Ancient Country Returns to Ruins: Strange News from the Western Regions

  Xiao Lao's face was getting closer and closer to the mural, Fu Ma's weakness was almost fainting, can't let Lao San cut off Xiao Lao's face too, I rushed to Xiao Lao's side, shouting loudly: "Everyone turn their backs to the mural, otherwise they will all be sucked into the wall"

  Lao San and A Quan immediately turned around, I pulled Xiao Lao backwards with all my might, the mural seemed to have a kind of invisible force pulling Xiao Lao towards the wall, I was almost unable to hold on, "Lao San come quickly to help!" I shouted loudly.

  Lao San quickly turned around and pulled with me, finally pulling Xiao Lao away from the wall. Suddenly, a pair of dark brown dry hands stretched out from the wall, grabbing Xiao Lao's head and pulling him back into the wall with force.

  Those hands came out suddenly, scaring me and Lao San to jump, and the strength was incredibly great. If this continues, both of us will be pulled into the wall together. A Quan also rushed over to help, but even with the three of us, we were no match for those hands, and we were slowly getting closer and closer to the wall.

  "Third Brother, quickly chop off that hand!" I shouted loudly.

  "Second brother, Ah Quan, you two hold on!" Old Three drew out his chopping knife from behind and chopped down fiercely. All that was heard was a "ka" sound, and the hand didn't have any problem at all, not even leaving a knife wound. Old Three's knife slipped out of his hand, and he stared blankly at us, muttering to himself, "How is this possible?"

  A strange cry came from the wall, a sound like stepping on a cat's tail, which was extremely piercing. The pair of hands seemed to be furious and suddenly increased their strength, and Xiao Lao's head had already gone deep into the wall.

  "Second brother, hurry up and let go, otherwise you and A Quan will be taken away too!"

  My heart sank, I took one last look at Xiao Lao, nodded to A Quan, and we both let go. Xiao Lao was quickly pulled into the wall by those dark brown hands. I sadly looked at the wall, which was no longer empty, but had transformed into Xiao Lao's usual sly smile, now looking so familiar.

  Xiao Lao waved goodbye to me, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something. I leaned my ear closer to hear what he was going to say, but suddenly felt something was off. Those hands quickly stretched out from the wall, trying to grab me. I hastily dodged back and they retreated into the wall again.

  I took a deep breath: "This place is too eerie, let's hurry out." I carried the weak Fuma on my back, and everyone started walking back. After a long time, we didn't see the entrance we came in from earlier, and I was a bit puzzled, it seemed like we hadn't walked this far when we came in just now.

  "Ah, look! Brother Junyang, isn't that the mural of Dad we saw earlier? We were walking back, but how did we end up here again?" I took a glance and my whole body trembled. Indeed, it was the same wall that had nothing on it earlier. Just now, we hadn't seen this turn in the corridor, and we were heading towards the entrance, always on a straight path. How could we have ended up back in front of this mural?

  I was at a loss, my heart racing with anxiety, wondering if there was some kind of mechanism in this tomb. I had never been inside a grave before, and now Xiao Lao, who knew the way so well, had been sucked into the wall. Who could come to rescue us from here? Suddenly, an unprecedented sense of despair washed over me.

  Lao San sighed and sat on the ground, complaining: "Second brother, if you don't know the way, then don't lead us, okay?"

  "I irritably said: 'What's wrong with me not knowing the way? It's always been this road, and there aren't even any turns. Didn't you notice anything was off either?'"

  A Qiang was crying loudly beside me, I was so annoyed that I yelled at her: "Stop crying, if it weren't for you, would we be like this?" A Qiang looked at me scolding her and cried even louder. Lao San and I helplessly covered our ears. For a moment, I even had the urge to cut her with a knife, I touched the dagger left by Wu Zihan.

  At this moment, Fuma woke up behind me. He grabbed my hand and was still very weak. Fuma indicated that I should put him down, then whispered: "Don't you feel that your emotions are all disturbed?" He turned to me, "Although I can't hear your inner voice, I can sense it. If we continue to blame each other like this, we will end up killing each other. Everyone must calm their minds and focus."

  I felt a sudden jolt in my heart, just as Fu Ma had said. I took a deep breath and quickly apologized to Lao San and A Quan. We exchanged a couple of playful jokes, and our hearts were much calmer afterwards.

  "This place is not suitable for a long stay, let's hurry up and leave." I was about to carry him on my back, but he shook his head, indicating that he could walk by himself. I looked at the bandage on his hand and felt very distressed: "Your hand..."

  Patting my shoulder, he said: "Don't worry, this can grow back, it just needs time."

  "Don't worry, Second Brother. Fu Ma has another nickname - Little Gecko. Losing a finger is no big deal." Old Three chimed in and nodded at me.

  We continued walking forward, and that narrow corridor seemed to have no end.

  "I've always been puzzled as to why the mural shows us several different things that aren't the same?" Old Three furrowed his brow.

