"I'll stay and move with you."
Both Fat Ma and I asked in unison, "Why?"
"No reason!" Brother Jiang replied firmly.
After packing up, Brother Jiang said, "This area no longer belongs to this Tomb. If you want to explore the real Tomb, follow me."
We didn't say anything and followed him. After walking for a long distance, we were surprised to find ourselves back at the riverbank of the Dark River.
"We've been here before," I said.
"I know," Brother Jiang replied.
Fat Ma asked, "Then why did you bring us back here?"
"As I said, you haven't found the true location of the Tomb. I'm taking you to find it."
Hearing his serious tone, I felt he must be right.
We continued walking forward. Everyone's gear was completely renewed; we had full Ammunition and were all wearing diving suits.
I knew it had to be an Underwater Tomb, and a genuine one at that; I had a premonition in my heart.
Previously, we had been heading upstream through the Gorge, but now we were going downstream. The path became narrower and narrower until there was no land left; we were entirely on water, but the Water Level wasn't deep.
Eventually, we had to walk sideways because it had become very cramped. Fat Ma was struggling to get through. In some places, we even had to crawl.
Finally, Brother Jiang stopped. The Water Level had risen to our waists.
We arrived. I looked around at the surroundings; it was completely enclosed except for the front and back. The damp environment caused moss and ferns to thrive on the cliff walls.
The water flow was not strong; standing in the water felt tranquil.
Fat Ma unconsciously took a step forward, and with a startled "Ah!" he disappeared from sight. I nervously called out for Fat Ma.
The clay figure also stared anxiously at the Water Surface.
I was about to move closer when, in the next moment, a large splash erupted from the Water Surface. I placed my hand on my waist, gripping the hilt of my knife.
"Damn, you scared the hell out of me," I exclaimed as I relaxed my grip.
Fat Ma swam over to us after splashing around a bit, exclaiming, "The water down here is so cool."
I was speechless, but I quickly realized that this must be what he referred to as the Underwater Tomb.
"Let's go down!" Brother Jiang said, leading the way as he submerged first.
Without hesitation, I followed him. The opening was not large, roughly the size of a standard round well.
Once submerged, we floated along a Passageway where Algae drifted densely below us. As we moved forward, we had to make an effort to clear away these plants.
I wondered if they had never been here before; everything seemed to be in its original state.
Brother Jiang led at the front, with Fat Ma in second place. Fat Ma was always one to take the lead in such matters.
Though I was puzzled, there was no one to ask at that moment, so I decided to let it go.
As we progressed, I suddenly felt the water flow ahead become more turbulent. Looking forward, I saw that the three of them had already separated.
I quickened my pace and soon spotted a Wreck coming into view, and it was quite sizable.
The White Cloth Sail had turned yellow from being washed by the water and was tattered beyond recognition. The gentle flow of water caused the sail to flutter slightly.
However, the Mast stood tall and straight. The ship's structure was divided into two levels: a warehouse and a Cabin. The Cabin was typically used for living quarters while the warehouse was for storing items.
Given the size of this ship, it could accommodate at least a hundred people. But how did it end up stuck in such a narrow space?
Fat Ma had already made his way into the cabin. I followed him inside.
The lobby of the cabin was spacious, but the lighting couldn't fully illuminate the area.
The facilities seemed quite complete. There were tables and chairs, but everything was floating in mid-air, which obstructed our line of sight.
The cabin had a height of about three meters, which was more than enough for us to stretch out.
The places where the light didn't reach were shrouded in darkness. Our searchlight didn't have strong light transmission. However, the flashlight they provided us was good; it was a Wolf Eye, with excellent penetration, but we hadn't used it yet to save battery.
As I was looking around, I suddenly saw Fat Ma moving toward the ground of the cabin. He appeared to be stuffing something into his pocket.
I knew this guy had definitely found some treasure again. I tapped Fat Ma on the back, startling him. He turned around, causing a bubble of curiosity to rise.
When he saw it was me, he finally relaxed.
Fat Ma waved his hand at me, and I gestured back at him. He waved again.
This Fat Ma was definitely pretending not to understand me. If he wanted to play dumb, there was nothing I could do about it. I decided it was better to conserve my energy.
Fat Ma continued waving at me.
Damn, why are you waving at me without even asking anything! At that moment, I noticed Fat Ma rolling his eyes.
I thought to myself, what is he up to now?
Just then, Fat Ma tugged at me, pulling me behind him.
I froze! My scalp tingled as I saw Fat Ma being choked by a Water Zongzi. Earlier, due to both of our searchlights shining in the same direction, I hadn’t noticed the pair of pale claws around Fat Ma's neck.
This Water Zongzi was completely white and had grown white fur on its body; its small stature had allowed it to hide behind Fat Ma without me realizing it.
Suppressing my fear, I rushed forward and forcefully pried open the Zongzi's icy claws. Taking advantage of the moment, Fat Ma slipped away and retreated to the side, gasping for air.
Before I could react, the Water Zongzi turned around and grabbed my throat. When I saw its face, my already tense heart felt as if it had been weighed down even more.
I struggled with all my might, but the buoyancy of the water made it difficult to exert any force; I couldn't even stand steadily, swaying back and forth as I fought.
The Water Zongzi clung to me like an unshakeable adhesive.
Its body was soft, moving through the water with a fluidity that resembled a garment floating gracefully.
I was completely unable to break free from its grip, slowly succumbing like Fat Ma, my eyes rolling back.
Fat Ma seemed to have rested enough and rushed over.
With a desperate kick at the Water Zongzi, it felt like kicking a cloud; it swayed a few times before bouncing back.
I struggled to point at the hands gripping my throat, and only then did Fat Ma understand.
He chased after it, and finally managed to pry the Water Zongzi's hands away. If he had been any later, I would have been on my way to the underworld.
I stepped aside and gasped for air. At that moment, I glanced around and noticed that the clay figure and Brother Jiang had vanished without a trace.
I quickly looked back at Fat Ma.
Fat Ma was locked in a fierce struggle with the Water Zongzi. However, it seemed that Fat Ma was at a disadvantage. They were entangled in combat, but Fat Ma couldn't land a hit on the Water Zongzi. Its agility in the water gave it a significant advantage.
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