Now that the environment posed no immediate danger, a weight lifted from my heart. This passage, resembling a length of pig intestine, seemed a path leading directly outside; at least the air here was fresher than when we were in the water. Yet, the darkness ahead and behind remained absolute, concealing whatever lay within. What troubled me most was that after fumbling in the dark for so long, we were completely disoriented, unable to tell north from south. Should we press on or retreat? If we went back, we would certainly return to the iron chain. But we couldn't see clearly near the chain when we passed it; who was to say the path we came from wasn't the one leading to the exit?

I stumbled around the open space like a headless fly, oblivious to the sparks from the fir-bark torch falling onto my shoulder. Luckily, Tan Ping'er spotted it quickly, and since my clothes were already soaked through, I narrowly avoided catching fire. Tan Ping'er looked at me, puzzled. "What are you doing? You look like you've lost your soul..." I managed a wry smile and, avoiding the question, replied, "How about we take a gamble?"

"Huh?" Tan Ping'er clearly didn't grasp my meaning.

"Look, we're safe for now, but our ultimate goal is still to get out. The dilemma I face is whether to go forward or turn back. Since it's pitch black in both directions, offering no light whatsoever, I can’t judge. That's why I suggested a gamble..."

Tan Ping'er finally understood. "Then... which way do you plan to go?"

I didn't answer, instead raising the torch and gesturing in the direction opposite to our arrival. Tan Ping'er smiled sweetly. "No matter which way you choose, I'll be with you, be it life or death..."

Her smile sent a tremor through my heart. "Is this what they call 'sharing life and death together,' 'lips and teeth dependent on each other'?"

Tan Ping'er’s smile tightened. "Of course, I wish that were so, but the world is unpredictable. There are too many things that disrupt the flow of destiny; how can I guarantee I'll be with you forever?"

I froze. Her response was unexpected, feeling rather tangential to my own concerns. Why was Tan Ping'er suddenly so melancholic? Was this just an offhand remark, or a bad omen? My mouth opened, but the words caught in my throat; they seemed too difficult to voice. I could only sigh. "You're right. For now, let's focus on how to get out. Otherwise, it would be terrible if Man Niao Niao and Ji Ye were driven to jump off a building from excessive grief!"

Tan Ping'er hummed in agreement and took my arm smoothly. "Let's go!"

Although the cavernous hall was no longer as damp and cold, we didn't feel the heat as we stumbled forward. Clearly, the cave temperature remained quite low. Instinctively, we continued to walk, tracing the stone wall as before; this offered only a small measure of psychological comfort.

And then another problem arose. Yesterday, I’d spent the whole day drinking with that ill-fated fellow, Man Niao Niao, and eaten very little. After all this exertion, my stomach was churning so violently it felt like a swing set. If not for my two hundred and six bones holding things together, I would have withered away to nothing.

Tan Ping'er looked equally worn out; fatigue and hunger were inevitable. As for Hua'er, she was remarkably spirited and robust. Though she stopped bounding and running, she walked steadily, her stamina for enduring hunger clearly far surpassing ours.

After pushing on for a while longer, I noticed Tan Ping'er’s labored breathing growing heavier, while my own traitorous stomach rumbled a rhythmic accompaniment. I finally said to her, "Let's look around for some water, shall we? A drink to catch our breath first."

Tan Ping'er nodded her assent. "Mm!"

The idiom 'what one wishes for comes true' must have a basis in reality, for we were immediately lucky enough to encounter it. As soon as I mentioned needing water, a soft white light reflected back from not far ahead. The light shimmered vaguely. I cautiously quickened my steps and saw that the source of the light was a small pool shaped exactly like a shoe sole. The water in the pool wasn't deep, but it was astonishingly clear; the sand and stones at the bottom were perfectly visible under the torchlight.

I almost couldn't believe my eyes. Could this really be happening? Was I seeing a mirage? I quickly slapped myself—Damn it, my brain must be malfunctioning. In a place shunned by both men and ghosts, where would a mirage appear?

I crouched down and reached in to stir the pool's water. It felt wonderfully cool. I brought my hand to my nose; there was no foul odor. I dared a quick lick—it had a surprisingly sweet taste. I instructed Tan Ping'er to stay put, had her drink her fill first, then waited anxiously. After confirming her stomach didn't immediately revolt, I urged her to drink quickly.

Before Tan Ping'er could even crouch down to drink, there was a dull plop from the pool, splashing water that made her cry out. The sudden event startled Hua'er so much she twisted around and retreated several steps. My mind went numb. I yanked Tan Ping'er away and thrust the torch close to the water's surface, peering in. I saw a pale, luminous object flash quickly in the water before vanishing among the stones at the bottom.

