Gathering his courage, Fan Debiao rushed forward, helped up Liu Dashao, and the two ran back. The ancient corpse and the centipede were locked in fierce combat and paid no attention to them. Liu Dashao was helped to sit by the door when Huang Shitou exclaimed repeatedly, “Master Liu, are you okay?”
Liu Dashao took several deep breaths before finally regaining his composure and immediately began cursing, “Damn it! Why did the light go out… Oh my, you want me dead, don’t you!”
It turned out that Liu Dashao had a plan in mind. He intended to lure the centipede toward the ancient corpse, allowing them to engage each other while he made his escape. He ran toward the ancient corpse, and when he got close enough, he jumped over it. Unfortunately, just at the critical moment, the light suddenly went out. Unable to see, Liu Dashao relied on his previous memory and leapt over the corpse. Upon landing, his legs gave way and he wet his pants in fear. He only heard the sound of the two creatures colliding, unsure of what was happening. When Fan Debiao and the others lit the lamp and the light returned, he looked and couldn’t help but feel a wave of relief. The two creatures had finally been brought together.
Hu Beikang quickly figured out what had happened and immediately flew into a rage, slapping Huang Shitou hard, “Damn it, you couldn’t even keep the lamp lit! Do you know you nearly got Master Liu killed!”
Huang Shitou said unhappily, “It’s not my fault, Brother Biao. Just then, it felt like someone pushed the back of my knee, and I lost balance and accidentally put out the lamp…”
Fan Debiao shouted, “You’re lying with your eyes open!”
Ge Shuanwa stepped forward and said, “It’s true. Someone really pushed me from behind!”
This statement silenced everyone, as Ge Shuanwa’s words were generally trustworthy. Fan Debiao’s mind immediately returned to a troubling thought: “Could there really be ghosts haunting this place?”
Liu Dashao waved his hand and said, “Something’s off. Just now, when I was inside, I heard something tearing off the talisman we had stuck on the box…”
Hu Beikang asked in shock, “What talisman?”
“Waaah… waaah…” Suddenly, the loud cries of a baby echoed, sending chills down their spines. Hu Beikang’s eyes went wide, “That baby’s talisman?”
Liu Dashao nodded bitterly with a wry smile.
Liu Dashao then turned serious and said, “I don’t yet know what’s behind this mischief, but everyone must be careful and watch your own backs from now on!”
Fan Debiao panicked. By the lamplight, he saw one after another infant corpse crawl out of the boxes, waving their little hands and scurrying around on the ground.
“Oh no, Master Liu, what do we do now?”
Liu Dashao shouted, “Everyone retreat to the outer cave!”
The group hurriedly retreated to the secret chamber outside, and Liu Dashao quickly shut the door behind them. Su Yougui suddenly slapped his head, “Ah… why didn’t we come here earlier? If we had just closed the door, nothing could have reached us!” Fan Debiao looked at the nearly rotten door and said, “This door is strange. It’s not as solid as the wooden stakes outside or the planks beyond this place. If this door can’t hold them back, even one of them getting in here would leave us nowhere to run—we’d have no choice but to fight!”
Su Yougui frowned and said, “Then maybe we should’ve never entered this cave at all. Fighting the centipede outside would’ve been better than being stuck here, unable to run or hide!” Everyone’s faces darkened. When people panic, they tend to make foolish mistakes.
As everyone was lost in their own thoughts, Huang Shitou suddenly gritted his teeth and charged back through the door. Everyone cried out in alarm, but then saw him dragging his older brother Huang Peng’s bound body out. Normally weak and thin, Huang Shitou now seemed supernaturally strong. Fan Debiao muttered a curse under his breath, “This little troublemaker, sure knows how to stir things up!” He handed his lamp to Liu Dashao and rushed in to help Huang Shitou drag the body.
Liu Dashao held the lamp and saw an infant corpse crawling close to Huang Shitou’s feet. He was so frightened his hair stood on end and he shouted, “Watch your feet!”
Huang Shitou didn’t let go of his brother’s body but suddenly kicked out. With a “Waaah!” the infant corpse flew like a bundle of rags, kicked toward the entangled centipede and ancient corpse. The kick was both daring and brutal, fast and ruthless. Su Yougui shouted, “Wow, Shitou, that was some kick!”
