Iron Bull taucht wieder auf

Kapitel 231

The tiger calmed down, and the deeper he went into the cave, the more subdued his emotions became, as he repeatedly checked his pistol and bullets.

I laughed: "Those things are in the past. There's no need for us to apologize."

Perhaps, after I manage to extricate myself from this matter unscathed, I will force him to retrieve the scriptures in order to obtain the information I desire. But for now, all my attention should be focused on the important matter of searching for Suren.

"What else is in the book? What is the legendary Heavenly Ladder? Is it a real ladder?" Gu Qingcheng asked casually with a smile.

She shone her flashlight across the ground and the rock wall to her left. Under the light, all she could see were smooth, clean rock walls, as if they had been sliced by a sharp blade. Undoubtedly, carving a tunnel deep in the mountains is not difficult, but the inner walls of any tunnel on Earth could not be made so smooth, because doing so would be utterly pointless.

"Those graphics and words are only understandable if you look closely. I can't answer them, so I can only memorize them and force the route forward into my mind. Now, please turn on the searchlight on the roof. We will soon enter the core of the five-pointed star."

Tiger's answer was concise and sincere, without any trace of deliberately concealing anything, but it still made Gu Qingcheng frown slightly and flick her nails unhappily.

"Uncle Wei, turn on the headlights; Kaku, stay alert." I gave the orders methodically.

Kaku is currently in a normal mental state. As long as he is not suffering from epilepsy, he will be an undisputed sharpshooter, capable of killing any living creature in an instant. At this moment, he rests the gun barrel against his left elbow, his right hand firmly gripping the gun, his index finger resting next to the trigger, his eyelids half-closed, looking completely at ease.

What might be lurking in the darkness? Will the masked man who launched the hidden weapon reappear? These two questions haunted me like seaweed in a whirlpool.

The searchlight on the roof of the vehicle turned on, illuminating the huge open space in the direction they were heading.

"It's like an empty parking lot, but there isn't even a single pillar. The whole roof is suspended in mid-air. It's really strange—" Red Devil muttered, pressing his face close to the window and looking out curiously.

The ceiling of this space was also smooth, with the exposed rock gleaming with a chilling light. In such a vast and high open space, our group of people and the four jeeps were incredibly small, like a few ants in the palace of the ancient Greek giants.

"Hey, what kind of force could create such a magical underground space? I have to go down and take a look, and maybe take some pictures to remember it by!"

Red Devil pushed open the car door, but Tiger grabbed him and shoved him hard into the seat: "Little guy, this isn't Disney theme park. If you want to live, stay in the car."

He pointed to the right front: "Wind, the right path is right there."

Uncle Wei turned the steering wheel, and the spotlight beam deflected thirty degrees, pointing at a tall, black stone wall.

I nodded calmly: "Okay, let's go."

The car continued to move forward at a low speed in a constant gear, heading towards the stone wall.

“The wind, something is really strange. We can’t hear the wind. According to common sense, the north wind at this time of year should be at least level three or higher. It should be howling loudly as it blows through such a long tunnel. Do these stone walls have a good sound-absorbing effect? It’s really puzzling.”

While speaking, Gu Qingcheng never stopped observing the ground.

The tunnel was indeed very quiet; the engine noise didn't make a significant impact, and all around was just desolate darkness, devoid of any life.

I shifted my body and realized that my back, which was in contact with the seat, and the area beneath me were soaked with cold sweat. I have to admit that I was extremely nervous, feeling as if the car was walking on thin ice, and that it might break through the ice and plunge into the deep sea at any moment.

"Wind—" Gu Qingcheng whispered, her left hand groping for my right, then suddenly gripping it tightly, as if a drowning person had suddenly grasped a lifeline. Her hands were also sweaty, and our clasped hands looked like two fish intertwined, struggling against fear together.

"What was found on the ground?" My throat was a little dry. That smooth, mirror-like feeling could only be seen on a river surface in winter or on an artificial ice rink. It couldn't give me the sense of security of having my feet firmly on the ground.

"No, but I think it would be far too difficult for humanity to expand such a space on its own," Gu Qingcheng sighed softly. We all witnessed Sun Gui being sucked underground by a mysterious liquid, and through that bluish liquid, I saw an unimaginable underground city.

