BPIFC -Volume 1 – Chapter 34 Beneath the Cave

According to Xiong Wanyi’s plan, besides himself and Ximen Lian, two soldiers from the Wu Jing unit would also go down to assist, helping carry injured people back up if necessary. Feng Haiyang, who had previous experience descending into the cave, would accompany them as a guide. As for Sun Desheng and his little companion, they would remain above ground to coordinate support. Once the other investigators from the Second Division arrived, they could direct them to come down and assist.

“Come on, brother, I’ve already stepped down from leadership. What old rules are you talking about?” Fatty Sun chuckled, immediately disrupting Xiong’s arrangements.

Looking at Ximen Lian and Xiong Wanyi, he continued:

“All four of us are going down. Not that I’m bragging, but I’ve been sitting behind a desk for years. These old arms and legs need some exercise. Otherwise they’ll rust.”

Xiong Wanyi glared at him.

“Give me a break. If you’re not plotting something, I’ll cut off my own head and let you use it as a soccer ball. Remember that directive from headquarters a couple of years ago? All the gray-haired veterans in the Bureau went to Inner Mongolia except Director Wu. We were dealing with a nest of weasels. Every investigator in the Bureau was there watching. Such a great opportunity to show off, and you didn’t dare go down. In the end, even that useless Yang Shuji got the spotlight.”

Sun Desheng grinned.

“Back then I was still Bureau Chief. I had to oversee the whole operation. Now I’m just one of your investigators. Of course I should be charging into danger. Besides, me not going down in Inner Mongolia and me insisting on going down now are both equally correct decisions.”

Xiong was about to argue further when Ximen Lian noticed that the company commander behind them looked as though he was about to cry from anxiety.

He immediately kicked Xiong lightly from behind.

“At a time like this, you still have the mood to bicker with him? Saving people comes first. Old Xiong, you’re going down first.”

Xiong Wanyi still listened to Ximen Lian.

Seeing the commander’s worried expression, he voluntarily fastened a safety rope around himself. A support frame had already been erected above the cave entrance, complete with three pulleys.

After quietly exchanging a few words with Ximen Lian, Xiong signaled the Wu Jing soldiers to lower him slowly into the cave.

Every ten meters or so, he inserted a specially-made cold-light lamp into the cave wall.

After placing roughly ten lamps, he safely reached the bottom.

Then his voice echoed upward:

“All right! Big Official, send Sun the Great Sage down next. You’ll come last. And tie an extra rope to him so he doesn’t fall to his death.”

Unable to hold back any longer, the company commander rushed to the edge of the shaft and shouted down:

“Leader! Have you seen my men? If you find them, give first aid immediately! I’ll come down to help right away!”

Xiong’s voice floated back up:

“This place is huge. I can’t even see a ghost, let alone your soldiers. Since they’re not here, they’ve probably moved deeper inside. That’s actually good news. At least their chances of survival are higher.”

While Xiong and the commander were talking, Sun Desheng began preparing to descend second.

He had Ximen Lian secure the rope around him.

At that moment, Che Qianzi suddenly stepped forward.

“Hey, you there. I’ll go second. Aren’t you afraid Sun Desheng and Xiong Wanyi will start fighting if you send him down? If I go first, I can help break up the fight.”

“Break up a fight?” Ximen Lian glanced at the young Taoist.

“You mean take sides.”

Then he turned to Sun Desheng.

“Actually, letting him go isn’t a bad idea. The kid has some tricks. He fights like he doesn’t value his own life. Even ghosts fear vicious people. He might be able to keep things under control.”

Sun hesitated briefly before removing the rope from himself and personally fastening it around Che Qianzi’s waist.

Then he said seriously:

“No matter what happens down there, listen to Xiong Wanyi. Not that I’m bragging, but he doesn’t hold grudges. If something goes wrong, he’ll definitely help you.”

“Stop talking like that old fossil from my family,” Che Qianzi replied impatiently. “I’ve been exorcising evil spirits since I was five years old. What’s down there supposed to scare me?”

Still lingering in the rebellious phase of youth, he barely listened to Sun’s advice.

