I surveyed the surroundings with my flashlight, whispering to Da Xiong, "I have a feeling there's more than just us here."

Da Xiong's forehead immediately began to sweat, and he whispered back, "What makes you say that?"

I paused for a moment, then told him, "Intuition."

Da Xiong let out a sigh of relief and said, "Stop guessing. Maybe I saw wrong. This place has been locked up for so many years, how could anyone else be here?"

I gave an noncommittal reply, shining the light around again. After confirming nothing seemed amiss, I asked Da Xiong, "So, what exactly is recorded on that tape recorder?"

Da Xiong made an "oh" sound and replied, "Oh, it's like this. It’s the Russian man’s own testimony. He was a researcher sent to study the subterranean flora of the salt lake. Their research team drilled a deep hole on the surface and extracted a massive quantity of plant samples. They discovered these samples were highly unusual. Firstly, these were plants they had never seen before. Secondly, these plants actually possessed certain animal characteristics, some even exhibiting very complex behaviors."

"Prolonged contact with these plants began to affect the people, causing them to become erratic. It started with irritability and insomnia, but eventually led to confusion and making actions they couldn't control, like harming each other. Finally, one day, a bloody massacre occurred in the lab. This deceased fellow and another Chinese scientist, Wang Yang, retained enough clarity to escape in the chaos. But before they could get out, they encountered an unprecedented sandstorm. Wang Yang vanished in the dust storm after exiting. The Russian man struggled his way back here. He knew his death was certain, so he stopped trying to escape, locked the door behind him, and waited to die here, recording this message in the hope that when the government found them, they could locate the buried site through the sound."

After listening, I nodded and said, "That Wang Yang mentioned here must be the owner of the bronze plaque you found. He was in the same organization as Wei Wang. As a scientist, he assisted the Russian in investigating this place. His objective might not have been entirely pure."

Da Xiong also nodded and asked, "Then how did this person die? And how was he locked in here after his death?"

My head felt a bit muddled. After thinking for a moment, I suddenly realized something was amiss and said to Da Xiong, "This person held the tape recorder before he died, specifically so the government would know what happened here. That’s correct. But he was ultimately murdered. The person who killed him, since they didn't want any living witnesses, why would they hear the tape recorder playing and yet not destroy the recorder along with everything else?"

Da Xiong looked at me with extreme surprise, clearly finding it unbelievable as well.

Due to the lingering doubt in our minds, neither of us spoke, and the surroundings fell into deep silence.

Just then, Da Xiong and I simultaneously heard a faint clank, like something striking the iron door.

I flinched and whispered, "Something's coming!"

Da Xiong’s eyes widened, and he hissed softly, "Shhh," without another word. He turned off the light on his phone and signaled me to do the same, plunging the area into total darkness.

As he switched off his phone, Da Xiong stripped the outer garment off the skeleton and draped it over me. Then, Da Xiong lifted the skeleton and helped me sit astride it, instructing me to hold the tape recorder. After that, Da Xiong crouched in a corner, holding onto the skeleton, and whispered, "Don't move."

Only when he had moved further away did I realize: this bastard was using me as bait!

But no matter how much I regretted it, the surroundings were completely black now. This house, built decades ago and having slept beneath the desert sands for so long, with a dead man residing here—I couldn't imagine what had transpired within these walls when no one was around. Thinking back to the possible fratricide that might have occurred here decades ago made my blood run even colder. I silently chanted Amitabha.

After about ten minutes, the surroundings settled into absolute quietude, broken only by the faint sound of my own forced, suppressed breathing. The Soviet greatcoat I wore didn't smell pleasant. Although the climate here was dry, preventing mold or bugs, the scent of decaying cotton was still foul. Since this garment had been worn by a dead person, perhaps due to psychological effect, I felt a persistent itch where the rough fabric touched my arms.

Just as I was about to roll up the sleeve, an abnormal sound suddenly emanated from beside me. The instant I heard it, I froze, my neck stiffening, daring not to move, and cold sweat immediately broke out on my palms.

Because what I heard was the very same mumbling whisper from the tape recorder—yet the recorder in my hand wasn't plugged in; I was standing right on the plug beneath my feet!

It’s over, I thought. This is the live version…

Before I could ponder further, I felt something enter from the doorway. The sound of shuffling footsteps reached my ears. This thing moved quickly, swiftly arriving not far in front of me.

Cold sweat beaded on my forehead and trickled down my neck; I felt the collar of my shirt was soaked. Mentally, I cursed, My God, there really is something here. I should have let Da Xiong play dead. I deserve a slap.

As I was thinking this, the tape recorder in my hand suddenly shifted slightly, tugged as if someone was trying to take it. Simultaneously, I felt a pair of eyes fixed upon me, uncomfortably close to my nose. It was a strange sensation; even in absolute darkness, I could sense that if I moved even slightly, I would be kissing this person.

The person tugged the recorder once, and when I refused to let go, they pulled again, with more force than before. I was terribly conflicted internally. If they took the recorder, they might escape immediately, but I certainly didn't have the courage to hold onto them!

In the midst of my struggle, Da Xiong suddenly called out from the corner, "Xiao Chuan, how is it?"

Although his voice was low, the person in front of me clearly heard it and immediately loosened their grip, preparing to bolt. In a surge of panic, I let go of all caution, grabbed their hand, and shouted in a voice like a rusty gong, "Got him! Quickly!"

The person startled, letting out a muffled "Wu," which sounded distinctly female.

In the darkness, I heard Da Xiong’s heavy footsteps charging out of the corner, and then the light from his phone flared on. In a hazy moment, I thought I saw a familiar face, but before I could focus, Da Xiong had pounced, slamming the person onto the ground.

The woman grunted and immediately cried out, "Let go of me, you fat slob!"

Da Xiong made a sound of surprise and said, "Holy crap, it’s a dame!" He then used his phone to illuminate her face, and I gasped in shock—it was Liang Qian!

Five minutes later, the three of us sat in a row on separate chairs. Liang Qian switched on a mining lamp, rubbing her shoulder, which was sore from Da Xiong’s grip, and looked at me. Da Xiong, who had harbored hostility toward Liang Qian since the Black Bamboo Valley incident, wore a look of gritted teeth.

Frankly, meeting Liang Qian again in this manner was quite unexpected. After escaping the depths of the Black Bamboo Valley, I had often wondered about the beautiful woman’s whereabouts. Although I assumed her abilities meant she was likely safe, I couldn't be certain. During the Black Bamboo Valley incident, she had played a mysterious role. I didn't know her true identity or purpose, but because she had saved my life multiple times, I felt a profound sense of gratitude toward her. Seeing her alive before me now somehow calmed my heart.

But then my brow furrowed again, because this woman had reappeared so mysteriously, suggesting the situation was about to become infinitely more complicated. Seeing the expressions on our faces, Liang Qian suddenly smiled, pushed back a strand of hair from her ear, and said, "Alright, you can ask me three questions. I will tell you the truth, but only three."

I was astonished that I had such an opportunity, but immediately became conflicted again because I had so many questions for her. After some thought, I decided I couldn't be too greedy. Recalling that she had previously mentioned my grandfather wasn't human—that he was a demon who escaped from the Ghost Eye—I asked her, "Can you tell me about my grandfather? And what exactly are those two pieces of yellow paper you obtained? Why did you say my grandfather was also searching for the same thing?"