Right now, perhaps what we're crushing under our wheels is the sky of that mysterious world. At any moment, the sky could tear apart, and we, like Sun Gui, could fall in, either to live or die, or suffer a fate worse than death.

Gu Qingcheng turned around, her black gem-like eyes shining brightly.

"What are you thinking about, Feng?" she asked, her pearly white teeth suddenly flashing.

I pointed to the stone wall under the beam of light: "Look over there, those sharp, knife-like stone walls, don't they look like treacherous icebergs in the ocean, just waiting for a lost ship to crash into them and split them in two?"

Red Devil immediately chimed in: "No, no, icebergs are white. Where in the world can you find a black iceberg? I'd rather compare it to raw coal buried deep underground, only to be embellished by busybodies to create a mystery."

The tiger sneered, "Coal? How could you even think of that? Such a shallow coal seam has no conditions to form. The world is full of wonders, and to use known knowledge to explain the unknown is to make a fundamental mistake before you even open your mouth."

Red Imp retorted, "You're so knowledgeable, you know everything, but you just keep quiet about it. Aren't you deliberately leading us into a maze? Besides the path we came from, there are four other paths leading out of this pentagram formation. Who can prove that the route you pointed out is correct? If you ask me, we should take the first entrance on the right, or explore one entrance at a time, instead of letting you dictate. Feng, Miss Gu, Grandpa, what do you say?"

Just to the right of the car at a 45-degree angle, there was an entrance that was exactly the same way we had come from—tall, silent, and pitch black.

Gu Qingcheng gripped my hand tightly once more, her eyes filled with unspeakable fear.

This was the first time I had ever seen her with such an expression. I couldn't help but reach out my right hand, put my arm around her shoulder, and whisper to comfort her, "It's okay, don't worry."

Her head rested on my shoulder, her body trembling slightly: "I feel a powerful suction over there, as if a monster is guarding inside, ready to swallow the car at any moment."

Darkness always instills in people a nameless fear. Even someone as calm and wise as her finally began to break down in this boundless, pitch-black world.

"What's over there? Is there any hint in the scriptures?" The little red devil was still grinning, casually stepping on the submachine gun that had been given to him when he left the camp.

The tiger sneered: "In the five-pointed star array, there is only one correct path. The other path is naturally the wrong one."

"What's at the fork in the road? A dead end? Or a trap?" Little Red Devil continued to press, determined to get to the bottom of it.

I also wanted to know the answer to the question, but I had a feeling that the tiger didn't know the answer; his limited knowledge of the tunnel came from Tang Xin.

Sure enough, he shook his head in confusion: "I don't know." Then, annoyed, he continued, "Since there's a right path, why should we care what's on the side paths? We should just keep going, right?"

Uncle Wei, who had remained silent, coldly replied, "Yes, we can follow your guidance and move forward, no matter how many forks in the road there are, but what can you use to guarantee that this road is the right one? And the only right one?"

This question stumped everyone. Gu Qingcheng hummed in agreement and exclaimed with sudden realization, "Right? Everyone knows that going straight ahead will lead to the Heavenly Ladder. Can't we reflect on this? Is the only goal of entering the tunnel the Heavenly Ladder? Could there be another path that leads to another place, which is the ending we truly desire?"

The tiger paused for a moment, then immediately objected vehemently: "If we don't go there, where else can we go?"

Uncle Wei sneered, "Go where we're going."

He stuck his right arm out of the car window and gestured to the back, and a car that was following us quickly caught up.

"You, stay alert and check the right passage. Report back to me every three minutes." Uncle Wei's order was perfectly reasonable; it was to clear away any doubts in the path forward, lest we be cut off from our retreat by some unknown enemy.

The vehicle carried six team members with submachine guns strapped to their chests. In the back compartment behind them, a rapid-fire machine gun, about half a person's height, was securely fixed, its gleaming yellow bullet belt swaying gently, exuding an invincible and arrogant killing intent. They activated their turn signals, slowly turned right, and drove into the passageway.

