Zhang Enpu took the lead, compass in hand, guiding the group along the water for several dozen meters, winding around gullies until they discovered that all the water beneath the weir funneled into the mouth of a cave. Because the opening wasn't excessively wide, the current was already swift by the time it reached this point, and the cave entrance had formed a whirlpool, periodically sounding off with a deep gurgle-gurgle, much like the mouth of some immense beast taking great gulps of food.

Zhang Enpu declared that the mystery lay within this hole; to eradicate future trouble, they had to venture inside. Although Young Master Liu and Tian Guoqiang had fished for shrimp and caught crayfish in the river since childhood, possessing first-rate swimming abilities, they were genuinely uncertain if they could safely pass through the whirlpool below. Moreover, they had no idea how long the tunnel extended—if it spanned several tens of meters, they’d simply be fish food! The men exchanged uneasy glances, lingering by the vortex for a long time. Finally, Young Master Liu hardened his resolve: descending might offer no hope, but not descending guaranteed none. He and Tian Guoqiang doubled back, procuring two hunting rifles and two German flashlights, tightly bound in waterproof cloth. By the time they returned to the opening, Young Master Liu had tucked his shirt into his trousers and secured his dagger in the most convenient spot.

Seeing Young Master Liu preparing to enter the water, Tian Guoqiang followed suit, making his own preparations. Since their intentions were already aligned, few words were necessary. Once ready, they exchanged a look, counted down together—One, two, three—and with the final count, they plunged into the whirlpool with a resounding splash. Behind them, Zhang Enpu and Bai Erlaizi had no choice but to follow. They had intended to swim with the current, but unexpectedly, though the whirlpool wasn't vast, its suction was considerable. The moment the four jumped in, they were swept down before they could even maneuver. The current was ferocious, quickly pulling Young Master Liu and the others far downstream. Young Master Liu’s chest felt as if it would explode from the pressure. Seeing the current momentarily ease, he struggled upward, surfacing quickly. After drawing several deep breaths, Tian Guoqiang and the rest also swam up. Relief washed over them, expressed through cheers and embraces.

It turned out that while the cave entrance outside was small, the interior was surprisingly spacious. Once the water poured in, the current several meters inside became relatively less intense, and the water surface remained at least half a man’s height below the cave ceiling.

The four drifted along with the current, which conserved their strength. Young Master Liu floated on his back, letting the flow carry him, while Tian Guoqiang intermittently floated or used a doggy paddle, feeling quite carefree. He knew that the end of this subterranean river must lead to an exit; as long as they weren't flushed into the Yangtze or Yellow Rivers, he was confident they could survive and reach shore, for they were all capable individuals with faith in their own swimming prowess.

Suddenly, the sound of rushing water erupted ahead with a fierce hiss-whoosh. Tian Guoqiang glanced forward and cried out in alarm, "My God, what is that thing?" Young Master Liu quickly turned to look and saw a serpentine creature, the thickness of a water bucket, thrashing the surface with a tail as thick as an arm, raising it repeatedly like a limb. Judging by the coil of its body in the water, it must have been at least ten zhang long. It lacked scales; its skin was smooth, like green satin. Its head wasn't large, but certainly no smaller than a wash basin. Three whiskers, each as thick as a finger, sprouted from either side of its mouth, and its two fist-sized eyes gleamed with a dark, obsidian light, fixed intently upon the four of them.

Young Master Liu blurted out, "Damn it all, isn't that a giant eel? How can something get this big! Swim back, quick!" Hearing this, Tian Guoqiang and Bai quickly turned and desperately paddled backward. But swimming downstream was easy; swimming against the current was another matter entirely. They would swim hard for a few steps only to be driven back by a surging wave.

As Young Master Liu fought his way backward, his ankle suddenly tightened—he had been snared by the eel’s tail. He anticipated the creature would attack his group, but not this swiftly, nor had he expected it to move so silently underwater. Damn it, he hadn't heard a sound before being caught. The eel immediately pulled back with force once it secured Liu’s foot, rapidly dragging his body backward and kicking up a spray of water. Seeing him pulled back, Zhang Enpu and Tian Guoqiang immediately turned to pursue. In his panic, Young Master Liu swallowed several mouthfuls of water and knew he was done for. He quickly drew his knife, clutching it firmly, preparing for a desperate final stand.

Moments later, he was dragged right in front of the eel. The creature lifted Liu high into the air with its tail, its greedy eyes scrutinizing the imminent meal. Young Master Liu gripped the dagger tightly with both hands, straining his waist to bend his body and keep his head out of the water. He thought grimly, If you dare to bite me, Grandpa will hand you a grand gift package first.

The eel swayed its basin-sized head and, just as expected, opened its mouth wide to strike at Liu’s head. Though it lacked teeth, the posture suggested an attempt to swallow him whole. Young Master Liu flung the dagger, driving it fiercely into the eel’s gill. Blood jetted out with a whoosh. In pain, the eel dropped Young Master Liu and thrashed wildly. Liu had intended to strike again, but the creature suddenly flung him back into the water. Unprepared, he swallowed several more mouthfuls before bobbing back to the surface.

Young Master Liu flailed his dagger wildly, trying for another strike, but the water was too deep, and he couldn't generate any force. Furthermore, the eel's skin was slick; several stabs glanced off its body without causing any real damage. Tian Guoqiang swam over, but both his rifles were sealed in waterproof wrapping—opening them would ruin them—so he could only glare helplessly. Zhang Enpu, however, was adept with cold weapons. Grabbing his Celestial Master Sword, he unleashed an indiscriminate thrust and slash. The eel, unaware of the blade’s sharpness, suffered a wound about four inches long, instantly dyeing a large area of water blood-red.

