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墨書 Inktalez
Zhong Kui's Diary
In the end, we still went to the restroom because none of the substitutes in the back of the car got out. Do these people have four kidneys? It's surprising that they haven't thought about using the restroom after bouncing around for four or five hours.
After getting out of the car, what greeted us was a desolate scene, with almost only one color remaining—brownish-yellow. The originally green asphalt road was covered with a thin layer of yellow sand. This gas station also looked weathered, not because it was poorly maintained, but because it had been battered by the wind and sand in this area, making it appear particularly dilapidated.
Even the large titanium letters on the signboard only showed "China Stone Dagger." Yes, it used to be Sinopec, but now that name is gone.
After getting out of the car, I didn't see those Black-Clad Masked Figures. Instead, there were more soldiers in camouflage uniforms. It seems that the leaders of Head West also know that black-clad masked figures are not suitable for public appearances.
Strangely enough, although this gas station was run-down, the restroom had just been renovated and even had three stalls, each equipped with doors. Wow, Sinopec really has money.
On my way to the restroom, an amusing incident occurred. A lady selling snacks at the gas station hurried past us and accidentally bumped into White Dragon Horse. A bag of peanuts fell from her hands onto the ground, and both parties were momentarily stunned before almost simultaneously cursing at each other.
At first, I found it quite entertaining, but then I got bored and took out fifty yuan to give to the lady before dragging White Dragon Horse to the restroom.
Since we arrived relatively late, there were no other colleagues left in the restroom. We each found a stall. I took out my props and enjoyed a refreshing moment.
It seemed that White Dragon Horse was getting older; I barely heard any sound from him. I couldn't help but laugh and said, "Hey, White Dragon Horse, do you want me to whistle a tune for you?"
White Dragon Horse snorted but didn't respond.
"Don't be shy! Let me play you a piece of 'High Mountains and Flowing Water,'" I continued to tease.
With a loud "thud," it seemed something hit the wall next door. I was taken aback and shouted, "Hey, Old Bai, did you drop something in the toilet?"
"Nothing!" White Dragon Horse mumbled from inside. After a while, I heard the sound of running water. Oh? I didn't expect that at his age, White Dragon Horse still had such strong flow!
After waiting outside for a while, the White Dragon Horse finally came out. Seeing me waiting at the door, Breaking New Ground greeted me with a smile, "Yo Xie, thanks for having your senior brother wait for me personally!"
"Cut it out, who can compare to you? The Dragon King's Third Prince actually went to the restroom himself!" I wasn't afraid of anyone when it came to sarcasm. Fatty Kong Xuan was a master of witty remarks.
...
Once we got in the car, the White Dragon Horse unexpectedly greeted Hua Wuqiu, "Hey? Aren't you... going to the restroom?"
Hua Wuqiu rolled his eyes and ignored him.
The car continued on until midnight when it finally stopped, but the engine remained running. Tang Seng cleared his throat, and the five substitutes in the back of the vehicle immediately got out. There were low murmurs outside, followed by the sound of footsteps moving away, seemingly heading towards the desert next to the road. Before long, the footsteps faded into silence.
After this group moved far away, the car resumed its journey. About twenty minutes later, it stopped again. Tang Seng got up and lifted the tarp at the back to take a look before turning to us and saying, "Let's go!"
The White Dragon Horse bent down and pulled out a bundle of Climbing Rope from under his seat, slinging it over his shoulder. He was the first to jump out of the car and rushed towards the nearby desert. The others quietly followed him out of the vehicle and quickly advanced behind him.
I couldn't help but glance at the Black-Clad Masked Figures a few times. Earlier, due to their loose robe, I hadn't noticed anything unusual while sitting in the car. But once they got out and started moving, it became clear that this Black-Clad Masked Figure was actually a woman.
A woman? Could it be Hua Wuqiu's mother coming to check on her son-in-law?
Under the dim moonlight, our group walked for about half an hour until the White Dragon Horse led us to a mound of earth. After feeling around for a moment, he exerted some strength and lifted up a large piece of sod. Upon closer inspection, it wasn't just sod; it was clearly a Large Stone Slab covered with dirt and grass roots.
Lifting this stone slab revealed a dark Big Hole underneath. The opening was about a meter wide; upon closer examination, it was clearly a well that had been buried by this raised mound. The White Dragon Horse placed down the Climbing Rope from his back and dug around the well opening for a moment until he uncovered an iron ring. He tied one end of the Rope to the iron ring and tossed the other end directly into the well.
After testing the Rope's sturdiness by tugging on it, the White Dragon Horse looked up and said, "Slide down along the Rope for about twenty meters to reach the bottom of the well. There's no water at the bottom; there's a passage nearby that leads forward for about ten meters into a larger space where diving equipment is stored. Everyone should change into diving suits before we proceed."
