Chapter 899: Underground Channel

Chapter 899: The Hidden Conduit

Hearing Li Huowang’s words, Qing Wanglai chuckled, reaching up to adjust the bridge of his glasses. "A secret."

With that, he walked over and joined Wu Qi in helping Li Huowang to his feet.

"If you can converse with them, why not attempt reconciliation? What is it they want? Or do you have some other agenda?"

"If such a good thing were possible, I would have done it long ago. You say it is already over; after last time, it became a matter of life and death."

Just then, Wu Qi cautioned Qing Wanglai, "Be careful, his ribs are broken."

"It’s nothing. This wasn't from the rocks; it was smashed by a madman earlier. I can walk on my own." Li Huowang pushed them away forcefully and stumbled after the others as they departed.

Though injured, Li Huowang’s emotional state was far more stable than before. He knew that what he had seen was not entirely a hallucination; Chen Hongyu was not dead—she had merely projected herself into another form of existence.

Vaguely, Li Huowang began to discern a pattern: some aspects of these people’s worldviews were false, yet others were undeniably real.

Take, for instance, Qing Wanglai’s projection theory, which had been validated by Chen Hongyu.

"Are you alright?" Li Huowang took two quick steps, bending down to scoop up a fat grey rat lying in the moss.

It was still alive, seemingly stunned by the sheer force of the impact.

Li Huowang placed it on his shoulder, ignoring the hushed whispers behind him, and walked toward the exit.

Once they returned to the scorching Gobi desert, it was Qing Wanglai’s turn to lead. Fortunately, he knew the terrain; after following the path of the collapse for over an hour, a pitch-black wellhead appeared before Li Huowang.

"The site of the collapse should be a kilometer away. If we enter from here, our path won't be blocked," Qing Wanglai said, tucking away his compass.

"The problem is, we don't know if they are lying in ambush below, so we need someone to scout the way."

The opening was deep and dark, and everything within was a mystery.

Those present looked at one another, their gazes eventually settling on Li Huowang.

"Why should I be the one to go down? Is 'sucker' written on my forehead?" Li Huowang retorted.

Qing Wanglai urged him, "Li Huowang, this isn't just for the others; it’s for yourself. Your gear offers better protection than ours. If you help, I promise you one thing—anything within my power to grant."

"Sorry, I don't eat the cakes you draw on paper. If you want fairness, we draw lots."

Ever since he saw how they had exploited Chen Hongyu, Li Huowang had lost all faith in these people.

Thinking of this, he looked down at the rat in his hand and realized it had awakened, poking its head about and sniffing the air.

He stroked the rat’s head, then suddenly, as if struck by a wave of lingering fear, his expression turned to one of terror.

He hurried over to Zhao Lei, thrust the rat toward him, and asked agitatedly, "Can you see it? Tell me! Can you see this rat?"

Startled, Zhao Lei retreated several steps. "I see it! I see it! Li Huowang, what is wrong with you? Why are you becoming more insane by the day?"

"As long as you can see it, at least it’s not my hallucination." Li Huowang gently stroked the rat’s head and let out a long breath.

Suddenly, he paused, and carrying the rat, he walked toward Qing Wanglai and Zhao Shuangdian, who were conferring.

"I can go down and scout, but when we return, you must do me a favor."

"What favor?" Zhao Shuangdian asked.

"I need you to help me procure the prescription medication Yi Donglai used to give me." Li Huowang knew he could not continue like this; he could not afford to keep failing to distinguish reality from illusion.

Since he was truly ill, he had to keep taking his medicine—not necessarily to be cured, but at least to stabilize his condition and prevent the hallucinations from returning.

Qing Wanglai and Zhao Shuangdian exchanged a glance and nodded in unison. "Agreed."

Hearing this, Li Huowang turned and walked toward the wellhead without hesitation.

He pressed his legs against the sides of the shaft, looking down into the abyssal darkness. A cold, unsettling wind whistled up from below. "A flare."

Just as Li Huowang reached out to take the flare, the rat in his hand struggled free and leaped down into the hole.

Li Huowang tried to stop it, but the creature had already vanished into the gloom.

After a few seconds of hesitation, Li Huowang leaned over the wellhead and shouted, "Sister Chen! How is it down there? Is there an ambush?"

Hearing a faint, muffled squeaking of rats, Li Huowang released his grip and plummeted into the depths.

The moment he landed, he held the flare high, its dazzling red light instantly illuminating the surroundings.

Seeing no enemies, he waved the flare to signal the others to descend.

While they made their way down, Li Huowang whispered to the retreating rat, "Sister Chen, thank you. But in the future, you don't need to help me; I can handle it myself."

"Who are you talking to?" Wu Qi, descending by rope, looked at Li Huowang with concern.

Li Huowang shook his head, offering no explanation; in any case, they would never believe what he said.

"Stay alert. We’ve already stirred the hornet’s nest; they must be on guard," Zhao Shuangdian said, taking the lead.

"Are you sure we have enough people? They seem to have far more than us." When Zhao Shuangdian had spoken of a surprise attack, Li Huowang had assumed they held the advantage, but now it looked like a suicide mission.

Zhao Shuangdian shook her head. "They aren't as formidable as you think, and we aren't as weak as you imagine. We hurt them last time; they are afraid now."

She turned to Li Huowang again. "You don't need to force yourself to understand me. It’s fine. You can use the worldview you understand to explain it to yourself."

"Whether it’s the ivory or the leg, it’s all part of the same elephant; they are all connected."

"Whatever I am in your world, that is what I am."

Li Huowang looked at her delicate profile. "I wish I knew, but I truly do not know what kind of Siling you are."

The hidden conduit grew quiet. To avoid detection, even their flashlights were extinguished, and everyone moved forward in the dark.

After walking for nearly half an hour, the air became thick with the scent of heavy metals and the acrid, burnt stench of chemicals.

The odor was foul, penetrating even through Li Huowang’s helmet.

Qing Wanglai’s hushed voice reached Li Huowang’s ears. "This is the smell of methamphetamine. We are almost there."