I was being constantly spiraled downward by an immense suction, my mind hazy, as if the force was wringing me out like a cloth. The thought struck me then: with such dangerous currents, how could Yanzi move back and forth so effortlessly and unharmed?

Before this notion could even dissipate, the suction suddenly intensified, and the speed of rotation quickened sharply. I was terrified and about to cry out for help, but the pulling force vanished completely. My body instantly felt light. When I regained my senses, I found myself floating gently on the water's surface. Before me lay a stretch of dark green stone steps, upon which stood Geng Wei and Xu Zhiwu, both staring dumbfounded.

Struggling up, I realized we were at what seemed to be the entrance to a cave or a hidden chamber. The stone steps ascended continuously, leading to an unknown destination. On either side of the steps were moss-covered stone walls, where one could vaguely make out the shapes of wall lamps, now so completely overrun with moss they appeared only as rough semi-ovals, their original material indiscernible.

Before I could utter a word, a ripple disturbed the water, and Yanzi floated to my feet. Just as I moved to pull her up, Tang Minghao drifted in after her. In that brief moment of distraction, Yanzi had already stood up on her own, quickly lending a hand to Tang Minghao with remarkable agility.

Seeing us all staring blankly, Yanzi calmly patted the water droplets from her dive suit, then slowly removed her mask, took a deep breath, and asked us, "Why are you still wearing masks? We aren't underwater here."

I hesitated, then reached up and took off my mask. Following her lead, I took a deep breath—there was indeed plenty of oxygen, though it was mixed with an indefinable scent of damp earth and water, making it slightly imperfect.

The others followed suit and removed their masks. Yanzi swept us with a satisfied glance and stated coolly, "That's better. I expect from now on, you will all follow my commands."

Her tone was deeply grating, especially to us—a group of grown men, all older than her and perhaps just as experienced. Her lofty demeanor immediately provoked my discontent, and I let out an unconcealed "Hmph."

Yanzi merely offered a disdainful smile. "What? Do you think you people, who know nothing about this, can take the lead? Or perhaps you believe you can find the treasure’s location using only your own strength, or that you can return easily?"

At this, Geng Wei quickly smoothed things over with a conciliatory smile. "Of course not. We've all worked hard to get this far; we must follow you now, no matter what... In short, we must work together; no one acts alone." He then turned to the four of us. "Don't you agree?"

I remained silent, while Old Li and the others offered sparse affirmations.

Fortunately, Yanzi didn't press the issue and led the way up the stone steps. Geng Wei immediately followed, and we trailed behind.

Strangely, although the steps were dark green and seemed covered in moss, the surfaces where we stepped were not slick. I wondered what kind of stone possessed such unique qualities.

Yanzi kept climbing but periodically looked back to ensure no one was falling behind, never hurrying us. After climbing perhaps fifty or sixty steps, I still couldn't see the top, and a sense of impatience began to set in. I loudly complained to Old Li about how long the steps were.

Old Li didn't answer, but Yanzi chimed in, "This is nothing. Have you forgotten there's an ancient city submerged at the bottom of the lake? Such a massive city, and we haven't even properly entered it yet. You'll have plenty more to complain about later."

Her words reminded me. "If there's an ancient city at the bottom of the lake, why don't we try to find an entrance directly from there? We wouldn't have to suffer like this."

Yanzi let out a cold laugh. "You seem quite clever, yet you ask such a foolish question. If the ancient city could be excavated and tunneled into so easily, would it be waiting for us?"

I offered a sheepish smile and kept quiet.

The further we climbed, the fainter the watery smell in the air became. Eventually, I lost all track of how many steps we had ascended, focusing only on Yanzi; as long as she went on, we had to follow.

Gradually, the moss thinned considerably on the walls flanking the steps. At intervals, we began to see the semi-oval wall lamps again, glowing a murky white with a hint of yellow.

At first, I paid them little mind, letting my eyes slide right over them. Then, Old Li suddenly gasped, "Technician Luo, look, haven't we seen that thing on the stone wall somewhere before?"

I focused intently. The semi-oval wall lamps were not regular semi-ovals at all; their shape was far closer to that of a human skull, complete with discernible eye sockets, teeth, and a jawline. Good heavens! These were clearly human skull lamps! A gasp caught in my throat, and I nearly lost my footing. Fortunately, Tang Minghao grabbed me from behind just in time, allowing me to wobble but stabilize myself.

"What's wrong?" Geng Wei, Yanzi, and Tang Minghao all exclaimed in unison, their voices laced with surprise.

