Buddhist Pagoda Ghost Tomb

Chapter 17

"What would happen if there were no antidote?" Miller asked after a moment of silence.

Yin Li remained silent for a long time before Situ Xiang finally spoke: "Perhaps... just like Zheng Hao and that archaeologist surnamed Chen from a hundred years ago."

Everyone's expression changed slightly. So, Miller only had a few months left to live.

Miller laughed in despair: "It seems that whether I search for the antidote or not, I will die."

“Not necessarily.” Min Eun-joon said coldly, “The legend of the Manjusaka flower is just a legend. The red mandala, also known as the red spider lily, is said to be a flower that grows on the road to the underworld. Its fragrance has magic and can awaken memories of past lives. But what happened? My family grows red spider lilies, and I haven’t regained my memories of past lives.”

“You may not believe it.” Yin Li gave him a cold look, “but I have to remind you that we are now standing in the midst of legend, and the Devil City of Saka is nothing but a legend.”

Min Eun-joon frowned slightly, a strange smile playing on his lips: "Even if there's only a one in ten thousand chance, we have to try. The Ghost Butterflies flew out of this cave, so the cave must be connected to a field of 'Svaha's Wandering Flowers.' Miller, I'll go with you to find that legendary flower."

Miller smiled gratefully: "Mr. Min, no need, I'll go myself..."

"Enough with the nonsense." Min Eun-joon picked up a stone and threw it into the hole, making a crisp rolling sound. "There's a passage inside."

Yin Li and Situ Xiang exchanged a glance. This Min Enjun was clearly not the kind of person who would risk his life for his subordinates. It seemed that the item in the cemetery was indeed very attractive.

"Since you gentlemen are not afraid of death, we will not keep you company." Yin Li turned around and walked towards the car, but heard the sound of leaves rustling. She was stunned and saw several small figures standing in the woods in the distance. They seemed very scared and dared not approach the strange cave.

She suddenly remembered that in the hallucination she had just experienced, the red clouds she saw were rising from the poplar forest. Could it be that the cave...?

She turned around abruptly, gazing into the depths of the cave. Could that cave be connected to the Kingdom of Mano?

That's impossible. Logically speaking, the ruins of Mano Kingdom are two days away from here. If the hole under the tree is really a tunnel, then who built it? Did the Western Regions have such capabilities more than 2,500 years ago?

"Xiao Li," Situ Xiang put his arm around her shoulder, "they're waiting for us outside."

"Situ, it seems we have no choice but to go into the cave." Yin Li sighed and returned to the tree. Marcie and Hughes had already prepared torches. After taking the medicine box and food, the question of who would go down into the cave first became a new problem.

Situ Xiang took the torch from Ma Xie and jumped down. It wasn't deep inside, only about one and a half meters high. A dark passage lay before him. He held up the torch and looked at the four walls, which were built of rammed earth, with traces of human excavation everywhere.

"It's a miracle," he exclaimed, then said to those outside the cave, "There's no danger."

He reached out and lifted Yin Li down, then led the group deeper into the tunnel. Although it was just ordinary rammed earth, the design was still very ingenious. The group walked for a long time without seeing the end. Qin Wen shook her head and sighed, wondering how the people of the Western Regions more than two thousand years ago had completed such a massive project.

Caesar glanced at his watch and said, "It should be dawn now. This road doesn't look like it can be traversed in a short time. Let's rest for a bit and replenish our strength."

"Agreed!" Qin Wen immediately chimed in, her stomach already growling loudly.

Hughes glanced at her unhappily and muttered to himself, "Women are such a hassle."

“If you don’t want to rest, you can leave first.” Qin Wen sat down cross-legged by the roadside, took the apple Yin Li gave her and took a bite, looking arrogant. Hughes suppressed his anger and glared at her fiercely. She threw a provocative look at him. Yin Li leaned over and whispered, “Xiao Li, you should be more humble. I wanted to punch you for that expression you had just made.”

"Mind your own business." Qin Wen finished eating the apple and tossed it aside. Yin Li shook her head, feeling a headache coming on. She really wanted to make it clear that she didn't know Qin Wen.