Huang Shitou and Fan Debiao dragged Huang Peng’s body to the doorway. As Huang Shitou emerged, his face was pale with fear, panting heavily, his wide eyes fixed on the ground. Liu Dashao was both annoyed and amused, “Why risk your life for a… don’t be so reckless! What was that kick all about?”
Huang Shitou patted his chest and said, “I kept hearing Master Liu talk about invoking spirits. I just invoked one!”
Liu Dashao asked in surprise, “Which spirit did you call?”
Huang Shitou replied, “Hung Fei-Hong!”
Liu Dashao said, “That’s a strange spirit—I’ve never heard of him!”
Huang Shitou smiled slightly, “He’s a martial arts spirit from Guangdong!” The others burst into laughter, while Liu Dashao remained puzzled.
Su Yougui shone the lamp inside and shouted joyfully, “Oh my, the three villains are fighting each other!” Everyone looked in and finally felt a sense of relief. The infant corpses had sensed the commotion and were now swarming around the entangled centipede and ancient corpse, their strange worms rising and entangling everything. Once wrapped, they never let go. From a distance, it looked like the ancient corpse was riding the centipede, surrounded by a circle of little minions.
Fan Debiao tore off the urine-soaked cloth covering his face and happily said, “Master Liu, shall we just watch from this Yellow Crane Tower until morning?”
Liu Dashao thought to himself that centipedes prefer darkness, and once daylight came, the centipede outside might hide. If the three inside were busy fighting and ignored them, they might be safe. Just as he was about to speak, Ge Shuanwa suddenly spoke up.
“Do you know why this door is so broken? It’s made of good wood!” Hearing Ge Shuanwa’s words, no one understood. After a night of fear, their minds were a bit sluggish…
Ge Shuanwa looked at everyone, shone the lamp on the door, and said, “Look closely at these holes on the door. Don’t these edges look like claw marks?” Everyone looked closely and felt a chill run down their spines. Around the torn holes on the door were two deep claw marks, clearly made by something’s claws. Su Yougui compared it with his own hand and gasped, “Oh my God, this must be way bigger than my hand!”
That night, they had seen more strange things than in all their previous decades combined. Now, with the possibility of yet another creature among them, everyone felt a chill in their hearts. Liu Dashao listened to the fierce battle inside and suddenly made a decision. He said, “If there really is another big monster here, whether ghost or demon, it’s probably not wise for us to wait here for it to come back!”
Fan Debiao immediately stood up, “Exactly, exactly, Master Liu, give us a plan!” Liu Dashao saw everyone looking at him, coughed, stood up, and said, “Outside, there’s a formidable ancestor waiting for us, and another unknown one who hasn’t returned yet. Inside, they’re currently fighting. If they make peace later, we won’t have a chance!” With those few words, he clearly analyzed the current situation. Everyone listened, their hearts sinking. With five forces at play, none of them were easy to deal with!
Liu Dashao continued, “I think we’d be safer running out. These creatures inside, though their origins are unknown, clearly pose a threat to the people. I suggest we throw in three detonators before we leave, and while they’re fighting, send them all to heaven!” Seeing everyone’s heavy expressions, he tried to lighten the mood with a smile, “This will also give us the determination to burn our bridges. You know, like the historical story of breaking the cooking pots and sinking the boats. Huang Shitou, why are you smiling? Don’t think I’m uneducated—I know the story of Xiang Yu breaking the cooking pots!”
Su Yougui suddenly interjected, “What about that big centipede outside?” The old centipede’s display of spewing poison mist and battling the snake had left a deep psychological scar on him. Liu Dashao’s expression also turned serious. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Everyone should still wrap the urine-soaked clothes around their faces. Once we go out, we’ll scatter and run toward the woods, as fast as possible. Everyone… do your best to survive!” It was clear he had no foolproof plan. Fan Debiao slapped his thigh and said, “Damn it, life and death are in heaven’s hands. I’ll make one thing clear first—if anyone gets attacked by the centipede, they’ll have to accept their fate! Don’t hold others back!”
