Zhang Enpu held a compass in his hand and led the way. The group followed the stream for dozens of meters, winding through several ravines, until they discovered that all the water from the dam disappeared into a cave. Since the cave entrance wasn’t very wide, the water had already picked up significant speed by the time it reached there, forming a swirling vortex that occasionally made a deep, gurgling sound—like the gaping mouth of a giant beast devouring its prey.
Zhang Enpu declared that the mystery must lie within this cave, and to eliminate the danger for good, they had no choice but to go inside. Although both Liu Dashao and Tian Guoqiang had grown up swimming in rivers catching fish and shrimp, and were excellent swimmers, they had serious doubts about whether they could safely pass through the vortex. Moreover, the length of the cave was unknown—if it stretched for dozens of meters, they might end up as food for fish and shrimp themselves. Everyone exchanged uneasy glances, lingering near the vortex for a while. Liu Dashao finally steeled himself: going in might not guarantee survival, but staying put certainly meant no hope at all.
The two men returned briefly to retrieve two hunting rifles and two German-made flashlights, wrapping everything tightly in waterproof cloth. When they returned to the cave entrance, Liu Dashao had already tucked his shirt into his pants and placed his dagger within easy reach. Seeing Liu preparing to dive in, Tian quickly got ready too. The two had always been in sync and didn’t need many words. Once ready, they exchanged a glance, counted to three, and with a loud splash, dove into the vortex. Zhang Enpu and Bai Elai followed behind.
They had planned to swim with the current, but the vortex, though not large, had a surprisingly strong suction. As soon as the four jumped in, they were immediately pulled downward before they could even begin to swim. The current was fierce, and in an instant, Liu Dashao and the others were swept far downstream. His chest felt like it was about to burst from the pressure. When the current finally eased slightly, he struggled to surface. Moments later, he broke through the water, gasping for air. Tian Guoqiang and the others surfaced soon after, and the group joyfully embraced and shouted in relief.
The cave entrance appeared small from outside, but inside it was surprisingly spacious. After several meters, the water calmed significantly, and there was at least half a person’s height between the water surface and the cave ceiling.
Drifting along with the current, the four swam effortlessly. Liu Dashao floated on his back, letting the water carry him. Tian alternated between floating and dog-paddling, clearly enjoying himself. He knew in his heart that the end of this underground river should be the exit. As long as they weren’t swept into the Yangtze or Yellow River, they were confident they could survive—after all, they were all capable swimmers.
Suddenly, the sound of rushing water grew louder ahead. Tian glanced forward and shouted in alarm, “Good heavens! What is that?” Liu quickly turned around and saw a thick, bluish creature ahead, its arm-thick tail thrashing violently against the water. Its coiled body stretched for dozens of feet. It had no scales, its skin smooth like blue silk. Its head wasn’t particularly large—only slightly smaller than a large basket—but its mouth bore six thick whiskers, three on each side, and two fist-sized eyes that glowed with a sinister black light, staring directly at the four of them.
Liu Dashao couldn’t help but exclaim, “Damn it! Isn’t that an eel? How can it be this huge? Quick, swim back!” Hearing this, Tian and Bai immediately turned to swim in reverse, but swimming downstream was easy—going back against the current was extremely difficult. Every few strokes they managed were quickly undone by the powerful waves.
As Liu struggled to swim backward, suddenly his ankle tightened—he had been wrapped by the eel’s tail. He had expected the creature to attack, but not so quickly, nor had he anticipated how silently it moved underwater. Before he even noticed, he was ensnared. The eel yanked him backward with force, and Liu’s body was rapidly dragged through the water, creating a splash. Seeing this, Zhang Enpu and Tian immediately turned to chase after him. In his panic, Liu swallowed several mouthfuls of water. Realizing the danger, he quickly drew his knife, preparing for a desperate fight.
Moments later, he was pulled right in front of the eel. Its tail lifted him high into the air, its eyes gleaming with greedy anticipation. Liu tightened his grip on the dagger, straining his waist muscles to keep his head above water. He silently vowed, *Just open your mouth and bite me, and I’ll give you a parting gift.*
The eel shook its basket-sized head and lunged forward, its mouth wide open—though toothless, it clearly intended to swallow him whole. Liu slashed his dagger upward, driving it deep into the eel’s gills. Blood spurted out in a jet. The eel, in pain, released Liu and began thrashing wildly. Liu had intended to strike again, but the eel suddenly flung him into the water. Unprepared, Liu swallowed even more water before resurfacing.
Liu wildly swung his dagger, trying to strike again, but underwater it was impossible to generate much force. Moreover, the eel’s skin was incredibly slippery—each time his blade touched it, it slid off, causing no real damage. Tian swam over, but both guns were wrapped in waterproof cloth, making them impossible to use without ruining them. He could only watch helplessly. Zhang Enpu, however, was skilled with melee weapons. He drew the Celestial Sword and slashed without hesitation. The eel, unaware of the weapon’s sharpness, was cut open by the blade, leaving a ten-centimeter wound. Blood immediately turned the surrounding water red.
