When Ge Shuanwa saw the scattered talismans, he suddenly understood Liu Dashao’s intention and let out a sneaky chuckle. Yet, he remained calm, wrapping the book again in yellow silk, securing it at his waist, tucking his loose clothes in, and tightening his waistband.
Liu Dashao, momentarily confused, asked, “Did you remove the talismans on those infant corpse boxes? Was it also you who extinguished the yellow stone lamp?”
Huang Shitou, hearing this, felt as if struck by thunder. He immediately let go of Liu Dashao and stared at Ge Shuanwa, stunned, asking, “Brother Ge, you… you…” A thousand questions surged in his mind, but he couldn’t find the words to ask.
Meanwhile, Fan Debiao and Hu Beikang had already regained consciousness and, still confused about the situation, heard Liu Dashao accusing Ge Shuanwa. Thinking Liu might have gone mad, they slowly stood up and approached. When they got closer and noticed the talismans near Ge Shuanwa, they finally understood.
Just at this tense moment, Su Yougui, who was sitting on the ground suffering from poison and dizziness, suddenly said, “Where did that snake go? Didn’t we say… say… say we’d roast it and eat it?”
At this, all five couldn’t help but laugh. Liu Dashao quickly suppressed his smile, straightened his face, and solemnly asked, “Ge Shuanwa, I’m asking you now, what exactly do you mean by all this?”
After smiling, Ge Shuanwa’s laughter grew louder, echoing through the valley. Liu Dashao instinctively took a step back. The sheer power in those laughs was something Liu knew he could never match, realizing that Ge must possess extraordinary martial prowess.
Hu Beikang, having barely escaped danger, was now caught in this bizarre scene, his heart filled with mixed emotions. After a long pause, he said, “Ge Shuanwa, maybe you were just scared stiff back then… why not just tell Mr. Liu the truth!”
Fan Debiao, being a cadre, quickly interjected, “Mr. Liu, let’s talk about Ge Shuanwa’s matter back at the base. If there’s anything we can’t say here, we can discuss it later. Let’s not stay here; who knows what else might come out of this place!”
Ge Shuanwa laughed heartily a few more times, then suddenly said, “Mr. Liu, what a fine master you are! Haha!”
Liu Dashao, feeling uneasy, asked, “What exactly are you laughing at?”
Ge Shuanwa suddenly stood up, hands clasped behind his back, lifting his head to gaze at the now partially bright sky. The moment he stood, he seemed completely transformed, exuding grace and ease in every movement, no longer the quiet, reserved Ge Shuanwa they had known.
Ge said, “Drawing talismans on newspapers, chanting to pacify wandering souls—what a true descendant of Zhang Tian师! What a complete collection of Zhengyi talismans! A mere novice Taoist managed to escape unharmed from this demon-infested place, leading a group without losing a single person. I, Xuan Zhenzi from Zhongnan Mountain, am truly impressed! Haha! If it had been me, facing so many dangers alone, I might not have made it out alive!”
Liu Dashao was surprised and asked, “You’re from Zhongnan Mountain? Are you also a practitioner?”
Ge Shuanwa sneered, “You dare call yourself a practitioner? I admire your luck, not your cultivation skills!”
Fan Debiao stared in disbelief at their conversation, “Ge Shuanwa, back in Wuhan you didn’t say you were…”
Ge interrupted, “I carry the heavy responsibility of my sect. In recent years, practitioners have either been persecuted or lived in unrest, so I had to hide my identity and mingle with you fools. Even today, had Mr. Liu not seen through me, I would have left soon anyway!”
Liu Dashao asked, “What book is that? Did you find it in that cave?” Ge Shuanwa smiled, confirming it silently.
Enraged, Liu Dashao’s body trembled, “So when I was about to enter, was it you who extinguished the lamp yourself?”
Ge Shuanwa looked proud, “Exactly! I had just found the book and hadn’t had time to hide it when you were about to come in. I had no choice but to blow out the lamp and let out a ghostly scream. Haha… You truly cared for me! I appreciate your kindness!”
Hu Beikang suddenly realized, “No wonder you didn’t undo your belt or take off your clothes—so you were hiding something on your body!”
Ge simply smiled, ignoring him, as if unwilling to speak with such commoners. Fan Debiao angrily asked, “So it was also you who deliberately splattered Yougui’s blood onto the ancient corpse?”
Liu Dashao’s mind suddenly lit up, “So you know about those insects, don’t you? Don’t you!”
Ge Shuanwa nodded with a smile.
Liu Dashao took a deep breath and said, “I failed to recognize your identity as a master; my eyes were truly blind. I just want to ask you one thing: did you know about this cave beforehand? Was all of this planned by you?”
