Chapter 75: Are You Still a Virgin?

Instinctively, I glanced at my black-gold dagger. It was an antique, surely something that could ward off evil. But Black Sunglasses told me the blade was too bloodthirsty, that it had seen too much blood and thus wouldn’t work. I racked my brain, but couldn’t think of anything else that might keep evil at bay. Just then, Black Sunglasses asked, “Are you still a virgin?”

I froze, then immediately felt a surge of irritation. Before I could curse him out, he explained that a virgin’s urine could ward off evil spirits, and pressed again—was I a virgin or not? If I was, it would count. Hearing this, my face flushed crimson. The truth was, I really was a virgin, but how could I ever admit that? I was well into my twenties—who would ever admit such a thing? To claim I was still pure, or a virgin? That was far too embarrassing.

I shot him an annoyed glare, refusing to answer. He only gave a sheepish grin, then said, “This burial chamber is truly strange, and there’s something very wrong here. We need to get out as soon as possible.”

He pointed toward the pitch-black tunnel ahead. As I moved forward, thinking to myself that I didn’t believe in ghosts or spirits, I couldn’t help but glance down at the quiet form of Liuzi lying inside the stone coffin. A strange, indescribable sensation crept over me. I shook my head quickly, trying to rid myself of the thought, and hurried after Black Sunglasses toward the dark tunnel.

The entrance was round, clearly carved by human hands, the inside reinforced with blocks of stone. I couldn't tell where it led. Staring at the gaping darkness ahead and the endless road, a peculiar restlessness welled up within me—a feeling I couldn’t explain.

“What are you dawdling for? Hurry up and get out of here. I’ve got a bad feeling about this place—be careful,” Black Sunglasses urged.

I nodded in response, and, out of habit, glanced back over my shoulder. I’d picked up this habit recently, always afraid something might suddenly appear behind me. Seeing Black Sunglasses there, I felt a little more at ease.

“What are you looking at? Oh... I get it, you’re spooked. Don’t worry, I’m right behind you,” he said.

Without thinking, I replied, “But who’s behind you?”

He instinctively looked back, then muttered, “Damn.”

The path ahead was utterly black, seemingly endless, as if we could never reach the end. At first, neither of us thought much of it, but when I happened to glance at my watch, I realized we’d been walking for half an hour. On such a flat path, even if we were being cautious and moving slowly, that was no short distance. Yet, my wolf-eye flashlight—set to its narrowest beam—still couldn’t reach the end. That light should have cut straight for a thousand meters, maybe more.

I stopped. There was only silence behind me; Black Sunglasses, too, must have sensed something was wrong. Neither of us spoke. I lit a cigarette, feeling a wave of irritability. I turned and said, “Something’s off about this passage.”

But when I looked back, Black Sunglasses was gone. He was no longer behind me. My scalp prickled with fear. How could a living, breathing person vanish into thin air?

I knew that moments like this called for absolute composure. I took a few hard drags on my cigarette, forcing myself to calm down. My heart gradually steadied, though cold sweat beaded on my forehead. I pushed down my panic and steadied myself.

Until now, no matter how strange things had gotten, I’d never truly panicked. Even if I felt uneasy at first, I’d always managed to collect myself, because I wasn’t alone—Black Sunglasses was always there, calm and rational. But now, with only myself for company, I felt unmoored. Despite everything I’d been through, this place was different—everywhere reeked of the uncanny, and bizarre events kept happening, shattering everything I thought I knew about the world.

I finished my cigarette quickly and lit another, drawing slowly as I tried to recall everything that had happened. Since we’d entered, I’d been walking ahead, with Black Sunglasses occasionally teasing me about whether or not I was a virgin. As I gradually stopped responding, he fell silent too, but I could still hear his footsteps. At some point, I realized the footsteps had vanished, just a little before I turned to speak to him.

From the moment we entered, there had been no side passages, no other routes—just a straight line. So how had he disappeared? Where could he have gone? We’d been so close, he always right behind me. If anything had happened, he would’ve warned me. Could it be… I suddenly wondered if he’d deliberately left me behind.

But why would he do that? I thought of his behavior since the desert—the way he’d disguised himself as a fellow traveler, then proposed we work together. Was all of this part of some plan? Was there something he needed to do without me?

Questions swirled in my mind, answers only he could give. But even if I saw him again, would I still trust what he said?

Soon, I realized my most pressing concern was myself—how to get out of here. I looked again into the endless darkness ahead, doubt gnawing at me. Maybe I should just go back, even if it meant returning to the burial chamber. What did I care about ghosts or monsters now? I was a man as good as dead—soon enough I’d be a spirit myself, and then what would there be to fear? We’d all be ghosts together.

With this thought, my courage returned. I couldn’t keep going forward—who knew where this path would end? So I turned around, ready to go back. As for Black Sunglasses, I decided not to think about him for the time being.