King of Tomb Raiders

Chapter 222

Uncle Wei was stunned, and kept making rapid "whoosh" breathing sounds.

Gu Qingcheng sighed softly, "Feng, would you like me to come in and study this with you?"

She's always been different from Suren; it's only now that she's brought up the topic of sharing joys and sorrows, and even then, her tone is uncertain. If it were Suren, she would have stood by my side immediately, sharing all the pressure.

"Miss, you can't go. This place is too strange. We should retreat back to the camp first—where are the *** people? Come back, all of you, come back here!" Uncle Wei began to lose his temper in a fit of rage.

Mercenaries have never had any cohesion; their only basis for cooperation is money. When disaster strikes, they rush to flee for their own lives.

I waved my hand toward the beam of light: "No need, nobody should come over. This situation has already exceeded the limits of what human power can change."

The jeep, slowly being towed, emitted a foul, burning rubber smell from its tires. No one knew its fate. Clearly, the entrance that had swallowed Sun Gui was not meant to contain it. Perhaps, when the steel cable was tightened infinitely, Sun Gui would be suspended somewhere underground, and we could try to pull him out after dawn.

The most perplexing thing right now is that we can't figure out what these blue liquids are.

"Mr. Feng, what are you doing?" Feiyue screamed, because I was tentatively inserting the flashlight into the liquid.

If the liquid had strong "adhesive properties," I believe the flashlight would also sink upright into it, all the way down, and I would be able to use its light to see what was below. This idea sounds a bit crazy, but in the face of the unknown, every seemingly inconceivable attempt might become a starting point for unraveling the mystery.

Fei Yue's thinking ability was inferior to Gu Qingcheng's, because the latter understood my thoughts in an instant: "Feng, you are really... too smart!" She sighed leisurely, and even in this strange and bizarre environment, she could still smile softly again.

A girl's smile is the best relaxant for a man when he's nervous.

Just as the flashlight was about to touch the liquid surface, I suddenly released my grip, causing the flashlight to stand upright on that eerie shimmering surface. As I expected, the flashlight stuck, and the light shone smoothly through it, the beam passing right in front of Sun Gui.

I hope to find out if any insects or beasts would approach him when he's trapped in that world. It's a world without any reference points, and my actions are exactly like the old Chinese saying, "crossing the river by feeling the stones."

Gu Qingcheng breathed a sigh of relief and exclaimed, "Great, that's wonderful!"

This quick-thinking approach is something not everyone can come up with and do so quickly; I should deserve her praise.

Uncle Wei and Fei Yue also realized what was happening and sighed, "It's a pity the flashlight only lasts for such a short time—"

Actually, the only powerful lighting tool available is this towed jeep. If we could remove the searchlight from its roof, the effective beam distance would be at least fifty meters, and the power supply could last for more than ten hours.

I stared at the wobbling car, and just as I finished making up my mind, Gu Qingcheng pointed to the jeep: "The wind, perhaps we can use it to see everything clearly."

Once again, our thoughts coincided. Although she was a little slower to realize it, she at least provided further support and supplement to my ideas.

No one came into the cave to help me. Uncle Wei's ashen face was hidden in the shadows where the beam of light couldn't reach.

I adjusted my mindset and tried not to make any rash plans. I could wait until the jeep was towed to my doorstep before making any decisions.

The liquid had excellent light transmission properties, and the flashlight beam followed Sun Gui's body. Within about three minutes, the flashlight was completely submerged in the liquid.

"What's down there?" Gu Qingcheng raised her voice. "Could it be—"

She didn't continue, but I guessed she was thinking of the words "Epang Palace." The moment I saw the rooftops of those ancient buildings, "Epang Palace" was the first question that popped into my mind.

The "second Epang Palace" has always been the goal that Su Lun has been tirelessly exploring. The content depicted in the ancient picture book of the Li family can also prove that there is a secret related to the Qin Dynasty hidden in this mountain. With all the clues connected, it is no wonder that Gu Qingcheng and I pointed to this point as soon as possible.

"I can't see clearly; those buildings stretch out in an extremely vast expanse..."

Against the blue background, all I could see were the simple, ancient-style roof tiles, and on some of the protruding eaves, huge clay horses and beasts.

"Impossible, impossible..." Uncle Wei suddenly raised his arm and shouted loudly.

"What?" Gu Qingcheng immediately asked.

