Chapter 5 - The Perilous Encounter on the Prehistoric Glacier

Zhuo Muqiangba, wearing an expression that was almost reverent, slowly approached the gray wolf. When he was within less than a meter, he stopped, crouched down, placed his right hand on his chest, and offered a warm smile. "I mean no harm, I'm a friend. I'm your friend," he said.

The gray wolf bared its teeth and growled lowly, a sound that seemed to make every hair on its body tremble. Zhuo Muqiangba maintained eye contact with the wolf, his gaze exuding a nearly maternal compassion. He remained in his half-crouch position, neither moving forward nor making any other gestures. Man and wolf faced each other like statues, their breath forming clouds of white mist that mingled in the cold air. Zhuo Muqiangba sensed a strange emotion in the wolf's eyes—fear mixed with a hint of threat, yet also a desire to approach. He thought, "What are you trying to tell me, friend? Do you long to be close to humans but are afraid? I understand that human weapons have made it hard for you to trust us, but please believe me, I genuinely want to be your friend."

Zhang Li was drenched in cold sweat. Time seemed frozen, every second dragging on painfully. The wolf only needed to lunge forward to snap Zhuo Muqiangba's neck. Judging by the wolf's unfriendly expression, it seemed ready to do just that. Yet, Zhuo Muqiangba appeared completely unconcerned. Zhang Li had never seen such a gentle expression on Zhuo Muqiangba's face. This muscular, stern-faced business magnate had transformed into an ordinary man the moment he approached the wolf, a man who longed for friendship, communication, and sharing his inner monologue. Zhang Li could not understand what was happening; everything felt too surreal, as if they were dreaming on the icy plain.

Under Zhuo Muqiangba's kind gaze, the wolf's demeanor seemed to change gradually. Its growls softened, and its bristled mane began to smooth down. It slowly withdrew its steel-like claws from the frozen ground, replacing the ferocity in its eyes with a look of doubt as it tilted its head to observe Zhuo Muqiangba—this two-legged creature who showed no fear of death. Occasionally, it would still let out a few angry howls.

At that moment, another wolf ran up from behind Zhuo Muqiangba. Zhang Li could no longer hold back and shouted, "Run, Young Master Qiangba!" Zhuo Muqiangba slowly turned his head but remained unfazed. Zhang Li's shout startled the wolf in front of Zhuo Muqiangba, causing it to recoil and raise its fur, hunch its back, and growl threateningly at Zhang Li, whose sweat had soaked his undershirt.

Zhuo Muqiangba said, "It's okay, no need to be too scared. Hunting is their instinct for survival. Unless a wolf is starving or feels threatened by you, they usually won't waste energy on unnecessary killing. As long as you don't shout or act aggressively towards them, their hostility will gradually diminish. You could even try walking over slowly."

The wolf behind Zhuo Muqiangba approached and tossed something at his feet with a flick of its head. Zhuo Muqiangba saw that it was a piece of charred metal, with faint camouflage colors still visible. He picked it up and examined it closely. "This is...!" he exclaimed. He realized it was a fragment of their off-road vehicle. Nodding to the wolf, he said, "So, you noticed us long ago. Yes, this is ours."

However, the wolf continued to look up at him, not understanding his words. Zhuo Muqiangba thought for a moment, then placed the fragment in his pocket and patted it, nodding again. He wasn't sure why he was doing this, but he hoped the wolf would understand what he was trying to convey. The wolf seemed to get the message. It glanced at its companion, and both wolves began making "ow-oo, woo-woo" sounds that Zhuo Muqiangba could not interpret.

Seeing this, Zhang Li realized that perhaps these wolves were not so hostile after all. He cautiously lifted a leg and asked Zhuo Muqiangba, "Can I come over?"

Zhuo Muqiangba replied, "Come over slowly." As Zhang Li cautiously moved, one of the wolves suddenly raised its head and let out a long howl, a sound usually reserved for full-moon nights. The other wolf joined in, and the ancient sound reverberated across the barren ice plain, nearly causing Zhang Li to stumble in fright.

The two wolves stopped howling, and another howl echoed from a distance. Zhuo Muqiangba understood—they were communicating over long distances. Zhang Li finally reached Zhuo Muqiangba's side. Seeing the two wolves still staring at him with hostility, he awkwardly waved his hand at them and forced a smile. "Hi... hello, everyone..."

Zhuo Muqiangba had been observing the wolves by his side closely. Suddenly, his eyes narrowed, and he exclaimed in realization, "I understand now!"

Already in a state of high tension, Zhang Li was startled by Zhuo Muqiangba's sudden outburst, feeling as if his heart was about to jump out of his chest. Clutching his chest, he asked, "Young Master Qiangba... Zhuo Boss, what do you understand?"

Zhuo Muqiangba slowly replied, "They are not native to this ice plain."

"Huh?" Zhang Li looked around and found no apparent difference between these wolves and those they had seen earlier on the grasslands. He listened as Zhuo Muqiangba continued, "It's freezing cold here, with wind and snow, yet their fur hasn't fully grown in. They still have their darker, brown fur. This indicates they originally lived in a warmer place and, for some reason, came to this barren land that doesn't belong to them. They're driving the big bear across the Kekexili to return to their original home!" Excitedly, Zhuo Muqiangba added, "I get it now! I get it! You want me to use a car to take you home! You also know that the four-wheeled thing wrapped in iron is a great means of transportation, right? Is that it?"

Zhuo Muqiangba asked in excitement but then realized that the wolves couldn't understand what he was saying. Communicating such a complex idea through gestures was too difficult. He also remembered that their vehicle had been reduced to scrap metal, and they were still struggling to survive; they might even need the help of these wolf friends. Thinking of this, Zhuo Muqiangba's expression dimmed again. He looked affectionately at the smallest wolf and murmured to Zhang Li, "Poor thing, look, its legs are shaking from the cold."

"Oh." Zhang Li replied weakly, thinking, "Can't you see my legs are also shaking?" After breaking into a cold sweat, Zhang Li now felt encased in ice as the wind blew.

"Shing—" Suddenly, Zhuo Muqiangba stood up and drew his Tibetan knife. The two wolves immediately jumped back, ready for battle. Zhang Li was confused. Why would Young Master Qiangba suddenly change his attitude? Shouldn't he at least give some sort of signal if he planned a surprise attack? To his surprise, Zhuo Muqiangba approached him instead, holding the knife.

Zhang Li was alarmed, "Y-young Master Qiangba... Zhuo Boss! What are you going to do?"

Zhuo Muqiangba bent down, grabbed the hem of Zhang Li's fur coat, and said, "We... we should help them!" With that, he sliced off a large section of Zhang Li's coat with a single stroke.

While all three of their fur coats were provided by Zhuo Muqiangba, each was slightly different. Tang Min's coat was made of silver fox fur, while Zhuo Muqiangba wore one made of snow mink fur. Now, both coats were wrapped around Tang Min, leaving only Zhang Li's lambskin coat. Made from winter lamb wool, this coat was a very warm fur product, though few were made due to the extravagance of using lamb for fur clothing. Historically, only Tibetan chiefs enjoyed such luxury.

Zhuo Muqiangba sheathed his knife, cradling the large piece of fur in his hands. He gently pressed his face against it, then offered it to the wolves, saying, "It's warm. I can't give you more help than this; this is all I have. Please, accept it." The two wolves glanced at each other, and the larger one cautiously approached. Zhuo Muqiangba nodded continuously at it. The wolf hesitated, then quickly snatched the fur and ran back to its companion. The other wolf mimicked Zhuo Muqiangba's actions, pressing its face against the lambskin. The warmth and familiar scent made it let out a contented "woo-woo" sound.

Just then, a third wolf returned from a distance. The three wolves immediately huddled together in a triangular formation, heads touching. One or two occasionally turned to look back at Zhuo Muqiangba. Zhang Li said dumbfoundedly, "Look, they seem to be holding a meeting. This is unbelievable. They are so different from the wild animals I imagined."

Zhuo Muqiangba responded, "Yes, wolves are inherently social animals. No one can predict the intelligence level of wild

 creatures. But these three wolves truly amaze me; they almost possess human-like thinking abilities. Together, they form an independent combat unit. I've never seen wolves like this before. Even their skulls look somewhat different from ordinary wolves."

Zhang Li said, "Huh? So, Young Master Qiangba, you've encountered wolves often before? No wonder you're not afraid of them."

Zhuo Muqiangba replied in a stern tone, "Yes. I've told you before that I used to enjoy talking with animals. Oh, I forgot to mention, near my hometown, there are mostly high mountains and dense forests, and there aren't many dogs there. Most of my chat companions... were wolves. Have you forgotten? The Goba people, who live with wolves, are further west of my hometown."

At that moment, one of the three wolves ran toward the north, returning shortly after with a bone in its mouth. It approached Zhuo Muqiangba and looked up at him. Zhang Li asked in surprise, "What... what does this mean?"

Zhuo Muqiangba smiled, crouched down again, and said softly, "Is this a gift in return? Thank you." Without any fear, he reached out and took the four-to-five-inch bone from the wolf's mouth and put it in the pocket near his chest. The gray wolf let out a low growl again, but this time even Zhang Li could tell it sounded somewhat smug, or perhaps it was the wolf's laughter. He couldn't help but chuckle as well. Zhang Li felt strongly that there was a kindred spirit between Zhuo Muqiangba and the wolves. Once again, he realized that the usually cold and unapproachable Zhuo Muqiangba was willing to befriend wolves. "Is it just because they have been friends since childhood? Probably not," Zhang Li mused.

