The old man's grip tightened even more, and my attempts to grab his throat proved futile as my strength waned.
Suddenly, I saw a flash of movement and a glint of steel: "Shing…"
The flash passed in front of me, and I felt immediate relief in my neck.
"Are you okay?" Liu Captain pulled me up from the ground. "Damn, he got away fast. I didn't manage to hit him."
"Cough, cough…" I clutched my throat and coughed. "I'm fine. Let's go after him." I drew my machete and leapt into the tunnel ahead. This time, I wouldn't go in empty-handed.
I wasn't sure why I felt no fear at that moment. Perhaps knowing that the old man was not some supernatural being lessened my fear.
Unfortunately, when I entered the tunnel and shone my flashlight both ways, the old man was nowhere to be seen.
"Is that the old man you mentioned?" Liu Captain also jumped down to join me.
"Yeah, that's him!" I confirmed. Despite the blood covering his face tonight, I was certain it was him. There was no one else in Lianhua Village.
"Damn, that was terrifying. Nearly scared the life out of me!" Liu Captain said, his voice trembling. "Why didn't you warn me about how scary he is? I almost ran away! If I hadn't seen him strangling you, I wouldn't have reacted."
I couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed. I hadn't realized the extent of his fear. If he had bolted, I would have surely been strangled to death by the old man.
"Liu Captain, this old man is quite odd. We need to be very cautious." I reassured him before examining the ground. "This tunnel is similar to the one we entered yesterday. It bends a short distance ahead. Although the old man has a limp, he moves very quickly. I didn't see him when I jumped in."
"How can a limp old man move so fast?" Liu Captain asked.
"Maybe his leg isn't too bad, just slightly impaired." I speculated while closely examining the footprints on the ground.
Just then, a slight noise came from the ceiling beams. I shone my flashlight upwards and saw Li Dapeng's mother, who had been hanging from the beam, swinging back and forth eerily.
"Damn… should we take her down? It's creepy having her hang there." Liu Captain suggested.
"Sure, you go ahead and bring her down while I check the footprints. I need to see which way the old man went." I said.
"Okay!" Liu Captain said as he climbed out of the tunnel. Soon, I saw him searching for something to stand on.
At that moment, I noticed a distinct footprint. This set of prints was larger and deeper than the others, indicating someone in a hurry. The soil was kicked up towards the back, resembling a person running on a beach.
I immediately thought of Zhao Xiaotian. He was tall and had large feet. These prints had to be his, not the old man's.
I looked up to find Liu Captain, but he was gone. "Liu Captain, I found something! Come down quickly."
"…" Strangely, there was no response. Silence surrounded me.
Given the recent strange events, I was highly alert. I quickly scanned both ends of the tunnel with my flashlight but saw no sign of the old man. I climbed out of the tunnel.
The fog was thick, enveloping the whole house.
"Liu Captain, Liu Captain…" I called out, my voice echoing faintly.
"Over here…" I heard a faint response from the direction of the courtyard, followed by the sound of rustling grass.
Holding my flashlight in one hand and machete in the other, I rushed toward the courtyard.
With visibility so poor, it was challenging to find anyone.
Thankfully, my ears were sharp. In the courtyard, I heard the rustling grow louder. I followed the sound, noticing a narrow path through the grass as if someone had been dragged through it.
Fearing the worst, I quickened my pace and soon came upon a horrifying sight.
Ahead, two people were grappling. Liu Captain, in his white hazmat suit, lay on the ground, while the white-haired elder in black stood over him. The person strangling Liu Captain was Li Dapeng's mother.
Her hands were tightly around Liu Captain's neck, dragging him backward, while he gripped her throat.
"Let go!" I shouted, closing the distance and slashing at her back with my machete. I didn't aim for her hands, fearing I might hit Liu Captain.
With a dull thud, my machete struck her back, blood spurting out. To my horror, she seemed unfazed, continuing to choke Liu Captain.
Panicking, I aimed a heavy blow at her neck, severing a third of it.
Blood sprayed everywhere, and she finally collapsed.
Even as she fell, her grip on Liu Captain's neck loosened. I pried her hands away and pulled Liu Captain up. "Are you alright?"
"Cough, cough, cough…" Liu Captain clutched his throat, coughing for nearly a minute before he could speak.
"Damn it, what's going on here? She was dead, and then she suddenly comes back to life!" Liu Captain said, still shaken.
His words echoed my thoughts. I didn't know what was happening either and didn't want to speculate too much, fearing it would only scare us more. It dawned on me that Li Dapeng's mother might have climbed up to hang herself, explaining her repeated appearances.
Chilled by this realization, I changed the subject. "Liu Captain, let's focus on the tunnel. I found a clue about Zhao Xiaotian."
"Really?" Liu Captain seemed surprised but quickly agreed. "Alright, let's go!"
At that moment, I truly admired Liu Captain. Most people would have retreated after encountering such horror, but he agreed without hesitation, despite his evident fear.
This was a true hard man! A real iron-willed man! That was my assessment of Liu Captain.
We headed back to the middle tunnel. I shone my flashlight inside, ensuring it was safe before jumping down. I was more cautious now, wary of any surprise attacks.
"Brother Lin, should we bring our backpacks?" Liu Captain asked from above.
"Yes, let's take them. Last time we left our backpacks outside, and the old man took them all." I replied, determined not to repeat the same mistake.
Military backpacks are well-designed, fitting snugly on our backs. They might be a bit heavy, but they don't hinder movement much. Even in the narrow tunnel, we could still maneuver. Plus, if we got trapped, the supplies in our backpacks could keep us alive longer.
Liu Captain followed me down, carrying his backpack.
We followed Zhao Xiaotian's clear footprints, marking our path on the walls with our knives to prevent getting lost on the way out.
After about half an hour, we reached a long, straight tunnel stretching into the darkness.
I heard the faint sound of coughing again. "Cough, cough, cough…"
"Liu Captain, I hear coughing ahead. Let's check it out." I said.
"Coughing? I didn't hear anything." Liu Captain looked puzzled. "Brother Lin, don't scare me. I might seem calm, but I'm barely holding it together."
"You didn't hear it?" I asked, a sense of unease creeping in.