They played and climbed at the same time, and because they were tired, they walked slowly. So they didn't reach the top of the mountain until 11 a.m. They didn't dig up any wild ginseng along the way because Li Hua didn't allow everyone to stray too far from the group. The surrounding area was a dense forest, and if they got separated, they might get lost. Even so, they had several dangerous situations while climbing the mountain because of the steep road, but most of them were just scratches and nothing serious, so no one paid any attention to it.
Upon reaching the summit, the view suddenly opened up to reveal an unusually large open space, roughly over a hundred square meters. However, this was not the highest point of Wulong Mountain, as the highest point was inaccessible. This place was the location of two "dragon eyes," the source of spring water. On the side facing the mountain, two large caves resembled two open mouths, their interiors dark and extending deep into the mountainside. Curious individuals, disregarding their fatigue, rushed over, shining flashlights haphazardly—everyone has an adventurous spirit.
Li Hua called out from outside, "Everyone, don't rush in yet, listen to me..." Most people went about their own business. At this point, who was still listening to Li Hua? Some ran to the perilous cliffside to take pictures, some crawled under the trees to study for any unusual plants or, if they were lucky, to dig up some ginseng, and others were preparing to go into the cave together. Because villagers often came up the mountain to fetch water, they had trod out a not-so-obvious path. If you followed the path carefully, you could find your way forward.
Zhao Qiang and Yang Shiyun walked around the area. Zhao Qiang took a few photos of Yang Shiyun using the camera app. Then, the two decided to go into the cave to take a look. For Zhao Qiang, the darkness inside was nothing. Even if the terrain was complicated, he could remember it all.
"Huh," someone behind me sighed softly, "is it raining?"
Volume 2 [638] Cave Exploration
【638】Cave Exploration
Zhao Qiang also felt water droplets falling on his face. He looked up and waited for a while, and then another drop of water fell.
Yang Shiyun touched her face as well, "Yes, it's raining, what are we going to do?"
The rain in the mountains came suddenly; it had only been a drop or two a moment ago, but within half a minute it had intensified. Li Hua shouted, "Everyone, don't wander off! Get into the caves to take shelter from the rain. There are dangers everywhere in the mountains, so don't go out alone!"
At this point, even those who didn't want to go into the cave had to go in, otherwise they would have to get soaked in the rain outside. Although it's true that you can take shelter from the rain under the trees, it would be troublesome if there was thunder at such a high mountain, and tourists knew this common sense.
Soon, the area outside the cave was filled with people. The further they went in, the darker it became, and the narrower the cave became. Everyone gathered at the entrance, waiting for the weather to clear up. Li Hua comforted them, "Don't worry, I checked the weather forecast. There won't be any heavy rain these next few days, and it will stop soon." Checking the weather forecast before entering the mountains is essential, but whether the forecast is accurate is another matter entirely.
As if the heavens were deliberately working against Li Hua, the rain intensified, and a wind picked up, blowing raindrops into the cave. People began to back away. Li Hua said, "Now that you're here, I'll take you to fetch spring water so you can taste the sweet spring water in this Dragon Cave. Each of you should take a bucket home; it'll be excellent for brewing tea and cooking. But stay close to me and don't wander off. There are several forks in the path in this cave, and if you take the wrong one, you might not be able to get back to the original path."
With nothing else to do, everyone urged Li Hua, "Hurry up, hurry up! Everyone with flashlights, turn them on, it's too dark in this cave." A series of shoving sounds followed, then the beams of light flickered wildly as they slowly made their way deeper into the cave. Li Hua led everyone into the right-hand cave, while Zhao Qiang, Yang Shiyun, and a few others went into the left-hand cave. No one paid any attention to the dangers Li Hua had mentioned.
Zhao Qiang looked up at the sky intently, and Yang Shiyun asked, "What's going on?"
Zhao Qiang said, "I'm afraid this rain won't stop anytime soon."
Yang Shiyun asked, "Then what do we do? Are we stuck here?"
