On the brutal battlefield amidst a hail of bullets, Company Commander Li commanded with unwavering resolve. Inspired by his leadership, the men threw themselves into the fight without hesitation. In an instant, the deafening gunfire echoed through the valley like the roar of demons, and smoke quickly filled the entire space.
The battle was far more brutal than imagined. People were constantly wounded and fell to the ground, their piercing screams drowned out by the relentless gunfire. Time ticked by slowly under the shadow of blood and death, each second feeling like an eternity. Half an hour later, looking around, fewer than a dozen people could still stand, and all of them were seriously wounded. The old Taoist priest, who had once appeared dignified and otherworldly in his robes, was now in a sorry state, his robes torn in several places, and several shocking wounds visible on his body.
Company Commander Li leaned against the stone wall, his body seemingly unable to bear the weight, yet still struggling to stay upright. He gasped for breath, each breath a struggle against death. His clothes were stained crimson with blood, indistinguishable between his own and the water rats'. Looking down at the gruesome scene, the ground was covered with the corpses of thousands upon thousands of water rats, the stench of blood filling the dim cave. Even more terrifying was the sight of a swarm of water rats frantically devouring the carcasses of their own kind; the hissing sound echoed in everyone's ears like the whispers of death, causing the remaining men to tremble with fear.
Company Commander Li's face was deathly pale, and he spoke in a weak voice, "Taoist priest, I... I'm doomed this time. More than a hundred brothers I brought have all perished in this hellish place. Even if I manage to go back, how can I face the regimental commander and Commander Liu?" He took a difficult breath, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth. "I'm seriously injured now, there's no way I can go back to the surface. The remaining brothers and I will cover you and the other two who aren't seriously injured as you cross the edge of that pit and climb up to the rope. After that, it's up to fate. If you make it up, go back and tell me that I, Li Liangcai, am not a coward. My home is in Longquan Mountain, the mountain is full of peach trees, and my father is Li Baozhang, a well-known figure in that area. If you can go back, help me withdraw the thousand silver dollars I have in the bank and give them to my father." After saying this, he trembled as he handed the old Taoist a bank deposit slip, the slip seemingly carrying his last concern and hope.
The old Taoist priest, his hands trembling, took the stub and carefully placed it in his pocket, as if it carried a promise weighing a ton. He looked at Li Liangcai with unwavering eyes, his voice hoarse but resolute: "Brother Liangcai, if I can return alive, I will definitely help you fulfill your wish. If there is an afterlife, we will still be best friends."
Li Liangcai's lips curled into a slight smile, a serene expression like the warm winter sun: "Daoist Master, you are blessed with good fortune; you will surely return home safely. Oh, I almost forgot, Daoist Master, the password is..." The old Daoist quickly repeated it. "I know." At this moment, Li Liangcai approached with eight or nine wounded brothers, their eyes showing no fear. Li Liangcai shouted, "Brothers, we're all going to die today anyway, so let's fight these despicable beasts! Let's blow them all up, so the Daoist Master and the others can get out and report to the commander, letting him know we're not cowards, and he'll surely treat our families well!" Hearing this, the men's eyes blazed with fighting spirit, and they all picked up their weapons, roaring that they were willing to fight to the death.
"Taoist Master, hurry up, we'll cover you!" Li Liangcai shouted. The old Taoist quickly said to the two people beside him, "You two follow me. We have to rush through these two miles like arrows released from a bow, without stopping!" One of the two was a Uyghur man named Bakamu, who was agile and strong, and his physique made it clear that he was a good runner.
The old Taoist priest turned and bowed deeply to Li Liangcai, saying, "Brother Liangcai, we're leaving. See you in the next life!" With that, he shouted, "Run!" and dashed off like a runaway horse. The other two followed closely behind. They had only run a few dozen meters when gunfire erupted behind them, the deafening sound of exploding grenades seeming to tear the night apart. The old Taoist gritted his teeth, his eyes reddening, but he charged forward without looking back, his figure a swift gust of wind through the hail of bullets. Gradually, the gunfire behind them subsided until it was completely silenced.
The old Taoist priest and the other two rushed to the ropes. The old Taoist priest activated his senses but found nothing unusual, so he said, "There are three ropes here. We'll each climb one and get through the layer of black poisonous gas." After saying that, he took out three antidote pills from his pocket, gave them to the two men, and each of them put them in their mouths.
Suddenly, a rustling sound came from nearby, and the old Taoist's face changed drastically: "Damn it, those beasts are coming again!" Dozens of meters away, a dark swarm of water rats surged in like a tide, moving at an astonishing speed. "Climb up quickly!" The three had no time to catch their breath and quickly climbed the rope. Just as they reached a height of twenty or thirty meters, they saw the water rats below leaping up and darting rapidly along the protrusions of the cave wall. Several were already only a few meters away from the three. The old Taoist shouted, "Hurry up, don't stop! These hairy creatures can climb walls, and their teeth are extremely poisonous. If bitten, you'll be poisoned and unconscious." The three climbed with all their might, while the water rats squeaked and chattered behind them. The old Taoist looked up at the layer of black corpse energy and shouted, "Hold your breath and climb over there quickly!" The three gritted their teeth and climbed another dozen meters or so, disappearing into the black energy, no longer visible to each other. The squeaking and chattering behind them grew closer and closer. "Damn it, these beasts aren't afraid of corpse poison." The old Taoist dared not utter a sound, only focusing on climbing desperately.
Suddenly, a scream rang out. The old Taoist sensed someone had fallen—it was the thin, small man. Even his name was unknown, so he remained there forever. A short while later, passing through the black mist, the old Taoist saw the Uyghur man not far away. He had climbed most of the way, only a few dozen meters from the pit's edge. At that moment, a gust of cold wind swept in, and the old Taoist swayed. "I can't stay here long, or I'll freeze to death." Just as the old Taoist was about to push off, he heard a rustling sound from the wall, and several water rats, about the size of house cats, pounced on him. The old Taoist swung the rope violently; with a splash, two water rats missed and fell. But several more attacked from all directions. The old Taoist struggled to climb a few meters, but the water rats tore two deep, bone-revealing gashes in his thighs. The pain was excruciating, and he broke out in a cold sweat, but dared not utter a sound. Enduring the excruciating pain, the old Taoist desperately climbed towards the light above, each step seemingly using all his strength. A Uyghur man was also struggling to climb up not far away, his face full of determination, and the veins on his hands bulging from the effort.
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