After securing the gift, Zhuo Muqiangba slowly extended his hand to stroke the gray wolf's head. The wolf half-closed its eyes, seemingly unopposed. Just as Zhuo Muqiangba was about to touch the wolf, the gray wolf before him suddenly pricked its ears as if listening to something. Zhuo Muqiangba retracted his hand. The gray wolf raised its head again, letting out a soft "woo" sound, its eyes still filled with a longing expression. It turned as if to say goodbye, walked a few steps, glanced back once more, and then, together with its companion holding the piece of fur, chased after the direction the big bear had fled.

Zhang Li asked, "What's going on? They just left like that?"

Watching the three gray wolves disappear in the direction where the bear had vanished, Zhuo Muqiangba felt a tinge of loss and sadness. He murmured, "I don't know, maybe I haven't gained their trust yet." In his heart, he wished, "I can only wish you a safe journey, my friends."

Suddenly, Zhang Li said, "Listen!"

In the vast wilderness, a familiar sound reached their ears—the sound of a vehicle engine, a product of human civilization. Zhuo Muqiangba was startled and said, "It's an engine. Have we been discovered?"

Zhang Li, however, was excited. "No, that's not the engine of a Hummer, and there's more than one vehicle. We're saved!" His eyes turned red.

With a sense of guilt, Zhuo Muqiangba looked back once more in the direction where the three wolves had disappeared and whispered, "So that's what it was."

A convoy of three Mitsubishi vehicles appeared in the distance, the Chinese flag gleaming under the sunlight. The two men waved their hands frantically and shouted loudly, with Zhang Li even taking off half of his fur coat and waving it energetically.

The convoy leader, Luo Wenhu, took out a radio to communicate, "Yes, this is the first team, and I'm the flagship. We've found three survivors 10 kilometers north of Lake Kekexili, one of whom, a girl, is very ill. Yes, I plan to bring them back to the base camp. Alright."

On the shores of Lake Kekexili, the flag of the base camp read "China Kekexili Scientific Expedition Team." Zhuo Muqiangba and Zhang Li underwent a brief check-up and were left in a tent while Tang Min was taken to the medical tent for examination by the professional medical staff on the team. Not long after, someone outside announced, "The captain is back." A man lifted the tent flap and walked in.

The man had a face full of whiskers, like a mop hung beneath his eyes, with an aquiline nose and hawk-like eyes, giving him a fierce look. He shook off the ice shards from his beard and asked, "Are you... poachers?"

Zhuo Muqiangba and Zhang Li shook their heads in unison. "Tourists on an adventure?" They shook their heads again.

"Don't tell me you're here for scientific research like us?" Still, they shook their heads. "Then what are you here for?" he raised his voice by several octaves.

Zhuo Muqiangba replied, "We... we're looking for a rescue station called... the Reiktag Rescue Station."

"Huh?" The captain asked curiously, "Where did you come from?"

Zhang Li answered softly, "West of Zhiduo..."

"Damn!" The captain suddenly swore, "Didn't you have a map? Heading west from Zhiduo! You two big men, don't you have any brains? Three people in one car, trying to cross Kekexili! What do you think this place is? Some kind of amusement park? You're lucky you're still alive!" The captain yanked a map of Qinghai Province off the tent wall, spread it out in front of Zhuo Muqiangba and Zhang Li, and angrily traced a line with his finger, tapping heavily, "This huge line, can't you see it? Coming out of Zhiduo, follow the Qinghai-Tibet Railway and the Qinghai-Tibet Highway, and you'll easily reach Golmud. There, you'll find the Golmud Nature Reserve Station, the outermost station of Kekexili. Once you're there, someone will tell you how to get to the Reiktag Rescue Station. But no, you had to go cross-country like this! I'm telling you, even we wouldn't dare to make such a crossing. Who led the way? Who was your guide?"

Zhuo Muqiangba had never been scolded so harshly in his life, but this time, they owed their lives to the man, so he had to swallow his pride and point toward the medical tent. "Ah! That little girl!" The captain grew even angrier. "You two big men listened to a little girl? What are you thinking?"

Zhang Li muttered, "She said she had been here before..."

"She said she'd been here before! Who was driving? Was it you?" The captain pointed at Zhang Li, who lowered his head. "I ask you, do you use your brain? You're the driver; you should at least be familiar with the terrain and maps. Listening to a little girl, don't you know that their lives depend entirely on you, the driver!" Another round of scolding.

"Come, follow me to the medical tent." The captain gave Zhang Li a fierce look and said, "See what mess you've made!"

Dr. Bagen, a Mongolian member of the expedition, had been involved in scientific research for five years. When he saw the captain enter, he greeted him softly, "Captain Hu Yang."

"Hmm. How is she?"

"Not good. High fever, 40 degrees Celsius, with rapid breathing and pulse, and mild edema in the face and limbs. It seems she developed altitude sickness after becoming ill. She's quite fortunate; if we had delayed another three or four hours, she wouldn't have made it. We lack the necessary medical equipment here, and the altitude is too high. I think she needs to be taken back to the rescue station immediately," Dr. Bagen said, shaking his round head. His eyes behind the round glasses squinted into a line, showing deep concern.

"Dr. Bagen, come check on Ma Liyun and Zhang Changgui; they're vomiting badly," someone called from outside.

Dr. Bagen returned from outside and said, "Captain, those two guys also have altitude sickness. The medicine they took doesn't seem to be working."

Captain Hu Yang's face turned grim. He thought for a moment and said, "Alright, let's do this. Send a car right away to take all three of them to the rescue station. Xiao Liu will stay here; you take them back. Be careful on the way."

Xiao Liu, a volunteer and a medical graduate student accompanying the expedition to learn about high-altitude rescue from Dr. Bagen, was the only medical staff left after Dr. Bagen departed. Dr. Bagen said, "Alright, I'll brief Xiao Liu."

Zhuo Muqiangba said, "I want to go too."

Hu Yang burst out, "You're not sick or injured; you're as strong as a yak. Why do you want to go? We only have one car, which can carry four people. We're already over capacity with the driver, and we still need to load essential food and spare fuel. Where are you going to sit? On the roof? You two, just stay here quietly!"

Zhuo Muqiangba insisted, "I... I can drive."

Hu Yang gave him a scornful look and asked, "Do you know the way?"

 He glanced at the helpless Zhuo Muqiangba and Zhang Li and added, "You can go back when the supply convoy returns later!"

After Hu Yang left, Zhang Li grumbled, "What is this? Treating us like poachers! Didn't I show them my credentials earlier?"

"Shh..." A tall, young man entered from outside. He had just helped carry Tang Min to the car. In a low voice, he said, "Don't be so loud. Our captain is like that—very rough. Everyone here has been scolded by him. Just don't make any mistakes here."

Zhuo Muqiangba heard the car engine start and stepped out of the tent, watching the shrinking off-road vehicle in the distance. He murmured, "They're gone."

The young man comforted him, "Don't worry. I've been to the rescue station; they have excellent medical equipment. Your daughter will be fine."

"Hmph." Zhang Li suppressed a laugh. Zhuo Muqiangba felt his ears burning. The young man widened his eyes and asked, "What? Did I say something wrong?"

Zhang Li said, "No, no. By the way, what's your name?"

"Ah, I'm Liu Guang—Liu as in Liu Xiang the hurdler, Guang as in Guangzhou. Just call me Xiao Liu. From now on, I'll be responsible for your health." Liu Guang was about 1.7 meters tall, and his slightly childish face had been frostbitten to a purplish-red.

Zhuo Muqiangba asked, "Xiao Liu, is there a Kekexili ranger team nearby?"

Liu Guang replied, "Not here. They don't venture this deep into Kekexili's interior; the environment is too harsh. They operate near the reserve station. They only risk entering these well-known calving grounds during the Tibetan antelope calving season each year. So usually, the scientific expedition team encounters mostly poachers. I didn't expect you guys to recklessly come here. By the way, I heard you saw a man-bear. Is that true?"

Zhang Li recounted their experience after their vehicle was wrecked in detail. Listening to the dangerous parts, Xiao Liu's eyes sparkled with excitement, even more so than Zhang Li's. He kept asking questions. After hearing everything, Xiao Liu seemed disappointed and said, "We've been traveling for five or six days since leaving Kusai Lake. Apart from seeing a few yak carcasses, we haven't seen anything else. The animals avoid us when they see a large convoy coming."

Zhang Li reassured him, "You'll see them in the future. Ah!" He patted Xiao Liu's shoulder friendly, suddenly feeling pain in his palm, and softly exclaimed.

Xiao Liu grabbed Zhang Li's hand and said, "Wait a moment." He carefully removed Zhang Li's glove, but it wouldn't come off. He looked through a gap and said, "It's full of frozen blood inside. Come on, I need to treat it."

Zhang Li's gloves were cut open, revealing that both hands were chafed and bleeding, the blood having frozen over. His hands had adhered to the leather gloves. Zhang Li recalled that this probably happened when they were racing against the Hummer, and he hadn't noticed it until now.

After Zhang Li's hands were simply bandaged, it was dinnertime. The surrounding expedition members had returned. They were divided into three groups, conducting research on the Malanshan Glacier, Yinma Lake, and the more distant Moon Lake, studying geographical changes and ecological shifts. Each group had about ten members, with a total of thirteen vehicles, including three supply trucks and one signal transmission vehicle, which extended the effective communication range of the expedition members' walkie-talkies to twenty kilometers. In the evening, they had a small gathering, partly to celebrate Zhuo Muqiangba and Zhang Li's narrow escape. During the meal, Zhuo Muqiangba discovered that the bearded captain, Hu Yang, though harsh in his scolding, was a straightforward person. He frequently passed food and said that the environment here was tough, and everyone needed to eat more nutritious food to stay healthy. Zhuo Muqiangba and Zhang Li recounted their ordeal again, but they omitted the part about being chased by the Hummer. When they mentioned the giant golden eagle, many expedition members looked hopeful. Only an older member, Xiao Yuqi, known as Old Xiao, confidently stated, "You won't see the giant golden eagle again. They can fly a thousand miles a day. After suffering such a setback here, they certainly won't stay in this area. I guess they'll fly south toward Tibet."

