Le Qi se transmet facilement

Chapitre 7

When Liang Yingwu and I were about five steps away from our target, the grip on the rope suddenly vanished without warning, and the rope fell to the ground. Caught off guard, we both lost our balance, stumbled a few steps, and nearly fell to the ground.

I steadied myself against the stone wall, intending to go forward, but then abruptly stopped. Liang Yingwu, as if on cue, grabbed the rope and threw it forward again. He threw it several times, but each time he could easily retrieve it without any apparent error, as if the force had had its fill of playing with it, leaving us here and mysteriously disappearing.

Liang Yingwu and I mustered our courage and walked to the spot where the rope had fallen. We walked around for a few steps, carefully shining our flashlights up and down, but we couldn't find anything.

According to my theory, this is the key point, but whether I watched Liang Yingwu linger at this point or Liang Yingwu observed my actions, there was no sign of being transmitted or "reflected".

Despite the new situation, it did not help our predicament at all; on the contrary, it made the matter even more complicated. Liang Yingwu and I had no choice but to continue walking forward, turn the corner, and soon returned to the White Bone Cave.

When I told the students about the strange phenomenon that had just occurred in the passageway, everyone looked stunned.

Liang Yingwu sighed and said, "Let's rest for a bit and then think of a solution."

As I sat down, a wave of hunger washed over me, and I touched the compressed biscuits in my arms, forcing myself to endure it.

Calming myself, I began to analyze the strange phenomenon I had just witnessed. I believed that whether seeing the rope suspended in mid-air was a hallucination shared by Liang Yingwu and me, or something real, this passageway had proven that it not only possessed the ability to deceive, but also had real "power." A power capable of resisting the combined pull of Liang Yingwu and me, yet still keeping the rope completely still. This power, from the moment I returned to the entrance of the Bone Cave and Liang Yingwu and I realized something was amiss, until we returned to the second section of the passage and saw the rope in mid-air, was something Liang Yingwu and I clearly felt.

The two of us men, working together, exerted a force of about a hundred pounds, yet we managed to keep the rope completely still. This force had probably only scratched the surface. And what else did this force do besides holding the rope? Was it confined to the tunnel, or did it extend into this cave of bones? Nobody knew. Even more crucially, the rope was initially taut only by the combined strength of Liang Yingwu and me; we hadn't felt a single third force intervene.

I told Liang Yingwu about this conjecture, but he remained silent. Lu Yun, who was standing next to me, offered a completely opposite view.

"There may not be a force pulling the rope. Perhaps, if that passageway can affect a person's vision and touch, it might also affect other senses."

As soon as Lu Yun spoke, a gasp came from the darkness. Good heavens, she meant that it was very possible that Liang Yingwu and I saw two taut ropes that wouldn't budge no matter how hard we pulled, and that the students watching also saw them, but it might all have been an illusion. If that were the case, then we would have lost even our last shred of self-confidence.

The most frightening thing is that this viewpoint actually has a realistic possibility.

If all of us here are not entirely in our own control, then when I see myself raising my hand, it's just an illusion; when I think I'm running with all my might, I haven't moved an inch. Even when I reach out to rub my eyes, I might actually be digging my own eyeballs out...

I can't imagine it anymore.

“The possibility that Lu Yun mentioned does not exist. When we are looking for a way out, we don’t need to take this possibility into account,” Liang Yingwu’s deep voice rang out at the right time.

"Why?" Not only me, but many people asked Liang Yingwu at the same time.

Liang Yingwu did not answer; in the darkness, no one knew what he was thinking.

Lu Yun suddenly smiled. Her profile was illuminated by the increasingly weak flashlight beam. I hadn't seen anyone smile in a long time. When I caught a glimpse of Lu Yun's lips and the muscles and skin on her face turning into a "smile," I felt a strange, eerie flutter in my heart.

Lu Yun said in a slightly distorted voice, "Because if it's really as I said, then none of us will get out of here alive!"

My heart skipped a beat. That was absolutely right. If we can't even control ourselves, what's the point of talking about getting out of the cave?

Liang Yingwu seemed to nod, though I couldn't see clearly in the darkness, but he still didn't speak.

This is the most emotionally unstable time for the students since they were trapped in the cave. Lu Yun's tone just now made me worried. These students, who aren't usually known for their strong nerves, are now in a life-or-death situation. Even if they don't know about the cannibalistic tragedy that happened here, it's hard to say how they will react. I glanced around in the dim light of the flashlight. Jiang Wei seemed to be clutching his hair tightly, while Zhu Zili had his head buried in his knees, squatting on the ground in a ball. Bian Xiao'ou and Fei Qing were huddled together, trembling.

Strange Changes in the Dark (3)

Liang Yingwu remained silent at this critical juncture, a departure from his previous actions.

"What are you thinking about? Say something quickly to get everyone's attention so we can keep thinking of a solution," I said to Liang Yingwu in a low voice.