Marshall unbuttoned his shirt, revealing a red line that extended to his navel. He cursed and said, "Does anyone have a cigarette?"

“No smoking here.” Min Enjun took a sip of water and said. Ma Xie, his face full of anger, said fiercely, “I’m about to die, and you won’t even let me have a cigarette!” Before he could finish speaking, a pack of Zhonghua cigarettes was thrown at his feet. He looked at Situ Xiang and smiled, “Thanks.”

"You smoke?" Yin Li said with displeasure; she hated the smell of smoke. Situ Xiang smiled and said, "No, those cigarettes were left in the car by my boss."

It's alright, it's alright.

Qin Wen suddenly made a "ee" sound. Yin Li was about to pretend she didn't hear it when Qin Wen grabbed her clothes: "Xiao Li, look, it's so strange."

Yin Li had another headache. "Can't you just take a break for a while?"

"The apple core I just threw there is gone."

"It's just an apple core, is it that important?" Before Yin Li could finish speaking, she felt something wriggling under her feet. Situ Xiang was shocked and shouted, "Xiao Li, don't move!"

Gunshots rang out. She looked down and saw a thick, white tentacle severed at her feet, with thick, green blood spreading out. A strange smell filled the air; it wasn't foul at all, but rather a faint fragrance.

"Xiao Li, look at the wall!" Qin Wen exclaimed. Yin Li looked up and saw three or four tentacles sticking out of the wall, like octopus legs, dancing wildly in the air. One of them lashed out at the two girls. Qin Wen grabbed her friend and lunged towards the corner of the wall. The tentacles missed, spun in the air, and then struck at them again.

Gunshots rang out again, tentacles exploded, and green liquid splattered all over the two girls' heads and faces. A fragrance filled Yin Li's nostrils; she was somewhat dazed, as if she had smelled this scent somewhere before.

"What are you all standing there for?" Caesar roared. "Run!"

Qin Wen gritted her teeth, grabbed Yin Li, and leaped out of the encirclement of tentacles. Situ Xiang and Caesar immediately blocked their way, smashing several tentacles, but another kept emerging. Miller was already delirious from the fever; Hughes and Marcey supported him, shouting, "Run!"

The group retreated deeper into the cave, running for an unknown amount of time, but the long tentacles didn't seem to be catching up. Finally, exhausted, Yin Li collapsed to the ground, her face deathly pale, her clothes soaked with cold sweat. Situ Xiang caught her, asking with concern, "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"The wound on my calf has reopened." Yin Li rolled up her trouser leg, revealing blood dripping from beneath the white bandage. Situ Xiang felt a pang of pain in his heart. "Don't move, let me bandage it for you."

"Don't waste time." Hughes glared at Yin Li with disgust. "It's still dangerous. Let's talk about it once we're out of the cave!"

Situ Xiang seemed not to hear her and quickly applied medicine and bandaged her wounds. Qin Wen's ears twitched: "I think I heard something."

Everyone was startled. Listening carefully, it sounded like a flowing river, the gurgling sound vibrating in everyone's ears.

"Could there be an underground river outside the tunnel?" Hughes asked.

"No matter what, let's leave first." Ma Xie looked at Situ Xiang, "Are you done yet?"

His leg injury had been bandaged, and Situ Xiang carried Yin Li on his back. Yin Li nestled against his back and smelled that familiar scent again. Half a month ago, when he draped his coat over her, that thick coat had this same fragrance, like the scent of flowers, which made her feel warm.

“Situ, I’m quite heavy,” Yin Li whispered in his ear. Situ smiled and said, “You should lose weight.”

Yin Li pouted; those words really didn't sit well with her.

“But I like it,” Situ Xiang added softly. Yin Li didn’t hear him clearly and asked in surprise, “What did you say?”

Situ Xiang gave an innocent look: "I didn't say anything."

"Wait a minute!" Marcie, who was walking at the back, suddenly shouted. Everyone turned around. He was supporting Miller, and his face looked rather grim. "Hughes is missing."

