And I was no stranger to that python head; it was the very same one I had seen in my "sleep paralysis" dream!!

At that moment, I lay sprawled on the ground like an overturned clay Buddha, pressing down on Tan Ping'er on my back, causing her to shriek, "Ah!" My eyes were wide open, yet I felt nothing at all. The flashlight tumbled from my grasp, landing squarely on the ground, its beam falling precisely upon the python head, which was rhythmically contracting and expanding, twisting left and right.

Ji Ye was so startled by the sudden giant python that he plopped down onto the ground, tossing his torch aside. Hua'er had already twisted away and bolted to a safe distance, barking fiercely at the menacing serpent, its voice a mere show of courage.

—This, of course, was what Ji Ye told me after we had gotten out of the Anle Cave. Moreover, Ji Ye had long known that the thing which had "peeled" Man Niaoniao off me was a long, massive python. When I pressed him for details, he became evasive and roundabout, fearing I wouldn't be able to handle the truth.

I had no idea when I regained consciousness. The first sensation, as my awareness dimly returned, was that every single bone and sinew in my body had been completely drained away. The only parts of me capable of movement were my weak eyeballs and my frantically beating heart.

Sometime earlier, Tan Ping'er had managed to free herself from beneath me. She held me tightly, yet she didn't spare the giant python a single glance, even though it was inches away. She sobbed softly while desperately, frantically pinching the philtrum on my face and stroking my chest. Her warm tears fell onto my cheeks, tiny, heated drops calling to my barely clinging nerves.

Perhaps Tan Ping'er's tears stirred a dormant courage deep within me. I labored to move my eyes to examine the massive, grotesque python head before me.

Indeed, this was the very same head from my dream. The pitch-black scales reflected an enthralling, cold sheen under the flashlight's stark white beam. Streams of foul water rained down from the triangular head. Its two blood-red, uncanny eyes shimmered with a spectrum of colors in the light, and viscous strings of saliva dripped from its sharp fangs.

The only difference was that wedged in the giant python's fleshy pink-white mouth was a razor-sharp hacking blade, the handle braced against its lower jaw and the tip pressed against the upper. It was fortunate the tip was blunt, or it would have pierced the python’s mouth clean through. Clouds of foul, warm, putrid air billowed from the python's dark, abyssal throat, churning my insides and threatening to scatter my very soul.

Perhaps the python understood the danger of the blade. Its signature feature—the blood-red tongue—dared not flick freely, instead darting tentatively from the front of its throat.

This head was so close to Tan Ping'er and me that it seemed it could inhale once and easily swallow us both whole.

I could not fathom what Tan Ping'er was thinking. Perhaps due to my sluggish awareness, she appeared unafraid; her body showed none of the tremors associated with terror. As for myself, beyond the weak capacity to draw breath, I felt not a flicker of fear—perhaps this was a case of extremes meeting.

Strangely, the giant python made no move to attack us. Its gaze held an inexplicable warmth and tenderness. It swayed its head, observing us for several minutes, before slowly receding back into the pit. Then came Man Niaoniao’s pig-like shriek, as he bounced up, crying, "Save... save me! My bones... they’re about to... snap!"

Seeing the giant python retreat, Ji Ye and Hua'er, summoning their courage, cautiously shuffled over to me, their eyes thick with a fear so profound it felt shattering.

Cradled in Tan Ping'er’s arms like an infant, a wave of shame washed over me. A full-grown man, repeatedly held and comforted by a young girl—if this ever got out, I wouldn't have the courage to live on, even if I survived.

The splashing sounds from the foul water at the bottom of the pit grew louder, while Man Niaoniao's cries weakened, becoming intermittent. It was obvious one of his feet had already crossed the threshold of death; if a rescue wasn't attempted soon, he would quickly become a genuine 'man haunted by spirits.'

In my hollowed-out mind, the vows of 'never to be parted' echoed. His roguish, lovable, yet detestable smile flashed before my eyes. The memory of that accursed mouth that stole my second kiss surfaced, along with every shared moment since our "Egg Towed Ash" days...

My heart clenched with pain, and tears burst from my eyes.

I signaled Ji Ye to hand me the corn liquor. Ji Ye stared at me, perplexed, but dared not disobey. He picked up the discarded flask and handed it to Tan Ping'er. I nodded firmly at her, and she obediently brought the mouth of the flask to my lips. A stream of cool, sharp ** flowed into my stomach.

With the liquor down, heat surged through me. My muscles and bones began to awaken, and my strength gradually returned.

As my mind began to clear, I rolled over and stood up. I pushed Tan Ping'er into Ji Ye’s embrace, gave her a deep, meaningful look, patted Hua'er's head, nodded to Ji Ye, then suddenly spun around and roared, "Niaoniao, your 'Mortar' is coming to save you!" With that, I launched myself into the 'Mortar Pit.'

