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墨書 Inktalez
"Why? How do you know this person? Have you seen him?"
I couldn't suppress my astonishment and fired off questions in rapid succession.
It seemed that Cao Mingzhe had been keeping an eye on Hakka Village all these years; otherwise, he wouldn't know about a reclusive old man who rarely left his home. Lao was indeed the most incredible person in Hakka Village, his mystery even surpassing that of Tang Yumo.
However, my interest in Lao was solely due to his enigmatic nature, while Cao Mingzhe's words clearly hinted at a need for caution regarding him. I couldn't understand how a frail old man could pose any threat to us. And letting him into the Underground Cavern? Were the Hakka People out of their minds, or was there something wrong with Cao Mingzhe? In my view, such a thing was simply impossible.
"Remember what I said. It's not convenient to discuss other matters over the phone; we’ll talk in person. I'm waiting for you outside, and if everything goes smoothly, we should meet soon. Your location has been confirmed, and you can verify the specific action plan with Captain Li."
Even though I had a lot more questions for Cao Mingzhe, the voice on the other end had already turned into that of a Hong Konger. Reluctantly, I handed the phone to Jack; he was familiar with the Search and Rescue Team from Hong Kong and could help confirm the pickup plan.
The one most opposed to returning to Hakka Village was A San. The Lao People had no choice but to keep quiet. Even though A San openly and subtly urged them on, the two Lao People did not voice any objections. It seemed they had never truly trusted A San; they placed their faith in me instead.
By the time we returned to Hakka Village, it was already dark. Strangely enough, standing at the highest point of the mountain, I couldn't see a single light. It seemed as if everyone in the village had fallen into a deep slumber. However, there was one place that was illuminated—the Paddy Field below the village. There was a patch of dry land rising above the Paddy Field, and the entrance to the Underground Cavern was located there.
We silently made our way down the mountain. I kept close behind Tang Yumo; we had entered a den of danger, and to increase our safety factor, I needed her within my line of sight. If anything were to happen, controlling her would make the Hakka People think twice.
Tang Yumo moved quickly; fortunately, the stone path down the mountain was dry. Otherwise, I might have struggled to keep up or risked falling.
As we passed by the Bamboo House where we had once stayed, I called out to Tang Yumo.
"I know you're in a hurry, but aren't you going to arrange accommodations for my friends first?"
"It's not important. Let's head down first; your friends can follow us. Otherwise, they won't feel at ease. Someone will take care of them; the clan leader is down there—won't he manage just fine?"
Tang Yumo barely paused for a moment before hastily continuing down the mountain, giving me no time to argue or explain further. I suppressed my urge to reach for my weapon as my expression darkened. Since their clan leader was there too, I hoped this old fox wouldn’t pull any tricks.
Descending so quickly put a significant strain on the injured, especially Fatty; unlike Fumi, who could be carried, he had to rely entirely on himself. He stayed close behind me and although he hadn’t spoken much during our hurried descent, his heavy breathing told me that this rapid march must have aggravated his wounds.
Upon reaching the flat area at the entrance of the Underground Cavern, Fatty was already drenched in sweat, panting heavily. If it weren't for the scar on his backside still healing, he would have surely collapsed onto the ground.
My attention was immediately drawn to a few figures nearby, most of whom were familiar faces: Wu Bo and two Hakka People who had previously guided us into the Underground Cavern stood by the metal cover pressing down on the cave entrance. There was also someone I didn't recognize, perhaps someone I might know but couldn't identify at the moment due to their face being covered.
Fatty came to a halt as soon as he stepped onto the flat ground, while I followed Tang Yumo right up to Wu Bo. The faces of those visible were grim. The large torches surrounding the entrance cast flickering light that made their expressions resemble those at a memorial service.
Tang Yumo approached and immediately asked, "Are you ready?"
"Yes," Wu Bo replied briefly, gesturing toward a pile of items on the ground.
I leaned over to take a look; there was a bow, a quiver full of arrows, a blunt round-tipped Straight Blade, and several torches.
"Good, everyone is here. Let's head down."
After Tang Yumo finished speaking, she tightened the cloth belt around her waist and picked out two rolls of wide bandages from the pile, starting to wrap them around her legs. Her movements were practiced and efficient; it was clear that every Hakka Person was trained to be an excellent warrior.
At that moment, I noticed that aside from Wu Bo, the other three Hakka People were dressed similarly. Their clothes were tied at the waist, with leg wrappings, bows and knives slung diagonally across their backs, and quivers hanging at their sides. They looked ready for a hunt.
Looking at their attire sent chills down my spine. It seemed they intended to confront Heimanluo directly, but would these weapons even be effective against it?
Having encountered Heimanluo before, I knew that it feared nothing except fire. Using primitive melee weapons against Heimanluo was akin to seeking death; it would be better to carry more torches or similar items.
I had actually planned to acquire a Flame Thrower for my next venture into the Underground Cavern, but that was impossible this time. However, teaming up with a group armed only with melee weapons against a boss like Heimanluo felt like an invitation for disaster.
Despite Wu Bo's face being darker than ever, I steeled myself and said to him, "Our backpacks were lost in Heimanluo's territory. We need to retrieve our belongings from there, but bows and knives won't do us any good. We need flammable materials—lots of them—to generate high temperatures; otherwise, going down will just be a waste of effort."
Wu Bo stared at me expressionlessly. Perhaps he did have an expression; it was just one of deep displeasure as if I were the main subject of that memorial service.
"We're prepared. Other supplies have already been sent down," he indicated toward the cave entrance with his eyes.
It was then that I noticed under the flickering torchlight that a thick iron plate covering the entrance of the Underground Cavern had shifted slightly apart. It seemed that while we rushed back, the Hakka People had made all necessary preparations without giving us even a moment's rest.
Fortunately, I had mentally prepared myself for this and wasn't surprised by it—especially after hearing that Wu Bo had arranged for flammable materials; a glimmer of hope sparked within me regarding completing this challenging task.
"When do we set off? Are we waiting for anyone else?"
No one answered the questions I raised. Tang Yumo finished tying her legs and began to strap the bow and knife to her back, while Wu Bo silently watched me. The others completely ignored my inquiries, not even glancing in my direction.
At that moment, Jack appeared beside me and said softly, "Be careful when we go down. I've already requested assistance."
I turned to Jack and nodded. I noticed our group had gathered; Buasong was carrying Fumi and standing next to Fatty.
Suddenly, I realized that there were more figures around us, but they were at a distance and lurking in the shadows, like ghostly silhouettes. I knew there were people nearby, but I couldn't tell how many. All I knew was that they were Hakka People.
"Everyone's here. Let's move out," Wu Bo suddenly shouted.
From the darkness, two Hakka People emerged, shaking a winch. The massive, heavy iron cover emitted a screeching sound as it slid aside, revealing a dark entrance.
I glanced around and felt a sudden heaviness in my heart. (To Be Continued...)
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