Chapter 38 – Escape
Huang Shulang and I pushed hard, but how could it be pushed anywhere? One must know that Fatty and I were first graders, even though Fatty’s body looked very big, it was useless, his body was completely full of fat. Although my strength in comparison to other children is much greater. even an adult also would not necessarily be able to move this thick coffin easily.
“Master, you’re not going to use magic? You know that by using magic, we can take away this thing; otherwise, we are done for!” Not even a short while later, Huang Shulang was already gasping for breath. Sitting down on the ground, he wasn’t willing to move.
“Roar! w.a.n.g ,w.a.n.g, w.a.n.g ,w.a.n.g…..” Black Bean again turned towards outside and began howling loudly. Obviously, the thing that had been chasing us all along, had unexpectedly caught up in pursuit. I didn’t know how many detours we had taken, but unexpectedly, we still hadn’t been able to throw off this thing.
Nothing could be done about it now, I could only use Huang Shulang’s method. I wrote high in the sky the 风 (Wind) character, and then threw the 风 character onto the coffin directly.
“Hong!”
The coffin which all along hadn’t moved even a single inch, unexpectedly immediately began moving. With a very fast speed, it directly hit against the wall. Sure enough, there was a cave hidden beneath the coffin, but this cave wasn’t too big, ‘twas only big enough for a child to crawl through.
“Black Bean! Lead the way!” I said promptly.
Black Bean very obediently immediately went into the hole.
Fortunately we were children. Although Huang Shulang was fat, even him, when compared to an adult, was not that big. Moreover even though the opening of this cave wasn’t too big, its inner dimensions were more s.p.a.cious. Also, Huang Shulang and I had short and small builds, aside from Fatty, who was slightly stuck while getting into the cave, requiring my effort to pull him. We both got through the opening in the dark cave, falling one-two meters straight into the darkness below.
“Roar!”
When Huang Shulang fell down from the surface, atop the cave opening, suddenly a loud roar of a wild beast resounded.
A giant python head appeared at the cave opening.
“Faster!” Huang Shulang and I promptly began crawling fl.u.s.teredly, moving forward very quickly.
Hong!
Just after we had run away, the huge python head violently started hitting the cave opening. Stone dust began falling down from above, making “hua la hua la” sounds.
The s.p.a.ce in this dark cave was quite big, I was afraid that this python could also drill through it.
I promptly used the knife in my hand to dig a hole in the ground, then, with the knife’s edge facing up, filled the hole. After which I used the soil and gravel to fix the knife.
After that, I turned back to look, that python had already drilled through the hole and was quickly catching up. The speed of that python was fast, here at the moment in this stretch of road, Huang Shulang and I wouldn’t be able to outrun it.
I was able to react resourcefully during emergencies, and promptly condensed a Primordial Qi 火 (Fire) character, and directly threw it back without even turning my head.
The Primordial Qi 火 character suddenly exploded, turning into a ball of raging flame, dashing directly towards that python. This strange phenomenon of fire emerging, how could the python guard against it? The python was naturally directly enveloped by the flame. The fire formed from the Primordial Qi was unlike any normal fire. It depended on Primordial Qi for support, and unless the Primordial Qi was exhausted, it couldn’t be extinguished under any circ.u.mstances. And all inflammable items that comes contact with Primordial Qi fire immediately catches on fire.
That python’s body was naturally inflammable, and coming into contact with the fire made of Primordial Qi, it immediately began burning. It was similar to what happens when gasoline-like inflammable objects meet a fire spark. Immediately, raging flames erupted.
“Roar!”
The python let out a painful howl. This kind of burning while alive, was making it somewhat hard to bear for the python.
I saw that the Primordial Qi seals had a pretty good effect, so I made a Primordial Qi 雷 (Thunder) character, then prepared a Primordial Qi 风 (Wind) character, and threw it out together with the 雷 character. No matter what would happen, we just kept moving forward.
When the 火 character had erupted a moment ago, it generated a lot of energy on the python in the cave, but at the same time, it also completely burnt through the oxygen in the cave. While I was moving forward, I could feel the scathing heat behind me, but at the same time there was a feeling of suffocation.
The python suffered a great loss, going wild with rage, it would naturally retaliate even at the cost of its life. However, very quickly a tragedy struck it. A formidable thunder and lightning appeared in front of it.
“Roar!”
I was able to hear the python’s lamenting howls which were like music to my ears. The python had already suffered a great loss, but again it had to suffer through thunder and lightning, it was quite obvious. Although my skills were limited, this python’s ability also couldn’t go against the heavens. Thunder and lightning directly struck its brain. Although it’s body was huge and it had almost limitless strength, its divine sense was extremely weak. Although Primordial Qi fire was able to damage the python, it wasn’t able to actually seriously injure it. However, the Primordial Qi thunder actually wanted its life.
The roars of the python were getting nearer and nearer, but I could actually hear its laments getting weaker and weaker. I could hear the wind making whistling sounds as it chased after me. As far as a python as big as this was concerned, Huang Shulang and I were far too weak. If it manages to overtake us, then it would be difficult for us to escape from disaster.
“Dead, dead! Big python has almost caught up!” Huang Shulang, who was originally too tired to even move a bit, seeing that the scorched black python behind was coming nearer, simply sat on the ground, unwilling to move again.
“What time do you think it is? You are still lying on the ground? Stand up quickly! We have to leave from here!” I pulled at Huang Shulang, but couldn’t make him stand up.