Ge replied, “I did know about the corpse in this cave, but this particular cave was just a coincidence. Saying I orchestrated all this is giving me too much credit! Fan Debiao, actually, I should thank you! If you hadn’t invited me to join the team, I might still be blasting rocks at the construction site. As the saying goes, there’s no story without coincidence. This time I spared you all as a return favor, but if we meet again, your fate will depend entirely on my mood!”
Fan Debiao roared in anger, grabbed a nearby stone, and charged at Ge Shuanwa, wanting to smash him. Liu Dashao shouted in alarm, “No, Team Leader Fan!”
But Ge Shuanwa remained indifferent. As Fan approached, Ge extended a finger and lightly touched Fan’s shoulder. Fan immediately felt half his body go numb and collapsed to the ground, his eyes filled with rage.
Ge Shuanwa elegantly clasped his hands behind his back and said proudly, “I’ve already said that your group contributed to my obtaining this book, so I won’t harm you today. But if you insist on causing trouble for yourselves, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”
After saying this, he swept his gaze like lightning over everyone present. Except for Liu Dashao, all instinctively took a step back. Liu Dashao bowed respectfully, “Then I must sincerely thank you for sparing us.”
Ge Shuanwa replied, “You’re welcome, you’re welcome!”
By now, the sky had begun to brighten, and dawn was near. Liu Dashao smiled faintly, “I suppose daybreak will mark our parting.”
Ge Shuanwa nodded, “Indeed. You’re quite interesting, but unfortunately, the Zhengyi Sect and the Quanzhen Sect are like fire and water, irreconcilable. Otherwise, I might have considered taking you as a disciple. Now, your dead master got lucky!”
Liu Dashao was momentarily stunned but quickly realized that this man must be a Quanzhen Sect practitioner from the Northern Taoist School. Keeping his expression neutral, he asked, “One last question: what kind of book is it?” Just then, a breeze suddenly blew through the valley, making Ge’s hair and clothes flutter, giving him the appearance of a celestial being.
Ge Shuanwa, after a moment’s thought, turned around and said, “Throughout history, no one has not sought it. In the universe, all things are filled with sorrow. Let me ask you, is there anyone in the world who does not die? Is there anything that does not decay?”
Liu Dashao replied, “The cycle of youth and old age is the law of nature. I think there is none!”
Ge Shuanwa burst into laughter, “No one is immortal, but rebirth is possible. This book is called the ‘Taiping Jing,’ created by Zhang Jiao of the Yellow Turban Rebellion! Haha!” With this, Ge Shuanwa strode away, and within moments, his figure vanished over the hill.
As soon as he left, Liu Dashao suddenly cried out, “Oh!” and plopped down on the ground. Huang Shitou quickly rushed over to support him, asking, “Mr. Liu, are you alright?”
Liu Dashao gave a bitter smile, “This guy is so formidable! Just one look from him, and I felt weak all over. Fan Debiao, you actually knew someone like this? Impressive!”
Fan Debiao’s numbness gradually subsided, and he sat up angrily, “Damn it, I don’t know this kind of person at all!” Then he added, “Hey, could this guy be a spy from Taiwan? Is he here to sabotage our tunnel project?”
Liu Dashao chuckled bitterly. Fan had barely escaped the ghost’s lair, yet he was already thinking about class struggle again!
Hu Beikang asked, “Mr. Liu, is this guy even tougher than you?”
Liu Dashao angrily replied, “Where am I tough? But if this guy had really gotten angry today, he could have quietly wiped us all out without a trace!”
Huang Shitou exclaimed, “Oh!” and pointed at the spot where Ge Shuanwa had stood moments ago, revealing two dark bloodstains on the ground.
Liu Dashao immediately slapped his thigh, “Damn it! He talked so beautifully, like a god, but he was just pretending! He must have been injured and couldn’t kill us all, so he just scared us off and ran!”
Fan Debiao raised his cleaver, “Damn it, I’m going to chase him down! How dare he scare me!”
Liu Dashao smiled bitterly, “Judging from his presence, even injured, he’s still far beyond your match, Team Leader Fan!”
Just then, Su Yougui groaned from the ground, muttering, “Ah… that… the snake still isn’t roasted yet?” At this, everyone suddenly remembered this sick man and quickly rushed over to check on him. In the morning light, they could now clearly see that his hand was swollen like a steamed bun.
Huang Shitou was horrified, “If even a small centipede could be this poisonous, if it had been a big centipede, we’d probably all be dead!”
Suddenly, Liu Dashao remembered something and exclaimed, “Oh no, your brother’s stomach…”
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