Chapter 34 – Entering the Secret Cave
Teacher Lin naturally couldn’t be brought along. If Teacher Lin were to come along, would I still be able to adventure in Ba Jiao Mountain’s main peak? Naturally, it would be impossible. Teacher Lin definitely wouldn’t agree to let it go. Although Ba Jiao Mountain has been around since such a long time, the things within the mountain still felt unusually fresh.
Till sleeping time, I had been continuously thinking of ways to get rid of Teacher Lin. Therefore, I tossed and turned but couldn’t sleep.
“Don’t fiddle about.” Teacher Lin said sleepily.
I promptly quieted down, closed my eyes, but still couldn’t sleep.
The weather was very warm, rural areas began to get lively in the night, and sounds of frogs were already resounding continuously in the fields. Also, all kinds of insects were calling and birds were crying incessantly.
From time to time, a gust of wind would blew, and the rustling of tree leaves would echo. The branches on the window sill would sway.
“Come quickly…..”
I suddenly shook, that voice seemingly resounded within my ears again. That was the voice that had been coming over from Ba Jiao Mountain’s main peak!
Teacher Lin ought to have fallen asleep already, I could already hear the serene and deep breathing.
The cries of insects and frog calls in the field had suddenly stopped. The night in Ba Jiao Village had unexpectedly become so lonely.
I promptly squeezed into the quilt and tightly hugged Teacher Lin.
Early morning, by the time I woke up, dawn had already broke. Teacher Lin had already woken up, and seeing me open my eyes, she hit me on the head.
“Rotten brat, didn’t even have the slightest bit of sincerity while going to sleep at night. Always kept moving about.”
I lowered my head, and didn’t say a word.
“Teacher Lin is joking with you. As a boy, how are you so shy. Almost the same as a girl.” Teacher Lin, seeing my appearance, said chuckling.
“Teacher Lin, Huang Shulang said that today, he would be going to visit his relatives, so it won’t be possible to go. In the morning, we won’t go pick mushrooms.” This was the pretext that I had thought up last night. I had begun to feel my mental capacity become increasingly insufficient. I don’t know if it was because of staying with Fatty for such a long time. It seems that in the future, I must stay away from Fatty as much as possible.
“When did Huang Shulang come again yesterday? It seems that I didn’t see him? Are you preparing to go do something mischievous. Afraid that me going with you will spoil your mischief?” Teacher Lin had been sleeping with me on the same bed, how could it not be possible to gain some influence from me?
I had unexpectedly overlooked this important issue, “It is not so, didn’t we go to cut fish gra.s.s in the afternoon yesterday? Huang Shulang told me in the village.”
“Good, good. Don’t you know that to cover a lie, you need to speak a hundred lies? Teacher Lin was joking with you. Do you really think that Teacher Lin would love to go play together with you brats?”
I had actually believed what Teacher Lin had said to be true, and had unexpectedly forgotten that the prettier the woman, the more she deceives.
“Teacher Lin, I’m sorry. The main reason is that Huang Shulang said that if you went along, that you would interfere with our matters.” I sincerely explained.
“Ah? Do you still want to throw me off?” Teacher Lin’s eyebrows stood vertically like willows.
I had begun to sweat from my head, deceiving us children like this, is this really good?
Fortunately, perhaps Teacher Lin also thought that it was not a good idea for the old to bully the young, and at last, allowed me to go out.
I placed the things that I had prepared beforehand into the deep baskets on Old Yellow’s back. Old Yellow, compared to the other oxen in the village, has more than a frame to transport goods. In addition to putting a frame on one side, the basket could be put un.o.bstructed on the other side. Old Yellow was really an ox working as a horse.
Black Bean also followed behind. This time, I did not let Black Bean overtake me. Going to a dangerous place, taking one for transporting goods, and taking the other for putting its nose to use. I felt that security had been doubled all of a sudden.
Huang Shulang’s parents got up early every day to buy pork. Huang Shulang was the only one in his family who slept in.
“d.a.m.ned Fatty, get out of bed!” I lifted the Fatty’s cup.
Fatty drowsily opened his eyes, and upon seeing me, immediately got up very quickly. These fast reactions had been obtained from the training that I had already imparted.
“Ma-Master. Why are you so early?” Fatty conveniently wore a set of clothes.
“Have you prepared the things I made you prepare yesterday?” I asked.
“Yes! The rechargeable lamp is already full. However, I don’t have eatables; yesterday was held up due to light. My parents don’t give me pocket money. I didn’t have any money to buy.” Huang Shulang sought an excuse.
I obviously knew that Huang Shulang begrudges to part with money. This fellow had inherited his parents’ careful planning and meticulous accounting.
“Never mind, let it be. Let’s set off. We must come out from inside, before it gets dark. Who knows what kind of ghastly things are there inside.”
“Master, do we really have to go?” Huang Shulang was, once again, cowering.
“Why, are you intending on reneging on a promise?” I was intently watching Huang Shulang.
Huang Shulang promptly shook his head: “No, no. I was just worried about Master’s safety.”
“f.u.c.k off. You are not worried about me, but rather yourself. Never mind, whether to go or not to go, hurry up and make a decision. I cannot waste my time with you.” I didn’t want to continue wasting time.
Huang Shulang hesitated for a long time, before very painfully finally deciding: “Going.”
“This is right.” I patted Huang Shulang’s shoulders.