“In any case, if we run we will die, if we don’t run then we also die. I might as well sit down and rest.” Huang Shulang was continuously gasping for breath, that sort of feeling weakness born from lack of oxygen was somewhat hard to bear for a person.
Also it wasn’t that I didn’t want to continue attacking the python with Primordial Qi characters, but rather using these few characters just a moment ago had completely used up all the Primordial Qi reserves within my body.
I wanted to pull Fatty up to stand, but he actually didn’t even move. I also couldn’t abandon him to escape. So I could only stand still, maintaining a state of alertness, while desperately gathering Primordial Qi. Preparing to once again condense a Primordial Qi seal to attack the python.
Suddenly, the python pounced at us, the python’s head came heavily smashing at Huang Shulang and I.
“Hong!”
As the huge python head came heavily smashing at us, it caused intense wind to blow up the dust on the ground, making Fatty and I eat mouthfuls of dirt.
Originally, Fatty and I had already closed our eyes waiting for death, but for a long time there was no sound at all.
I opened my eyes and astonishingly discovered that unexpectedly, this python actually had no breath left in it. It had unexpectedly died!
Fatty and I kept panting for breath for a while, then opened both our eyes wide, and began laughing with “ha ha ha” sounds.
Fatty with great effort managed to pull himself up from the ground, and thoughtlessly laughing out loud, he said: “We are indeed very lucky.”
“Lucky? Master was almost killed because of you!” I annoyedly stared at Huang Shulang.
“Master, why didn’t you run away by yourself just a moment ago? With me acting as impediment, you could surely have escaped.” Huang Shulang seemed to be knowledgeable about good and evil.
“Foot cramp, I was too tired to move any further.” How could I, a century spanning Daoist, display weakness in front of my disciple? Therefore, I stood up and kicked Huang Shulang. “Stand up quickly. I don’t want to beat you.”
Huang Shulang smiling with “hei hei” sounds, stood up, “Master, this big snake has been roasted to ripeness. Such a big snake, its meat would surely be nice, how about we go and roast its meat a bit?”
“You go eat. I suspect that those people from the archaeology team have already entered this fellow’s belly, perhaps you could also taste a bit of their flavour in its meat.” I snorted coldly.
“Wa, Tu.” Huang Shulang all of sudden completely vomited out the snacks of mine that he had eaten while starting off.
I was disinclined to pay any further attention to Huang Shulang, and very quickly began running forward. I wanted to know very much where exactly this dark cave led to.
After Huang Shulang had finished vomiting, it seemed as if his strength was restored. He glanced at the python with his eyes open wide, and then hurriedly stood up, to chase after me while making slamming sounds.
“Ma-Master, slow down, slow down, nothing is chasing us anymore, why are you running so fast? The python has been eliminated by us now. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to the cave and have a look at the treasures?” Huang Shulang was running and catching up.
I was disinclined to be wordy with Huang Shulang, this fellow’s courage was too small, while the greed in his heart was too huge. Black Bean would from time to time turn his head to bark a few times, urging us to catch up a bit faster.
After running for ten or more minutes, we finally managed to see light up ahead. From the outside, rumbling sounds were also coming in.
Exactly what is it?
Bearing this question, I continued running forward fast. While running, I was able to slowly discover moisture in the air.
Black Bean stopped, and barked a few times while facing outside.
I also stopped, having already run to the cave’s exit point. Only now did I discover that the cave’s exit point was unexpectedly located behind Ba Jiao Mountain’s waterfall. The exit of this cave was also a work of wonder, although it was hidden behind the waterfall, it was located on the cliff in midair, coupled with the fact that the exit was sloped. Even if the water were to splash inside the hole, it would flow out. There is no need to worry about river water flowing backwards.
“Heh heh, so it turns out to be here. Who would be capable of thinking that on the precipice behind the waterfall, a Water Curtain Cave is actually hidden. However, how do we get down?” Huang Shulang frowned while looking at the waterfall.
This waterfall was perennial, even in the low water level period of winter season, although the water here would reduce, it wouldn’t dry up. This was also the reason why this cave was not discovered.
“It’s not that high, if we jump, we won’t die.” I said while looking downwards. The precipice was very precipitous, without a rope, rock climbing it would be very difficult for us two first graders. Especially for Huang Shulang. With that physique of his, going rock climbing, he might as well just go jump down directly.
Huang Shulang cowardly extended his head to look downwards, before promptly backing up a few steps: “Too high. If there are rocks below the water, we would end miserably.”
“From where would rocks come here? I anyways won’t drown here.” I said.
“Why do we have to depart like this?” Huang Shulang not reconciled to it, looked towards the direction of the cave.
“I am already out of power. If there is anything else inside that is even fiercer than the python, we won’t again have the opportunity to escape. In any case, we know about this secret cave. Later, we’ll come again with ample preparation. Moreover, it’s already late, if we’re not back soon, our families will definitely get chaotic.” Whether or not we want to return, by lunch time, our families would definitely send people to search. Perhaps even the matter of coming to Ba Jiao Mountain Main Peak would be exposed. Therefore, I was already unwilling to take that risk. Despite not having even seen the most dangerous place of this cave, just this python alone had nearly taken the lives of two people. Once we encounter danger, both of us would have absolutely no chance of living. Fortunately, today we discovered this secret path. Otherwise, it was uncertain how today would have ended.
I already had thoughts of retreating in my mind. Moreover, having experienced the risks this time, I also understood a lot of things. I had my own Dao. Where is the need to go learn other people’s Dao? Me persevering in continuing to come here, could possibly even be a devil in my heart.