The pitch-black cave seemed bottomless at first glance. The steel wire continued to unwind, as if the cave were an endless abyss. The length of the wire already surpassed the height of the mountain.
The depth of the cave was not mentioned in the notes of the old geomancer's eldest son. Now, with the wire having descended more than five hundred meters without reaching the bottom, everyone's hearts were filled with tension.
"Damn, could it be a bottomless pit?" Mo Yongxing was the first to lose his composure and cursed.
"It's reached the bottom; the wire isn't moving anymore."
Just as Mo Yongxing finished cursing, the wire suddenly stopped rotating. One of the black-clad bodyguards excitedly shouted. Qin Yu glanced at the scale on the pulley and realized that the cave reached a depth of seven hundred and thirty meters.
This situation was beyond Mo Yongxin's expectations. With such a deep cave and a narrow entrance, there wouldn't be enough space to deal with any dangerous creatures if they were to encounter any.
However, there were some positive aspects as well. The data on the environmental measuring device indicated that the cave's air had sufficient oxygen, and there were no other harmful substances present.
"Lower a camera to survey the situation at the bottom of the cave!"
Mo Yongxin furrowed her brows, then quickly gave the order. Qin Yu finally understood what was hidden inside those large packages carried by the black-clad bodyguards.
There were 40-inch displays, miniature cameras, those that could be placed on mini-vehicles and automatically move, as well as some devices whose names Qin Yu couldn't recall.
The camera was lowered to the bottom of the cave, and the group gathered around the monitor to watch the footage transmitted by the camera.
They saw that the width of the cave in front was three hundred meters, the same as the entrance, and it could only accommodate one person going down. The walls were all rock. After three hundred meters, the cave suddenly widened. When the camera reached the bottom of the cave, everyone finally saw the internal structure clearly. The cave had a shape resembling a Mongolian yurt, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, as if an inverted bowl.
Under the control of a professional, the mini-vehicle carrying the camera emerged from the iron frame and slowly moved towards the deeper parts of the cave. Meanwhile, Mo Yongxin half-squatted, with a white paper spread over her knees and a pen in her hand, sketching something based on the images on the monitor. Qin Yu glanced at it and realized she was drawing the rough outline of the cave's interior based on the monitor's images.
"Wait, camera, don't move. Retreat a bit and turn the lens back in the direction it just passed." While sketching, Mo Yongxin focused on the monitor, suddenly pausing and waving her hand.
Mo Yongxin stared intently at the monitor. This time, there was no need for her to give instructions. The person controlling the camera also noticed something unusual. The mini-vehicle carrying the camera began to move back and turned the lens towards the white object in the corner as instructed.
"That... that's a corpse!"
As the camera approached the white object, everyone finally realized what it was. It was a completely decomposed corpse, reduced to just bones, sitting quietly in the corner of the wall.
"If there's a corpse inside this cave, it should belong to the old geomancer," Mo Yongxin analyzed, issuing a new command at the same time.
Qin Yu could see clearly. When the camera focused on the hand of the skeleton, the left hand indeed lacked five finger bones, starting from the wrist. This skeleton matched the description in the notes of the geomancer's eldest son—missing the left hand. It was undoubtedly the old geomancer.
"It's strange. Based on the notes, the old geomancer clearly suffered an accident and didn't have time to escape. But why would his body appear in a corner, about a hundred meters away in a straight line beneath the entrance of the cave? Moreover, from the skeleton, apart from the left hand, the other parts seem intact without any signs of fracture."
Mo Yongxing's words echoed the doubts in Qin Yu's mind. Could it be that the old geomancer didn't actually die? Instead, was he trapped and left to die in the cave when the rope was pulled away? But if that were the case, why would he have willingly severed his own left hand?
Qin Yu had a vague feeling that something was amiss, but at that moment, the camera had already turned away and continued exploring the cave. He could only temporarily suppress his questions and carefully observe the images being transmitted on the monitor.
"Huh, why is there a river at the bottom of this cave!"
The mini-vehicle reached the middle of the cave, and a river crossed its path, blocking its progress. From the footage on the monitor, the river seemed to be about one zhang (around three meters) wide. Since the camera couldn't tilt downward, it couldn't capture the scene beneath the water or estimate its depth.
On the other side of the river, the camera's footage became less clear. In the haze, it could be seen that there seemed to be a stone platform across from it, but apart from that, there was nothing particularly noteworthy. The mini-vehicle had completed its task.
Mo Yongxin and her brother, along with several black-clad bodyguards, began discussing the plan to enter the cave. Some of them were professionals in this field, but Qin Yu didn't join them.
"Qin, where do you think the Dragon Crystal Fluid would most likely appear in the cave?" He Ping, who also refrained from joining the discussion, asked Qin Yu. Like Qin Yu, he couldn't contribute much to the professional aspects of the conversation.
