A divine presence again! A chill ran down my spine, yet the terror in my heart receded somewhat. Regardless, I resolved to face whatever came; fear was now completely useless.

“Alright then,” I cleared my throat, striving to steady myself. I surveyed the white-robed figures surrounding us and asked, “Who is in charge here? Tell him to step out and speak with us.” The white-robed figures remained expressionless, showing no reaction, standing perfectly still, glaring at us menacingly, poised to strike at any moment.

It seemed a peaceful resolution was out of the question. I turned to Tang Minghao, “Do you have any idea what’s going on?” Tang Minghao looked dazed, pondered for a long moment, then slowly shook his head, only to nod again immediately after. Whether intentionally or not, he held up the hand bearing the "Doctor Ciren" inscription right before my eyes. Then, with a posture of deep reverence, he slowly cradled it in his palm.

Blast it! Could it be that at this critical juncture, the several “people” inside Tang Minghao were fighting again for control of his body? Could we be that unlucky? I inwardly cursed, watching Tang Minghao’s expression grow more vacant. He was already completely different from the composed man who had just directed our escape. We were done for; what exactly was inhabiting his body now!

“Brother Hao. What do we do now?” I urged, almost wishing I could slice open his skull and help the good person from before seize control of Tang Minghao’s body. But… Tang Minghao had lapsed into a state of confusion. He slowly raised his eyes to look at the dense throng of white-robed figures surrounding them, watching them begin to ** and massing in a way that suggested they were about to press forward, yet he showed no reaction whatsoever.

Old Li grew anxious too. He ordered everyone to ready their weapons, then moved to stand beside me, positioning Yanzi and Xu Zhiwu behind our cover. “It’s down to luck now,” Old Li’s eyes were bloodshot, ready to give everything; “Technician Luo, even if we die, we won’t die behind you people.”

A surge of heat rushed through me; I understood Old Li’s meaning. We were soldiers; protecting the people was our sacred duty. Even now, with our lives hanging by a thread, we could not disgrace the title of "soldier."

I didn't say another word, only shifted Xu Zhiwu further behind my back. Being tall, I could shield him completely. Some unknown courage welled up; facing the countless white-robed figures surrounding us, I felt no fear at all, completely swept up by Old Li's resolve, focused only on how to preserve the lives of Xu Zhiwu and Yanzi.

The white-robed figures began to **. The rustling sound of their overlapping robes rubbed against each other filled the air. Each one wore the same expression, and their faces were indistinct, impossible to focus on—a blur. One could vaguely make out some with softer facial contours, suggesting they were women, and others with harder lines, suggesting they were men. Each had extremely long hair, clumped together in a sticky mass that trailed behind them, reaching their ankles.

So familiar. This was the same appearance as the corpses at the bottom of Fuxian Lake and the two humanoid candle stands before the shrine. This was clearly a premeditated trap, and the entity within Tang Minghao had no way to fight a path out for us. These people were likely animated in the same manner as the reanimated Han soldiers in the coffins—an ambush set long in advance.

It seemed Old Li and I could only rely on luck. I just didn’t know if we would be as fortunate as last time, stumbling our way into surviving this ordeal. Thinking this, a sliver of hope sparked in my heart, wishing we might find a small river or something similar to the edge of the coffin last time. But there was nothing. Apart from a wide, pitch-black well, the ground was solid and bare, offering no hint of a hidden mechanism.

However, if it truly came down to it, I was still willing to jump into the well to try my luck; perhaps it was a path to life. I could only comfort myself this way, trying to bolster my courage.

The "Doctor Ciren" strapped to Tang Minghao’s wrist began to shake restlessly, as if fighting to break free of Tang Minghao’s control. The more violently it shook, the more excited the surrounding white-robed figures became. Every eye fixed on "Doctor Ciren" as they slowly, slowly began to close in on us.

That previous rush of heat was instantly extinguished by the sight of these white-robed figures closing in. My limbs turned icy cold and weak; my legs trembled uncontrollably. Xu Zhiwu was pressed tightly against my back, and I could feel his terror was even greater than mine, his chattering teeth emitting a distinct, rhythmic clack.

“Bro…ther…” Tang Minghao, who had been standing beside me, suddenly took a step forward with a vacant look, sweeping his gaze over us with a strange half-smile before stepping out again and stopping. Seeing Tang Minghao advance toward them, the white-robed figures grew even more animated, quickening their pace toward us.

My heart leaped into my throat. Heaven help us, Tang Minghao needed to stop moving. If he took another step, those monsters would surround us, leaving us no room to even breathe.

