Not knowing how far they had run, Fan Debiao finally fell again and refused to get up, gasping to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, I can’t run anymore.”
Liu Dashao, hands on his waist, catching his breath, looked back at the pitch-black darkness. The white beetles seemed not to have followed. He sat down heavily, panting, and nodded, saying, “Okay, let’s rest.”
After both had somewhat caught their breath, Vanderbeek said to Liu Dashao, “Dashao, doesn’t this seem strange? We’ve run so far, yet we haven’t seen Master Jia and the others. Not even a trace of the mercenaries who were driven into the river by those insects. This doesn’t make sense. Could they have all gone downstream?”
Liu Dashao replied confidently, “I saw Master Jia and the others swimming upstream when I was underwater—they were holding flashlights. After I found you and we surfaced to breathe again, we couldn’t see them anymore.”
Suddenly, Liu Dashao also began to feel uneasy. Could there be an underwater passage not far from where he surfaced? He shared this thought with Fan Debiao, who replied nervously, “Dashao, if we can’t find Master Jia and the others, what should we do? Let’s go back and search for them, okay? I’m scared.”
Trying to sound relaxed, Liu Dashao said, “Don’t be afraid. Don’t worry, we’ll find them. Right now, I’ll go back with you.” They stood up, preparing to retrace their steps.
Just then, a sudden “splash” came from the underground river beside them. Then a sharp voice cursed, “Damn it! Those immortal, stinking bugs nearly killed me!”
Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao’s hearts leapt with joy—it was Master Jia’s voice. Soon after, splashing sounds indicated people emerging from the water. Several flashlights turned on, revealing Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao standing by the shore. Everyone was delighted. Master Jia shouted in his high-pitched tone, “You brats! I thought you were following us, but when we came ashore, you were nowhere to be found. You had us all worried sick!”
After some discussion, Liu Dashao learned that after swimming upstream for a while, Master Jia and the others had landed on the opposite bank of the underground river. Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao had unknowingly ended up on the other side, separated by the river, so they couldn’t find each other. Fearing that the insects might be attracted by sound, they dared not shout. Eventually, they decided to re-enter the water and swim across to search for the two. Fortunately, their guess proved correct.
Liu Dashao told them about encountering the mercenaries and the swarm of white beetles. Everyone shook their heads, saying they hadn’t met any such trouble. Master Jia gritted his teeth and growled, “That American doctor still won’t give up! If I meet 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 any terror wolves is because the mercenaries met them first. They killed many wolves, which probably attracted those white insects.”
Master Jia nodded, “Right. Judging by the number of insects, the mercenaries must have not only killed many wolves but also fought with these insects. But they probably didn’t know that these insects multiply the more they’re attacked, eventually forcing the mercenaries into the underground river.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Master Jia continued, “Dashao, did you see how many mercenaries survived and jumped into the river? And where did they come from?”
Liu Dashao thought for a moment and replied, “It was too dark to see clearly, but judging by the sounds of them falling into the water, there were probably about three or four. They appeared near a protruding rock on the cliffside.” As he spoke, Liu Dashao roughly pointed to the location from which he and Fan Debiao had come, adding, “There were a lot of those white beetles there.”
Master Jia pondered for a moment and said, “Dashao, while we were searching for you, we reached the upstream end, which turned out to be a massive underground waterfall over dozens of meters high, with no passage or exit. Judging from what you described, that bend in the river might be the exit of this underground canyon. But since there are so many beetles there, it must be very dangerous. Still, we must go check it out.”
Cai Qingchong frowned and said, “Master Jia, you should double-check the map to confirm. We’ve already confirmed that the upstream end has no exit, but maybe it’s downstream? Since Dashao mentioned that place is full of beetles, unless you’re certain, we’d better avoid the risk.”
Hearing Cai Qingchong’s words, it was clear that the white insects still haunted everyone’s memory. The image of Yang Weidong and the mercenary being burned alive by the flames suddenly flashed in Liu Dashao’s mind. He quickly added, “Master Jia, I agree. Unless those white insects have left that spot, we really can’t risk going there.”
Master Jia sneered and said, “There’s a lot you don’t know about this kind of mission. In ancient underground tombs or structures, there are many rules and principles. Underground rivers near such structures are called ‘dragons’ in geomancy and tomb-building traditions. The source is the dragon’s head, the end is the dragon’s tail, and the middle part is the dragon’s body. Tombs or underground palaces are only built at the dragon’s head or body, never at the tail, to avoid flooding caused by geological changes that might destroy the tomb complex or structures. Therefore, the possibility of an exit downstream is almost zero. Since we’ve already checked upstream and found no exit or structures, the only possibility is somewhere in the middle. The appearance of those Americans might be a clue—perhaps they found the exit but were driven back by the insects.”
After Master Jia’s analysis, Liu Dashao and the others fell silent.
Master Jia spread his hands, somewhat annoyed, and continued, “I know those insects are terrifying, but based on years of experience, I’ve come to this conclusion. Whether we go or not is up to all of you. I know my role here—I’m just an advisor.”
Liu Dashao quickly said, “Master Jia, please don’t misunderstand. We invited you precisely because you’re an expert and authority in this field. We’re asking you because we lack knowledge. Please don’t take offense.”
Master Jia snorted coldly and calmly said, “Fine. Let me explain further. Those white insects are dynamic creatures. After a thousand years of dormancy, once awakened, they’ll fly around looking for targets. They probably won’t stay in one place forever. If we’re careful and stay alert, watching all directions and listening carefully, and with the underground river as our protection, the danger is manageable as long as we detect them early and proceed cautiously. Judging from everything, the exit should be near that location. We have no other choice.”
At this moment, Liu Dashao chimed in appropriately, “Exactly, Master Jia. Those beetles emit light and make a buzzing sound. We can detect them in advance. Besides, if that really is the exit, we have no choice but to go through there. Time is pressing. Let’s move out now.”
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