Liang Yingwu actually sighed, although he quickly suppressed his breath, but he did sigh.

"You saw that rope just now, so tell me, what other way can we do?"

I finally understood why Liang Yingwu was so dejected. The "walking forward while taut on the rope" method he'd just used was indeed a brilliant plan, and it was precisely because of its effectiveness that the previously hidden power had become visible. However, this very manifestation made Liang Yingwu realize that this mysterious passage seemed to have begun to "declare war" on us head-on. All our previous explorations were aimed at figuring out exactly what was so strange about the passage and finding a way to use external tools to navigate it, replacing our own senses. But the emergence of this mysterious power undoubtedly declared that even with tools, it would be futile. In this situation, any further attempts would yield no better results than what we've achieved. Finding a better testing method would even risk being bitten back by the mysterious power.

“I understand your thoughts, but I think my conclusion is exactly the opposite of yours.” Unlike Liang Yingwu, I did not deliberately lower my voice, because I wanted everyone to hear what I was saying.

"Indeed, exploring the tunnel further might be dangerous. That force grabbing the rope was a gentle act; if it were to become violent, it could have grabbed our necks. But that's also our opportunity. If we stay far away from the tunnel now, we'll undoubtedly starve. Since we're facing death anyway, we should keep exploring the tunnel, constantly stimulating that force until it can no longer hide. Simply grabbing the rope isn't enough; we need to expose it more. Only when the danger is fully revealed can we see everything clearly and find a way to escape. A desperate struggle for survival—that's what we need to do now!"

For the first time, I didn't shy away from discussing "death" in front of my students. Because at that moment, I needed to use death to stimulate their courage.

“I understand now, you’re right.” Liang Yingwu nodded to me, having recovered from the brief moment of confusion he had just experienced.

As for the others, they were clearly moved by my words. Without even looking at their expressions, I could feel what they were saying in their eyes. The boys had a fearless spirit, while the girls showed some admiration. They must have been thinking, "Teacher Liang was right; this reporter named Na Duo is indeed very knowledgeable. Perhaps only someone who has experienced the danger of death could say such things." Sigh, it seems I can indulge in self-admiration in any situation.

However, finding a method as excellent as "walking forward while keeping the rope taut" is no easy task. Perhaps future readers of this story will come up with many different solutions, but the saying "those involved are often blinded" is absolutely true. Darkness seems to have clouded our minds.

We discussed it for a long time, and conducted two hourly explorations. We only had one flashlight left with a little light, and we had four batteries left. Liang Yingwu decided that once the two spare batteries were used up, he would keep the remaining two and not use them even when walking through the tunnel, in case of emergency.

Two hours earlier, the slight sense of disregard for life and death that my words had stirred within everyone quickly dissipated in the boundless darkness and the convulsions in their stomachs. The pressure on everyone grew heavier and heavier. He Yunkai even picked up a skull, shouted, and threw it violently. The skull struck the bones in the distance, making a cracking sound. Liang Yingwu stopped He Yunkai in time; I knew he, like me, was filled with worry about the students' emotions.

Everyone has a limit to their mental endurance. I wonder who among these 14 people will be the first to break down. It probably won't be me, nor will it be Liang Yingwu, but eventually, it will.

After a while, it was time for the hourly exploration of the tunnel again. If they could not get out after 24 hours of continuous exploration, then the idea that the so-called life gate of the formation would open at a fixed time, which was already unlikely to be realized, would come to an end.

This time it was He Yunkai and Liu Wenying's turn. The two stood up, picked up the flashlight that could only emit a dim yellow light, and walked towards the passageway. When He Yunkai stepped out of the living area and back into the pile of bones, he kicked one of the skeletons hard, smashing the relatively intact skull to pieces.

As soon as he kicked out, He Yunkai suddenly stopped and exclaimed, "Damn it, why didn't I think of that before? We can use the bones as road signs! We can use the bones as road signs!"

"Okay," I blurted out. Such a simple method, and no one had thought of it before. I really don't know how my brain got so blocked.

There's a road sign every ten meters. If there's no road sign ahead, it's a new road you haven't traveled before. If there is a road sign, it means you're going the wrong way.

“That’s a good idea, but you’ll likely encounter situations with signs both in front and behind you in the second or third section of the tunnel. In that case, you should split up, one going forward and the other going backward, and see what methods this ghost cave has,” Liang Yingwu said.

It's another seemingly perfect and flawless plan. I'd like to see how the power of the tunnel will manifest itself this time.

"But, but, are we going to use bones as road signs?" Liu Wenying was clearly quite hesitant about this.

“What does it matter? If you’re too scared, we’ll find a braver guy to come,” He Yunkai said with unwavering confidence.

“However, carrying a huge pile of bones is indeed inconvenient. I have a knife here, you can carve marks on the stone wall, and I also have a flashlight, so you won’t have to throw bones along the way.” Liang Yingwu took out a small steel knife as he spoke.

