Chapter 68 - Sacred Mountain in Myanmar (Part XXII)

Faced with this situation, Chen Shaoxian had no other choice but to lead the group, quickly following Howard as they sprinted through the thatch huts.

While running, Yang Xiao’ang occasionally aimed at the huts on both sides.

The white moths from the thatch huts had all taken to the sky, buzzing loudly as they swooped towards the fleeing group.

Upon hearing this sound, everyone quickened their pace, running for their lives. Being caught by these creatures would surely mean death.

As he ran, Chen Shaoxian pulled out an oil pouch and nudged Xiao Zhuang, making a gesture as if holding a gun.

Seeing Xiao Zhuang nod, Chen Shaoxian swiftly turned around, first assessing the defense, then forcefully hurling the oil pouch towards the swarm. His arm strength was impressive, and coupled with his aim, he precisely threw it to the front of the swarm.

Xiao Zhuang had been waiting. Seeing the oil pouch reach the optimal position, he lifted his hand and fired three shots. Before the gunshots faded, a sudden flash illuminated above them, accompanied by a dull thud. A massive fireball appeared in the sky, lighting up the entire cavern like the sun.

The swarm was burned, creating a large hole, and many of the surrounding insects were scorched, raining down like droplets.

Instead of looking up, Chen Shaoxian took advantage of the fireball’s light to observe the entire cavern’s outline. Finally, he understood why they couldn’t escape the area of the thatch huts. Each hut was constructed with a slight curve that was imperceptible without the overhead light. Numerous huts formed multiple circles, and under the light of a torch or flashlight, the paths always appeared straight.

No matter where someone entered from, they would inevitably follow the main road. No one would suspect that the narrow spaces between the huts were the actual escape routes. This was a classic case of not seeing the forest for the trees.

Zhuge Liang¹ once used a few rocks to trap Lu Xun²‘s army of ten thousand, a masterstroke of psychological warfare.

Suddenly, Chen Shaoxian wondered how Howard knew about this. He quickened his pace, eager to catch up with Howard, who was running ahead.

Howard seemed aware that someone behind was trying to catch up, and he increased his speed as well.

Simultaneously, the remnants of the insect swarm, scattered by the fireball, regrouped without seeming to diminish. They buzzed together, diving down towards the people below, continuing the chase within the cavern.

The swarm moved quickly, yet at intervals, Chen Shaoxian would pull out an oil pouch from his bag and throw it into the air, while Xiao Zhuang instinctively fired at the airborne pouch. Together, they bought the group some precious time.

Suddenly, a sharp scream echoed in the cavern, causing the airborne swarm to split into two groups. One continued pursuing Chen Shaoxian and his team, while the other circled around, seemingly intending to block their path.

Seeing this, Xiao Zhuang shouted to Song Yumu behind him, “Signal flare!” Then he swiftly took Elena from Song Yumu’s back.

Song Yumu seamlessly loaded and fired the signal flare, its long tail of fire streaking through the swarm like a meteor, dispersing the insects with intense heat.

At this moment, Howard’s figure flashed and vanished ahead.

Chen Shaoxian hurried to catch up, only to suddenly feel his body become airborne. He cursed loudly, “Damn, a downhill path!” as he tumbled in surprise, finally landing with a splash, indicating he had reached the bottom.

Hearing Chen Shaoxian’s warning, those behind couldn’t stop in time but managed to avoid his clumsy fall.

Just before descending, Xiao Zhuang handed Elena to Song Yumu, asking Yang Xiao’ang for a bottle of liquid fuel. He opened it, poured the contents at the entrance, and ignited it.

The sudden burst of flames and searing heat held the swarm at bay.

By now, Chen Shaoxian had risen from the ground, gritting his teeth and moving his aching body. “Where’s Xiao Zhuang?” he asked.

Xiao Zhuang, who had just arrived, squeezed through the crowd to Chen Shaoxian and inquired, “Shaoxian, are you hurt?”

Rubbing his shoulder, Chen Shaoxian said, “Howard’s too cunning.”

Realizing Chen Shaoxian was unharmed, everyone sighed in relief.

Thomas, seeing that Chen Shaoxian was okay, asked, “Where’s Howard?”

Chen Shaoxian pointed behind him, saying, “Jumped into the water and escaped.”

Only then did everyone notice an underground river not far away.

The group approached the river’s edge and saw many stakes driven into the riverbank. Shining a flashlight over the water, they noticed numerous bamboo rafts floating and drifting with the river’s current.

Xiao Zhuang suggested Chen Shaoxian take a rest first. Then, he, along with his younger brother Nie Wei and Zhang Zeshan, approached the water’s edge. The three of them worked together to pull in a bamboo raft and found that the bamboo was very sturdy and the vines binding the raft were not rotten. Xiao Zhuang had the others pull over a few more bamboo rafts to test them-each one was usable.

Thomas, who couldn’t really help much in this process, sat on a stone post, rubbing his leg. Suddenly, he felt something odd on the stone post and exclaimed, “Huh?” He crouched down to examine the post closely and asked, “What is this?” as he inspected it more intently.

Everyone else was busy checking the bamboo rafts, too preoccupied to pay attention to Thomas.

Chen Shaoxian walked over to Thomas and patted him.

Thomas turned his head to Chen Shaoxian and said, “Take a look at this.”

Chen Shaoxian glanced at it, noticing figures carved on the stone that looked neither like apes nor monkeys, with somewhat fierce faces. Below seemed to be carvings of fish.

Chen Shaoxian sarcastically said to Thomas, “Maybe you’d like to stay behind and conduct some research.” After that, he headed back to the bamboo raft.

Thomas quickly caught up with Chen Shaoxian, even rushing ahead of him.

The group of about twenty people managed to make four bamboo rafts, floating side by side with the current.

Sitting on the raft, Chen Shaoxian dipped his hand into the water. Earlier, during their frantic escape, he hadn’t felt it, but now, his burnt hand ached with a fiery pain.

He suddenly felt something brushing against his hand. Grabbing his flashlight, he looked over the water and tilted his head.

There were fish, and this discovery delighted Chen Shaoxian. The fish didn’t seem afraid of humans. When Chen Shaoxian put his hand in the water, the fish swam over and nibbled at it.

Timing it right, he grabbed one, tossing it onto the raft. The fish were clumsy and didn’t try to escape. Whenever he put his hand in the water, they swarmed over, allowing Chen Shaoxian to catch them with ease, distracting him from the pain in his hand.

The others, seeing Chen Shaoxian actually catching fish from the river, watched him joyfully.

Xiao Zhuang, who shared the same raft with Chen Shaoxian, saw him catching many large fish and also caught one himself. The fish were peculiar-white on top and black below, with eyes that had degenerated into mere slits.

Upon getting a good look at the fish, Xiao Zhuang’s expression suddenly changed. He urgently said, “Shaoxian, stop catching them. These are reincarnation fish.”

Footnote:

1. Zhuge Liang(诸葛亮):Zhuge Liang was a renowned strategist and statesman of the Shu Han state during the Three Kingdoms period, celebrated for his intelligence and strategic acumen.
2. Lu Xun(陆逊): Lu Xun was a key general of the Eastern Wu state, known for his decisive victory over Liu Bei using fire tactics.