“Master, can I write my will first?” Huang Shulang spoke another sentence.
My leg flew out into a kick. Huang Shulang, unsurprisingly, screamed out and flew tens of feet away. However, one mustn’t look at Huang Shulang’s violent screaming; in fact, he doesn’t have even a single wound. I just saw that Huang Shulang was unhappy, but didn’t want to actually hurt him.
After entering the cave, one must be accustomed to the interplay of light and darkness, with some lights illuminating the front, while darkness chased from behind.
The point of explosion on Ba Jiao Mountain’s main peak had turned into a huge cave.
The cave penetrated straight down into the mountain’s depths. I used the flashlight to illuminate the inside, only to discover that unexpectedly, the cave was immeasurably deep.[1]
Huang Shulang picked up a stone and threw it down, but even after a long time, no sound of the stone hitting the ground could be heard. There was no sound for a very long time.
Huang Shulang hastily retreated several steps: “Master, ho-how do we go in?”
Huang Shulang’s two legs kept trembling non-stop.
I didn’t pay any attention to Huang Shulang, just took the rechargeable lamp from him, and shone it on the underground. The cave was very deep, so deep that the bottom couldn’t be seen. The two sides were very steep. This cave looked like a knife had been used to slice it. I was also anxious, but in the cave was apparently something that was beckoning to me. Unless I went down to have a look, I wouldn’t be able to feel at ease.
“I have a way.” I searched all around in the main peak. Already two groups of people had come here, that archaeological team perhaps didn’t bring anything to go over. However, the rescue team that came later, should definitely have brought some equipment to go over. Such a deep cave, would certainly require the use of ropes. A rope was not something of value, and moving it down from the peak would not be so easy. They might have discarded it here on the mountains. I searched in all directions. I very quickly found the tents left behind by the archaeological team. Naturally, there wouldn’t be any valuable things left behind in the tents, but the tent had several sets of ropes that I was looking for. Also, there were several sets of miner hats. Turning on the switch over the head, it unexpectedly still had light. I readily took a hat for myself to wear on my head, and threw a comparatively newer looking hat to Huang Shulang.
Huang Shulang was very much afraid in the beginning, but after taking such conveniences, he was immediately enlivened. Wearing the miner hat on his head, he rushed happily to me: “Master, see, after putting on this hat, don’t I look like a member of the archaeology team.”
“Fatty, when I go down first, you keep a watch out above. You slowly let Old Yellow and Black Bean down towards me. When I am safe, you can get down. If you don’t dare to go down, you can keep watch above. In any condition, you mustn’t run away, ok?” I was somewhat worried that Huang Shulang, out of fright, would leave half-way.
Huang Shulang then nodded his head: “I will get down. If I alone stayed above, then I would get afraid.”
At this time, a lot of birds in the forest let out cries in unison, scaring Huang Shulang from top to bottom.
“I-I really regret coming here today with you.” Huang Shulang said with a sullen expression.
“Immature! Only after suffering hardships can you be moulded into an upright person. If you want to become a martial arts expert, how can you not suffer even the slightest bit of hardship?” I knew at this stage, there was no room for regret in putting trust in the wrong person.
I didn’t have many choices at my end. Amongst the village children, except for Fatty, each and every one stayed far away.
I couldn’t take Teacher Lin to adventure, right?
Black Bean was actually much braver than Huang Shulang. I tightly grasped the ends of the bamboo basket, and sitting down into the basket, shouted at Huang Shulang: “Quick, quick, release the rope, slowly.”
Huang Shulang had no experience, didn’t exercise firm control, and as the rope loosened, Black Bean and I began free-falling down to the ground. I thought that it was all over, I really trusted the wrong person, ah.
However, the bamboo basket suddenly stopped, and the bamboo basket jumped all of a sudden. Black Bean and I almost fell off the bamboo basket. I later came to know that it was Old Yellow who had accomplished the deed. Unexpectedly, immediately knowing the use of the rope, he stepped on it directly. Old Yellow’s foot was therefore injured. Later, as Huang Shulang became more and more experienced, we didn’t have any more issues. These ropes were used by the rescue team. Their length was quite good, and capable of reaching the cave’s bottom. In fact, we hadn’t reached the end yet, only below, the cave had slowly turned inclined. It became possible to drop down to the ground to walk.
I shook the rope heavily, to let Huang Shulang know that I had already reached the ground.
Huang Shulang didn’t have such an easy time getting down. I found a figure eight descender in the rope. This made us spend a lot of time to understand how to use this thing.[2]
When Huang Shulang arrived at the ground, he was already gasping for breath: “Hu…… Hu…… Master, I really risked my life today. This fear must have lessened a jin of flesh from me, right? Later, you should let me learn high-level martial arts cheats, right? I like that man and woman together cultivation skill the most.”
“f.u.c.k off!” I really lost face big time. He is a d.a.m.ned fatty, but his requests are so d.a.m.n high. This kind of kung fu, I also want. Thinking that later, I can practice together with Teacher Lin. Certainly, at that time, the thoughts of us first graders, were still very pure.[3]
[1] The Cave mentioned in this chapter is a type of vertical cave, I am confused whether to call it a Pit cave or not, Author doesn’t make any indication in the raws or maybe I am just reading it wrong. Read more here.
[2] Figure eight descender is a commonly used equipment
[3] I’ll be d.a.m.ned