I raised my arms to stop their conversation, because I was the one who witnessed that world firsthand, not anyone else. Therefore, any doubts and answers would immediately surface in my mind. Compared to Uncle Wei's conservatism, I was more capable of questioning and answering everything.

“Miss Gu, I’m wondering, what exactly is the vertical distance from where I’m standing to those buildings? Tens of meters, hundreds of meters, or thousands of meters? My current feeling is like what I saw from the airplane window before arriving in Xi’an, at least several thousand meters above the city. But just now I could see some carvings, clay horses, and tiles on the tops of those buildings, which proves that I’m only a few tens of meters above them. This is inexplicable, unless… unless…” I looked up at the cave ceiling and finally decided to give my answer, “Unless this entrance itself is a periscope, regardless of distance, and by adjusting the focus knob on the lens, you get images that appear to be closer or farther away.”

Uncle Wei then clicked his tongue in amazement: "Mr. Feng, that's exactly the issue I wanted to address."

With collective wisdom and concerted efforts, if I had ten seasoned veterans like Uncle Wei as my assistants, it would surely inspire my imagination even more.

The idea of "focus adjustment" may seem far-fetched at first glance, but upon closer examination, it's easy to understand. People, animals, and vehicles can teleport instantly, and small objects can change position under external forces. However, what I observed was a large complex of ancient buildings. Moving them would be as difficult as the ancient Chinese saying, "carrying Mount Tai across the North Sea," which is certainly beyond the capabilities of humankind.

In contrast, optical instruments can do this very easily. As early as the mid-20th century, even ordinary home cameras had focusing capabilities, allowing the image in the viewing lens to be zoomed in or out at will.

Gu Qingcheng said "Oh," raised her hand to stroke her black hair, and suddenly smiled bitterly: "A knob? If such a knob really exists, then who is it that keeps turning it in the dark?"

I looked down at the world in the liquid again, and the shadows of those ancient buildings receded into the distance once more, as if the focus had been adjusted to the farthest limit. At this moment, it felt as if I were looking down from at least five thousand meters above the ground, and the streets between the buildings were blurred like the finest pencil.

"A knob?" I suddenly realized something.

Knobs and gears are new things that emerged after the rapid development of modern industry. Previously, Su Lun had mentioned the mystery of the "Asian gear," to which I had expressed my disagreement. Now it seems that this kind of focus adjustment that sometimes appears close and sometimes far is no less bizarre than the legendary "Asian gear" that can eliminate all war.

If there truly is a certain gear that possesses the legendary magical power to bring peace, I believe that so many anti-war activists around the world will flock to explore it until one day this secret is revealed to the world.

The flashlight beam hung forlornly in the blue world. The steel cable connecting Sun Gui's body was falling faster and faster. I had made up my mind: with the help of the searchlight, I must see the world below clearly.

Time had become unimportant. Right behind Uncle Wei and the others, the sky was gradually turning a pale white, and dawn was approaching.

From the moment the Longe witch killed someone in my tent until now, every step has been a sudden and unpredictable turn of events, incredibly dangerous and treacherous, keeping everyone on edge. I'm puzzled as to why Eagle, Liang Wei, and Li Kang haven't appeared. Are they deliberately avoiding the dangers in the tunnel?

When the jeep was ten paces away, I rubbed my hands together vigorously, preparing to leap onto the roof and remove the four top-of-the-line European spotlights. Of course, removing the battery and connecting the cables would take a little longer, but I was confident I could do it all by hand in three minutes.

“Feng, I always feel that there will be some kind of change. This is not the final outcome of the strange events…” Gu Qingcheng hesitated, took the binoculars from Uncle Wei, and peered into the depths of the tunnel behind me.

Uncle Wei took a step back and lay prone behind a large-caliber sniper rifle discarded by his teammates, skillfully checking the ammunition loading. That terrifyingly powerful weapon had been the absolute nemesis of low-flying helicopters and could easily penetrate the side armor of high-speed tanks.

He was able to guess Gu Qingcheng's intentions and quickly take countermeasures.

"Miss, don't worry. Even if a three-headed, six-armed monster were to appear, I would smash its head in the first instant." Uncle Wei's words were filled with absolute confidence; he was by no means a person who liked to boast.

Feiyue also knelt down, close to the entrance, with both pistols held horizontally.

Since the invention of gunpowder and firearms, these tools have become a common means of self-defense for people on Earth. With a gun in hand, one's courage and boldness naturally increase when speaking and acting.

