The collapsed stalactite had gouged a massive notch in the edge of the “Mortar,” and with a slow, upward and downward undulation, it was creeping downward, threatening to plunge straight into the pit floor and crush me and Man Niao Niao into fine paste. At the crucial moment, I was horrified to see countless egg-sized mud boils sprouting from the mirror-smooth pit wall, like a clueless youth suddenly breaking out in pimples, or like someone blowing bubbles of various sizes behind the wall.

The mud boils grew larger and larger, and in the blink of an eye, a chorus of "popping" sounds erupted, revealing flattened black serpent heads emerging from beneath the boils.

The sudden appearance of the serpent heads made my limbs go weak with fright. Fortunately, Man Niao Niao gritted his teeth and grabbed my belt, preventing me from falling headfirst back into the pit bottom.

The dense mass of serpent heads on the pit wall showed no hesitation, quickly drilling out, emerging in pairs, two by two, immediately intertwining with each other. Seeing this, I recalled the local adage, "Never look down on a snake during its Si period," and a surge of anger boiled up in my chest. I cursed inwardly: I’m about to take a free trip to the underworld, and you scoundrels have the leisure to engage in your flirtatious dalliances right in front of me?

Little did I know I had misunderstood them. The two entwined snakes were merely using each other's bodies to try and burrow into the other's hole. The moment one snake’s tail emerged was precisely when the other snake’s head was drilling into the mud aperture. After one snake entered the cooperative partner’s hole, it didn’t retreat inside, but instead left most of its body exposed, writhing and curling.

I stared in confusion for a long time, and then a realization flashed through my mind—weren’t these hundreds of snake bodies the perfect ropes for climbing upward? Most people know that once a snake enters a hole, even if you tear its tail to shreds, you cannot pull it out. The reason is that snakes have scales that point backward.

But why were these hundreds of snakes behaving this way? Could this be the idea of that giant python?

I didn’t have time to ponder. I bravely grabbed the nearest snake body, wrapped it twice around my wrist, and pulled hard. It was indeed as firmly fixed to the pit wall as if it were welded there. Man Niao Niao naturally understood the reason as well; seeing me move, he eagerly seized another snake body and followed suit.

With the help of the numerous snake bodies, Man Niao Niao and I certainly wouldn't pass up this sole opportunity for escape. We paid no mind to whether the snakes were in pain, releasing one snake body while quickly grabbing another. Although the snake bodies were slimy and slick, the exposed parts were long enough to wrap twice around the wrist. Man Niao Niao and I exerted our full strength again, so amidst the up-and-down surge of the stalactite, and the ethereal cold laughter of the woman, Man Niao Niao and I climbed higher and higher, drawing nearer to the edge of the “Mortar”...

Ji Ye and Qin Ping'er were prostrate on the ground, keeping their flashlight beams fixed on Man Niao Niao and me. Seeing us about to reach their hands, they trembled, their voices hoarse as they urged us on, “...Hurry! Climb fast... The stalactite is about to fall...”

In my haste, I turned my head and saw the tip of the stalactite hovering precariously just above our heads, almost brushing our scalps. The stalactite was dark and cold, dragging gusts of frigid wind that made our hair flutter wildly above us.

Man Niao Niao and I gave it our all, pulling on the snake bodies and climbing desperately upwards.

Just as my right hand was about to hook Qin Ping'er’s fingertips, the woman who had been emitting that strange cold laugh let out a "ho-ho" burst of chilling laughter. Immediately following that, the stalactite resting on the edge of the “Mortar” roared with a sudden crash and completely collapsed the edge of the “Mortar.” The stalactite swept past our backs with incredible speed, smashing violently toward the pit bottom. In an instant, countless columns of water erupted from the pit floor and shot upward, stinging our bottoms faintly.

The stalactite plunged into the pit floor, paused briefly, and after another loud rumble, it vanished underground with astonishing speed. In a flash, a dark hole, emitting cold air, was exposed at the bottom of the pit.

A long, long time later, a muffled thud faintly echoed upward...

Death, which had hung over our heads, had swept past. I let out a gentle breath, clenched my jaw, and firmly grasped Qin Ping'er’s hand. Believing everything would be fine and we were finally safe, I was shocked when Qin Ping'er was pulled down by me. It turned out that the edge of the “Mortar” had collapsed under the weight of the stalactite, causing the very ground where Qin Ping'er and Ji Ye stood to sink. Qin Ping'er’s body tilted, making it impossible for her to exert any force.

