Yanzi's words gave me a profoundly unsettling feeling, a deeply ominous sensation. It was as if she knew something crucial but was deliberately keeping it a mystery, and what she said about Geng Wei afterward has haunted my nerves ever since.

Hearing everyone speak of Geng Wei, Tang Minghao stood by Yanzi, watching Old Li and me weep. A grown man reduced to tears like a beautiful, rain-soaked pear blossom—it was pathetic, yet agonizing to behold. I asked him if he had something to say. But beyond crying, he could utter nothing; his face betrayed no sorrow, just a blankness, his tears the only evidence of his deep distress.

Seeing him like that, I was at a loss. I strained to consider if he had encountered something like a hidden weapon or poison, or perhaps, in a worst-case scenario, had run afoul of some dark influence. The key was finding the cause of his sudden derangement to know how to treat it. But after exhaustive thought, I could find no rational explanation. Furthermore, aside from those few minutes descending through the whirlpool, he had been with us the entire time, never out of sight. It seemed impossible that he alone would suffer ill effects when we all navigated the whirlpool's passage unscathed. Tang Minghao wasn't some uniquely vulnerable individual.

Old Li also pondered the situation for a long time without finding any clear lead.

In the brief interval after the Great King Fish dragged Geng Wei away, the sound of objects hitting the door and the scraping of fabric ceased outside. However, not long after, just as I was fretting over Tang Minghao’s condition, the battering against the door suddenly resumed with renewed violence! Everyone except Tang Minghao gasped, unsure whether to run or flee.

Tang Minghao’s eyes, which had been streaming tears, suddenly grew vacant and unfocused. Yet, his hands instinctively gripped Yanzi tightly, as if clinging to a lifeline.

“No choice but to keep blundering forward, hoping to find an exit,” I urged everyone to follow, rushing ahead based purely on instinct. Suddenly, Yanzi interjected: “Everyone, watch your footing… That Great King Fish was summoned because one of you stepped on the mechanism that drew it out!”

At this, a chill deeper than before ran down my spine. None of us recalled touching any mechanism, yet Yanzi implied one was still beneath our feet. “What mechanism… But we can’t exactly walk without touching the ground, can we?” Though terrified, I forced a calm facade while asking.

Yanzi didn't even look at me. “It was you—you pressed hard on the stone slab that looked like the character for ‘fish,’ and that’s what lured the Great King Fish, leading to the esteemed and respected senior Geng Wei being taken.” I shouted my innocence: “How was I supposed to know that slab had a trigger? Besides… I… I…” Being pinned with such a clearly divisive accusation left me sputtering.

Old Li quickly interjected: “Yanzi, don't speak carelessly. None of us knew that was the character for ‘fish,’ and even if we had, we wouldn't have expected a mechanism. Moreover, Geng Wei is such a good elder; in a situation where even his own life was precarious, wouldn’t we try to save him? Besides, you mentioned Technician Luo’s hand is injured, making him hesitant to touch that bloody spring water.”

Yanzi listened silently until Old Li finished, then her tone softened abruptly. “I meant nothing else; please don't misunderstand. I just want everyone to watch where they step and tread lightly. If you encounter any more stone slabs engraved with characters resembling flora or fauna, absolutely do not step on them.” With that, she urged us to hurry; if the door was breached, none of us would survive.

She said it so casually—don’t step on slabs carved like birds, flowers, or ancient script—but upon closer inspection, we realized every slab in the area we had traversed was inscribed with characters, some in what Yanzi called Huāniǎozhuàn (Bird-and-Flower Script), others in what she called ancient Tibetan writing. We never saw another simple pictograph like the "fish" character alone again; many were bizarre combinations interwoven with images of birds, flowers, grass, and insects that even Xu Zhiwu couldn't decipher, let alone the rest of us.

Trembling with anxiety, we were unsure where to place our feet. Gradually, it seemed we had distanced ourselves from the stone door; the sound of the battering faded, but the pervasive, hazy mist thickened, obscuring anyone more than two steps away. I had to call for everyone to hold hands as we moved forward, primarily to guard against spatial disorientation, but secondarily to prevent separation.

Tang Minghao refused to release Yanzi’s arm, Yanzi held Old Li, Old Li held me, and I held Xu Zhiwu… Without the stimulus of the pounding door, we stopped rushing. Hand in hand, we proceeded slowly, testing each step with extreme caution.

“…” After walking for a while, Tang Minghao suddenly started whimpering again. Old Li quickly asked what was wrong and offered to switch places with Yanzi. Tang Minghao’s face remained wooden, yet he continued to cry—only the sound of weeping and the tears were visible; the rest of his face and eyes were utterly blank.

When Geng Wei was dragged away by the Great King Fish, beyond my own fear, I never once considered a desperate attempt to rescue him—perhaps his immediate focus on treasure-like words had irritated me. But if something were to happen to Tang Minghao, Old Li surely wouldn't stand by, and neither would I. Yet, if he were truly to mutate like Chief Wang, what could we possibly do? How could we help? The thought sent a wave of alertness through my entire body, every pore on guard.

