He recalled the incident with Ganda’s head being drilled into by that carnivorous plant. Although nothing untoward happened at the time, it didn't mean there wouldn't be any lingering effects. He realized the growth on his head was connected to that carnivorous plant.

He called out for Ganda to remain still, then motioned Ma Xiong and Fatty over, pointing at the plant on Ganda’s scalp and saying, “If I’m not mistaken, this shoot is very likely a seed planted on Ganda’s head by the carnivorous plant. Now that it has rooted and sprouted, it’s trying to burst out from Ganda’s skull. Ganda’s life is hanging by a thread.”

Ma Xiong naturally felt puzzled and leaned in for a closer look, spotting something plant-like growing from the top of Ganda’s head. A sudden jolt went through him; he sensed danger.

He nodded at Lu Zong and said, “Now, we can only try a desperate measure. Fatty, hand me your Swiss Army knife.”

Lu Zong hastily stopped him. “Ma Xiong, even though Ganda is badly hurt, it hasn't reached the point where our lives are in danger. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, let’s avoid extreme measures.”

Ma Xiong glanced at the stern Lu Zong and scoffed, “What do you think I’m trying to do? I mean to chop off that thing growing on his head, what else did you think?”

Lu Zong shook his head and sighed. “This is all your fault. You’ve been the most impulsive all along; there’s nothing you wouldn't do.”

Ma Xiong remained silent, merely walking to stand before Ganda’s head, scraping the blade briefly against the ground for sterilization. Then, raising the knife toward Ganda’s head, he took a deep breath, preparing to strike.

Ganda had already closed his eyes. Due to the prolonged lack of air circulation, he was nearly suffocated. Closing his eyes, he savored the air of the human world.

Lu Zong reminded him cautiously from the side, “Ma Xiong, be careful. Without Ganda, our living map, even if we exit the ancient tomb, we still won't find our way out of the desert.”

Ma Xiong slapped his chest to indicate he understood, then brought the knife down.

“Ah!” Fatty, standing nearby, shrieked and rushed forward, snatching the knife from Ma Xiong’s hand. He cursed viciously, “Damn you, Ma Xiong! I used to think highly of you, seeing you as a man of deep loyalty, but I never expected you would personally kill your own brother to save your own skin! I guess I was blind, Fatty.”

Ma Xiong and Lu Zong exchanged a look, then saw a large amount of bright red blood gushing out from below.

Lu Zong yelled, “Not good!” and rushed over to inspect the wound. Ma Xiong also moved to see what was happening; he was confident in his precise knife skills and knew he wouldn't miss, yet he clearly saw copious amounts of red blood flowing out.

He walked over, trembling, but Fatty lunged forward to block him. “Stop pretending! Killing someone and then mourning them—I truly failed to recognize your true colors.”

Lu Zong and Ma Xiong paused, feeling that saying was somehow familiar, but they had no time for such musings. Ma Xiong explained to Fatty, “You saw wrong. A branch of the carnivorous plant had just sprouted from Ganda’s head. I was only cutting off that shoot on his head before it grew larger and became harder to deal with.”

Fatty also froze for a moment, walked over, and examined Ganda’s scalp. He indeed found a large protrusion, and on the ground lay a bright red, vine-like rod. He figured that must have been the carnivorous plant that had been growing on Ganda’s head. The misunderstanding instantly vanished, replaced by a hint of guilt.

Lu Zong took out bandages and disinfectant, applying them to the severed plant stalk on Ganda’s head, prioritizing stopping the bleeding. He noticed the severed plant vine was still wriggling vigorously, very much alive. Red fluid continued to splash from the broken end, occasionally spraying onto Fatty’s and Ma Xiong’s faces. They stared in stunned silence at the dancing plant.

Ma Xiong, to secure the result and avenge Ganda, charged forward wielding the knife in both hands, hacking wildly at the vine. Perhaps because it was newly separated, it quickly dissolved into a pool of muck under Ma Xiong’s assault, mixing with the red fluid.

Only then did Ma Xiong breathe a sigh of relief and approach Ganda to examine his injuries closely. Fatty took the opportunity to check his pulse and told the others, “Something is wrong. Why is his pulse maintaining such a steady rhythm? There’s no variation at all.”

Ma Xiong and Lu Zong didn’t understand and asked, “What do you mean? Does a stable pulse not signal recovery?”

Fatty explained, “A stable pulse isn't usually bad, but here it’s problematic. Think about it: if a person endures so much trauma, finally reaching this point—having been hungry, thirsty, fighting so many specters, overcoming countless disasters—they should be utterly exhausted. Yet, his pulse is stronger and more vigorous than an average person’s. I feel like he’s brimming with energy.”

