The World Below Surface
Chapter 77: Ancestor worship completed

Lin Chu stood there, her senses tangled in a web of illusions, utterly clueless about what was happening. Her eyes fixated on the wall, her fingertips delicately probing for concealed mechanisms, secrets hidden in the ancient stone.

Abruptly, an unseen force seized her from behind, mercilessly wrenching her backward. With a jarring impact, Lin Chu's body collided with the unforgiving wall, her cranium bearing the brunt of the assault. Her trusty flashlight, now an errant beacon, slipped through her grasp and embarked on an erratic journey across the floor.

"Ouch! What in Devil's name..." Lin Chu's protest escaped her lips, her hand instinctively seeking solace for her throbbing head. She strained her eyes, struggling to pierce through the consuming darkness.

Was there something on the wall? Something that lived in this ancient tomb?

Shaking her head, she tried to regain her composure, only to realize that An Xing Yu had disappeared. Her searching eyes caught a glimmer in the shadows, revealing the flashlight's precarious position, casting its revealing light upon a pair of shoes.

With determination, she closed the distance, retrieving her trusty flashlight from the ground, its radiant beam now casting a revealing light upon the one she sought.

"Where did you disappear to?" Her voice was a bewildered echo in the obscurity.

An Xing Yu met her inquiry with a hesitant shake of his head. "I saw a shadow emerge from the wall and seize you."

Lin Chu could discern the tremor of fear in his eyes, the instinct to flee overwhelming him. Yet, she couldn't help but smile reassuringly. “I’m okay.”

But, a shadow from the wall? The underground passage was damp, cold, and dark. The walls were made of green bricks, old and worn. They looked even darker in the dim light. Without a flashlight, it was impossible to see anything.

Lin Chu's curiosity, however, refused to be swayed by darkness. She retraced her steps to the wall, casting the flashlight's illumination upon it once more.

There, she discerned a ghostly silhouette, an outline reminiscent of Lu Yan.

Lin Chu couldn't believe her eyes as she gasped, "Is that you, Lu Yan?"

She couldn't discern which version of Lu Yan this could be – the one who had met death and returned, the one who remained alive, or perhaps, a sinister trick orchestrated by the crypt itself.

The shadow stood motionless and silent, causing a surge of courage to wash over Lin Chu, albeit tentatively.

An Xing Yu loomed behind her, his tone shrouded in foreboding darkness. "It must be him. Maybe he's dead too"

Lin Chu shook her head, dismissing the notion. "No, I highly doubt it." Lu Yan was too clever for that. He probably had seven or eight backups of himself. He wouldn’t die so easily.

“This tomb is very dangerous." An Xing Yu cautioned, his voice sounding oddly husky and cold. "It could be a deceitful illusion. It feigns harmlessness, lulling you into a false sense of security..."

Lin Chu nodded, feigning agreement while grappling with inner turmoil and fear.

Lu Yan's spectral form gestured cryptically, a silent warning that the An Xing Yu behind her was an impostor, urging her to follow him. Yet An Xing Yu insisted that Lu Yan's apparition was a mere falsehood.

“I found a way out. Follow me," An Xing Yu's voice beckoned from behind, growing nearer.

"I... just give me a moment. I need to figure this out," Lin Chu replied, her forehead damp with cold sweat.

Confusion gnawed at her. Who could she trust?

An Xing Yu's voice inched closer, his urgency palpable. "Hurry. Even if that's truly Lu Yan, he's dead. Deceased souls here always transform into malevolent ghosts."

Lu Yan's shadowlake presence detected a ghastly figure lurking behind her, subtly pushing Lin Chu toward the lifeless body.

Having traversed into the mural, his perspective shifted. The tomb revealed itself as a haunting realm, teeming with ethereal, translucent ghosts adorned with elongated tails, drifting through the dim chambers. Devoid of consciousness, they harbored an intense aversion to intruders, seeking to ensnare them within their sinister traps.

Their eerie, mocking laughter echoed through the tomb, a chilling cacophony that seemed to taunt the living. 'Hee hee hee hee... hee hee hee hee hee...'"

From hidden depths and shadowed seams, they emerged, an ethereal parade surrounding Lin Chu.

