The person that is Tang Minghao, the things on him are difficult to describe, sometimes good and sometimes bad, but judging from his recent condition, at least the villain has not gained the upper hand for now. So, now, I would rather believe him; it’s certainly better than constantly having my heart suspended, nervously guessing what I might run into. Better to just pretend what he says is true.

“Alright,” I resolved, steeling myself, “Everyone, be careful.” With that, I meticulously checked my meager supplies: a small pistol with two rounds and a military dagger. Then, I drew every pore on my body to high alert before cautiously moving toward the tunnel, bending low and keeping my head down, focusing entirely on navigating the passage, which was somewhat low and narrow, allowing only one person through at a time. This severely restricted my ability to fight back if we encountered any monsters.

Old Li was also slightly shorter and sensed my difficulty, repeatedly cautioning me to be extra careful. Yanzi trailed closely behind him.

Everyone, including Tang Minghao, who was still groggy and semi-conscious, dared not make a sound. The metallic, fishy smell in the cave was stronger than outside, so thick it felt as if we were submerged in a pool of foul water. The ground beneath our feet was uneven, alternating between deep and shallow spots, a constant hazard threatening to make us tumble.

We dared not lean on the stone walls beside us, fearing leeches or other things that might breed in such a damp environment—who knew what strange dangers lurked there.

By intuition, it was clear that the tunnel had been excavated haphazardly, winding and turning according to whim, appearing almost natural rather than intentionally carved. Nevertheless, our prior encounters constantly hammered home the need for extreme caution and vigilance.

Slowly, after traversing a stretch of pitch-black, quiet passage without incident, a faint, hazy light appeared ahead. It was very dim, but it was enough to fill us with immense joy.

“Old Li, Old Li, look up ahead,” I couldn't help but exclaim excitedly. The moment my voice rang out, something started falling from above, peppering my body and clothes.

At first, I thought it was sand and was startled, but then I calmed down. I brushed off my sleeves and shook my body, dislodging most of the debris. A few specks remained, which I carelessly plucked up to examine closely. “Ah…” Before I could even cry out, Yanzi shrieked, “Bugs! Bugs!” Her voice was piercing, and immediately, countless startled insects rained down upon us.

Indeed, what had fallen like sand was a deluge of tiny, wriggling white insects. Terrified, I bolted without thinking, heedless of whatever ghastly thing might await us further down the path.

Fortunately, after stumbling forward for some distance, we burst into bright light. Old Li and the others spilled out right behind me. Every face was ashen white. Having been thoroughly rattled, we were now jumpy at the slightest provocation.

Old Li still had those small white bugs clinging conspicuously to his shoulder. After I pointed them out, I quickly patted my own shoulders, worried that remnants might still linger. Seeing this, Yanzi immediately rushed over and meticulously patted down Old Li’s entire body until she was certain no insects remained.

Xu Zhiwu, showing some conscience, managed to spare a moment to look after Tang Minghao despite the chaos.

Tang Minghao’s fright seemed mostly contagious, and he recovered faster than the rest of us. Pointing ahead, he said happily, “That’s it! This is the place!” It was the first time in ages we saw him smile with such genuine excitement.

“What is it?” I asked, simultaneously noticing that the light here was strange, not like natural sunlight, but as if filtered through something. “Could it be… we’re underwater?” I pondered silently, yet dared not voice the question aloud. Of course, we were underwater. But—in a place like Fuxian Lake, with its extensive ruins of an ancient city submerged below, light filtering down through the water meant something. I didn't know what, and I dared not speculate. It might be good, but I feared it was more likely bad.

However, Yanzi’s reaction was unexpected. I thought she would be completely terrified after what just happened, but before Tang Minghao could answer me, she grabbed Old Li’s arm, practically bouncing with joy. “This is it! This is where it is! Zhaxi said this is the spot! Treasure, treasure! Gold and silver are all here!”

I turned to Tang Minghao, “Is that right, Brother Hao?” He frowned deeply, looking at Yanzi without offering any reaction.

Just getting out alive would be enough; nothing is better than being alive. As for gold, silver, jade, and white jade, even if we had the luck to take them now, we might not have the fortune to enjoy them.

Xu Zhiwu remained composed. He asked Yanzi, “Did Zhaxi tell you what those white bugs that fell on us were? Was that a sign that some deity was about to appear?” Xu Zhiwu was, after all, a true Tibetan studies expert. His question made me recall that the insects in the tunnel were certainly peculiar; falling like river sand, they had to mean something.