Lu Zong said, “Perhaps it’s because Ganda was naturally strong. Besides, working here for so long, he should be accustomed to the climate and other natural conditions, so his pulse should be stable.”

Fatty posed another question, “Then tell me this: if you lost this much blood, would your pulse still be this even?”

Lu Zong and Ma Xiong were startled, then asked, “So you mean Ganda isn’t as simple as we thought?”

Fatty nodded. “This is the only logical explanation for everything.”

Ma Xiong and Lu Zong looked at each other, then broke into faint smiles. “Forget it, forget it. Let’s not worry about this right now. The most important thing is that the man is saved. Let’s wake Ganda up quickly and ask him; then we’ll know everything.”

Lu Zong walked over, lifted Ganda’s head, and asked, “Ganda, wake up quickly. We need to ask you something.”

Ganda’s dry lips moved, and a few words were squeezed from his throat: “Where are we? Why is it so dark? My head hurts so much.”

Hearing the dry, painful complaint, Lu Zong felt a pang of guilt, unsure what terrible suffering Ganda was enduring. Lu Zong cradled his head in his arms, gently urging him not to speak. This elder-level man, Ganda, was sobbing uncontrollably in Lu Zong’s embrace. No words could truly describe Ganda’s state. There was only one explanation for this bizarre phenomenon: the Ganda currently here was not the Ganda they knew. Ganda had been swapped.

Lu Zong exchanged glances with the other two; they were practically certain of Fatty’s assessment. Their expressions grew slightly solemn. They didn't know who the person lying on Ganda’s shoulder truly was. However, exposing this now was not the right move; they wanted to see what this fake Ganda was up to.

Ma Xiong walked over, examined Ganda’s wound, and beckoned Lu Zong over with a wave of his hand.

Lu Zong approached, and Fatty stepped in to support Ganda, acting like a general who had just received his orders.

Lu Zong followed Ma Xiong into a dark, small corner. He sensed Ma Xiong had something strange to tell him, and his expression instinctively became serious.

Ma Xiong said, “Lu Zong, do you really feel like Ganda has been swapped?”

Lu Zong looked at Ma Xiong, then nodded. “I only suspect it; I don’t completely believe it. After all, creating an identical person is incredibly difficult.”

Ma Xiong continued, “Lu Zong, have you noticed? Ever since I stepped into the cave, I felt something was amiss.”

Lu Zong looked at Ma Xiong’s serious expression and asked, “What’s wrong, Ma Xiong? Did you hit your head?”

Ma Xiong leaned close to Lu Zong’s ear, whispering expressionlessly, “I feel like everything I’m seeing here is so familiar, as if I’ve been here before.”

Lu Zong was startled. He looked into Ma Xiong’s serious eyes and confirmed again, “Are you sure? You feel like you’ve seen everything here before?”

Ma Xiong insisted firmly, “Yes, the feeling is so strong. I feel like I must have been in this cave before, but I’ve forgotten the exact time.”

Lu Zong thought for a moment, then stared intently at Ma Xiong’s face, pronouncing each word deliberately, “Actually, I feel the same way—that everything here is familiar, as if I’ve experienced it all before. Could this be the legendary sixth sense?”

Ma Xiong looked into Lu Zong’s eyes, saying uncertainly, “I don’t think so. The sixth sense predicts future events; it never makes one feel things that have already happened and been forgotten. So, this can’t be an illusion for us; what we see is real.”

Lu Zong looked around and asked, “Since you feel you’ve been here before, tell me, which way should we go next?”

Ma Xiong scratched his head, looking at Lu Zong, and replied, “I just feel the scenery is a bit familiar; it doesn’t mean I recall exactly what we did before. So, sorry, I don’t know what we did previously, nor why we’ve returned here.”

Lu Zong sighed. “Forget it. It’s better to sweep this under the rug for now. We can research this ‘fart’ when we’re not busy. The priority now is escaping. Let’s go back; we’ll feel uneasy if we stay away from them too long.”

Ma Xiong could only sigh and follow Lu Zong back. To him, nothing else mattered right now, as long as they could survive.

Just as he reached Ganda’s side, he noticed a clear line of footprints at his feet, tracing along the mountain wall, leading to the mouth of the cave. He checked them—they were fresh tracks. But he was certain no one had ever been in that spot before. They had entered straight down the middle, so why were the footprints along the sides? Furthermore, the direction of the footprints was leading out of the cave, while the middle path led in. This suggested someone had successfully left before.

He connected this observation with his earlier point about the environment feeling familiar, linking the two facts to draw a conclusion: “They must have been here before, and they successfully made it out.”