Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
The night was deep, and sounds rustled within the cave.
The campfire still burned, casting orange light that stretched shadows across the walls, creating all sorts of strange shapes.
A woman held a portable shovel, sweating as she stood on a pile of freshly dug earth. Song Jiu leaned against a crevice, munching on Beggar's Chicken with grease dripping from his mouth.
The argument between the man and woman ended in the man's complete defeat. Song Jiu noted that the man looked as if he might cry as he stormed off; despite his imposing stature, his heart seemed fragile. Song Jiu guessed that the man hadn't gone far. If he hadn't let his anger cloud his judgment, he would understand that running out unarmed at this time could cost him his life. After all, everyone was currently playing roles in a disaster horror film; there would be no romantic chase scenes unfolding out of nowhere.
The woman said little, glaring at Song Jiu as she repeatedly confirmed Doudou's information. Finally, she mustered the courage to pull out her shovel from her bag and began digging. Starving, Song Jiu shamelessly asked the girl for a piece of the still-steaming fatty chicken and started to gnaw on it. The woman hesitated for a moment, but her concern for her companion gradually overshadowed her rationality.
Inside the cave, the ground was hard and not as easy to dig as imagined. Moreover, the crevice was positioned high up, making it difficult for the woman to exert force from below. Song Jiu wolfed down a pile of bones and rubbed his hands together before asking the woman for the shovel. He felt the soil beneath his feet and spat before starting to dig for himself. After eating some warm cooked meat, warmth gradually returned to his body, and he felt more strength in his limbs. While digging, his mind was busy contemplating what to do after escaping.
The current situation was somewhat awkward; he had rushed down from Dark River and remembered a significant drop. Retracing his steps would be somewhat challenging, but if he left directly from the cave, who knew where to find the entrance to the cavern? Song Jiu put all his strength into shoveling dirt, pondering whether he should first find a way up to the main road. If Lin Daozhang had successfully sent word, then logically speaking, rescue teams should already be on their way. More people meant more strength; it would be better than struggling alone.
However, this line of thought posed some problems regarding Red Mother. Many things could remain buried between Song Jiu and Dream Fan, but Red Mother wouldn't let them go. She treated those past events as conversation starters or leverage against them. It would be one thing if they were worlds apart, but what if she revealed everything in front of Song Yao and others? Song Jiu couldn't allow that to happen. After much consideration, he decided to take a risk and rectify the trouble left behind by Dream Fan before the main group arrived.
"Wait! Don't dig!" The woman suddenly screamed inside the cave, pointing in terror at a spot above her stammering, "Stop! Stop! It's going to collapse!"
"What?" Hearing this, Song Jiu was alarmed; both were inside the mountain. If it collapsed now, it would be disastrous. He hurriedly stopped digging and probed at the already excavated crevice; his head could fit through, but his shoulders were stuck.
"What do we do? I feel like it's about to collapse," the woman panicked instinctively retreating towards the cave entrance.
Following her gaze, Song Jiu looked over and saw that part of the arched ceiling had indeed begun to give way. He handed her the flashlight so she could hold it up while rummaging through her backpack again.
"What are you doing?" The woman found herself trapped in this hollow space with him, unable to move forward or backward; she had no choice but to cooperate with Song Jiu as best as she could.
Song Jiu remained silent as he reached for something hard and pulled it out. Staring at it in surprise, he exclaimed, "What are you guys? Tomb raiders? You even brought a map?"
The woman snatched the large copper plate paper from Song Jiu's hands, shot him a glare, and muttered, "This is the Sea Chart."
"There's more to it," Song Jiu chuckled awkwardly, finally finding a Swiss Army knife. He fiddled with it for a moment, using the screwdriver to pry off the heavy shackles around his neck.
"Do you have a gun?" Song Jiu asked.
"No, I don't." The woman showed a hint of wariness, but it was only for a moment. Song Jiu stood before her, his body marked with jagged scars that suggested he wasn't exactly an honest man. If he wanted to harm her, it would probably take just a few minutes.
After some effort, Song Jiu managed to remove all the shackles from his hands and feet. He strapped on a machete, lighter, and various ropes haphazardly before putting on a pair of slightly small climbing boots. Feeling somewhat reassured, he glanced at the dazed woman and asked, "What’s your name?"