Yet, Lin Chu remained deaf to their murmurs, blind to their ghostly forms, oblivious to the growing congregation of restless souls.

They yearned for life, each ghost stretching forth, attempting to clutch her hair, to ensnare her hand, to graze the warmth of a living soul. Yet, their spectral fingers found naught but emptiness. After fleeting bouts of eerie laughter, frustration coursed through their incorporeal forms once more.

Unseen by Lin Chu but unmistakable in the air, the temperature plummeted. She instinctively rubbed her chilled arms, offering a serene smile to An Xing Yu.

Beneath her composed exterior, Lin Chu's senses remained on high alert.

An Xing Yu asserted that he glimpsed a dark shadow, but within this chamber, cloaked in obsidian darkness, how could his eyes see?

"Come along, follow my lead," An Xing Yu invited, his smile unwavering.

As if ensorcelled, Lin Chu nodded, her response akin to an incantation, "Very well."

She trailed after An Xing Yu, moving with deliberate caution.

By her side, Lu Yan remained a blurry shadow against the inky wall, a phantom sentinel on her path, searching for the opportune moment to rouse her from her slumber. He harbored no desire to snuff out Lin Chu's life, for killing served as his instrument, not his objective.

A procession of ashen and pallid ghosts trailed behind, gesticulating wildly and emitting discordant, unintelligible utterances—a cacophony of disquiet.

As they navigated their return, the path branched more frequently. Lin Chu trailed behind An Xing Yu, her pace slowing. At a crossroads, she witnessed An Xing Yu proceeding straight ahead. Without a backward glance, she abruptly pivoted and retraced her steps, dashing toward the path they had left behind.

Underfoot, the verdant bricks echoed with a resonant thud. Voices—some sighing, others laughing—reached her ears, but she paid them no heed. She sprinted with all her might, leaving the ghost parade behind.

At the crossroads, An Xing Yu fixated upon her vanishing silhouette, then morphed into a verdant wisp of smoke, dissolving into thin air.

Her yearning led her back to the tomb's entrance, the eastern realm beckoning for exploration. Yet, as she retraced her path, she found herself ensnared in a bewildering labyrinth.

Amidst the chamber's confines, she meandered like a disoriented moth, ensnared in an endless vista of emerald brick walls and floors, with obscurity dominating the horizon.

This wasn't merely a chamber; it resembled a bewildering maze, did it not?

The sheer expanse of the place was overwhelming, nearly depleting Lin Chu's supply of dry food. She ventured tirelessly, to no avail in her quest for an exit. And, shrouded by the impenetrable darkness, she was bereft of sight of Lu Yan, her steadfast companion.

A subtle tug on her hem drew her attention.

"Is it you?" Lin Chu whispered. “Don’t play with me, I want to get out of here.”

The completion of her ancestral rites was an imperative; failure meant imprisonment within these walls. She didn't fear death, but she yearned to live a bit longer.

With deliberate resolve, she placed her flashlight aside, allowing its beam to reveal a shadowy figure within its warm embrace.

The shadowy figure wrote into the air, one stroke at a time. Lin Chu blinked, questioning the reality of what she witnessed.

With gritted teeth, she rose to her feet.

Death seemed imminent. Why not pursue this mystery and see where it leads?

Lu Yan guided Lin Chu through the labyrinthine darkness with swift steps. They ventured through successive chambers, each larger and laden with more precious relics than the last.

An inkling told her that she was marching toward the heart of the tomb.

What secrets lay at the tomb's core? Whose eternal rest did it protect?

Surviving on meager rations of biscuits and bread had left her famished and fatigued. Yet, an insatiable curiosity propelled her forward.

The first day of the new year was reserved for ancestral homage.

The second day held no significance.

Less than three hours remained before the first day concluded.

They had remained subterranean for nearly a full day.

Lu Yan monitored the time, for if he erred, and they failed to complete their mission... he would be forced to lead Lin Chu to a dead end...

*

*

At the base of the mountain, within the Village of the Heavenly Immortals,

Many unfamiliar faces had come to the village.

