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墨書 Inktalez
Seven divided the rations from his backpack among the other three. There wasn't much, just enough for a few big men to fill their stomachs.
They could only endure. Time dragged on without any precise measure. Their sense of time was weak.
The group remained silent, even the White Python was quiet. The world around them fell into a calm stillness.
A crystal-clear droplet formed on the moss-covered top of the Stone Path and fell, creating a soft sound. They all closed their eyes.
They had placed all their hopes on the White Mang.
Slowly, drowsiness swept over them, and Second's rhythmic snoring filled the air as they slept in disarray.
After sensing the familiar scent of their slumber, the White Mang shifted slightly, began to move backward, descended the steps, turned a corner, and settled into the water, lying still.
Time passed quietly; it seemed that the White Mang had also fallen asleep.
Eventually, Second woke up from hunger. When he opened his eyes, the light from the lamp had dimmed to its lowest point, allowing him to see only vague shadows. Looking back, he realized that the White Mang was gone, and a sudden jolt of fear surged through him. He shouted, "Not good! Everyone wake up!"
In the dim light, they couldn't tell whether it was day or night; they groggily stirred awake. Only Third quickly opened his eyes and called out, "Second."
Second immediately replied, "That beast is missing."
Third snapped to attention and glanced at where the White Mang had been lying; it was already gone. A wave of uncertainty washed over him—had he really been deceived by it?
Seven and Wang Er Gou also woke up in succession. Upon hearing the news, Seven said, "I told you we shouldn't have left that troublemaker behind."
Wang Er Gou said, "But it didn't harm us!"
This statement awakened a few of them. After a moment of silence, Second remarked, "That beast must have taken the opportunity to escape while we were asleep."
Seven added, "It didn't have the strength to harm us; it was barely able to save itself."
After this, Wang Er Gou found himself at a loss for words. Third remained silent as well.
At that moment, a sound came from around the bend below, and they all immediately reacted. Second said, "That beast will retaliate!"
Third's heart tightened as he made a decision; it seemed they would have to take matters into their own hands.
All of them focused intently on the bend, guns drawn and loaded. The light was dim, and they could only make out a vague silhouette in the distance.
"It's here! It's here!" Wang Er Gou shouted nervously.
Second yelled back, "Er Gou, why are you panicking? Just watch how I turn it into a sieve."
Sure enough, after a moment, a massive snake head emerged from the wall, just like Seven had described earlier.
As they prepared to pull the trigger upon seeing the snake's head, Third pressed down on their guns and said, "No one fire yet." Second complained, "What are we waiting for?"
But Third lowered his voice and urged, "Just wait a little longer."
The other three were momentarily stunned by Third's voice. White Mang seemed to understand the situation and did not fully reveal itself, only extending its head to look over.
To be precise, it was sniffing the air, as snakes do not have very good eyesight.
Gradually, it sensed that the atmosphere here was more peaceful and relaxed its posture, slithering closer. This movement immediately put the other three on high alert, preparing for anything.
At that moment, Third made a surprising move, actively approaching White Mang.
The three could not stop him in time and were ready to react. Third walked steadily toward the snake, though he felt uncertain inside. Sometimes, one had to take a gamble; in his heart, every life was precious.
Seeing someone approach, White Mang quickened its pace toward Third. As mentioned before, White Python moved incredibly fast, pushing water aside as it slithered. Third's pupils constricted slightly, and cold sweat began to form in his palms.
The three behind him were also anxious for Third. They wanted to shoot but were blocked from doing so. If White Python attacked Third, given the width of the Stone Path, there would be no way for him to dodge it—not to mention its speed.
In a flash of lightning and thunder, Second sighed and immediately ran toward Third. He did not want anyone to get hurt.
But it was clear he wouldn’t make it in time.
However, what surprised everyone was that White Python merely brushed against Third's head before moving away. A chill ran down Third's spine as he felt beads of sweat forming on his forehead from tension. In that instant, all fear dissipated. Third's heart finally settled. The others also breathed a sigh of relief.
Second stood dazed behind Third, still processing what had just happened. As Third reached out to touch White Python's head and then turned back, he noticed Second standing not far away. His heart tightened again as he sighed.
At that moment, Second simply walked back without saying a word; everything was fine as long as no one was hurt.
As Second climbed the stairs, Third followed closely behind, with White Python trailing right after them.
For a moment, no one spoke. What had just happened was too quick, and the aftermath felt equally swift; their minds had yet to catch up.
Second plopped down onto the ground, while Third remained silent, pulling out a cigarette from his pocket and lighting it. The smoke swirled in the dim light, creating an ethereal haze. Third exhaled slowly, closing his eyes.
When he opened them again, Second had snatched the cigarette from his hand and took a deep drag. Seven chimed in, “Third, that’s not fair! You have cigarettes and you don’t share with us!”
