"Quiet down, don't rush... Let me listen carefully..." Old Li, a seasoned veteran, remained unruffled by the danger. He stopped short, tilting his head to catch every sound. I bent over, silently drawing the dagger tucked into my boot and gripping it tight. If it truly was the Japs breaking into the cave to silence us, I wouldn't hesitate; I’d take down as many as I could. While thinking this, I anxiously watched Old Li, awaiting his judgment.

After a long moment, the echoes of the gunfire from the cave outside had completely faded. Old Li finally let out a sigh of relief. "It's not... someone is firing outside the cave. Because these tunnels connect, the sound doesn't dissipate well, so it sounded like it was right near us."

I immediately felt a massive weight lift, sighing deeply along with Old Li. If my earlier fears were true—if those beasts of Japs were guarding the entrance or had come inside to shoot—neither Old Li nor I would escape. The thought brought a fresh wave of self-reproach; I’d let the Japs scare me so badly that every little rustle made me think they were coming for our necks.

"Um... Old Li, perhaps they ran into something fierce that made them shoot," I said, trying to mask my recent fear and maintain a façade of calm.

Old Li clicked the bolt of his rifle home, his voice calm yet edged with menace. "Maybe so, or maybe it was an internal skirmish... In any case, we need to get out of this tunnel first. This place is a dead end; we can't stay." He started moving outward, and I quickly followed.

As we neared the exit of this passage, the temperature was almost back to what it was in the previous cavern. Walking on, I thought I caught the faint, intermittent sound of iron chains, though I couldn't be certain. Still, it was clear this tunnel was nearing its end.

Sure enough, after about five more minutes of walking, Old Li announced, "We're almost out. You still have your military dagger, right? Hold onto it. This tunnel opens up into the very cavern where you collapsed. I hear the chains, but I can't pin down the situation." I acknowledged him, clutching the dagger tightly, feeling a deep unease about what awaited us, mixed with a flicker of panic.

A few steps later, I saw a thick iron chain on the ground shaking violently, as if whatever it bound was struggling fiercely. Yet, there was no sound of human or animal screaming. Logically, any living thing would cry out. The entire space remained eerily silent. Despite the incessant clanking of the chain, the bizarre stillness was unbroken. Old Li and I exchanged glances, rooted to the spot, too frightened to take another step.

"Old Li... I seem to remember there being about ten chains in this cave..." I whispered. Old Li nodded, bringing his rifle up to rest across his chest, signaling for me to follow him out without fear. For some inexplicable reason, a chill swept over me, raising the hairs on my arms. "Old Li..." I grabbed his arm, stammering, "Maybe... maybe we should observe for a moment before—" Before I could finish the word "before," a sudden gale, accompanied by the sound of clashing chains, rushed straight toward our faces. Alarmed, I yanked Old Li backward and we scrambled to retreat.

After two steps, the gust of wind did not follow us into the tunnel but whistled past and continued forward. We quickly stopped and turned back, seeing nothing. I must have truly let my nerves fray, imagining threats in every shadow, seeing enemies in every bush. Feeling embarrassed, I glanced sideways at Old Li, expecting him to mock my paranoia. Instead, his face was tight with tension, his eyes fixed intently on the passage outside. "Old Li?" I called softly.

Old Li made a silencing gesture, signaling me to remain quiet and listen. I held my breath and concentrated. I could still hear the faint clinking of chains, now accompanied by a rhythmic, heavy thudding sound: Thump—Thump— It was moving closer, heading right for our opening. I tightened my grip on the dagger, daring not to breathe, staring wide-eyed at the dark, indistinct mouth of the tunnel. As the sound neared, I was torn between wanting to urge Old Li to switch on the flashlight and the fear that speaking might lure whatever it was inside.

In that agonizing moment of indecision, the sound of the chains and the heavy object striking the ground suddenly surged closer. Immediately, a blurred, shuffling silhouette appeared at the entrance, dragging its feet. As it landed, its legs sprung slightly stiffly upward, generating a rush of wind and the sound of chains as it moved onward. A beat later, we heard it land again... This pattern repeated, the sounds gradually receding.

This was unequivocally a hopping corpse—a Jiangshi! A cold dread slithered up my spine. I looked at Old Li; the usual gentleness was gone, replaced by a fierce, murderous look.

"Here!" Old Li tossed his rifle to me, then unslung his pack, rummaging inside for something. Just then, another Jiangshi shambled past outside. Perhaps it moved slowly, or perhaps it sensed us, but it stopped right outside our entrance and lingered, showing no intention of moving on. I instinctively backed away in terror. Old Li glanced at me, pulled a small, scorched object resembling a sword from his pack, and whispered, "Come here, look at this."

I stammered, "W-What is it?"