The next day, when Zhuo Muqiangba and Zhang Li woke up, the expedition members had already gotten up, and some had even set off. Zhuo Muqiangba stepped out of the tent alone and walked to the shores of Lake Kekexili. He watched the wind-driven waves crash, sending sprays of water high into the air. His heart felt as vast and empty as the lake. He had planned to find the ranger team, retrieve the notebook, and return, but now they were stuck with the expedition team. He didn't know how Tang Min was doing or when they would be able to look for the ranger team. He thought of the three gray wolves again. Like them, they had struggled to survive on the icy plain. He wondered how they were now. Lost in thought, he pulled out the bone from his chest, a gift from the gray wolf. Zhuo Muqiangba smiled inwardly, thinking, "Only a wolf friend would consider this a gift."

"You're up?"

"Hmm, Captain," Zhuo Muqiangba replied, not needing to turn around to know who it was.

"Still thinking about that little girl?"

Zhuo Muqiangba didn't answer. Hu Yang came to his side, gazing out over Lake Kekexili. In a long, drawn-out tone, he said, "The lake has expanded quite a bit since the last time I was here."

"Oh." Zhuo Muqiangba looked at Hu Yang, who seemed to carry infinite sadness in his eyes.

Hu Yang said, "This is all due to the greenhouse effect, which is becoming very evident. The Malanshan Glacier is melting at an unprecedented rate, and this lake, Kekexili, is getting larger."

"Ah." Zhuo Muqiangba wasn't very interested in these matters. He thought, "If Professor Fang Xin were here, he would surely have a great conversation with the captain. Professors know everything."

Hu Yang turned around and saw the bone in Zhuo Muqiangba's hand. "Hmm?" He curiously leaned in to look and asked, "May I see it?" He took it and examined it closely, suddenly asking, "Who gave this to you?"

Zhuo Muqiangba didn't expect anyone to be interested in the bone. Not wanting to explain too much, he simply said, "A friend gave it to me."

Hu Yang praised, "This is a good thing." He took out his walkie-talkie and called, "Old Xiao, Old Xiao, come out quickly. I have something good for you to see. I'm by the lake; hurry up, hurry up."

Zhuo Muqiangba was bewildered. He tried to take it back, saying, "It's just an ordinary bone."

Surprisingly, Hu Yang seemed reluctant to return it. He nudged Zhuo Muqiangba's hand aside with his elbow, turned away, and said, "What do you know?"

Old Xiao, with a bald crown, came running over in his heavy down coat like a spinning top, panting. Hu Yang met him halfway, waving the bone in his hand. "Look at this. What do you think?" Old Xiao took it, and the two of them whispered, their eyes lighting up as if they had just discovered a gold brick falling from the sky.

Zhuo Muqiangba walked over and heard Old Xiao say, "There's no mistake. This is it. There's a similar one in the Tibet Museum."

Zhuo Muqiangba wondered if he had misheard. Just then, Old Xiao asked, "What does your friend do?"

Zhuo Muqiangba answered truthfully, "Uh, he's a field worker."

Old Xiao said, "No wonder. He probably didn't know the value of this item."

Zhuo Muqiangba was puzzled and asked, "Isn't it just a bone?"

Old Xiao held up the bone against the rising sun and said, "Look here. There are clear signs of artificial carving—see? There's a groove here, and over here, this is a water stain, indicating it was frequently used in the past."

Zhuo Muqiangba grew even more curious and asked, "What exactly is this?"

Hu Yang chuckled and said, "It's a bone flute. You know? A flute made of bone that can emit a sharp, piercing sound, scaring beasts several kilometers away. Of course, it's no exception for humans. Don't believe me? Try blowing it."

Old Xiao handed the bone flute to Zhuo Muqiangba, and both Hu Yang and Old Xiao watched him expectantly. Under their gaze, Zhuo Muqiangba reluctantly put one end of the bone to his lower lip and gently blew. At first, there was no sound, but after changing positions two or three times, the bone emitted a "chirp—" sound.

But the sound was not as eerie as Hu Yang had described. Instead, it was long and plaintive, like the mournful cry of a lone eagle in the vast wilderness, echoing

 a sense of ancient longing that seeped through the tiny bone cavity. Hu Yang and Old Xiao exchanged glances, each seeing the sorrow on the other's face. The sound evoked a profound sense of desolation, even though Zhuo Muqiangba could only produce one note. Combined with the rising and falling waves of Lake Kekexili, it seemed to convey the lake's sorrow.

After a long pause, Hu Yang said to Old Xiao, "It seems the museum's description may not be accurate. They probably never tried blowing it themselves."

"Huh, you've never heard this sound before?" Zhuo Muqiangba felt tricked.

"Are you kidding?" Old Xiao replied. "There's only one of these bone flutes in the Tibet Museum. We're lucky to even see it. Who would dare blow it? This is a ritual object from ancient Tibetan culture, with cultural and historical value equivalent to the jade dragon of the ancient Hongshan culture and the large-eyed bronze mask of the ancient Sanxingdui culture. So I say, you should hand this bone flute over to the national museum in the future. It holds significant historical research value for archaeologists. Also, make sure to ask your friend where he found this."

Hu Yang added, "This kind of bone flute is usually made from a section of a human shin bone."

"What!" Zhuo Muqiangba finally understood why they wanted him to blow it, and he complained bitterly.

Just as Zhuo Muqiangba was about to ask more about the bone flute, Hu Yang's walkie-talkie sounded. He turned on the channel, and they heard an urgent voice, "Captain! We've spotted a group of poachers on the north shore of Yinma Lake. Ke Ke and his team have gone to chase them down, and I'm here to notify you. Get over here quickly."

Hu Yang said, "It's the forward scientific expedition team, Lin Xusheng and his group. Hurry, Old Xiao, grab a few team members and remember to bring your guns. Zhuo Muqiangba, what are you waiting for? Let's go and see!"

Zhuo Muqiangba considered calling Zhang Li along, but he remembered that Zhang Li's hands were still injured. Pressed for time, he decided to go alone with Hu Yang and his team. On the way, Zhuo Muqiangba asked, "Why didn't they all get in the car to chase? Why leave someone to guard the bodies?"

Hu Yang replied, "Idiot. Once outside the signal range of the signal-enhancing vehicle, the walkie-talkies can't communicate. And the walkie-talkie's built-in transmission frequency range is only about 500 meters. We have to reach Yinma Lake first, so Lin Xusheng can guide us." The three off-road vehicles left the base camp, carefully but quickly heading toward Yinma Lake.

Zhuo Muqiangba hadn't expected the scenery along the way to be so stunning. He saw a giant ice beam suspended in mid-air, resembling the Elephant Trunk Hill in Guilin. The car drove underneath the ice beam, and there were countless stone piles stacked like small hills along the roadside. Old Xiao explained that these were Mani heaps, with scriptures carved on the stones. Some of the stones at the bottom were hundreds of years old, and the scriptures on them were faded, indicating that Tibetans had once been active here. More likely, these were the routes taken by Tibetan pilgrims from the far north of Qinghai or even further, who passed through here on their way to worship. Zhuo Muqiangba closed his eyes and could imagine the pilgrims in their robes, bowing every step as they made their way to the holy site.

Ahead was a larger Mani heap, with prayer flags fluttering beside it and a completely weathered yak skull facing southeast, pointing directly toward the Potala Palace. After rounding a hill, Yinma Lake came into view. The lake water was a clear blue, the shore already frozen, and a thin layer of ice had formed in the center of the lake, still reflecting the color of the blue sky. Yinma Lake stretched for more than ten kilometers in a belt-like shape. The expedition vehicles drove along the lakeshore, and the snow-covered mountains on the opposite shore, along with several peninsular fjords jutting into the lake, made the place look like a polar landscape. Further away, snow-covered peaks could be seen. Old Xiao pointed out several peaks, saying, "To the southwest is Gangzari, the highest peak in the Kekexili Mountains. It's almost as high as Bukedaban Peak, both over 6,800 meters. To the north is Bukedaban Peak, but it's blocked by the Malanshan Glacier. That's the largest glacier in Kekexili."

Hu Yang seemed to be in a bad mood and didn't say a word throughout the journey.

Upon reaching their destination, the group got out of the vehicles. Lin Xusheng stood solemnly by the shore of Yinma Lake, his anger evident. Not far from his feet, thirty-odd Tibetan antelope carcasses were lined up in front of them, with five already completely skinned, exposing their bloody bodies. Their large, distinct eyes bulged forward. Hu Yang clenched his hands tightly, making a cracking sound, and Zhuo Muqiangba was also extremely angry. On this sacred lake shore, the bloodshed was so close to them. Those greedy people who sold their souls for money had lost all humanity.

Zhuo Muqiangba then noticed Zhang Li had followed the third vehicle behind them. Zhang Li patted Zhuo Muqiangba forcefully and said, "How could you not call me for this? You... you really..." Zhuo Muqiangba replied, "Your hands aren't healed yet. How could I... hey, let's talk in the car."

Hu Yang stood silently before the Tibetan antelope carcasses for a few minutes, then said, "Leave one car and three people here to deal with these bodies. The rest of you, follow me and give chase."

