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墨書 Inktalez
I could already see Buasong and Jack in the distance, but they were still too far away for me to make out their features. As I glanced at Jack, he was also stretching his neck to look my way. I thought that if he could see my expression, he would surely be startled by how I looked.
However, I soon remembered something: during this reunion with Jack and the others, he hadn’t shown any extreme reactions. If he had received more shocking information from Ah Xiang and remained so composed, then he must be quite good at hiding his feelings. Could it be that Ah Xiang really kept his mouth shut and didn’t reveal anything to Jack?
Since we were in a hurry to move forward, I didn’t have much time to ponder this matter. Once we began climbing the steep cliff, there was no energy left to think about anything else; I had to focus entirely on my footing. Otherwise, instead of finding a viable path, I risked falling into the Underground River at any moment.
Throughout the journey, our two groups maintained a visible distance from each other. A San and I took several breaks, during which my heart grew increasingly tense and anxious. The pace of the group behind us slowed down more and more; I noticed that Fumi had already switched to Jack’s back. It seemed that Buasong was indeed struggling. However, Jack didn’t give his backpack to Buasong but instead held it in front of him while carrying Fumi on his back. It was as if he was wary of the Lao People.
This made it quite difficult for Jack to walk while carrying Fumi; his tall stature made him sway unsteadily, which made me anxious. We needed to find a place to rest; otherwise, the group behind us might end up in trouble.
Perhaps luck was on our side because I finally spotted a place where we could take a break. It was a stalactite protruding from the cliff face—not very high and forming a certain angle with the wall. Of course, we couldn’t climb up the stalactite to rest since its top was pointed; it should be called a stalactite.
I whistled back to the group behind us, and the glow stick waved a few times in acknowledgment.
The stalactite formed a narrow angle with the rock wall, tapering downwards and widening at the top in a V-shape. We stuffed our backpacks into the crevice at its base to create some height so that one person could fit inside comfortably. Then we laid Fumi down inside.
A San and I were doing somewhat better; after all that effort, we were just sweating profusely. But Jack and Buasong were in bad shape, sprawled awkwardly on the sunny side of the stalactite, panting like dogs. Jack even looked at Fumi with a hint of jealousy. It seemed there would be no rest for them on this journey; both were utterly exhausted.
This place only allowed for resting at the angle between the stalactite and the cliff wall. A San and I could only awkwardly lean against the slightly inclined rock face. Standing like this was uncomfortable enough; resting well was out of the question. However, our physical exertion along the way hadn’t been too taxing, so we managed without too much difficulty.
Watching Jack’s fatigued expression sparked an idea in my mind. I had been thinking about that AK-47 assault rifle in Jack’s hands. This weapon would undoubtedly be our most powerful asset in the operations ahead.
I was on one side of the Stalactite with A San, moving forward. To find a stable spot to stand, I climbed quite high, nearly at the same level as Jack, who was lying on the Stalactite. I waved my Glow Stick in the air, but it couldn't reach Jack. Perhaps he was too tired or maybe it was because he had his back to me; he didn't respond to the light from the Glow Stick.
I had no choice but to call out to him, "Jack."
Jack awkwardly turned his head. When I looked at him, I noticed drool trickling from the corner of his mouth, and he appeared utterly exhausted.
"Your gun is too heavy. Let's switch; you look worn out," I said sincerely.
I saw Jack's mouth twitch slightly, and the drool hanging from his lip quivered, forming a thin strand that dangled down. His expression was strange—part anger, part frustration, and a hint of disbelief. However, I was focused on getting my hands on an AK-47 and didn’t pay much attention to his expression; I just thought of an idiom: "salivating at the mouth." What was he drooling over?
"Okay," Jack said as he wiped his mouth with his shoulder. "But you have to carry my backpack."
I nodded. "No problem."
Just carrying his backpack for a while in exchange for that AK-47 assault rifle was a fantastic deal.
Jack gasped and added, "I thought you would help me carry Lao People."
I felt my own mouth twitch. "You're in better shape than I am. You know my back is messed up; at least I've torn ligaments, and it might even be broken. I can't do that."
I saw Jack turn his face away. Then he quickly turned back to stare at me, hesitating as we locked eyes for a moment before he angrily turned away again. I nervously patted my chest.
This break lasted quite a while; everyone had something to eat. I hadn’t exerted myself too much earlier and wasn’t really hungry. However, to prepare for the road ahead, I still replenished some energy since carrying two guns and two backpacks wouldn’t be easy. Jack hadn’t handed over the AK-47 and other supplies to Lao People out of caution, so there was no way I would give weapons and important supplies to A San; he was the one I was most wary of.
I wanted to ask Jack several times what information he had received from Ah Xiang and how it compared to the situation at Lop Nur. However, A San was right next to me, and I really didn't want him to overhear. He was quite good at eavesdropping. I didn't want the information about Lop Nur to leak out, nor did I want to involve more people. Reluctantly, I had to suppress my restless curiosity.
My luck was a hundred times better than Jack's. Not long after setting off with two backpacks and two guns, I noticed that the cliffs on both sides of the river were much wider, with hardly any insurmountable obstacles. In some places, I could even walk straight ahead. When Jack and Buasong were initially carrying Fumi, they had to move sideways, crouching against the Stalactites along the riverbank. The experience of these two methods of movement was completely different for those involved.
Although I was carrying double the load, I didn’t feel it was significantly more difficult.
At the same time, there was no need for us to split into two groups, one in front and one behind; walking together wouldn’t cause any issues. In the wider areas, two people could easily pass each other. The river seemed to widen as well; the light from my Glow Stick could no longer illuminate the opposite bank.
During our second collective break, we were able to choose a very spacious and flat area. Here, the Stalactites were not merely attached to the cliffs; there were independent columns of Stalactites growing upwards or downwards. Some individual Stalactite columns connected above and below, forming a pillar that supported the cave as if holding it up.
The width of the river exceeded ten meters, and the light from the Glow Stick could no longer reach across. However, the flow of the water had noticeably slowed down. There were plenty of wood shavings on the riverbank, and I saw Buasong and A San diligently collecting them, seemingly preparing to start a campfire.
At that moment, I felt a slight drop in temperature. After putting down my backpack, I could feel my clothes sticking to my sweaty back, which sent a chill through me. This reminded me of the cold underground lake at Lop Nur.
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