At the entrance, the villagers, now transformed into malevolent spirits, concealed their expressions behind a veil as they observed a group of outsiders dressed in crimson robes. These newcomers harbored a desire to infiltrate the village and seize its closely-guarded secrets, yet they hesitated at the threshold, as if anticipating some unseen cue.

In the forbidden area, two figures cloaked in vermilion robes toiled with haste. Their hands, pale and claw-like beneath their sleeves, relentlessly unearthed a grave. Swiftly, they uncovered a small coffin, yielding to their cruel claws without resistance.

Within the confines of the coffin lay the remains of a child, reduced to bleached bones through years of decay. Upon closer inspection, a gruesome detail emerged – a blood-red nail, menacingly piercing through the skull from above, imprisoning the throat in a macabre display.

More blood-red nails adorned the shoulders, arms, legs, and so forth, pinning the skeleton to the coffin, refusing to allow it to escape. However, the nail that should have been on the left arm was conspicuously absent. On the left side of the lid, a small scratch mark marred the surface.

Undeterred by this omission, the figures in crimson robes raised the coffin from its resting place. Extracting a freshly blood-soaked nail, its malevolence evident in its sinister appearance, they drove its wicked tip into the vacant mark on the left arm bone.

Meanwhile, within the village, a young girl in a red dress clutched her arm and let out a piercing scream.

Then, the crimson-clad figures gazed skyward and advanced with deliberate steps, entering the village, one after another.

The villagers unleashed their fury, tearing and gnashing at them. There were growls, wails, a miasma of putrid odor, and a macabre tableau of bloodshed. Yet, most of these assailants transformed into verdant wisps, vanishing into thin air. The crimson robes littered the ground as others of their ilk pressed on.

Before long, the discarded red robes began to take on human forms. They quivered and took shape with startling rapidity, quickly rejoining their compatriots.

The ranks of the villagers dwindled steadily as the group approached the base of the rear mountain, where Zhang Bo's hause stood.

Now, it lay in ruins. In the center of the wreckage, a hole approximately one meter wide yawned.

Outside the ruins sat a little girl donning a crimson dress, her eyes devoid of pupils as they welled up with blood tears. Her gaze bore into the assembly of malevolent ghosts clad in red robes.

Ghosts harbored no fear. The treasure consumed their every thought. Zhang Hui Xuan observed their relentless advance toward the coveted prize. She let out a piercing shriek, transforming into a colossal, blood-red entity.

This was her treasure... and hers alone!

*

*

Deep beneath the earth's embrace, Lin Chu and Lu Yan remained oblivious to the village's unfolding plot.

Within the chamber's confines, an otherworldly power stirred, hot on their heels.

Legend had it that the breath of the living could rekindle the departed. Lin Chu observed as she passed a burial site adorned with a bronze chariot and terracotta steeds. An eerie sight met her eyes: the terracotta warriors shifted ever so slightly.

No mirage, this. To reach the primary tomb, she had to traverse the burial pit. Yet as she gingerly stepped over it, the pit erupted into frenzied animation. The terracotta soldiers surged forth in unison, their clattering armor resounding through the stygian darkness.

Exhausted and ravenous, Lin Chu summoned her last ounces of strength, for she refused to lose sight of Lu Yan. She had no recourse but to conceal her hand within her sleeve, allowing him to lead her onward.

But it proved futile. A relentless horde trailed them relentlessly. In addition to armored warriors, decaying skeletons draped in tattered garments joined the unholy chase.

Faster! Faster!

Lin Chu gasped for breath, but her resolve found new purpose when she glimpsed the iron-clad adversaries brandishing glinting blades.

"What do we do? There are more ahead!"

Up ahead, another throng of skeletons appeared, their sluggish advance closing in on her.

Lu Yan halted, gently lifting her up. Ultimately, Lin Chu found herself hoisted to the ceiling.

"Is this what it's like to be carried by a big boss?" Lin Chu mused, her eyes fixed on the relentless horde below. They seemed eager to pile up and ensnare her, but Lu Yan's swiftness soon carried them beyond the thronged fray.

Once he set her down, Lin Chu wasted no time in resuming her desperate flight.

After an interminable odyssey, they finally reached the central tomb chamber with less than half an hour remaining until the stroke of midnight.