In the car, another expedition member, Chen Jie, said angrily, "Fortunately, we set up camp by Lake Kekexili. Otherwise, these inhumane bastards would have done even worse."

Zhuo Muqiangba was confused. Old Xiao patted his back and explained, "Lake Kekexili is a wintering habitat for Tibetan antelope, where there are larger herds. We set up our base camp there, partly to facilitate research on the surrounding lakes and Bukedaban Peak, and partly to protect the wintering Tibetan antelope. Poachers are most active during two periods: winter, when Tibetan antelope fur is thickest and can be used whole for clothing, and spring, when they shed their fleece. These guys are more familiar with Tibetan antelope habits than we are. This herd seems to have come here this year following water and grass. Every summer, they gather at Zhuonai Lake to calve, as if it's a grand event attended by Tibetan antelope from various regions, some migrating over a thousand kilometers. That's also a time when poaching is rampant. Those people don't care about the reproduction of Tibetan antelope at all."

Following the icy tracks left by the vehicles ahead, the group headed north. Old Xiao said, "Those guys are trying to escape to the Kunlun Mountains, aren't they?"

Hu Yang nodded, "Yes, that's likely the case. The Kunlun Mountains are crisscrossed with valleys, making it easy to shake off pursuers once inside. However, they can't get there in just a few days, so they must find a place to hide first. Most likely, they're heading into the glacier in a panic."

"Malanshan!" Old Xiao said. Hu Yang nodded. They continued following the tracks, and sure enough, they ascended the Malanshan Glacier.

Old Xiao continued to brief Zhuo Muqiangba, "The Malanshan Glacier forms on the flat tops of high mountains. The glacier covers the top like a white hat, also known as an ice cap or a flat-top glacier. Its characteristics include no surface debris and no exposed horn peaks or cliffs. The upper layer is firn, and the lower layer is glacier ice. Due to global warming, the glacier has been in a state of retreat, creating some remarkable sights inside."

Hu Yang observed the tracks nearby and said, "Looks like Ke Ke and his team were in a hurry. These poachers were in a panic. Be careful! Don't get stuck!"

They drove in the glacier valley for nearly an hour, and the radio had signal again. Hu Yang called out, "Ke Ke, can you hear me? Ke Ke!"

A man's voice replied, "Finally, you're here. I'm to the north. I can see your car."

Hu Yang asked, "Where are the poachers?"

Ke Ke replied, "They went into an ice cave. I'm guarding the entrance."

He paused and added, "Cheng Qu and the others are scouting to see if there are any other exits, but so far, we haven't found any."

Hu Yang asked, "What's the situation?"

Ke Ke said, "There are three to four of them. They have two hunting rifles and a modified semi-automatic assault rifle. They even tried to fight us, so I gave them a burst."

Halfway up the mountain, the poachers' wrecked car lay abandoned. According to Ke Ke's report, it was empty inside. His car was on the side slope of the glacier, marked with a red ribbon.

It looked close, but the closer they drove, the slower the off-road vehicles moved. Ke Ke's car was in sight, but they never seemed to reach it. The front wheels of the second

 car got stuck in an ice pit and couldn't get out, no matter how much they tried, the wheels just spun. Enraged, Hu Yang grabbed his rifle and jumped out of the car. Zhuo Muqiangba followed him, with Lin Xusheng and Zhang Li not far behind.

Zhuo Muqiangba wanted to see which cave the poachers had entered, so he quickened his pace to run ahead of Hu Yang. But Hu Yang yanked him back and scolded, "Do you have a death wish? Don't you look at the ground when you walk?"

Zhuo Muqiangba was confused. "The ground? There's nothing on the ground!"

Hu Yang didn't say anything. He suddenly walked a few steps west and struck a seemingly flat spot on the ground with his rifle butt. The ground "crackled" and caved in, and they heard the sound of stones rolling into the cave as if they kept falling deeper and deeper until no sound could be heard. Zhuo Muqiangba exclaimed, "This—"

Old Xiao caught up from behind and said, "There are invisible ice pits all over this area, which are weak spots in the ice caves. No one knows how deep they go. Once you step on one, you'll slide down, and then you'll never climb back up."

Only then did Zhuo Muqiangba carefully follow behind Hu Yang. When they reached the cave guarded by Ke Ke, the first vehicle also arrived. The two off-road vehicles were parked side by side at the cave entrance, and the third car was on the mountainside, pulling the second car out. Now they had a total of seven people, two rifles, a double-barrel shotgun, and a 9mm submachine gun Ke Ke was holding, making four guns altogether. These were prepared to deal with aggressive wild animals and poachers.

Hu Yang cautiously approached the cave entrance, surveyed the surrounding terrain, and shouted a few words into the cave. Ke Ke said, "It's no use. I've shouted several times, and they haven't responded."

Hu Yang said, "Judging by the path they took, they're quite familiar with the terrain around here. They must have been gold miners in the past and ventured deep into the uninhabited glacier to monopolize a gold vein."

Zhuo Muqiangba asked Old Xiao, "Gold miners?"

Old Xiao explained, "Yes, Malanshan extends eastward, several hundred kilometers from here. Gold veins were discovered there in the 1980s, attracting a large influx of gold miners, many of whom died in conflicts over gold. Some desperadoes, driven by greed, walked hundreds of kilometers through uninhabited lands to get here, hoping to find their luck under this ice cap. But according to surveys, there doesn't seem to be any gold mines under this ice cap, so no one has come since."

Old Xiao turned and asked, "Old Hu, what do we do? This is probably a melting ice cave. We don't know what it's like inside, and the underground cracks often branch off in all directions. If they're hiding, it will be hard to find them."

Hu Yang said, "We can't let them get away. Gather a few strong ones and follow me into the cave!" He turned around, grabbed a rifle, and shoved it into Zhuo Muqiang Ba's hands, saying, "You're coming too."

Zhuo Muqiang Ba took the gun and fumbled with it, unsure of how to hold it properly. He anxiously said, "I... I don't know how to use this!" He had practiced shooting handguns at a range before, but this was the first time he had ever handled a long rifle like this.

Hu Yang generously said, "It's fine if you don't know how to use it. Just use it like an iron rod when the time comes."

Zhang Li, standing nearby, said, "I'll go too. Those poachers have guns; I might be able to help when the time comes."

Hu Yang looked at Zhang Li's bandaged hand and said, "But your hand..."

Zhang Li replied, "It's fine. It's not a big deal anymore."

Seeing Zhang Li's earnest expression, Hu Yang thought for a moment and then ordered, "Lin Xusheng, get the safety rope. The cave entrance is an ice slope. If you go down, you might not be able to come back up. Kirk, Zhang Li, you two take your guns and let's go in. Old Xiao, there's an automatic rifle in the car. You need to guard the cave entrance. We'll contact you before we come out. If anything else comes out, shoot it back with bullets!"

Old Xiao mumbled, "Tough guy."

One end of the safety rope was tied to an off-road vehicle. Zhang Li carried a bundle of spare rescue ropes, took some steel nails, put them in a bag, and then slung it over his back. Hu Yang took out two huge mountaineering backpacks, giving the large one to Kirk and the extra-large one to Zhuo Muqiang Ba. Zhuo Muqiang Ba put it on his back and felt its weight, asking, "What's inside? It's pretty heavy."

Hu Yang glared and said, "You don't even have that much strength? You're the strongest among us. It's life-saving stuff in there, so don't lose it." He walked ahead but turned back after a step to emphasize, "Even if you lose yourself, don't lose the bag!"

Old Xiao grabbed Zhuo Muqiang Ba from behind with a serious look and said, "Stick close to Old Hu. He probably wants to check something out. Entering an ice cave like this is a bit reckless, but that's Old Hu's way. Alas, Old Hu and I have only been to ice caves twice. It's perilous every step of the way. It's easy to go in, but getting out is incredibly difficult. You don't have this kind of experience, so you must listen to Old Hu, or things could become extremely dangerous, even life-threatening."

Zhuo Muqiang Ba nodded and said, "Understood."

By this time, Hu Yang had already grabbed the safety rope and carefully entered the cave. He was holding the rope in one hand and controlling his balance with the other as he slid down from the entrance into the cave.

Zhuo Muqiang Ba, who was following behind, tried to imitate Hu Yang. However, with a large backpack on his back and holding the rifle barrel in reverse, he lost his grip on the safety rope as soon as he entered. He fell to the ground and slid down the ice.

Luckily, Zhuo Muqiang Ba was tall and sturdy. Even while sliding on the ice, Hu Yang managed to grab him by the clothes and stop him. Looking out from inside the cave, the ice cave entrance had a slope about ten meters long with an incline of about five to ten degrees. Without the safety rope, climbing back up would have been quite difficult. The place where Zhuo Muqiang Ba was now standing was a slightly flat ice surface with two passages on either side. Further inside, it was pitch black; nothing could be seen. If Hu Yang hadn't grabbed him earlier, who knows where he would have ended up?

Kirk and Zhang Li also slid down slowly. Zhang Li asked, "Which way should we go?"

Hu Yang said, "Flashlights." Zhang Li handed out powerful flashlights to everyone. These flashlights had extra-long handles, were rechargeable, and could emit 100,000 volts of shock from the tail. They were very bright and a bit dazzling when turned on suddenly.

Hu Yang carefully examined the ground and said, "They fell in hastily. They couldn't have stopped on this level; they must have slid all the way to the bottom. Let's go straight."

Among the four who entered the cave, Zhuo Muqiang Ba was undoubtedly the tallest, followed by Kirk, who was about 1.78 meters tall with a red, shiny face like it was waxed, wearing a fur hat covering his ears like a winter herdsman in Inner Mongolia. As for the team leader Hu Yang, he was one or two centimeters shorter than Zhang Li, but his fierce appearance and intimidating aura made even Zhuo Muqiang Ba hesitant to argue when he yelled.