Second took a puff but immediately coughed, spitting out saliva as he cursed, “Damn it, what kind of cigarette is this? The taste!”
Third chuckled and replied, “It’s dried medicinal herbs.”
Second was momentarily at a loss for words. Seven quickly returned the cigarette to Third, saying, “Good thing I’m smart.” With that, everyone burst into laughter. Wang Er Gou didn’t seem bothered; he lit another cigarette and continued smoking.
White Python stayed beside Third without disturbing anyone.
Second exclaimed, “This creature is way too human-like.”
At that moment, White Python moved slightly, raising its head to a height greater than a person’s. Wang Er Gou remarked with curiosity, “Its injury has healed.”
The three of them finally focused their attention on White Python. It seemed to understand they were praising it and lifted its head even higher.
“Damn it, are you trying to show off? Lift your head so high,” Second shouted. But White Python swiftly darted past Third. Second barely managed to dodge in time, thinking he was truly done for this time.
Unexpectedly, the beast had such a bad temper, but then everyone burst into laughter as the White Python actually kissed Second.
The leftover saliva splattered all over Second's face, and what was worse, it smelled terrible.
"Damn it, I'm going to fight you today," Seven said as he grabbed Second. "Second, don't be impulsive; it's just trying to show you friendliness!"
Second cursed back, "Damn it, why don't you try that taste for yourself?" Seven couldn't hold back his laughter any longer and burst out laughing, quickly drawing Second's attention away. In the end, Seven became a substitute for the White Python and took a beating.
At that moment, the White Python lay quietly on the ground while Third checked its wounds. Sure enough, the injuries had healed; its recovery ability was a bit too strong.
Only a few hours had passed, and it was already fine. This was a gunshot wound.
Third stared at the snake in a daze, touching the White Python's skin, which was still sticky. Suddenly, Third understood—it must have something to do with water.
The water here should be from the spring that existed in the ancient temple before. Damn it, if that's the case, the entire mountain must be filled with this kind of water; isn't this a treasure mountain?
Perhaps it had blocked the nearby "spring vein." Third glanced at the wall, thinking how incredible this was! How many things had been hidden back then?
The White Python lay obediently on the ground while Second and Seven had their fun. Wang Er Gou finished his smoke; as the saying goes: it's not about smoking but about relieving loneliness.
Second walked over and said, "Let's get this beast to take us out of here. I don't want to stay here any longer."
Seven echoed in agreement, saying, "The oil lamp here is about to go out. If we don't leave soon, we'll have to live in darkness."
Wang Er Gou also agreed.
Third crouched down to communicate with White Python, asking, "Are we going up or down?"
To their surprise, White Python gestured for them to go down.
"It seems it still has some ulterior motives. If we go down, we'll suffocate," Second said angrily. White Python seemed to notice Second's expression.
It understood his concerns.
Wriggling its body, it rubbed against the wall. The others looked at it in confusion, watching as it used the area around its previous wound to scrape against the wall. They stared wide-eyed, momentarily unable to comprehend what was happening.
Suddenly, Third had a realization and said, "I know what it's trying to convey." Pointing at the water, Third continued.
The others suddenly understood. Second remarked, "This creature..." pausing for a moment as he couldn't bear the earlier incident, he changed his words and asked, "Its wound was healed by this water?"
Third nodded, and White Python flicked its tongue in agreement.
Wang Er Gou realized that this water was indeed beneficial and understood its power. Seven said, "So that means the source of the spring outside the ancient temple comes from here."
Third nodded again.
Although they knew this water had great utility, Wang Er Gou questioned how it related to their descent. Even Third didn't have an answer to that question.
"Can we go down there? It's lacking oxygen," Third continued.
White Python raised its head in a human-like manner, surprising everyone. "Has this creature gone mad trying to act like a person?" Second said, stepping back immediately.
Just a moment ago, fear had gripped them; in truth, they were no match for the creature.
This time, White Python ignored him and continued to nudge Third's foot, trying to gain their trust. Third hesitated; the oxygen down below was indeed too thin, and the pressure was also a concern. It was quite a dilemma!
Seizing the moment while they were deep in thought, White Python swiftly slithered away, returning to the water. It soaked itself thoroughly before coming back.
The drenched White Python appeared before them, leaving them momentarily stunned by its incredible speed.
"This is definitely not an ordinary snake," Wang Er Gou remarked.
"Isn't that obvious? We've all seen its abilities. It's not something good," Second shouted.
White Python stood before Third, and everyone stared at it, unsure of what it intended to do.
After a brief standoff, it returned soaked again. Water—yes, it was water.
"What about the water?" Second asked.
"Maybe the water can help us solve this problem," Third replied.
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