The central tomb chamber stood apart from the rest of the subterranean burial ground, perched upon a raised dais and encircled by formidable walls. In its midst, a still-functioning fountain sent a gentle cascade of water into a pristine pool below.

Arrayed upon the ground, an enigmatic ring of bronze vessels hinted at a mysterious purpose. Amidst them rested the skeletal remains of what was likely the tomb's architect.

Lin Chu, her curiosity urging her to capture the scene in a photograph, hesitated, a vague recollection of potential harm it could inflict her. She was left with naught but a fuzzy impression, leaving her to pace restlessly around the elevated dais, feeling hopelessly grounded.

Her stature, diminutive in comparison to the lofty platform, was a hindrance. Beneath her, only water beckoned. How could she ever bridge this daunting divide?

To compound her predicament, the echoes of approaching footsteps reverberated from all directions.

“Never mind, Brother Lu, please lift me up there," she implored, determination in her voice, "and throw me to the middle accurately.”

Alongside the main platform, an encircling walkway ringed the tomb chamber, though it loomed a daunting three or four meters above her head. A fall from there promised certain death or grievous injury.

Yet, with no alternatives left, she steeled herself to make the perilous attempt.

Without hesitation, Lu Yan swiftly grabbed Lin Chu by her clothing, and together, they ascended to a higher platform along the wall.

He became a living painting, a tireless sentinel, though sometimes he grew stiff. This endeavor came naturally to him; he could have effortlessly pulled Lin Chu into the wall with him, had he not harbored concerns about getting her out.

"Enough, let me go," Lin Chu grumbled through clenched teeth, curling into a protective stance.

The moment those words escaped her lips, Lu Yan released his grip.

A resounding "thud" echoed as Lin Chu landed forcefully on the platform. Instinctively shielding her head, she felt a disorienting dizziness wash over her.

Her internal organs seemed battered, possibly a cracked rib, and her leg throbbed with pain. Her ankle had swollen noticeably. Limping, she summoned the resolve to stand, then doubled over, coughing violently. Blood and fragments of tissue spewed forth.

Lu Yan had already arrived at the tomb chamber's entrance, signaling for her to join him.

"Damn... I hope I regenerate automatically when I get out of here. Otherwise, my health insurance will kill me," Lin Chu muttered, wiping the persistent blood from her mouth.

Clinging to her resolve, she staggered toward the door, enduring the wretched sensation that clawed at her.

"A bungee jump without a safety cord? Thrilling, thrilling... wow..."

To her astonishment, the door yielded with a gentle push. Candlelight spilled forth, illuminating the subterranean tomb chamber in its entirety.

What? Light?

The radiance seemed excessively brilliant to Lin Chu. She exerted herself, and the door swung open. Simultaneously, the candlelight within the chamber flickered out.

The tomb chamber became dark again.

Lin Chu, wielding her flashlight, ventured forth with caution.

Within the chamber, a phantom-like figure resembling Lu Yan lingered silently. As she stepped inside, this apparition beckoned with a ghostly hand. Lin Chu's gaze fell upon the mural adorning the wall and the incense burner preceding the shrine.

Ancestral worship…

Mission…

A wave of despair washed over her, nearly plunging her into delirium. She strained to rise, advancing towards the shrine.

How could she possibly fulfill it?

She knelt upon the cushion, finding some solace.

The painting of the Five Immortals before her seemed to shift. Her gaze fixated on the crimson sea, her eyes gradually vacant.

Lu Yan reclaimed his jade pendant from his shadowy doppelganger. Concealed within his pocket was a diminutive blade. Ascending once more to the ceiling, he grasped the knife, its point aimed at the kneeling Lin Chu.

A mere release of his grip, and the blade would plummet toward her neck.

The minutes dwindled, numbering less than ten.

He scrutinized the figure below.

Lin Chu's vision blurred, and a haunting melody seemed to envelop her senses, beckoning her to surrender to divine forces.

"I..." Her voice trembled, barely audible. "I offer myself to..." Her words grew fainter, a mere whisper to Lu Yan's ears.

Yet he sensed the mission's fulfillment.

*

*

Meanwhile, in the Heavenly Immortals Village, within Zhang Bo's dwelling:

Zhang Hui Xuan had vanished, leaving only a scarlet dress upon the floor.