Ji Ye and Tan Ping'er both cried out in alarm, reaching out simultaneously to stop me, but it was too late.

My body tumbled through the air. I heard Tan Ping'er wailing, Hua'er yelping mournfully, and Ji Ye calling out in despair. A bitter smile touched my lips; my heart was utterly tranquil, having cast aside life and death. I thought to myself this might be my destiny, to finally perish inside the very thing I feared most. To reach the extreme of fear is to lose fear—and besides, I had no time, no intention, to be afraid!

How swiftly I fell! In just two seconds, I hit the water. Instinctively, I grabbed the giant python’s body, straddling it as if riding a horse. I realized then the python was monstrously huge; embracing it required all my strength, and I could barely get my arms around it. A rough estimate suggested it was at least as thick as a large water bucket. Its skin was slimy, slippery, and bitingly cold.

I couldn't locate the hideous python head, only sensing its body twisting and turning. The speed wasn't particularly fast, perhaps due to the narrowness of the pit and its immense size. However, the water that erupted into the air drenched me from head to toe, and the foul vapor rose in a choking stench.

Bare-chested, I clung tightly to the python’s cold body, trying to steady myself and search for Man Niaoniao. But the skin was inherently slick and covered in sludge, and I couldn't interlock my fingers. I used my hands and feet—even my jawbone—straining with every fiber to press against the python, attempting to increase friction and keep from falling back into the water.

At this point, I had no time or inclination left for fear. On top of that, the alcohol surged, sending hot blood rushing to my head, making me dizzy and my vision swim with tears. Soon, the world began to spin violently.

Ji Ye had long since retrieved the fallen flashlight and was shining it down from above, the beam tracking me closely. Through my blurred vision, I snatched a moment to scan my surroundings, but saw no sign of Man Niaoniao. Desperate, I began to sob, and instinctively opened my mouth, sinking my teeth into the python’s tough hide with savage force.

I thought my actions were futile—my gaping maw was orders of magnitude smaller than the python’s body. Yet, to my surprise, after my frenzied biting, blood burst forth, splattering my face and head. The python’s coiling and weaving suddenly accelerated. In just a few moments, it had me tightly constricted, and the foul water quickly submerged my head.

I instinctively clamped my mouth shut and thrashed my arms in the dark water below, desperately hoping to break free and surface. But due to its size and the confined space, although the python hadn't squeezed me completely tight, my overwhelming terror and exhaustion left me paralyzed from the chest down. I shouted for help, and the water rushed into my throat with a gurgling sound. My belly began to swell, and amidst this internal and external crisis, the last breath in my chest was forced out. My consciousness grew fuzzy, and my struggles weakened...

Just as I felt my soul about to tear free from my body, my ascent became rapid, and my head suddenly broke the surface. I greedily gasped two mouthfuls of the murky air. Just as I was reaching up to wipe the water from my eyes, the python’s body violently constricted, squeezing the water in my stomach out through my throat in a forceful spray.

The python’s squeeze must have reached its maximum limit; it could not tighten further around my small frame. Moreover, the underlying muscle was thick—stiff, but not entirely rock-hard—which is why my bones weren't dislocated. Nevertheless, the feeling of being compressed made my mind burn with agony, nearly causing my spirit to depart my body again.

Before I could even open my eyes, a heavy, foul, putrid stench washed over me. I was instantly terrified. Mustering all my strength, I forced my eyes open and glimpsed the python’s head close to my nose, just as in the 'sleep paralysis' dream. The hacking blade was still wedged in the python’s mouth, occasionally catching the dim light from Ji Ye’s torch, looking eerie and mysterious.

Seeing me open my eyes, the giant python nodded to me, its fierce and menacing gaze gradually softening.

For some inexplicable reason, after the python acknowledged me with a nod, a sudden telepathic connection formed between us, and I instantly understood its intentions. Taking a deep breath, I reached my right hand into its cavernous, tusk-lined, pink-and-white mouth, gripped the handle of the hacking blade, and pulled with all my might, freeing the weapon.

Its mouth released, the python's eyes shone brightly, its gaze growing even gentler. It nodded again, then tilted its head back. Its neck contracted and expanded near the seven-inch mark, and in a blink, it spat out an object—something that was neither quite iron nor quite jade—holding it in its mouth and presenting it to me.

Seeing my hesitation, the python nodded once more. Trembling, I reached out and took the object from its mouth. Under the faint beam of the flashlight, I looked at it, and instantly, the surroundings seemed to fall silent.

The Token Tablet!

It was the Token Tablet from my dream!!

The very Token Tablet I had dismissed as pure nonsense!!!

...

I stared dazedly at the foot-square tablet in my hand. Everything else seemed to melt away; the world felt vast and empty, the universe quiet and dim. Scenes from my 'bed-crushing' dream flooded my mind. In the haze, my Grandfather seemed to smile at me, his goat-beard trembling, his eyes full of surprise and joy, benevolent and gentle... In that expression, he looked as though he had completed a momentous historical task, handing over a timeless treasure to a trustworthy person with ease and relief...