Looking through the beam of the searchlight on the roof of the car, all you could see was endless darkness.

“You may have made a serious mistake. I told you, it was a wrong turn. There was no need to gamble with six lives. We have no chance of winning by speculation.” The tiger became increasingly sullen.

Uncle Wei did not refute, but reached out and took the walkie-talkie from the side of the control panel.

I turned to the tiger: "Tiger, now is not the time for forming cliques and arguing. Nobody wants to watch their companion die, right? What else do you know? Why don't you tell us?"

If Tang Xin hadn't appeared, Tiger would never have become the hesitant, timid, and clueless person he is now, devoid of any independent thought. My suspicion that he's been poisoned by the "Emperor's Gu" has now risen to 80%. A person poisoned by the Gu has their mind controlled by another, and their reaction speed will definitely be greatly reduced.

“Wind, I told you, I only know one correct path that can pass through that crevice and reach the Heavenly Ladder—” The tiger shrugged, looking aggrieved, his brows furrowed.

Part 5: The Blade of Distance

— Chapter 3 - Flying Serpent in the White Light —

"You forgot one thing. If you go any further, you'll encounter flying snakes, lots and lots of them." Gu Qingcheng joined in the verbal attack. No one could ignore the crucial element of terror: "flying snakes." The power of bullets was always extremely limited in the face of a swarm of snakes. Even a single oversight could result in the loss of a dozen or so lives.

Tiger scratched his head and gave me a strange smile: "I'm sorry, you might not believe what I'm about to say, but there were no snakes ahead. Not even flying snakes, not even the most common snakes along the Sichuan-Tibet border, such as the five-step snake, bamboo viper, grasshopper, and snow moss. Xiaoxin and I walked all the way to the edge of the cliff directly opposite the round stone house, and we didn't see a single snake the whole time."

Uncle Wei turned around in astonishment, staring intently at the tiger's face: "Are you kidding me?"

The walkie-talkie crackled to life: "Uncle Wei, everything is normal up ahead. The passage is narrowing on both sides, just like we saw when we arrived."

Uncle Wei pressed the switch and instructed, word by word, "Watch the ground carefully. If there is any sign of a stone pillar rising, retreat at full speed immediately."

Our car continued to move slowly, and we had now arrived in front of the stone wall.

"I'm not joking, nor am I in the mood for that. However, I now swear in the name of the 'Tiger God' that everything Xiang Feng has said is true. If there is any falsehood or concealment, I am willing to endure the most severe torture of having my bones crushed and my marrow sucked out." The tiger solemnly swore, his right paw held across his chest.

The "God of the Fierce Tiger" was the totem worshipped by his clan, and this oath was extremely serious.

Uncle Wei, a seasoned veteran who had traveled far and wide, immediately slapped his forehead hard: "My friend, you flatter me. I was just offering my opinion for discussion. With your status, why the need for oaths and vows? We will certainly believe you."

Tiger turned his face away from the car, ignoring Uncle Wei's soft words.

"No snakes? How is that possible?" I was confused for only a few seconds before I immediately thought, "Could it be that Tang Xin is covered in venomous insects, and the various toxins make the snakes in the tunnel stay far away and dare not show themselves?"

This was probably the only plausible answer. Gu Qingcheng gently traced the words "Poisonous Person Tang Xin" with her little finger in my palm a few times, and our thoughts overlapped once again.

Among the known masters of poison in the Chinese martial arts world, none can compare to the Tang Clan of Sichuan. Tang Clan disciples grow up surrounded by poisonous insects and drugs, and their bodies have absorbed enough toxins to cause ordinary snakes and insects to obediently lie low and flee when they encounter them, never daring to rush out and attack.

Tang Xin is a master who has practiced the "Hundred Deaths Divine Skill," so she is probably immune to all poisons.

Gu Qingcheng gave a bitter laugh and lowered her voice: "The only answer?"

I nodded; there was no more reasonable explanation. Unfortunately, our team doesn't have someone like Tang Xin, capable of calmly repelling the venomous snakes. Therefore, a fierce battle between humans and snakes is yet to come.

