【Texture】(73, 74, 75)

Author: Wandering Traveler
Word Count: 25892
First published on sis on November 19, 2015

Chapter 73

The previous shot was a warning and intimidation, intended to force me to stop. Seeing that I ignored it and instead
accelerated , the jeep behind me fired two more shots, clearly aimed at the car.

However, as I expected, hitting a target in a bumpy vehicle is extremely difficult
; the bullets only traveled halfway before disappearing into the distance.

I heard the jeep's occupants shouting and cursing. However, through the rearview mirror, I also noticed
some subtle changes in the jeep's situation. A figure who had been sitting in the back seat stood up and took the rifle from
the previous shooter. Then, he raised his hand and made an aiming motion…

"Tch, pretentious! It's no wonder they can't hit anything in this situation." Realizing that the other side might have switched shooters
, I mentally mocked the actions of the people in the car behind me, based on common sense.

A gunshot rang out, and the right-side rearview mirror of my SUV shattered into pieces…

I quickly pulled the steering wheel to the left, inwardly cursing… “Damn it, there’s a
sharpshooter in the car behind us!”

After driving to the left for a few seconds, I pulled the steering wheel to the right again. Realizing there was a sharpshooter in the jeep
, I had no choice but to adopt a zigzag driving route. This method effectively increased
the difficulty for the other party to shoot accurately, but it reduced the vehicle’s speed. After all, the car behind was going straight, while I was now going around it. My
SUV’s original speed advantage was immediately diminished. The

newly appeared shooter in the jeep behind was obviously an experienced one. Seeing that I was driving in a zigzag pattern,
he didn’t continue to fire blindly, but instead took his gun, sat down, and waited for the next opportunity to fire.

After driving three or four kilometers, the jeep behind us was still relentlessly chasing after me and Zhou Jingyi, which
I found unbelievable. I didn’t understand why they were so persistent in pursuing us.

Poachers primarily make a living by hunting wild animals. When they encounter lone or defenseless
travelers , they don't mind temporarily acting as bandits, robbing them of their belongings and vehicles. But their ultimate
goal is always money. And they often do this only as a sideline; if the target runs fast
and the chances of robbery are slim, they usually abandon the pursuit and return to their
primary occupation of hunting wild animals. But the guys behind us have chased Zhou Jingyi and me for such a long
distance . This makes me suspicious of their identities and origins. "Could they not be poachers, but
armed men here for some other purpose?"

Driving straight ahead risks another shot from the sniper in the car behind; continuing to drive in a zigzag pattern
won't shake them off. Besides, I know how low our fuel level is. Although
we added a spare can, the tank only has about a third of its capacity left. If
they relentlessly continue the chase, we'll be caught sooner or later once the fuel runs out.

Moreover, this is all contingent on ensuring the escape route remains the current flat grassland and hilly terrain.
Once we enter areas with more undulating terrain, the advantage of the enemy's diesel vehicle's higher horsepower will become apparent, making it
even easier to catch up.

Thinking of this, and unsure how much fuel the jeep behind us had left, I turned my gaze to
the distant, cloud-covered area of rain…

"Damn it, although we came out from there before, going back in might mean encountering that blue-eyed
giant wolf . But once we enter the rain zone, visibility will be low, and since they're in an open-top jeep, that sharpshooter won't be able
to sit comfortably in the car forcing me to drive in a zigzag pattern like he does now. We might be able to
shake them off completely in the rain zone."

With this in mind, I immediately shared my thoughts with Zhou Jingyi beside me. Zhou Jingyi paused for a moment,
then a resolute expression appeared on her face. She gritted her teeth and said, "Then let's drive in! I refuse to believe we
'll be so unlucky as to run into those wolves again. And even if we do, it's no big deal! In my opinion,
those wolves are much cuter than the people behind us..."

With that, Zhou Jingyi suddenly leaned in and kissed me. I turned to look at her in surprise
, seeing the trust and expectation in her eyes.

"Haha, you're right! Wolves may be wild beasts, but they're much cuter than many people in real life
!" Zhou Jingyi's kiss seemed to give me endless courage and confidence. I laughed loudly, quickly turned
the steering wheel , adjusted the direction, and sped towards a dark patch of rain.

After driving for several minutes, getting closer and closer to the rain zone, the people in the jeep behind finally guessed why I
had changed my route. The sharpshooter who had been sitting there got up again and raised his rifle...

"Thump..."

A bullet clearly hit the back of the SUV.

"Thump..."

I saw sparks fly from the left side of the car near the rear door in the left rearview mirror...

"Damn... where did this sharpshooter come from? His shooting skills
are comparable !" I muttered to myself.

I'm a former reconnaissance soldier, so I know a lot about shooting. In fact, my own marksmanship isn't bad either.
During the military region's large-scale competition, I even made it to the finals of the standard rifle event in the military pentathlon and achieved a good
ranking. Therefore, I'm very clear about the key points and difficulties of shooting under various conditions and environments.

In this situation, where we're both moving at high speed and unable to maintain a stable sniper rifle aim, yet he
manages to hit the target every time at a distance of nearly 100 meters in the dark, with only the headlights of the car in front providing illumination, the shooter in the jeep behind us could
be called a "sharpshooter." Keep in mind, he only has a bare Type 56 semi-automatic rifle without a
scope. In my memory, there are very few
soldiers .

At this moment, the other side had clearly begun targeting the car tires. Just as I was worrying that
if blew out, Zhou Jingyi and I would become easy prey within the shooter's effective range, raindrops
pounded against my windshield…

"Thank goodness..." I steadied the steering wheel, reducing the swaying of the zigzag path, and
sped towards the area with the heaviest rainfall. A few dozen seconds later, the rain around the car suddenly intensified...

The gunner in the jeep behind me realized that the rain in the darkness obscured his vision, making shooting more difficult, and
immediately gave up firing. He leaned down again. But the jeep showed no sign of giving up
, stubbornly chasing after me.

With the cover of the heavy rain, I stopped my zigzag path and focused solely on speeding
away , finally gradually increasing the distance between myself and the jeep... one hundred meters... two hundred meters... the distance grew farther and
farther, the headlights behind me grew smaller and smaller until they blurred and disappeared into the torrential rain... I finally breathed a slight
sigh of relief .

After driving for a few more minutes, Zhou Jingyi patted my arm and said, "Listen..."

I rolled down the left window, listened carefully, and shook my head helplessly. Although
the lights were no longer visible, we could still
faintly . This indicated that the jeep behind us hadn't returned and was still searching for and chasing our off-road
vehicle.

"What do we do?" Zhou Jingyi asked me, asking for our next move.

I frowned and thought for a moment. Then, I suddenly noticed a light flickering somewhere ahead.

At first, I was startled, thinking the jeep had somehow gotten in front of us. But
after driving for a few seconds, I realized the light was stationary. I ruled out the possibility that it was
the jeep immediately drove towards the light. When I got closer, I realized that the light was coming
from the makeshift "rain shelter campsite" that we and Xiao Tian's group had set up earlier. When they discovered the blue-eyed giant wolf,
everyone in the campsite rushed into their vehicles for safety, leaving behind several
outdoor lights and a still-burning stove in the shelter. The light I was seeing was from these things.

Upon seeing the sheltered campsite, I suddenly thought of the strange
cave two or three hundred meters to the side of the campsite. A thought struck me, and I asked Zhou Jingyi,

"What do you think we should do if we drive the car to the entrance of that cave, park it, abandon it, and hide
somewhere ? What would they think if they saw the car parked at the entrance?"

Zhou Jingyi paused, then her eyes lit up. "Right, they'd most likely think we abandoned the car and
ran into the cave."