Huang Shitou whispered, “What about my brother…” But he knew in his heart that now, even the living were barely surviving—how could anyone care for the dead? He turned his brother’s body around, wanting to take one last look. But as he looked, he froze—Huang Peng’s body had shrunk even more in just a short while, and there were now a dozen egg-sized bumps on his stomach.
Huang Shitou could no longer hold back his anger, “Damn centipede! It’s laying eggs inside my brother’s body! I’ll go kill it!” He grabbed a kitchen knife from Hu Beikang’s hand and rushed toward the door. Fan Debiao grabbed him and shouted, “There are many ways to take revenge—don’t throw your life away!”
Su Yougui silently pulled out three detonators with fuses from the bag and laid them on the ground. Liu Dashao patted Huang Shitou’s shoulder and said, “You light the detonators!”
Huang Shitou, tears streaming down his face, took the lighter. As he did, Fan Debiao said, “If we escape, great. But if we don’t…” He picked up another detonator and said, “One for each person. If anyone gets attacked by the centipede, we’ll light a detonator to send both you and the centipede off, so you won’t suffer. I’m making this clear first—if anyone gets attacked, the rest of us must throw it. Damn it, let’s send this old monster to hell!”
The group silently clasped hands, their mouths filled with bitterness. Huang Shitou lit three detonators in a row. As the fuses began to smoke, he threw them inside. Fan Debiao shouted, “We have five minutes—run!”
At this command, Fan Debiao led the way with a miner’s lamp, while Ge Shuanwa and Liu Dashao each carried a lantern. They ran with all their strength toward the exit. Thinking that this might be a final farewell, their hearts felt heavy. The short distance of a dozen meters felt like it took forever.
When they reached the wooden board at the cave entrance, the people without lamps rushed forward to move the stones, while those with lamps illuminated the way. Fearing that the centipede outside might react, they were anxious but moved slowly and carefully, trying not to make any loud noises.
Just as the last of the stones behind the door were about to be cleared, Liu Dashao, holding the lamp, suddenly heard a few “clack” sounds from the wooden board, as if someone were knocking from outside. His heart leapt into his throat. Could the centipede have heard them and blocked the entrance? In an instant, he felt a surge of despair.
The others didn’t notice, and Liu Dashao didn’t dare speak up. He raised the kerosene lamp to shine on the board. The sight made his entire body tremble uncontrollably, shaking the lamp so violently that the light flickered wildly.
Fan Debiao and Ge Shuanwa noticed Liu Dashao’s reaction and asked in unison, “Master Liu, what’s wrong?”
Liu Dashao pointed at the gap on the edge of the board, his face pale and trembling as he stammered, “That… that… the main villain… might be back!”
At these words, all five turned to look at the spot Liu Dashao pointed to. Again they heard the “clack-clack” sounds, and a pitch-black claw extended through the gap. Two sharp toes, each nearly half a foot long, were covered in black hair. Though they couldn’t tell what it was, it was definitely not a human hand.
The five exchanged glances, their hearts turning to ice.
Liu Dashao only froze for a moment before growling in a low voice, “Quickly retreat back! Quick!” The sight of just those two sharp toes was enough to terrify the already frightened group. Who would dare step forward to see what it was? At Liu Dashao’s shout, they all turned and ran back with trembling legs.
As the group ran back into the secret chamber, Fan Debiao shone the light around and saw the centipede, still entangled with the ancient corpse and infant corpses, spinning around in a fight and paying no attention to them. They felt a little relieved.
Fan Debiao looked around anxiously and said, “Quickly find a place to hide. That thing is probably coming in soon—we need to be ready!” Ge Shuanwa seemed to have already thought of it and shouted, “Everyone hide under the altar table—it’s an iron table and very sturdy!”
Liu Dashao saw there was still a large space under the table and realized five people could probably fit. He was delighted and led the group inside. The six of them scrambled and squeezed in. Just as they had hidden, Hu Beikang suddenly sniffed and said, “Why does it smell like gunpowder?”
