Chapter 44: Shadow City

As soon as this thought crossed my mind, an inexplicable discomfort crept over my entire body. Perhaps it was just a psychological reaction, but I forcibly pushed aside the speculation and continued wandering through this ancient underground city. Unbidden, my mind returned to the first ancient city I had entered. What connection could there be between these two cities? Why were there two underground cities? No matter how I pondered, I could not unravel the mystery.

At that moment, I suddenly saw a beam of flashlight ahead. Instinctively, I thought of Old Han, but then I shook my head in secret. That was impossible; he could not have reached this place so quickly. Yet, the flashlight seemed to draw nearer and nearer. I quickly switched off my own light and began to walk forward quietly. The faint blue lights flickering behind me vanished as well.

Just then, with a creak, a courtyard door on my right opened by itself, shattering the silence and sending a jolt of shock through my heart. This was far too eerie—why would a door suddenly swing open in this place? My neck stiffened involuntarily as I slowly turned to look. The courtyard inside was utterly still and empty. My legs, as if no longer under my control, took several steps toward the open doorway before I forced myself to calm down. With such strange happenings afoot, it was best not to let curiosity get the better of me.

But just then, the door began to sway back and forth of its own accord. My soul nearly fled my body from fright. Though I’d always considered myself brave, I had never before encountered anything so uncanny—just like a haunting. In this darkness and silence, such a scene would terrify anyone. Cold sweat broke out on my back. It felt like some elaborate prank, but I was always the type who, the more frightened I was, the more determined I became to uncover the truth. Rather than remain in fearful uncertainty, I might as well investigate. At that moment, a spark of excitement began to kindle inside me, burning away all traces of fear.

I walked toward the swaying courtyard door, and as I approached, it stopped moving. I had never believed in ghosts, but, once inside the courtyard, even a staunch materialist like myself began to waver. It felt as though something invisible was guiding me step by step. There was no wind here, so how could the door have moved? And just as I passed by—

Inside, I found the inner chamber door was open. Within, a small black box sat, less than a meter in length. I approached, and to my shock, the box rocked slightly, as if something inside was moving. Could there be a living thing inside? That was impossible—how could anything survive sealed in a box for a thousand years? Yet, recalling those poisonous worms, I felt less certain.

But for reasons I couldn’t fathom, I could not resist the urge to open the box. It was as if something in the darkness was calling to me. Steeling myself, I muttered that, as someone already doomed, I had nothing to fear. I gritted my teeth, pried at the long-decayed padlock with my short knife, and it snapped open with a dull click. What I saw inside left me utterly stunned: a perfectly preserved corpse, that of a small child, exquisitely featured. But before I could take a closer look, the child’s body rapidly turned purple, shriveled up, and finally became a mummy—all within a matter of seconds, so quickly I could scarcely recall the child’s original appearance.

“Was it you who called to me?”

I murmured softly, my heart heavy with pity. How tragic, for a child so young to have languished here for a millennium. Perhaps it was a custom of that time, but I believed the dead should rest in the earth. With a sigh, I thought perhaps fate had led me here, or maybe the child sought my help. Whatever the reason, I resolved to bury him.

Fortunately, the soil here was loose, and the box was not large. Using the entrenching tool from my backpack, I quickly dug a small pit in the courtyard and placed the small coffin inside. With hands pressed together, I whispered, “Little one, regardless of the circumstances, my ancestors were also people of Li. By all rights and feelings, I should help you. May you soon find a good family in your next life.”

After covering the grave, I was suddenly filled with an unspeakable sense of ease, my spirits inexplicably lifted. Perhaps there truly was virtue in doing good deeds.

Just as I stepped out of the courtyard, a flash of flashlight beams swept before me—many flashlights. I froze, then quickly hid behind the courtyard door. Luckily, they didn’t notice me. Pressed against the door, I listened quietly to their passing footsteps and risked a glance. There were about twenty of them, many with familiar backs. Looking more closely, I realized it was Li Ling and her group. Leading them was none other than Old Ghost himself. He had brought everyone down.

A jolt of alarm shot through me. This was trouble. Though I was confident I could escape, I couldn’t simply abandon Li Ling and the others. But how could I possibly rescue so many, given Old Ghost’s dozen armed men—some even carrying submachine guns? Besides, ahead lay the poisonous worms. Marching in unawares was far too dangerous.

Hidden in the dark, I racked my brains, but every plan seemed far too simplistic. Clenching my fists, I decided I could not abandon Li Ling and her friends. I admit I am no saint and have my own selfish motives. At worst, I’d focus on saving Li Ling; as for the others, I’d help whoever I could, with Anna and Liang Qiu as priorities.

With this in mind, I began to stealthily follow them. They were taking the route I’d traveled earlier, heading toward the ancient tower. As I trailed them, I grew increasingly puzzled. They must have been led down here by Li Ling and her group, but why had they been brought to this place? Could it be that the first underground city had truly vanished?

While I crept behind them, a sudden shout rang out—it was Old Han’s voice. He burst out, wounded all over, and then Old Ghost seemed to confer with him in hushed tones. I was too far away to hear. Under the wavering flashlights, Old Ghost’s face became grim and sullen. It seemed he had learned what had happened. But I was not afraid; I was in the shadows while they were exposed in this bizarre underground city. If I wished to play some tricks, it would be easy—perhaps shattering that jar of poisonous worms among them. But I had to consider Li Ling and her companions’ safety.

Soon, they stopped, apparently wary of the ancient tower and its deadly insects. While they paused to rest, I took advantage of the darkness to creep closer. Their numbers were great—over thirty with Li Ling’s group—so it was difficult for anyone to notice a single person approaching.

I picked up a small stone and flicked it toward Li Ling. She started, then quickly looked around. I hadn’t expected such keen senses—she spotted me almost instantly. I signaled for her to keep quiet and indicated she should slip away if she found an opportunity. But she shook her head and turned away, leaving me momentarily baffled.

At that moment, Old Ghost stood and called out to everyone, leading them onward toward the ancient tower, leaving the rest behind. To my astonishment, they didn’t bother with Li Ling’s group at all.

I had been racking my brains for a rescue plan, but this unexpected development changed everything. As soon as Old Ghost’s group left, I hurried over. Liang Qiu and the others started to question me, but Li Ling stopped them, urging everyone to be quiet. She pulled me aside, her expression grave, and whispered, “We’re finished. This is the City of Shadows. We can never get out.”

Seeing my confusion, Li Ling explained what the City of Shadows was. It was, quite literally, a city of the dead—a cemetery built in the style of a town. And where there is a City of Shadows, there is also a City of Light. The City of Light was likely the place we had previously visited, lying above us, while the City of Shadows was buried beneath, even deeper underground. As for why we entered the City of Light first and then the City of Shadows, Li Ling admitted she did not know. These were only her deductions and guesses, but she insisted we could not escape.

I looked around at the buildings, finding it hard to believe that all of this had been constructed as a necropolis, a place for the dead. A word surged into my mind: the Underworld.

“What do you mean by that?” I asked Li Ling her intentions. She told me she was going to follow Old Ghost; she wanted to uncover the truth. I stared at her in bewilderment—this woman was astonishingly resolute. My plan had been to get everyone out, but I, too, longed to uncover the truth here. Even though I now possessed half a red elixir—the Spirit Blood Pill—I could not be sure it was truly an antidote. If it was not, then this was my chance to seize the opportunity and search for answers, to find a way to dispel the poisonous curse.