After I explained the current situation to everyone, they also didn't know what to do.
I could tell that Wang Yue wanted to choose the second option, while Fatty had long wanted to go back.
As for Bai Hanyan, she seemed indifferent.
Seeing this, I had no choice but to say, "Then let's search a bit longer. If we can't find anyone, we'll return the way we came."
Everyone nodded.
Soon, Wang Yue found two more "Hell Stone Chambers." One of the stone doors was open. When Bai Hanyan saw this chamber, she couldn't help but exclaim, "It's this one! The one we went into before!"
"Are you sure?" I asked.
She nodded, "I'm sure!"
Wang Yue looked at the text on the stone door and murmured, "Avici Hell..."
I shone my flashlight inside and found it to be completely dark. The light didn't seem to penetrate far.
This reminded me of a type of light-absorbing stone I encountered when I went to Cloud City. Perhaps there were light-absorbing minerals here too?
"When you went in, was the door already open?" I asked.
Bai Hanyan shook her head, "I don't remember. Anyway, after we entered, the light inside was very poor, making it difficult to see our surroundings clearly. And it's very large inside..."
I nodded and asked Fatty to take out the climbing rope from his backpack, then tied one end around myself.
"I'll go in alone to check. If anything happens, you pull me out," I said.
With that, I took my flashlight and walked in.
The stone door was inscribed with "Avici Hell." Upon entering, it truly felt like it.
The surroundings of this chamber were pitch black, with no discernible edges. The visibility of the flashlight was at most about five meters.
The stone slabs on the ground were also black. If not for the rope around my waist, I would have truly believed I had descended into boundless darkness.
"Boss Guan? Teacher Ma?"
I called out twice, but there was no response. My voice seemed to be swallowed by something, muffled.
It felt like speaking with my head covered by a quilt.
After walking for about seven or eight minutes, the climbing rope around my waist became taut, indicating that its length had been reached.
Just as I stopped, something flashed to my right rear. Although I didn't see it, the feeling was incredibly strong.
I was certain that something had moved in that spot just now.
"Boss Guan?"
I called out, but received no reply. I took a deep breath and walked towards that direction with my flashlight.
Since I was walking back, the rope around my waist soon became slack.
Holding the flashlight in my right hand and the rope in my left, I walked about five or six steps and my foot soon kicked something.
I looked down and saw a square stone. My gaze slowly moved upwards, and a pair of shoes appeared before me!
Seeing those shoes made my scalp instantly tingle!
They were a pair of men's hiking boots.
By all rights, seeing these shoes should have made me happy.
After all, the only man who had entered here besides Ma Xuejin was no one else.
His shoes were here, so the person should have been here too, but...
Within the shoes before me were ankles, meaning there was no Ma Xuejin in front of me, only a pair of severed feet!
I quickly calmed myself down, raised my guard, and paid close attention to everything around me.
In an environment with such low visibility, my eyes were clearly not as useful as my hearing.
I pricked up my ears, not missing any slightest movement.
Stepping around the stone platform, I walked a few more steps towards the back. Suddenly, all the hairs on my body stood on end.
It was like being electrocuted, a very strong sense of danger surged into my heart. I quickly stopped and shone my flashlight on the ground.
I saw a groove in front of me, very flat, and on both sides of the groove were blades resembling a bear trap!
It seemed that if I stepped into it, the blades would close, and my feet would likely be cleanly severed!
The thought that Ma Xuejin had probably met a grim end made me start worrying about Guan Zhenhuan, wondering if this woman was alive or dead.
After hesitating for a moment, I decided it was best not to risk it here and quickly pulled on the rope to return the way I came.
With the rope as an aid, I retreated quickly.
Fatty asked me about the situation inside when I came out.
I glanced at Wang Yue and told her the truth, recounting the sight of the severed feet.
After hearing this, her face turned extremely pale, and she became quite emotional. "So, Senior Ma..."
Before she could finish, she choked up and soon burst into tears.
I comforted her a few times and said, "I don't think we should go any further. We need to go back first."
"What about that woman surnamed Guan?" Fatty asked.
I replied, "We'll figure out a way back. Besides, we don't know her situation right now, and given our current state, it's not suitable to stay here any longer, so..."
Bai Hanyan still seemed hesitant, but seeing my resolve, no one else said anything more.
We hurried back the way we came while we still had some strength.
We had walked very slowly when entering, but our pace back was significantly faster. Since we had already traversed many paths, we reached the entrance in less than three hours.
Because the entrance sloped downwards, it took considerable effort to climb up. Fortunately, Fatty and I climbed out first, and then called for people outside to help.
By the time everyone emerged from inside, it was noon. The sunlight felt warm on our skin, bringing a sense of relief.
Wang Yue remained very downcast. I noticed that after coming out, she went to a side with Professor Zhang and spoke for a long time.
Judging by their expressions, she must have recounted the entire situation down below.
This included the misfortune of Ma Xuejin, as I saw Professor Zhang wiping his eyes.
A foreigner named Jack, who had accompanied Guan Zhenhuan, became extremely anxious upon learning that Guan Zhenhuan was trapped below, saying he wanted to find a rescue team.
Fortunately, I stopped him, telling him not to rush and that I would continue to search for her.
With the archaeology team already involved, if a rescue team were to come in, this place would likely be excavated extensively. By then, if the treasure of the Kwantung Army was truly hidden here, Guan Zhenhuan would probably have no chance to take anything.
I thought her urgency might be for this very reason.
After resting for a night, the next day I called Song Bing to ask about his situation and if he could be discharged from the hospital.
Unexpectedly, Yang Hanxue's voice came through the phone: "Brother Xiang, Brother Song and I will be there this afternoon."
"Brother Yang? Weren't you supposed to go back?"
"I did go back, but can't I come again?" Yang Hanxue chuckled. "Wait for us. We'll talk when we arrive."