Chapter 55 Close

As we continued walking, those shell-less, flesh-colored bugs were disturbed by our presence and dove deeper into the water, disappearing without a trace.

Fatty bent down and tried to catch a few, but I quickly stopped him— the situation under the water was unclear, and we might attract trouble if we caused too much of a disturbance here. If we could avoid it, then we most definitely should. Plus, I had never seen this type of bug before. It was probably a unique species not found anywhere else in the world, which meant that it was priceless. It would be a shame to kill any of them.

Fatty cursed, “Look at how many of them there are! There must be tens of thousands of them in the water here. What does it matter if I catch a few and take them back with me? This trip has basically been a bust, yet you won’t even let me pick up a souvenir.”

“These fleshy things look disgusting,” I said. “How can you bring yourself to touch them? Get rid of those devious thoughts and start walking. We need to get out of here as quickly as possible.”

No one wanted to stop and rest with so many bugs around, so we continued following the waterway in hopes of finding the underground reservoir at its end. The current here was slow, and there was no roaring sound of rushing water up ahead to signal that there might be cliffs, so we were able to move forward calmly.

The water became colder and colder the further we went, spreading a chill that had my whole body breaking out in goose bumps. We saw a countless number of those flesh-colored bugs lining both sides of the waterway, most of them clinging to the walls above and below the waterline. They were so densely packed together that just looking at them had my scalp tingling. But there were even more of them in the water, a fact I quickly realized when I felt something brush by my legs from time to time.

The waterway became wider and wider, and the ceiling rose higher and higher before a trumpet-shaped opening appeared up ahead. I knew we were getting closer, so I immediately picked up the pace. Less than a hundred meters later, the ceiling above our heads darkened and we emerged from the waterway. Although we couldn’t see very far, we could sense that we had arrived in a cavernous place based on how the sounds echoed back to us. The water under our feet became shallow, and when the light from our miner’s lamp cut across it, we found that the surface was wide and calm.

Our miner’s lamps had several power settings to choose from, but we usually chose the low light one in order to save power. While the battery could last for more than 180 hours on this setting, the light could only illuminate a little more than twenty meters ahead. Now such low light obviously wasn’t enough, so we all switched to the brightest setting, which used LED bulbs that cast a radius of light up to a hundred meters. Under the strong light, we could finally get a general idea of our surroundings. We were in a huge underground cave filled with water, but instead of a karst cave, it seemed to be a cave made of volcanic rock. The top of the cave was only two or three stories high, and in the distance, we could see a large number of giant stalactites stretching from the ceiling to the water’s surface, looking like huge temple pillars. At first glance, the whole place felt like the submerged hall of Poseidon’s temple.⁽¹⁾ It was very atmospheric, a clear testament to the wonders of nature.

On both sides of the entrance where we were standing were huge rock walls displaying the unique characteristics of volcanic rock. The presence of this rock layer indicated that we had passed the sandy soil layer and reached the underground mountains deep beneath the Gobi. I figured these rocks were probably part of the Kunlun Mountain range.

Looking back at the entrance to the waterway, I realized that it must have been excavated by the Queen of the West’s people at that time. The fact that they were able to dig to such a deep place spoke volumes about their highly developed engineering skills.

This small, natural underground lake in front of us should be the focal point of the entire underground drainage system of the Queen of the West’s city. But because the miner’s lamps had a limited range of light, we couldn’t tell how big this lake was or how deep its center went. If we walked to the center of the lake, we might find that the bottom was unimaginably deep, but it was hard to be impressed when we couldn’t even see the vast expanse of the lake’s surface.

After observing for a while, Fatty asked what we should do next. There was no clear indicator of where to go, so we would have to look for Poker-Face’s mark again. The previous mark had led us here, but the only thing up ahead was the center of this underground lake. The next mark couldn’t have been engraved underwater, so I figured it was on one of the stalactites.

We split up to search, wading into the depths of the lake and shining our lights at the large stalactites.

After wading forward a bit, I noticed that the depth of the lake didn’t change much. There were a few spots where the water went up to our necks, but after a few steps, it became shallower again. It was obvious that the bottom here was full of holes and depressions, but the average depth didn’t change much.

Not long after we started searching, we heard Black Glasses whistle to get our attention. When we walked over, we found that there really was a distinct mark carved neatly onto one of the stalactites.

Chen Wen-Jin looked at Poker-Face and said, “The current here is basically stagnant and doesn’t seem to be flowing anywhere. I think we’re at the lowest point of the entire drainage system, which means the place we’re looking for must be straight ahead. Do you still not remember anything?”

Poker-Face shook his head but said nothing, instead continuing to stare at the mark with emotionless eyes.

