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墨書 Inktalez
The top of the crevice was supported by wooden frames, spreading inward like a mine. The entire space was quiet, with only the sound of water flowing beneath the three of them. The flames of the torches flickered, indicating that this cave was ventilated, but they had no idea where it would lead.
The cave extended downward, feeling like it was partially natural and partially man-made. As they moved deeper, the water gradually became shallower until it dried up. At that moment, Bai Yujing heard a crunch underfoot, as if stepping on something. Holding the torch down to look, he saw a shattered skull.
"Ah!" Li Hao was startled as well but quickly calmed down; after all, he had seen a lot in Shuiyuan Village.
Meili mustered her courage: "It looks like this person has been dead for a long time. Why did they die here?"
Bai Yujing glanced around at the walls and reached out to touch them while carefully observing with the torch: "This might have really been a mine long ago. Look at the rock; it's typical volcanic rock and has some characteristics of volcanic gold ore. You see here, on the exposed wall, there are faint tiny golden particles. One can imagine that this place must have been a gold mine a long time ago!"
"A gold mine?" Both of them stared at the walls, looking around. Anyone who hears that word would surely feel their blood rush; the pursuit of gold seems deeply embedded in human nature, suggesting that humans and dragons are indeed closely related!
However, Bai Yujing looked at the bones on the ground: "But this wealth is indeed built upon countless corpses. One can imagine how many unknown tragic stories occurred here long ago."
Bai Yujing recalled what Yuki Keisuke, the president of the Yoshiwara Society, had said earlier. Their goals were different from his and Tong Wei's group; although he knew about the Center's function, their aim was to find the treasures left by the Eight Hundred Nun. Thinking about it now, guarding such a gold mine must be incredibly lucrative.
"Who is it?" Bai Yujing suddenly turned his weapon toward the front, having just felt a shadow flash by. He was startled as well; Li Hao and Amiya Miri immediately stood behind Bai Yujing, cautiously observing their surroundings.
"Is anyone there?" After a while, Li Hao cautiously asked.
Bai Yujing lowered his weapon: "I don't know, but let's be careful; something feels off."
The group continued forward and soon discovered more branching paths. The mines resembled a maze, sprawling in all directions without knowing where they led, like a spider web spread throughout the underground world. It was evident that this had been a well-developed mining tunnel for many years.
"What should we do? Which way should we go?" Li Hao asked Bai Yujing. Bai Yujing was also at a loss; getting lost in such a complex mine would be troublesome.
Amiya Miri pointed to some footprints on the ground: "It looks like people came this way before. Should we follow them?"
Bai Yujing looked at Amiya Miri in surprise; she seemed a bit shy: "What? Did I say something wrong?"
"You didn't say anything wrong; you're absolutely right! We should follow them!" The two groups that entered before were definitely more familiar with the situation than they were—fully equipped and numerous—whether they were natives or descendants of the Eight Hundred Nun. There was no need to overthink it; they could just follow them.
They took a main mining path leading downward. Bai Yujing held up his torch to watch his step while Li Hao kept his pistol ready, vigilantly scanning their surroundings. "Watch your step and let me know if you notice anything!"
Walking to the center, it seemed like an important passageway, and the space opened up. Holding a torch, the cave was pitch black; this appeared to be a significant transfer station in the mine, supported by several thick wooden stakes.
"This should have been a resting place for miners in the past, but it has undergone some modifications since then," Bai Yujing observed.
Li Hao sat on the ground. "Let's take a break. I'm exhausted after running all the way here behind you, feeling anxious and climbing up and down. I need something to eat."
Speaking of which, today had been the hardest for Bai Yujing. Just moments ago, four people had indirectly or directly died at his hands, and he still felt somewhat dazed by it all. However, the urgency of the situation kept those feelings suppressed.
"Alright, let's rest here for a bit and grab something to eat and drink!"
The group leaned against the wall and sat down. Li Hao took out some biscuits and bottled water from his backpack. The three of them didn't mind sharing, taking turns to drink. Suddenly, while Amiya Miri was drinking water, her ears twitched. "Did you hear dripping sounds?"
Li Hao immediately replied, "It’s probably just water seeping down from somewhere; that's normal in caves like this!"
"Drip! Drip!" They hadn't noticed it before, but as soon as Meili mentioned it, Bai Yujing immediately paid attention and quickly stood up, sensing that something was off.
Bai Yujing raised the torch high and saw in the distance ahead that a pale face was staring back at them from a wooden frame. Its eyes were bulging out, and its lower body was missing; only the upper half hung from the frame, with blood nearly dried on the ground, leaving only the sound of dripping.
"Ah!" The sight was horrifying; Amiya Miri screamed in fright, and Li Hao pressed himself against the wall in shock.
Bai Yujing recognized the deceased; it was Lucky Person, who had been following Yuki Keisuke earlier. He hadn’t expected to find him here in such a gruesome state.
At that moment, Bai Yujing suddenly felt a gust of wind rush by. Realizing something was wrong, he quickly pushed Amiya Miri down to the ground and kicked at a shadowy figure. Raising his gun, Bai Yujing pulled the trigger several times in quick succession, all shots hitting its chest.
"Roar!" A beast-like howl erupted as Bai Yujing finally saw what was attacking him: a humanoid monster covered in scales, standing over two meters tall with bulging muscles that exuded power.
Even after taking three shots, this creature did not fall; it staggered backward with its heavily injured body.
Li Hao was terrified. "What kind of monster is this? We need to get out of here quickly!"
"Don't move!" Bai Yujing shouted but realized it was too late. Li Hao hurriedly ran toward another exit but encountered another monster jumping down from a beam above. Its claw pierced straight through Li Hao's chest.
"Li Hao!" Bai Yujing roared in anger and fired two shots directly at the monster's head. Instantly, he saw its skull shatter, brain matter splattering everywhere; that monster was finally dead.
"Mr. Li Hao!" Amiya Miri never expected such a thing to happen, tears streaming down her face as she followed behind Bai Yujing with a gun in hand. Bai Yujing picked up Li Hao from the ground and saw a large penetrating wound in his chest; with such a severe injury, he seemed beyond saving.
However, at that moment, Li Hao was still joking, "Damn it, Old Bai, I haven't even gotten married yet!"
"I told you not to follow me, but you insisted!" Bai Yujing looked at the situation, tears also flowing down his face. Li Hao had been a good brother to him, and now he was lying here; it felt like his responsibility.
"Old Bai, remember to burn my villa after I die. The car should be the latest model; at least burn a few dozen of them. And make sure to burn plenty of paper money; I'm worried about inflation down there. Also, burn a few wives for me. I want... I want ones with big chests and young..." As Li Hao spoke, he began to cry loudly.
Amiya Miri also lowered her head and sobbed uncontrollably, but Bai Yujing felt something was off. With such a serious injury, how could Li Hao's voice become stronger? Just listen to that crying; it was so heart-wrenching that it could be heard from miles away.
Bai Yujing looked at Li Hao's chest and immediately noticed that the muscles were writhing like worms. Countless muscle fibers were regenerating rapidly; the internal organs had already healed, and soon the wound would be completely gone.
Bai Yujing suddenly threw Li Hao back onto the ground. "Alright, alright, stop pretending to be dead and get up quickly!"
"Old Bai, you heartless person! I'm almost dead here, and you..."
"Mr. Li Hao, look at your chest!" Amiya Miri also noticed the situation and pointed in surprise at Li Hao's body.
"What's wrong with my chest?"
Li Hao looked down at what had once been a severe injury; the bowl-sized hole had completely disappeared. "How is this possible? What's going on? I clearly... could it be an illusion?"
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