"If their goal is the car, they'll drive it away and stop chasing us;
if they want to kill us both, they'll get out and go into the cave to pursue us. We can just
ambush them, sabotage their car while they're inside, and then drive away to shake them off … What do you think of this idea?" I then explained
my analysis of the various scenarios and our possible solutions to Zhou Jingyi. 　　Zhou Jingyi only thought for a moment before immediately agreeing with my analysis and our respective strategies. 　　I immediately turned the steering wheel and drove along the rock face to the vicinity of the cave entrance. After getting out of the car, I went around to the back and took out the large backpack containing photography equipment from the trunk, then slung it over my shoulder. If they wanted to , I had no intention of letting them take the equipment with them. Zhou Jingyi, on the other hand, took two small backpacks containing some dry food, water, and essential survival supplies. With these supplies, she and I could survive in the wild for a long time without the car. Of course, if they entered the cave intending to capture or kill someone , Zhou Jingyi and I would naturally turn around and sabotage their jeep, then continue our escape with these supplies . 　　Hearing the sound of a jeep engine approaching in the distance, Zhou Jingyi and I immediately 　　ran in the opposite direction from the "Rain Shelter Camp. " 　　After running about a hundred meters, I spotted several large, protruding rocks near the rock face them. From there, we could conceal ourselves and observe the situation on the other side of the cave entrance. 　　A few minutes later, the jeep "successfully" spotted our abandoned SUV at the cave entrance, its headlights on . Four men got out of the jeep and circled the SUV. Then, Zhou Jingyi and I realized we'd miscalculated. They neither drove off with our car nor immediately went into the cave to "chase" us; instead, they stayed put, using communication devices to make contact… 　　"What should we do? They don't seem to have fallen for it? Should we take this opportunity to get further away?" Zhou Jingyi didn't blame me for my misjudgment, but simply suggested we go further away. 　　While observing their situation, I thought for a moment, then shook my head, rejecting her suggestion. "No, if they don't drive back, we'll definitely be caught by their car wheels if we try to escape on foot. 　　And I don't think they've figured out our plan! Because if they judged that we hadn't entered the cave, they should have driven off immediately, or dispersed their men to attack us from the nearest point. But they didn't do that, which means they probably still think we've escaped into the cave. The communication they're making now is probably to call their accomplices , or to ask their leader whether they should continue to pursue us into the cave." 　　Zhou Jingyi thought for a moment and felt that my analysis made sense. "So what should we do now, stay here and observe the situation?" 　　I nodded and said. "That's right. We can't . No matter how we run, they can find and catch us in their car. And as long as they think we've entered the cave, even if they have reinforcements, they'll still send people in to explore . At that point, even if there are people guarding the outside, there won't be many, and they won't be very vigilant. We 'll still have a chance to get a car and escape. Don't forget, we also have guns. If we launch a sneak attack, I'm confident I can take out a few of them in a short time, attract their attention, and create an opportunity for you to get in the car and escape." 　　"Don't talk nonsense, what do you mean create an opportunity for me! We'll go together." Zhou Jingyi was clearly moved when she realized I put her safety above her own, and she moved even closer to me, scolding me softly. 　　I put my arm around Zhou Jingyi's shoulder, half-jokingly, while also revealing my true thoughts at that moment.

"You're my woman now. I'm not much of a hero, but one thing is for sure: I will never
let my woman die before me."

"Pah, pah, pah! You're such a jinx, always saying such unlucky things. I offered
incense to the Three Pure Ones before coming here; they'll definitely protect us and keep us safe!" Zhou Jingyi
said this, but buried her head in my chest.

After the people in the jeep finished communicating, they still didn't take any further action. Two of them put on
raincoats and stood guard at the cave entrance, while the other two stayed beside the two vehicles,
weapons in hand, talking.

The distance was too far for me to hear their conversation. However, the two men guarding the cave entrance
confirmed my deduction. They must have genuinely believed that Zhou Jingyi and I had escaped into the cave. Otherwise, there would have been no
need to guard the entrance.

After observing for a while and seeing that the people in the jeep made no further moves, I discussed it with Zhou Jingyi and
we decided to take turns sleeping and resting while keeping watch. Zhou Jingyi had taken a nap in the car earlier and was quite energetic at the moment, so
I closed my eyes and tried to sleep under her insistence. Although it was raining heavily,
the shape of the rock we were hiding on was excellent; its sloping top blocked a significant portion of the rain. Because of this, only a few raindrops
reached my upper body. When we came out, we had grabbed a raincoat, which we now covered Zhou Jingyi and me with
. The faint, feminine scent emanating from Zhou Jingyi filled my nostrils, and
I felt her body heat. Unconsciously, I drifted into a deep sleep.

I don't know how long I slept, but I felt something soft pressed against my mouth, and I hurriedly opened my eyes. The result
was that Zhou Jingyi was holding my head and kissing me, her beautiful eyes fixed on mine. When I
opened my eyes , she moved her lips away, touching my mouth with her index finger and thumb. I realized
this meant she wanted me to speak softly.

"Why did you suddenly kiss me?" I asked in a low voice.

"I was waking you up, and I was afraid you'd yell if I woke you, so I covered your mouth first," Zhou
Jingyi explained softly, pursing her lips.

I smiled and shook my head. These days, I understand this woman less and less. Sometimes she's
frighteningly mature and composed, but other times, she has a childlike, whimsical way of thinking.

"Don't shake your head, look! It looks like a big shot has come to the cave entrance," Zhou Jingyi said
, turning my face towards the cave entrance. My gaze immediately shifted to the cave
entrance, about a hundred meters away. Upon seeing it, my heart sank…

the area around the cave entrance was brightly lit! Besides the SUV that Zhou Jingyi and I had abandoned at the cave entrance and
the jeep that had come in pursuit, Xiao Tian and his group's three vehicles and the other four vehicles belonging to the armed men had all appeared.

A whole bunch of people—aside from Liu Jin and the others who had already been forcibly subdued, at least fifty or sixty people stood
densely packed .

Seeing this, I turned to Zhou Jingyi with disbelief and said, "All their people
are here. Why didn't you wake me up sooner?"

"Didn't you say we
should ?" Zhou Jingyi, hearing the reproach in my tone, immediately frowned
and pouted, muttering at me.

"But all their men are here. So many of them! Even if we go in, there are
at . How are we supposed to get a car and escape? In this situation, we can only consider escaping on foot,
going as far as we can. You should have woken me up sooner when you realized something was wrong. Now, with so many of them
around, if we both try to turn around and run, we're likely to be spotted." I quickly explained.

Zhou Jingyi's eyes widened, staring at me intently for a moment before turning her head away and muttering, "I knew it!
You men are unreliable. I did exactly what you said, and yet..." Her voice was filled with
grievance .

I panicked and quickly pulled her into my arms. Without waiting for her consent, I kissed her hard on the
lips. After the kiss, I whispered in her ear, "Okay, okay, my darling, you did nothing wrong
. I did everything I said. I was wrong, I was wrong."

Zhou Jingyi turned her head, glared at me, and carefully pointed towards the cave entrance. "Stop
flattering me. Look over there, that guy's got a big presence. He must be their leader."

Hearing Zhou Jingyi say this, I turned my head and finally noticed the "leader, big shot" she was referring to!

Just as Zhou Jingyi said, there was one person in the crowd who stood out.
Most of the people gathered at the cave entrance were dressed in sportswear, such as camouflage, athletic wear, or work clothes,
but only one person was wearing a white men's stand-up collar long shirt, making him stand out from the crowd. Not only that,
but the others were either wearing raincoats or simply getting soaked. Only he was standing there, with someone
in a tracksuit holding an umbrella for him.

After confirming this, I was no longer surprised why Zhou Jingyi thought he was a "big shot." Because
from a distance, this person looked exactly like those party and government
leaders on TV news who went out on inspections with their entourage holding umbrellas for them, and definitely the corrupt type. His behavior
was even worse than that of Boss Li's father, who had appeared in the tunnel. Although the previous Commissioner Li was surrounded by people, his demeanor and attitude
towards his entourage were quite amiable. He didn't have much of the airs of a high-ranking leader. This other man, however, stood with his hands behind his back,
head held high, listening indifferently to the armed men around him respectfully making reports and requests for instructions
.

Looking at this man, I couldn't help but think of Wang Lie! As for the reason, I couldn't quite explain it.

Perhaps his arrogant, self-important attitude was
similar .

Among the armed men's vehicles was a medium-sized truck, which, judging from its appearance, seemed to be a
Dongfeng . The crowd gathered at the cave entrance continuously unloaded various supplies and materials from the truck's cargo bed.
In just over ten minutes, several military tents were erected at the cave entrance. After the tents were set up, the man in white and his...
The people with umbrellas then entered the largest tent. After the camp was set up,
most of the other armed men, except for a few still outside carrying supplies or on guard, went into their tents
to rest . Liu Jin and his men were also crammed into one tent.

Seeing this, a thought struck me. It reminded me of when Li Chao and his group
set up camp at the entrance to the Phoenix Mountain tunnel, posing as an archaeological team. "Could it be... could it be that these people's original goal was
this cave? So, even though they thought Zhou Jingyi and I had escaped into the cave, they didn't rush in.