But after pausing briefly, Tang Minghao showed no awareness of our mounting fear. He took another step forward, and all the white-robed figures followed suit, advancing one step, then freezing, awaiting Tang Minghao’s next move.

……

Our maneuverability shrank continually. The white-robed figures were now only two or three meters away, capable of easily forcing us to the edge of the well. Yes, behind us was that bottomless pit, utterly black, visibility zero—we had no idea how deep it was or what it contained. But based on all our past experiences, it certainly couldn't be a simple dry well or one filled with clear water. Impossible.

“Don’t… no…” Yanzi began to weep softly. The oppressive presence of the white-robed figures had silenced everyone else, but she cried from behind Old Li, her sobs muffled, each one weaker and more fearful than the last, seeming on the verge of complete collapse. My mind spun with fear and confusion—fear that her crying would provoke the white-robed figures, and confusion about what we could do when they finally encircled us. Shoot? How many could we fell? Knives? Would they even be effective? Otherwise, we jump into the well, but that wasn't a guarantee of survival.

Survival. Nothing was more important than that right now.

……

One more step, and Tang Minghao would stand directly before one of the white-robed figures. Paradoxically, I was less afraid than before—perhaps I had reached the limit of fear and no longer knew how to feel it. I held my gun steady, aiming at the figure who seemed to be the one Tang Minghao was about to approach; he must have been a leader.

Yet, just as they were separated by that final step, both sides halted and remained motionless for a long time. The air itself seemed to freeze. Yanzi dared not make another sound. I dared not even draw a full breath, watching their every move without blinking. If anything looked amiss, I would fire immediately—even though the gun held only two bullets.

After a long silence, Tang Minghao slowly raised his left hand, straightened his arm, and began single-handedly undoing the wrapping cloth binding "Doctor Ciren" on his wrist. "Doctor Ciren" swung merrily back and forth, making the one-handed task incredibly inconvenient. The nearby white-robed figure made no move to assist. Right, they must be like those reanimated Han soldiers—appearing alive, but actually dead—or perhaps something else entirely.

Tang Minghao was remarkably patient, slowly untying the knots of the small bundle. I grew anxious, wondering how long this unraveling would take, and what disaster might be unleashed once he succeeded. I shifted my feet slightly, intending to step forward and help. But before my foot even moved, the white-robed figures noticed me. Before I could react, they swarmed forward.

In an instant, a deluge of white robes, sticky black hair, blurred faces, and a strong smell of stagnant water pressed in on us. Following close behind, countless hands waved gently, shoving me backward until I stumbled toward the well’s edge. I didn't have time to cry out for help; with a slight push from their hands, my footing gave way, and I plunged without warning into the pitch-black well.

As I fell, I immediately felt myself sinking into a mire of decaying flora and fauna. My nostrils filled with the stench. The smell made me dizzy, my head light as my body plummeted like lead, the rush of wind roaring deafeningly in my ears.

In an instant, a deluge of white robes, sticky black hair, blurred faces, and a strong smell of stagnant water pressed in on us. Following close behind, countless hands waved gently, shoving me backward until I stumbled toward the well’s edge. I didn't have time to cry out for help; with a slight push from their hands, my footing gave way, and I plunged without warning into the pitch-black well. As I fell, I immediately felt myself sinking into a mire of decaying flora and fauna. My nostrils filled with the stench. The smell made me dizzy, my head light as my body plummeted like lead, the rush of wind roaring deafeningly in my ears. In an instant, a deluge of white robes, sticky black hair, blurred faces, and a strong smell of stagnant water pressed in on us. Following close behind, countless hands waved gently, shoving me backward until I stumbled toward the well’s edge. I didn't have time to cry out for help; with a slight push from their hands, my footing gave way, and I plunged without warning into the pitch-black well. As I fell, I immediately felt myself sinking into a mire of decaying flora and fauna. My nostrils filled with the stench. The smell made me dizzy, my head light as my body plummeted like lead, the rush of wind roaring deafeningly in my ears. In an instant, a deluge of white robes, sticky black hair, blurred faces, and a strong smell of stagnant water pressed in on us. Following close behind, countless hands waved gently, shoving me backward until I stumbled toward the well’s edge. I didn't have time to cry out for help; with a slight push from their hands, my footing gave way, and I plunged without warning into the pitch-black well. As I fell, I immediately felt myself sinking into a mire of decaying flora and fauna. My nostrils filled with the stench. The smell made me dizzy, my head light as my body plummeted like lead, the rush of wind roaring deafeningly in my ears.