The hand possessed immense strength and remarkable speed. I could hardly discern the surroundings, only feeling an instantaneous descent of about five or six meters. In my panic, my hand, hanging outside the diving suit, touched the signal gun. Without much consideration, I aimed it at the ground and fired.
The pitch-black lake bottom instantly illuminated with a dazzling white light. Startled, I hastily closed my eyes. Fortunately, the goggles partially shielded the intense light; otherwise, that moment would have surely scorched my eyes, causing instant blindness. It seemed that the signal flare had some effect; I sensed the force beneath me diminishing.
As the brilliance of the signal flare faded, I quickly looked around to locate everyone. To my dismay, a multitude of bizarre fish, similar to the ones that attacked us earlier, appeared in the lake. Lao He and Shan Mao were nowhere to be seen, and Liang Zi seemed injured. Xiao He, pulling him, swam towards a nearby cavity. Just as I was about to follow, two or three peculiar fish, teeth bared, swam menacingly towards me.
I muttered a curse under my breath. Attempting to forcefully approach them from this distance would inevitably result in being surrounded by these creatures. Glancing at the location of their cavity, I swam towards a nearby dark hole.
Unexpectedly, the hole, appearing deep, was actually only around twenty meters deep, transitioning into an almost vertical trajectory. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through my foot. Turning around, I saw a peculiar fish biting into my calf. Its razor-sharp teeth pierced the wetsuit and lodged into my muscle.
Turning to kick it with my other foot proved futile; the fish's body, covered in tiny nail-sized scales, was exceptionally slippery. My haphazard search on my chest found a solid object, presumably my phone. In my urgency, I didn't hesitate and pulled out the phone, delivering a fierce blow to the fish's head. It winced in pain, releasing its grip, but lingered in front of me.
Now that I could see clearly, the fish's body and head resembled a Mahseer found in the northeast, but much larger. It had fragmented teeth, and its lower body resembled a snake, long and slender. Its eyes, due to prolonged darkness, had degenerated into entirely white orbs.
It dawned on me; I cursed my own foolishness. These fish had lost their vision, but in such low temperatures, they were undoubtedly highly sensitive to temperature changes. The earlier attacking fish must have been lured by the illumination from my flare. Since these fish could survive here, it confirmed my earlier speculation.
The lake within the mountain indeed hosted running water. The Yungui Mountains exhibited a karst topography, mainly composed of limestone. Combined with significant underground water infiltration, large water volumes flowed downward through limestone crevices, forming extensive cave systems. These fish probably originally inhabited the underground rivers, and perhaps, one of the nearby holes connected to an underground river.
Contemplating this while facing the peculiar fish, I gradually ascended, perhaps seven or eight minutes in total. Suddenly, the fish seemed uneasy. After circling me a few times, it abandoned me and swam away, retracing its path. I waited in place for a while; the fish did not return. Only then did I relax, but the realization that I was alone in this unknown cavity began to unsettle me.
I endeavored to calm myself down. Outside the hole, the peculiar fish abounded, making it impossible to leave immediately. I couldn't afford to wait for them to leave, as it would excessively deplete my oxygen supply.
Considering the situation, I glanced at my oxygen gauge, and an immediate cold sweat broke out. The needle indicated less than 4 liters of oxygen left in the tank. In such a short time, how could the consumption be so rapid? Staring at the pointer, hovering around one-third, my heart pounded as if on the verge of oxygen deprivation. I took a deep breath, reassuring myself that with the current oxygen level, a swift ascent would be viable, as long as I avoided those peculiar fish.
Now, I needed to find a hiding place, wait for the fish to depart, and, if lucky, encounter the old hunter before returning to the village.
Glancing upward, I recalled a detail when I entered. This hole seemed to have accumulated fine silt underneath, likely carried by the flowing water. I speculated that these holes were probably ancient drainage structures. I might have unwittingly entered a vast tomb-like structure within the mountain. Despite the unsettling scenario, I ascended along the hole, eventually reaching above the water surface.
