Ni Jiong was at a loss, looking imploringly at Xu Zhiwu, hoping that he, the erudite scholar and expert, could offer a reasonable explanation. But Xu Zhiwu simply shrugged helplessly at us and said, "I don't know."

My knowledge of the Sanxingdui civilization was pitifully scant. I only recalled those sculpted figures, all possessing exceptionally large eyes, cast in bronze. As for anything else, I retained absolutely no impression. Thinking of it now, the idea of those massive eyes staring directly at me sent a shiver down my spine.

After a brief discussion yielded no useful conclusions, and unwilling to linger for fear of whatever unknown entity might manifest next, we had no choice but to press onward. A profound sense of unease settled in my gut, though I couldn't articulate why—it was simply a very bad premonition. Still, I kept it to myself. While my instincts were usually spot-on, in this case... it was better to say less.

Following the initial incident, Old Li grew much closer to me, walking right beside me. Taking advantage of the slight distance between him and Xu Zhiwu and Ni Jiong up ahead, he quietly asked me, "Technician Luo, do you know that the Sanxingdui civilization wasn't actually part of the orthodox Central Plains culture?" I shook my head. He expressed a touch of regret. "I'm quite familiar with traditional Chinese culture. But the Sanxingdui civilization doesn't fall under that umbrella; even more knowledge wouldn't help here."

Hearing this, a faint memory surfaced regarding this matter. I recalled something about the Sanxingdui civilization flourishing for one or two thousand years before vanishing overnight, much like the Guge Kingdom. Don't tell me there’s a connection between them... The Guge Kingdom and the ancient Shu state where Sanxingdui was located simply didn't align chronologically. There shouldn't be any link. I shared this scant piece of information with Old Li, who pondered for a moment, not rushing to any conclusion.

At that instant, Xu Zhiwu, walking ahead, suddenly turned back to glance at us, urging us to hurry and catch up. His eyes gleamed unnaturally in the gloom, and my heart gave an involuntary lurch. That intensely unwelcome premonition surged back with alarming strength. For some inexplicable reason, I suddenly felt that Xu Zhiwu wasn't right—even though he appeared perfectly normal. Yet, I recalled Section Chief Wang; before he fell ill and transformed into the Faceless One, he seemed normal too, but I always felt something was off. And in the end, wasn't he indeed overtaken by the Faceless One on his back?

With that thought, Xu Zhiwu turned back again to prompt us: "Little Luo, Li Zeng, what are you two dawdling for? Hurry up and keep pace, be careful not to lag behind." He looked completely ordinary again, making me doubt my own premonition.

Despite my spiraling thoughts, Old Li and I quickened our steps to catch up with the other two and move forward.

The journey was profoundly silent; even the sound of our footsteps echoed with tremendous reverberation. "Thump... thump..." a drawn-out cadence spun endlessly in the cavern, utterly unnerving. I couldn't help but stay pressed close to Old Li, seeking courage. Xu Zhiwu and Ni Jiong seemed to have resolved their earlier tension, watching out for each other.

We hadn't gone far—perhaps only two or three hundred meters from that pit resembling a Sanxingdui sacrificial area—when a vastly larger chasm—or rather, an abyss—opened up directly before us. The cave was already dim and murky; the sudden appearance of this profound drop nearly caused Ni Jiong, who was in the lead, to misstep. Fortunately, Xu Zhiwu reacted with lightning speed, grabbing hold of him just in time.

"An abyss!" Ni Jiong exclaimed, still shaken.

I saw it too, though perhaps my adaptability was slightly better, allowing me to see more clearly than the others. It was indeed an abyss, but it wasn't a dead end. A short distance to the left lay a suspension bridge, its few thick iron chains stretched rigidly across the void. Beneath the chains, the darkness was absolute, rendering whatever lay below invisible. This scene felt strangely familiar, as if I had encountered it somewhere before, but I couldn't place it no matter how hard I thought, so I mentioned it to Old Li.

Old Li squinted, examining the chains with effort, and a look of sudden realization dawned on his face. "When we were being chased by the reanimated corpses, didn't we climb across a few massive chains to reach the passage leading to that Qing Dynasty official's tomb chamber?"

At his words, I immediately understood. It was indeed strikingly similar to that old chain bridge. Back then, we thought reaching the other side after crossing the bridge would mean safety from the monstrous pursuit. Instead, we plunged into an even more terrifying deadlock. Now, the situation was repeating... Old Li and I exchanged glances, our faces draining of color.

Ni Jiong and Xu Zhiwu, unaware of the sinister danger inherent in the situation, began discussing whether they should climb across the chain bridge. They even held the naive belief that crossing it might lead them to the endpoint of immortality, where all their questions could be answered.

Old Li and I offered each other a wry smile, remaining silent.

Xu Zhiwu became rather animated: "Little Luo, Li Zeng, this is excellent. Hurry up and climb across those chains." With that, he rolled up his sleeves several times and tightened his shoelaces. Without waiting for our agreement, he walked over, grabbed the two main chains, and shook them lightly. Finding them solid and steady, he swung his body down without a word and began pulling himself across using alternating hand grips.

Before I could fully process what was happening, Ni Jiong silently followed suit, grabbing the chains and crawling toward the opposite side.

"..." I paused, then asked Old Li, "What do we do?"

Old Li sighed. "What else can we do? They’ve already crossed. We have no choice but to follow... Let's just hope the other side isn't another ancient tomb..." With that, he mimicked Xu Zhiwu's movements and started across. It was impossible for me to turn back alone; even without the biting monsters and insects, my innate sense of direction would never guide me back. So, I too was forced to follow.

Ni Jiong and the others were nearing the far side, both safe and sound, even having the leisure to call out for us to hurry, their voices ringing with undisguised excitement.

I managed a few bitter smiles, gripping the cold chains with both hands, my body suspended mid-air, and began inching myself toward the opposite bank.

Suddenly, a massive impact slammed into my waist. Caught completely off guard, my grip loosened, and I nearly slipped, plunging into the abyss! Immediately following the blow, a blast of cold air rushed in where my waist had been exposed. Terrified, I looked down: a large section of my mountain climbing jacket had been savagely ripped away! Tattered strips of cloth flapped wildly in the wind!

There was no time for a cry before a face with enormous eyes flashed past my vision in a fleeting, smiling glimpse.

My mind exploded, the strength instantly draining from my hands as my legs felt weighted with lead, dropping straight downward. The sound of the wind howled past my ears, and in that moment, time stretched into an agonizing crawl. I knew with chilling clarity that I was falling into the chasm, that falling meant death—being smashed into pulp. Perhaps I wouldn't die instantly, but would endure a long period of agonizing struggle before finally succumbing. In that realization, an overwhelming fear gripped me, the dread of not dying quickly enough... Then, the thought struck that if I died here, no one would ever know. No one would go tell her I was gone; she would continue her life as usual, walking through the bustling city, her face bright with smiles, perhaps not shedding a single tear for me.