Chapter 31: Flee for Your Life

He Yu asked, “Old Lu, we’ve come this far—don’t you think it’s time you shared what’s on your mind?”

Lu A’yao scratched a mark into the stone with the little spade He Yu had handed him earlier and said, “The structure is strange. Based on what we’ve explored so far, I’ve divided it into two levels. The upper level consists of burial pits and empty chambers, completely sealed off from the lower level. If not for those man-made passageways, we’d have had no way of reaching this second level. It’s a bit different from what I estimated up above.”

I said, “Back in the tent, I heard Tan Qiu mention something about a Dragon-Trapping Formation.”

“Yeah, that’s right! Little Yao and I don’t know the first thing about feng shui. What exactly is this Dragon-Trapping Formation you guys keep talking about? Is there some specific layout or theory behind it?” He Yu quickly chimed in.

Lu A’yao glanced at us, then casually drew a square on the stone as he explained, “That’s just a preliminary guess. It might not actually be a Dragon-Trapping Formation. Judging by the mountain’s original terrain, this entire tomb is built across the dragon’s spine. I don’t know what the landscape looked like in the past, but from what we can see now, the tomb is right next to the Datong River. If the water rises, there’s a risk of flooding. The tomb is built deep, and the upper burial pits are completely sealed off, so no air can circulate. Tombs like this tend to have complex mechanisms, making it extremely difficult to get in or out. Ordinary tomb raiders wouldn’t dare enter—hence the ‘trapped’ layout. But to truly form a ‘Dragon-Trapping’ formation, there’s still one thing missing.”

I asked what was missing, and he continued, explaining that “Dragon-Trapping Formation” is just a common term used in the field, not a precise one. The full name is the Flowing Water Trapped Dragon Formation. Water has always held great significance—it’s considered the lifeblood. So if this really is a Dragon-Trapping Formation, water is absolutely essential.

Additionally, Lu A’yao emphasized that stagnant water, like ponds or lakes, is extremely inauspicious in such a layout. For the formation to be complete, there must be an underground river beneath the tomb. Only then can it be called a true Flowing Water Trapped Dragon Formation.

After he finished, He Yu and I both took a moment to digest the information. Once I understood, I chewed and swallowed a piece of biscuit.

He Yu let out a sigh. “That’s a hell of a setup. All that talk’s made me hungry. So what you’re saying is, we’ve got to keep going down to find the underground river? And only if we find it do we have a shot at getting out?”

Lu A’yao nodded.

I reached out and touched the tunnel wall. It felt bone-dry. Underground river? We’d be lucky to find a single drop of water. I slumped against a rock, suddenly overwhelmed by hopelessness.

He Yu burped and slumped down beside me. He tugged at my sleeve. “Hey, once you two’ve rested enough, one of you crawl ahead and take a look. Once you’re through, I’ll follow. I can’t move yet—I need another minute.”

I smacked him hard. “Lazy bastard! Too lazy to even crawl? Keep lying there and you’ll turn into a damn pig spirit!”

“Hey, I *am* lazy. So what? Pig spirits are full of treasures—don’t you know that? And you call yourself a Henan native. Shame on you.”

I was about to snap back when Lu A’yao suddenly pressed a hand down on me. He gestured for both of us to be silent. Instantly, He Yu and I shut up, nerves tightening.

Soon, I heard a dense, high-pitched chittering coming from the passageway behind us. Mixed in were the unmistakable skittering sounds of those centipede-like creatures. I sat frozen, listening as the noise drew closer.

“Quit listening! You planning to sit there and feed yourself to the bugs?!” He Yu shouted at me.

I reached out beside me—no one was there. I turned around and saw Lu A’yao had already crawled through the opening in the rock. He Yu was somehow already at the entrance too, sticking his head out and yelling for me.

Damn it! That bastard moved fast! Just a moment ago he said he couldn’t crawl!

Gritting my teeth, I grabbed my backpack and bolted for the opening. He Yu yanked me through, and I immediately felt those things closing in on my heels, crawling right up behind me. The two of us tumbled down the pile of stones. Lu A’yao was waiting below and grabbed us both, hauling us up. The three of us took off running like our lives depended on it.

And we really were running for our lives.

I scrambled to my feet and sprinted without pause. He Yu and Lu A’yao were both in better shape than I was—they didn’t wait for me. More than once, I felt like those bugs were right above my head in the darkness, just waiting to drop down and crush my skull. Their flashlight beams were spinning so wildly I could barely see. I practically ran with my eyes closed, just charging forward.

“Move, move, move! Gan Ji!” I heard He Yu shouting.

The next second, he yanked me into a pitch-black stone doorway. I tripped over the threshold and nearly fell, but at least I was inside. No time to catch my breath—I turned around and helped them shove the door shut. We braced it until it was sealed tight. Only then, certain the bugs couldn’t get in, did we collapse to the floor, gasping for air.

“I saw it—that face, no, wait…” He Yu struggled to find the words. “The face was on the back of a bat. That thing was flying all over the place, tried to grab me several times.”

I didn’t quite follow, so Lu A’yao explained again, “The face we saw in the tunnel was probably a kind of bat. They burrow into the shells of those giant centipedes. The bats might be used by the centipedes to scout ahead. The two species are likely symbiotic.”

I’d had my eyes shut the whole time, just running blindly. I hadn’t seen a thing.

I’d been so oxygen-deprived from the run my vision was spinning. Now that I was finally catching my breath, I moved my flashlight and saw He Yu and Lu A’yao both had cuts and scrapes all over. I looked down at myself—my clothes weren’t even torn. I felt incredibly lucky.

“Why didn’t they attack me?” I asked.

He Yu groaned as he pushed himself off the ground. “Because we made a racket on purpose to draw their attention. Otherwise, with how slow you were, you’d have been bug food before you even got through the door. Didn’t you see Old Lu banging his flashlight against the wall while running?”

I looked at Lu A’yao’s flashlight—its head was covered in dents and scratches. I suddenly felt a bit embarrassed. I’d been way too full of myself just now.

All that feng shui talk? Total nonsense. Don’t take it seriously.