Nanshan area has lush vegetation and a warm, humid climate, making it easy to breed all kinds of animals.

The bats and rats we saw at the beginning were just appetizers. We took a few steps forward, and I suddenly felt a rustling on my feet. I looked down with my flashlight and saw a centipede the size of my palm crawling on my shoe.

Later, Hu Wazi even stepped on a small green snake. If he hadn't reacted quickly and flung the snake away with one kick, he might have been bitten.

After walking this way, all of us felt a bit creeped out. Usually, we all live in the city and only deal with ordinary mosquitoes and insects. Suddenly plunging into the deep mountains and forests, these strange animals made us feel uneasy.

Especially Xiaoliang, the girl, was very afraid of things like centipedes, rats, and snakes. I reckon she was about to collapse after walking only halfway through the tunnel. She clung to my arm, closing her eyes and refusing to look.

Seeing her like this, I simply turned off the flashlight in her hand and said, "If you're scared, don't open your eyes. Just hold onto my arm and walk with me. What the eye doesn't see, the heart doesn't grieve. If you can't see it, you won't be afraid."

"Mmm," Xiaoliang responded softly.

Just as she spoke, I heard a "whoosh" behind me, as if something had run past.

As for what kind of animal it was, I didn't bother to look closely. Judging from the sound, it was either a rat or a wild cat, or possibly some other small wild animal.

In these deep mountains and forests, it's not surprising to see anything.

Walking further down the tunnel, there were fewer animals, not like before, where you could encounter several small animals every three to five steps.

At this time, I said in bewilderment, "Lao Wei, have we been fooled? Why have we gone so far down, and we still haven't seen Liu Huangshu and his gang?"

Lao Wei said in a deep voice, "Damn it, that *haozi* (rat, a derogatory term for an informant) dares to lie to me? If he really dares to play me, I'll report him when I get back and make him eat a few more years in prison!"

Hu Wazi also said coldly, "That son of a bitch dares to mess with us. When I get out of here, I'll make him pay!"

At this moment, Xiaoliang opened her eyes and asked softly, "This tunnel is so damp. If someone has been here, they should have left footprints, right? Take a closer look, are there any footprints of Liu Huangshu and his gang nearby?"

Lao Wei and the others quickly followed suit, sweeping the ground with their flashlights.

Actually, it wasn't that they hadn't thought of looking for footprints before, but there were too many bugs in the tunnel. The ground was covered with either large centipedes or cockroach-like bugs, which looked disgusting. Not only was Xiaoliang disgusted, but these tough guys from the Xiaoling Guard were also afraid.

I glanced down and immediately saw a strange bug the size of a walnut, with a black shell and two antennae on its head, lying not far away. This damn thing was really disgusting, and it gave me another layer of goosebumps.

In the end, Hu Wazi was the most reliable, not afraid of these strangely shaped bugs. He searched around the tunnel and pointed to the front, saying, "There are footprints here! They look pretty fresh, probably left by Liu Huangshu's group."

We quickly followed him and took a look. Sure enough, there were several shoe prints on the ground, some deep and some shallow. Judging from the patterns on the shoe prints, there were three different patterns in total, which meant that Liu Huangshu and his gang had at least three people.

Further ahead, Lao Wei also found two freshly smoked cigarette butts next to a stone, and there was some cigarette ash on the ground. This stuff was definitely new. Cigarette ash easily gets damp and discolored in this environment, indicating that Liu Huangshu and his gang had just left here not long ago.

"That *haozi* didn't lie. Liu Huangshu and his gang should be not far ahead," Lao Wei said.

Hu Wazi couldn't wait to crack his knuckles, making a "crackling" sound, and said, "Let's go, everyone, hurry up and grab that son of a bitch as soon as possible, and vent some anger for my uncle and brother-in-law!"

We quickly quickened our pace, continuing down the tunnel. The tunnel was getting deeper and deeper. Just then, I suddenly heard Hu Wazi shout, "There!"

I quickly looked up at Hu Wazi, and saw that the tunnel began to widen in front of us, and there was a faint figure about a few dozen steps ahead.

"Is that Liu Huangshu? Is that Liu Huangshu?" I asked in a deep voice.

Lao Wei shouted loudly, "Don't move! Stop right there!"

The figure heard our voices, swayed suddenly, and suddenly ran. I quickly shone my flashlight over, but didn't see anyone.

Hu Wazi and Lao Wei started at the same time, striding towards the figure.

Hu Wazi was tall and had long legs, and he left Lao Wei behind in a few steps. Lao Wei was worried and quickly told him, "Hu Wazi, slow down! Wait for me, be careful of an ambush!"

Hu Wazi didn't stop, running ahead all the way. I also hurried to catch up, but with Xiaoliang hanging on me like an accessory, I definitely couldn't run fast.

We chased all the way to where the figure was just now, but the figure had long disappeared, not knowing where it had run to.

I was just about to look around when I suddenly heard Yun Jie shout from behind, "Here!"

I looked back and saw a figure standing not far from the tunnel. The figure was standing there, looking at us motionlessly.

But before I could shine my flashlight over, Lao Wei suddenly pointed to the other side and shouted, "There's one here too!"

I quickly turned my head to look again, and saw a figure there as well, standing straight and blankly in place.

Then Xiaoliang tugged at my arm again, pointing to the front and saying, "There's one over there, there's one over there too..."

I was dumbfounded. Looking closely, I saw six or seven figures standing in the depths of the tunnel, watching us intently.

"Damn it! An ambush! We've been ambushed!" Hu Wazi shouted, "Motherfucker! Let's fight them!"

After speaking, he took out his baton, ready to fight.

I didn't rush to act, but first shone the flashlight over. When my flashlight swept across the face of one of the figures, I couldn't help but shudder!

I saw that this person was wearing a mask, the kind of colorful face mask commonly used by Sichuan opera face-changing actors. I didn't recognize whether it was Zhang Fei or Li Kui, but it was dark and very scary!

Xiaoliang followed the light of my flashlight and screamed in fright.

At this time, Lao Wei illuminated another person's face, and saw that he was also wearing a Sichuan opera face-changing mask.

"Damn it, acting like ghosts!"

Lao Wei roared and cursed at them.

But strangely, no matter whether we shone our flashlights on them or shouted at them, these people didn't move at all, just standing there stiffly, like they were dead.

I was the first to react and said in a low voice, "There's something wrong with these people, how come they don't even react!"