Zhao Qiang said, "We two aren't afraid, the key is those tourists, what about them?"
The tourists who were with Zhao Qiang said to him, "Buddy, you seem to care about a lot of things. Take care of your girlfriend first. Just make sure you get her down the mountain safely. Why are you meddling in other people's business?" In their eyes, having a woman with you was obviously a burden, and Zhao Qiang's concern for other people's safety was childish.
Zhao Qiang smiled but didn't answer. The tourists said, "Let's go, let's go, let's go to the other side. Didn't we say we were going to get some spring water? Let's see what it tastes like." So, these people rushed to another cave despite the heavy rain outside. On the way, a clap of thunder struck, almost scaring one of the slower ones to the ground. He stumbled and grabbed a tree to keep from falling, then scrambled into the cave.
Boom, boom, thunder roared one after another, the sky grew darker and darker, and lightning flashed again and again. Luckily there was a cave on this high mountaintop, otherwise today would have been terrible. Even if they hadn't been rained to death, they would have been scared to death by the thunder. Some of the lightning even struck on the flat ground at the top of the mountain. If anyone had been hiding under a tree, they would have been electrocuted.
The rain outside continued to fall, and seeing that the sky wouldn't clear up anytime soon, Zhao Qiang said to Yang Shiyun, "Now it's finally quiet, just the two of us. Why don't we explore further in and see how deep this cave is and what's inside?"
Yang Shiyun said, "Of course it's good. We're here to have fun, we can't let this opportunity for adventure slip away."
Zhao Qiang took off his communication watch, which could not only communicate and take pictures but also provide light. Zhao Qiang had night vision capabilities from his X-ray glasses, so he handed the watch to Yang Shiyun. Zhao Qiang walked ahead, and the two of them crept into the cave.
At first, the cave was relatively flat, but after walking less than six or seven meters, the cave descended sharply and forked. Yang Shiyun waved the hand in her hand and asked, "Which way do we go?"
Zhao Qiang closed his eyes and sensed the direction, then casually pointed to the right: "Let's go that way. Judging from the terrain, it should be going downhill."
When we first entered the cave, there were still some traces of human excavation, but here it was almost entirely natural rock fissures. The path became narrower and narrower as we walked, and the ground was covered with loose stones. After choosing several different paths, the path finally became so narrow that only one person could squeeze through at an angle.
Yang Shiyun asked, "Are we still going to walk on such a narrow road?"
Zhao Qiang activated his X-ray vision glasses and said, "The road ahead should still be passable. Let's go a little further and see."
Yang Shiyun said, "I feel increasingly depressed. What if I'm trapped inside the rock?" The cracks in the rock weren't high, and in some places you even had to bend over to get through. The rock frame above couldn't support it and collapsed, squeezing in with enormous pressure. She couldn't imagine the consequences.
Zhao Qiang, holding Yang Shiyun's hand, laughed and said, "What else can we do but turn into fossils? Ten thousand years from now, when scientists find us holding hands and turned into rocks, they will definitely be moved and think we are a couple."
Yang Shiyun laughed and scolded, "Nonsense! If you were really trapped inside a rock, you'd rot into a pile of mud and become a fossil." Yang Shiyun did not shake off Zhao Qiang's hand and continued to climb down with him.
The path narrowed and the slope became increasingly steep. Zhao Qiang extended the protective sheaths of his fists into spikes, embedding them into the rock face to stabilize himself. Yang Shiyun was practically being carried on Zhao Qiang's back, as the slope was too steep for her to stand steadily and she had to lean against his back to maintain her balance. Every now and then, she had to use her 'spider silk' to hang from the rocks and slide down little by little.
Finally, the crevice in the rocks ahead became so narrow that only one arm could fit through. There was no spring in the cave, and there were many forks in the path. If it weren't for Zhao Qiang's X-ray glasses and premonition, he probably wouldn't have been able to get down here. So this was probably the first time someone had come here.
