"Puff!"
With a splash, Jiang Hai's head emerged from a pool of water. He shone the flashlight in his hand toward the empty cave in front of him and couldn't help but laugh. He had made it!
He swam to the shore, rolling and crawling, completely exhausted. Despite his physical strength, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. Pulling out his specially prepared watch, he glanced at the time. From the moment he dived into the swamp until now, eight hours had passed. By his estimate, he had been swimming for about four hours straight. The underground river was much longer than he had anticipated.
However, he also realized that the journey back might take even longer. After all, he had sunk down when he entered, and climbing back up would require using his arms to pull himself along the rope—provided that the rope hadn't been tampered with by anyone.
After resting for less than half an hour, Jiang Hai stood up again and surveyed the cave before him.
According to the Dragon, the cave had several cracks at the top that served as ventilation holes. However, while they allowed air to pass through, they were far too small for a person to climb through. Each hole was only the size of a fingernail, and their distance from the ground was unknown. Escape through those holes was impossible.
Setting down his backpack, Jiang Hai took his flashlight and cautiously ventured deeper into the cave.
Initially, the cave was pitch black. But as soon as he turned on the flashlight, countless reflections sparkled from all directions, illuminating the space as if it were broad daylight. The glare was so intense that Jiang Hai had to squint and shield his eyes.
When his vision adjusted, he couldn't help but laugh—this time with pure exhilaration.
"I've hit the jackpot!"
Before him lay a mountain of glittering gemstones, each radiating an inexplicable brilliance. Purple, red, pink, yellow, and green hexagonal gems were piled like a small hill, shining brightly under the flashlight's beam.
At the top of this dazzling mound lay a large skeleton, bleached and weathered by time.
"Could this be... the Dragon?"
Jiang Hai's heart raced. Based on the dragon-like shape of the bones and the two small horns protruding from the skull, he guessed that this might indeed be the legendary Dragon—the ancestor dragon.
But time had long since eroded the once-mighty creature. Its bones were fragile, and its once-proud form had crumbled into dust. Only a vague outline of its skeletal structure remained.
Looking at the ancient dragon bones, Jiang Hai smirked and murmured to himself,
"Under the saints, we are all ants. No matter how powerful one is, death is the ultimate equalizer. Look at you—fighting for power and glory, only to die here. Me? I admit that I'm just an ant. I don't crave power or wealth. As long as I can live comfortably after this, that's good enough for me."
With a self-deprecating chuckle, Jiang Hai turned his attention back to the mountain of gems.
"Enough talking. Time to see how much these are worth!"
Shaking his head to dispel any lingering thoughts of compassion, he quickly approached the pile of treasures. Grinning with excitement, he grabbed one of the gems—a crystal-clear, glass-like stone.
When he shone his flashlight through it, the gem sparkled brilliantly.
"Oh my god! It's so clear—like glass. Could this be... a diamond?!"
Jiang Hai's eyes widened in excitement. If this truly was a diamond, he would be unimaginably wealthy. However, as he marveled at the gem, he exerted a bit of pressure between his fingers.
"Snap!"
The gem shattered into several pieces.
Jiang Hai froze, staring at the fragments in disbelief.
"What the hell?! Is this really just glass?!"
Dumbfounded, he crouched down and examined the broken pieces on the ground.
No matter how poor his education had been, Jiang Hai knew that diamond is the hardest natural substance in the world. Breaking a diamond with bare hands was impossible.
"When did humans become strong enough to crush diamonds?!"
Looking at the shattered fragments, Jiang Hai was utterly confused.
As it turned out, he wasn't entirely wrong. The gems were indeed glass, but prehistoric glass, a highly valuable material in ancient times.
In prehistoric eras, glass couldn't be artificially manufactured. It was a rare, naturally occurring substance formed during catastrophic events, such as volcanic eruptions or meteor impacts. As a result, naturally formed glass was incredibly valuable in the past—on par with precious gemstones.
But this wasn't ancient times.
"Damn it! How much can I even sell this for? Are you kidding me?!"
Frustrated, Jiang Hai hurled the shattered glass gem far into the cave. He had risked his life to find treasure, only to discover a mountain of worthless glass.
Anger surged through him. His original plan had been to find a fortune, buy land overseas, and live a peaceful life. Although he wasn't ambitious, he still wanted to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle.
But now, all of that seemed out of reach. His dreams of a better life were slipping away.
"Screw it!"
Fuming, Jiang Hai raised his foot and kicked the so-called "gem mountain" in front of him. The fragile glass pieces shattered into countless fragments, scattering across the cave floor.
As the mountain of glass tumbled down, Jiang Hai's anger began to subside. Venting his frustration had at least provided a temporary sense of relief.
Suddenly, his foot slipped on something solid.
"Huh?"
Regaining his balance, he glanced down at what he had stepped on.
Among the scattered debris was a red, fist-sized hexagonal gem that shimmered faintly in the light.
Curious, Jiang Hai bent down and tapped it cautiously with his foot.
"This... doesn't feel like glass."
Unlike the other gems, this one remained intact.
His eyes lit up with excitement.
"Could there be other real gems here?"
Motivated by this possibility, Jiang Hai immediately squatted down and began inspecting the remaining gemstones one by one. His method was simple:
If it broke, it was glass.
If it didn't, he kept it.
Though glass made up 99% of the pile, he managed to find over a dozen genuine gems after several hours of searching.
With renewed motivation, Jiang Hai decided to stay in the cave for a while longer. After preparing a meal of beef biscuits and soup, he took a nap. When he woke up, he resumed his search for real treasure.
Five days later, Jiang Hai finally emerged from the underground world.
Climbing out of the mud pit by the rope, he couldn't help but laugh. Compared to when he first entered, his backpack was now much heavier, packed with his newfound treasures.
After washing his face with clean water, Jiang Hai set off on his journey back to civilization.
Two days later, he left the Gate of Hell and reached the nearest town. After a hearty meal, a hot shower, and a good night's sleep, he made his way to the airport and flew back to the Imperial Capital.
Although he loved his hometown of Bingcheng, he knew that the Imperial Capital offered better appraisal and auction services for high-value items.
And for the treasures he carried, he needed the best.