The only ones who entered the depths of the cave besides me and irley Yang were the militia platoon leader and two militiamen he commanded. When the chain plunging vertically into the pool suddenly shuddered, we all instinctively stepped back several paces.

There was no wind in the cave, no ripple on the water’s surface. How could such a heavy chain shake without cause? Was the thing suspended beneath the pool by the colossal chain alive? What kind of creature would require such a thick chain for restraint?

I glanced at irley Yang; her face mirrored my confusion, and she shook her head at me. I’ve encountered countless strange fortunes in my life and seen many bizarre things, but facing this subterranean pool and these massive iron chains, I was utterly at a loss. However, given that Professor Sun’s whereabouts were at stake, the only option was to risk pulling the chain up to see what lay beneath.

At this point, the militiamen began to grow tense. The San Tai region has always been known for its fierce local customs. These militiamen, mostly drawn from local farmers, might not flinch when facing enemies armed with rifles, but the deep-seated superstition ingrained over millennia was another matter. Furthermore, before descending into the shaft, the villagers had been buzzing with all sorts of fearful rumors. Now that we were experiencing something so uncanny firsthand, these militiamen were naturally starting to see spirits everywhere.

The militia platoon leader addressed me, “Chief Qian... no... Chief Hu, sir, is that pool not holding some kind of monster? We mustn't disturb it, or our village will suffer for it.” The other two militiamen chimed in, “That’s right, that’s right. It’s probably sealing some Yellow River jingguai (sprite/monster). We shouldn’t make any rash moves, lest we invite disaster.”

While listening to the militiamen, my eyes never stopped scanning the surroundings. I needed to find some convincing reason to sway them; if they all bolted in fear, what good would it do for just irley Yang and me?

I surveyed the area. Shibeidian Village sits in a small basin, not far from the Yellow River. I have never misread a feng shui configuration in my life; there would absolutely be no noble tombs here. While the environment is excellent—even bordering on a celestial dwelling—the high water table made it impossible for anyone foolish enough to build a tomb here.

That wide passage and the stone house at its end didn't resemble a tomb chamber either. I am intimately familiar with ancient tombs, but not much else in the way of ancient architecture. Still, the stone bed inside the stone house was peculiar. Stone beds in ancient tombs come in two types: one for placing the main occupant’s coffin, called the mutu, and another for displaying funerary objects, called the shentai—the one in the stone house looked more like a shentai for holding items.

This small cave, opening onto the pool, was the end of the line; there were no more side passages or secret tunnels. Professor Sun and the other archaeology team member must have entered this cave, yet there was no sign of them here. Could they have met with misfortune and fallen into the pool?

The entire cave showed clear signs of manual excavation and expansion, though its scale wasn’t immense. Several thick iron chains passed through the ceiling, connecting to a winch in the corner—clearly indicating the mechanism was designed for raising and lowering. It seemed the chain in the pool could indeed be retrieved. I reached out and touched the chain; it was iron, certainly, but the exterior was coated in a dull, rust-preventative paint, giving it a lifeless, dark sheen.

I looked again at the chain submerged in the pool, still trembling slightly. This movement couldn't be caused by an underwater current; there had to be something alive down there. Could the thing tethered by the chain be some kind of giant yu or an ancient dragon? I absolutely could not tell the militiamen such a possibility. Suddenly, I recalled the fortune teller's words. The old man had spoken offhandedly, but his words had a strange efficacy on these villagers. I might as well mimic him, using superstition to counter superstition. The immediate priority was to drag whatever was in that pool up and find Professor Sun as quickly as possible.

So, I adopted an expression of firm resolve and announced to the militiamen, “Comrades, this is the moment when the Motherland and the people test us. Heads may be severed, blood may flow, but the fearless revolutionary spirit must never be lost! Let’s work together and haul this chain out of the pool…”

The platoon leader cut me off before I could finish, interrupting urgently, “Chief Hu, my esteemed Chief Hu, we mustn't pull it! Absolutely not! This chain binds an old monster from the Yellow River; such a monumental matter cannot be trifled with.”

Truthfully, I had no certainty myself, but outwardly, I had to maintain an air of calm composure, projecting the authority of a chief. I addressed the platoon leader, “Platoon Leader Comrade, have you forgotten what that famous fortune teller said? Your village’s blind seer is the reincarnation of Jiang Taigong, Liu Bowen, and Zhuge Liang, knowing eight thousand years past and five hundred years hence. He said this was a Cave of Immortals, and I believe he was mostly right. I’ve seen descriptions like this while researching ancient records. What’s submerged in this pool must be the censer Laozi used for refining elixirs, containing miraculous pills that grant eternal life and ward off all sickness. We are the first to discover these immortal elixirs, and according to international custom, we should... we should…”

I vaguely remembered that international precedent granted certain rights to the first discoverer, but I couldn't recall the specifics and quickly asked irley Yang, “What is the international custom again?”

irley Yang supplied the answer for me, “According to international custom, the first discoverer has the right to name it.”

Hearing that I’d only get naming rights wasn't enough. I continued, addressing the militiamen, “Comrades, do you understand naming rights?” I pointed to one of the militiamen. “For instance, if your name is Li Dazhuang, then as long as you agree, the immortal elixir we discover can be called Dazhuang Elixir. Once our nation’s researchers mass-produce this elixir to benefit the people, we will have made a great contribution to the Party and the people! Moreover, the most important thing is first come, first served. The five of us are the first discoverers; each of us gets to try a few pills first. I am making the executive decision on this.”

The three militiamen were utterly bewildered by my rhetoric. They glanced at each other. Firstly, they completely believed the blind man’s words when they were above ground. Secondly, they were susceptible to the vanity of achieving great deeds. Thirdly, who wouldn't want a handful of elixirs granting eternal life? However, one lingering concern remained: if the chain was tethering Laozi’s elixir furnace, why was the chain shaking intermittently?

I inwardly sensed trouble. The longer we delayed, the more complicated things would become. If I let these militiamen continue guessing wildly, my lie would unravel. “Why is this chain moving? Ah, yes, it moves because... because the immortal qi within the elixirs is circulating! You think these elixirs that bestow eternal life and cure all ills look like those black, stinking traditional Chinese medicine pills? Every single one of these elixirs possesses a spiritual quality; they are not mundane earthly objects.”

The militiamen nodded repeatedly after hearing my explanation, finding the logic sound. It seemed the thing tethered by the chain wasn't some Yellow River sprite but must be Laozi’s elixir furnace. They quickly rolled up their sleeves, preparing to act.

The platoon leader suddenly seemed to remember something and walked over to me, whispering a few words into my ear. After listening, I smiled and told him, “Platoon Leader Comrade, rest assured. There is no ailment that immortal elixirs and divine medicines cannot cure; your little issue is nothing. These elixirs are specifically for treating impotence, inability to maintain erection, insufficient duration, premature ejaculation, lack of volume, and lack of richness…”

The other two militiamen nearby burst into laughter, causing the platoon leader to blush slightly. He loudly scolded them, “Why are you fools laughing? Get to work!”

irley Yang felt things were becoming precarious and whispered to me, “Old Hu, I really think what’s chained in that pool is something alive. Isn't it too reckless to just haul it up, just like that...?”

As the militiamen moved to prepare to turn the winch, I said to her, “Can’t you trust me? Don’t worry. Like you, I only have one life; I wouldn't joke about our safety. I’ve studied feng shui configurations my whole life and never been wrong. Looking at the feng shui here, I can guarantee with my head on the line that there are no ancient tombs, so there’s no need to worry about zongzi (reanimated corpses). Moreover, the natural environment here is exceptionally favorable; it's not some deep, remote forest, so I doubt there are any fierce, unusual beasts. Even if there were, they are chained up, and we have rifles for defense. What if Professor Sun is down there? If we delay action, aren’t we jeopardizing his life? Of course, acting now might be three seasons too late; we'll just have to leave it to fate.”

irley Yang replied, “It’s not that I don’t trust you, but you’ve never done anything that actually reassures me. Why couldn’t you just tell those villagers something believable, instead of raving about elixirs of eternal life? I think you’re even less reliable than that fortune-telling blind man. What are you going to tell them if we pull up no elixirs later?”

I told her, “I don’t have the blind man’s tricks; that old man can divine the future, spewing nonsense constantly. I have no other choice right now. If I don't say this, those militiamen won’t exert their full strength. I reckon this winch requires at least three people to turn it; the two of us can’t manage it. Later, if there really are no elixirs, you have to help me smooth things over; don't let me face the music alone.”

The platoon leader finished his preparations and motioned to me from the side. irley Yang and I ceased our discussion, stuck our torches near the pool’s edge, each gripping our rifles, drawing back the bolts, and I waved my hand at the platoon leader: “Start!”

The platoon leader, along with the other two militiamen, began turning the winch, winding the iron chain onto the winding drum just like drawing water from a well. Unexpectedly, the mechanical design between the winch and the chain was extremely ingenious; it didn't require three people at all. A single person exerting about eighty percent of their strength could slowly reel the chain onto the drum.

As the chain rose out of the pool, irley Yang and I, along with the others, were sweating nervously. Whether the thing at the bottom was alive or something else was about to be revealed, and our tension rose slowly along with the heavy chain.

After winding up over ten meters of chain, the water in the pool parted, and a dark object emerged from the water.

The platoon leader cried out, “My ancestors! Chief Hu was right! It really is the furnace Laozi used for smelting elixirs!”