By the time they reached this point, Zhao Qiang estimated that they were already halfway down the mountain. This route was different from the climb; some parts were even vertical descents, making the journey shorter. Only someone with Zhao Qiang and Yang Shiyun's skills could make it down. The price they paid was that their clothes were tattered and torn, making them look worse than beggars.
Yang Shiyun shook her tattered clothes and said with a bitter smile, "You've really ruined me. Now that you've reached the Yellow River, you must be heartbroken. Can you still continue?" There was no road ahead, and it seemed like it was time to turn back, but unfortunately, she found nothing.
Zhao Qiang said, "I've used my X-ray vision. This impassable road is actually only a little over five meters long. I can cut it open with my sword." Zhao Qiang hadn't given up hope; he still planned to continue.
Yang Shiyun said, "But what about further down? Even if we can crawl down to the foot of the mountain from here, what's the use if there's no way out? Don't we have to climb back up? Am I stupid for accompanying you down for so long?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Can you feel it? There's a strong metallic feel underground. The deeper we go, the clearer the feeling becomes." If it weren't for this, Zhao Qiang wouldn't have wanted to go this deep. Wouldn't that be pointless? It's just that the feeling wasn't obvious at first, and Zhao Qiang almost subconsciously persisted. But now that we've gotten this far, he can clearly feel it.
"Metallic feel?" Yang Shiyun couldn't understand, because she didn't feel anything here, which might be related to her current strength.
Zhao Qiang said, "If you don't want to go down, stay here and wait for me. I need to keep clearing the way." With that, Zhao Qiang took out his electromagnetic gun and fired more than a dozen shots at the rock blocking his path. The high-explosive bullets pierced through the protruding rock like honeycomb, and then Zhao Qiang used energy to envelop his sword and slashed down hard. Poof, a piece of rock shattered. Zhao Qiang kept slashing down, and the distance of more than five meters was not long. After about ten minutes, Zhao Qiang had cleared the path, and the road ahead was indeed much wider.
Yang Shiyun hesitated for only a moment before following Zhao Qiang down to the newly opened road. Leaving her alone up there would have been even more frightening, especially since all she could see were rocks. The sense of oppression was something that only those who had experienced it firsthand could understand.
As Yang Shiyun crossed the rock blocking her path, her heart suddenly skipped a beat. A strange sense of familiarity surged through her mind, exciting and inexplicable, yet she couldn't quite grasp the source of this feeling. Although the sensation was faint, Yang Shiyun truly felt it.
"Zhao Qiang, I suddenly feel really strange," Yang Shiyun said.
Zhao Qiang said, "I felt that too, which is why I insisted on continuing."
Yang Shiyun asked, "Do you think there might be any danger?"
Zhao Qiang said, "Even if there is danger, we must go down and take a look."
Yang Shiyun replied, "Yes." She was naturally curious as well.
The two remained silent and continued walking. Beyond the rock that had blocked their path was a narrow crevice, just wide enough for one person to pass through. After walking about ten meters, the path suddenly opened up. Yang Shiyun shone her watch flashlight around, and the path ahead became flatter, the space expanded, and the humidity increased. Water droplets occasionally fell from above. After walking a while longer, they could even hear the faint sound of flowing water, as the water gathered on the ground formed streams that flowed into the crevice.
The road was now going straight and no longer descending. Yang Shiyun said, "This must be the end."
Zhao Qiang said, "It shouldn't be. That strange feeling still comes from underground, but it seems like we can't find a way to continue."
Yang Shiyun waved her flashlight. The crevice ahead had come to an end, with a solid granite block in the center. Zhao Qiang activated his X-ray vision, but behind him was still endless granite. Even if Zhao Qiang could carve a path through the rock, how far could he go? His physical energy was limited, and he might even die here before reaching his destination.
Zhao Qiang sighed and peered into the ground, only to see endless granite; the road had come to an end.