Anomalies in the Dark (4)

"If you sense something is wrong, don't be reckless; run if you can," I said.

He Yunkai and Liu Wenying responded and walked into the passageway.

This time, everyone went outside their living area and waited at the entrance of the passageway for the two to return.

Ten minutes...

Twenty minutes...

Thirty minutes...

Forty minutes...

God, I, a non-Christian, couldn't help but utter the name of Jehovah in my heart. How could this be? It's been an hour already! Even if marking takes time, this short half-mile should have been covered in twenty minutes.

The darkness before them seemed to have swallowed the two students forever.

"He Yunkai, Liu Wenying, where are you?" someone suddenly shouted, and then everyone joined in, including Liang Yingwu and me. The enormous sound echoed through the cave. Such a sound could be heard clearly even deep within the passageway, but there was no echo there.

They shouted for a full ten minutes before finally stopping.

“Maybe they’ve gone out,” Lin Zhipu suddenly blurted out.

This sentence pulled everyone out of their fear, and really, maybe they did manage to get out.

Indeed, if He Yunkai and Liu Wenying really do get out, despite He Yunkai's seemingly daring demeanor, he probably wouldn't dare to go back into that hellhole. Who knows if he'll be able to get out this time? Calling for help is the best course of action.

But what if they don't get out?

“I’ll go in and take a look. If I also manage to get out, I promise I’ll come back and tell everyone,” I said.

“I’ll go with you,” Liang Yingwu said.

"No, in case anything happens, you'll still be here with the students."

"Then, be careful." Liang Yingwu didn't insist any further. Indeed, if both he and I were to disappear, these students would soon completely collapse.

I took a flashlight that had run out of power, emptied out the batteries, put in the two batteries I had in my pocket, and turned it on. A dazzling white light shone straight down the passageway, illuminating a path of light. Following this path of light, I walked back into the passageway.

I carefully examined my surroundings and easily found the marks made by He Yunkai and his group on the left-hand stone wall. Every few meters, there was a triangular mark carved with a knife. The carvings were quite deep, clearly He Yunkai's work; I could even feel them with my hands, if I could still trust my sense of touch.

After turning the first bend, the marker still pointed straight ahead, but in the second section of the passageway, the two figures were nowhere to be seen.

I shone my flashlight on the road sign; it was still carved with the same force, and the triangle was still fairly regular, indicating that nothing unusual had happened. However, in this quiet passage, there was still only the sound of my footsteps; apart from the road sign on the stone wall, I couldn't detect any trace of two other people.

Soon, I reached the end of the second passageway, and still found nothing. I paused for a moment, then turned the second corner and entered the next passageway. As usual, I should be on my way back to the Cave of Bones.

The flashlight beam shone on the stone wall beside me, and I saw the road sign again, still a well-carved triangle. The beam of the flashlight then shone straight ahead.

Still no one.

What happened?

Did those two just vanish like that? There wasn't a single trace. As I walked forward, I paid even closer attention to the path markers on the stone wall beside me, making sure I didn't miss a single detail.

However, even when we were halfway through the passage and almost back to the entrance of the White Bone Cave, the signposts still appeared every six or seven meters.

Finally, about ten meters from the cave entrance, I suddenly saw a mark that was quite different from the ones I had seen before.

It's still a triangle, but it's very obvious that the person who carved this pattern had a trembling hand, so much so that each side is not straight and is severely crooked. Moreover, judging from the fact that it is deeper than the previous mark, there is no doubt that this mark was also carved by He Yunkai.

The two men had their accident here, which caused He Yunkai to lose control of his panic and his strong arms to tremble uncontrollably. However, carving this road sign would take some time, meaning that what they had encountered would give them ample time to do so.

Wait a minute, if something happened, why did they only carve road signs instead of leaving warning messages?

This is really strange.

All these thoughts flashed through my mind in an instant. As I thought of them, I quickly took a few steps back, shone my flashlight around, and became alert.

Although it's very close to the cave entrance, this is where He Yunkai and Liu Wenying had their accident, so we absolutely cannot be careless and risk our lives.

When my gaze followed the beam of light forward, I suddenly understood why He Yunkai and Liu Wenying reacted that way.

As I walked along, I focused most of my attention on the trail markers on the stone wall beside me; otherwise, I would have noticed them much earlier.

Not far ahead, what I naturally assumed would be the entrance to the Bone Cave was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was another bend in the road. There, another passageway, the fourth one, led to an unknown destination.

That's why He Yunkai and Liu Wenying were so shocked.

This time, carving road signs actually created a new passageway!

I took a deep breath and turned the third bend.

What appeared before me was a passageway similar to the one before. I shone my flashlight across it and saw road signs on the stone wall. I shone it forward, but I couldn't see the end clearly. However, it didn't look like an exit; it was a complete darkness.

I walked slowly forward along the side with the road signs. If the signs continued, there probably wouldn't be any danger. Just keep going straight.

The reason why the two didn't return is now explained—they went to a new place.