Qin Ping'er cried out, her head slamming hard against mine. A sharp pain shot through my head, and instinctively, I reached to embrace her.

The result of this reflex was that Qin Ping'er and I were locked in a tight embrace, plummeting like a meteor toward the dark hole opened in the pit floor. The wind howled past my ears, and the world spun before my eyes. At that critical juncture, worried about dropping the token stele, I bit down hard on it, burying my head in Qin Ping'er’s chest. This dual measure offered high security—after all, it was precisely because of this token stele that we entered Anle Cave, and endured countless trials within it.

I had no time to worry about where Ji Ye, Man Niao Niao, and Hua'er were. I could only hear Ji Ye and Man Niao Niao shouting from above, and Hua'er's mournful yelping. I knew they too had fallen.

As an even more soul-stirring sound of collapse echoed, gradually drowning out the woman’s eerie laughter, it finally vanished from my ears.

Among the four humans and one dog, only I dared not scream. The sound of the wind rushing past my ears grew louder, the speed of our descent increased, the space around us was utterly dark, and the air grew increasingly damp and cold.

Just as I thought we were about to smash into a pulp, Qin Ping'er and I plunged into the dark, icy water with a heavy "thud." The opposing thrust nearly pried the token stele from my jaw. Fortunately, I had long resolved that life could be lost, but the token stele could not be abandoned, so I desperately held onto it, preventing the water from washing it away.

The water at the bottom was deep, and the current swift. Qin Ping'er and I were still clinging tightly together, guarding the token stele. Before we could surface, the rushing water swept us both away toward an unknown direction. Caught in the majestic current, we could only drift with the flow, completely unable to predict what the next second would bring.

The current triggered Qin Ping'er's instincts, and her limbs thrashed about. Holding her, I could only use my legs to assist. After struggling desperately for a long time, we managed to surface amidst the turbulent flow. We sucked in deep gulps of the icy, wet air, paying no heed to our surroundings; all we knew was that the darkness before us was as black as the bottom of a pot, and our ears were filled with the deafening roar of rushing water.

Compared to the rampaging flood, our bodies felt as light as a feather. The current was too strong, and with zero visibility, we had no control over our bodies. Trying to cling to rocks or anything at the water's edge was as difficult as scaling the heavens.

The flood twisted and turned its way downward. I secretly lamented, if this continued, would the final destination truly be the netherworld?

Later, I learned this thought was just me scaring myself. Qin Ping'er and I were tossed about like on a roller coaster in the chilling floodwaters for a long time. To our surprise, the current gradually slowed, and the roaring sound diminished. After a while longer, the flood became gentler and more docile; the sound of the current completely disappeared, replaced only by the crisp, distant sound of countless drops of lava water dripping from above onto the silently flowing water.

Qin Ping'er and I understood each other perfectly, exerting ourselves simultaneously, swimming toward what we imagined was the riverbank. After paddling furiously for a while, we finally felt a pile of slippery pebbles—it seemed to be a small, shallow beach. Without hesitation, I pulled Qin Ping'er and struggled onto the shallow beach covered in slick pebbles, collapsed onto my back, took the token stele from my mouth, held it in my hand, and gasped like thunder.

Qin Ping'er was also gasping for breath, limp and weak, lying beside me, tightly gripping my hand, silent.

Once my breathing stabilized, my senses cleared somewhat. Then I noticed another very serious problem—when I removed the token stele, I found my jaw stiff, and my mouth refused to close. I gave a wry smile inwardly, raised my sore hand, and painfully pushed my jaw forcefully; only then did my mouth return to normal.

Just as I was worrying about Ji Ye and the others, amidst the crisp, distant sound of dripping water, I suddenly heard the loud curses of Man Niao Niao and Ji Ye, interspersed with Hua'er’s intermittent barks. I was overjoyed and shouted with all my might, “Ji Ye... Niao Niao... We are here!” Though my voice was weak and hoarse, it carried quite far. Ji Ye and the others seemed to have heard my call. With a series of "plop, plop" sounds of water, Ji Ye, Man Niao Niao, and Hua'er also crawled onto the shallow beach, panting heavily.

Although the pebbles made their backs extremely uncomfortable, the four humans and one dog remained sprawled on the beach, seizing the moment to catch their breath, none willing to speak. Amidst their gasps, the crisp "tap-tap" of dripping water blended in, peaceful and distant.

