Seeing Ge Mei not answering him, the habitually impatient Ma Xiong roared, "What the hell are you all doing? If you can't unite, I say we should just break up now."

This statement struck the most sensitive nerve among them. The tomb chamber, already quiet, fell into an even deeper silence, making the atmosphere appear even more desolate and cold.

It was Fatty who correctly assessed the situation. Knowing that if such an emotion were allowed to spread, everyone's morale would plummet, he quickly broke the awkward atmosphere. "Ma Xiong, don't say that. None of us can be certain about what just happened. If it was just our collective illusion, wouldn't we be frightening ourselves for no reason? So, we would rather the three of us be scared than have everyone constantly looking over their shoulders."

Lu Zong also clearly sensed the shift in the atmosphere and hurriedly chimed in, supporting Fatty: "Yes, yes, Ma Xiong, let's not be so rigid. Fatty must have his reasons for deciding this way. Perhaps it's better if we just don't know. Alright, let's keep moving. Who knows what awaits us next?"

Little did they know that Ma Xiong was the type who wouldn't stop until he saw the coffin—he wouldn't shed tears until he saw the coffin. Hearing Lu Zong's attempt at conciliation didn't calm him down; if anything, he seemed angrier. His tone became fierce as he snarled at Lu Zong, "What? Lu Zong? You’re taking the side of an outsider??"

"Outsider?" Fatty caught the implication immediately. Based on their shared experiences, their bond might not be that of sworn brothers, but they should at least count as friends, friends who had faced death together. To be called an outsider now truly surprised Fatty.

But since they already viewed him as an outsider, what was the point of arguing? He could only clear his throat twice, suppressing the anger in his chest, and say, "Very well, if Ma Xiong puts it that way, I, the outsider, will interject one thing: If you absolutely must know what we just encountered, we won't hide it. I'll be satisfied if you just believe we're telling the truth."

Ma Xiong’s face remained fierce, but hearing Fatty mention revealing the truth softened him considerably. He asked impatiently, "Spit it out quickly! What exactly did you see just now?"

Fatty stubbed out the cigarette in his hand, coughed twice, and lowered his voice, speaking in a deep, resonant bass: "Just now, I saw Lu Zong, Ma Xiong, and Old Man Qian walking ahead of us?"

"Lu Zong, Ma Xiong, Old Man Qian?" Hearing this, Lu Zong, Ma Xiong, and the previously silent Old Man Qian suddenly went still. They seemed to realize something, their faces shifting from pale to ashen. After experiencing so many strange things, their subconscious mind accepted that virtually nothing was impossible anymore. They completely believed what Fatty had said. Only Old Man Qian asked with some lingering reluctance, "Then did you see the true faces of those three?"

Fatty asserted firmly, "I can guarantee it, the backs of the three people in front were exactly like yours, even the way they walked was very similar. Although we didn't see their faces, I’m certain that if you only looked at their backs, absolutely no one could tell you apart from those three."

Lu Zong and Ma Xiong were instantly covered in goosebumps. What kind of beings were those figures ahead? Why were they dressed and styled exactly like them? If this happened outside, it might be explainable. But they were inside an ancient tomb, not a tourist site, but an undeveloped one. How could such a coincidence occur?

All these coincidences combined made Ma Xiong think of three words: Seeing ghosts.

Ma Xiong muttered under his breath, "Damn, we really saw ghosts."

Ge Mei instinctively shifted her slender body closer to Lu Zong’s side. It was an unconscious movement; it seemed Lu Zong still provided her with a sense of security.

In truth, no matter the situation, a woman's first instinct is always to seek the security she subconsciously believes in—a feeling that always gravitates toward the man she likes. Given the relationship between Lu Zong and Ge Mei, Ge Mei logically shouldn't be attracted to Lu Zong. Yet, Ge Mei was subconsciously treating Lu Zong as her protector. This undoubtedly indicated a massive underlying issue: Ge Mei must have some inextricable connection with Han Chong, otherwise, she wouldn't trust Lu Zong this much.

Back to the main topic.

Fatty continued his explanation: "We were wondering then when you all managed to get ahead of us. But seeing your determined pace, we thought you had found the exit, which is why we blindly followed those three figures. During that time, even the Company Commander suspected where they were heading." He paused. "One of them, resembling Lu Zong, turned his head and said, 'Just follow us, and you'll be fine.'"

"Yes, and that Lu Zong's voice was almost identical to yours—absolutely no mistake. We've been together so long, I can distinguish your voice."