Tang Minghao didn't answer Old Li, continuing to weep while forcefully dragging Yanzi forward. His demeanor made it impossible for me to feel secure in our escape; with every step, I had to glance at him, watching for any abnormal behavior.

Everyone recognized the gravity of the situation. Xu Zhiwu voiced his concern quietly to Old Li and me: “I feel Minghao is acting strangely, but I can’t pinpoint it. Everyone keep an eye on him; above all, stay cautious.”

Yanzi reminded us not to focus solely on Tang Minghao, pointing out that his behavior wasn't yet overtly threatening, and urged us to focus more on our footing to avoid triggering any more mechanisms.

Tang Minghao seemed to understand our discussion, as his tears increased. While crying, his gaze was fixed on the gun in Yanzi’s hand, as if he feared we considered him a burden and might dispose of him when he wasn't looking. Yanzi noticed this and quickly soothed him: “Where did your mind go? I carry this gun for self-preservation, not for murder.”

Tang Minghao remained unconvinced and looked toward Old Li, who quickly echoed Yanzi’s sentiment. Finally, he seemed slightly reassured and consented to move forward.

“Xiao Luo, what do you make of Tang Minghao?” Xu Zhiwu quietly asked me, lowering his voice.

I thought for a moment and whispered back, “His mind seems unfocused, very muddled. But sometimes he appears to understand things, otherwise, why would he keep crying now that Geng Wei is gone? Yet, it doesn't add up; he's crying, but his face shows no corresponding emotion, and his eyes are hollow. I’m wondering if there’s something inside his head, or if he’s truly been afflicted by some evil.”

Old Li realized we were discussing Tang Minghao, but he didn't feel comfortable interjecting, worried that being overheard might cause Tang Minghao to suddenly stop walking or react in some other way.

Hearing my assessment, Xu Zhiwu grew solemn. “I’ve considered this too. Besides possession by a spirit, there’s no other reason that fits. I’ve wanted to say so for a while, but I assumed you all are men of science and wouldn't believe it, perhaps even mock me, a scholar, for being superstitious.”

“It’s not possession,” Old Li suddenly whispered close to my ear. “If it were possession, I would know it. Besides, I carry that small peach wood sword. No ordinary ghost or fiend would dare act so wildly and harm people within three feet of me.”

But Old Li’s peach wood sword, reportedly from wood struck by lightning, offered me little comfort. On Qiangbake Mountain, we encountered reanimated corpses and the living dead battering the door—weren’t they all monstrous spirits? Why hadn’t the peach wood sword emerged to ward off evil or kill the fiends? Thinking this, I kept silent, merely nodding vaguely to placate Old Li.

The surroundings were dead silent, our footsteps entirely swallowed by the unnerving quiet. Suddenly, Yanzi shrieked: “Ah—What are you doing!” Tang Minghao was lunging, clawing wildly at Yanzi’s chest. Yanzi’s face flushed crimson with anger, her hands flying to cover herself as she delivered a fierce kick aimed at Tang Minghao’s groin. Old Li cried out in alarm and lunged forward, yanking Tang Minghao back, saving him from castration.

“What is wrong?” Old Li demanded, his grip strong enough to prevent Tang Minghao from struggling, while he inquired. Yanzi glared at Tang Minghao, her eyes blazing with fury. “What’s wrong? Didn’t you all see it? Do you need me to ask again!”

With Old Li holding his arms, Tang Minghao thrashed wildly, trying to lunge toward Yanzi again.

His audacity—the sheer nerve to assault Yanzi sexually at such a critical juncture… What could one even say about a man like this?

“Are you insane!” Seeing Tang Minghao still resisting, Old Li didn't hesitate and slapped him across the face. A clear handprint instantly rose on his cheek, showing that Old Li was also driven to madness. Stunned by the blow, Tang Minghao forgot to struggle. He slowly raised his head to look at Old Li. Sadly, his face remained wooden, though his eyes were slightly less fixed and vacant. He rolled his eyes, as if remembering something, pointed at Old Li, and seemed about to speak, but his voice was hoarse, managing only drawn-out 'ah-ahs' without forming a single coherent word.

Yanzi’s eyebrows shot up. Seeing Tang Minghao still feigning confusion, she didn't wait but rushed forward and delivered two sharp slaps. Not possessing Old Li’s strength, she didn't leave a mark. But the moment she withdrew her hand, the ill-fated Tang Minghao immediately reached out again toward her chest.

This time, I clearly saw that Tang Minghao was not aiming for her intimate areas, but for a very slight protrusion on her chest.

Could it be that Yanzi was concealing something shameful or extremely valuable there, something only Tang Minghao understood, but which he was physically unable to articulate? Was this why he resorted to repeatedly grabbing her in this manner to alert us?