Having been struck twice, the eel’s ferocity was maximally ignited. It swung its arm-thick tail toward the group. Zhang Enpu and the others, hampered by the water, couldn't generate enough momentum or jump clear to evade. They had no choice but to take a deep breath and dive underwater with Young Master Liu leading the way. Just as they submerged, the eel’s tail slammed heavily onto the water surface right above them, sending up spray several feet high. Though the water absorbed most of the impact force, they were still left reeling and dizzy. The eel lashed out several more times, its body churning. Young Master Liu felt his head swim, and with the already dim visibility underwater, coupled with the inability to breathe, staying submerged was impossible. Anxiety burned in his chest.

Meanwhile, Bai Erlaizi, swimming underwater, could hold his breath no longer. He wrenched free from Tian Guoqiang's grasp and shot upward. The moment his head breached the surface, before he could even gasp, the eel’s tail struck him squarely. He immediately lost consciousness and sank like a sack of meat. Tian Guoqiang swam quickly to catch him. He was already near his limit from holding his breath, fighting the water's resistance, and now hauling Bai’s heavy, nearly 180-pound frame was agony. In the chaos, his chest was swept by the eel’s tail again, and he could hold his breath no longer. Water gurgled from his mouth—water he had intentionally avoided drinking because it was too murky—but now he drank his fill.

Bai Erlaizi was unconscious and would surely suffocate if left underwater much longer. Everyone else was also running out of air. Abandoning caution, they focused on one thought: they had to kill this brute. Young Master Liu slowly swam over, grabbed Bai Erlaizi by the collar, and kicked hard, propelling himself upward. As soon as he surfaced, he dragged Bai’s head above the water, but before he could utter a sound, the eel snapped its jaws down toward his head. It had apparently been waiting right there on the surface, anticipating Liu would bring the prey up to it!

As the eel lunged to bite him, in a surge of panic, Young Master Liu desperately reached for the giant cleaver Bai Erlaizi still clutched tightly, even in his unconscious state. Liu tugged twice but couldn't pull it free, so he swung Bai Erlaizi’s entire arm, bringing the blade down in one arc across the eel's neck. The swing stopped the eel’s head dead; its wide-open mouth hovered a mere three fingers' width from Young Master Liu's head. Another second or two, and he would have been swallowed whole.

The light in the eel's eyes slowly faded. After a pause, a red ring appeared where its neck had been severed, then, with a pfut, it sprayed a plume of blood. Next, the basin-sized head dropped into the water with a thump, and torrents of blood gushed from the neck cavity, showering Young Master Liu’s face and hair. He hadn't expected that single blow to sever the creature’s head. Staring at the water surface rapidly staining crimson, he froze momentarily. Being so close, he could clearly see the pale, twitching flesh around the neck wound, and a spasm seized his stomach, nearly making him vomit.

Having swallowed water and now covered in eel blood, with the stench overwhelming him, exhaustion, and hunger setting in, all sustained by sheer willpower, the moment the eel died, his tension broke. His vision spun, and all he wanted was to close his eyes and sleep. But Young Master Liu knew that if he closed his eyes now, he would never see the sun again, nor would he see Ma Xiaoyan, nor his father.

Forcing himself, Young Master Liu held Bai Erlaizi’s head above the water. He had no strength left to swim. Fortunately, Zhang Enpu and Tian Guoqiang managed to reach them and help support them. Young Master Liu felt overwhelmingly sleepy and tired. He didn't know how far they drifted, and he swallowed more water, but fortune favored them: around a bend in the subterranean cavern, there were several stone steps. Tian Guoqiang dragged the two exhausted men up and laid them flat on the steps. Zhang Enpu began vigorously pounding Bai Erlaizi’s chest. Exhausted, every time he lifted his arm, it felt as if carrying a thousand pounds. After several hard thumps, Bai finally coughed, spitting out a mouthful of water, and slowly opened his eyes.

Young Master Liu suddenly noticed the eel's corpse floating and sinking near the cave turn. He weakly told Tian Guoqiang, "Qiangzi, go slice off a piece of that eel; I have no strength left." His voice was so frail it startled him. Tian Guoqiang understood, quickly drew his dagger, swam over, and returned with a large slab of eel meat. Young Master Liu pulled out his own dagger, intending to cut some, but after a few tries, he couldn't move it. Tian Guoqiang cut him a slice. Liu ate several pieces; the meat was fine, not too fishy, and he gradually regained a small amount of strength, enough to cut his own portions. Tian Guoqiang had already devoured a large chunk, eating greedily, reasoning that their next meal was uncertain. Zhang Enpu, accepting the situation, reluctantly chewed a few mouthfuls. The four quickly finished the first piece of meat. Tian Guoqiang swam back for another large cut, but this time, they ate noticeably less; perhaps having something in their stomachs diminished the taste.

Even though it wasn't as appealing, Young Master Liu forced several more pieces down until he physically couldn't eat anymore. He sat propped up, resting. Having food in his stomach felt much better, and his strength was slowly returning. After resting for half an hour, he stood up and stomped his foot hard, sending dust flying everywhere. The others quickly covered their noses and mouths. After a moment, the dust settled. Examining their surroundings closely, they realized they were in what appeared to be a hidden sanctuary. The space wasn't large; to the left was a pitch-black small door. To the right, leaning against the wall on the ground, was a skeletal remains, angled steeply.

Young Master Liu started in fright. The skeleton's clothes were tattered beyond recognition. It wore a Daoist coronet on its skull, and the facial muscles had long been consumed by insects. Scattered on the ground around the skeleton were several ancient talismans, their surfaces yellowed with age. Beneath the firelight's reflection, words seemed to be carved into the wall beside the skeleton.