Yang Shiyun asked, "Why is this happening? That feeling is getting stronger and stronger, it's like... it's like I'm going home. Think of something, Zhao Qiang, think of something!" From Yang Shiyun's anxious tone, it was clear that that strange feeling was more important to her.
Zhao Qiang said, "It's not that I don't want to find a way, but I'm powerless in the face of nature's power. The rocks are too thick, and it's simply not up to my ability to go any further. Even if I could go a few dozen meters further, that still wouldn't be the end."
Yang Shiyun plopped down on the ground: "What should I do? I want to find the source of that feeling. It really is Zhao Qiang. I didn't feel anything when you said it before, but suddenly the feeling came so strongly. What's going on? I feel like I'm bewitched."
(Thanks to Mobai for the generous donation of Cangliang coins, and thanks to zggeyi, Langzitou, and yjiang for their two monthly tickets.)
Volume 2 [639] The Mysterious Object Embedded in the Rock
[639] The Mysterious Object Trapped in the Rock
Zhao Qiang said, "Perhaps there's something down here that's important to people like you and me with special abilities, but don't be too impatient. Now that we've discovered this place, we'll dig it all out to find the truth."
Yang Shiyun knew Zhao Qiang's wealth and the power of the Yang family. It wouldn't be difficult for him to contract the mountain and excavate the underground; it was just a matter of time.
Yang Shiyun calmed down. Since she couldn't know the truth immediately, she could only wait patiently. Reflecting on her feelings, Yang Shiyun said, "You feel a metallic sensation, but I feel a sense of intimacy and familiarity, like an innate dependence. It feels like it's right here below." Yang Shiyun bent down on the damp ground, pressed her face tightly against the rock, and closed her eyes to carefully feel it, looking as genuinely like a child clinging to its mother.
Zhao Qiang had activated his X-ray vision to its maximum, but his vision was still limited to rocks. He was somewhat surprised by Yang Shiyun's reaction. At first, she couldn't sense anything, but suddenly it became so intense. Could the strangeness underground be more important to her than to him? What could it be? Was it the reason Yang Shiyun could become invisible? But it was obvious she had never been here before. So what was the connection between this obscure Wulong Mountain and her?
Zhao Qiang looked up and around, when suddenly his gaze was drawn to a dark mass above him. This dark mass was encased in a rock, but the rock was not part of the granite. It had many cracks in its internal structure, and groundwater was flowing through it. One stream of groundwater happened to pass through the dark mass and then flowed upwards along the cracks under pressure.
Yang Shiyun opened her eyes: "Zhao Qiang, I can feel it more and more clearly now, there's a voice calling to me from below."
Zhao Qiang said, "Alright, even if it's just for you, I'll dig this place up so we can find out the truth. But you'll have to be patient; this project can't be completed overnight."
Yang Shiyun said, "Thank you."
Zhao Qiang took off his glasses and handed them to Yang Shiyun: "Look at the top of your head. I used a lot of energy when I was clearing the way, so my eyes are a little blurry and I can't see clearly. There seems to be an object in the rocks. Can you confirm it?"
Yang Shiyun put on Zhao Qiang's glasses. Following Zhao Qiang's instructions, the glasses obeyed Yang Shiyun's mental commands. Yang Shiyun saw the dark shadow under the light and said, "It looks like a rather large black box, with water flowing through it."
Zhao Qiang noticed water seeping from the rocks below the shadowy figure. It was leaking from a gap in the rock that wasn't sealed properly under the immense pressure. He walked over, dipped some water in his finger, and tasted it. "It tastes good."
Yang Shiyun took off her glasses and handed them back to Zhao Qiang, then licked the water on the rock. "Yes, could this be the spring water that Li Hua and the others were talking about? Hehe, could it be that we have already arrived at its source? I observed the water flowing up through the black box, maybe it is gushing out from another Longyan Cave."
Zhao Qiang said, "If that's the case, then let me deduce for you: is it because the water passed through the black box that it became so delicious? You know, I've drunk water from countless places, but this is the first time I've ever drunk natural water with such a sweet taste."