  "I couldn't see anything at all, but later when Old Xiao was sucked in, I saw Old Xiao," I replied.

  "I once heard Xiao Lao say that there's a kind of painting called 'Xiang You Xin Sheng', which is probably the one that can penetrate your inner heart, see the person or thing you most urgently want to see and know, and then you'll be sucked in, becoming part of the mural. Jun Yang can't see it, possibly because of his seal."

  "Just..." I looked at Lao San, "Why do you see the Director's mother? What do you want to know about him?" Lao San hesitated and muttered for half a day without saying anything, and Fu Ma gave him a sideways glance without speaking.

  "Brother Junyang, we're back again!" Ajuan pointed at the mural and shouted, "It's my dad again!"

  I suddenly felt a pang in my heart, "This time I really can't get out." I muttered to myself.

  "Look, there's someone lying ahead." Fu Ma said as he walked over. "It's Kelamayi!" He shouted loudly at us. Just as Fu Ma was about to help him up, Kelamayi suddenly slapped the back of Fu Ma's neck with his hand, and Fu Ma immediately fell to the ground.

  Lao San swiftly drew his knife and pointed it at him: "Who are you?"

  Karamay stared at us with a dazed expression, his eyes blinking rapidly: "Is it you guys? How did you get here? I thought it was that Raksha ghost!" He looked down at Fu Ma lying on the ground: "It's Big Eyes, it's all my fault for using too much force. What happened to his hand? Where's Old Xiao?"

  We rushed over immediately, "Where did you go? We were all worried to death!" I looked at Karamay with some resentment.

  Karamay scratched his head, pointing at A Quan: "Ah, don't mention it, this little girl said her family members entered the tomb and didn't come out, I thought of helping, but ended up getting trapped myself."

  Lao San looked around left and right: "Where did you come from, Karamay."

  "I don't know either, I just smelled a fragrance and fainted, when I woke up, I heard someone talking next to my ear, didn't expect it was you guys." Karamay frowned, "Is he okay?"

  "It should be fine, I guess you just knocked him out, your hands are too heavy." I said as I carried Fu Ma on my back.

  "What about Xiao Lao?" I remained silent, Old Three's eyes were red: "He's dead, sucked into the wall."

  Karamay stared at the mural, "You mean he was sucked into this wall?" We all nodded, "That should be fine, I just came out of that wall earlier. This wall is a transmission gate. Haven't you guys been stuck here for half a day?"

  "Portal? Just now a pair of hands from that wall pulled Xiao Lao in." I said in surprise.

  "A pair of hands? That must be an illusion, let's go, I'll take you to find Old Xiao. The mural is a Phantom Realm transmission gate." Kalamayi grabbed our hands, "All of you close your eyes, when we pass through the gate later, no matter what sounds you hear, don't open your eyes."

  I always feel that something is wrong somewhere, but everyone has caught up with Karamay. I carry the horse on my back and also hold onto Karamay's hand.

  "Close your eyes, I'll count to three, and then 1, 2, 3!"

  I feel Karamay is taking us forward, and from time to time I hear what seems like voices in my ears, some people sighing, others laughing loudly, others screaming. Suddenly my head hurts so much it feels like it's going to explode.

  "Alright, open your eyes," Karamay said.

  I opened my eyes and looked around, but everything in front of me was pitch black, I couldn't see anything.

  "What the...?!" Old Three yelled, "A Quan, turn on the flashlight."

  A beam of light lit up beside me, A-huan turned on the flashlight and shone it around, this was a long narrow room without doors or windows, the walls and floor were all dark red, in the center of the room stood a coffin, when we found the coffin, A-huan let out a loud cry, startling us.

  "This place is going to scare A Quan to death sooner or later," Lao San asked Karamay.

  "This should be an ear chamber in the tomb, there must be some kind of mechanism in this tomb passage, as soon as we walk to that mural, we will be transmitted back to the starting point, so no matter how we walk, we can't get out, if you want to get out, you can only think of a way from here."

  "It seems like there's someone." A Quan pointed to a black shadow in the corner, she shone her flashlight over and we all took a closer look, it turned out to be Xiao Lao, we quickly gathered around.

  Lao San was shouting and shaking Xiao Lao vigorously, Xiao Lao slowly opened his eyes in a daze, stared at us blankly for half a day, and suddenly burst into tears: "You guys are dead too? Is this what the underworld is like?"

  I quickly took out water from my bag and gave it to Old Xiao, who drank two mouthfuls. I couldn't help but excitedly say: "Old Xiao, you're alive and well, we're all doing great!"

  Xiao Lao looked back and said in surprise: "Karamay is also here, great, great, we are finally reunited. Even if I die now, this old man will have no regrets."

  "Ah——" A Quan shouted again.

  Lao San impatiently asked: "What's wrong again, Quan Nainai? You'll scare yourself to death sooner or later."

  A Qiang's eyes widened and he stammered: "There are six of us, why are there only...only five shadows?"