Though wounded twice, the eel’s ferocity only intensified. It raised its thick tail and slammed it down toward the group. Underwater, the men’s movements were sluggish, unable to dodge. They had no choice but to take a deep breath and dive underwater. Just as they submerged, the eel’s tail struck the surface with a thunderous crash, sending up water several feet high. Though most of the force was absorbed by the water, the shockwave still left them dazed. The eel continued to thrash violently, and Liu, already dizzy and disoriented, struggled in the murky water, unable to see clearly or breathe. He felt as if his heart was burning with desperation.
Meanwhile, Bai Elai, unable to hold his breath any longer, broke free from Tian’s grasp and shot upward. The moment he surfaced, before he could even inhale, the eel’s tail struck him. He immediately lost consciousness, sinking like a lifeless sack. Tian struggled to catch him, but already near his limit from lack of oxygen, and burdened with Bai’s weight—nearly 170 pounds—he could barely stay afloat. In the chaos, the eel’s tail struck him in the chest, and he involuntarily swallowed several gulps of water—something he had avoided until now due to its filth.
Bai was unconscious, and if he remained underwater any longer, he would drown. Everyone else was also nearing their limits. With no other choice, they focused on one thought: they had to kill this monster. Liu slowly swam over, grabbed Bai by the collar, and kicked hard toward the surface. As soon as he surfaced, he pulled Bai up, but before he could even shout, the eel’s gaping mouth lunged straight at his head—it had been waiting for him to surface.
In desperation, Liu suddenly remembered the large kitchen knife Bai carried. He quickly reached for it. Bai was unconscious, but his grip on the weapon remained firm. Liu tugged twice without success, so he grabbed Bai’s arm along with the knife and swung upward. The blade struck the eel’s neck. The strike landed perfectly—the eel’s head froze mid-air, its open mouth just inches from Liu’s face. Had Liu been even a second slower, he would have been swallowed whole.
The eel’s eyes slowly dimmed. Moments later, a red ring appeared around its neck, followed by a burst of blood. Then, with a loud *plop*, its massive head plunged into the water, gushing blood from its severed neck, drenching Liu’s face and hair. He hadn’t expected the knife to sever the eel’s head so cleanly. Staring at the blood rapidly staining the water, he stood frozen. Close up, Liu could clearly see the eel’s exposed, twitching flesh. His stomach churned violently—he nearly vomited.
He had swallowed a lot of water, been splattered with eel blood, and was exhausted from hunger and fatigue. Until now, he had been sustained only by sheer willpower. Now that the eel was dead, the tension lifted, and Liu suddenly felt dizzy and drowsy, as if he could fall asleep at any moment. But he knew that if he closed his eyes now, he might never see the sun again—or his father, or Ma Xiaoyan.
Liu tightened his grip on Bai, lifting his head above water. He had no strength left to swim. Fortunately, Zhang Enpu and Tian swam over and helped pull the two onto land. Liu felt himself drifting, overwhelmed by exhaustion. He wasn’t sure how far they had drifted, but eventually, they reached a bend in the underground river where there were a few stone steps. Tian, with great effort, pulled them both onto the steps and laid them down. Zhang pounded Bai’s chest hard, his arms feeling like they weighed a thousand jin from exhaustion. After several compressions, Bai coughed and spat out water, slowly opening his eyes.
Liu suddenly noticed the eel’s corpse floating nearby. He weakly called out to Tian, “Qiangzi, go cut off a piece of that eel meat. I’ve got no strength left.” His voice was so weak it startled even himself. Understanding, Tian quickly swam over and cut off a large piece. Liu tried to cut a piece himself but lacked the strength. Tian sliced a piece and handed it to him. Liu ate several slices—its meat was tender and not overly fishy. As he ate, his strength slowly returned, and he could finally cut more for himself. Tian was already devouring another large piece hungrily. Since their escape route was still unknown, and they didn’t know when they’d eat again, Zhang Enpu reluctantly chewed a few bites.
The four quickly finished the first piece of eel meat. Tian swam back for another large piece, but this time, everyone ate less—seeming to find the meat less appetizing now that their stomachs were somewhat full.
Despite not tasting great, Liu forced several more slices down until he couldn’t eat anymore. He leaned back to rest, feeling much better with food in his stomach. His strength slowly returned. After resting for about half an hour, he stood up and stomped his foot. Dust flew everywhere, and everyone quickly covered their mouths and noses. After a while, the dust settled. Looking around, they realized they had entered a secluded chamber. To the left was a dark small door. On the right side of the wall, leaning against the ground, was a skeleton.
Liu was startled. The skeleton’s clothes were tattered, and it wore a Taoist headpiece. Its face had long been eaten away by insects. Scattered nearby were some ancient talismans, yellowed with age. By the light of their torch, they noticed some inscriptions carved into the wall beside the skeleton.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage