I had always assumed my grandfather's many incomprehensible actions stemmed from a deep connection with the Lingyu Temple, but it now appears he stands firmly opposed to them.

Yet, what connection could this spire-topped structure before me possibly have with the Lingyu Temple?

I couldn't help but recall the account in the Wei Wang Bo Shu detailing how the Wei King subdued the Giant Serpent in Lop Nur. Could that event be linked to these ruins deep within the earth pit?

As my mind raced with these chaotic thoughts, my grandfather seemed to snap, barking at Da Xiong beside him, "Blow that door! Reduce everything inside to shrapnel!"

Da Xiong froze for a moment before forcing a grin, placating my grandfather cautiously. "Old Man, that might not be wise. We risk destroying what's inside. How about this: let me go in and scout first."

My grandfather’s agitation was evident. He pulled a bottle of mineral water from his backpack, chugging half of it down before stating flatly, "No. What's inside isn't some common Zongzi you can handle."

But by then, Da Xiong had already slung a double-barreled shotgun across his back, grabbed a heavy steel sledgehammer, and positioned it on his shoulder before approaching the edge of the pit. He turned back to my grandfather, grinning. "With these two toys, Old Man, you can rest easy!"

Seeing the massive hammer in Da Xiong’s hand conjured an intensely familiar image. Yes, this was his signature loadout; this version of Da Xiong was practically invincible. He’d displayed the same fearless swagger before entering the caves in Black Bamboo Gorge.

Da Xiong’s personality was certainly impulsive and straightforward, but why would someone like that deceive me? I simply couldn't fathom it.

Unable to stop Da Xiong, my grandfather said no more, merely exchanging a meaningful glance with the two tall men flanking him, signaling them to follow.

Watching Da Xiong crouch and slip into the hole from a distance, I couldn't help but feel a knot of anxiety tighten in my stomach for him.

However, this time felt different from our last venture into the Wei King's ruins in Black Bamboo Gorge. I heard Da Xiong fire two shots—peng-peng—from behind the stone door, followed by a distinct clack. Then, with a slow, grinding rumble, the massive stone door began to ease inward, clearly triggered by Da Xiong.

When the opening was just wide enough for one person to pass, the mechanism suddenly jammed with a click-clack of chains, freezing the door solid.

Da Xiong squeezed out through the gap, his entire body covered in a dull, ash-gray dust, making him resemble a corpulent version of the White Impermanence deity.

Upon closer inspection, I realized he was simply coated in dirt, likely shaken loose by the door, which hadn't moved in ages, as it opened. Da Xiong, caught unaware, had taken the full brunt of the falling debris.

He spat twice after emerging, rubbed his buzz-cut hair, slapped the dust off his clothes and trouser legs, and grumbled gruffly, "Damn it all, I hadn't even gotten a clear look at the thing before firing those shots, and it bolted!"

The others, seeing Da Xiong’s disheveled state, rushed to offer him bottles of water for washing, but Da Xiong refused, saying with a strange, almost manic energy, "Hey, stay back! Do you know what this is? This is aged earth-dust. I deliberately smeared it all over myself! You know why? With this dust, even a thousand-year-old Zongzi won’t sniff out my human scent."

I almost burst out laughing. The boy was the same everywhere—stubbornly denying his own clumsiness, spinning all sorts of ridiculous justifications.

Seeing my impending laughter, he nervously tugged at my sleeve and pointed upward.

I glanced sideways above us, and immediately silenced myself.

Because my grandfather and the others hadn't dug the access hole precisely in the center beneath the door, they could enter directly once it opened. Thus, three or five of them switched on their flashlights and torches, drew their various long and short tools, and filed single-file inside.

I noted that these men were fearless; with half a comrade’s corpse still draped over the edge of the pit, they marched into the tiger's den without a single complaint.

Although most of the group had entered the massive stone gateway, my grandfather had clearly left a contingency plan, keeping five men outside.

These five first retrieved a barrel of gasoline from the tent, burning the half-corpse in the pit before burying the ashes on the spot.

They then turned off the large floodlights and most of the tent illumination, leaving only a single tent lit dimly, around which the five men positioned themselves, standing guard with taut concentration. I presumed they were positioned there as external support for my grandfather’s team.

As my grandfather’s group vanished through the stone door, our concerns shifted abruptly to overhead.

With the surrounding lights extinguished, the earth pit plunged back into profound darkness, amplifying the eerie atmosphere. We had no idea what the entity above us was doing, allowing our minds to conjure every possibility.

For instance, that creature leaped effortlessly into the trees. If it had to climb slowly back down, we would be in serious trouble.

So, I shifted my body toward the outer edge of the branch, reasoning that if the thing slid down the trunk, I would gain a little distance from it.

Before I could move further, there was a sudden huala in the treetop, followed by a poof, as something shot out of the canopy, sailing straight over two surrounding walls before landing near the tent in the central clearing. Bizarrely, this long-distance launch produced absolutely no sound.

The dark silhouette landed in the unlit area beyond the reach of the lamps. After about ten seconds, the shape finally stirred.

Then, a strange, ringing chime echoed through the silent cavern.

The sound was strangely familiar. After listening for a moment, I instantly recognized it: it was the same ringing sound that followed the detonation after we were surrounded by those monster-laden creatures from the algae-covered trees on the cliff face of the earth pit.

I wondered if the disappearance of those monsters was related to this chime.

And I recognized the sound with more familiarity and surprise than alarm, but the few men guarding the tent reacted differently. The moment they heard the flute-like call, they went limp silently, collapsing onto the ground one after another.

Watching them fall, the dark shadow moved without hesitation, swaggering directly toward the stone door before disappearing inside.

Both * and I watched the entire scene unfold, finding it incredible.

However, if we didn't pursue them immediately, we risked losing vital clues. I turned toward the tree trunk, intending to climb down.

grabbed my arm from behind, whispering urgently, "Wait! The rest of that thing’s subordinates are still down there!"

Only then did I remember that the previous creature had brought over a dozen underlings, who were still hiding among the jumble of rocks beneath the tree.

I asked anxiously, "What do we do? We can't stay up in this tree forever!"

patted my shoulder. "Don't panic. Let me go down first and check."

I nodded, trusting his superior skills, and told him, "Be careful."

ignored me, retrieved a length of rope from his backpack, tied one end to a branch and the other around his waist, and then leaped down.

The rope’s length was calculated with extreme precision. * descended silently, stopping his fall just half a meter from the ground, the only sound the faint rustle of the disturbed branch.

carefully shifted his posture until his feet could touch the earth, then gently untied the rope from his waist and crept forward a few steps, bent low.

The distant tent light was too dim; I could only track the slow movement of the luminous marker near his belt flashlight switch.

He moved stealthily until he reached a pile of rubble, then sprang in one silent bound behind a massive boulder.

I assumed he had dispatched an enemy without being detected, but then an astonished "Eh?" drifted over from *'s position.

Hearing that he could speak, I stopped staying silent, carefully asking, "What is it?"

cursed under his breath where he stood. "I swear, nothing has gone right since we entered this damned pit. Come look at this!"

Curiosity overriding caution, I slowly climbed down the trunk, switched on my flashlight, and quickly joined *'s location.

By the time I arrived, * was also shining his light onto an object lying on the ground.

I leaned in for a closer look and immediately gasped in cold shock.

Lying on the dirt was a crude straw effigy, bound together entirely from branches!