Yanzi blinked at Xu Zhiwu’s question, then stammered unnaturally, “Zhaxi… Zhaxi he… he didn’t tell me about that…”

Unfortunately, her hesitant expression gave us the answer. “Zhaxi must have told you,” I pressed. “And you definitely know it’s not a good thing, right?”

Hearing this, Old Li turned to look at Yanzi, waiting for her reply. Upon seeing Old Li, Yanzi immediately became gentle and demure. She whispered, “Yes… yes… Zhaxi said, if one of us died, we should place the body where there are these bugs.”

This was even stranger. We were underwater, and their water burials didn't involve such rituals. “To let these bugs eat our corpses?” I asked.

“No,” Tang Minghao interjected, shaking his head. His answer this time was crisp, though his expression remained clouded with confusion.

“Then what is it?” I asked him instead.

Yanzi spoke mournfully, “Zhaxi… Zhaxi said these bugs preserve a body such that it does not decay for ten thousand years. He said if any of us died, as long as the body remained undegraded, he would surely find a way to resurrect them.”

“That’s absurd,” Old Li scoffed angrily. “In this dark, damp place underwater, corpses decay easily. How could one remain undecomposed for ten millennia! You actually believed Zhaxi’s words, putting your own life and fortune on the line to find his so-called gold and silver. You believed such nonsense meant for children!”

Seeing Old Li’s intense displeasure, Yanzi’s eyes reddened, welling up with tears almost instantly, threatening to spill over. Yet, she fought to hold them back, explaining, “Zhaxi said… we must find the location of the treasure, only then… only then can someone be found to perform this service.”

Old Li remained displeased. “Are you that fond of money?” He rarely spoke harshly to anyone, suggesting that he either held some interest in Yanzi or disliked her intensely. However, looking at the situation, it seemed unlikely to be mere dislike.

“I… my family… needs money…” Yanzi said softly. Before she could elaborate further, Xu Zhiwu cut in, “Since Zhaxi said that, there must be a reason for it. Li Zeng, don’t blame her; she’s just a young girl.”

Hearing Xu Zhiwu’s words, Yanzi glanced at him gratefully. Her tears could no longer be held back; large drops rolled down her face. While crying, she continued, “Zhaxi said if we can pass through a dark passage filled with white bugs, we will certainly see a village ahead. There are people we know in that village as well.”

A village! My nerves tightened again. Didn’t Tang Minghao mention a village earlier? This couldn’t be a coincidence. There were still unknown elements within his body; at the very least, he wasn't entirely himself right now.

“What else did he say?” I asked. “Did he tell you how to get back to the surface?” That was my only concern now.

Yanzi cautiously glanced at Old Li’s face, seeing no sign of renewed anger, before hesitantly adding, “Zhaxi said… if we can find the treasure’s location and enter it, we will naturally see the exit. He also said… he also said that if we see the so-called village, we don’t need to worry about anything else, just rush to the largest and grandest building. Once there, we will naturally find the answers we seek.”

I looked ahead. Through the hazy, indistinct light, the vague outlines of buildings could indeed be discerned. The more I looked, the clearer they seemed, yet trying to focus brought no clarity. I asked Old Li to look; he confirmed it was the same.

A single sentence from Tang Minghao made us move forward without hesitation. He said, “This is it. I know.” Within his body resided a good entity intent on leading us to the exit. Given that, why would we harbor any more doubt?

Let’s go.

This time, I felt much more confident. Coupled with Yanzi’s constant chatter about treasure, everyone else likely felt the same as I did. Though survival was paramount, no one would refuse the chance to strike it rich while staying alive.

Still, we didn't dare to let our guard down. The five of us carefully approached the outlines of the village structures. We just hoped this wasn't some optical illusion—a mirage that would lead to disappointment.

Despite the lingering anxiety, we made it across. Indeed, we saw about ten dark, huddled structures, staggered in height; it wasn't large enough to truly be called a village. But the sight filled us with immense joy. Not only might we live, but we might also get rich—how could we not be happy!

Thinking of this, my steps involuntarily lightened. Yanzi, following her instructions, led us straight toward the largest structure in the center. I expected this building to have tightly shut doors, but instead, it was as if someone knew we were coming; the main door stood wide open. In the center of the room sat a man, upright on a chair, smiling at us with profound warmth and kindness.

I froze, completely unprepared to encounter this elderly gentleman here; in fact, I had assumed he was dead. Yet, here he was, appearing unharmed, as if nothing had happened. Hadn’t that Giant Kingfish dragged him into the blood spring? How could he be standing here completely unscathed!

I rubbed my eyes hard and asked Old Li, “Am I seeing things? Doesn’t that man look like Geng Wei?”

Old Li replied doubtfully, “He does look like him.”