Fatty said that the Queen of the West’s city was supposedly located in a secret place. In its heyday, it was an oasis surrounded by lakes and protected from the outside world by numerous devil cities. It was covered in fog all year round, and could only be seen during heavy rains. This, combined with how the residents worshipped snakes and practiced mysticism, made others believe that this desert empire was something like an evil ghost—difficult to understand and hard to perceive. There was also the drainage system under this ancient city, which was as complicated as a maze. We had nearly exhausted all of our strength and resources to reach the lowest level of this defense project, so if the Queen of the West had anything to hide, it should definitely be here. Fatty then said that we should stop wasting time talking about it; as long as we followed the marks, we should be able to reach our destination.

I couldn’t help but feel a little uneasy—this last part of the journey had been a little too smooth. There was also that statue of the human-faced bird we saw in the waterway earlier. After seeing similar ones throughout our journey, we were sure that these totems were set up by the Queen of the West’s people to warn outsiders. In fact, ever since we entered the valley, each time we saw these strange statues, we would encounter something sinister and dangerous. The fact that we saw a human-faced bird statue again in the waterway indicated that this lake was anything but a peaceful place. And now we were all so exhausted that we could hardly move, which meant that if something did happen, we might not be able to escape this time.

“What’s our next plan?” I asked Chen Wen-Jin. “Should we take a break or send someone to scout ahead?”

“We’ve already come this far,” Chen Wen-Jin said. “If everything is as Fatty said, then I have no reason to back down or give up. This might be the path I’m destined to take, but there’s no need for everyone to go. I don’t know what’s up ahead, so you guys should rest here for now and I’ll go alone. If I don’t come back within two hours, you should look for another exit along the lake shore and find a way out. But whatever you do, don’t come after me.”

At this time, Poker-Face suddenly spoke up, “I’m going too.” He didn’t look at us at all, his gaze instead focused on the dark depths of the lake, as if he hadn’t considered how dangerous it might be.

I thought about it for a moment before deciding that I had to go as well. The way back was blocked, and there was no telling how good our chances of getting out of here were if we stayed behind. Didn’t I endure all those hardships just for this moment? And besides, the only reason I was able to make it here despite my lack of skills was because many people had sacrificed themselves for me along the way, including Pan Zi, whose fate was unknown, and A Ning, who died in vain. If I decided to stop here out of fear of what we might find, then I really shouldn’t have come here in the first place. But since I chose to come here myself, then I should see it through to the very end.

Fatty grinned, “Well damn, are you trying to force me to go as well? It’s obviously safer to be with you guys than these rookies.”

Uncle Three’s men also insisted on going. They really didn’t have any experience other than performing petty thefts, so they definitely wouldn’t make it out of here if left on their own. They were also afraid that we would team up and secretly leave them behind, so they were determined to follow us. “You guys are dreaming if you think you can get rid of us like that,” Mop said. “Either one of you stays here, or we all go together.”

Black Glasses didn’t say a word the whole time, just stood there with an ambiguous smile on his face. Then he came over and put his hand on my shoulder. I didn’t know what he meant by this, but I figured it was either to indicate that he wanted to join us or suggest that I stay behind.

I looked at Mop and his men and suddenly felt sick. Not only were they a burden in general, but if they followed us, we would have to constantly be on guard in case they pulled something. If I stayed behind, though, I could at least make sure they wouldn’t cause any trouble.

“Young Wu, forget it,” Fatty said. “Didn’t your uncle say that this is a road of no return? You still have your whole life ahead of you. If you stay with these men, you may find a way out of here. I’ll be the one to accompany Boss Lady and Little Brother on this journey. At least that way, there will be someone to burn incense for us next year.”

I cursed, “Cut the crap. At this point, the result is pretty much the same whether I go or stay here. Anyway, I’ve already decided—I’m going.”

What I said was true. In fact, at this point, who could confidently say that they could get out of here? For all we knew, the route we took to get here was the only way out. If there were no other exits, then we would be trapped here underground in this completely enclosed cave. But maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing since it would at least put an end to all these mysteries.

Thinking of this, I patted Fatty on the shoulder and said teasingly, “You’re the one who needs to stay. If anything happens to you, your big-breasted mistresses at home will definitely break each other’s heads open fighting over the treasures you’ve stashed away. Its more beneficial for you to stay behind.”

“Not true,” Fatty said. “I’m a well-known spendthrift, who spends money as soon as I get it. I’ve also enjoyed many women’s company, but none have managed to tie me down. I’ve slept with countless women and spent enough money over the years. I’m sure not many people have lived a life as fulfilling as mine. If I’m not lucky enough to make it through this time, at least I won’t have any regrets.”

“Based on what you said, it sounds like you’re the most suitable person to be buried with,” I said. “No one will miss you anyway.”

“Let me correct you right there,” Fatty retorted. “I’m not ready to die with just anyone. But we’re connected by fate, so if you want to go, then I’ll be there to protect you.” As he spoke, he cocked his gun and then asked Mop’s men for some ammo, saying that it would be a waste to leave it with a bunch of useless guys like them. At least if he had the bullets, he could save lives.