Faced with the ghostly skills of the Longe Witch, bullets could not provide me with enough security, but in this situation, there was no better solution.

"Miss Gu, Uncle Wei, Fei Yue, I will begin my operation in ten seconds—"

These words became the starting signal for yet another sudden change. Uncle Wei's sniper rifle suddenly opened fire, the high-speed bullets whistling through the air. Five shots followed, accompanied by his cry of alarm: "Miss, step back... step back..."

"Puff puff puff puff," came the sound of car headlights shattering in succession. All the beams of light disappeared in an instant, and my vision was plunged into darkness. Instinctively, I lay down and looked down at the flashlight that was submerged in the liquid. Only it was still shining, illuminating the depths alone about ten meters below the ground.

Part Four: Star Array, Chapter Four: Stone Pillar Mechanism

Of course, I cannot be sure of the length of this distance. In that strange liquid, the light seemed to be distorted in an eerie way, distinctly different from the lights on land.

The light gave me a feeling somewhat similar to the cold spotlights on a stage, carrying a chilly atmosphere.

I think those liquids must have been cold, the complete opposite of lava, which is why the lights also felt cold.

Feiyue fired her twin guns in quick succession, the crisp sound of spent cartridges hitting the ground reaching my ears. But when I looked into the air, I couldn't see any flames spurting from the muzzle, and even the pale light of dawn had vanished, leaving only pitch blackness in my vision.

With each volley of bullets fired by Uncle Wei's sniper rifle, the air in the tunnel seemed to be torn apart once again, and even the ground seemed to be shaken by the terrifying whistling of the bullets.

"Wind, wind—" Gu Qingcheng's cry was drowned out by the sound of gunfire, only coming through during the intervals between shots. It was sharp and frightening, and it echoed back.

Two or three minutes later, Uncle Wei and Fei Yue fired the last bullet from their guns. All sounds suddenly disappeared, with only the increasingly strong smell of gunpowder in the air.

I felt the air vibrate as something approached, like a diver spotting a shark's delta fin rushing towards them, but the other party was moving so fast that I could barely take any action.

“Longge the Witch? You’re back again.” I slowly got up and stood by that strange pool.

"Yes, I came back only to save you. Don't touch that mirror; it's the entrance to their world. In their presence, humanity's ability to resist is less than that of an ant."

I could feel her, but I couldn't see anything.

"What exactly are they? Tell me, or tell me where Su Lun went, where Yang Tian went?" These are the two people I care about most in the world right now. Whenever Su Lun and my older brother are mentioned, my emotions immediately surge uncontrollably, and my breathing becomes noticeably rapid.

"What's the use of knowing the truth?" Her tone was sorrowful and melancholy.

A wonderful fragrance spread through the air, overpowering the pungent smell of gunpowder. The fragrance must have come from her. I suspect that with her slender figure and unique scent, she must have a beautiful and refined face hidden behind the mask.

Subconsciously, I hoped that every woman connected to my elder brother would be a beauty among beauties. The surgeon had said more than once that only an exceptionally beautiful woman could truly be worthy of a chivalrous hero like my elder brother.

"I will save Suren, no matter how difficult it may be." I took three deep breaths to calm myself. "If you can't tell me who 'they' are, at least tell me who you are?"

There was no answer, only a long, drawn-out sigh.

I couldn't hear any sound from the direction of the cave entrance. If it weren't for the light from the distant flashlight at my feet, I would have almost thought I had fallen into another world.

"Me? I've been away from this world for so many years, people have forgotten me, so why mention my name again? Young man, I'm here only to stop Yang Tian from entering, or perhaps 'their' intention is to refuse entry to everyone. You should leave, take your men with you, lest you be slaughtered again."

She mentioned her eldest brother's name again; that was the only issue she cared about.

"They" could be some race living at the foot of the mountain, or perhaps the square-eyed monsters mentioned in the Li family's ancient books.

"Them? Are they a group of square-eyed monsters? From which planet in the universe?" I smiled faintly in the darkness, because I felt I had vaguely grasped the main thread of the incident. All the strange events were related to that kind of monster, and he was definitely not one of us Earthlings.