No one raised any objections as the White Dragon Horse grabbed the rope and slid down. Following him were Sha Monk and Sima Sanguang, then the Black-Clad Masked Figures and Hua Wuqiu, and finally, I followed Tang Seng. The seven of us slid down to the bottom of the well one after another. Tang Seng was the last to enter; before coming in, he remembered to cover the stone slab outside. This fellow is really meticulous.
Without the moonlight from outside, the bottom of the well was completely dark. However, this darkness did not last long, as the White Dragon Horse had already turned on a spotlight, illuminating the area. Following the light, we saw a tunnel that was taller than a person, with the White Dragon Horse waving at us about ten meters ahead.
The place where he stood should be his designated space, where he had neatly arranged about ten sets of diving equipment beside him. Further behind him, there was a Dark Hole whose destination was unknown.
Once we all entered, the White Dragon Horse smiled and said, "Although our original plan only included five people, I prepared about ten sets of equipment just in case!"
Everyone divided up the gear. Since there were women present, we had to turn off the spotlight and quietly changed clothes in the dark. After confirming that everyone was ready, the White Dragon Horse turned on the spotlight again and said, "Each person has a portable diving spotlight. The light lasts for three hours, so there's no need to conserve it because I have set up about ten rest stations along the underground river."
Wow, he’s quite knowledgeable; he even knows about rest stations. However, I wasn't particularly concerned about that. My gaze inadvertently swept over the woman in black; unfortunately, she had not only put on her diving suit but also donned a large diving mask, making it impossible to see what she looked like.
Forget it; it doesn't matter who she is. She shouldn't be Hua Wuqiu's mother because after changing into her diving suit, her figure was graceful and slender, unlike someone who had given birth.
The White Dragon Horse continued explaining: "The water flow in the underground river is mostly not very rapid. In places where it is slightly faster, I have set up ropes that you can hold onto while diving through. I believe this stretch will be safe despite being a bit long. Alright, let's set off now!"
After securing my Oxygen Tank and picking up my fins, I swept the spotlight towards the Dark Hole and went in first.
The others followed behind me as we descended slightly. After walking about a hundred meters, we reached the end of the tunnel where I heard the sound of flowing water. I initially thought we would see a river or something similar; however, at the end of the tunnel was a closed Round space with a pool about three meters in diameter in its center. The water inside flowed gently and appeared deep blue-black under the light.
"This pool connects to the Underground River and is located at its edge; it's about three to four meters deep. But don't worry; the middle of the river is only five to six meters deep. The water flow here is not rapid; just follow me!" The White Dragon Horse put on his fins, adjusted his oxygen gauge and breathing apparatus, sat at the edge of the pool, and rolled into the water headfirst. Bubbles erupted from the surface as soon as he entered, and soon we saw his spotlight shaking underwater as he signaled us to follow.
Everyone exchanged glances before grabbing their oxygen tubes and putting on their fins before jumping into the water without much ceremony.
I quickly sank to the bottom where I could see faintly illuminated stone walls across from me with my spotlight; this river seemed to be about thirty meters wide. Once in the water, Hua Wuqiu grabbed my hand and waved her spotlight at me while bubbles escaped from her mouth; she must have wanted to say something. I squeezed her hand and nodded towards the direction of the White Dragon Horse to indicate that now wasn't a good time for chatting.
As we moved forward, we occasionally passed through some caves. The caves varied in size; the larger ones were nearly dozens of meters high, while in the smaller ones, one could almost hit the ceiling just by sticking their head out. The White Dragon Horse indeed took safety seriously, as there was a rest station every so often where we could come ashore to take a break and change things like the Oxygen Tank or spotlight batteries. In his words, we weren't short on those supplies.
Indeed, at each rest station, there were dozens of oxygen tanks available, and batteries were packed in large plastic bags. There were also chocolates and bottled water...
After stopping and going along the way, when we reached the tenth rest point, due to the swift current in this last stretch of water, the White Dragon Horse decided to enter the water first to check the position of the Rope. Unexpectedly, as soon as he entered the water and tugged on the Rope, his expression changed dramatically. He quickly pulled back his hands and surprisingly retrieved a section of broken Rope. The cut was jagged, as if it had been worn down by rocks or bitten off by some kind of fish.
In any case, this Rope was broken.
Tang Seng's face immediately turned pale at the sight and he exclaimed angrily, "Is this your guarantee of safety all along?"
The White Dragon Horse quickly removed his breathing apparatus and explained, "I used the strongest nylon rope available; it can lift several thousand pounds! How was I supposed to know it would be so fragile!"
"You should have used a chain from the start!" Tang Seng retorted angrily but then realized that getting angry now wouldn't help. He had to change his approach and asked, "So what can we do now?"
"Actually, although the current is a bit swift here, it won't sweep people away. Otherwise, how could I have set up the Rope in the first place?" the White Dragon Horse said. "As long as you all hold hands and follow me slowly, there shouldn't be any danger."
At this point, there were no other options. Everyone gradually submerged into the water, holding hands behind the White Dragon Horse as we slowly advanced along the riverbed edge in the same order as before: Hua Wuqiu was in front of me, and Tang Seng was behind me.
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