Chapter 61 - Sacred Mountain in Myanmar (Part XV)

Chen Shaoxian and Xiao Zhuang listened intently as the foreigner before them recounted his experiences.

The foreigner’s name was Thomas. The other two men were Howard, and the woman was Elena. The three of them were members of a Scientific Expedition Team, and coincidentally, Thomas was the team leader.

What surprised Chen Shaoxian and Xiao Zhuang was the unique nature of this scientific expedition. Their research wasn’t centered on typical scientific subjects like history or geography, but on mysterious cultures and so-called supernatural sciences. They investigated almost anything bizarre and strange, and remarkably, they had the backing of many financial conglomerates, creating a large Research Institute dedicated to studying peculiar events worldwide.

Thomas explained that their Research Institute had various departments, each with its own research projects. Similarly, corresponding departments were established. Thomas’s department was responsible for researching mysterious Eastern cultures.

The reason Thomas and his team were there was because thirty years ago, his department had sent a Scientific Expedition Team to this area, and the entire team disappeared. Over the years, several search and rescue teams were dispatched, all to no avail, resulting in many lost lives. This incident had since become a lingering concern for the Research Institute.

It wasn’t until thirty years later that the matter was revisited. Thomas stated that the upper management of the Research Institute was hesitant to approve the expedition for fear of history repeating itself. However, Thomas strongly advocated for it. Firstly, the equipment for the expedition was vastly superior to that of thirty years ago, significantly improving safety. Secondly, Thomas’s father had been part of the original missing Scientific Expedition Team. Thirdly, there was a document within Thomas’s department that deeply intrigued him.

Thomas developed numerous plans for this expedition to address unforeseen events. After reviewing Thomas’s report and deliberating for a long time, the leadership finally approved the expedition. They sent eight team members with Thomas to this location, but unexpectedly, everything that happened upon their arrival was beyond Thomas’s expectations.

At this point, Thomas smacked himself a few times in frustration and then broke down in tears, lamenting that he had doomed these young people.

Chen Shaoxian and Xiao Zhuang could empathize with Thomas’s current state and hurried to comfort him.

After calming down, Thomas steadied his emotions and continued to recount everything that had happened since their arrival.

After listening, Chen Shaoxian sighed, handed Thomas a cigarette, and asked, “What did the documents your organization have record?”

Thomas took a deep drag on the cigarette and said to Chen Shaoxian, “The documents state that this mountain was a place of sacrificial rites for an ancient tribe, possessing some mysterious unknown power. During World War II, many Japanese soldiers disappeared here. Later, the institute conducted extensive investigations and learned that these missing Japanese soldiers came here seeking some form of mysterious power and were never seen again.”

“We found that those Japanese soldiers captured some local Burmese and then headed up the mountain, and they indeed never reappeared. Some elderly locals said that the mountain devoured the Japanese soldiers, turning them into sacrifices for the Mountain Deity. This led the upper management of the institute to believe that this mountain held significant research value, which is why they sent that Scientific Expedition Team.”

Hearing this, Chen Shaoxian exchanged a glance with Xiao Zhuang, thinking, “It looks like Thomas doesn’t know much more than we do.” In his mind, Chen Shaoxian criticized these foreigners, wondering if they were either overly adventurous or had too much money to spare, but he also admired their courage to explore the unknown; it was just their methods that were questionable.

Chen Shaoxian shook off these thoughts and asked, “Just now, you said you know the way out?”

Thomas nodded, then habitually reached into his pockets, realizing he wasn’t wearing his own clothes. Remembering what had happened earlier, he blushed slightly and awkwardly said, “Many ancient Eastern sacrificial rites require not returning by the same path, so I deduced that the place we arrived might be both the entry and exit. Although it appears blocked, there must be a way out.”

Chen Shaoxian considered Thomas’s words and found them reasonable, as many places have a tradition of burning joss paper and not looking back on the way home after such rites, which aligns with what Thomas explained.

After a brief conversation with Xiao Zhuang, Chen Shaoxian looked at the others and announced, “We’re going home.”

The mention of going home sparked a reaction among everyone. Their previously exhausted and dejected expressions suddenly filled with hope as they looked at Chen Shaoxian, standing up one by one.

Xiao Zhuang distributed the weapons and gear to ensure everyone had something for self-defense and organized the formation. Chen Shaoxian and Xiao Zhuang led side by side, guiding the group deeper into the cave.