I swallowed hard, unsure how to explain. Should I say these skull lamps were identical to the ones we had seen on Mount Qiangbake? Or should I suggest we might encounter zombies or reanimated corpses? Such talk was unbelievable, not just to them, but to me as well. This was Yunnan, not Tibet, not Mount Qiangbake.

"I must be overthinking it," I told myself. I steadied my nerves and forced a calm demeanor. "It’s nothing. Perhaps Old Li and I are just seeing things."

Old Li paused, then replied, "Let's hope we are." Yanzi looked at Old Li and me with a complex expression, her mouth opening as if to speak, then closing tightly after a moment's thought. Xu Zhiwu, fear etched on his face, slowly edged closer to Old Li and me, perhaps anticipating some sudden danger and seeking the protection of the two of us who knew some martial arts, just in case.

Yanzi remained silent, pulled out the handgun Geng Wei had procured, held it in her hand, and turned to continue climbing. Seeing this, we all drew our weapons as well. Geng Wei warned, "Be careful, don't discharge them accidentally." He added, "There are only two bullets left, two... for emergencies. Don't start shooting at every little scare." This was clearly aimed at Yanzi; the others couldn't ignore the serious implications.

Having clearly recognized the human skull lamps, I was constantly on edge, afraid some monster might materialize out of nowhere. The traces of artificial shaping on the stone walls became more distinct as we ascended, and one could even make out the wicks within the skull lamps.

The others, unlike Old Li and me, had never been faced with the sight of grinning white teeth and deep, vacant eye sockets staring down menacingly. They were instantly aghast, looking to Old Li and me for direction.

I glanced back down the stone steps. They stretched into an unbroken, inky expanse; the small patch of water where we surfaced was long gone. However, if we turned back now, perhaps we could still make it. Yet, a small voice in my heart whispered with curiosity: If this place was somehow connected to what we found on Mount Qiangbake, what would appear? More zombies, or perhaps a giant white python? Turning back now would be truly disappointing.

I hesitated, looking at Old Li for his input. Old Li pondered for a moment, then looked toward Yanzi. Yanzi gave a light laugh. "We haven't even met the main occupant, and we're already losing our nerve. This doesn't seem like the style of Luo Lian or Li Zeng. After all, you two are established military men. And as for you, Scholar—you’ve traveled all over Tibet. You might never get another chance to see potential treasures like these. Even if their worth can't be measured in currency, for your academic research, this could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." She then addressed Geng Wei and Tang Minghao, "The rising elite of Chengjiang County are counting on you two."

These few words struck the heart of each person's motivation. I realized she was right. We had endured such dangers together with Old Li; this was merely a few intimidating skull lamps. Whether there were actual zombie-like monsters was still unknown. Furthermore, didn't the Tibetan custom include using human heads for sacrificial lamps? Thinking this way instantly eased my tension. But much later, I recalled I had made a fatal error: this was Yunnan, not Tibet. Why would human skull lamps appear inexplicably beneath a submerged city?

But at the time, I didn't think that far ahead. A burst of hot blood urged everyone forward. Old Li, for whatever reason, didn't object then. If he had voiced any opposition, we might have avoided so much trouble.

Although Yanzi’s few casual remarks settled the decision to proceed, she remained cautious, mentioning that treasures were surely guarded by protective spirits and repeatedly urging vigilance.

I suspect I possess an inherent streak of reckless adventure. Seeing the steps becoming flatter, signaling we were nearing our destination, I felt an inexplicable surge of excitement.

Xu Zhiwu, walking fearfully the whole way, kept asking Old Li and me where exactly we had seen those skull lamps and what had happened to us. Old Li and I remained silent, fearing we would undermine morale.

Sure enough, after this relatively level stretch of steps, we reached a strange flat area ahead. It was strange because the ground was perfectly level yet completely barren. Nothing but thick earth upon thick earth. Moreover, I felt a faint puff of wind, suggesting we were no longer beneath the lake.

Who would have the time or inclination to build such a long flight of steps from the submerged ancient city, leading all the way out beyond the lake? A feeling of being manipulated quickly surfaced.

"We've been played," I stated.

Hearing this, everyone turned to look at Yanzi. She glanced at me, bit her lip, and said nothing. Old Li said cautiously, word by word, "This might be an exit to another place. Perhaps if we go further, we can reach the lakeshore directly... Can't you feel the fresh air moving? Haven't you noticed?"