Chapter 5: Looking at the Sky from the Bottom of a Well

  "Bang! Bang!" The wooden door shook even more violently, no one knew how long this gate of life could hold on, and no one knew how many reinforcements the Eastern devils had brought.

  Hu Fei looked at the wooden door with a vigilant expression, tightly grasping his axe in his hand, his muscles tense all over, ready to fight.

  "Xiao Fei, come here, I want to talk to you about something."

  Hu Fei turned his head to look, it was his father squatting by the well and beckoning him over, with his mother full of kindness beside him. Looking again at the gate, almost everyone in the backyard was crowded on the other side of the wooden door, everyone together tightly pushing against the door, no one noticed this family of three.

  "Xiao Fei, come here." His mother also beckoned him over with her hand.

  Hu Fei was a bit curious, why were his parents not nervous at all? "Dad, Mom, what's going on?"

  "Little Fei, do you still remember what I told you? It's about Lao Bei Feng's mountain stronghold." Hu Cunyi patted Hu Fei's shoulder, and his mother also put her hand on Hu Fei's head and stroked it.

  "What I remember is Wang Hai Mountain, Lao Bei Wind Zhang Hai Tian." Hu Fei laughed, his memory was good, how could he not remember such a simple place name?

  "Uh, just remember that. After things are done, you go find him." Hu's father's hand on his son's shoulder suddenly pushed forward with force, Hu Fei's body swayed and before he could steady himself, he fell into the well at an angle!

  "Ah, Mother!" The sudden loss of weight sent Hu Fei's soul flying out! How did he end up falling into the well? Why didn't his dad catch him? His two hands waved rapidly, trying to find a place on the nearby wall of the well where he could exert some force. He didn't like this rapid descent!

  "Whoosh!" Water splashed everywhere, and Hu Fei's butt landed in the water with a thud! His whole body sank into the water before he could react, and he was suddenly forced to swallow a mouthful of water. Fortunately, his young and healthy physique, combined with his decent swimming skills, allowed him to quickly calm down and grab onto the well wall, floating back up to the surface.

  "Xiao Fei, remember to go to Wang Hai Mountain to find Lao Bei Feng!" A shout came from the well mouth, it was his father's voice.

  "Dad! Mom! Pull me up quickly!" Hearing his father's voice, Hu Fei became anxious and shouted loudly for help towards the top.

  "Little Fei, stop shouting. There's a cave on the water surface, you hide in there and we'll pull you up after dark. Be good down there, don't speak loudly, wait until night to come out."

  Just as Inoue's words fell, "Boom!" A loud explosion shook the well, and Hu Fei could feel the vibration. Immediately following were the sounds of people shouting and fighting. However, these sounds seemed somewhat distant from inside the well, giving a sense of unreality.

  Since Inoue can't help, let's just focus on the present for now. Mother said there was a nest on the water surface, and Hu Fei started searching around the well wall. Whatever the nest is, it's better than soaking in the water all day. Mother just said that we have to wait until nightfall to get out of the well anyway.

  The well was surrounded by a curved wall made of square bricks, and although the sky could be seen from the top of the well, it was very dark below. Hu Fei squinted his eyes to look around for a while, but couldn't find any hiding place. He had no choice but to feel his way with his hands brick by brick. Since his mother said there was a hiding place here, then there must be one!

  The well for drinking water wasn't that big, Hu Fei felt like he had already turned around in a circle, how come he still hadn't found the hole? His mother definitely wouldn't cheat him, so it must be that his hand was in the wrong place. He used his right hand to press against the brick seam and stretched his left hand up as far as possible, maybe the hole was a bit of a distance from the water surface?

  As expected, after touching less than ten bricks, he felt a void in his hand. This was the nest that Mother had mentioned! Hu Fei's heart was overjoyed, and with a burst of strength, he kicked the water with both feet and propelled himself upwards, grasping the edge of the space above with both hands. His feet pushed against the brick seams several times, first securing his hands, then his arms, followed by his upper body, and finally his legs also climbed into this space. This was indeed the nest that Mother had said could hide him!

  The scolding voice of Inoue's head seemed to have subsided, and it was unclear what he was shouting about. The only thing that could be known was that the Eastern Devil had not left yet! I don't know how my parents are doing now, did they run out? And also my sister. The Eastern Devil took her away for questioning, and I don't know if she got beaten or not.

  Hu Fei's mind was a jumble of thoughts, and from time to time he would stick his head out to look up. The round sky above the well opening was a deep blue. His mother said she would pull him up after dark, but when would it get dark?

  Feeling bored, Hu Fei decided to explore the den he was hiding in, wondering if there were any secret passages leading up. The inside of the den was even darker than the water, where at least you could vaguely see some shadows; this place was truly pitch black. Hu Fei stretched out his hand and couldn't even see his own fingers! If he wanted to explore here, he would have to do it by touch alone!

  He started from the bottom, feeling his way up brick by brick, and soon reached the top. It seemed to be less than five feet high. He then felt around to the left and right, and upwards, until he had explored every nook and cranny of this hole. Hu Fei finally gave up. This was just a small, rectangular cave, barely big enough for two people to sit in.

  This little den can only temporarily hide, and to get out, another way must be thought of. Although mother said that after dark she would come to pull herself up, but now sitting here is extremely boring, how can the time be passed until dark? Hu Fei has always been a person who cannot stay idle, it is impossible for him to sit in this small space and wait for the darkness without doing anything.

  Hu Fei first tried to see if he could dig out a brick from the small hole, but after trying and getting no results, he stuck his head outside to observe the well wall. The small hole was pitch black and nothing could be seen, it's not as good as being able to see some shadows outside.

  It just so happens that after a long time of careful observation, he really found some clues. On the upper and lower walls of this small cave where he was hiding, there was a small pit, and when he stretched out his hand to touch it, the pit was not deep, and its depth, size, and angle were all suitable for use as a foothold. This was obviously a step left behind by predecessors for climbing up and down the well, and who knows if the mechanism in this well was built by his father or grandfather!

  He found that there were steps to climb up, so Hu Fei was no longer in a hurry. He tried to go down the steps to the water's surface and then back to his little nest. It wasn't too tiring for him to make a round trip! Of course, this was also because Hu Fei had been practicing martial arts since he was young and had a flexible body. If it were someone with a weak physique, they might not be able to climb up at all.

  Found the way out, Hu Fei sat cross-legged in his small nest, quietly waiting for nightfall. Whether it was his parents coming to fetch him or going up himself after dark, Hu Fei had a plan in mind.

  Sit down, calm your mind and think carefully about everything that happened today. Recall every detail before you fell into the well. The more I think about it, the more uncomfortable I feel. Those Japanese devils are so despicable! Not only did they ruin my sister's marriage, but they also forced me to hide in this well for half a day. Once I get out, I'll settle the score with them!

  Hu Fei was lost in thought and didn't notice that the sky above the well had gradually darkened.