The dark night utterly failed to impede Han Sheng's footsteps as he led us through the forest with agility, briefly describing the unforeseen circumstances they encountered along the way.
Originally on the verge of changing watch, Big Head suddenly had an urgent need to relieve himself. While standing on a tree, he began urinating before pulling up his pants. Unexpectedly, the tree was struck by something, catching him off guard, and he tumbled down. Han Sheng, unable to provide a warning, followed suit.
Upon descending, he took in a sharp breath; below were over a dozen giant lizards of unknown species. Big Head was grappling with one, having already received a bite on his shoulder. Han Sheng, carrying a cold flare, though not emitting high temperatures, created chaos among the lizard group. Seizing this opportunity, he pulled Big Head to safety.
Both of them ran frantically, encountering Zhao Jun along the way. Before they could catch their breath, the ground beneath their feet shook, collapsing entirely. Han Sheng swiftly jumped aside, inquiring about the situation below. After a considerable wait, Zhao Jun explained that Big Head succumbed to the venomous effects of the giant lizard bite, and it seemed like there was a mine shaft below.
Han Sheng mentioned the mine shaft, and I was skeptical until he brought us to the collapsed area. There were clear signs of man-made construction, with corroded logs severely damaged over time, coupled with external force, resulting in the fracture.
Squatting at the edge of the hole, Zhao Min illuminated the darkness below with a flashlight, furrowing her brow and calling out, "Da Jun?"
In the pitch-black mine shaft, there was only an echo, no response. I feared the worst—perhaps, while Han Sheng was out searching for us, the giant lizards attacked and devoured the two.
Zhao Min quickly took out a mountaineering rope from her bag, selecting sturdy branches to secure the rope. Han Sheng and Big Head, lacking backpacks, received ropes from Old Wan and began securing them.
Finding a relatively clean rock, I had Li Xin lie down, lifting his shirt. The sight almost made me nauseous—his back was covered in wounds, each the size of half a thumbnail, with several crawling insects bearing yellow and white stripes. Suppressing my disgust, I informed Old Wan quietly that these insects likely injected paralyzing toxins, explaining Li Xin's lack of pain.
Using a solution of hydrogen peroxide mixed with sodium chloride, I cleaned his wounds, carefully inspecting his entire body to ensure the absence of such insects before allowing him to stand. Perhaps the toxins from those insects had gradually dissipated; Li Xin's complexion turned slightly bluish as he asked, "Why does my back start to ache now?"
I reassured him, "It's nothing. I'll apply some erythromycin later. It's just minor wounds. Look at me; I've got plenty of scratches from that lizard brawl. "
Han Sheng and Zhao Min finished tying the ropes. Han Sheng approached and said, "I'll go down first. When I give you the signal, you can follow."
Seeing that he was about to descend empty-handed, I asked if he needed anything. Zhao Min handed him her dagger, saying, "Take this."
"No need. I have this." Han Sheng grinned, revealing a firearm he carried. Like Second Brother, he preferred carrying cold weapons. This particular screw-threaded steel pipe, due to limited space below, was shortened, and Second Brother's gunhead was attached. Testing it, he said, "No problem. I'm going down."
Due to the abundance of vegetation on the ground entangled with the logs, the collapse at the entrance was a mess, with many broken logs suspended haphazardly from the vines.
Han Sheng descended slowly along the rope, and we anxiously crouched at the entrance. After a while, a beam of flashlight ascended, and only then did we breathe a sigh of relief. The remaining members followed suit.
Zhao Min lit the mining lamp, allowing me to examine the surroundings. Indeed, it was a tunnel, approximately two meters wide and over three meters high. Examining the supporting logs, the ancient mining tunnel employed two methods: mortise and tenon. Curiously, this method usually appeared in mines after the Song Dynasty. Could it be that this old pit was not dug by Fox Hu Wang?
Old Wan inspected and concluded, "This seems to be an inclined well."
Looking around, it was evident that we were in an inclined well. Judging by the slope, the inclined well's opening on the left side was not far from the ground. Suddenly, Li Xin exclaimed, "Oh!" Pointing at the rock walls on both sides of the tunnel, he said, "No wonder there was a collapse. Look, this seems to be a fluorite mine."
I glanced at the rock walls on both sides of the tunnel, amazed, and asked him, "Are you sure this is fluorite? If so, that makes sense. Fluorite is the main component of Han white jade. Generally, only mines like this produce Han white jade. As you know, in ancient imperial tombs, this material was used the most."
Old Wan questioned, "Are you saying that the Han white jade in Fox Hu Wang's tomb comes from here?"
I replied uncertainly, "It seems plausible on the surface, but there's another question. The support method for this tunnel seems to belong to the post-Song era. How did it appear in a Han white jade mine from Fox Hu Wang's time?"
Han Sheng suggested, "Let's meet up with Zhao Jun and the others first. Regardless of the reason, Zhao Jun, carrying Big Head in a coma, won't get far. If we hurry, we should be able to catch up."
Fortunately, none of us sustained fatal injuries, and we could continue our journey. Han Sheng led the way with the mining lamp, Zhao Min followed behind, and we headed towards the bottom of the inclined well.
In ancient mining, there were generally two types of entrances: inclined and straight. The number and depth of each type varied, and for safety, mines were functionally divided into positive and return mines—one for transporting ore and the other for exit. Not every mine adhered to this rule.
Judging by the wheel tracks on the ground of this tunnel, it should be a positive mine for transporting ore. Although each mining area was separated, they were interconnected, resembling a maze to unfamiliar individuals.
Old Wan asked nervously, "Which one should we choose?"
Before anyone could respond, the torch on our left extinguished with a "puff," and simultaneously, the bronze mirror in front of us reflected a disheveled figure behind us.