I spat and then looked at Chen Wen-Jin, who pulled out a knife and tested the sharpness of the blade against a strand of her hair. “Enough joking around,” she said. “Since we’re all going, let’s not waste any more time.”

Now that a decision had been made, we didn’t hesitate any longer—we took a few sips of alcohol, separated into groups, and started wading in the direction Poker-Face’s mark had pointed. Maybe it was because there were so many people around, but I didn’t feel particularly scared looking at the deep darkness up ahead. I did, however, feel an indescribable uneasiness in my heart.

There was a long stretch of silence as we walked, each group’s attention focused on a particular section of the lake, watching for suspicious ripples on the water’s surface. The only sound we could hear was the splashing of our footsteps as we moved away from the entrance, maintaining a pace that was neither fast nor slow.

Fortunately, the water here was exceptionally clear, so the light from our miner’s lamps could reach the very bottom—there was nothing special, only a bunch of uneven rock fragments. This also made it easy to keep an eye on our surroundings since we could do a quick scan of the water’s surface.

Remembering everything we had been through so far, no one dared to relax even a little bit. But as I continued to look at the water around me, I noticed something strange that left me feeling very uneasy.

We walked for a while longer before Chen Wen-Jin finally brought it up, “There are no bugs here.”

Fatty nodded, “It’s probably because of the water temperature here; it’s so damn cold. Most of it has probably been here since this cave first formed. I bet it’s tens of thousands of years past its shelf life. Nobody drink any of it; it may cause diarrhea.”

“This is what they call ‘old water’,” I explained. “It’s rich in mineral deposits. Maybe the water here contains toxic minerals, so those bugs dare not swim in it?”

Fatty clicked his tongue, “You think? No wonder my butt has been feeling kind of itchy. Have you guys felt anything strange?”

No one responded, but Poker-Face, who was walking up front, turned and looked back at us. His silent gaze effectively shut us up, but after wading this far into the lake, there really wasn’t any point in discussing it anyways. Black Glasses, who was bringing up the rear, just laughed. I suddenly froze in shock as I realized that these two, one gloomy and one bright, one with a poker face and the other with a foolish grin, were very similar to the two deities known as Black and White Impermanence.⁽²⁾

We continued walking deeper into the lake, our lanterns showing nothing but calm water all around us. There were a few black shadows beneath the water’s surface that were half the size of a basketball court, indicating that large pits were present at the bottom of the lake. The area where each black shadow was must have been extremely deep, because the light from our miner’s lamps couldn’t reach the bottom. Looking at them made me think that they must lead somewhere else.

These black shadows appeared intermittently as we continued moving forward, their shapes always irregular. Seeing how the bottom of the lake was full of fragmented rocks, I suddenly had the feeling that these holes hadn’t formed naturally, but had been dug by something. Starting to feel more and more uneasy, we all did our best to avoid them.

We continued walking, and soon found another stalactite with a mark engraved on it.

We stopped to rest, and someone sneezed. The water here was really cold, but I didn’t complain much since I knew it could be much worse. Luckily, it hadn’t reached freezing point and was still within a tolerable range.

The second mark not only pointed us in another direction, but looked different compared to the others, indicating that its meaning had changed.

Chen Wen-Jin looked at Poker-Face, but before she could even open her mouth to ask, Poker-Face said, “This is the last one. We’re almost there.”

The last one… This must mean the last mark, which meant that the next stop was our final destination.

Our hearts trembled in anticipation, and someone behind us instinctively cocked their gun. Without saying a word, we immediately set off in the direction the mark was pointing. I didn’t know what I was feeling at this time, but it was a mixture of excitement, fear, and the ominous sense that something bad was about to happen.

After rounding the stalactite, I made it less than two or three steps before I suddenly felt a stinging pain in my foot, as if I had stepped on something.

When I was a child in Changsha, I often swam in the stream with my Uncle Three, so I knew right away what this sensation meant—I had injured the sole of my foot, and it was quite serious.

I immediately stopped and raised my foot, asking Fatty to shine his light on it so that I could take a look. When the beam of light slid over the water’s surface and landed on my foot, I found that there was a large cut on my heel—obviously, something sharp was under the water. I looked down to see what it could be, only to find that there was something unusual at the bottom of this lake.

<Chapter 54><Table of Contents><Chapter 56>

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TN Notes:

(1) For those not familiar, Poseidon is one of the Twelve Olympians in ancient Greek religion and mythology, presiding over the sea, storms, earthquakes and horses.

(2) Black and White Impermanence (aka Heibai Wuchang), are two deities in Chinese folk religion in charge of escorting the spirits of the dead to the underworld. As their names suggest, they are dressed in black and white respectively. If you watched “Word of Honor”, you might have seen them.