They planned to make all the necessary preparations before entering."

Just as I was thinking this, three figures suddenly appeared at the cave entrance,
slowly walking towards where Zhou Jingyi and I were hiding. Seeing this, Zhou Jingyi and I instinctively shrank
behind the rocks.

"What do we do?" Zhou Jingyi looked at me nervously. I gritted my teeth and pulled out my pistol. "Once they
cross the rocks, I'll fire from behind and then hold them off from here. You prepare to run."

Zhou Jingyi immediately shook her head vigorously. At that moment, I didn't care what she thought and
pulled her into my arms. I was prepared to push her away if we engaged in a firefight.

Zhou Jingyi realized that there was no room for discussion with me at this point. She could only grimace and wait for my
encounter with the armed men.

However, to Zhou Jingyi's and my surprise, the men who came over didn't seem to be there to keep watch or
check the surroundings . They walked to a spot about ten meters in front of the rocks where Zhou Jingyi and I were hiding, pressed
themselves against the rock face, and started talking and smoking cigarettes.

"Xiao Tian, you did well this time. The academy rarely praises people, but
do you know what he said when I was introducing you to the situation here? He said you are truly capable. He said that after this matter is resolved, he will let you begin your Five Qi cultivation
." A deep, yet magnetic, middle-aged male voice reached Zhou Jingyi and my ears.

Zhou Jingyi and I exchanged a glance after hearing the man mention Xiao Tian. Both of us were
shocked.

Then, Xiao Tian's voice rang out. "Master Feng, can you stop with the nonsense? I don't have
any of that 'innate wisdom' you're talking about. I accept the praise from Xue Zong. But this 'Five Elements Cultivation' stuff—
I still don't know what any of that is! If you really think I did a good job this time, can you give me something
concrete? Let me be frank with you, in a while, when these guys' families find out they're gone,
they'll definitely report them to the police, and the investigation will lead back to me. I won't be able to stay in Chengdu anymore. You need to arrange my
future, okay?"

"Sigh... what can I say to you? Xiao Tian, can't you be a little more ambitious? All you think about all day is money and
women? Can't you have loftier aspirations? Do you even know
what cultivating the Five Elements means to people like us? So many people dream of having this opportunity. And you, you're asking me for something practical? Fine, okay, once
things are settled here, I'll arrange for you to go abroad. First to Thailand, then America or Europe, your choice.
As for money, one million will be in place as soon as you arrive in Thailand. Another four million will be added before you leave for your final destination. Is that enough?"

The middle-aged man seemed quite dismissive of Xiao Tian's request, but his tone carried more regret.

"Hehe, Master Feng, you really understand me. This arrangement is great!" Xiao Tian replied, his pride
overflowing .

"Satisfied? If you're satisfied, that's good. I told you before, working for us, money isn't a problem. And let me
tell you, once you're abroad, if you're willing, keep in touch with us. Help us with some overseas affairs,
and we'll continue to pay you your salary."

"Thanks, Master Feng. I'll definitely do it if there's a salary. But please, don't do it again like this time.

You have no idea how much effort I put into infiltrating their circle to find these handsome men and beautiful women you wanted.
Then I tricked them into coming on a road trip, acting like a servant
the .

I coaxed and tricked them into coming here. Especially that Liu Jin, he's such an idiot.
Just because his family has some money, he acts like a big shot. Before you came, he even provoked that guy who ran away.
He didn't even realize that guy had a gun. If he angered him, in this desolate place, the guy wouldn't have so many
scruples, he might actually shoot him. Sigh... never mind, I won't say anymore. Luckily you came in time, I
finally got this job done for you." Xiao Tian said, sighing.

"Is that so? Oh, right, perfect. What about those two guys who escaped into the cave? I
only instructed you to find six couples and bring He Yanqiu and her child over.
How did those two come with you?" The man Xiao Tian called Master Feng was
undoubtedly referring to Zhou Jingyi and me. And judging from what he was saying, my deception had been successful.

They were indeed quite certain that Zhou Jingyi and I had gone into the cave.

"It's quite a coincidence. I went to rent a car and ran into that woman who was also renting one. I discovered she
's a real beauty. You told me to find people, the prettier the woman and the more handsome the man, the better.
After meeting her, I chatted with her for a bit and learned that she and her male companion were looking for a place to collect
field material for some magazine column. I was thinking that although I already had the number you wanted, it
would be good to have an extra couple as a backup or backup, just in case. So I simply tricked this couple into
joining you . I just didn't expect that the man might be involved in the underworld, as he was carrying a handgun. He almost
got into a fight with that idiot Liu Jin. But thankfully, it didn't escalate, and the two of them ran away. I've handed over all twelve men and
women you intact." Just as Xiao Tian finished speaking, a strange man's voice interrupted.

"That man isn't from the underworld. He's probably like me, an old soldier!"

"Oh, Cheng Zilong. Are you so sure?" Master Feng asked.

"Not absolutely certain, but highly likely. Xiao Tian said he had a pistol, but
during , he never fired a shot in return. This shows he
was very familiar with the capabilities and uses of his weapon. He knew that in that situation, firing a pistol would be completely useless. I blew up his car's rearview mirror..."
After I looked into the scope, this guy immediately started driving in a zigzag pattern. Normally, only
soldiers with experience in field combat or military exercises would think to use this method to increase the difficulty of my shooting.
Also , the fact that he knew to run towards the rainy area proves he
's very clear about how weather and environment affect a shooter's vision. I don't think a gangster or someone who's only played a few outdoor shooting games could make
this series of decisions and judgments that seem most reasonable to me. So this guy is most likely a veteran, and
his military skills are quite good.” Cheng Zilong explained his analysis and judgment of me in a calm tone.

“I see. So, do you think this guy posing any threat to us now that he's escaped into the cave
?” Master Feng's tone sounded somewhat worried.

"This time, with Xuezong personally overseeing things, even if he wants to oppose us, he probably can't cause much trouble.

After all, he's alone, and he's with a woman. We
know a thing or two about what's going on in that cave; by the time we get in, he and that woman will probably be corpses. Considering we were both
soldiers, I might as well help him collect his body."

Chapter 74

Just as the man named Cheng Zilong finished speaking, a gunshot rang out from the camp at the cave entrance. In the dark,
rainy night, the sound was exceptionally clear.

"What are those bastards doing? I told them to turn off the safety before we set off!" Cheng Zilong
immediately cursed. Before he could finish cursing, "rat-a-tat-tat..." continuous gunfire rang
out again.

Master Feng blurted out, "Something's wrong at the camp!" Then, I heard
the sound of several people running towards the camp, stepping on loose stones. I mustered my courage and peeked out from behind the rocks for a while. Then I saw
the backs of Xiao Tian and the others… At the same time, gunshots
rang , the glint of bullets clearly visible in the darkness.

Seeing this, I realized that my chance to escape with Zhou Jingyi had come. Clearly, something serious had happened at the camp
at . No matter how many of them there were, they couldn't possibly be able to attend to Zhou Jingyi and me in this
direction. I immediately patted Zhou Jingyi in my arms and said, "Let's go right now."

After the first pat, Zhou Jingyi merely turned to the side, but didn't rush out of my arms. I patted
her a second time, but Zhou Jingyi still didn't react. Instead, I suddenly felt her trembling in my arms
. Realizing something was wrong, I turned my head back.

A pair of huge, eerie blue eyes immediately came into my view.

The blue-eyed giant wolf had silently appeared behind Zhou Jingyi and me, only a dozen
meters away. And behind the blue giant wolf, dozens of pairs of eerie green wolf eyes were clearly visible…

I couldn't help but tremble all over. Despite my fear, driven by instinct, I
drew my pistol and pulled the trigger on the giant black wolf. At the same time, I shoved Zhou Jingyi towards the cave entrance and shouted,

"Run towards the cave!" Suddenly, I noticed numerous
green lights appearing not only behind us but also on our right side of the open area… Clearly, the wolf pack had silently
surrounded the area near the cave entrance!

The gunfire coming from the cave entrance was obviously from the armed men firing at the approaching wolves. At that
moment, I realized I couldn't afford to consider the origins or threat of those armed men.
With just a pistol and a survival knife, Zhou Jingyi and I couldn't possibly break through the hundreds of hungry wolves before us
. Our only way out was to run towards the cave entrance where more people were…

"Bang…" The gunshot seemed to pull Zhou Jingyi back to reality from her initial fear.

