Song Laosan suspected that the people who saved us were human spirits, the only reason being that these people were too cold.
We are now trapped inside the cave and have no other way out. The only option is to follow these people.
Even if they really are human corpses, we have to hold on.
According to ancient records, at least, the human tortoise is not aggressive unless it is told that it is dead.
Furthermore, the Renbi is only recorded in ancient books. Even the Judge's Record only includes it in the Strange Tales section, which means that the ancestors of the Duan family had never encountered this thing.
Led by these people, we began to walk along the edge of the cave.
Seeing these people walk through a crack to the other side, Song Laosan said in a low voice, "These people seem to be very familiar with the terrain here, not like they've only been here once."
Although I was also quite uneasy, I could only analyze it in a positive light: "If they are also from Ping'an Village, then Golden Bull Cave might be their altar, and it makes sense that these people often come to patrol."
"Do you really think these people are from Ping'an Village?"
Song Laosan said in a low voice, "There are men, women, and children among these people. If it really is Ping'an Village coming to patrol, shouldn't they at least choose young and strong men?"
These villagers who suddenly appeared were eerie, but they were also our only hope for survival. I didn't know how to explain it to Song Laosan, so I could only comfort myself in the same way I comforted him: "There are no strange things in the tomb, it's all people scaring people. In any case, they saved our lives. There's no need to scare ourselves before danger falls on us."
"That's right. If we hadn't met these people, we would have certainly died anyway. Now that we've been spared, why put so much pressure on ourselves?"
After I talked him out, I don't know if he had come to a realization or what, but Song Laosan suddenly felt much better: "When a person dies, the birds fly to the sky! If these things are really ghosts, I'll become a ghost when I die. I'll fight them to the bitter end!"
We whispered to each other behind us, but the people in front of us never stopped walking.
Not long after, I suddenly heard the sound of flowing water. Then the man who had pulled me up the cliff turned around and said, “This river is our only way. We have to swim a long way to get to shore. The water is very cold and the current is very strong. You are injured. I will have someone carry you across the river.”
Looking at the underground river flowing in front of me, I felt the temperature around me drop by six or seven degrees. That's when I understood why these people were soaking wet and frighteningly cold.
So their bodies were cold because they were swimming in an underground river.
Sure enough, Song Laosan relaxed at this point: "I'm a good swimmer, I'll take him with me."
"Can."
The man didn't say anything, but stretched his arms and legs: "The river water here is colder than you think, so warm up before you go in."
Upon hearing the man's words, I tore a strip of cloth from my clothes and used my mouth to wrap my hands together.
Seeing my actions, Song Laosan asked in surprise, "What are you doing?"
“When a person is drowning, they will involuntarily want to grab onto something. I am injured and cannot maintain my strength for long. If I get cramps or choke on water, I could easily drag you down.”
I gestured to my bound hands: "This way, I won't be a burden to you even when I'm not fully conscious."
Upon hearing my answer, Song Laosan suddenly revealed an expression that he couldn't help but chuckle.
I glared at him: "What are you laughing at?"
"That shows you still trust me!"
Old Song grinned, showing his big teeth, and said, "Although you seem to dislike me, you still consider me a friend in your heart, right?"
I was getting annoyed by Song Laosan's laughter: "I used to trust you more, but what have you given me?"
Old Song had intended to lighten the mood, but my words left him somewhat at a loss. After a few seconds of silence, he looked at me seriously and said, "Xiao Duan, I will give you a reasonable explanation for this later. Please believe me!"
At this moment, the village man had already reached the riverbank, touched a large rock, and walked into the water: "Everyone, let's go into the river! You two keep a close eye on the lanterns on the water's surface, don't get swept into the dark river, or you won't be able to get back up!"
Just as I was about to ask him what kind of lantern it was, the man had already entered the river. I don't know how he managed to fix the lantern's stand at an angle to his shoulder. As he swam in the river, the lantern floated above his head, which looked very eerie.
With the man taking the lead, the others followed suit and began to go into the river one after another.
Song Laosan and the other villagers went down and put their feet into the river. They were jolted awake by the water: "Damn, this water feels like it's electrified, making my body feel numb and tingly?"
Following behind Song Laosan, I soon experienced the same feeling.
Because underground rivers are isolated in underground spaces, their temperature is only around five degrees Celsius at most. But this underground river felt like ice-cold mineral water on a hot summer day; the moment it touched my skin, it felt like being pricked with needles.
The mountain we are on is not a snow-capped mountain, so the underground river should not be at such a low temperature.
I quickly lost all interest in thinking about it. The moment my body was completely submerged in the water, my wound first experienced an unbearable, sharp pain, and then over the next ten seconds it became scalding hot, numb, and eventually I lost consciousness.
Although I have difficulty moving, I can swim. While being dragged along in the water by Song Laosan, I held my breath and kept my body afloat to make it easier to be dragged.
These villagers were excellent swimmers, moving very quickly in the underground river. Song Laosan had to exert all his strength to barely keep up with them.
After swimming along the underground river for about twenty meters, a dark cave appeared in front of us, with the cave ceiling only about half a meter above the water surface.
Seeing the villagers swim in, Song Laosan slowed down slightly: "Xiao Duan, the terrain ahead is a bit complicated, and there might not be enough space to breathe. Hold your breath!"
Upon hearing Song Laosan's words, I shook my wrist to indicate that I had heard him, and then Song Laosan dragged me into the cave in front of me.
I am currently unable to move and can only let Song Laosan drag me around.
After being dragged along by Song Laosan for a while, my vision suddenly became clear.
Looking around, we realized we were still inside the mountain, and the only light came from the lanterns on the shore.
When I opened my eyes, I saw that the villagers had already come ashore. When they saw Song Laosan and me, two young men stepped forward and dragged us ashore.
Exhausted, Song Laosan collapsed as soon as he reached the shore, his body trembling as he asked, "How much longer until we can leave this cave?"
"leave?"
The man leading the group shook his head: "There is no way out of here."
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