"Based on the footage on the monitor, the stone platform is the most likely place for the Dragon Crystal Fluid to appear," Qin Yu replied.
"Hmm, I agree with your viewpoint," He Ping nodded in agreement but then hesitated, as if he had something more to say.
"What is it, He Master?" Qin Yu noticed He Ping's expression and asked.
"Qin, in the field of Feng Shui, just like in Buddhism and Taoism, causality is highly valued. The Dragon Crystal Fluid is the essence nurtured by the dragon veins, and you have been nourished by the qi of the dragon veins. Personally, I think you should go down into this cave. Moreover, I have a vague feeling that in order to extract the Dragon Crystal Fluid, it needs to correspond to something in your body."
He Ping's words plunged Qin Yu into contemplation. It would be false to say that he didn't have curiosity about this cave. Furthermore, like He Ping, he had a gut feeling that there was something beneficial for him at the bottom of this cave. If he missed it, he might never get another chance.
This intuition was similar to the feeling he had when he first saw the Dragon-Seeking Disk. Staring at the deep and mysterious entrance of the cave, Qin Yu couldn't help but hesitate.
"Do you know why we are searching for the Dragon Crystal Fluid this time, Qin?" He Ping continued to ask.
"The purpose? The efficacy of the Dragon Crystal Fluid is for healing and longevity. Longevity seems too elusive, so it shouldn't be for that reason. With the wealth of the Mo family, common illnesses wouldn't trouble them. Therefore, it should be because someone has a strange illness!" Qin Yu voiced his judgment.
He Ping sighed and said, "Yes, every family has its own difficulties. Despite Miss Mo's cold demeanor, she used to be a lively girl. It was just an incident that suddenly changed her personality..."
He Ping's words revealed the background of the situation to Qin Yu. Five years ago, the mother of the Mo siblings suddenly fell ill with a peculiar disease. Her limbs became stiff and numb, and despite seeking renowned doctors, her condition didn't improve. Instead, it worsened over time. Within just three months, she became like a puppet, completely motionless. If it weren't for the faint signs of breathing, everyone would have thought she had already died.
"Living dead" is the most fitting description for the condition of the Mo siblings' mother. She was alive, yet completely devoid of awareness and movement, resembling a corpse. With their father being busy with his own affairs, the responsibility of finding a cure for their mother's strange illness fell on Mo Yongxin.
Before her mother fell ill, Mo Yongxin was a cheerful and lively girl. However, since her mother's illness, her personality gradually became cold, and eventually, she became unapproachable, earning her the nickname "Ice Queen" among people in her circle.
In her quest to heal her mother, Mo Yongxin sought renowned doctors, but none, whether traditional or exceptional, had any solutions for her mother's condition. Frustrated, she started exploring alternative methods, including obscure folk remedies. It was during that time that she heard a Feng Shui master mention the miraculous substance called Dragon Crystal Fluid, known for its ability to cure various ailments.
Although the Feng Shui master mentioned Dragon Crystal Fluid, he didn't hold much hope for Mo Yongxin to actually find it. Over the past century, there had been many legends about Dragon Crystal Fluid in the Feng Shui industry, but no one had ever truly obtained it.
What was said unintentionally was heard with intention. Dragon Crystal Fluid became the last straw of hope for Mo Yongxin, even though she knew the chances were slim. She tirelessly inquired and collected information from various sources, even at a high cost. Her efforts paid off three months ago when she obtained a clue: a notebook left behind by the deceased Feng Shui master.
Filled with joy, Mo Yongxin sought out He Ping and earnestly asked him to accompany her in the search for Dragon Crystal Fluid. However, when they arrived at the house of the late Feng Shui master, they found only two notebooks and no other leads.
Qin Yu learned about the events that followed, but He Ping didn't elaborate further. He looked sincerely at Qin Yu and spoke word by word, "Qin, over the past few years, I have traveled across the country with Miss Mo, filled with hope every time but ultimately returning disappointed. To be honest, even I have lost any hope for a cure for Mrs. Mo's illness. But Miss Mo has been persistent. Her dedication even surpasses mine."
"Therefore, I hope that you, Qin, can help Miss Mo once again. This time, it can be said that it holds the most hope we've had in these years."
After listening to He Ping's words, Qin Yu's gaze swept over Mo Yongxin, who was currently directing the work and discussing plans to enter the cave. Her cold yet determined face appeared solemn.
Unconsciously, images of Mo Yongxin's pretense of strength on her beautiful face, shattered hopes of saving her mother each time, flashed through Qin Yu's mind. She was a young girl in the prime of her youth, supposed to enjoy a good life, but instead, she had to tirelessly travel around, driven by the desire to cure her mother's illness. Her determination even caused those around her to feel heartache.
"He Master, I promise you that I will join you in going down this cave later!" Qin Yu's expression was resolute as he nodded in agreement. Even if it was just out of consideration for Mo Yongxin's filial piety, he couldn't stand by and do nothing about this matter.