The entire ice path was about fifty meters long, just enough to reach the end of the safety rope. Below that was a frozen dirt and stone layer, which at least prevented their shoes from slipping. The last in line, Kirk, carefully secured the safety rope and used his flashlight to examine the walls. All the rock cave walls were covered with thick ice, and when the flashlight shone on it, the rock formations within the ice appeared strange and grotesque, resembling numerous monsters peering at them through the ice. The dome above their heads was about four or five meters high from the ground, and they didn't know how thick the ice layer was. It felt as if they were walking through a corridor made of ice.

Since entering the ice cave, the ground had been sloping downward, and the deeper they went, the colder it felt. Zhuo Muqiang Ba felt a chill in his heart. The poachers had torn apart the picturesque beauty by the Sacred Lake with their brutal bloodshed, much like the coldness that crept into his body through the ice walls.

Hu Yang took off his gloves, felt the ground with his fingers, and said, "The ground is very dry. Judging by the size of the ice erosion, this ice cave has likely been melting for seven or eight years. This cave slopes downward, and we don't yet know how deep it goes."

Kirk found a thread hanging from a piece of clothing and said, "They must have slid all the way down here. We don't know where they are hiding now."

Hu Yang said, "Let's go. But be careful. Try to keep the distance between two people within arm's reach so that someone can lend a hand if we encounter a fissure or hole."

After taking just a couple of steps, Zhuo Muqiang Ba asked his question, "Why are we using flashlights? Shouldn't we use torches or something to check if the oxygen is sufficient?"

"Haha." Hu Yang laughed, "Just from hearing you, I can tell you're a novice with little outdoor adventure experience. Didn't you notice?"

"Notice what?" Zhuo Muqiang Ba was puzzled.

"The wind," Kirk explained. "This is an ice cave, not a ground cave or underground cave. Those caves are enclosed, and the deeper you go, the more likely you are to run out of oxygen. But an ice cave is like a beehive, with many erosive openings connected to the outside. The wind rushes through the interconnected passages, bringing plenty of oxygen into all parts of the cave. So we don't need to use open flames to measure oxygen levels. And besides..." Kirk smiled, "Using torches to measure oxygen is an old method used by past travelers who were unprepared. Although simple, it isn't very effective. In some swamp caves where the air contains a lot of chlorine, ammonia, and hydrocarbons, a torch might still ignite, but those gases could be deadly to humans. We all carry modern air detectors that can detect even one cubic micrometer of oxygen per cubic meter of space. If the air isn't suitable for human survival, they will alert us." He patted a device on his waist, and Zhuo Muqiang Ba saw a gadget resembling a walkie-talkie with a green light on.

Zhuo Muqiang Ba closely followed Hu Yang, holding onto the ice wall with one hand and gripping the strap of his backpack with the other as he cautiously moved forward. He then asked, "But if there are openings everywhere, wouldn't the poachers be able to escape easily?"

Hu Yang replied, "That's the thing. You're right. The ice cave can be likened to a beehive, full of holes. But openings as big as the one we entered through are rare. Most are the size of a fist or small pits. Moreover, you need to understand the origin of these ice erosion caves. Hmm... let me think. Put it this way: these caves formed over millions of years due to the interaction between ice and water. Water has a unique characteristic—you know, it flows downhill. So, the caves here all share a common feature: they slope inward from the entrance, pointing toward the mountain's core, just like the entrance we came through. Near the exit is a sloping ice passage. The poachers can't climb up without mountaineering tools like ice picks. Judging by their escape route, they probably fled into the ice cave after their car got stuck in an ice pit due to the urgent pursuit. They might have initially intended to hold their ground against Kirk and his men in the cave, but when they heard more of us coming with car sounds, they fled deeper into the cave."

Zhuo Muqiang Ba was stunned. He hadn't expected the seemingly hot-tempered leader to

 have such clear thinking and meticulous logic. Hu Yang chuckled self-deprecatingly, "What? Surprised that a brute like me could explain things so logically? Big guy, scientific exploration isn't as easy as it looks on TV—driving around, measuring wind, and probing water like a tour. Actually, in scientific exploration, deep knowledge is our lifeline."

Zhang Li, who was walking last, said, "Ah, that's a lot like archaeology. I remember an archaeologist saying that to open a coffin in an ancient tomb, you first need to think about what might be inside to find those things. Otherwise, they might be treated as mere dirt."

Hu Yang retorted, "This is far more challenging than archaeology. In archaeology, if you can't anticipate what's inside, at most, you miss out on the contents. But in our line of work, if you can't foresee what might happen, the only outcome is paying with your life."

The light shone on one side of Hu Yang's face, casting a shadow of his bearded profile on the ice wall. Due to the refraction and reflection of the ice layer, Hu Yang's head appeared like a terrifying prehistoric beast, startling Zhang Li. As they reached another fork in the path, Hu Yang examined the cave entrance carefully and immediately decided, "Go left."

Zhuo Muqiang Ba saw Kirk take something out of his bag and mark the ice wall. He asked, "What are you doing?"

Kirk replied, "Marking the path; otherwise, how would you find your way out in this maze-like ice cave?"

Zhuo Muqiang Ba said, "But I don't see anything."

Kirk smiled slightly and said, "It's a fluorescent pen. You need a special ultraviolet device to see it. Otherwise, wouldn't we be marking the path for the poachers as well? They could use the markings to escape or ambush us behind them. We've learned this through years of experience..."

Hu Yang, ahead, said, "Hurry up and follow me. Now isn't the time to explain this equipment. I don't think they'll need to use these things later anyway."

The four moved slowly, with Hu Yang frequently using his walkie-talkie to communicate with Old Xiao outside. As they ventured deeper into the cave, the walkie-talkie signal grew weaker. The ice cave was full of forks, with ice walls varying in thickness, making them feel like ants navigating an ant nest maze. Hu Yang carefully followed the traces left by the poachers, leading them to a narrow ice crack. The ice walls on both sides of the cave suddenly thickened, as if a giant ice rock had been split in half by an enormous axe, leaving a wedge-shaped passage just wide enough for one person.

The ice crack ahead became noticeably narrower, forcing the four to squeeze through sideways. Icicles hung from the cave ceiling, and jagged rocks protruded from the walls. Zhuo Muqiang Ba, carrying a large backpack, couldn't fit through. He had to lift the bag with both hands and squeeze through. Several long hanging icicles broke off from his backpack, occasionally dropping ice pellets into Zhuo Muqiang Ba's collar, even inconveniencing Kirk, who muttered, "Be careful, be careful; these things are worse than falling into an ice hole."

Hu Yang chuckled, "Be careful. These icicles are colder than regular ice. When they fall inside your clothes, it feels like needles pricking you. You might even end up with frostbite."

The path ahead became even narrower, forcing Hu Yang to suck in his stomach and hold his breath. Naturally, he also cursed the poachers again.

Struggling to move forward, Zhuo Muqiang Ba couldn't help but ask out of curiosity, "How big is this cave?"

Hu Yang panted, "I... I can't say for sure. If we're unlucky, the entire interior of Malan Mountain Glacier could be interconnected. Malan Mountain is the southern branch of the Kunlun Mountains, geologically composed of ancient, heavily eroded complex metamorphic rocks. Glacial melting can create ice surface rivers, ice towers, and glacial erosion landforms such as moraines and knolls. The upper reaches of the glacier feature erosional landscapes, while the lower reaches display depositional landforms. We are currently in the upper middle reaches of the glacier. In our terms, the shapes here include arêtes, ice cliffs, cirques, and glacial grooves. Those deposits are drumlins, eskers, ice terraces, and outwash plains. Whew, finally squeezed through. Come on, pass me the bag, and I'll pull you up. Be careful; the ground seems frozen solid and very slippery."

Zhuo Muqiang Ba finally squeezed out of the narrow gap. With the help of his flashlight, he looked around and couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow—!" His voice echoed through the vast cave, "Wow—Wow—Wow—..."

As they emerged from the ice crack, the cave suddenly opened up. Numerous beams of light pierced through the top, allowing them to see the inside of the cave without the help of flashlights. The dome resembled an inverted bowl. The highest point was nearly a hundred meters from where Zhuo Muqiang Ba stood. A thick layer of ice, about one to two meters thick, covered the rock wall's interior, and the wall itself had countless holes through which sunlight directly reached the hollow mountain core. Within this ice dome, enormous ice pillars stood tall, with many hanging from the dome, like swords pointing at the ground. Rather than ice pillars, they resembled mineral crystals, with regular four-sided, five-sided, six-sided, and various other shapes. The tall ones looked like spears and lances reaching for the dome, while the short ones resembled spring shoots or budding flowers. There were even many pyramid-shaped ice pillars, tip-to-tip, connecting heaven and earth. As sunlight passed through them, rainbows of seven colors appeared.

The frozen ground was covered with a thick layer of ice. The land beneath Zhuo Muqiang Ba and the others felt as if it had been lashed by a divine whip. What should have been a smooth surface was fragmented by countless huge gullies and cracks, resembling a runway after an earthquake.

Currently, they were standing on a protruding ice platform that looked like an eagle with its tail inserted into a cliff, wings spread, and they were standing on its beak. Just two or three steps ahead lay the edge of an ice cliff, with cracks ranging from one to two meters wide and some as wide as ten meters. The depths of these cracks were unknown, with cold air rising from them, sounding like the roars of fierce beasts. The platforms were not entirely disconnected, with countless ice beams and bridges connecting them. At first glance, it seemed as though nothing was there. The ice here was crystal clear, without a trace of impurities. Some ice pillars were several meters in diameter, yet through them, they could clearly see the scenes inside the cave, as if separated by a layer of cellophane.

