Chapter 46: Human or Phantom

Chapter 46: Human or Monster

Perhaps it was the presence of the crowd and the light that brought some clarity back to Guo Qi’s mind. Seeing him gradually regain consciousness, the group was about to question him about what had happened.

Suddenly, Guo Qi shouted loudly, startling everyone.

Within the dim, oppressive cave, Guo Qi’s face became deathly pale. His eyes still lacked focus, as if he had just witnessed something unimaginably terrifying. He muttered in a low, trembling voice, “Guo Xiaoshu! Guo Xiaoshu is alive!”

Abruptly, like a man struggling at death’s door, he lunged forward and grabbed Old Yao’s arm. His fingers were white with strain, his eyes filled with despair and terror. He yelled, “Guo Xiaoshu! He’s alive!” The cry echoed through the cave, as though it would tear the entire space apart.

Everyone was stunned by Guo Qi’s sudden outburst, staring at him blankly, unable to comprehend why he was shouting about Guo Xiaoshu being alive. Yet, when Guo Qi repeated those words, a chill crept into their hearts.

“Guo Xiaoshu? Wasn’t he already dead?” Zheng Ji whispered, uncertainty and fear lacing his voice.

But Guo Dashu suddenly sprang up and seized the collar of Guo Qi’s shirt. “Guo Xiaoshu? You saw Guo Xiaoshu? Where?!”

Having just lost his brother, Guo Dashu almost hoped Guo Qi was telling the truth, no matter how irrational or terrifying it sounded.

Guo Qi, however, seemed not to hear him. He stared fixedly ahead, terror and despair etched in his gaze.

“Wait, everyone calm down,” Zhang Sanlu interjected, blocking the two men. “Although it’s hard to accept, we all saw Guo Xiaoshu’s condition earlier. He’s truly dead.”

Guo Dashu’s eyes grew vacant as he slowly released Guo Qi’s collar. Yes, he’d personally found and pieced together Guo Xiaoshu’s body; there was no way he could have survived such a state.

Yet Guo Qi remained agitated. “It’s true! I really saw him! Jin Biao—where’s Jin Biao?!”

The others exchanged glances. Perhaps Guo Qi had indeed seen Guo Xiaoshu, but in such darkness and under such pressure, it wouldn't be surprising if he’d suffered hallucinations.

But seeing Guo Qi so adamant, refusing any explanation, Old Yao said, “Have you noticed Guo Qi’s wolfdog, Jin Biao, is missing? Maybe the dog accidentally triggered something and got out? Who knows what might happen if we continue down this passage. Let’s return to the cave, bring food, water, and torches. We’ll take Guo Qi back to see Xiaoshu’s body, so he can let go of this idea.”

Old Yao was right, though Zhang Sanlu felt a vague, uneasy sensation gnawing at him.

Moments later, as they returned to the corpse-filled cave, everyone saw Guo Xiaoshu’s body, and their hearts filled with anger and fear. That familiar yet strange face, once dead, now appeared disturbingly bizarre and terrifying. Guo Dashu knelt, once again bearing the agony of his brother’s death. The stoic man who hadn’t shed a tear over his lost arm, tonight wept more than he ever had in his life.

In the cold, dark cave of corpses, Guo Xiaoshu’s body lay silently, yet the scene was horrifying.

His remains consisted only of bones and viscera; the skin that once wrapped him was gone, as if it had been stripped away alive.

Guo Xiaoshu’s skin had vanished!

Everyone stared in shock, a chill spreading through their bodies. What could possibly have happened, in the brief time they’d entered the passage, to strip a corpse so completely?

The atmosphere grew unbearably heavy and oppressive, as if even the air had frozen.

Each person could clearly hear their own heartbeat and breathing, mingling with strange, low sounds from unknown sources.

The skeleton and organs lying there became an indelible nightmare, chilling them to the core.

But more importantly: Who, then, was the Guo Xiaoshu that Guo Qi had just seen?

Who was wearing Guo Xiaoshu’s skin, pretending to be him?

A stronger wave of terror surged in their hearts—a dread of the unknown. They felt as if something horrifying was lurking in the darkness, watching them.

“The Bodhisattva statue... it’s closer now...” Zheng Ji turned to look at the statue in the shadows, fear so great his legs gave way, and he collapsed to his knees.

The group turned to look; indeed, the statue seemed much nearer than before, as if it had crept closer, ready to drag them into endless darkness and terror.

In the dim, deep cave, the blindfolded Bodhisattva statue stood silently. Originally, it had blended into the depths, merging with the darkness.

Under the faint light, its surface glimmered with a strange sheen, and the veil over its face seemed to flutter gently, as if it were observing them through that cloth in some indescribable way.

They felt enveloped in mystery, as if countless cold hands were groping in the dark, trying to seize their ankles and drag them into the abyss. They tried to flee, but their feet felt nailed to the ground, unable to move.

The air seemed to solidify. Zhang Sanlu could only hear his own rapid breathing and heartbeat. And that statue, like a great beast awakening in the darkness, reached out with invisible tendrils, pushing them step by step toward the depths of despair.

“Wake up!” Suddenly, a furious shout snapped everyone from their terror.

“Clear a space, check your baggage, and bring out all the water and food and pile them together,” Old Yao barked, seizing the moment to issue practical orders.

“It’s over... it’s over... we’re going to die here...” Guo Qi murmured, hopeless.

“Get up and work!” Zhang Sanlu commanded, kicking him.

The others, jolted awake, scrambled to comply, glancing at Zhang Sanlu first. He nodded to them, knowing only by keeping everyone occupied could they stave off the despair of fear.

They kicked the nearby bones aside, cleared a patch of ground, and unloaded their packs, even searching the bodies and scattered bundles.

The torches’ light, after prolonged use, had diminished considerably. Zhang Sanlu managed a bitter smile—who knew how long before they could escape?

He sat on the ground and opened his bundle, using the torch’s light to examine its contents for anything useful in such a place.

One by one, the group took out everything from their bags, carefully checking every corner in the flickering light lest something be overlooked.

Zhang Sanlu opened the first bundle before him; inside were a few dry cakes and a small water gourd. But in the second bundle, he found a large gourd. He opened it and caught the strong smell of cheap oil. Heart pounding, he called out to Old Yao and the others, “From now on, everyone needs to conserve the torches. This gourd holds lamp oil. It’ll last a while, but we don’t know how long we’ll be trapped. After sorting everything, keep only two torches burning—extinguish the rest.”