Lu Zong shuddered slightly. How could such bizarre things be happening?

Ma Xiong remained silent. Old Man Qian spoke up, "Hey, everyone, don't be so scared; this is no big deal. I've seen things like this many times."

Everyone's eyes lit up: "That's right! The guardians of this tomb are here. If there’s anything we don't understand, why don't we just ask Old Man Qian?"

Fatty spoke first, "Right, how could we forget Old Man Qian?"

Fatty deliberately used "Old Master Qian" instead of "Old Man Qian"; since they needed his help now, it was better to be polite.

"May I ask, Old Master Qian, you say this is no big deal. Do you see these people often?"

Old Man Qian smoothed his grayish-white beard, a slight curl on his lip, and chuckled good-naturedly, "To be honest with you all, I have indeed seen these people several times. But every time, it was when I was so dizzy from hunger that I could barely see straight. The situation was pretty much as you described. At the time, I thought it was a hallucination brought on by starvation, so I didn't pay much mind. But hearing you say this now, I feel a bit frightened myself. Were the things I saw back then not hallucinations?"

The Company Commander nodded, "I think it’s possible. We saw the people ahead of us clearly just now; it didn't seem like a hallucination. Besides, if it were a hallucination, it's unlikely all three of us would have the exact same one. I don't think it could be a hallucination."

After the Company Commander finished speaking, Ma Xiong deliberately twisted his head around a couple of times, looking around. "But if those three weren't hallucinations, where could they have gone now?"

Everyone’s gaze swept around as well. Indeed, there was nothing abnormal in sight. Although the mist inside the tomb was incredibly thick, the area within tens of meters was flat ground, and their visibility was only about thirty or forty meters. Yet, they hadn't found those three figures.

Did those figures intentionally shake them off?

Impossible. If they wanted to ditch them, why bother luring the Company Commander and Fatty in the first place? If luring Ge Mei was due to her looks, then trying to entice Fatty and the Company Commander made no sense whatsoever, neither morally nor logically.

While puzzled, Fatty scanned the surroundings again. His expression suddenly turned grave again, his speech slightly stuttered, and his eyes widened in alarm. He said, "Look quickly! Those things ahead—that Lu Zong, Ma Xiong, and Old Man Qian—look!"

Everyone’s nerves snapped taut. Fatty's words exploded in their minds like bombs; they couldn't process such a massive shock, so they hurriedly turned back to look.

Sure enough, within the dense mist, three indistinct figures seemed to drift and shimmer. They were described as "drifting" because they seemed incredibly light, moving and wandering with the flow of the mist, like homeless wanderers who couldn't find their way home—no, more like lonely, wandering spirits.

Ge Mei retreated a step toward the rear, frightened, whispering nervously, "Yes, it's them. That's who we saw just now. They were drifting forward just like that then. We thought it was because the mist was too thick, which made the view blurry."

Fatty, slightly bolder, shouted toward them, "Excuse me, friends ahead, is there an inn nearby?"

A burst of laughter came from ahead—a clear, resonant baritone, suggesting the man was likely in his early forties based on the sound alone.

The other side merely laughed, and the surroundings returned to silence, offering no further reply.

Hearing human laughter provided everyone with a measure of relief. Fatty called out again, "Who exactly are you up front? If we share the same goal, why don't we team up and proceed together?"

The same laughter sounded again from ahead, but this time it was brief and sharper, like the sound a person makes right before becoming enraged.

Fatty, afraid that another question might provoke them—after all, the enemy was hidden while they were exposed—conferred with the others: "I don't think they mean us any harm. It’s better not to provoke them. Let's just continue on our own way, pretend we never saw them. Remember, everyone must stay calm and not get too nervous, or we might give ourselves away."

Since Fatty had more experience dealing with unknown entities in places like this, his word carried significant weight among the group. Everyone naturally followed his instructions. Thus, they obediently stayed behind Fatty, preparing to move on alone and no longer paying attention to the three figures from before.

Just then, that burst of laughter sounded again. This time, it was even shorter, sounding less like laughter and more like a rapid scream. It sent chills down the spines of the group. Moreover, this time it sounded clearer and closer.

Fatty couldn't help but quicken his pace, whispering urgently to the others, "Speed up, everyone! Do not look back, or you are responsible for the consequences."

With that, he pulled Ge Mei close, wrapping an arm around her waist, and specifically instructed her, "No matter what you feel following you or touching your body, absolutely do not resist; just let it be, or we'll run into major trouble. Damn it, we’ve run into this kind of thing."