The sunlight inside the cave was radiant and colorful. Ice beams, bridges, and pillars spread throughout the cave like cobwebs. White cold air surged like waves beneath the ice bridges, creating rainbows as the sunlight shone through. The scenery was beyond Zhuo Muqiang Ba's wildest dreams, and he was stunned by the spectacle before him. This was nature's miracle, something humanity could never replicate. Zhuo Muqiang Ba thought, "If only Min Min were here..."

Suddenly, someone lightly nudged Zhuo Muqiang Ba from behind. It was Kirk, still squeezed in the mountain crevice and impatiently nudging Zhuo Muqiang Ba, softly saying, "Strong Brother, don't block the way."

Zhuo Muqiang Ba shifted to the left, making room for Kirk. When Kirk stuck his head out, his eyes became fixed as if enchanted, not even blinking. He held his breath for over a minute before finally exhaling, muttering, "A miracle... truly unimaginable. This... this is just too..."

Kirk hadn't even finished his exclamation when Zhang Li, who had been squeezed behind him and was gasping for air, patted Kirk on the back and said, "What's wrong? No path ahead? Why isn't anyone moving?"

When Zhang Li squeezed out of the ice crack, he too wore a stunned expression. After a while, he said, "Am I dreaming?"

"No, you're not dreaming!" In this dazzling cave, Hu Yang's hawk-like eyes lost some of their sharpness. He calmly said, "This is the wonder of ice. You know the silicate geological caves where stalactites form, right? These caves are formed from calcium-laden water dripping over tens of thousands of years. If the heavy water is replaced with pure water and the temperature is kept around freezing, the water remains semi-frozen and semi-fluid, slowly gathering. When the temperature drops below freezing, ice crystals form. In the summer of the following year, when the temperature returns to around freezing, the outer ice layer melts and flows inward. After tens of millions of years, it forms this world full of ice pillars. Typically, ice has a tetrahedral structure, but at low temperatures, due to the strange association of water molecules and anomalous expansion, along with the molecular motion effects in a constant frozen state, it can form polyhedral structures. This alone would probably baffle many researchers." Hu Yang softly said, "I've always hoped that in my lifetime, I could see them again, just once. If you see them once, you'll never forget them." He took out a DV camera, greedily capturing every corner he could see.

The four men breathed carefully. This masterpiece of nature made them feel the wonder of the world and their own insignificance. The ice cave scenery, like the sacred snow-capped mountains, unconsciously

 purified their hearts. In front of them, everyone was willing to bow their noble heads, making sincere confessions and prayers in their hearts. Zhuo Muqiang Ba imagined that if he could see this scene with Tang Min, he might have no regrets in this life. Zhang Li thought of an ancient poem: "Dare not speak loudly, fearing to startle the people above." He felt this line best described his current state of mind. Kirk and Hu Yang were also immersed in a mix of awe and humility.

Looking at the icy chasm below, with its unending roars, Zhuo Muqiang Ba cautiously and respectfully asked, "What's down there?"

Hu Yang explained, "It's an underground torrent. In short, it's an underground river. The melting glaciers transport their water to various tributaries this way, which then converge into lakes on the plateau. Many glacial rivers are also formed this way. As for how deep it goes, that's beyond our ability to measure. But I know that if you fall into one of those glacial rivers, it only takes three minutes to freeze you permanently."

Hu Yang turned his head, his sharp eyes fixed on Zhuo Muqiang Ba, saying, "The ice river water below is below freezing, but it doesn't freeze. This is another natural phenomenon that traditional physics can't explain. In just three minutes, it can soak all your clothes. The skin in contact with the ice water immediately contracts, all superficial veins freeze, the skin loses function, then the nerves are paralyzed, deep muscle cells lose control, and you can't even move a finger. You can only look helplessly at your body as it slowly freezes, stiffens, and dies."

The three of them were horrified. Zhang Li's face became unnaturally stiff, and he asked in a strange voice, "How... how does Captain Hu know this so well? You... you guys before..."

"Yes," Hu Yang replied somberly, "We witnessed such a spectacle at the cost of three lives. Beauty often comes with the presence of death..." He remembered his teammates who had fallen into the dark torrents, standing motionless in the water, just one step away from stepping out of the ice river, but unable to move any further. The only thing that moved was their eyes, desperate for survival. However, he still longed to see this beauty again. It appeared in his dreams more often than the familiar faces of his teammates. This beauty couldn't be captured by pen or paint.

The four of them fell silent, seemingly mourning those pioneers who sacrificed their lives for science. Kirk, trying to lighten the mood, joked, "This ice palace, divided by ice crystals, does look like a beehive. Just hope there aren't any bees that big. Ha, if it were a beehive, the bees would have to be the size of elephants. Ha, ha."

Hu Yang seemed to recall something and grew more uneasy. He warned, "There aren't any bees that big, but you need to be careful. There might be some furry little creatures inside. They could be more terrifying than bees the size of elephants." The three of them were startled again, unsure if Hu Yang was serious or joking. However, his serious expression suggested he wasn't joking.

After some time, Hu Yang seemed to have made a great decision and said, "Don't forget our goal. Let's get to work."

Kirk responded and took off the pack on Zhuo Muqiang Ba's back, pulling out tools: some straps that could be worn, some square steel rings with rope loops, figure-eight-shaped steel rings of various sizes, shoe-like things with steel spikes on the bottom, crank-like conical steel tools, and more. Zhuo Muqiang Ba looked at these items, unable to name or understand their use, but he knew this wasn't the time or place for inquiries. He could only watch as Hu Yang and Kirk operated carefully. They first used those conical tools to drill into the ice, then inserted steel bars with holes at the back into the holes, connecting some hooks and square objects with them. They then wore the straps like clothing and tied the ropes connecting their bodies to the steel bars in the ice. Before Zhuo Muqiang Ba and Zhang Li could understand, Kirk handed them each a large strap, helped them wear it, and put on the iron shoes with spikes. Once everything was ready, Hu Yang said, "Follow me in order. I'll go across the ice bridge first, and then you follow one by one. We'll first head to the central ice platform. Especially you two rookies, I have to remind you: I didn't anticipate this terrain. You must be extra careful. Crossing the ice bridge is like brushing shoulders with death. The ice bridges may look wide and straight, appearing sturdy, but if there's even a one-degree tilt and you're not wearing crampons, the nearly perfectly smooth surface could immediately cause you to slip off. The colder the place, the more brittle the ice, and the center of the ice bridge bears enormous pressure. Even a hairline crack could cause it to collapse anytime. The poachers might be reckless, but we don't need to risk our lives alongside them."

Zhang Li crossed the third ice bridge. He noticed Hu Yang and Zhuo Muqiang Ba walking with ease, wondering why Captain Hu advised against looking at the bridge surface. After all, the ice bridge was hard to see, and looking only through peripheral vision seemed more likely to make a mistake. Halfway across, he couldn't resist glancing down. Zhang Li saw his curious, observing face immediately appear on the smooth mirror-like ice surface. Below the face, he saw nothing. The icicles and ice spikes above his head were also reflected in the ice bridge. Through the ice bridge, he could clearly see the thousand-meter cliff below and the ice crystals and ice stalagmites growing out of it, all visible. Further down, white ice mist, like dragons, coiled around the cliffs, seemingly soaring between heaven and earth. In an instant, Zhang Li could no longer discern if he was standing on solid ice or floating in mid-air. In this mid-air, there was a face identical to his own, but appearing panicked, lost, and surprised—just a face, floating in mid-air!

Suddenly, Zhang Li lost his sense of direction. He felt like his body was sinking continuously, and the sky and ground were spinning around him. He seemed to hear someone's shout in the distance, yet he also felt like he heard nothing. His strength seemed to be drained entirely, as if someone used a syringe to suck it all out. His hands and feet stopped obeying, and he lost all control over his body.

Zhuo Muqiang Ba noticed Zhang Li suddenly standing still in the middle of the ice bridge, motionless, with vacant eyes. He muttered, "What's wrong with Zhang Li?"

Hu Yang was sorting out the safety rope, but when he looked up, he was startled, "This is bad! He's going to fall!"

"What!" When Zhuo Muqiang Ba looked again, Zhang Li had already slumped sideways, collapsing on the ice bridge, his body leaning against the safety rope but not yet rolling off. Hu Yang shouted, "Kirk, go help him. Zhang Li! Zhang Li! Wake up! Can you hear me? Zhang Li!"

With the safety rope's protection, Kirk managed to get Zhang Li across the ice bridge. Hu Yang grabbed some ice and rubbed it on Zhang Li's neck to wake him up. Zhuo Muqiang Ba asked, "How could this happen?"

Hu Yang replied, "It's called suspension fainting. Humans are strange creatures. The brain constantly receives information that standing on solid ground is the only way to stay upright. Suddenly, when it realizes you're suspended in mid-air, it sends out erroneous signals: since you're in mid-air, you must fall. Even though the body hasn't fallen, the brain has already issued commands, causing the heart rate and blood flow to change to adapt to falling. This momentary lack of blood to the brain causes fainting. He'll be fine after a rest. This is why I told you not to look down, and it's also why we secure safety ropes. Learn from others' mistakes. Alright, he's coming around now."

Kirk glanced around at the surroundings and said, "From this angle, it looks even more beautiful here. A miracle, this is truly a miracle."

Hu Yang, however, said, "No, this is bad, really bad. From here, just with the naked eye, there are at least seven or eight large cave entrances. It's going to be very difficult to determine which route the poachers took."

