert and cautious, we should be fine. Now, it seems the exit is likely there, and we have no other choice.”
Liu Dashao chimed in, “Exactly. Old Master Jia is right. Those beetles emit light and make fluttering sounds, so we can detect the danger early. And if that’s the exit, we have no choice but to go through it. We should get moving now.”
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