Chapter 90 The Big Pot Circle Area
The scene erupted in uproar, and many eyes in the darkness turned to look at her.
"What do you mean? Even though we've been walking for a long time, we might not have made it out yet."
"Maybe after we get out we'll find we've walked back." Although the idea is a bit silly, it's not impossible.
However, they only said a few words, and everyone listened attentively to her explanation.
“I’m sure we’ve left Wufeng Mountain!” He then added, “because this flavor is impossible to find on Wufeng Mountain.”
Everyone was taken aback, then looked at her in surprise.
Isn't that a bit too absolute?
What smells should not be present in Wufeng Mountain?
Elder Xia, Elder Zhuang, and Elder Shi all stopped what they were doing and stared at her intently.
The atmosphere became tense, and no one uttered a single word.
"Ahem, Xiao Luo, you've made a new discovery, why don't you tell us? We'd like to hear it too." If it's really useful, they can make plans as soon as possible.
Luo Yin nodded, then shook her head after the smell dissipated.
"The smell has disappeared. It had been lingering here faintly before, but the scent was so faint that I couldn't be sure. However, I was able to confirm that I hadn't asked the wrong person until recently."
She turned to the crowd and said, "Hmm, I smell the aroma of chicken stew with mushrooms!"
"ah?"
"What?"
Of the 13 people in the passageway, apart from Luo Yin, the remaining twelve all looked at her with unreadable expressions.
What everyone thought was a major discovery left them feeling rather weak after hearing her words.
"Isn't this right?"
"Chicken stew with mushrooms? Why can't I smell it?" Someone paused for a while before scratching their head and asking.
"Yeah, I didn't smell it either. Logically, I should be familiar with this smell. If someone is stewing meat, I would definitely know it when I pass by, but this time I really didn't smell it."
Old Xia's expression was equally stiff and embarrassed, but he still listened patiently.
Sister You and Sister Xiaofang stood to the side, secretly clenching their fists, hoping to hear more of her explanation.
The soldiers next to Captain Huo exchanged bewildered glances, wondering what was going on in this young girl's mind, always managing to produce unexpected results.
"Ahem, it's true, I wasn't hallucinating, nor was I delirious. The reason I said this is because we're about to leave, and if what I said is true, there must be people living outside. If that happens, we'll have to make new arrangements for leaving."
What she really meant was that, dressed like that, all in black clothes and pants, looking disheveled as we rushed out of the cave, wouldn't anyone find it strange?
Fortunately, there were no bandits or robbers nearby, otherwise their group would have been the first to be suspected.
But bad people often come from poor and remote places. Although there were a dozen or so of them, their fighting ability was really not that great.
What if we run into some mountain folk and they chase us like whack-a-mole the moment we show our faces?
"Is that so? Then why don't we wait a little longer? We can rest here for a few hours, and it will be dawn soon." Old Zhuang carefully considered her suggestion and thought it made sense. Looking at the colleagues gathered around, he figured he could also take a break.
Xia Ming nodded in agreement. "Let's all rest here for now, and then we can discuss this further."
As soon as the words were spoken, many people breathed a sigh of relief.
Everyone found a place to sit down, leaned against the side of the passageway, and closed their eyes to rest.
The remaining few went to the front to discuss, "I think we should send a few people to check the situation first, so that we can be prepared if what Comrade Xiao Luo said is true."
The older comrades are far more experienced than them.
Having traveled all over the country for so many years, it hasn't been for nothing. Especially when dealing with local people, conflicts and disagreements are most likely to arise. In most of these situations, no one else is needed. Xia Lao and his team keep their colleagues in check, then find a few capable village elders to discuss matters in advance, and most of the time things go smoothly.
No matter east or west, north or south, the place you step on is always a society based on human relationships.
Whether they prioritize seniority and reputation or value face and personal connections, as long as they weigh the pros and cons, most of them can get through things peacefully.
Except for a few places where people's hearts are inherently dark.
"Alright, I'll take a few men. You all rest for the rest of the time. We'll discuss the next steps when we get back." Hosen accepted the task, indicating that he would definitely investigate thoroughly.
After distributing the items, the group quickly set off deeper into the area, flashlights in hand.
Not far from them, Luo Yin had already fallen asleep leaning against Sister Xiao Fang.
Almost as soon as they told her to stop, she couldn't stay awake any longer and fell asleep, which scared Xiaofang so much that she almost called the doctor.
If Sister You hadn't reacted quickly and noticed that she was sleepy, she would have thought she was sick.
Hosen led his three comrades to the end silently, and then they heard a whooshing sound outside. The group exchanged hand signals and quickly adjusted their formation, lining up in a one-two-one formation.
Hosen turned off his flashlight and was the first to peek out.
In the pitch-black night, he could vaguely make out some outlines and judged that it was still in a place that resembled a cave.