Alas, my Grandfather's benevolent face was abruptly torn away by a woman's sinister and eerie wail!

I snapped out of my daze and vaguely heard Ji Ye and Tan Ping'er shouting loudly from above the giant pit. Hua'er was also barking hoarsely. But compared to the woman’s agonizing cries, their clamor sounded fragile and weak.

My soul snapped back into place; my consciousness returned fully to reality. At first, I thought the wail was Tan Ping'er weeping. I listened closely, realizing it was not her voice. Recalling the sound, that entity called 'Fear' slowly crept back into my mind, cold sweat trickling down my brow—wasn't that woman's voice exactly the same as those two mournful, plaintive sighs?

The woman’s weeping grew sharper and higher-pitched, yet remained elusive. I couldn't pinpoint the source; it seemed near my ear one moment, far away the next, sometimes clear, sometimes faint and ethereal. The woman seemed filled with resentment, her cries capable of darkening the skies and tearing at the heartstrings, stirring up pity. Her voice filled the entire undefined space, allowing no other sound to penetrate. The sound waves traveled outward and bounced back, colliding fiercely with the woman’s sorrowful cries, drilling unceremoniously into my eardrums, then into my mind, and finally seeping into my heart...

Upon hearing the woman's weeping, the python lifted its flat head high, turning in a circle to search for her. It gradually loosened its coil around my body, allowing my chest a little room to expand.

I vaguely saw the shadowy figures of Ji Ye and Tan Ping'er shouting urgently toward me, but I couldn't hear a word they said.

Ji Ye flashed the beam of his flashlight toward me, then rapidly shot it straight up into the sky, repeating this motion five or six times, seemingly signaling me to notice something above. I managed to raise my head and followed the light, dimly spotting a massive stalagmite leaning downward from the shadows near the edge of the 'Mortar Pit.' It was thick at the top and tapered to a point, the apex strangely shaped like the letter 'L'—almost identical to an actual 'Pestle.' Jagged rocks, formed by millennia of magma water deposits, adorned the structure, making it look terrifyingly grotesque.

And I, in the 'Mortar Pit,' was merely a 'grain of rice' awaiting pounding!

I had no idea why this stalagmite, which had stood for eons, chose this moment to fall. Amidst the sound of collapsing rock, the pestle-like stalagmite leaned more and more severely, as if someone were deliberately stepping on its tip, taunting the 'grain of rice'—me—the giant python, and the missing Man Niaoniao in the pit. Ji Ye, Tan Ping'er, and Hua'er on the rim of the 'Mortar Pit' had long since fled far away, their flashlights shining directly onto the 'Pestle,' as if hoping to prop it up firmly.

The giant python seemed to sense the imminent danger. It began to writhe and twist rapidly, churning the foul water into a frenzy, sending the noxious fumes soaring.

Seeing the stalagmite about to completely fracture, Ji Ye frantically waved the flashlight to signal me to take cover. The python, recognizing the crisis, swiftly retracted its body and opened its monstrous jaws to bite me. Caught off guard, and with the lingering psychological shadow of my fear of snakes not entirely gone, I glimpsed its sharp fangs and crimson tongue, and my vision went black. I tumbled headfirst off the python's body and slid into the murky water, still clutching the Token Tablet tightly in my hand.

The water in the 'Mortar Pit' wasn't deep, perhaps only two or three meters. Based on the pit walls my flailing touched underwater, the bottom was indeed shaped like half a spindle—what else could it be but a mortar? Given its massive size relative to the pit floor, the python had coiled most of its body there and was effectively immobile. Trapped between the coils of the python, I couldn't move up or down. My chest felt tight, and my heart hammered violently.

In a daze, I heard a muffled thunderous roar from overhead. The python thrashed its upper body a few times, then suddenly straightened, using the momentum of its tail to spring outward from the 'Mortar Pit' with a powerful thrust. With a great splash, the python vanished from the pit floor.

As the python cleared the space, the water level dropped rapidly, allowing me to surface.

After gasping for breath, I saw a dark shadow clinging to the pit wall in the hazy flashlight beam, looking like a leech. Exhausted, I swam over and realized—it was Man Niaoniao! Ji Ye seemed to spot him too, shining the flashlight directly on him.

I was ecstatic! Forgetting the 'Pestle' overhead, I struggled to turn Man Niaoniao’s head. His nostrils and mouth were caked with debris and filth from the foul water, his eyes were shut tight, his fingers gripping the pit wall, his right leg extended, and his left knee bent, positioned as if desperately trying to climb upward.

I screamed his name a few times, then thumped his head with my fist, but Man Niaoniao showed no reaction.

Furious and desperate, I leaned my head and body back, adopting a backstroke posture, paddling with my arms and left foot while kicking Man Niaoniao’