Using my push, Zhou Jingyi adjusted her body and sprinted towards the cave entrance. After
firing immediately turned around and started running after Zhou Jingyi's retreating figure. The area

within a radius of several hundred meters, centered on the camp near the cave entrance, was instantly engulfed in gunfire, shouts, and curses ; the entire area was in chaos. 　　I ran while glancing back. To my surprise, the wolf pack behind me didn't immediately . The blue-eyed giant wolf's gaze seemed to be fixed on me. After I had run more than ten meters, the strange wolf suddenly raised its head and let out a terrifying howl. The wolves behind it, as if receiving its command, charged forward from both sides, howling… 　　"Turn on the searchlights! Turn on the searchlights! Don't fucking fire randomly… Team one, left; Team two and three, directly in front; Team four, right. Fire according to the pre-rehearsed plan… A pack of wolves scares you like this! If you were on the battlefield, you'd all wet your pants!" 　　Cheng Zilong's highly inflammatory, infectious, and powerful voice carried far and wide. His voice , it must be said, was like a stabilizing force in the darkness. Moments after his command, several thick beams of light shone from the medium-sized truck, one of them directly into my face. Instinctively, I shielded my eyes, but continued running towards the camp without regard for anything else. At that moment, I didn't care that the enemy might also be targeting me and Zhou Jingyi. In my opinion, it was better to be riddled with bullets than to be torn to pieces by the wolves behind me… 　　However, the sudden, intense light severely impaired my vision, making it impossible to see where I was standing. After running a few more steps, I tripped over a protruding rock and fell to the ground. I struggled to my feet , and as soon as I stood up, I heard the howling of wolves. I turned around, without even looking, and fired two shots in the direction of the sound. The immense force of the bullets sent the wolf that had pounced on me flying several meters away. 　　Another wolf charged at me. With my back to the searchlight, the powerful beam allowed me to clearly track its movements. I pulled the trigger, firing three shots that sent the wolf flying. 　　Having dealt with the two wolves closest to me, I turned and sprinted towards the cave entrance. After running about ten steps, I saw a wolf leap out from behind Zhou Jingyi's back. My primary purpose in running behind was to ensure her safety, so without hesitation, I raised my hand and fired at the wolf.

I fired the two bullets remaining in my pistol.

After the shot, the wolf immediately pounced on the ground. Then, three or four figures emerged from the camp
, and Zhou Jingyi safely passed them and rushed into the camp.

Realizing that Zhou Jingyi was at least temporarily safe, I could finally run at full speed with peace of mind. I had only run
a few meters when, with a whoosh of wind in my ears, I felt a heavy impact from behind. Losing my balance,
I fell to the ground. Enduring the pain, I struggled to turn over, and what came into view were sharp fangs and
a pair of green eyes. Then, two rows of teeth opened, biting at my throat! At that moment, I felt
utterly hopeless …

With a gunshot in my ear, I felt a release in my chest. As I opened my eyes, I saw a dark shadow
being shot through my chest… I immediately braced myself on my neck and looked backwards towards the camp. Under the blinding light of
the searchlight, a figure holding a rifle appeared in the distance, though I saw
an upside-down image.

After firing at the wolf cub on my body, the figure immediately gave
orders to the figures rushing out of the camp. "Drag that guy back."

Four armed men rushed to my side, one grabbing one of my limbs and
dragging me back to the camp entrance. After setting me down, before I could even try to stand up, the figure with the rifle
appeared in front of me, stepping on my chest and snatching
the pistol .

"Who are you? I've never seen you before."

From the voice, I realized that the person who stepped on me and took the gun was the one others called
Cheng Zilong, and I finally saw his face clearly. Around forty years old, with thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a square face.
He was quite handsome, with a noticeable scar on his left forehead, which added to his
air of experience.

Knowing I'd lost my gun and that lying would only get me exposed sooner or later, I simply smiled at him
and confessed my identity. "It's normal you haven't seen me before. You chased me for miles in your car!"

Hearing my answer, Cheng Zilong's eyes widened immediately. He stared at me for a moment, then surprisingly,
a smile appeared on his face. "Damn it, so you didn't run into the cave? You actually fooled me." Saying this,
he let go of my foot, and I quickly scrambled to my feet.

Cheng Zilong didn't attack me, but pointed to the tent in the center of the camp where Liu Jin and the others were being held
. "Go inside and stay there. I'm busy here, I don't have time to settle scores with you right now. Don't try anything funny.
I can save your life, and I can also shoot you dead."

I quickly assessed the situation, and after confirming there was no hope of resistance, I immediately followed his
instructions and obediently walked towards the tent.

Seeing this, Cheng Zilong winked at the person next to him. Of the four men who dragged me back, two were
armed and followed behind me. Deng Zilong immediately led the other two back to the edge of the camp, using
the searchlights to fire at the wolves charging towards the camp.

A few meters away, Zhou Jingyi, with her hands raised, was being escorted by an armed man towards the same
tent. It seemed that although the four men at the entrance hadn't arrested her, she had been recognized by the other armed men in the camp
. When we met, we both gave each other wry smiles…

As I reached the tent entrance, preparing to pull back the tent flap and slip inside,
a sudden burst of unusually loud gunfire erupted from the left side of the camp. Not only Zhou Jingyi and I, but the three armed men escorting us
were also drawn by the sudden, intense gunfire and looked in that direction. As soon as the gunfire stopped, we heard
continuous screams from that direction. Then, people began to shout in panic. "Wolves are charging in! Wolves are
charging in!"

The words had barely left his lips when two men came running towards us from the left side of the camp's "defense line,"
shouting as they ran. "Run! Run! Everyone run! If you don't run, you'll all
be bitten to death..."

The three armed men escorting us rushed forward. "What's going on? How many
have charged ?" Unexpectedly, the two men who rushed over
easily overpowered the three men, knocking them to the ground and snatching their weapons.

Zhou Jingyi and I stared in astonishment, completely bewildered.
The two who had seized the weapons then rushed towards us. One of them raised his rifle, about to
swing it at me, but upon seeing my face, his hand froze in mid-air.

"Yan... Yan Ping?"

At that moment, I finally recognized the newcomers!

Blonde hair, deep-set eyes, a high nose, blue eyes… the guy standing before me was none other than
Jack Fred . Otto Lütjens, that white-skinned, yellow-hearted German!

Just as Jack Fred and I were stunned by this unexpected encounter,
Cheng Zilong "Fuck your mother! Who's talking nonsense and yelling like a ghost? Each team, hold your positions,
no moving!"

Hearing Cheng Zilong's shout, I immediately reacted. Seeing the three people who had been knocked down behind me
getting up, I grabbed Zhou Jingyi and turned to run towards the cave entrance. The German's reaction wasn't any slower than mine;
seeing me run, he immediately chased after me, while the other guy, seeing Jack Fred following me
, immediately lifted the curtain of the nearby tent and yelled into the tent, "Run! If you don't run, you'll be wolf food!"

After yelling that, he immediately followed.

Two armed guards rushed out of the tent, but they were immediately
pushed to the ground by Liu Jin and his men. Although Liu Jin and his group didn't know exactly what was happening, they realized this was
an opportunity, and the dozen or so of them scattered aimlessly around the camp.

The entire camp was surrounded by wolves. Running outside the camp would be suicide. So, although I
knew there was
something , the cave had become our only way to escape the armed guards and the surrounding wolves. Therefore,
Regardless of the situation inside, I had no choice but to grit my teeth and lead Zhou Jingyi inside.

Reaching the entrance, two guards greeted us. They weren't hostile; clearly,
they weren't aware of the situation in the camp outside. Seeing someone approaching, they assumed we were on their side and tried to
inquire.

I wasn't going to be polite; I tackled one of them, and
before a German's gun was pointed at him…

After quickly stripping the guards of their weapons, ammunition, and supplies, Jack Fred and the man whose name
I didn't yet know, carrying flashlights and headlamps, entered the cave first. Zhou Jingyi took
a Type 54 rifle from one of the guards and armed herself, following closely behind. I covered their retreat with the Type 81 rifle Jack Fred had given me
, and was about to enter the cave when I saw a man and two women running towards us. Upon closer inspection, I
realized they were members of Xiao Tian's outdoor travel group; I recognized one of the women as Qi Ying. Clearly,
the three men noticed Zhou Jingyi and me running towards the cave, and in their panic, they followed us!

