I didn't believe for a second that Hao Zhengyi didn't have at least one or two spare flashlights. But since he said he didn't, Yang Jun and I had no choice but to keep cautiously following behind Crow. Every hundred meters or so, Crow would mount one of the small lamp bases onto the wall. Each base had three tiny steel pins on the back. He didn't even seem to exert much force—just pressed the paper-thin base gently against the wall, and it embedded firmly. As soon as it was set, a bean-sized bulb inside lit up. The bulbs weren't powerful, but with one placed every hundred meters or so, it created a clear path. I didn't need to mark the way for Sun Fatty and Xiao Heshang anymore—just following these lit bases would be enough.
Not long after, the path ahead split into two. Crow stopped and didn't move forward. He turned and made a flurry of hand signals at Hao Zhengyi, who quickly walked up with his flashlight, examined the fork in the road, and after a moment's thought, pointed to the left path.
After Hao made his choice, Crow didn't hesitate. He immediately proceeded down the path Hao had indicated. Yang Jun and I followed, and as we walked I asked, "President Hao, how do you know this is the right way?"
Hao Zhengyi, walking behind us, replied flatly, "I don't need to explain everything to you. The Religious Affairs Commission has its own methods. Just trust me."
His answer left me speechless. He clearly treated me and Sun Fatty very differently. I was just about to retort when Crow suddenly stopped in front of me. I wasn't prepared and almost bumped into him.
"Crow, if you're going to stop walking, could you at least give me a—" I hadn't even finished speaking when I saw Crow's flashlight beam fall on the wall up ahead. On the pitch-black surface was a mural, outlined in what looked like red paint.
The painting depicted a small island in the sea, with many people and animals floating lifelessly in the surrounding waters. Their posture—face-up and limp—made it clear they were dead. Not far from the island, storm clouds gathered over the ocean, and bolts of lightning struck repeatedly at a single point on the water's surface. Beneath the lightning's impact, a mysterious opening emerged in the sea.
Staring at the mural, I was stunned. "Isn't this exactly what just happened?"
Hao Zhengyi came up beside me, equally transfixed by the painting. Seizing the moment, I pulled out my phone and snapped a photo. As the flash went off, something uncanny happened: a figure appeared on the beam above the mural. It had been hanging upside down from the beam, limbs wrapped tightly around it like some kind of animal. Startled by the sudden flash, the figure let out a sharp screech and dropped to the ground about ten meters in front of me.
Then came something even more bizarre—just as it hit the ground, the figure vanished. Completely. Hao Zhengyi and Crow immediately swept their flashlights around, searching the area, but that shadowy figure had disappeared without a trace, like it had never been there at all.
The whole event had unfolded so fast that by the time I reacted, there wasn't even time to help Hao and Crow. Watching them now, tense and alert like they were facing down an enemy, I asked, "What the hell was that?"
Hao didn't answer. He and Crow stood back-to-back in a defensive stance, scanning the darkness in every direction. One detail didn't escape me: both of them, in their free hands, had clenched their fists tightly—ready for a fight.
Seeing how tightly wound Hao Zhengyi and Crow were—like taut strings ready to snap—and given that we were surrounded by pitch-black darkness where visibility was near zero without any external help, I felt even more uneasy. With no better option, I took out the crossbow Sun Fatty had given me. After stringing it and loading a bolt, I finally felt a bit more secure with my finger resting lightly on the trigger. Still, a crossbow alone felt far too limited. In this darkness, given how fast that "figure" had moved just now, by the time I saw "it," it might already be right in front of me. At that point, dying together might be the best outcome I could hope for.
After some hesitation, I took out my windproof lighter. When I flicked it on, the tiny flame inside flickered wildly under the cold wind blowing through the tunnel—but it was still light, however faint. Holding the lighter in one hand and the crossbow in the other, I scanned the surroundings. Seeing no sign of the "figure," I finally relaxed a bit.
I had wanted to ask Hao Zhengyi where that "figure" came from, but seeing he clearly wasn't in the mood to answer, I turned instead to Yang Jun. "Did you see what that thing was just now?"
Still breathing weakly, Yang Jun took a few heavy breaths before speaking. "You were blocking my view... By the time I could see anything, that thing was already gone. If not for you, I might've caught a glimpse of its back."
Unwilling to give up, I pressed on: "Then think—was there anything strange in this Yin Convergence Point? Like monsters or something?"
Yang Jun gave me a glance. The light from my lighter was too dim for me to read his expression, but his tone held a hint of disdain. "Yin Convergence Point? I've spent my life sailing the seas—how would I know about places like this?"
"Don't sell yourself short," I caught the flaw in his words. "Back at the bottom of the well, you recognized that Sea Soul Stone right away. Even President Hao's top men missed it. That's not something just anyone would spot."
"Sea Soul Stone, huh..." Yang Jun let out a rare chuckle, though it sounded more like a sneer. "I saw one on a ship a long time ago. If you really want to know, ask your Director Wu—it was him who brought that stone aboard."
"That's your Director Wu, not mine," I muttered, feeling oddly defensive about the name.
