"Run... run..."

I supported A Mole and she me, as we staggered along the bank of the Underground River, fleeing forward.

Behind us, the bell tolled sonorously.

The waters of the Underground River surged darkly, and a small whirlpool began to form on the surface, just as A Mole had described. Beneath the water lay a colossal mechanism akin to a roulette wheel. This underwater roulette drove the bronze chain lock, which in turn pulled the gilded human head, ultimately striking the chime bells.

I pressed hard against my nose with my hand, but to no avail; crimson blood still seeped through my fingers, dripping steadily downward.

At that moment, A Mole suddenly seemed to realize something and shouted at me: "Block your ears! Run back!"

Without further explanation, she started dragging me back the way we came.

To run back after coming so far was surely a death sentence! I couldn't fathom her reasoning, yet still, I retreated with her.

Even with my ears plugged, the pain in my eardrums intensified as we drew closer to the source of the sound.

We scrambled and stumbled back to our starting point.

"Throw... throw away the bell..." A Mole's front was soaked with her own nosebleed, her voice weak.

Enduring the throbbing pain in my ears, I undid my clothes and hurled the chime bells I was carrying on my back into the Underground River.

Almost simultaneously, the sound of the bells ceased abruptly.

The gilded skull heads suspended by the bronze chain locks, as if their power source was cut off, swung a few last times on their own momentum.

The Underground River returned to tranquility, as if nothing had ever happened.

A Mole and I lay side by side on the ground, gasping for air.

"Red Sister... how did you know we had to run back?"

Mole-Faced was pale, her chest a canvas of deep red. She weakly shared her hypothesis.

I briefly considered her words and felt they held great plausibility. It was fortunate she remained clear-headed; otherwise, if we had kept blindly running forward, we surely wouldn't have survived.

This Underground River was a sealed, cylindrical shape. Due to its construction, sound traveled quickly, and we could never outpace it. Moreover, she had previously dived into the water. The chime bells could only ring by harnessing the power of the wheel and the water's flow. The reason they were triggered was because of my own actions—I had dropped one.

Meteoric iron possesses mutual attraction, a balance of gravitational forces. Remove one piece, and that balance is disrupted, setting off a highly precise mechanism group. I also speculated that perhaps over two thousand years ago, there was no Underground River, and that large turntable might have been exposed on the surface.

In the era of King Wen of Zhou, when the Book of Changes (I Ching) was just taking shape, the Qimen Dunjia (Mystical Doors Escaping Technique) had long been established. It is incorrect to assume that Qimen Dunjia (Mystical Doors Escaping Technique) derived from the Book of Changes (I Ching); it must have predated it.

The Warring States Period swiftly followed, a time when the Book of Changes (I Ching) had not yet gained widespread popularity. Nevertheless, the era was already marked by the art of the Vertical and Horizontal Alliances School, the lineage of the Military Strategist School, the laws of the Power School, and the Mechanism Gate of the Mohist School. These intellectual currents gave rise to towering figures like Guiguzi, Sun Bin, Ying Zheng (Emperor Qin Shi Huang), Yan Ying, and Bai Qi.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

This grand assembly, the Human-head Roulette Bell Mechanism Group, must have been backed by Mohist Mechanism Techniques from the Western Zhou Period and the Yin-Yang School. Seen from a different perspective, this is the National Treasure-Level Artifact mentioned at the Entrance of Yao Yumen...

Alas, it is a treasure we cannot take with us.

If any one of these Chime Bells were to be removed, it would trigger the underwater Large Turntable, endangering the lives of the living.

"Red Sister, do you think we might never make it out, that we'll be trapped and die in this Underground River?" I said, wiping the blood from my nose.

A Mole didn't respond.

"Red Sister?"

"Red Sister?"

Struggling to my feet, I turned to look and saw A Mole with furrowed brows, her face deathly pale, having fallen into unconsciousness.

"Red Sister! Red Sister! Wake up! Please, wake up!" I shook her frantically.

A Mole's upper body swayed from my shaking, but she remained motionless.

"Drink some water, Red Sister, yes, water," I fumbled a bottle of mineral water from my bag to give her, but she couldn't drink; the water just flowed from the corners of her mouth.

Desperate, my eyes reddening, I implored, "Eat, Red Sister, have some biscuits."

The biscuits had soaked and expanded, turning semi-liquid, just like the water, I couldn't feed them to her.

A Mole's breathing was now faint.

"Let's go, we have to get out of here, we still have to find Big Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother, let's go!"

I clenched my teeth, struggling to hoist A Mole onto my back.

The flashlight was low on power, its beam considerably dimmed. Bare-chested, I bent over to support her from underneath, and proceeded along the Underground River Bank.

Sweat trickled down my forehead and into my eyes, stinging slightly.

I walked and paused, paused and walked. When thirsty, I drank from the river; when hungry, I nibbled on biscuits that swelled upon soaking. Through it all, I never once considered abandoning A Mole. I was determined to save my companion.

Here, where the sun and moon were unseen, it was impossible to tell whether it was day or night outside. Carrying A Mole, I was cold and hungry, my calves trembling. I had no idea how long I had walked when suddenly, a faint flicker of firelight appeared in the distance.

My legs gave out, and despite my best efforts, I succumbed to unconsciousness.

...

Warmth slowly returned to my body, and I gradually opened my eyes.

The crackling of burning wood filled my ears, and wafts of aromatic scent invaded my nostrils.

Suddenly, a face covered in hair loomed into view.

I jolted upright and scrambled back a couple of steps.

The sight gave me a fright—I thought I had encountered a cannibalistic savage.

"Who... who are you?" I asked, maintaining a wary distance.

He mimicked my speech, "You... who are you?"

I took another two steps back, pointing at him, "I asked who you are, why are you copying me?"

Unexpectedly, he also retreated two steps and, pointing back, echoed, "I ask who you are, why are you copying me?"

"Damn it," I couldn't help but curse, "are you an idiot?"

In the same manner, the hairy-faced man retorted, "Damn it, are you an idiot?"

I was at a loss for words and quickly turned to check on A Mole.

Relief washed over me upon seeing her. Though her mole-faced complexion was still unappealing, her breathing had steadied—a sign of improvement.

Taking a deep breath, I turned back to the man, "Regardless, thank you for saving both my friend and me."

He continued to parrot my words.

We were still not out of the Underground Dark River, and I wondered where he had found dry wood to burn. My gaze landed on the sizzling, oil-dripping grilled fish over the fire, and I involuntarily swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

"Hey, can I have some fish?" I asked.

"Hey, can I have some fish?" he repeated.

Tired of this odd man's mimicry, I had a flash of inspiration, "You have some, don't be shy."

Sure enough, he copied, "You have some, don't be shy."

I felt a surge of joy and didn't hold back.

Having not eaten anything warm for a couple of days, I devoured the fish ravenously. I intended to eat just a bit, but ended up consuming an entire fish, leaving only the bones.

"Phew," after swallowing the last morsel, I spat out a fishbone, "You eat some too."

I thought he would mimic me again.

But...

The strange man seemed to zone out for a moment before vigorously shaking his head.

To my surprise, there was a different look in his eyes now, something indescribable.

He glanced at the fish bones scattered on the ground and then slowly lifted his head.

"Damn it, who the hell are you, kid? I was grilling fish here?" (To be continued)

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I have also posted the following more chapters [All free]: https://www.readgates.com/article/7b136c