However, the surrounding area seemed to have many passageways, and a constant draft of air passed over his face and body.
Huo Sen and his group waited there for several minutes. Seeing that there was no other movement around, they took out their special flashlights again. This time the light was not as bright as before, but it was enough for them to see the situation in front of them.
"Hiss!"
At this moment, they finally understood why they felt a bit cold after standing for only a short while.
They were walking on a narrow path only five feet wide, with sheer cliffs on either side. Following this narrow path seemed to lead them back into a deep cave.
Because when they looked up, they found that they could hardly see the top.
"How big must this cave be?"
"No way, this is deep enough to not be considered a cave anymore. I think we've reached the bottom of a cliff."
The group looked at it carefully again, and even cautiously explored a part of it.
Captain Huo suddenly realized something. "Let's go back first and then make a plan!"
The group returned the way they came, and more than half an hour had passed. Old Xia, who had been waiting for a long time, opened his eyes when he heard the noise.
He deliberately lowered his voice and asked, "How is it? What's the situation now?"
Team Leader Huo glanced at the resting group and whispered, "It's definitely different outside. Judging from the location, we've moved much further away. Based on our location and current observations, we should be in the southwest of the town—near the sinkhole area!"
"Sinkhole circle?"
Shi Xinrong, who was standing next to him, rubbed his eyes and said, "I know. When I saw that data room, I suspected that this sinkhole circle was there. So, the outside is that bottomless sinkhole."
Hosen nodded. "After walking for about twenty minutes, we came to an end of the mountain pass. There was wind and the sound of water. We went closer and looked around. Judging from the distance, there was at least several tens of meters of depth, and we were more likely to be at the bottom."
"As for what Comrade Luo mentioned, it must be the mountain people living nearby."
Hossen had some other things he didn't say aloud, but there were priorities.
Old Xia suddenly realized what was happening, and then picked up paper and pen to start drawing.
Old Zhuang and Old Shi, who were standing nearby, were also woken up and came over to ask what was going on.
With the addition of these people and their accounts, everyone gained a much better understanding of the situation outside.
The musty smell lingered in the passageway, but no one paid much attention to it. Because of the urgency, they had only rested for a short while before dawn broke.
Yes, for the first time in the passageway, there was a light other than a flashlight.
The light was at the end, shining brightly like a guiding light.
As everyone gradually regained consciousness, they looked into the area and began pointing and discussing it.
The group quickly got up, tidied themselves up, ate something, and set off.
Having made preparations in advance, Huo and his team went to scout ahead as usual.
When I returned, I received even more information than I had the day before.
It was indeed a new place outside. They seemed to have crossed Wufeng Mountain and entered another natural barrier, but this place was very special because it was an upside-down cauldron.
Therefore, it is also known locally as the Big Pot Circle.
"This must be the area of the forest south of Xiong Guan Town. Have we just walked straight here?"
"What Captain Huo said earlier seems to match the information we reviewed earlier. But isn't the southern forest very difficult to enter? It's said to have even more fog and miasma than Wufeng Mountain, and it's also poisonous. Will we get poisoned when we go out?"
"Shh, be quiet, just listen to what Elder Xia and the others are saying."
“That’s right. We’re here to find something in the tunnel, right? Now that we’ve reached another area, there must be plenty of things at the end.”
"That's right, that's right. The deeper something is hidden, the more important it is."
"And most importantly, we've discovered signs of human activity in this area," Captain Huo said, his expression turning cold. "However, judging from the location, those residents cultivated fields at the very bottom of the sinkhole. Visually, they're at least several tens of meters away from us."
"Oh, is it that deep?"
"Wait, what's our current altitude?"
Everyone stared at each other in disbelief. Yes, then they were in a much higher area, which meant they were walking on a cliff.
When everyone followed Captain Huo to the cave entrance, they were able to see the surrounding environment in broad daylight.
Almost everyone was terrified; a gust of wind from the through-draft would make them tremble.
Nobody is afraid!
Except for a narrow path just a few feet in front of them leading to the opposite cliff, the rest of their area was suspended in mid-air. One side of the cliff was covered with moss, while the other side was covered with marks of knife and axe carvings.
"Why is it starting to fog up here?!"
Some of the bolder ones glanced down and were so dizzy they almost collapsed, but what they saw in that one second still shocked them.
I don’t know when it started, but fog began to rise from the air above both sides.
It gave everyone present a dreamlike illusion.
Suddenly, Old Zhuang shouted, "Everyone, hurry up and follow us, let's get out of here as soon as possible!"
"Old Xia, something's not right. We'll be in even more danger when visibility drops."
Xia Ming nodded in agreement, "Everyone, grit your teeth and hold on. Don't look at what's under your feet. Hold your head high and get through this."
As the sounds came, the team members knew that the first hurdle of the operation had arrived.
Crossing a narrow gorge high in the sky!
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