I started to miss Sun Fatty. If he were here, all these questions would've been his job. That guy had a knack for spouting nonsense and asking everything I was too embarrassed to voice. Even if I was just forming a thought, he'd already be asking it. With his glib tongue, he could've gotten at least one flashlight from Hao Zhengyi by now—or even conned him out of the one he was using.
Just then, something shifted near Hao Zhengyi. Crow suddenly crouched down, and in his hand appeared a tiny liquor cup. My heart sank—"He's not going to pull out a whole bottle of baijiu, is he?"
As I speculated, Crow placed the cup on the ground and, sure enough, pulled out a flattened tin hip flask from inside his coat. Before pouring, he squeezed a few drops of fresh blood from his bitten index finger into the cup, then opened the flask. The moment the liquid hit the cup, a pungent, eye-stinging aroma wafted through the air. I didn't know what was in that flask, but I was certain it wasn't alcohol. Just from the smell, my nose and eyes started watering like I'd just taken an onion bath.
Blowing my nose and wiping my tears, I muttered, "President Hao, what the hell is Crow pouring out? Smells like pure sulfuric acid!"
Unexpectedly, Hao Zhengyi shot me a glare and snapped in a low voice, "Don't speak!"
Crow had already stood up. He and Hao Zhengyi were both craning their heads, sweeping their flashlights in all directions with the liquor cup at the center.
It hit me—that "drink" was bait! I finally understood, though I still had no idea what kind of bait stank that badly. The atmosphere had grown extremely tense. I ignored how hot the lighter was getting and pulled out some small bills—five and ten RMB notes—to hold it without burning my fingers. One hand held the crossbow, finger on the trigger, the other hand held the lighter, scanning every inch around the bait, ready to fire at the slightest sign of danger.
I had my crossbow aimed at the cup. Just as the lighter in my hand became too hot to hold, a few drops of thick, stinking fluid suddenly fell from the ceiling. One drop landed right on the flame, instantly dousing it.
Something's up there! I didn't have time to think. As the flame went out, I instinctively raised the crossbow and fired toward where the fluid had fallen.
A terrible screech rang out—"Nyeh!"—followed by a grotesque thing dropping right in front of me from above. I grabbed Yang Jun and yanked him back just in time to avoid being crushed.
Hao Zhengyi and Crow swung their flashlights toward it. As the beam hit the figure on the ground, my back went cold.
Lying on its back was a pitch-black creature writhing on the floor, shrieking as it convulsed. To call it a human would be a stretch—it looked more like a large macaque that had been skinned and had its tail chopped off. Its entire body was jet black, with no skin—just exposed muscle, tendons, and veins. All of it was black. The surface was coated in a thin layer of slick mucus. A gaping hole lay in its chest, where a black heart visibly throbbed.
My bolt had struck its spine, passing straight through to protrude from its abdomen, dripping a line of black blood. It was a sight that defied explanation.
Honestly, I couldn't see anything when I pulled the trigger—it had been a blind shot. At first, I thought I'd just gotten lucky. But now, looking at this thing, I wasn't so sure anymore.
Its faceless head—just muscle and nerves—turned toward me, screaming wildly. My chest tightened. It looked more like a ruined anatomy exhibit than a living creature. The Bureau's archives had no record of anything like this skinned monster. I would need other sources to figure out what it was.
I looked up at Hao Zhengyi and Crow, hoping to read something from their expressions. That's when I noticed Crow was now holding a six-spoked Dharma Pestle, a traditional Buddhist weapon. Ouyang Pianzou had a few similar ones, but none quite like this. The golden tip at the end gleamed with sacred luster. I'd learned enough over the past few months to recognize gold-plated talismans. If Ouyang hadn't been lying, these pestles were part of a legendary set of sixteen relics brought into China during the Han dynasty alongside the earliest Buddhist scriptures. If Crow's wasn't a fake, even Ouyang would envy it.
Still, both Hao Zhengyi and Crow were frowning deeply, staring at the creature. They exchanged a glance, and Hao shook his head slightly—clearly, even he didn't know where this thing had come from.
Suddenly, the creature's shriek shifted—an octave higher, almost shattering my eardrums. I reflexively clamped my hands over my ears, and just then, Yang Jun yelled, "Get down!" and yanked me aside. Before I even understood what was happening, I heard a gust of wind behind me.
I looked up, hoping to rely on the flashlight beams to see what was attacking, but both Hao and Crow had turned theirs off. I understood why—any light source now would make you a target. Fortunately, the earlier lights Crow had installed still provided some dim visibility.
In that faint glow, I saw the creature's body being dragged back nearly four meters. There was a blurry shadow crouched behind it, pulling it away by the legs.
There's another one! My heart dropped as I raised the crossbow and pulled the trigger—but nothing happened.
Shit! No bolt!
I'd forgotten to reload after the last shot. As I reached to string another bolt, the creature stopped moving. Then, a scream erupted from the shadow behind it, followed by a wave of foul wind rushing toward me.
I hurled the empty crossbow toward the wind, drawing my short blade in one swift motion. Before I could react further—crack!—a spark flared five or six meters in front of me, and Hao Zhengyi's flashlight flicked back on.
There it was—almost identical to the first. Another one of those skinned freaks, lying just ahead, chest gaping open, heart pulsing in the dark.