Yang Shiyun said, "What you said is entirely possible. This place gave me that strange feeling, so it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that something miraculous has happened. Maybe what we're seeing now is just the tip of the iceberg."
Zhao Qiang said, "Now that you say that, I'm getting impatient. I'll call Xu Xiaoya and have her find out what's going on around here. We'll contract this mountain range first, and then we'll dig it up extensively. We must find out the secrets inside."
Yang Shiyun said, "We're already so deep underground, how could there possibly be a signal?"
Zhao Qiang pointed upwards: "Since we can't go down any further, let's go up."
Yang Shiyun agreed. Although she was reluctant to leave that sense of familiarity, she had to leave now in order to return here as soon as possible.
Returning to the surface wasn't as difficult as coming down, because Zhao Qiang activated the anti-gravity device, allowing him to navigate through the crevices between the rocks with Yang Shiyun. In a short while, they were back in the original cave. If Zhao Qiang hadn't copied the route from his memory, most people would probably have gotten lost in the intricate underground crevices.
The rain outside not only didn't stop but actually intensified. Zhao Qiang and Yang Shiyun watched as the rainwater gathered into rivers and rushed down the mountain. They were filled with worry; if this continued, a mudslide was inevitable.
Li Hua saw Zhao Qiang and Yang Shiyun in the cave on the other side. He ran over with an umbrella. Although the distance between the two caves was not far, Li Hua was almost soaked after he got there. The umbrella was almost useless because of the strong wind and heavy rain on the mountain.
"Where did you two go just now? I thought you got lost in the cave," Li Hua said anxiously.
Zhao Qiang said, "We just took a quick look and didn't dare to go any deeper."
Li Hua said, "Let's go to that cave over there. This cave is too narrow, and the terrain inside is very complicated. We might get lost if we're not careful. There's no water either. Let's go over there, eat some dry food, rest for a bit, and then come down the mountain when the rain stops."
Zhao Qiang asked, "When do you think the rain will stop?"
Li Hua looked worried: "Who knows? How can the weather forecast be so wrong? Isn't this just asking for trouble?"
Li Hua was about to give the umbrella to Yang Shiyun, but Zhao Qiang said, "You should hold it. We're already soaked, we don't mind getting wet again."
Li Hua asked in confusion, "You should have been fine in the cave, so why are your clothes all tattered?"
Zhao Qiang said embarrassedly, "I slipped and fell while exploring the cave, and there was water deep inside, so my clothes got wet."
Li Hua said, "We can't do something so dangerous again. I didn't realize how worried you two were."
By this time, the thunder had stopped. The three of them trudged through the rain to another cave. The tourists had already found places to sit down. Although this cave was not spacious either, it was flat and long. Everyone sat with their backpacks, chatting, eating dry food, and drinking beverages. They occasionally looked out at the heavy rain outside the cave entrance, which was quite poetic and picturesque.
When Xiao Baihe saw Zhao Qiang and Yang Shiyun come in, she quickly stood up. Zhao Qiang and Yang Shiyun sat down beside her, and Xiao Baihe asked with concern, "Where did you two go just now?"
Zhao Qiang said, "We went into another cave and took a look."
Xiao Baihe said, "Judging from your clothes, the result wasn't very good."
Yang Shiyun said, "Yes, you are very smart."
Xiao Baihe handed over a mineral water bottle and a paper cup: "Try it. The spring water we just collected in the cave is really sweet. I've never drunk such good water before. This place should really be put to use, otherwise all this water will be wasted."
Yang Shiyun took a sip and handed the cup to Zhao Qiang. Zhao Qiang tasted it and nodded to Yang Shiyun. The two understood. The water tasted exactly the same as the water they had drunk underground earlier. What they couldn't determine for the time being was whether the water tasted this way before passing through the black box, or whether it changed tasted this way after passing through it. If it changed tasted this way after passing through it, then what was the black box? Where did it come from? Why was it trapped in the rocks? What role did it play in the changes in the water?