It was Li Li's dress that she had lent to her aunt, once a binding charm that tethered her to the back mountain. But with Li Li's death, the curse had weakened. Zhang Hui Xuan had broken free, yet the village's grasp still held her.

A gust of wind toyed with the dress, sending it aloft, drifting toward the back mountain.

By the reservoir, a colossal hound unleashed a mournful howl, leaping to seize the dress before vanishing into the forest.

Simultaneously, the crimson-clad figures prepared to enter the cellar, but an abrupt stillness seized them, freezing their advance.

*

*

Lu Yan's world plunged into darkness, and when he blinked, he found himself atop a mountain. The moon hung high above, casting an eerie glow upon a cluster of graves, resembling a colossal, luminous eye. His trembling fingers sought solace in the touch of the jade pendant nestled within his pocket, reassuring him of its presence.

*

*

Lin Chu's recollection grew hazy, leaving her disoriented, until she awoke within a familiar alley. The torment that had wracked her body had vanished. Could it be? Had she come back? Had the mission worked?

Abruptly, Lin Chu snapped to full awareness and surveyed her surroundings. Yu Xian Guang stood by her side, his expression etched with fear.

"Chu Chu..." he stammered his last words, and then an inexplicable transformation seized him. His complexion paled and swelled, resembling a waterlogged sponge, before he crumpled to the ground.

The nightmarish ordeal continued. Yu Huan, Lin Xue Yuan, and Xie Zi Qing succumbed to bloody corpses right before her disbelieving eyes.

Only An Xing Yu was nowhere to be seen.

Tears flowed, unstoppable. Lin Chu brushed them aside, yearning to bring Yu Xian Guang along, yet...

She steeled herself, mindful of the hidden cameras she'd set up. Methodically, she dismantled her surveillance gear before returning to Yu Xian Guang's side. Gently, she extended her hand and drew his wide eyes to a close.

"Forgive me, I'll return," she murmured into Yu Xian Guang's ear.

They say, when life ebbs away, hearing lingers last. She couldn't be certain if he could hear her, but she clung to that hope, willing him to await her return.

Without delay, Lin Chu sprinted outside and dialed the police.

This was the sole way she could retrieve him, openly, as kin, no secrets or subterfuge.

*

*

"There's been a murder, you reckon Xiao An's safe out there alone?"

Over dinner, they settled on the couch, catching the latest headlines. The TV screen revealed a grim scene: four lifeless souls discovered in a dim alley near a college town. Their silent plea echoed in their hearts, a hope for someone kind to shed light on this dark mystery.

An Xing Yu's mother couldn't hold back her tears. "Isn't that the very college Xiao An dreams of? Could he...?"

An Ru embraced her tightly. "No, not him. My coworkers assure me, he's nowhere near that place."

His wife's fists met his chest with frustration. "Then when? You've scoured the CCTV, scrutinized his journal, yet we're no closer."

"We'll find him, we'll find him," An Ru repeated, his voice a feeble refrain.

Yet within, a void of despair lingered — could they truly bring him back?

*

*

After nearly two weeks of relentless scrutiny, Lin Chu's name was finally cleared of suspicion. An official notice arrived, granting her the long-awaited permission to reclaim his ashes.

Eager to put this ordeal behind her, Lin Chu hurried to the police station. As she approached the precinct, a slender man emerged, and they collided in a hasty encounter.

"Sorry," they both uttered simultaneously, their paths briefly intertwined, imprinting each other's faces in their minds.

A nod of acknowledgment passed between them before they parted ways, each absorbed in their own mission. Lin Chu proceeded to seek out the person in charge.

With formalities eventually behind her, Lin Chu left the crematorium with Yu Xian Guang's remains in a small, delicate box. She settled into her room, where a striking transformation had taken place.

The once bare walls were now cloaked in her handwritten notes and newspaper clippings, densely populated with information. The articles chronicled a litany of abnormal deaths from recent years, interspersed with survival strategies she'd uncovered online.

In her heart, Lin Chu harbored a steadfast conviction that the reported cases represented only a fraction of the grim reality. Undoubtedly, there existed more suppressed tales of terror.