Kirk observed and said, "In their panic, the poachers would have chosen the biggest and straightest ice bridge. This route should be correct."

Hu Yang said, "I agree with you, but look closely at that area. If we keep going straight, I'm worried the two of them might not make it."

Kirk looked in the direction Hu Yang pointed. Sure enough, following his chosen route, after crossing several ice bridges, there was a broken ice beam with a one-meter gap in between. On flat ground, anyone could easily jump over that one-meter gap, but with a thousand-meter drop below and Zhang Li fainting from looking down earlier, how could they possibly jump over that one-meter gap with confidence?

At this moment, Zhang Li gradually regained consciousness. Seeing Zhuo Muqiang Ba's resolute face, he groggily asked, "What happened to me? What's this place?"

Zhuo Muqiang Ba said, "You didn't listen to Captain Hu and fainted just now."

Hu Yang gestured with his hand, saying, "There's no problem with this route. Let's go this way."

They carefully took a detour, with Hu Yang ahead, continuously driving steel spikes into solid ground and securing safety buckles. Zhuo Muqiang Ba, Zhang

 Li, and Kirk cautiously followed behind. To protect Zhang Li, the three of them advanced together. Hu Yang had warned them that they must move in unison; any mistake by one person could cause all three to fall off the ice bridge, and the safety rope might not withstand the weight, pulling out the steel spikes and ultimately leading to all four falling to their deaths. Zhuo Muqiang Ba, walking at the front of the three, now understood the meaning of being "tied to the same rope."

Every step was taken with utmost caution, not daring to move their eyes unnecessarily. After what felt like three cigarette lengths' worth of time, the four finally reached the other side of the ice cap, at the entrance of a large circular cave. Hu Yang unfastened the safety buckle, breathing heavily. The burden wasn't from the weight but from the pressure on his mind. Zhuo Muqiang Ba, standing on solid ground for several minutes, finally dared to look back. The short distance of less than a hundred meters felt like half a century to cross. Looking at the ice-bound spectacle again, it still seemed infinitely charming. Yet, while they were in it, they hadn't felt any beauty at all. Hu Yang was right—the beauty that touches the soul is accompanied by traps of death at every turn.

Zhang Li's face had turned pale. Moments ago, he had praised nature's creation, but now, all he wanted was to end this experience quickly and go to a big hospital for a psychological evaluation to see if he had a fear of heights.

Kirk adjusted his gear, helped Zhuo Muqiang Ba and the others remove the equipment used for crossing the ice bridge, and urged, "Let's go. We have to enter another cave." He didn't want to look back, fearing he couldn't resist the allure of that beauty and fall into an irreversible situation again.

This cave had a thinner ice layer, with many places where it had completely peeled off, revealing the hard rock walls. The cave was much wider than when they entered, and all four could walk side by side. The rock walls, which had been engulfed by ice, were left with various shapes, resembling ferocious beasts with bared teeth and claws, welcoming these unfamiliar visitors.

Hu Yang, observing the cave they were traversing, said with a hint of doubt, "It seems like there aren't any traces left by the poachers. I wonder if this is the right path."

As soon as he finished speaking, a sudden scream echoed from deep within the cave. It was the first time Zhuo Muqiang Ba had heard a man's deep voice scream so desperately, reminding him of a pig at a slaughterhouse wailing before its death. Mixed in with this male voice was another indistinct sound, seemingly another person, but with a faint and weak tone.

Kirk shouted, "It's here! Quick, follow up!" and rushed forward. Hu Yang tried to pull him back but missed. Instead, he grabbed Zhuo Muqiang Ba, who was about to dash forward, and whispered, "No... Be careful!"

In the flashlight's glow, Hu Yang's face looked slightly pale, and Zhuo Muqiang Ba hadn't expected even the big, bearded Hu Yang to have such a pallid complexion.

Hu Yang moved quickly and caught up with Kirk after passing through several forked passages. Kirk pointed to the dark depths of the passage and said, "There's no more sound. The sound just now must have come from in there, definitely."

Hu Yang gestured with his hand and said, "Wait, don't rush in. Let's dim the flashlights first."

Zhuo Muqiang Ba and Zhang Li also caught up, and Zhuo Muqiang Ba asked, "Why?"

Hu Yang pointed to the ice walls and said, "Did you notice anything different about these walls compared to the others?"

Kirk touched the walls and remarked, "No ice. This cave seems warmer than the ones before."

Hu Yang whispered, "It's not just that there's no ice. The walls are also dry, without a hint of moisture. The poachers must have chosen this cave because they felt the warmth. This path should lead to the sheltered southern slope of Malan Mountain."

Zhang Li asked, "But what's this got to do with the flashlights?"

Zhuo Muqiang Ba suddenly realized and asked, "The small furry creatures? The little furry creatures?"

Hu Yang nodded, "That's right. In a cave like this, sheltered and sunny, it's ideal for them to hibernate."

Kirk asked, "What are they?"

Hu Yang replied, "Hamsters, plateau hamsters. Tens of thousands of plateau hamsters gather in the same large cave to hibernate. Disturbing them can have terrible consequences. When those hibernating creatures wake up, they will be extremely hungry. They are as voracious as Southeast Asian locusts and desert army ants, consuming everything organic they encounter."

Zhuo Muqiang Ba exclaimed, "Tens of thousands of mice in the same cave!"

Hu Yang said, "Exactly. Don't forget, this is Kekexili. Surviving the winter on this ice plain isn't as easy as you think. Many animals use various methods to survive the winter. In some places, you might even see birds and ground squirrels sharing the same burrow, all to safely endure the winter."

Kirk stuck out his tongue and joked, "Wow, birds and mice living together—this is probably how bats were born."

Hu Yang's expression darkened, and he warned, "They're even scarier than elephant-sized hornets. If they catch up to you, nothing but your bones will be left." He said quietly, "I'm not trying to scare you. Initially, I didn't plan to reveal this terrifying truth. But now, the environment of this cave is too suitable for their hibernation. I have to warn you."

Kirk skeptically asked, "We can't be that unlucky, right, Captain?"

Hu Yang harshly said, "Didn't you hear the desperation in that terrified scream? What could make a person scream with such despair? I've been in scientific exploration for many years, witnessed team members being mauled to death by wild beasts, seen them fall into thousand-meter-deep chasms, or get crushed by boulders or impaled by tree stumps, alive but unable to die. Yet, they only let out miserable cries. Only those creatures can make someone scream in despair. That's the sound you make when your soul is being devoured. Do you understand?"

Kirk said, "But what if it isn't? No matter what, those are still two human lives."

Hu Yang glanced at the dark passage and said, "That's why we must prepare for all possibilities before going in."

He took two steel cylinders, the size of fire extinguishers, from Zhuo Muqiang Ba's backpack, slung them over his back, and held a nozzle-like device in his hand. He stomped his foot and said, "Let's hope this can deal with them. Alright, let's go, and keep the flashlight beams narrow."

Kirk muttered under his breath, "It can't be as bad as the captain says, right? With this delay, who knows what's happened to them now."

They rounded the corner, and Hu Yang stopped at a slope. Ahead of them, there was no path; the end was a domed chamber.

Zhuo Muqiang Ba was startled and stopped immediately, whispering, "Have you found them?"

Hu Yang whispered, "Not yet. Keep your flashlight beams tight and let me take a closer look at what's on the wall up ahead."

Four beams of light converged on the wall. Zhuo Muqiang Ba and Hu Yang both looked up. They saw on the wall before them, clear evidence of human civilization: black patterns depicting some ancient culture that had once thrived on this desolate ice plain.

Black lines sketched out figures resembling stickmen, dancing hand in hand or praying to the heavens. There were images of men and women in sexual positions, depicting fertility worship, as well as scenes of sacrificing cattle and sheep. Although the lines were simple, they were distinct, easily understandable at a glance.

Kirk, squeezed in the back, shifted his flashlight to the left and became intrigued by a hunting scene. A group of stick figures was attacking a huge beast using rocks and vines. The creature was covered in long hair and had a pair of large, sharp tusks. Several stick figures had climbed onto its back, stabbing it with sharp objects or smashing it with large rocks, like ants biting a grasshopper. The depiction was vivid. Kirk exclaimed, "That thing... it looks like an elephant, doesn't it?"

"An elephant? Could there have been elephants in Kekexili?" Zhang Li found it unbelievable.

"No—it's not an elephant. Look at the size. Comparing the ancient people with it, it's several times bigger than the largest African elephant. And look at its long hair and those tusks that are twice as long as ordinary elephant tusks. There's no doubt; the artist of these rock paintings was a genius. As incredible as it seems, it undeniably recorded everything authentically." Hu Yang's voice trembled with excitement.

"What is it?" Zhuo Muqiang Ba asked.

"As you see, it's a—mammoth!" Hu Yang slowly turned his head, his eyes glimmering with excitement as he looked at each of them. "An extinct prehistoric animal believed to have disappeared tens of thousands of years ago!"

"Mammoths lived tens of thousands of years ago in the frozen lands of the Arctic Ocean. Fossils have been found in Siberia, Canada, and even in northeast China. But rock paintings like these appearing in Kekexili is unprecedented. It suggests that not only were there people living here, but there was also a time of human civilization flourishing. This is perhaps the most significant discovery of this expedition. It fills the

 historical gap between the Triassic Stone Age tools in Kekexili and the ancient Qiang culture, pushing the ancient human civilization westward by nearly a thousand kilometers." When Hu Yang got excited, he became unstoppable. At this moment, he wanted to communicate with Old Xiao more than anything, but the distance was too great; the walkie-talkie had no signal despite his efforts.

