Chapter 150: Phantom Flames

Soon, I spotted a faint flicker of light. Will-o'-the-wisp? The thought crossed my mind instinctively. Yet, in the very next second, I remembered that a will-o'-the-wisp is green in color, whereas the light I had just seen was certainly not. However, when I looked back toward the spot, the light had vanished without a trace.

For some reason, a sudden wave of tension washed over me. Compounded by an underlying dread of the unknown surroundings, I quickened my pace toward the place where the light had appeared. As I walked, I kept a vigilant watch on my surroundings, terribly worried that something might suddenly emerge and launch an assault upon me. I had already experienced such terrifying scenarios many times before; although I was somewhat accustomed to them, I could not help but feel a lingering sense of anxiety.

Right at that moment, a dark figure flashed past. I saw it with absolute clarity—it was the shadow of a person. I initially thought my eyes were playing tricks on me, but it was undeniably a real shadow. Yet, how could anyone possibly be in a place like this? Even if it were the people from the Southern Sect or Guo Fan and his crew, they would not be skulking about in such a furtive manner.

A single word instinctively surfaced in my mind: Ghost?

Could it really be a ghost? I quickly shook my head, thinking that I was merely frightening myself. How could such things as ghosts possibly exist in this world? And yet, after going through so many extraordinary events, my materialist worldview had been somewhat shaken. There truly were many things in this world that defied explanation. If venomous gu worms and drought demons could manifest in reality, what else might be impossible? It was hard to say for sure. Even so, I still refused to believe in ghosts; after all, I would never believe in anything I had not witnessed with my own eyes.

With that, I made up my mind. It had to be a human being, and I was determined to drag that person out to see what was really going on. Thinking this, I hastily quickened my pace and gave chase in the direction where the shadowy figure had vanished. This was an underground karst cave, and its complex terrain offered countless hiding spots. To my frustration, I failed to locate the figure right away.

Just as I was pondering which way to go, a pair of hands suddenly grabbed my shoulders from behind. Without thinking, I swung my flashlight and whirled around to strike. This flashlight was a piece of professional exploration gear; its head was shaped like a lotus flower and designed for self-defense. Just as my left hand swung through the air, another hand clamped down tightly on my wrist with astonishing agility.

Before I could complete my turn, the hand that had been gripping my shoulder suddenly clamped over my mouth. Then, something happened that left me utterly stunned. A voice sounded right beside my ear—though very soft, I heard it with absolute clarity.

"Don't make a sound."

That voice... it belonged to a woman! Moreover, it was a voice I knew intimately. Though months had passed, I recognized it instantly. It was Li Ling's voice. Immediately, I froze and stopped all movement. Pulling me along as she shifted directions a few times, Li Ling ducked into a very small cave. This cavern was also naturally formed, with exceptionally smooth walls, and it was not the least bit damp.

Once we were inside the cave, Li Ling whispered in startled disbelief, "How is it you?!" Then she hurriedly added, "Turn off the flashlight!"

I instinctively clicked off the flashlight, and Li Ling gestured for me to remain silent. After waiting for what felt like five or six minutes, I heard her breathing soften, as if she were finally letting out a sigh of relief.

Those five or six minutes had been sheer torture. Though I had a stomach full of questions, Li Ling's tense demeanor had infected me, and I hadn't dared to utter a single word. Finally, she broke the silence, asking, "Why are you here?!"

Seeing her alive and well made me feel immensely relieved, as if a heavy burden had suddenly been lifted from my shoulders. I then briefly recounted my journey: from discovering her disappearance and trying to figure out where she had gone, to enlisting help and finally making my way here. I summarized my harrowing experiences in as few words as possible.

Upon hearing my account, Li Ling offered a wry, bitter smile, let out a breath, and said to me, "Thank you. I honestly never imagined you would go to such grueling lengths to track me down. But we truly share some incredible destiny to run into each other in a place like this."

The spot where we now found ourselves was a very confined cavern. Both of us were crouching inside, pressed close together, which felt rather awkward. I had no idea what Li Ling might be thinking, but I quickly regained my composure and asked, "What was that just now?"

Li Ling glanced back toward the outside once more before turning to tell me, "This place is profoundly evil."

Seeing the deep puzzlement on my face, Li Ling proceeded to share what had happened to her. In truth, it closely mirrored my own deductions. After arriving in Beijing, Li Ling was on the verge of contacting me when she was approached by members of the Southern Sect. At first, their words were exceptionally cryptic, merely asking for her assistance with an archaeological endeavor. However, Li Ling had spent many years moving in archaeological circles and possessed a remarkably sharp mind, so she naturally guessed their true intentions.

To put it bluntly, the Southern Sect was an organization of tomb raiders. Though they called themselves a sect, they had evolved into a clan—specifically, the Shen family. Naturally, Li Ling had no intention of aiding grave robbers and flat out rejected their request. Yet, lacking any powerful backing of her own, she was powerless to contend with the vast and formidable Southern Sect and was ultimately taken hostage. Even so, the members of the Southern Sect treated her with utmost politeness; aside from keeping her under guard along the way, they subjected her to no mistreatment and showed her profound respect.

Eventually, Li Ling was brought here. Once she was exposed to the Southern Sect's ultimate plan, she discovered it was inextricably linked to the ancient Li culture. Drawing upon her own academic expertise, she instantly understood why the Southern Sect had sought her out. Gradually, Li Ling began to actively assist them—though "assist" was perhaps a misnomer, as her primary motivation was her own research. Naturally, many of her academic discoveries were kept strictly from the members of the Southern Sect.

That accounted for everything prior to entering the mountains, which lined up fairly well with my own conjectures, especially since Shen Mingyu had already revealed some details to me. However, the crucial part—the reason Li Ling found herself in her current predicament—was yet to come. As she reached this point in the story, her expression began to shift uncomfortably.

"When I finally entered that burial chamber, I discovered that the coffin did not contain the remains of an adult, but rather the skeleton of a small child," Li Ling said, her voice dropping. "At first, I truly could not fathom why the remains belonged to a child. According to my deductions and research, the master of this tomb should have been the ruler of the ancient Southern Li Kingdom—and rumor has it that he lived for two hundred years!"