From the conversation I overheard between Master Feng and Xiao Tian, I already knew that Liu Jin and the other twelve
men and women had been tricked and lured by Xiao Tian into joining this so-called "outdoor tour group." Regardless of Xiao Tian
's motives for deceiving them, it was obvious that they were not on the same side as Xiao Tian and those armed men.

Now that I had the opportunity to escape with them, out of basic humanitarianism, I gestured
for to enter the cave. The man and two women, including Qi Ying, immediately rushed into
the cave beside me.

After confirming that the three were inside, I turned and stepped into the cave entrance. As soon as I moved, dust kicked up where I had been
standing I turned my head and saw Cheng Zilong
's angry face illuminated by the light dozens of meters away.

He was a sharpshooter, and I had no confidence that I could gain any advantage in a shootout with him. So
I immediately bent down and ran quickly into the cave, pulling out a grenade I'd taken from the two guards
. I released the pin and rolled behind me.

A few seconds later, an explosion came from the cave entrance, shaking the cave and sending a shower of dust and
rocks crashing down. I shielded my head with my hands and plunged into the dark, deep cavern.

After running several dozen meters, I rejoined Jack Fred, Zhou Jingyi, and the others ahead. "Don't
stop, they might catch up soon. Keep going, we'll talk as we go," I
waved . The German understood and immediately picked up his headlamp, continuing his groping advance deeper into the cave.

Zhou Jingyi and the person who had been with the German followed closely behind, the tour group (one man and two women) were in the middle,
and I brought up the rear. We were worried the militants would immediately follow and kill us. We
continued deeper into the cave, running another four or five hundred meters before
the German at the front finally spoke to me.

"Yan Ping, weren't you supposed to be in Chengdu gathering material for that magazine column? What are you doing here
?" he asked, slowing his pace. The others behind him, realizing he wanted to
talk , overtook him and walked ahead. I walked alongside him, recounting
my experiences since arriving in Chengdu.

After listening, Jack Fred exclaimed with deep emotion, "It seems this
is all God's arrangement. The Almighty probably sensed I was in danger, so He
sent , to assist me through this difficult time."

"Stop spouting your God nonsense. I'm not a believer," I snapped, seizing the opportunity
. To be honest, although I'd only spent a few
hours , I had no doubt I liked him very much! This guy seems incredibly unreliable on the surface, but he's actually very
clever. He often manages to pinpoint the crux of a problem amidst jokes and banter. With Wang Lie,
I always feel a heavy sense of responsibility; with Han Zhe, I feel shallow and ignorant; but with him
and Ye Tong, I feel relaxed and happy.

"Oh, right, I forgot you're a Party member. That means you're a follower of Marx! Don't forget, Marx
was German. If it wasn't God's arrangement, then he sent you to save me. Hmm,
that must be it. Next time I go to England, I definitely have to go to his grave and perform a Chinese-style memorial service for him..." "
Alright , stop rambling! I told you my situation, and now what's going on with you? How did you suddenly
appear out of those people?" Afraid he'd go on and on, I quickly steered the conversation to
the main point: how he ended up here.

"Oh, it's like this..." As I walked, I finally understood
why the German and the guy leading the way, named Cai Yong, were here.

Jack Fred and Cai Yong were both helpers Wang Lie had recruited for this trip to the Southwest. Three days ago,
after they met up with Wang Lie in Kunming, they quickly found out Li Yong's whereabouts. Wang Lie then led
a group, including Xia Jiang, to pursue Li Yong.

Li Yong and his group were also surprised by Wang Lie's sudden appearance. The two groups clashed, each displaying their unique skills
. However, it was clear that Wang Lie's side had come prepared and outnumbered them. Li Yong's group was caught off
guard and, unable to win, began to flee. Wang Lie, along with the group he had invited, followed in
pursuit. This pursuit began from... The pursuit continued north from Kunming, Yunnan, directly into Sichuan. Wang Lie's plan to
lure Li Yong and his gang out was a ploy to expose their intentions. Therefore, despite numerous
opportunities to capture Li Yong, Wang Lie deliberately let him go, hoping to follow him
to find the other core members of the gang.

Unexpectedly, Li Yong wasn't foolish; perhaps realizing Wang Lie's true intentions,
he and several other gang members began to flee separately when crossing Jiaopingdu into Sichuan two days prior. Wang
Lie was forced to divide his men into several groups to pursue them. Wang Lie himself, along with Xia Jiang and
several other companions, pursued Li Yong, while Jack Fred and Cai Yong followed a man named Feng Yuanfeng.
The man. And this Feng Yuanfeng, judging from the German's description, should be the one Xiao Tian called "Master Feng" when Zhou Jingyi and I were eavesdropping
behind .

Wang Lie's job for Jack Fred and Cai Yong was to track Feng Yuanfeng and obtain information such as the specific whereabouts or secret hideouts of the other
key . Therefore,
after the German and Cai Yong separated from Wang Lie and the others at Jiaopingdu, they adopted a covert tracking method to track Feng Yuanfeng.

It should be said that the German and Cai Yong's tracking work was very effective.
After Feng Yuanfeng thought that Wang Lie and the others had all gone after Li Yong, he relaxed his vigilance. He then joined up with the large group of gang
members .

The German and Cai Yong discovered that they were fully armed and had prepared a large amount of wilderness exploration and various living
supplies , realizing that they were planning a major operation. So they also got a car and secretly followed them all the way, only
revealing themselves to escape just now.

"You guys were so well hidden, couldn't you have just kept following us like this?"

"If I could, do you think I wouldn't want to? As soon as we got close to this cave, the wolves appeared.

Cai Yong and I had no choice but to take advantage of the wolves attacking the camp and risk rushing in.
Luckily the guys on the other side were focused on the wolves, and when they saw Cai Yong and me, they thought
we were one of their own, so we managed to sneak in. But once we were inside, they realized we weren't with them
, so Cai Yong and I were yelling and creating chaos while running for our lives..."
The German guy looked terrified as he
finished speaking, seemingly extremely grateful for having escaped from both sides of the wolves and the militants.

After recounting his experiences over the past few days, Jack Fred asked me a question.

"Yan Ping, why is this cave so long? When will we get out? Can you tell me? I have
claustrophobia, and I'm okay in a place like this for a short time, but I'll get scared if it goes on for too long."

"Um, this...it's embarrassing to say, but I don't know how long this cave is, where it leads,
or even if it has a bottom..."

Faced with Jack Fred's question, I finally told him the truth.

Jack Fred and the people in front of him stopped in their tracks after hearing what I said. They all looked at me with shocked and
disbelieving expressions, except for Zhou Jingyi, of course.

"Wh-what?" Jack Fred's mouth dropped open, staring blankly at me. "You're not
kidding you? I saw you lead us into this cave without even thinking. I thought you knew this cave well and
could lead us out."

"I'm not kidding. Isn't running into this cave our only option right now? Do you think just the few
of us can handle those dozens or hundreds of people outside? Or
fight our way out of the wolves?" I couldn't stand Jack Fred's stare, so I could only emphasize our current predicament.

Silence fell over the cave in response to my explanation.

"Tch, a bunch of cowards!" Zhou Jingyi finally broke the silence. She took
the large , turned around, and strode deeper into the cave, shouting as she went. "
Yan Ping and I will keep going down this cave. We've been to places far more terrifying than this. If you want to
go back and become prisoners of those guys or get bitten by wolves, go ahead. I'd rather die than fall into
their hands!"

Zhou Jingyi's words, to some extent, highlighted the various outcomes we might face. Cai Yong
nodded after hearing this, turned around, and caught up with Zhou Jingyi. Perhaps feeling it was inappropriate to let a woman lead the way,
he took the flashlight back from Zhou and resumed his role of lighting the way. The man and two women in the tour group
also came to their senses and immediately followed. Jack Fred was left looking at me helplessly, finally sighing
and starting to walk with me again with a bitter face.

"You've been to far more terrifying places with her? What did she mean by that?" Perhaps Zhou Jingyi's behavior
piqued Jack Fred's interest, as he whispered in my ear as we walked.

"The Phoenix Mountain Cage from my hometown." Jack Fred was an exorcist and also one of Wang Lie's
men, so I told him the truth.

"What? That ancient cage under Phoenix Mountain? No way? She really went down there?"
Jack Fred looked at me in disbelief. After nodding and confirming again, the German blinked and
muttered, "No wonder, if you've been to places like that, this cave isn't scary at all."

