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墨書 Inktalez
The humid air carried a sticky, foul odor, but the top of the cave was illuminated by a peculiar white light, revealing the cave's layout clearly.
"Finally awake! Hmph," a voice said.
Lu Fei Fan turned towards the sound and nearly jumped out of his skin, for the person before him looked truly bizarre.
He wore tattered clothes that barely covered him, and his head was completely bald except for a few long strands of hair hanging down at the edges. The smooth scalp bore several scars.
Strangely, he had no legs; his body ended at the pelvis, supported by one hand resting on the ground. He appeared more like a creature of the cave than a human.
His sunken features stared coldly at Lu Fei Fan, as if he were about to devour him.
"You..." Lu Fei Fan quickly assessed his own body and instinctively took a few steps back.
"Hmph, what’s there to be afraid of? You’re already dead inside. Are you still scared of an old man like me?" The old man's voice was low and hoarse. After a long pause, he added quietly, "It's been so long since I've seen a living person that I almost forgot what one looks like."
Hearing that the other party spoke human language eased much of Lu Fei Fan's fear. He took another look around the enclosed cave; he was on a rocky shore with an unfathomable pool of water in front of him. The sound of dripping water echoed continuously from the stalactites above. Behind him lay a dark and ominous passageway.
"Senior, may I ask where this place is?" Lu Fei Fan's tone became more respectful as he cautiously inquired.
"This is my home," the old man replied gruffly. "Come here."
After hesitating for a moment, Lu Fei Fan approached him, waiting for further words.
"Now, what’s happening outside?" The old man pondered for a moment before asking this question.
"Huh? What do you mean, Senior?" Lu Fei Fan sat down beside him, convinced that this lonely old man wanted to ask him something important.
"What year is it outside?" he asked after some consideration.
“Newborn Calendar, Year 48,” Lu Fei Fan replied.
“Eighteen years, huh…” the old man muttered to himself.
“Ah?” Lu Fei Fan didn’t quite understand what he meant.
“Nothing. Where are you from? The Free Federation or the Alliance Empire?” the old man asked again.
“The Free Federation…” Lu Fei Fan answered truthfully.
The old man then asked several questions about current events in the Free Federation, and Lu Fei Fan answered each one. The old man nodded along, and Lu Fei Fan deduced that this elderly man, who had lost both legs, was likely trapped here and had been cut off from information about the outside world for a long time.
“Son, do you know anyone named Lian Chong Tang or Bian Jian?” the old man asked with an expressionless face.
Lu Fei Fan shook his head. With billions of people in the Free Federation, there were certainly many with the same names, and he didn’t know anyone by those names. He couldn’t tell if the old man was looking for relatives or old friends.
Seeing that Lu Fei Fan was not lying, the old man nodded and didn’t press further.
“Let’s go back to the cave for now; this place will flood soon, and we can’t stay here!” He pointed to the pool of water that was steadily rising and engulfing the rocky shore. It was clear that this pool connected directly to an external water source, but he wondered if it might be possible to escape through it.
The old man seemed to see through Lu Fei Fan’s thoughts and sneered, “If you want to die, feel free to try. I won’t stop you.”
Lu Fei Fan looked at him, wondering if there was something strange about that pool.
Then, without warning, the old man pulled a fish from somewhere and tossed it into the water. Gurgling sounds erupted as the pool began to boil; Lu Fei Fan widened his eyes in shock as he saw that the surface was filled with white fish. They were frantically competing to eat the fish that had just been thrown in. In less than a blink of an eye, the surface returned to calm once more.
Lu Fei Fan swallowed hard; thankfully he hadn’t jumped into the water, or he would have been reduced to nothing but bones.
“Many years ago, I was just like you. Unfortunately, no one warned me back then, and I lost an arm.”
The old man raised his arm, where the healing wound was evident, and then, using only one hand, he struggled to crawl forward for a short distance. Lu Fei Fan watched the seawater that had already seeped up to his feet and recalled the piranhas from earlier, prompting him to quickly follow.
Initially, he contemplated whether to carry the old man on his back, but the old man cupped his hands around his mouth and let out a sharp whistle.
Immediately after, a rustling sound came from the wall, and Lu Fei Fan saw a dark octopus descending along the surface. It raised its head, which was as large as a person’s.
The creature approached the old man and wrapped him with three of its tentacles. It glanced at Lu Fei Fan before turning around and using its tentacles to pull the old man toward a dark cave.
“Kid, if you don’t want to die, keep up,” the old man advised at last.
Lu Fei Fan turned to look at the rushing seawater behind him and hurriedly followed.
As they moved deeper into the cave, it became apparent that they were ascending a slope. When Lu Fei Fan reached the water's surface, he found that the cave opened up dramatically. Light streamed in, revealing a spacious and towering cavern that resembled a warehouse nearly a thousand square feet in size. Odd skeletons stood upright in various places.
“What is this place?” Lu Fei Fan couldn’t help but ask as he surveyed the bright cavern.
