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墨書 Inktalez
Fatty held the torch up to my eyes. It must have been my trembling voice that sparked his unease and confusion.
“Qiangzi, you look terrible.”
Yes, I could feel it myself; not only was my face pale, but beads of sweat were forming on my forehead. My emotions were a tangled mess of tension, fear, and excitement, reaching a peak of complexity.
We were walking along the outer stone wall of the Fork in the Road, moving in a clockwise direction. At that moment, my flashlight illuminated the stone wall at the entrance of this passage, where there was a clear mark with an arrow pointing towards the entrance.
“There’s a mark!”
“Who did this? It’s a new scratch, a new mark.”
Both Fatty and Jack exclaimed upon seeing the mark.
“This is my mark.” There was no anger in my voice; instead, it was filled with utter despondency.
With a flicker, the flashlight and torchlight shone on my face simultaneously. Fatty had thrust the torch so close that I could even hear the sound of my eyebrows singeing.
“What do you want to do, set me on fire?” I stepped back in dissatisfaction.
Only then did Fatty realize the torch was too close to me. He pulled it back slightly, his face flushed with urgency as he asked, “How could your mark be here? Wait, you said we didn’t cross over—what’s going on?!”
“We’ve been together this whole time. At least since we fell from above, you haven’t left my side.” Jack's voice was calm. “Please tell me when you made this mark and why.”
I took a few steps forward to examine the mark closely for a moment.
“Yes, this is my usual and unique mark, but I didn’t make it. Someone else did. Recently, before us, someone came here and made this mark.” I analyzed as calmly as possible. “Moreover, this person knows me well enough to understand some of my habits and details. I think anyone familiar with me who would be interested in coming here is someone you can guess without me having to say it.”
Fatty's big eyes rolled around without a word. Jack nodded thoughtfully.
I walked back and stood in front of Jack, addressing Tang Yumo, "You let one person enter the Underground Cavern, why? I suppose you didn't expect him to go this far, this thoroughly. Before us, he had already reached your sacred place, the Eternal Gate."
In fact, the person whose expression changed the most upon discovering this mark was Tang Yumo. If it weren't for Jack's considerable weight pressing down on her, I imagined she would have jumped up or done something more intense.
Moreover, Jack must have sensed Tang Yumo's involuntary and uncontrollable slight movements. When I questioned her, Jack's eyebrows furrowed into a question mark, directed at Tang Yumo as well.
"He is a devil," Tang Yumo said with venom in her voice.
"Is it because he made it here? If that's the case, then you are too. Of course, so are we," I said, glancing at Jack and Fatty.
"Don't count me in. I'm not," protested the one who looked most like a devil on the outside.
"No. Although I'm more surprised that he made it here, what truly reflects his devilish nature is that he could make our leader agree to come down. He is the first outsider to enter the Underground Cavern. This is unimaginable for us Hakka People."
I stared at Tang Yumo expressionlessly. I had extinguished my flashlight; the only light now came from the torch held by Fatty behind me. The torchlight illuminated Tang Yumo's face while mine remained in shadow.
This effect was excellent; although the flickering flame would weaken some subtle changes in Tang Yumo's expressions, my hidden face in darkness could increase her psychological pressure. This would help force her to reveal the truth, and I could observe her closely to more accurately judge her mental state.
"Then why did you let him come down?"
My question made Tang Yumo's gaze flicker twice. In truth, she couldn't see my eyes. I deliberately maintained a subtle distance; my face was completely shrouded in darkness while the firelight illuminated her face, insufficient to reflect onto mine. Her gaze wasn't avoiding my eyes; it was evading her own heart.
"This is an agreement between our leader and him; I don't know. If you want to know, you can ask our leader, or you can ask him directly. You should be quite familiar with him; otherwise, he wouldn't have gone to such lengths to save you and ensure that no one else enters the Underground Cavern again."
Tang Yumo's mention of "again" likely referred to Fatty and Xiao Ting entering the Underground Cavern to look for us. But what did she mean by "ensure"? Fatty had managed to enter the Underground Cavern simply by repeating a phrase given to him by Cao Mingzhe. Did that phrase carry a deeper meaning?
"Why do you call him a devil? Just because he entered the Underground Cavern? That alone isn't enough to label him as such."
I noticed Tang Yumo's eyes shift to the upper right corner for a moment before she replied, "Why isn't it enough? He has changed the traditions of our Hakka People that have lasted for generations. Our secrets will no longer be kept. This may seem trivial to you, but for us Hakka People, it is fatal. What do you call it in your words?"
"Watching the excitement without fear of trouble," Fatty chimed in, unable to hold back.
Fatty's interruption not only altered the light's intensity but also completely disrupted my rhythm and aura. I was so furious I could have kicked him.
"How did he get out? I hope you won't hide this from me. It concerns our lives."
The firelight now illuminated my face; I could no longer conceal my expression and had to make it appear as serious and composed as possible. In fact, this question was the most crucial one. My previous inquiries were merely paving the way for this one, as I sought to understand how much Tang Yumo knew and whether she was aware of how Cao Mingzhe had exited from here.
Indeed, the markings on the stone wall were left by Cao Mingzhe. Moreover, I was certain he had left them intentionally for me because he had marked a path that I was most familiar with. Not only did he point me in a direction,
I also need to know who left the mark.
From Tang Yumo's tone, it was clear that Cao Mingzhe had used some means to enter the Underground Cavern and was not invited by the Hakka People. Moreover, he had ventured deep into this place alone, which meant he could not possibly return the same way he came. How he would leave here had become the most pressing question.
"We only realized he had left the Underground Cavern after hearing Mr. Song's words. He managed to convince our chief to let him enter the Underground Cavern and was able to walk out alive. What else could he be if not a devil?!"
Under the flickering firelight, Tang Yumo's expression suddenly became impulsive. It seemed that my words had caused her to lose control.
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