Having solidified our resolve to continue, the seven of us abandoned any thought of turning back. We focused intently on
venturing deeper into the cave. Along the way, we introduced ourselves to each other again. I also learned
the names of the man and woman besides Qi Ying. The man was called Dong Jie, and the woman was called Chen Ying. They
were a couple.

In this situation and environment, there was no need for pretense, so I learned from them the relationships among the members of
their outdoor travel group and the actual circumstances of their participation in this road trip.

It turned out that Zhou Jingyi had guessed correctly. This so-called self-driving tour group of twelve men and
women actually belonged to a secret "group wife-swapping club," and the leader of the club was none other than the "rich second generation"

Liu Jin.

"I remember Xiao Tian said that two of you couples were from his outdoor camping club, right?"

"That's right, Xiao Tian was introduced to us by those two couples. He said he heard
about our club, thought it was exciting, and wanted to join. That's how we got him into our club. After participating in
a few of told Liu Jin that it was boring to always hang out in hotels and the like, and suggested that we come with him
on a self-driving tour. Once we got to the wilderness, we could set up our own tents, have sex, and do whatever we wanted without worrying about
the police . Liu Jin thought his idea was novel and exciting, so he agreed to his suggestion."

After all, it was a little embarrassing to expose these private matters in front of others, so Dong Jie was somewhat evasive when explaining
.

"What about He Yanqiu and her son? Are they also from your club?"

"You mean that mother and son? They're not. We didn't know them before we left; Xiao Tian brought them."
"They came, saying they were his friends. Liu Jin didn't want to bring them, but Xiao Tian said that the
girl named He Yanqiu was very open-minded and that she was just joining us for fun, so there was no need to be reserved. When Liu Jin saw her on the bus,
he thought she was pretty, and he also wanted to try out a mature woman, so he agreed to let her and her son come with
us ."

Chen Ying and Qi Ying couldn't bring themselves to say these things, so only Dong Jie explained it to me.

"I see..." I nodded, combining the conversation I overheard behind the rocks, and made
a judgment. He Yanqiu was probably in cahoots with Xiao Tian. However, Xiao Tian played the role of a trafficker in this abduction operation
, and why He Yanqiu had joined the tour group was beyond
my ability to guess. But then, I quickly thought of Lin Meimei and her son...

"Phew, great, there's a huge cave ahead!"

Just as I was about to further consider the situation of He Yanqiu and her son, Cai Yong's exclamation came from ahead.

I looked up and the narrow cave passage suddenly opened up. A gigantic cavern appeared at
the end of the passage.

Under the light from Cai Yong and the German man, we could roughly see the cavern's
features . It was seven or eight meters high and covered an area of several hundred square meters. A shallow stream
flowed from a crevice in the rock on the left side of the cavern, passed through the center, and finally seeped into a crevice on the right side.

After confirming that no pursuers were approaching from behind, I decided to let everyone
rest . To prevent any pursuers from appearing at any time, I took my gun and stood guard
on the side of the passage connecting the cavern to this cavern. With the terrain, I was confident that I could use my semi-automatic rifle to block all
pursuers in the narrow cavern.

Seeing that I had secured a key position, Cai Yong came over and patted me on the shoulder. "There seem to be other passages behind this cave
. I'll go check it out so we can continue later." After I nodded, Cai Yong, flashlight
and rifle in hand, went into the back of the cave to scout.

Jack Fred and the others, including Zhou Jingyi, sat down by the stream and began checking our
backpacks and supplies.

Having survived the ordeal in the cage, Zhou Jingyi was extremely professional, deciding what was important and
what was not to carry to reduce weight. Even the German had to assist her
.

After a while, Zhou Jingyi finished checking everything and ran over to tell me
the quantity of items our group of seven had. But before she could finish, Cai Yong emerged from the darkness behind the cave and
ran straight to us, saying solemnly,

"There are two caves that extend further in from behind the cave. I can't tell which one to take. You
'd better all come and check..."

Chapter 75

At this moment, all our supplies had been checked. Except for Cai Yong, everyone else
sat down to catch their breath. Seeing that Cai Yong didn't seem tired at all, I immediately called everyone to get up again and head to
the fork in the road Cai Yong had mentioned to choose their next route. After all, although we currently held a favorable
position, and even if the enemy caught up, I was confident I could fight them, a firefight would inevitably result in
casualties . Our goal was to escape, so adhering to the principle of avoiding a direct confrontation, moving quickly
and maintaining distance to avoid contact was the best strategy.

Reaching the latter part of the cave, under the light from Cai Yong and Jack Fred, we saw the two cave forks
Cai Yong had mentioned. One entrance was quite wide, extending into a cave four or five meters in diameter,
appearing extremely spacious, with a shallow stream flowing along its edge. The other entrance was much narrower
, only allowing one person to pass at a time.

I stood at both entrances and felt the airflow; in the wider entrance, I could vaguely sense the air movement, while
in the narrower entrance, I couldn't feel it. After thinking for a moment, I was somewhat undecided. Then he asked for the others
' opinions.

"Of course, we should go this wide one!" Jack Fred declared first. "I have claustrophobia, I'd definitely collapse and die halfway through
this narrow cave..."

Hearing him say this, Cai Yong nodded helplessly, indicating that he agreed with the German's
attitude . The three members of the tour group were just following along and didn't have their own opinions, so seeing the German and Cai Yong's opinions,
they all immediately expressed their support for taking the wide cave. Zhou Jingyi then also supported the German's suggestion.

Seeing that everyone was in agreement, I nodded to Cai Yong, who then led the way into the wide cave,
followed by the others. I stayed behind, but as I entered the wide cave, I thought for
a moment and deliberately rubbed myself against a sharp rock at the edge of the cave entrance, leaving scratches and a piece of
fabric from my coat before following in.

While I was on guard and monitoring at the cave entrance, I had been
analyzing . Without a doubt, this Cheng Zilong was a veteran. His marksmanship, meticulous thinking, and
demeanor all pointed to this. Moreover, I suspect he had actually seen combat, because his
accent contained elements of the dialect from the southern border region of Yunnan. Many areas bordering southwestern Yunnan

—Myanmar, Laos, and even further south in the Golden Triangle—remain in

a state of chaos, fragmented by warlordism and constant warfare. He very likely had actual combat experience in these regions.

Before my uncle passed away, I met a senior who had come from afar to visit him. This man was my uncle's elementary school
classmate During the Cultural Revolution, he and other Red Guards illegally crossed the border to Southeast Asia to spread "XX ideology" and engage in
"revolution." The revolution failed, and forced by circumstances, he became a mercenary and traded in jade.
That senior struck me as quite similar to Cheng Zilong now.

It seems that Cheng Zilong and his men are still dealing with the wolf pack's attack outside and have no time to pursue us into the cave.

Whether they repelled the wolf pack's attack or were forced to retreat into the cave,
it was inevitable that they would enter the cave to pursue us; it was only a matter of time. And how to deal with this guy had become my
biggest worry.

From a military standpoint, his practical combat experience meant he was far superior to me. I instinctively felt that
I was no match for him, whether in shooting or close combat. Therefore, I had to use my brain
to figure out a way to deal with any potential direct confrontation.

People who have fought in wars are generally more cautious and think more deeply than ordinary people.

However, sometimes excessive thinking can lead to the pitfall of reverse judgment. Previously
, I had successfully misled him once regarding whether to enter the cave. This time, I used the same trick again.

Before, I parked the car at the cave entrance, and he assumed I had entered. Now, I deliberately
left traces outside the large cave we were entering. How would he interpret this? I couldn't say for sure, but I was certain that the traces I left
would attract his attention and influence his intuition and judgment…

After traveling several hundred meters in the wide cave, Cai Yong and the German, who were at the front, suddenly stopped
. I rushed ahead and understood why they had stopped. Because
something terrifying had appeared on the cave floor ahead …

Two human skeletons lay askew against the cave wall. Under the light, I could even
see several brightly colored, thumb-thick snakes slithering in and out of the skulls' eye sockets.

Jack Fred then took out his prized feng shui compass, checked the pointer, and
nodded to Cai Yong and me. Seeing the German's signal, Cai Yong exhaled, walked to the
skeletons , and pulled half a piece of incense from his pocket, waving it in front of them
. The small snakes coiled inside the skeletons immediately slithered out as if they had encountered a predator,
quickly disappearing into the darkness of the cave. I then joined Cai Yong to examine
the .

"Just skeletons, they must have been dead for many years. Hmm, both of them were quite tall…"
Cai Yong said, tilting his head as he looked.