“Let’s just call this place the ‘Tomb of the Giant Whale,’” the old man replied as the octopus set him down on a rock. It quickly climbed onto a gnarled branch of a dead tree, blending seamlessly with the dark color of both the branch and the cave walls.
Lu Fei Fan was astonished by the name ‘Tomb of the Giant Whale.’ Was this really the tomb that Lian Qingzong and Jiang Lao were searching for?
“Have you heard of this place?” The old man looked at Lu Fei Fan with curiosity.
“Oh, no,” Lu Fei Fan quickly responded. “I was just wondering why there’s sunlight coming in here. That must mean there’s a way back. Why don’t you return to the Free Federation?”
“Hmph.” The old man seemed to find this amusing. “This place has been sealed off by someone; you can’t get out or come in.” He pointed toward the top of the cave as he spoke.
Then he picked up a stone with one hand and struck it against another rock several times near a pile of stones that formed a fire pit. Sparks flew from the flint, igniting what remained of the firewood.
The crackling flames soon brought warmth to the cold cave. Lu Fei Fan wisely gathered some newly found firewood and sat down beside the fire pit. He noticed his backpack resting against one side of the cave; it seemed that this octopus had brought it back as well. The cave was cluttered with various items, including many weapons, armor, and scattered animal bones strewn about.
Gurgle, gurgle—
Lu Fei Fan's stomach protested.
The old man glanced at Lu Fei Fan and then whistled. The octopus, which had been lurking in the tree branches, began to descend. After a few more whistles, it vanished back into the cave from which it had just emerged. Moments later, it returned with several fish, dropping them at the old man's feet before climbing back up to its perch.
Lu Fei Fan watched the octopus, which had been trained with remarkable skill by the old man. He himself had only one hand left; the rest of his limbs were gone. If it weren't for this trained octopus, he would likely have perished in this cave long ago.
"This octopus has been trained by me to be like this. Aside from not being able to talk, it's quite capable," the old man said, clearly pleased as he noticed Lu Fei Fan examining his pet.
Lu Fei Fan nodded and walked around the cave, finding a dagger. He then proceeded to clean the fish and skewered them with a stick, placing them by the fire to roast.
"I still don't know how to address you, senior," Lu Fei Fan said humbly, expressing genuine respect.
"Just call me Yang Lao, like the goat," the old man replied calmly.
"Senior Yang," Lu Fei Fan said cautiously. After all, the man had saved his life—or perhaps it was that octopus that had dragged him to this place? He glanced at the octopus again, feeling somewhat puzzled.
"What? Are you thinking of making a move on my octopus?" Yang Lao seemed quite alert; that trained octopus was his lifeline. Anyone who dared to harm it would clearly face dire consequences.
"Oh no, senior misunderstood," Lu Fei Fan quickly explained. "I fell into the water and was brought here by your octopus, so..."
"So you blame it for trapping you here?" Yang Lao pressed aggressively.
"No, I'm just curious. Since you've trained it so well, why doesn't it take you out of here?" Lu Fei Fan asked directly.
"Do you think I haven't tried?" Yang Lao's demeanor shifted slightly as he appeared frustrated. He tossed a piece of wood into the fire, sending sparks flying. "The water pressure outside is too strong; it requires over forty minutes of breath-holding time. My body has sustained serious injuries and can't endure that long. A few times I nearly lost my life in the water, but thankfully this octopus saved me."
Lu Fei Fan observed him for a while before hesitantly offering him a roasted fish once it was done. The old man accepted without hesitation and began tearing into it with one hand.
The two quickly devoured several grilled fish, temporarily solving their hunger problem. Lu Fei Fan went to retrieve his backpack and took out a spare set of clothes, handing them to Yang Lao. Holding the brand-new clothes, Yang Lao looked at his hands and feet, feeling a sense of melancholy.
Lu Fei Fan helped him put on the shirt, and the old man appeared considerably more despondent. He held the new clothes, squeezing and sniffing them, his expression complex.
For a moment, Lu Fei Fan was unsure how to comfort the old man. The pants were too long, so he used a dagger to modify them before finally helping the old man change into them.
The old man was quite satisfied.
Finally, Lu Fei Fan took out a portable sleeping blanket and sleeping bag from his backpack, laying out the sleeping bag for the old man while he planned to use the blanket by the fire.
“How did you end up in the water?” The old man asked as he lay in the comfortable sleeping bag, seeming a bit unaccustomed to it.
Lu Fei Fan thought for a moment and recounted his encounter with the Three-Eyed Unicorn Wolf by the creek in detail. After listening, the old man pointed out several mistakes in Lu Fei Fan's fighting methods.
They discussed some details further, and it became clear that the old man had considerable knowledge of Fu Mai Xi Shu and combat techniques.
This old man was evidently not an ordinary person, but why had he ended up trapped here? Lu Fei Fan was filled with questions but chose not to ask.
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