I secretly wondered how the four humans and one dog had fallen from such a height and, despite being terrified out of their wits and exhausted to the extreme, hadn't sustained any injuries. Logically, when the “Mortar” collapsed, the falling debris should have been fast; why hadn’t it hit us? It seemed as if it hadn't even fallen at all?

Ji Ye spoke the truth in one sentence: “Damn it... Fortunately, the bottom of that pit was spindle-shaped... It blocked some of the falling mud, preventing us from being buried alive...”

As soon as he said that, I understood the mechanism. The hole blasted open by the stalactite was clearly much smaller than the mouth of the “Mortar.” When the mountain of mud collapsed, the opening couldn't accommodate it all at once, giving us a chance to escape. Furthermore, once we fell into the water, we were quickly swept away by the current, so we luckily escaped death.

All those hundreds of snakes acting as climbing ropes must be buried within that collapse! For some reason, I felt a deep sadness for those creatures I usually feared but which had saved me in an emergency. Thinking again, since those snakes could survive in such a complex and secluded environment, they must have their reasons and means for survival. Perhaps those snakes were the descendants of that giant python. The giant python certainly wouldn’t let them die, and must have ensured they emerged safely... Thinking this, I felt somewhat relieved!

But why did the giant python intervene to save me, who was on the verge of collapse, at the critical moment when Man Niao Niao was molesting me? Why did it put Man Niao Niao into the “Mortar”? How did Man Niao Niao manage to get the machete into the giant python's mouth? Why was the token stele that appeared in my dream inside the python’s belly? These questions, along with that “ghost pressing on the bed” dream, left me utterly confused and wandering!

“You don’t know...” Man Niao Niao, having caught his breath, spoke up. “...The moment I saw that python, I thought I was having a nightmare... Hoo... When it grabbed my collar, it was like I jolted awake from a dream. I instinctively grabbed the machete on the ground, but before I could even move, it dragged me and rammed me into those... those stone dolls, hitting me until I was dizzy and couldn't tell up from down. After the python smashed a path open, I suddenly heard a woman crying. I thought it was Ping'er at first, but when I realized it wasn't, I fainted from fright. When I woke up, I found that python had coiled me up in that big pit. The python seemed to hate me; it opened its massive maw to bite my head. Fury surged up from my core, and desperation took hold; I raised my hand and jammed the machete right into its mouth. Only then did my hundred-plus catties of prime flesh avoid being left inside that creature...”

So that was how it happened.

“...The rest you all know,” Man Niao Niao continued. “Ying Ying truly is my ‘anchor’; knowing that thing was its bane, it still dared to jump down to save me... Ying Ying, don't be so polite, you don't need to thank me... Later, when I was thrown into the water, that thing was so huge... Tsk tsk, it squeezed me so tightly I had to press against the pit wall, shoving my fingers into the mud inch by inch, climbing up... Fortunately, my lung capacity is huge; the King of Hell doesn't dare claim me...”

Man Niao Niao spoke vividly, completely forgetting his earlier predicament. I thought to myself, your lung capacity is indeed massive; you could blow down an ox without being charged with a crime—would the King of Hell dare to claim you? Wouldn't he fear you blowing his entire domain upside down?

While Man Niao Niao was still rambling on, boasting about his heroism, I recalled the time his big mouth made my lips feel numb and tingly, and how he gripped my precious furniture like it was a live grenade. Hearing him now ungratefully twisting the facts, I became intensely annoyed and shouted, “Shut up!”

“Hm?” Man Niao Niao asked in confusion from the darkness.

“...I’d rather believe in ghosts than look at your ugly mug,” I said fiercely, grinding my teeth in hatred.

Man Niao Niao roared in anger, “How has my ugly—mouth offended you? Why do you hate it to the bone? Did I bite you? Do you think your little mouth is a cherry mouth that makes me itch to give it a peck? Damn it... you are the one who is perverse... Don't the crow call its own feathers black? Your mouth stinks too...”

It seemed he had absolutely no memory of sexually harassing me. This gave me some measure of relief; this was my absolute private matter, and what’s past is past!

However, this “Soul Fiend” incident—if it truly was the so-called “Soul Fiend”—was too unexpected. It was almost tailor-made for the urgent needs of young people. Unexpected, utterly unexpected!!