"The one on the left is probably close to 1.9 meters tall, and the clothes are probably Tibetan clothing," I
judged from the remaining clothing fragments on the skeleton. However, I quickly noticed a metal ring on the knuckle of the skeleton's left
ring . In addition, there was an object under the right hand bone. When Cai Yong
moved the light to this object as I instructed, I quickly identified it... it was
an old-fashioned pistol.

I carefully lifted the deceased's hand bone and took out the pistol. After taking a look,
I couldn't help but get excited. "Damn, it's a Mauser 1896! This is a world-famous gun. I
've only ever seen it in pictures before. How can we find one here?"

"Mauser 1896? Isn't that what people commonly call a firearm?" Cai Yong seemed to know
a little . He quickly took it from my hand and examined it closely.

Just as Cai Yong and I were getting excited about the discovery, Jack Fred had somehow
crouched down next to the skeleton. He took the ring from the left ring finger of the tall skeleton on the left,
examined it under the light, and spoke. "This dead man was German."

"What did you say?" Hearing Jack Fred's words, Cai Yong and I turned to look at him simultaneously.

Jack Fred held the ring up in front of us. "It's a wedding ring.
The deceased it: Hewitt von Axis... in German."

I blinked, puzzled. "German? How did a German's body end up here?"

Jack Fred sighed deeply. "I've heard of him. I think I can give you
an explanation."

Cai Yong and I exchanged glances before focusing our attention on Jack Fred's face.
Jack Fred stood up, holding the ring, looked at the skeleton before him, shook his head, and said. "This man was one
of our predecessors, a fellow Nazi. He had a rather complicated past. He disappeared suddenly before the outbreak of World War II,
and it turns out he died here. Speaking of which, he had dealings with my great-grandfather. Open the magazine and
see if there are any silver bullets inside. If so, then it's definitely him."

I immediately pressed the eject button on the pistol, but it seemed to be rusted inside, and the magazine didn't fall out.

Zhou Jingyi saw this and handed me a survival knife. I eventually pressed the eject button and used the knife to
pry the magazine off. I pulled out the remaining bullet. The bullet tip was dark gray. After observing it for a moment, I
confirmed that it was indeed a silver bullet, but due to contamination, the silver's purity had changed.

After I nodded to him, Jack Fred focused his gaze on the ring on his hand.

"Hewitt von Axilis was a well-known witcher in Scandinavia in his youth,

directly assigned by the Vatican. However, he had some kinship with the German royal family at the time,
so after the outbreak of World War I, he abandoned his witcher career and joined the army to fight in the war. No matter how skilled a witcher is
, he can't play a significant role in a global war of that scale. After Germany's defeat, he
retired from the army and returned to his old profession. However, he and Ernst R?hm were comrades-in-arms, so they
maintained contact after the war. R?hm joined the Nazi Party and organized the SA (Special Strikers). Out of consideration for his comradeship, he accepted
R?hm's invitation to join the Nazi Party and also took a name in the SA." However, from what I understand, he
wasn't very interested in politics. So, although he was an early member of the Nazi Party, his relationship with Hitler and his associates
at the core of quite ordinary, and he didn't participate much in Nazi Party political activities.
He didn't participate in the Munich beer can riots either, so calling him a Nazi is actually a bit of a misrepresentation!
While the Nazi Party was developing, electing, and seizing power in Germany, he was traveling the world, carrying out tasks entrusted to him by the Vatican, and earning a
living for his family.

That's when he met my great-grandfather. My great-grandfather had a good impression of him, and when
mentioning , he specifically emphasized that he had no hatred or hostility towards us Germans of Jewish descent.
He was a friend of my great-grandfather."

"Ernst R?hm? I remember that guy was later purged by Hitler, wasn't he
spared ?" I asked.

"I'm not too sure if he was spared. But besides R?hm, he also seemed to know Himmler."

It is said that Himmler first heard about the legends of the Shambhala Caves from him. 　　The fact that the Nazis sent expeditions deep into the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in search of the Shambhala Caves during the later stages of
World War II is no longer 　　a secret; many people know this. However, most people only know about the expedition . But I know that, besides Hammler's expedition, a German expedition had ventured deep into the heart of southwestern China before the outbreak of World War II to search for the Shambhala Caves. Axis was a member of this expedition. Before coming to China, he contacted , explaining his reasons and purpose for coming, and even intending to bring my great-grandfather along. However, at that time, the Nazi Party had clearly shown its prejudice and hatred towards Jews. For this reason, my great-grandfather refused his invitation. Then, not long after, he and his expedition disappeared without a trace. " 　　At this point, Jack Fred shrugged, reached out and took the Mauser 1896 from my hand, stuffing it along with the ring into his backpack. 　　Seeing Jack Fred's actions, I realized what was happening. "What are you doing? I found this gun. Why are taking it?" 　　Original Mauser 1896 pistols are extremely rare now. Although I'm not a collector, I naturally wasn't going to let go of the opportunity to acquire such a valuable antique gun . 　　"This gun doesn't belong to you!" Jack Fred said smugly, grinning at me. 　　"How doesn't it belong to me? This Axilis is dead. And I found this gun first, so of course it should belong to me." I glared and reached for the German's backpack, which he clutched tightly . He yelled, "Yan Ping, how can you be so unreasonable?" 　　"How am I being unreasonable?" 　　"Then let me ask you, didn't this gun originally belong to Axilis?" Jack Fred said, raising his chin. 　　"Yes..." I hesitated, wondering what kind of logic he could come up with. 　　"Was he German?" 　　"Yes..." 　　"He's dead, shouldn't his belongings be inherited by his relatives?" 　　"You're not his relative!" I raised my chin. 　　"I'm just asking if it should be or not?" 　　"Theoretically, that's correct." I answered instinctively. 　　"That's right, this gun belongs to his descendants. If his descendants are all gone, the gun should be taken over by the German government. What established the German government? The German people!" Jack Fred winked slyly and continued. "Therefore, this gun belongs to the German people, and now, who can represent the German people?" 　　Seeing my dumbfounded expression, Jack Fred smiled smugly! 　　"I...I am German! I am the German people! So, this gun should belong to me!" 　　I was stunned for a long time before realizing that I had been tricked by this cunning German, and angrily grabbed Jack Fred's collar. Just then, Zhou Jingyi pointed at me and the German guy and burst into unrestrained laughter. Between laughs, she gasped, "You two ...you're such a bunch of clowns! I...I'm going to die laughing..." 　　The laughter seemed contagious; after Zhou Jingyi started laughing, Cai Yong joined in, shaking his head and chuckling. The three members of the tour group nearby, who had initially cowered in fear upon seeing the two skeletons, couldn't help but laugh along. And because of the laughter, their previous fear of the skeletons had vanished. 　　Amidst the laughter, I felt extremely awkward and unconsciously loosened my grip on the German guy's collar. But just as I did , a mournful cry, seemingly from some wild beast, 　　suddenly echoed from the huge cavern we had previously lingered in. 　　Hearing this sound, everyone stopped laughing simultaneously. They looked at each other, their faces showing fear. 　　"It sounds like it's coming from that part of the cave we were in earlier?" The German's facial muscles twitched. 　　I nodded. "You heard right. It's coming from over there..." 　　The German and I stared at each other for a moment, then he suddenly turned and, headlamp in hand, sprinted down into the cave . The three members of the tour group, no longer caring about their fear of the two skeletons, leaped and bounded past them, following closely behind. Zhou Jingyi took the survival knife from my hand and also dashed down after them . 　　Only after seeing Cai Yong also stride after them did I realize what was happening. I cursed as I chased after them. 　　"You bunch of ungrateful bastards..." 　　We ran for over a thousand meters in one go. Along the way, we kept seeing the remains of dead bodies lying on both sides of the passage. I counted them briefly and found that we had seen more than ten bodies, but the eerie, mournful sound kept coming from behind us. None of us dared to stop and check the condition of the dead bodies. 　　As we ran, I noticed the cave was becoming increasingly spacious, and the air was becoming fresher. I noticed bright spots of light in the distance; the closer they got, the larger and brighter they became. Finally, the moment I stepped out of the rocky cave, bright natural light shone on my face. Before me lay a vast expanse of primeval jungle… 　　“Praise the Lord! You guided me out of this dark, gloomy, damned cave!” Jack Fred shouted as soon as he emerged from the cave. Cai Yong, however, was far less excited. After exiting the cave, he lingered at the entrance, listening to the sounds within for a while before nodding in relief. He assured the still-shaken group, “We didn’t hear anything. The monster shouldn’t be chasing us.” 　　Only then were we able to sit down and rest against the rock wall beside the cave entrance. 　　I took the plastic bottle of mineral water Zhou Jingyi handed me and gulped down about half of it. Then I looked up at the light shining down from the stone wall and the clearing in the jungle, confirming that after a night of escape, I was finally safe.