"Hua'er, go down and look!" I roared, my body rigid, eyes fixed on the water, commanding Hua'er.

A sharp glint erupted in Hua'er’s eyes. With a powerful thrust of its legs, it plunged into the pool with a whoosh, churning the water wildly—By the beard of my grandfather! Countless white fish exploded from the depths! These white fish looked much like ordinary fish, but upon closer inspection, they were translucent, allowing one to almost see their internal organs.

I relaxed. Since they were just fish, and not large ones, there was nothing to fear. They were clearly not the same species as the piranhas I knew, so I could rest easy. Besides, even if they were piranhas, what of it? We were on the bank, they were in the water—did I really expect them to leap up and bite us?

What happened next was this: Hua'er's agitation stirred up several of the foot-and-a-half-long, semi-transparent white fish and, fortunately, caught one, tossing it onto the bank. The fish thrashed helplessly on the ground like any ordinary fish, only its mouth and gills showing signs of life. My hunger was overwhelming. I actually smelled a fragrance reminiscent of boiled fish stew wafting from the live creature. I didn't hesitate, snatched the white fish, opened my mouth, and began to chew.

Tan Ping'er’s expression was strange; she leaned back. "Ew~! You dare eat that?"

I mumbled around a mouthful, "What's there not to dare eat?"

"Didn't you say it? All living things in the cave possess spirituality, protected by the Cave God. Eating them offends the God and brings undeserved disaster."

"Did I say that?... I don't care if it's the Cave God or a pit god. My priority right now is to soothe my stomach. I refuse to die of starvation."

To be honest, although the white fish looked beautiful, it tasted quite bad, which was likely due to me eating it raw. As I ate, I mused that raw fish sashimi couldn't be much better than this. Why did some people consider it supreme delicacy? I truly couldn't fathom the minds of those esteemed gourmands!

Although Tan Ping'er was mixed-race, she absolutely refused to eat the raw fish no matter how much I persuaded her. Left with no choice, I ordered Hua'er to fetch another raw fish, which I skewered and roasted over the torch until it was barely cooked, then handed it to her. Tan Ping'er hesitated for a long time, grimacing as she tore at it. Hua'er was even wilder and more brutal than I; it was already devouring a fish in the pool, chewing it into a bloody mess, quickly muddying the surface of the water.

With the water ruined, I pulled Tan Ping'er around the pool, intending to find the source of the water so she could have something clean to drink. This search led to an unexpected discovery.

The water in the pool indeed flowed down from the rock wall. As I told Tan Ping'er to crouch by the wall to drink, I casually swept the torch across the surface and spotted numerous lines clearly carved by human hands on the rock face. Curiosity piqued, I lit several more pieces of fir bark and bundled them into a larger torch, then stepped back to examine those lines on the wall closely.

At first, I assumed the lines were just idle scratches made by previous visitors. However, upon closer inspection, I noticed the lines near the torch formed a distinct pattern—the intricate roots of a massive tree. Judging by the scale and grandeur, this was no ordinary root system.

The tree roots I saw were only part of the carving. Beneath the roots were countless wavy lines, clearly depicting a river.

Seeing the roots and the river pattern, I was stunned. Could the Sacred Shuo Luo Tree we had been searching for be nearby? I dared not believe the conjecture. I jumped up a few times, holding the torch aloft, and in the line of sight above the roots, I indeed saw a large, vividly rendered tree, rich with foliage.

I tossed aside caution, lit piece after piece of fir bark, then retreated further before throwing them at the wall. Each torch struck the rock face, fell, and extinguished with a muffled thud. In the brief flashes between light and dark, I confirmed the existence of the carved tree, and in those fleeting moments, I also glimpsed a scene of ancient human life.

This scene was startlingly similar to the depiction of the Sacred Shuo Luo Tree in the silk manuscript!

Seeing my frantic actions, Tan Ping'er knew something was amiss. Without my prompting, she hopped over to the base of the wall and gathered the smoldering, partially burned fir bark, handing it back to me. I worked without pause, lighting torch after torch, long or short, and throwing them at the wall again and again. This time, I stood farther back, allowing me to throw higher. After several rounds, I finally managed to imprint the entire mural firmly in my memory.

I didn't know who created this mural, but clearly, they intended to leave a message for posterity, hence carving it so large (nearly twenty square meters) and so intricately. Moreover, the artistic skill was clearly excellent; the composition was exquisitely vivid—a masterpiece.

Of course, don't assume Tan Ping'er and I were gaping merely at the artistry of the mural. In truth, our minds were entirely elsewhere at that moment. The inexpressible shock that gripped us stemmed from one realization... we might be on the verge of solving an ancient mystery! A mystery that had baffled the world for millennia without a definitive answer!!