"Help me..." A weak voice came from not far behind him. Situ Xiang quickly grabbed a torch and rushed over. Hughes was kneeling on the ground, his hands clutching his own neck. When everyone saw what he looked like, they all involuntarily took a step back, their faces turning deathly pale.

He was covered in blood, his face was completely submerged in blood, and his Uyghur clothing was stained crimson. Masha tried to rush over, but suddenly shouted, "Don't come any closer!"

"Hughes! You're injured!" Matthew exclaimed anxiously.

"Don'e any closer...or you'll..." He struggled a few times, then fell straight down, blood gushing out like a fountain.

But there wasn't a single drop of blood on the ground!

"Look, the earth is sucking blood!" Qin Wen's voice trembled slightly. The blood flowing from Hughes's body quickly receded into the ground and disappeared without a trace. In less than ten minutes, not a single drop of Hughes's blood remained, and his skin was deathly pale.

It was only then that they realized he had no wounds at all; the blood was flowing from his face and pores.

Yin Li suddenly remembered a scene from a Japanese horror manga. It depicted a strange village where the villagers suffered from a bizarre illness, their faces deathly pale and their bodies weak. A doctor arrived and discovered that every so often, the earth would drain blood from the villagers' bodies. The method was the same as Hughes's, except the villagers didn't lose much blood and didn't die. Later, he learned that the village was alive; the shrine was its heart, and beneath the earth were many intertwined blood vessels, just like those of humans.

Could it be that this cave is also alive?

Qin Wen had also seen that comic, and she trembled with fear: "We...we're still in that tree..."

"What did you say?" Marcel watched his brother die, his body seemingly burning with rage. He grabbed Qin Wen's shoulders roughly and roared, "Tell me, what exactly happened!"

“That poplar tree was alive!” Qin Wen almost cried. “We were all inside him; it was this tree that sucked Hughes’s blood!”

“Nonsense!” Caesar interrupted her. “You mean we’re inside a tree spirit’s body? Ridiculous! Is this some kind of fantasy theme park?”

"No, I think it's very possible." Yin Li's face was also pale. She gripped Situ Xiang's clothes tightly and said, "Remember those white tentacles that attacked us before? I always felt that the smell of that green liquid was familiar. Now that I think about it, it must be the smell of plant sap. Those tentacles were actually the roots of poplar trees buried in the ground!"

“We damaged its roots, made it bleed, so it wants our blood…” Qin Wen bit her lower lip until it bled, “It wants us to pay for this in blood!”

"Shut up!" Ma Xie slapped her across the face. Qin Wen didn't even try to dodge. The slap landed squarely on her face, making her face twist and blood seep from the corner of her mouth.

"Xiao Wen!" Yin Li felt as if his chest was about to explode. He struggled to get down and fight Matthew to the death, but Caesar suddenly reached out, grabbed Matthew's wrist, and twisted it backward with force. With a crisp sound, he screamed in pain as his wrist was dislocated.

"What the hell are you doing?" Marshall roared, throwing a punch at his face, which he easily dodged. He grabbed Marshall's throat and slowly spoke, his voice icy and chilling, like a thousand-year-old ice, sending shivers down one's spine: "I'm warning you, if you dare to touch a single hair on her head again, I will make you wish you were dead!"

"What kind of time is this to be fighting amongst yourselves?" Min Enjun said with a cold laugh, his whole body exuding a feminine charm. He walked to Qin Wen, whose eyes were somewhat dazed, and gently stroked her face. "Truly, beautiful women are a source of trouble." He paused, then looked at Yin Li. "You were born to bring disaster to men."

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Ma Xie grabbed his collar, his voice vicious. "It's all because of you! If it weren't for you, we wouldn't be in this godforsaken place! My brothers wouldn't be dead! You're the one who killed them! I'll kill you now to avenge them!" He shoved the beautiful Min Eun-joon forward, drew his pistol, and pointed it at her head. Min Eun-joon seemed completely unafraid, sneering, "You're not qualified to kill me."

"Wait a minute!" Situ Xiang suddenly said, "Listen! What's that sound!"

The sound of the flowing water grew louder, and you could even hear a rhythmic cadence.