Kirk objectively analyzed, "But who could have lived here and left behind such prehistoric artifacts?"

Hu Yang pondered, "It's hard to say. Due to the limitations of tools at the time, ancient humans couldn't detail their clothing or perhaps hadn't yet developed clothing. But from the characteristics of the region, it's likely left by ancient Qiang people or possibly the ancestors of the legendary Gokyi people to the north. Come on, shine your lights so I can capture this on camera."

Zhuo Muqiang Ba suggested, "The lighting isn't great; can we widen the flashlight beams a bit?" Hu Yang didn't object, already focused on preparing to shoot.

The three widened their flashlight beams slightly, and this time, Zhang Li noticed something peculiar about the cave floor. He mumbled, "Look, the floor seems to be moving," and as he spoke, his flashlight naturally moved downward. Zhuo Muqiang Ba and Kirk then noticed that, indeed, the dim stone chamber floor looked like a massive worm wriggling back and forth.

Hu Yang, alarmed, hastily let go of the DV camera and yelled, "Don't shine there," while trying to push Zhang Li's flashlight up. Unfortunately, it was too late. Zhuo Muqiang Ba and Kirk's flashlights had also fallen on the floor, and they saw a terrifying scene. Countless black-furred hamsters were huddled together, piling on top of each other, as if carpeting the ground with a layer of black fur. They were restlessly moving back and forth, creating the illusion of the entire floor slowly wriggling. Among the hamster horde were two human-shaped piles taller than the rest, likely the two unfortunate poachers.

Countless beady eyes, like beans, glowed in the flashlight's light. The moment the flashlight beam swept over them, the hamster horde erupted like a boiling pot. Those black, furry little creatures frantically rushed toward the four men. There was a slope in front of them, but it didn't hinder their advance at all. The front hamsters couldn't climb the slope, so their bodies became stepping stones, quickly buried by the masses climbing up behind them. Wave after wave, the hamsters surged up the slope, reaching Hu Yang and the others' feet in no time.

The three of them had never seen such a scene. They stood there with their flashlights, frozen in place. This time, even Zhuo Muqiang Ba trembled. He was horrified to realize that as the hamsters moved, the two human-shaped piles were revealed for what they truly were—two partially devoured human skeletons, with remnants of flesh still clinging to the bones, much like the skinned Tibetan antelopes they had previously encountered. The jaw teeth were clenched, the remaining hands and feet made involuntary twitches, and even the skulls were half-eaten, with brains scooped out. Several hamsters were darting in and out of the empty eye sockets of the corpses. Zhuo Muqiang Ba's hand holding the flashlight trembled, and his feet felt rooted to the ground. He couldn't move. Kirk and Zhang Li behind him were in an even worse state.

"Damn creatures! Come on! Come at me!" Hu Yang roared, standing up. The stick in his hand began to spew fire. The flames swept across the area, burning the hamsters that squealed in pain. Gasoline quickly turned the stone chamber into a sea of fire. In the flickering flames, everything appeared even more eerie and terrifying. The hamsters showed no sign of retreating. The scorched bodies of their kind only made them more frenzied. Countless burning little creatures still charged at Hu Yang and the others. Hu Yang retreated while shouting, "Run! What are you standing there for? Do you want to die!"

Zhuo Muqiang Ba snapped back to reality with a jolt. He was the first to turn and run, pulling Zhang Li and Kirk along, shouting shakily, "Run... run!" He had been at the front, but now he was the first to flee.

Zhuo Muqiang Ba ran for his life, not caring about directions, not daring to stop or look back. Wherever there was a path, he dashed toward it. The hamsters moved faster than humans in the cave. Their squeaks seemed to ring right next to his ears. He didn't know how long he had been running, but when Zhuo Muqiang Ba felt he could no longer hear the hamsters, he dared to look back. The situation was dire: only Zhang Li was behind him, scrambling out with all his might. As soon as Zhang Li's foot moved, the spot he stepped on was immediately occupied by the hamsters. When Zhang Li took a step forward, the gray rock layer of the circular cave was instantly covered in black. Zhuo Muqiang Ba couldn't speak, so he turned and ran again. His mind was in turmoil, asking, "Where's Captain Hu? Where's Kirk? Where are they? Where are they?" He dared not imagine what had happened; everything had happened so suddenly.

He had dropped his flashlight on the way but dared not pick it up, running through the dim cave toward any place with wind or light. He had lost his backpack, so he simply discarded it. What Hu Yang had said about "losing yourself but not losing the bag" could go to hell! The only consolation was that he hadn't heard Zhang Li scream yet; all he heard were the sounds of clothes tearing and rocks being scraped, indicating Zhang Li was still running for his life, right behind him.

Light! When Zhuo Muqiang Ba rushed out of the cave with relief, he found they had returned to the large ice dome. Intersecting ice pillars and interconnected ice bridges were woven together, creating a spectacular sight under the sunlight. As Zhang Li dashed out, those furry black little devils followed closely behind. There was no time to think; Zhuo Muqiang Ba couldn't look closely and took a gamble, cautiously stepping onto the ice bridge. One couldn't run fast on the ice bridge; for every two steps forward, there was a slip. Having heard Hu Yang's explanation, Zhuo Muqiang Ba understood that falling meant no chance of ever coming back up. Fortunately, on this slippery ice bridge, the hamsters couldn't move quickly either. But with them closing in step by step, just looking at them sent chills down his spine. The nearest hamster was barely a palm's width away from Zhang Li's shoe.

Zhuo Muqiang Ba took a few quick steps, then slid about a meter while standing still, thankfully stopping on a large ice platform. Zhang Li cautiously followed. This time on the ice bridge, he didn't feel any fear, only because something even more terrifying was chasing them. A few leading hamsters quickly followed, but Zhuo Muqiang Ba swiftly kicked them off the ice platform while more hamsters eyed them, slowly advancing. It seemed they would soon surround the platform.

There was no time to think further. After barely steadying himself on the platform, Zhuo Muqiang Ba quickly stepped onto another ice beam. The hamsters seemed to have adapted to walking on the ice bridge, significantly increasing their speed. Zhuo Muqiang Ba and Zhang Li had no choice but to risk accelerating. Even though there was always a risk of falling into the dark torrents and freezing to death, it seemed preferable to dying in the mouths of those little creatures that left nothing behind.

Halfway across, Zhuo Muqiang Ba noticed that this ice bridge was the broken one with a one-meter gap in the middle. There was no way forward, with pursuers closing in behind. Zhuo Muqiang Ba didn't think twice. He leaped over the meter-wide gap from a thousand-meter height. Only when he landed on the opposite ice surface did he realize his legs were trembling, his calves feeling cramped, twitching and convulsing. Zhuo Muqiang Ba knew he was temporarily safe. He looked back and saw Zhang Li standing at the gap, eyes filled with despair, glancing at the bottomless abyss below and then at Zhuo Muqiang Ba. The hamsters were very close to him!

More hamsters poured out of the cave like a fountain, endlessly. Half of the ice dome was nearly covered in black, like a hellish landscape. Only the greedy devourers showed their sinister eyes and sharp teeth.

Zhang Li dared not look back. He knew danger was closing in, but jumping over the gap from such a height tested his psychological limits. Zhuo Muqiang Ba could clearly see some hamsters biting Zhang Li's pant legs. Worse, a few were climbing up his back while more surged forward. Zhang Li hesitated at the edge, torn and afraid to make the jump.

Zhuo Muqiang Ba shouted, "They're about to bite you! Jump over here! It's not that wide! Jump! Jump!" Just as Zhuo Muqiang Ba finished shouting, a hamster crawled into Zhang Li's collar, its furry body wriggling inside. Zhang Li closed his eyes, screaming as he leaped to the other side. Zhuo Muqiang Ba caught him, and Zhang Li held onto him tightly, eyes shut, repeatedly shouting, "Ah! Ah— Ah... Ah..."

Zhuo Muqiang Ba brushed off a few hamsters from Zhang Li and, like Zhang Li, gasped for breath, saying, "Alright, alright, it's over now. They

 can't get over here. They can't get over here. It's okay. It's okay..."

The leading hamsters, finding no way forward, tried to stop, but the ones behind pushed them off. Countless hamsters fell into the abyss, each black, furry figure forming an unforgettable nightmare. More hamsters turned toward other ice bridges, attempting to find a way to reach Zhuo Muqiang Ba and Zhang Li. They had smelled fresh meat and heard the sound of blood pumping. That was their battle cry, the source that triggered their ravenous hunger.

Zhuo Muqiang Ba also realized this. He helped Zhang Li, struggling to move their sore legs, calmly saying, "Come on, we still need to go. Just two more ice bridges, and we can safely reach the other side. We can return the way we came. Once we're out of the cave, we're safe. They can't follow us out. Can you still walk?"

Zhang Li, his face pale, nodded like a chicken pecking at grain. His lips quivered for a long time before he managed to say, "Walk."

The two weren't out of strength but had to support each other to move. Their calves were cramping from exertion in the tension, feeling weak and unsteady even on the ice bridge. Only one last ice bridge remained. Zhuo Muqiang Ba encouraged, "Even if we have to crawl, we must crawl over this ice bridge. This is our last escape route."

Encouraging each other, they managed to move forward with difficulty, but the worst happened. In the middle of the ice bridge, Zhang Li's body suddenly tilted to the left, dragging Zhuo Muqiang Ba with him. Zhuo Muqiang Ba panicked and leaned back, but their hands, which were interlocked on each other's shoulders, suddenly slipped apart. Zhang Li's body was airborne, and there was no way he could regain his footing on the ice bridge. Zhuo Muqiang Ba reached out and grabbed...