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When I regained consciousness, I found myself lying on a wooden boat, with A Li anxiously staring at me. The moment I opened my eyes, a smile broke across her face.
I struggled to sit up, and as I took a breath, a searing pain shot through my lungs, causing me to cough uncontrollably. A Li hurriedly patted my back, and it wasn't until I coughed up a mouthful of bloody water that I finally caught my breath.
I heard shouting from behind me. Turning my head, I saw several whirlpools on the water surface about seven or eight meters away, ranging in diameter from five to one meter. There were even more in the distance where the flashlight beams couldn't reach.
A wave of shock washed over me; it seemed that these whirlpools had spawned like hatching eggs. We were trapped by the edge of a whirlpool about fifteen meters wide, and if we had ventured deeper while fighting with Liu Zi, getting caught between two large whirlpools would have surely led to dire consequences.
Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine, and cold sweat broke out as my lungs flared up again. I coughed a few more times and caught sight of the nearest whirlpool. In its center was a massive rope made from three twisted safety ropes. Looking along the rope, I saw Third Granduncle Master, A Chen, and the Witch, all pulling together like in a tug-of-war to bring us back.
A Li explained that this was the Witch's idea; the whirlpool was a common phenomenon known as "eddy tide" in underground river systems. Beneath the riverbed were many large caverns connected to the outside air. When water pressure became uneven, this "eddy tide" would occur.
Of course, this was a simplified explanation; the Witch's more complex reasoning was beyond our understanding at that moment. Given the urgency of the situation, saving lives took precedence over lengthy explanations.
A Li added, "This 'eddy tide' also has another effect: it traps nearby fish schools, making it easier for fishermen to catch them. Anything caught in the eddy tide is instantly trapped, so we can't go into the water to rescue anyone; we can only rely on external forces to pull them up."
I glanced back at Third Granduncle Master and the others and asked, "How many people are still unrescued?"
A Li thought for a moment before replying, "About two or three more. But at this point, they might already..."
I suddenly felt an urgent need to ask about Liu Zi. After all, he was one of the eight Errand Runners mentioned in Old Ge's letter. If something happened to him, would I ever uncover the answers I sought?
But this person was quite detestable, having insulted A Li several times and even resorted to violence. It was clear that directly asking about A Li's feelings would not work. So, I stood up, pretending to help, and told A Li to wait on the boat. As I disembarked, I discreetly glanced at the other two wooden boats and saw Liuzi sprawled out on the deck, his chest rising and falling evenly. I finally felt relieved and quickly took a couple of steps to join the rescue team, wrapping the Safety Rope around my arm several times, pulling back with the others as we shouted our slogans.
I won't go into detail about the rescue process; the result was that three people died. Including myself and A Li, this team now had only ten members left.
After this fierce battle, it seemed only natural that A Li and I became part of Third Granduncle Master's group. I couldn't complain about it; after all, the debt of saving lives outweighed everything else.
Third Granduncle Master whispered with Witch for a while, seemingly discussing the next steps without wanting us to know. It might have involved something related to the map, I thought.
About ten minutes later, Third Granduncle Master divided everyone into three groups. The first group consisted of A Chen, Witch, and a subordinate named Dali, who would board the first boat and take the lead. The second group included Third Granduncle Master, myself, and another subordinate named Wang Meng, who would board the second boat. The third group comprised Liuzi, A Li, and two other subordinates of Witch, who would be responsible for bringing up the rear on the third boat.
Witch mentioned that summer and autumn were peak seasons for whirlpool tides. There was a four-hour interval between the first eruption and the second, with each eruption lasting approximately eight to ten minutes.
This meant we had to pass through this underground river within four hours; if we exceeded that time while still in the river, there would be no escape.
Of course, if anyone could hold their breath for ten minutes while enduring the dizziness from high-speed spinning and survive, I could only say they had impressive lungs.
Once on board, I couldn't help but think about Third Granduncle Master's deployment strategy. It seemed he had evenly distributed three forces (myself and A Li, Third Granduncle Master, Liuzi, A Chen, Witch, and her subordinates) across three boats to create an illusion of balance among all parties, suggesting that no one could easily overpower another without causing trouble—yet that was not the case; we were all being manipulated by this old fox.
Firstly, his distribution of members was quite clever; it ensured that A Chen and Liuzi became the most skilled individuals in their respective groups. Thus, what appeared to be an even distribution was merely a smokescreen; in reality, control of each boat lay firmly in Third Granduncle Master's hands.
Secondly, separating me from A Li was a tactic to prevent us from conspiring to escape midway. If I had any ulterior motives, Liuzi could easily use A Li to restrain me. Conversely, if Third Granduncle Master wanted me or A Li to do something for him, he only needed to hold one of us hostage to ensure compliance from the other. This was the brilliance of keeping us apart.
Finally, there was our strategist, Yellow Witch. Dali and Wang Meng were brought along by her; now that half of them were dead without even having assessed their surroundings properly, it was clear that Yellow Witch would be uncomfortable with this situation. She had come to understand just how perilous this venture was—far more than usual—and moving forward she would undoubtedly not act with her previous level of commitment or zeal.
People are inherently afraid of death. After witnessing the tragic deaths of so many companions, the Yellow Witch's thoughts must have shifted from seeking wealth to seeking survival; otherwise, no amount of money would matter if there were no life to spend it.
Third Granduncle Master must have anticipated this, which is why he deliberately placed her on the first ship, making her the vanguard. This way, she would have to put in even more effort; where she used to operate at eighty or ninety percent, now she would have to give one hundred twenty percent. Any mistake could mean that she would be the first to face danger.
What a clever plan!
I could see through the true meaning behind Third Granduncle Master's arrangement, and I was sure A Li could as well. As for that mystical Yellow Witch, who knows? Unless she possesses half the shrewdness of Old Qiao.
Gradually, we had entered deeper waters. Water continuously dripped from the cave above, falling onto our skin with a chilling sensation that felt quite unpleasant.
Fortunately, Third Granduncle Master and the others were well-equipped. Each ship had a large lantern at the bow, illuminating the water-filled cave brightly. I noticed that as we traveled further, the colors of the surrounding stone caves began to change; the black ash gradually disappeared, and the stone walls started to reveal their original brown hue.
At that moment, I saw what appeared to be carvings on the wall to my left.
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