Chapter 64.4: Reunion and Reverence

He had integrated feng shui observation methods into the surveying work. When Xue Liangliang resumed calculations with the equipment, he was surprised to find the margin of error still within the acceptable range. For a moment, even he couldn't determine which set of data was more accurate.

Still, relying purely on feng shui methods to record data left Xue Liangliang uneasy. But ignoring such a useful technique felt foolish. Eventually, he found a compromise—use Xiaoyuan’s data first, then verify and cross-check it afterward. This ensured accuracy while greatly reducing the workload.

Unfortunately, this method was not scalable—only their team could take advantage of the shortcut. It was no help to other groups at different sites. So, by dusk, Xue Liangliang took the three of them down to the creek to catch fish.

Everyone else served as cheerleaders. Runsheng dove into the deeper section of the stream and flung fish out one by one.

They processed the fish by the creek and returned to camp before dark. A pot was set up and fish soup began to simmer.

As other teams returned, they gravitated toward the aroma. Though the weather wasn’t yet cold, a hot, flavorful meal after a long day of work was absolute bliss.

The soup boiled to a milky white. Three large ladles hung nearby for anyone to serve themselves.

Li Zhuiyuan added a bit of pepper and vinegar to his bowl, then sipped slowly from the tin container.

Time ticked by. Just as people were getting ready to turn in for the night, the atmosphere in camp grew tense—one team hadn’t returned.

Ma Yiming had already gone looking himself but found no sign of them. The team’s assigned location wasn’t far from camp, and they had lighting gear. Even if something had gone wrong, shining their lamps skyward should’ve been visible from afar.

Left with no choice, Ma Yiming mobilized everyone to search.

They crossed two creeks and passed through a gully before climbing up to the missing team's assigned area.

Flashlights swept across the slopes and people called out. Yet not only were the three missing people nowhere to be found—their equipment had vanished too.

Ma Yiming cursed, “Goddammit, what is this, a haunting?”

If the terrain were dangerous, some mishap would be understandable. At least everyone would be mentally prepared. But here? The worst hazard was twisting an ankle while climbing.

Three grown men, just gone?

The survey teams split into two groups—one going upstream, the other downstream.

Xue Liangliang’s team was assigned to the upstream route. After a while, the teams separated again, communicating only by flashlight signals.

“Xiaoyuan, want me to carry you?” Runsheng offered.

“No need, Runsheng-ge.”

“Where could they have gone?” Tan Wenbin asked, puzzled. “Their area was even safer than ours. At least we had deep water—this stream barely reached the ankles. It’s not like they could’ve been swept away.”

Runsheng asked, “Could there be wild animals?”

Xue Liangliang shook his head. “Team Leader Ma specifically asked the locals—no dangerous wildlife in the area. And even if there were, no beast could snatch up three adult men without leaving a mess. Even if they were eaten on the spot, there’d be blood, drag marks—something.”

At that moment, a signal light flashed in the distance.

“Let’s go. Someone found something,” said Xue Liangliang.

Nearby teams also converged on the spot.

At the base of a large boulder, they found a hat and a broken hiking pole—confirmed to belong to the missing team.

Xue Liangliang shone his flashlight carefully, then lay down and reached into the gap beneath the rock. He wedged his own hiking pole horizontally between the ground and the rock’s edge.

He called out, “Check around for marks—look carefully!”

“Found one! A white scrape mark!”

After inspecting it, Xue Liangliang crouched again and used his flashlight to examine the pebbles. He picked up several, flipping them over and sniffing both sides.

“Check further up—see if the stones have been disturbed. Look at their coloration and any fishy smell.”

The group quickly complied.

Soon, several people reported signs.

Now everyone began to picture it: something had dragged a person across the ground. When they passed this boulder, the victim tried to wedge their hiking pole to resist—but whatever it was had such force that it snapped the pole in two.

Someone asked, “Who would do this?”

“Not a person,” said Xue Liangliang. “No human would need brute force like this.”

“What was it, then?” someone nearby found another object—a half-palm-sized smooth fragment. Under flashlight, it had a translucent sheen like glass, but the texture wasn’t quite right.

The fragment was passed around, but no one recognized it. When it reached Li Zhuiyuan, he held it under his nose, sniffed, then handed it to Runsheng.

Runsheng understood, sniffed it as well. “Xiaoyuan, smells like dirt—earthy.”

“Earthy?” Xue Liangliang frowned and looked at him. “Xiaoyuan, any idea what it might be?”

“Could it be… a snake scale?”

The suggestion was chilling. If a single scale was that large, how enormous must the snake itself be?

Several people chuckled skeptically. The kid might be smart enough for early university admission, but his imagination was still too wild.

Someone suggested that since they had a lead, they should keep going. Most agreed, and they resumed moving upstream.

Li Zhuiyuan tugged on Xue Liangliang’s sleeve. “Liangliang-ge, I don’t think we should go further—at least wait till daylight.”

Xue Liangliang sighed. “If we don’t find them by morning, we’ll have to halt the operation and call the police, ask local authorities to mobilize the villagers. And right now is the golden window for rescue.”

“Most importantly, Xiaoyuan, everyone here’s a veteran. I don’t have much sway.”

He added, “Runsheng, Binbin, you two stay with Xiaoyuan or return to camp. You’re not official team members.”

Unspoken was the fact that he, Xue Liangliang, had to press on. His colleagues were missing—he had no excuse to sit back, even knowing the danger ahead.

“Fine, let’s all go. Just remind everyone to keep their lights low and scan for any reflections—see if we find more scales.”

“Alright.”

The search resumed. The further they went, the steeper the slope on the left and the deeper the water on the right. The only passable route was the middle stretch of gravel beach.

They didn’t find more scales, but in a small hollow, they discovered a shoe—with bloodstains nearby.

At last, solid proof that at least one of the missing men had been injured.

From up ahead came a shout: “There’s a cave here!”

Everyone rushed over. Sure enough, a man-sized opening gaped in the left-hand slope. At first glance, it looked shallow—but when someone shone their light downward, they saw a massive black pit inside.

Sharp stone spikes lined the edges, and something seemed to be hanging from one.

But no one dared enter the unknown cave to check.

Xue Liangliang pushed his way to the front and entered the cave. Carefully approaching the edge, he reached out and retrieved a strip of cloth—part of a work uniform from the chest area, bearing a name: Feng Zhigao. One of the missing men.

He brought it out for everyone to see.

“So he’s down there?”

“How did he end up inside?”

“What did this?”

Li Zhuiyuan didn’t crowd around the cloth. He stood at the cave mouth, ears twitching. He could hear wind—a howling draft from deep inside.

Wait… not just wind. There was another sound—scraping?

He dropped to the ground and pressed his ear against the dirt.

Runsheng, Tan Wenbin, and Xue Liangliang came closer—they knew the boy had keen hearing.

Their formation was now: cave — the four of them — rest of the team — river.

The scraping grew louder. Li Zhuiyuan listened, eyes lifting toward the pit—something was about to come out.

He was just about to shout for everyone to get away from the cave when he froze—the sound wasn’t coming from the cave.

It was coming from the river.

Something was crawling out of the river… it was coming!

Li Zhuiyuan sprang up and looked toward the group still clustered on the gravel beach, discussing the cloth. Above them—

Suddenly, two red lanterns flared into life!

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