We made it to dawn. Looking at the jungle before us, I made a preliminary judgment: we had likely crossed the
hill behind us and entered a jungle area between two mountain ridges.

Turning to see the exhausted and panting Chen Ying and Qi Ying, I realized
we needed to rest. Clearly, these two women had reached their limit; without replenishing their strength and restoring
their spirits, they wouldn't be able to continue. With that in mind, I got up and discussed it with Jack Fred and Cai
Yong , who both agreed. We then
decided to rest at the cave entrance for two hours, taking turns monitoring it to prevent any sudden appearances by the armed men.

Sitting on a rock slanted towards the cave entrance, I
shook . Although I didn't know the exact distance we had traveled, it was clear we were still within
the area affected by the strong magnetic field; the compass was still spinning relentlessly. However, glancing at
Zhou Jingyi sleeping with two women not far away, I felt surprisingly at ease.

I realized that my concern for Zhou Jingyi had long surpassed my own
safety . As long as she was safe, I felt there was nothing to worry about. Even in this completely unknown
situation, it didn't matter.

"Perhaps it's because I've confirmed I've fallen in love with her? They say only women are willing to risk everything for love,
but aren't men the same?" I chuckled self-deprecatingly, refocusing my attention on
guarding .

Forty minutes later, Cai Yong relieved me, and I could finally find a flat spot to catch up on some
sleep .

An hour or so of sleep wasn't nearly enough, but it at least gave my brain some rest.

When Zhou Jingyi called me to get up and eat, I noticed everyone's spirits had improved somewhat.
We then ate some compressed biscuits while discussing our escape plan.

"We should be in a large mountain hollow. To get out and find a main road, we'd probably need to
climb over this mountain wall behind us. But the surrounding walls are obviously very steep, making it almost
impossible to climb. We can only follow the mountain wall and see if we can find a gentler slope before considering climbing
."

"Following the mountain wall might be a detour. I just tried climbing up to about seven or eight meters to observe. I
found that the mountain walls extending from our side are very long and almost vertical. However, judging from
the shape , they seem to be circular, with the curves extending forward on both sides..." Cai Yong said, picking up a
stone and drawing the terrain he observed on the ground.

From Cai Yong's drawing, we seemed to be at the top of an arc-shaped mountain hollow,
with vertical cliffs visible on both sides, making it impossible to climb. If there were any gentler slopes, they
would only be on the opposite side of the arc.

"You mean, go straight through the jungle?" I asked.

"Yes, this way we can walk less. We don't have much water or food, so we can't afford to waste time,"

Cai Yong explained.

"However, the jungle is densely vegetated, and there's a high possibility of danger. For example, poisonous insects and snakes ,
" Dong Jie questioned, holding the Type 81 semi-automatic rifle Cai Yong had given him. At this point, he was in the same boat as us, and thinking that as a man, he could contribute in self-defense, Cai Yong gave him the extra rifle. 　　"Don't worry about poisonous insects and snakes. I'll use the incense to clear the way; most insects and snakes won't dare come near," Cai Yong said, showing us the incense he had used to repel snakes. 　　I had already seen the effect of Cai Yong's incense, so I didn't think he was wrong. 　　However, looking at the dimly lit depths of the jungle due to the dense foliage, I supported Dong Jie's suggestion for safety reasons. 　　"The key question is, besides poisonous snakes and insects, what else is in the jungle? Perhaps something even more dangerous . In contrast, following the rock face offers a wider view, and although it might be a longer route, it allows us to be prepared for any potential dangers. With limited supplies, we can walk faster. After all, safety comes first." 　　"I support Yan Ping's opinion. I absolutely refuse to go into the dark, gloomy jungle. This damned cave is already unbearable enough. I'd much rather be bathed in light!" Jack Fred declared resolutely. 　　Seeing that all three of us insisted on following the rock face, Cai Yong nodded in agreement. After finishing our rations and replenishing our strength, we organized our gear and began our journey along the right-hand rock face. 　　Considering the limited water and food, we walked very quickly, covering more than a kilometer in just over ten minutes. 　　A peculiar stone pillar statue appeared on the edge of the jungle to our side. 　　Below the statue was a long, vertical stone pillar, about 1.2 or 1.3 meters tall, topped with a bizarre stone carving of a human-headed, bird-bodied figure in flight, its entire body covered in ivy and other vines. 　　Upon seeing the statue, the group stopped in their tracks. Jack Fred and I exchanged a glance before cautiously approaching the statue. I parted the vines clinging to the pillar and discovered it was covered in various patterns and symbols. 　　I couldn't resist bending down to examine the carvings. As I looked, I frowned. 　　The carvings on the pillar and the human-headed, bird-bodied statue at the top were completely different from traditional Tibetan 　　carving and painting techniques; they were distinctly Han Chinese style. This was perplexing . 　　Although we didn't know our exact location, it was clear we were in an area inhabited by the Tibetan minority , as evidenced by the mani stones we had seen earlier. The presence of a stone carving with such distinctly Han Chinese cultural characteristics in this mountain valley was truly puzzling. The presence of this statue here is also puzzling to me. Could it be that someone, or someone once lived or was active, in this mountain valley?

The carvings on the stone pillar were quite perplexing. The lower part featured concentric circles of traditional wave patterns, presumably
symbolizing floods. The middle section depicted a circle of running human figures, and at the very top
were . Judging from their postures,
the avian beasts seemed to be swooping down from the air like eagles hunting their prey on the human figures in the center.

"Can you figure it out? What do these patterns mean?" Zhou Jingyi and the others had also come over
and were observing the statue with us. Qi Ying, probably not understanding, was the first to ask
.

"It seems to depict a flood, people fleeing, and then these human-headed eagles flying down to catch
them," Dong Jie said. It seemed his understanding of the patterns was basically the same as mine.

"There's more over there..." Dong Jie said, immediately noticing two more similar sculptures scattered about ten meters away in
the jungle .

Driven by curiosity, we ran to the second sculpture, the closest one, to examine it.

This sculpture also featured a human-headed bird-bodied figure at the top, but its posture had changed. No longer soaring
with outstretched wings , it stood tall, gazing into the distance. After clearing away the vegetation clinging to the lower pillar, we saw
the carvings on the pillar.

Qi Ying and Chen Ying, upon seeing the carvings, immediately showed expressions of fear. It
was understandable; the carvings on this pillar were indeed quite horrifying.

The base still featured wave-like stripes symbolizing a great flood, but the running human figures in the middle were mostly
depicted fragmented pieces. The human-headed bird-bodied monsters in the sky were still flying, some clutching human heads,
others grasping severed limbs, and most terrifyingly, one human-headed bird head was clearly devouring
a human body.

"Looks like the hunt was successful; these bird-like monsters are eating people!" Jack Fred said, abandoning his
usual nonchalant, smug expression. As he spoke, his expression became focused and resolute.

"That should be the meaning. But I've never seen or heard of this kind of monster before.

Perhaps it's some kind of demon that only existed in ancient times and is now extinct." Cai Yong stroked his chin and began
to deduce.

"Extinct?" I turned to look at Cai Yong with some surprise.

"Yes, from ancient times to the present, all sorts of new demons have emerged, but correspondingly, many
demons that once existed have disappeared into history. Greek mythology has always had legends of harpies with human faces,
and the Garuda bird in Hindu mythology is somewhat similar to the thing in this sculpture, but it's not a monster, it's
a guardian bird, symbolizing justice! In our Chinese legends, there are also creatures with human heads and bird bodies, called Yu Hao and
Yu Jing, but their appearances are different from this statue. Moreover, Yu Hao is the sea god of the East Sea, and Yu Jing seems to be the sea god of the North Sea,
they are deities. I've never heard of them eating people." Cai Yong gave me his answer with certainty.

But as soon as Cai Yong finished speaking, we heard the sound of wind whistling through the air. Everyone
looked up at the sky at the same time. Then, through the gaps in the branches and leaves of the trees above, we saw a
huge bird-like creature gliding past dozens of meters above us... but its head, no matter how you looked at it,
was a human head!

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