Amidst her contemplation, a news report emanated from the television's glowing screen.

"...Recent findings by archaeologists have unveiled an expansive tomb in the heart of X province's XX city. Noted experts assert that within this tomb..."

She cast a fleeting glance at the screen, her interest half-hearted, before redirecting her focus to the riddle that consumed her thoughts.

*

*

In a parallel world, Lu Yan found himself embroiled in a new enigma.

His quest led him to seek the origins of the Pisces jade pendant, yearning to unearth the truth behind the tomb's rightful owner. With earnest resolve, he confided in the Omniscient Church's bishops.

Deep sorrow welled within the clergy for the loss of Luo Ying, but they held fast to their belief that she had ascended to the heavens, guided by divine providence. After paying their respects in a solemn funeral rite, the group resolved to bolster their ranks and press on with their exploration.

Should there truly be a hidden treasure, they deemed it a sacred offering to their God.

For Lu Yan, riches held no allure; his sole pursuit was unraveling the mysteries surrounding the tomb's possessor.

As one group of faithful ventured into the mountain village, meeting their untimely demise, others soon replaced them. Beyond the village's forbidden confines lay a grim tableau, with lifeless bodies steeped in crimson gore. Yet, in parallel, a corner of the tomb yielded its secrets.

What turned grim was the sudden start of new taskers influx at this very moment.

The world seemed to whirl before his eyes, and as they fluttered open once more, the tomb, the crimson-clad faithful, and the forbidden domain had all vanished. Lu Yan found himself standing on the outskirts of a pristine and radiant city. Beauty adorned every corner, and the people strolling the streets brimmed with life, pulsating with humanity.

Amidst this vibrant scene, Lu Yan grappled with his own sense of displacement.

He couldn't quite identify with these humans.

In the distance, two elegantly dressed young women cast eager glances his way, their eyes brimming with curiosity, as if yearning to approach him and exchange contact information. After a brief hesitation, they decided to pursue him, only to discover that he had melted into the bustling throng.

Regardless, with the arrival of more taskers, safety appeared to be on the rise.

Lu Yan returned to his dwelling, slumbering soundly like a log. When his eyes reopened, his room bore no eerie anomalies, though a tinge of unease lingered in his thoughts.

He adhered to his daily routine, partook of a meal, and settled by his computer to peruse the news.

"...Archaeologists had just stumbled upon a grand tomb, nestled in the outskirts of X province, X city. From its depths emerged a trove of cultural treasures, all destined for the prestigious XXX provincial museum..." Sᴇaʀᴄh thᴇ N0ᴠᴇFɪre.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

Lu Yan's eyes widened with recognition.

Could it be? The memories of those eerie and otherworldly occurrences still lingered, but now, returning to the normal world with official support, progress should surged ahead.

In his heart, Lu Yan hesitated for a moment, but ultimately, he resolved to forgo participation in this task and opt instead for a visit to the museum. His hope was for a safer mission this time, one where those embarking upon it would have a greater chance at survival without him.

With determination in his step, he secured a ticket for the following day bound for X province. Returning to his room, he meticulously packed his belongings, ready for the journey ahead.

*

*

"Hey, folks, how many tasks have y'all survived?"

A cluster of individuals strolled down the bustling city street, when a young girl chimed in. "I've done only three myself. Hoping we can all look out for one another."

A somewhat portly man in a checkered shirt sized her up with a glance. "Four for me, but let's not get too caught up in the 'helping each other' talk. Truth is, we've got our hands full just looking out for ourselves. When things really hit the fan, gender won't matter one bit."

"Enough bickering, you two!" The eldest woman among them interjected. "Let's shift our focus to figuring out how we can seamlessly blend in with that archaeological crew."

— TN

Lu Yan

Chu Xiu Shi Yan Nie Yun Zhen Ye Sheng Ke

Lin Chu; Yu Xiang Guang; An Xing Yu; Luo Ying; Lin Xue Yuan; Yu Huan; Xie Zi Qing

Hu-San-Tai-Nai Old Lady Third Whisker Zhang Hui Xuan

Village of the Heavenly Immortals

Sᴇarch the NøᴠᴇlFire.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.