Like Xiong before him, he allowed the soldiers to lower him into the shaft.

Che Qianzi descended holding a flashlight.

As soon as his feet touched the ground, he began removing the rope from his waist.

At the same time, he called out:

“Director Xiong, come give me a hand. Fatty Sun tied this knot so tight it just gets tighter the more I try to loosen it…”

He continued grumbling.

“What, you’re still holding a grudge? It was only two kicks to your crotch. And maybe a dozen slaps and a few kicks to the chest. You didn’t end up crippled or anything. Is helping me really that hard…”

Halfway through his complaint, he suddenly felt something was wrong.

There was no living presence around him.

He immediately swept the flashlight around.

Nothing.

Forget Xiong Wanyi—there wasn’t even a ghostly shadow to be seen.

A chill ran down his spine.

After finally wriggling free of the rope, he shouted upward:

“Pull the rope back up! Xiong Wanyi’s gone! Come down and help me look for him! Pull the rope up! I’ve already…”

While speaking, he looked overhead.

Only then did he realize that the ten cold-light lamps Xiong had installed were gone without a trace.

He had personally watched Xiong place those lamps.

How could they suddenly disappear?

Something was seriously wrong.

Che Qianzi immediately shouted upward:

“Something happened down here! Look! The lamps Xiong Wanyi put up are gone! What the hell is going on? Why did it suddenly get dark—”

Before he could finish, the faint light above vanished completely.

It was as if daytime had instantly become night.

Without the opening’s illumination, only the lonely beam of his flashlight remained.

The surroundings grew increasingly eerie.

He continued yelling toward the shaft entrance, but no response came.

Sun Desheng and the others seemed to have vanished from the world.

The rope he had removed still lay on the ground.

No one was even trying to pull it back up.

After shouting for a long while without an answer, Che Qianzi forced himself to calm down.

Then he drew the short sword Sun Desheng had given him for courage.

Fortunately, the sword had not disappeared.

The moment he wrapped his hand around the hilt, he felt considerably steadier.

After all, he had been earning money exorcising spirits since he was five or six years old. He had seen situations like this many times.

Once his nerves settled, the young Taoist bit his tongue despite the pain.

Using the blood from the tip of his tongue, he smeared some across his eyelids.

Then he gathered a large mouthful of blood mixed with saliva and held it there.

If anything strange appeared, he’d spit the blood first and then stab wildly with the sword.

Whether it was a person or a ghost, he’d turn it into a pincushion before asking questions.

Since nobody answered from above, he decided to move forward on his own.

Sword in one hand and flashlight in the other, he cautiously advanced.

The place was a vast natural limestone cavern.

The air was damp with moisture.

Countless stalactites hung from the ceiling.

Who would have imagined that beneath the arid Gobi Desert there could be such a wet, water-rich environment?

After walking thirty or fifty meters, he suddenly spotted a Wu Jing soldier lying on the ground.

Approaching cautiously, he discovered the soldier was already dead.

Judging by the purplish discoloration of his face, he had likely succumbed to poisonous gas earlier.

The soldier still carried a rifle.

Che Qianzi hesitated, wondering whether to take it for self-defense.

But after remembering how he had nearly shot Yang Shuji by accident before, he decided not to touch the weapon.

With a mouthful of blood preventing him from calling out Xiong Wanyi’s name, he could only continue forward in silence.

After another hundred meters or so, he finally spotted a faint light ahead.

He immediately aimed his flashlight toward it.

A blood-covered Xiong Wanyi staggered into view.

“Run…” Xiong gasped.

“This is the lair of the Lich King…”

After only a few steps, Xiong collapsed to the ground.

Struggling, he forced himself back up.

At that moment, Che Qianzi shone the flashlight directly at him.

Only then did he see that both of Xiong Wanyi’s eyes had been gouged out.

Streams of blood flowed continuously down his face.

Although they had fought before, Che Qianzi could not bear such a horrific sight.

He immediately rushed over and grabbed Xiong to support him.

The instant their bodies touched— something changed in the young Taoist.

As though possessed by another person, he suddenly raised the short sword and began stabbing wildly into Xiong Wanyi’s chest and abdomen…