In all known human races on Earth, the eyes of every race are horizontally arranged elliptical structures without exception. Therefore, in famous Hollywood science fiction movies, the eyes designed for aliens are similar to those of Earthlings. In the theory of physical optics, round eyeballs are most conducive to the refraction and reflection of light, ensuring accurate imaging. Using a cube-shaped eyeball with a finite volume would contradict these theories, leading to completely different results.

She gasped in surprise in the darkness: "Huh? How did you know?"

Human wisdom transcends age and geography. I believe that when I organically combine all the scattered clues, my understanding of those strange people will surpass that of anyone around me, including the legendary omnipotent Longo witch.

"Of course I know, and I'd also like to ask, is the strange man still hibernating inside the golden egg? Or is he undergoing further transformation?" My imagination was rapidly expanding, and I could slowly deduce many things beyond the picture book.

If we think of the golden egg as a "life pod" or similar tool, there are only two possibilities for why the monster went inside: to escape or to hibernate.

The research conclusions of a considerable number of scientists prove that Qin Shi Huang's ability to unify the world during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods and create the evolutionary feat of humankind's transition from a slave society to a feudal society was absolutely inseparable from the fact that extraterrestrials landed on Earth.

No matter how advanced Qin Shi Huang's ideas were, he was still just one among the countless people in the world. It was impossible for him to create certain social systems out of thin air, and to have a vision of the entire world, encompassing all of China, and calling himself "First Emperor." On the contrary, looking at the hundreds of battles, large and small, he fought during the unification of the six kingdoms, he was almost invincible, and his strength was several times greater than the combined strength of the six kingdoms.

This cannot be explained simply by saying that "the Qin people were fierce".

As for the later burning of books and burying of scholars, the construction of the Great Wall, the Fengshan ceremony at Mount Tai, the construction of the Epang Palace, the destruction of all weapons in the world to cast bronze statues, the standardization of weights and measures and writing... each of these was a stroke of genius, leaving later emperors such as Emperor Wu of Han, Emperor Taizong of Tang, Emperor Taizu of Song, and the emperors of Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties bowing their heads in shame, only able to follow and learn, but unable to make any further major breakthroughs.

Increasing archaeological evidence suggests that before the Qin and Han dynasties, extraterrestrials were very active on Earth. Their technology was tens of thousands of times more advanced than that of humans. As described in most fantasy novels, they were "able to fly through the clouds, breathe fire, turn stones into gold, and summon wind and rain." In short, they were omnipotent, which is why they were worshipped as "gods" by the ignorant indigenous people.

At least in my opinion, the square-eyed monster depicted in the Li family's ancient books may have been a deity of that time. Since he was wearing Qin Dynasty armor, he would naturally serve Qin Shi Huang and be one of the meritorious officials who helped him unify the world.

She was even more surprised: "You...you knew all this? Are you one of them? And you opened this entrance yourself?"

I shook my head, knowing she could probably see my every move in the dark.

The creaking of the steel cable resumed, and the Jeep's bumper appeared within three steps to my right. In a few minutes, it would be lying horizontally over the liquid. Unless the ground collapsed on a large scale, the car would remain here, like a crowbar across the deep pool.

I don't want to lose track of Sun Gui's whereabouts, which means I want this entrance to remain open forever, until Gu Qingcheng, Uncle Wei, and the others come in to see.

"Sigh, it's good that it's not, it's good that it's not. They are already very powerful. If they had a brilliant ally like you, wouldn't that be another disaster for Earth?" She remained hidden in the darkness, her voice wavering, sometimes on the left, sometimes on the right.

"Are they right below the mountain? What is their purpose in coming to Earth? And what are these liquids?" I asked three questions in a row. If those ancient buildings below are the dwellings of the strange beings, then Suren must be there too. I felt as if I could already see hope of rescuing her.

She fell silent again and stopped answering me.

The flashlight beam was getting farther and farther away, and dimmer and dimmer, probably because the battery had run out.

The searchlight bulbs had all been smashed by the Witch of Longo, rendering them useless. But the vehicle still managed to move inch by inch above the deep pool. The winch under the vehicle made a strange "creaking" sound as the steel cable was gradually tightened.

"Take my advice and go back... Go back. How do your martial arts and wisdom compare to Yang Tian's? Didn't he also leave defeated and without any discovery? Seeing is not the same as being able to enter. It's a world of illusions, and only they can reach it..."

Her voice gradually became gentle and tender. Every time she mentioned her elder brother's name, her tone would involuntarily drop by half a tone, showing her deep affection for the name "Yang Tian".