Liu Dashao heard a hissing sound and saw three sparks flashing with white smoke rising nearby. He was so frightened he shot up with a “Whoosh!” but hit his head on the altar table, nearly knocking himself out. Fan Debiao quickly asked, “Master Liu, what’s wrong?” Liu Dashao inhaled sharply, his temples throbbing, and glared as he roared, “That… that… the three detonators! Detonators!”
Fan Debiao’s mind exploded. He rushed out immediately, and Hu Beikang understood too, his face instantly turning white like jade, his skin pale as paper. The two rushed out, grabbed the detonators, and frantically snipped the fuses. When they brought them back under the table and examined them in the light, the fuses were already down to just ten centimeters.
Huang Shitou mumbled, “Don’t panic, don’t panic… if we panic, we’re done…”
Su Yougui, already soaked in sweat from fear, suddenly felt cold and began shivering. Ge Shuanwa turned around, felt his body, and said, “Not good, his poisoning is still spreading…”
Liu Dashao’s head ached as if it were splitting open. He had no idea what to do in this situation. Just then, there was a “bang” from outside, and the wooden board was finally pulled open. The group looked at each other in confusion, unsure what to do.
Fan Debiao whispered, “Should we turn off the lights?”
Liu Dashao said, “Quickly turn them off. If it comes in, you can turn yours on again. Even if I die, I want to know what killed me!”
Hearing Liu Dashao even mention death, Fan Debiao couldn’t help but feel a deep sense of despair. It looked like this time, danger was inevitable. As the sound drew closer, Fan Debiao hurriedly turned off his miner’s lamp. But as he fumbled with it, suddenly he let out a wail with a sobbing tone, “Oh my God, can this life even be lived anymore?”
Liu Dashao was so anxious that sweat poured from his nose as he asked, “What’s wrong now?”
Fan Debiao whispered angrily, “Damn lamp! It wouldn’t turn on when I needed it, and now I can’t even turn it off!” This only made everyone feel like crying. What rotten luck they had!
They heard a flapping sound. The creature seemed to be dragging its feet, step by slow step, drawing closer. With each step, their hearts grew heavier and more tense. Finally, the creature stopped at the entrance of the dark chamber. With a “creak,” the broken door was pushed open. Fan Debiao trembled as he pointed the miner’s lamp toward the ground. But he couldn’t close it completely, and a little light escaped. By that faint light, they all nearly cried out in shock: “Holy crap, it’s one huge bat!”
They saw a black bat nearly a person’s height, its wings dragging on the ground. Its sharp toes touched the ground, walking with small steps like a human, step by step. Fan Debiao secretly thought, “Good, good, I don’t need to turn off the lamp. I’ve heard bats are blind.” Liu Dashao turned his face and, by the faint light, seemed to have a glimmer of hope. He mouthed the word: “Blind!”
Fan Debiao was delighted and carefully shone the lamp. They saw the bat’s claws holding a half-grown wildcat. Upon entering, it threw the cat aside and slowly walked toward the lit area. As the giant bat approached the light, everyone seemed to hear their own heartbeats. The bat had a pig-like nose and sharp ears, its face covered in wrinkles. Its two round eyes were as big as eggs. Most terrifying of all, it had no mouth—below its nose was a long, thin tube about a foot long, gleaming strangely in the lamplight.
Fan Debiao felt uneasy. If this bat wasn’t blind, they were truly doomed!
The giant bat walked forward, sniffing a few times and letting out a few squeaks. Liu Dashao suddenly realized something—it was the same creature they had seen when they first left the forest! At its call, the centipede immediately quieted down. The ancient corpse and infant corpses fell off the centipede with a “plop-plop.” The strange worms on their bodies turned their heads toward the bat. The bat walked toward the centipede. The centipede, clearly terrified, turned around on the spot and quickly crawled away through a crack in the stone.
The bat didn’t chase. Instead, it walked forward, grabbed the infant corpses one by one, and threw them back into the boxes. Strangely, the infant corpses were now obedient, like babies being put into a cradle by their mothers. The bat then turned its head to look at the ancient corpse, let out a sound, and its tone seemed almost mocking. It stepped forward, grabbed the ancient corpse with its sharp toes, and dragged it to the side of the stone wall.
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