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墨書 Inktalez
Since being sucked into this cave by that strange mouth, we have faced a series of setbacks that have left our morale extremely low. Old Qiao and my junior brother have gotten separated one after another, and now we find ourselves in this dead end, which has pushed everyone’s spirits to the brink of despair.
I forced myself to stay positive and comforted A Li, “It’s okay, this was to be expected. In a natural granite cave like this, with no signs of human excavation, how could there possibly be any traps? We were misled by those scratches above; you’re right, they definitely weren’t made by humans. If this path is blocked, there are other ways. At worst, we can turn back. Let’s go; there will surely be a way out.”
Just as I was about to head back, A Li suddenly stopped me and said, “ Brother Qian Yi, don’t you think something is strange?”
I was already feeling irritated, and A Li’s persistence only made it worse. I couldn’t control my emotions and snapped back, “Of course it’s strange! This place is inherently bizarre; we can’t use normal reasoning to understand it! If you insist on digging for answers and want everything clarified, even ten months wouldn’t be enough! We might as well do nothing and just wait to die here!”
A Li frowned, seemingly trying to suppress her frustration. “That’s not what I meant, Brother Qian Yi. Don’t you think our search just now was too rushed? It feels… a bit careless? And…” She sighed, her expression softening considerably. “I feel like our emotional fluctuations aren’t normal either. Look at you; you just snapped at me.”
I was taken aback; the anger that had been boiling inside me suddenly cooled down. How could I possibly lose my temper with A Li? I had always treated her gently, never even raising my voice at her. Even during that awkward period after the incident at Emerald Villa when we had some distance between us, I merely ignored her; I never said anything harsh. My temperament has always been quite mild; I rarely get angry about anything. Even when teaching my junior brothers, I would only resort to physical reprimands without raising my voice—never like today when I was shouting.
The teachings of Shimen have been passed down for thousands of years: never give up until the last moment. The phrase “careless” should never appear among us Errand Runners. Yet here we were, both A Li and I making such a mistake in this desolate place—it was not just strange; it was downright bizarre!
I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, repeating this three times to clear my mind. I said to A Li, “Now that you mention it, I remember when I asked for your input earlier; your attitude wasn’t very proactive either. At that time, I found it odd and thought… Now I realize I've made the same mistake as well. This shows that it’s not just an issue with you or me individually but a common problem under these circumstances! Could it be that the air here is affecting our emotions and making us irritable?”
A Li also took a few deep breaths. “It’s colorless and odorless… Could there be toxins in the air?”
I shook my head. “That’s impossible. If there were toxins, I would definitely feel unwell. But since I've also been affected, it indicates that whatever is causing our emotional changes isn’t toxic in nature. A Li, don’t you have a gas mask in your backpack? Quickly put it on! No matter what, this substance must be acting through the air; who knows if there are other side effects? We should protect ourselves as much as possible.”
A Li nodded and took out her mask from her backpack before asking me what we should do next.
I laughed and said, "It's fine. I might just have a bit of a temper, but I won't die from it. If I can't control myself and end up taking it out on you, just hit me once. The pain will definitely bring me back to my senses." After thinking for a moment, I tore off a piece of cloth from my sleeve and tied it around my nose, just to reassure A Li.
(Those who have read the prequel know) that before I turned five, I was learning under Poison King Yue Chongyao. I was practically raised in the Drug Vat, and my blood is the most toxic in the world, making me immune to all poisons. The people around me are aware of this, so they aren't worried about me being poisoned.
A Li chuckled and said, "A gentleman uses words, not fists. Hitting someone is so barbaric; I have my own ways."
Taking advantage of the good atmosphere, I suggested that we explore the cave again, this time thoroughly examining every detail without missing anything. If we still couldn't find anything, we could think of other methods. Even if we had to take a step back and nothing worked out, we could implement my junior brother's "Blasting Policy."
We each followed our previous roles into the cave. This time, I dared not act carelessly; I pressed my fingers against the stone wall and felt my way down inch by inch, being more meticulous than ever. Perhaps it was psychological fear of falling into the trap of "going through the motions" that made me even more earnest and detailed.
Before long, less than halfway through, blisters formed on the tips of my ten fingers, and my legs went numb from squatting. I feared A Li was having an even harder time lying there in the cave.
"A Li, let's take a break!" Just as I was about to sit down on the ground, unexpectedly, as soon as I bent over, there was a dull thud as I crashed into the stone wall behind me.
Immediately, several egg-sized stones rolled down from above. I hurriedly tried to get up to dodge them, but as my body swayed to one side, my left shoulder thudded against the stone wall again! It was like being caught in a tight spot—unable to manage both sides.
I froze for a moment and sensed something was wrong. I asked A Li, "A Li, do you feel like this cave is getting narrower?"
A Li's voice came from behind the stone wall: "I was just thinking that! It's not just an impression; it really is getting narrower! I've even used the Shrink Bone Technique! Brother Qian Yi, I thought this cave had turned into Spider Cave and reached its limit. Who would have thought it could continue to shrink? Are we going to end up squeezed inside?"
I replied, "That shouldn't happen. At worst, we can turn back the way we came and blow this place up; let's see how it shrinks then!"
A Li knew I was joking and laughed along: "That sounds great! Qiao Brother and the others must be getting anxious waiting for us; they might be shouting for us to blow up the mountain somewhere! Do you think when we blow it up, we'll also uncover the ancient tomb behind that thief's tunnel? Listen! The coffins in those ancient tombs are said to hide many valuable burial items; if we manage to grab a few pieces along the way, we won't have to worry for the rest of our lives!"
I was just thinking, how did you manage to strike a chord with that? Indeed, a single mouse droppings can spoil the whole pot of soup! At that moment, a piece of the sealing stone from the top layer behind me was dislodged and rolled down to the ground by my feet. As I watched it, a sudden flash of insight struck me like a bolt of lightning. I understood! I burst into laughter, "A Li, it turns out we were both mistaken; this sealing stone is actually something entirely different!"
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