Thinking about this, I gradually calmed down, swimming upward. In no time, under the flashlight's beam, I noticed a silhouette. Though initially blurry, after ascending a bit more, I finally discerned the figure. Suddenly, my scalp tingled, and my heart raced. The figure wasn't in the water; it loomed from above the water's surface, resembling a person standing on the shore, bending over to look at me. Could it be the individual who had been following us?
While controlling my breathing to conserve oxygen, my heart, unstoppable, continued its rapid beats. In what felt like half a cigarette's duration, we faced each other. I dared not blink, fearing it might suddenly plunge into the water and approach me. Eventually, I made a determined decision; I couldn't waste oxygen any longer and had to surface.
I attempted to swim backward, distancing myself from the shore. As I surfaced, the flashlight accurately illuminated the figure. Gritting my teeth, I exclaimed, "Why don't you focus on sculpting statues instead of bending over like that!"
Where I found myself was a small water pool, with two statues standing at its edge. The statues were of two ancient warriors holding weapons. The stone used for these statues didn't seem to be limestone, possibly originating from elsewhere, unaffected by the local humidity. Stone steps led to the water's edge. I removed my breathing apparatus and took a breath; luckily, the air seemed ordinary, allowing me to breathe.
I ascended the stone steps, leaving the water. Only now did I see the two stone carvings clearly. They were undoubtedly warriors, as indicated by the weapons they carried. However, their attire was unfamiliar, likely not from the central plains but possibly from a minority ethnic group, an ancient one at that. The two warriors weren't bowing but each carried a basin of fire on their backs, presumably used for illumination.
The statues weren't particularly tall. After removing my diving gear, I climbed up to inspect them. They felt greasy to the touch, likely due to some animal fat. Taking out a match from my bag, I lit the wick. Due to the humid air, it took a while before the flame gradually brightened. The entire cavern was now illuminated, revealing its vastness.
I surveyed the surroundings. This was a considerable stone chamber, with me at the lowest point. Looking upward, my suspicions were confirmed: these holes were part of a systematic drainage system. Clearly, water channels had been constructed from above, leading directly to the water pool I had just surfaced in. During the non-rainy season, this area probably had little water; otherwise, the entire chamber might have been filled.
Carefully examining the surrounding rocks, I discovered that this place was originally a natural cave, later modified into part of a drainage
system. In other words, I might not have truly entered the tomb yet. This section seemed more like a moat, serving as a drainage component. Simultaneously, I noticed something peculiar; the cavern ceiling had an embedded bronze mirror.
In ancient Chinese history, bronze mirrors generally served two purposes: one related to the aesthetic desires of women, typically placed in their private chambers, and the other a bit more mysterious, involving the tradition of hanging bronze mirrors at the central top of certain residences. Even today, in some places, such a practice persists due to the belief that bronze mirrors possess the ability to ward off evil spirits.
I recalled a saying from the "Baopuzi," roughly stating, "All things in the world are refined into essence, and only the mirror can truthfully reflect one's form." Essentially, it emphasized how impurities would be revealed when exposed to the reflection of a bronze mirror. However, why would such a mirror be present here? Even in a tomb, it should be hung at the four corners of a coffin. Could it be...
I looked towards the water surface. Could it be that something ominous occurred when craftsmen were constructing these drainage passages, prompting them to hang this mirror?
At that moment, the fire basin on the statue's back flickered twice and extinguished with a soft hiss. The sudden darkness, despite me turning off the flashlight earlier to conserve power, alarmed me. In a panic, I hastily illuminated the area with the flashlight, scanning for any unexpected presence. Holding the light tightly, I approached the statue cautiously, occasionally glancing behind, fearing something might emerge.
Touching the still-warm wick, I ignited another match. The chamber regained its luminosity, and no peculiar entities revealed themselves. I sighed in relief, convincing myself that it was probably just a water droplet from the ceiling, falling precisely on the flame. That explained the earlier incident.
Leaping down from the statue, I examined the drainage passage above, hesitating whether to explore it further. The presence of the bronze mirror gave me an uneasy feeling. Just then, the flame, recently ignited, flickered and extinguished once again.
A shiver ran down my spine, realizing I wasn't alone; something else was blowing out my light.