"A lightning-struck peachwood sword," Old Li replied, securing his pack and slinging it back on. "With this, what do you have to fear? Besides, we still have the rifle."

Old Li’s composure lent me immense courage. Peachwood swords were objects used to ward off evil spirits; a sword forged from wood struck by lightning would be a supreme implement for such tasks. If this thing was truly a Jiangshi, a single thrust should reduce it to smoke, and we’d have nothing left to fear. If it was a human in disguise, as Old Li suggested, our rifle and dagger were ample defense. With that realization, I took a deep breath, forcing myself to steady.

Old Li gave me an approving look. "Technician Luo, let's go." He held the peachwood sword horizontally before his chest and turned toward the exit. I immediately raised my rifle and followed.

To say I felt no fear would be a lie. Reaching the mouth of the cave, I saw the Jiangshi standing motionless just two paces away. I dared not look directly at it, mentally urging myself not to be afraid. Old Li, however, showed incredible bravery. He set his pack on the ground. "Technician Luo, I’ll strike it first with the sword. If things go south, open fire immediately." I nodded frantically and followed suit, placing my own pack down.

The Jiangshi had been turned sideways toward us, but as Old Li stepped out of the cave, it spun around to face him as if it had eyes on its flank, exposing its chest fully to Old Li. Without hesitation, Old Li brought the peachwood sword down, aiming for its sternum, then immediately pivoted back, leaping away to await the creature's reaction. I followed suit, sighting the Jiangshi, ready to fire if the sword proved ineffective.

For a long moment, the Jiangshi did neither combust into smoke nor move at all. Old Li stood equally still, watching it. My heart nearly jumped into my throat; I dared not fire, yet I dared not reach out and pull Old Li back into the tunnel.

During the tense standoff, the chains suddenly rattled violently. The Jiangshi lurched forward, its arms outstretched, lunging directly at Old Li. Old Li sidestepped, bringing the peachwood sword around for another thrust. To my surprise, the creature was incredibly agile. Seeing Old Li evade the strike, it instantly wheeled around and swiped at him with terrifying speed. Old Li couldn't dodge in time; his cap was snatched from his head and fell to the ground.

"It's no use! This isn't an ordinary Jiangshi! Technician Luo, shoot now!" Old Li yelled, simultaneously trying to backpedal into the tunnel. But the Jiangshi seemed covered in eyes; no matter how Old Li dodged, it easily cut off his retreat. Furthermore, its movements were becoming faster and more fluid. Initially, it moved like a clumsy automaton with limited offensive power, but soon it became swift and precise, like a killing machine perfected in every combat technique!

I wanted to shoot, but Old Li was tangled in the fight, making a clear shot impossible without risking friendly fire. "Old Li, get clear! I'm firing!" I shouted.

Old Li was wearing thick clothing, which hindered his agility. After a few exchanges, he was panting, unable to reply. Seeing him about to be grabbed by the Jiangshi, I panicked, dropping the rifle and hurling my backpack at the creature with all my might. In the split second the Jiangshi hesitated, I lunged forward, trying to drag Old Li back into the cave.

The creature only paused for a few seconds. By the time I reached out and grabbed Old Li’s hand, it attacked again. I heard the sound of chains just as a blow landed squarely on my head—hard as a stone slamming down. The world spun violently, and I lost my footing, collapsing onto the ground. My fall landed me directly on top of the backpack I had just thrown. My head was saved from a secondary impact, and though dizzy, I retained enough clarity to struggle to get up. But the moment I moved, a metallic, sulfuric stench washed over me, followed by a dark, lifeless face hovering inches from mine, staring silently. Terror fractured my senses, my mind went blank, and I nearly blacked out.

"Get away!" At that moment, Old Li roared. Then came two sharp bang-bangs from the rifle, and I saw the Jiangshi freeze mid-movement, two plumes of greenish smoke slowly rising from its back. If not now, when? I scrambled sideways, half-rolling, half-crawling, trying to escape, but as soon as I moved, the Jiangshi’s hand shot out, snatched me up, and threw me back down beside the discarded pack. This time, it didn't hesitate; its mouth opened wide, lunging to bite. My body was limp with tremors; I couldn't evade it. My left shoulder was immediately seized, and with a sickening snap of tearing cloth, a sudden chill swept over the area. It was over. I had been bitten by a Jiangshi...

My entire body went soft, melting into a puddle of useless flesh. I watched helplessly as the Jiangshi slowly leaned in, preparing for a second strike. Done for; even if I didn't die, I’d turn into one of these things. Utterly desperate, I closed my eyes. But the expected bite never came. Bewildered, I forced my eyes open: Old Li was there, using the rifle barrel to brace firmly against the Jiangshi's chest, holding it steady. The Jiangshi remained silent, attempting to wrench both the gun and Old Li toward itself.

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