"Yang Chun Yue," she replied. Seeing him fully equipped, she hurriedly tied up her hair, preparing to leave with him.
"I'm Song Jiu. Thank you," he said, rubbing his stubble and frowning. "You don’t need to come with me; just wait here. If I survive, I’ll bring your friend back."
"How can you be so untrustworthy?" Yang Chun Yue was taken aback. She had seen people burn bridges after crossing them but had never encountered someone so shameless—having taken everything from her, he now planned to leave without a care.
"I'm not lying to you; your friend is really inside. I need to go save them. It's dangerous in there, and having you along would only complicate things." Song Jiu adjusted the miner's lamp on his head, narrowing the beam of light as he said seriously, "There’s enough gear left for you to use. Don’t wander off; it may be dark here, but it's safe."
"I don’t care; you promised to take me to find my friend." Realizing the situation was turning against her, Yang Chun Yue quickly rummaged through some equipment and strapped it on while keeping her distance from Song Jiu. "I won’t hinder you; just tell me where Doudou is."
"I'm not joking with you," Song Jiu said impatiently. After saying that, he turned to leave. Just as he took a couple of steps, a flash of fire suddenly lit up the dark space, followed by a loud explosion that shook the entire Dark River.
Song Jiu broke out in a cold sweat and turned his head stiffly. The miner's lamp illuminated Yang Chun Yue as she held her gun in a shooting stance, her arm trembling slightly.
"Don't come any closer; I still have bullets," she warned, shaken by the loud noise herself. Seeing Song Jiu's expression change, she quickly stepped back a few paces.
With a long sigh, Song Jiu shook his head with a bitter smile, pointing at the compact pistol in her hand. "Don't point that at me. If you want to leave, just go. Once we get inside, I can't look after you; you'll have to take care of yourself."
"Deal."
Starlight hung low, the grass waves vast and indistinct.
On the desolate highway, a group of people marched through the thick fog.
It was unfortunate that the two fire trucks couldn't hold out for long. Dozens of people had left with great momentum, but their high spirits crumbled in less than two hours against the harsh reality of walking. Ming Junwei led the team, with Foreign Operatives scouting ahead, while Roundabout followed closely behind. All their weapons were loaded as they hurried along, guided by the flickering beams of flashlights.
Ten hours had passed since the coal transport team had encountered trouble, yet the main force still had a considerable distance to cover. Everyone's faces were grave; they could hardly imagine what awaited them. At this moment, Dream Fan, who had seemed on the verge of collapse earlier, appeared more composed. Her eyes were red and swollen, her expression resolute. As a non-combatant, she neither complained nor lagged behind.
"Have something to eat." Luo Yu pulled a compressed biscuit from his pocket and handed it to her.
Dream Fan gently shook her head, her long hair billowing in the night wind.
"Keep your strength up." Luo Yu's tone left no room for refusal as he tore open the packaging and pressed it into her hand.
Dream Fan's eyes reddened again as she took a small bite of the hard biscuit and whispered, "I'm sorry; forgive me for not being able to tell you too much."
"It's okay." Luo Yu patted her delicate shoulder and sighed. "Since you and Jiu Jiu have reached an understanding, you must have your reasons. I won't force you; just be rational. After all, Brother Jiu is currently missing, and any information you have might help us rescue him."
"I understand." Dream Fan nodded.
Old Lin and Liu Yan walked behind the two women, exchanging glances filled with helplessness.
"Lin Daozhang," the leader of the group, suddenly called out, raising a hand to signal everyone to stop.
Ming Junwei turned at the sound and asked, "What's wrong?"
"Look," Song Yao said, her brows furrowing as she directed the beam of her flashlight toward the road near the guardrail.
Lin Daozhang hurried over, glancing around cautiously, and asked, "What is it?"
"You mentioned that those strange people you encountered had cavalry," Song Yao inquired.
"Yes, mounted riders," Old Lin confirmed with a nod. "There were more than just one or two."
Song Yao's expression grew serious as she shook the flashlight beam, saying in a low voice, "It seems their range of activity is quite extensive."
Ming Junwei and Old Lin squinted into the light and saw, illuminated by the beam on the asphalt road, a pile of still steaming animal droppings right in front of them.
Comment 0 Comment Count