"Uncle Wei, we've reached the end of the passage. Here's a funnel-shaped opening, only three meters high and wide. The passage over there is still pitch black. What should we do? Should we continue forward?" The voice on the walkie-talkie sounded a bit anxious. Their car was going way too fast; they had reached the edge of one of the five-pointed stars in just a few minutes.

Without hesitation, Uncle Wei ordered: "Continue forward, and report back as needed."

I think he underestimated the enemy a bit too much. After all, with limited manpower, he should have concentrated his forces more closely and acted as a group, instead of spreading them out meaninglessly.

Once the car reaches the stone wall, a few meters further ahead, it will enter the third point of the five-pointed star, which is the correct route the tiger mentioned.

"Hehe—" Red Devil laughed loudly, taking advantage of the tiger's lethargy and inability to control him, he nimbly slid out of the car window, did a forward roll and jumped up, went around the car and walked towards the stone wall.

"Feng, I'll pry up some raw coal as a souvenir, don't worry." He held a golden dagger in his hand, which kept flashing with brilliant golden light, and playfully made a face at us in the car. At this moment, he was standing against a huge dark background, from top to bottom, from left to right, everything was pitch black.

Gu Qingcheng gasped sharply, "Feng, I have a bad feeling, quick, quick, call him back—"

I reacted as quickly as possible, leaning forward and grabbing the steering wheel, turning it half a turn clockwise. As the front wheels turned, all the beams of light immediately shot towards the little red goblin and the stone wall. Light can dispel darkness and, more importantly, eliminate the fear in people's hearts, just as Prometheus's fire in mythology brought the world back to life.

"Little guy, don't touch those things! Come back here!" Uncle Wei shouted anxiously, half his body leaning out of the car window.

The golden light reflected from the short sword made Gu Qingcheng squint her eyes for a moment, and she murmured with a bitter smile, "What a fine sword."

The little devil got out of the car, drew his knife, and spoke—all within a minute. Just as he was grinning and gesturing as he swung the knife at the stone wall, a heart-wrenching scream suddenly came through the walkie-talkie: "God, what is that—!"

Uncle Wei was stunned for a moment, then turned around involuntarily and looked at me as if pleading for help, his hand holding the walkie-talkie trembling slightly.

"Help us, help us—" A hissing sound drowned out the team member's cries.

"That's the sound of countless venomous snakes writhing and flicking their tongues, isn't it?" Tiger's pupils contracted as he leaned forward, gazing down the path where the jeep had disappeared. As a seasoned expert in wilderness exploration, his judgment was absolutely correct.

"Drive! Chase that car!" I snapped out of my daze within three seconds and gave the order to the driver.

The driver remained motionless, curled up in his seat, his hands off the steering wheel, shaking his head violently: "I'm not going. What's in that cave? What did they encounter? I don't want to die, I'm not going."

These words probably represent the sentiments of all mercenaries.

Uncle Wei waved and ordered the third car to catch up: "Go after that car and see if there's still any chance of saving them?"

No one obeyed the orders. The six men in the car sat quietly, clutching their submachine guns tighter and tighter, ignoring Uncle Wei's words.

The hissing sound from the walkie-talkie grew louder and louder, but no more human voices were heard, nor were any gunshots.

Uncle Wei's face turned ashen, and he angrily drew his gun: "Are you all deaf? Go now, or I'll shoot you one by one."

Still no one moved. The six people seemed to be deaf, staring blankly ahead.

"Forget it, Uncle Wei, I'll go." I didn't want any more infighting within the team when a crisis came, which would put the expedition on hold.

Gu Qingcheng opened the car door for me and gently patted my forearm: "Feng, good luck!" But she didn't seem to intend to come with me.

I got into the third car. All the team members had already automatically fled, except for a plastic Mickey Mouse keychain hanging from the car key, which was swaying incessantly. Everyone was watching me, but without exception, they were all in a position to run away at any moment, afraid of getting into trouble.

"Hey, Feng, I'll go with you. We might as well die together." Red Imp strode over and stood in the beam of light in front of the car, holding the golden dagger in his hand. With his frail body, it seemed he wouldn't be of much help if he rashly went along, but his fearless arrogance surpassed that of Uncle Wei, who possessed great martial arts skills.