I ignored Man Niao Niao and squeezed Qin Ping'er's hand, asking, “Ping'er, are you alright?”

Qin Ping'er squeezed back, then muttered after some struggling in the dark, “...I’m fine.” From her tone, she sounded shy. I was inwardly surprised; perhaps Qin Ping'er already knew how inappropriate her behavior had been? Was she remaining silent now out of shame for her lapse? —Forget it, this topic must not be brought up again.

“Ghost... ghost... ghost...” Man Niao Niao suddenly shrieked loudly.

I jumped in fright, and my temper flared again. I roared angrily, “What the hell is that noise? In such a vast space, do you need to artificially create an echo?”

Qin Ping'er chuckled, and Ji Ye curiously interjected, “What is ‘What the hell is that noise’?”

“Ghost... ghost... ghost... Ghost fire!” Man Niao Niao completely ignored me, his voice trembling as he called out even more fiercely.

Ghost fire? My own temper was the one blazing like an inferno!

Just as I was about to unleash a destructive tirade on Man Niao Niao, Qin Ping'er squeezed my hand hard and whispered, “...Ying Ying, look!”

Qin Ping'er seemed to be pointing in a certain direction, but unfortunately, I couldn't see her finger. I had to roll over, sit up, and scan all directions before I finally noticed something amiss—

Far in the darkness directly in front of me, patches of pale blue flames were gradually igniting, as if flowers on a tree were blooming randomly, or as if a master landscape painter was randomly dabbing and sketching on a black canvas. The flames grew from small to large, from weak to strong. Initially chaotic, as more clusters of fire lit up, the numerous flames actually connected to form intermittent, faint blue lines. The flames flickered uncertainly, making those pale blue lines appear highly dynamic...

“It really is the legendary ghost fire,” Ji Ye said in surprise. “But don’t be afraid, that thing is basically just white phosphorus burning. I often see it in grave mounds.” This was true; during high school chemistry class, the teacher specifically mentioned that the mysterious "ghost fire" was due to the higher phosphorus content in human bones. In damp, rainy weather, this converts into phosphine gas. Phosphine has a low ignition point, and when it burns, it manifests as these wavering blue flames.

The ghostly blue flames in the darkness opposite grew more numerous, and the connected lines became finer and more complete, resembling an invisible, silent brush painting an elegantly colored ink wash.

The outline of that “ink wash painting” became clearer and clearer: there were stone mountains soaring into the clouds, and low, barren earthen mounds; there were towering trees blocking the sun and sky, and solitary, withered branches and weeds; there were bottomless ravines and gullies, as well as flat fields of mud... The four humans and one dog waited silently, watching the painter in the darkness complete this anticipated, shocking “ink wash painting.”

The more I looked, the more shocked I became—how could the scenery in this unfinished “ink wash painting” look so familiar?

When the last blue flame ignited, the “ink wash painting” seemed to undulate slightly as if swimming in water, and the place depicted in the painting made Ji Ye, Man Niao Niao, and me cry out in unison: “Xiama Kou?”

That’s right. The “ink wash painting,” which was particularly bright and dazzling in the darkness, depicted the village of Xiama Kou, which was incomparably familiar and dear to me. The center of the painting showed Tianjiao Mountain, and clearly visible halfway up Tianjiao Mountain was Anle Cave. The solitary pine tree atop Tianjiao Mountain was also rendered with vivid accuracy. In front of Tianjiao Mountain was the ravine we called “Macaokou,” and above “Macaokou,” seven small hills lined up in a straight row were also almost identical to the real landscape; they stood out conspicuously in the “painting” at this moment.

The only difference between the painting and the real Xiama Kou village was the absence of the scattered stilt houses in the reality; the painting contained more towering trees that had long since disappeared.

“Ying Ying, look, there seem to be words on both sides...” Qin Ping’er squeezed my hand again and whispered close to my ear.

My attention had been entirely fixed on that astonishing “ink wash painting,” my mind racing over why such a bizarre painting had appeared and why the depicted location was Xiama Kou village. I hadn't noticed the text on the sides of the “painting.” Prompted by Qin Ping'er, I looked closer and indeed found what appeared to be several vertical lines of strange, contorted characters on both sides of the “painting.”

I widened my eyes and muttered to myself, “Heaven... Broken... Earth... Lacking...?” These were the characters on the left side of the “painting.” I looked at the fierce, claw-like characters on the right side: “Seven... Stars... Aligning... Pearls...?”