It's a heartbeat, the heartbeat of a tree!

Caesar raised his torch, and everyone was speechless with astonishment. The walls, which were originally made of rammed earth, suddenly became transparent, revealing crisscrossing veins. Each vein pulsated gently in rhythm with the heartbeat.

The smell of the plant sap had become even stronger. Caesar pulled Qin Wen up and said, "Let's go!"

A warm breeze blew in her face, like the breath of a tree. In an instant, all the blood in her body seemed to be infused with life, and began to leap restlessly, leaving her body to seek freedom.

Her face flushed, and liquid welled up from her pores. She felt her body go limp, and her hand slowly fell from Situ Xiang's shoulder. In the blink of an eye, her fair and delicate hand was stained red with blood.

"Xiao Li!" Situ Xiang exclaimed in alarm, "You must hold on!"

“No need to run anymore…” she murmured, “We’re inside the demon tree, and this tunnel has no exit…”

The blood dripped onto the ground and was immediately absorbed, disappearing without a trace. Situ Xiang's heart was breaking; he truly hated himself, hated that he couldn't protect the person most important to him!

Suddenly, the tree's heartbeat quickened, losing its original rhythm, much like an irregular heartbeat in humans. He looked down in surprise and saw the veins beneath his feet turn an eerie black, spreading rapidly.

My heart pounded even faster, almost like it was convulsing. The entire cave was trembling, and I could faintly hear desperate cries.

Everyone stopped in their tracks. Situ Xiang and Caesar exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes.

Chapter Twenty: The Remnants of the Shaluo

“It seems this tree spirit has also been poisoned.” Min Eun-joon sat down cross-legged on the spot. “We are inside the tree spirit’s body. There is no way out. Now we can only wait.”

"Wait for what?" Marshall was agitated, and Miller was unconscious. Min Eun-joon glanced at him. "Wait for this tree to die. Maybe we'll die, maybe we'll live."

Marshall stared blankly at him, then suddenly gave a bitter smile, helping Miller sit down: "So what if you die? Don't you Chinese have a saying, 'Even if your head is broken off, you'll still have a scar the size of a bowl'?"

"I didn't expect you to have learned so many Chinese slang terms in just a few days in China," Min Eun-joon said, unusually in a good mood for a joke. Everyone sat down, as dust from the rammed earth kept falling from above, and the tunnel shook violently, as if it were about to collapse.

Yin Li had stopped bleeding, but seemed to have lost consciousness. Situ Xiang held her, his heart burning with pain. Was this really their destiny?

Qin Wen sat quietly, saying nothing, her head bowed, her long hair falling over her forehead, obscuring her face. Caesar hesitated for a moment, then pulled her into his arms. Perhaps he shouldn't have come in the first place, shouldn't have met this girl, shouldn't have dragged her into this mess.

It's my fault, Xiaowen.

Min Enjun looked at the anxious Situ Xiang and said with a smile, "Are you a tomb raider?"

His tone was as if he were talking about the weather. Situ Xiang was already annoyed and glared at him angrily: "No!"

"Then let me guess what you do." Min Eun-joon smiled with a smile that could launch a thousand ships, a smile that could shame the moon and flowers. "You..." He drew out the last syllable, then suddenly drew his pistol and pointed it at his forehead. "You're a policeman, aren't you?"

police?

Caesar and Marchie both stared at him, gripping their guns tightly, their faces wary.

“You are a Chinese police officer.” Min Eun-joon still smiled seductively; even men would be captivated by his good looks. “Your marksmanship, your skills, and even your wound bandaging are exactly the same as the training courses for Chinese police officers. What? Are you surprised? Why am I so familiar with your training courses?” She enjoyed his surprised expression. “It’s simple. I was trained at a police academy in China.”

"What?!" Situ Xiang was shocked. This Korean had actually attended a Chinese police academy? How could that be!

“Why not?” Min Eun-joon laughed wildly, as if he could read minds. “As long as you forge an identity and pull some strings, it’s easy to get in. Back then, I was a top student.”

Situ Xiang's face was grim as he held the unconscious Yin Li tightly, asking, "What do you want?"