I slowly entered the passage. The passage stretched endlessly beneath the ground, its destination unknown. The surrounding stone walls emitted faint glimrs of light, revealing rust stains that seed to have lingered since the start of the year.
I really wanted to take my ti along the way, but every ti I paused, the General behind would shove forcefully, nearly causing to fall to the ground.
The middle-aged man ahead kept muttering incessantly as he walked, likely complaining about us. The punishnt was ant for us, after all. Why bla ?
I couldn't tell how long I had been walking. My feet ached from the march. Yet, whenever I tried to halt, General Zhang always stopped as well. Looking back, I could see General Zhang facing dire shortages himself.
There was nothing else I could do but keep walking slowly. I lowered my head aimlessly, only to bump into sothing and hurt myself. Bewildered, I looked up to see what had obstructed —and was greeted by the ghastly face of the middle-aged man.
Each ti I saw his face, no matter how many tis, it never failed to terrify .
The middle-aged man smirked and said to , "Eager to die, are you? If you're truly in such a hurry, then co on in!"
I noticed a stone door ahead, directly in front of the middle-aged man. He gently pushed the stone door open. The space inside was pitch black. After stepping in, he turned to instruct to close the door behind him.
I glimpsed the 30-centiter-thick stone door, the middle-aged man disappearing into the passage, and the General standing just inside, apparently guarding the entrance.
Cautiously, I stepped inside and examined the sturdy stone door. As I attempted to push it, the door wouldn't budge. Straining to move it, my feet kept slipping. Glancing behind , I noticed the middle-aged man sneering at my efforts.
He scoffed coldly, giving his hands a light pat before casually seating himself near the door.
The middle-aged man looked at with a mocking grin and murmured sothing incomprehensible. Leisurely, he approached the stone door, pressed his palm against it disdainfully, and with a simple push, the door shut completely.
Startled, I stared at him, montarily forgetting his role as my captor. Curiosity overtook . "How did you manage that?" I asked.
He clapped his hands with a mysterious smirk and replied, "Don't worry; you'll figure it out yourself in the future. Keep moving! Let's press forward!"
I sat on the ground, unwilling to keep standing. Pointing toward the dark passage ahead, I protested, "It's too dark in there. I don't want to go any further."
The middle-aged man laughed and said, "Oh, you want so light? Fine, I'll give you that!"
With that, he struck a nearby stone brick. The brick reacted instantly to his touch.
Suddenly, gears began grinding audibly, resonating through the room and rumbling beneath the floor for an extended mont.
Turning back to look at where the middle-aged man had stood earlier, I saw sothing erging from the ground, sothing brightly illuminated.
When the event fully unfolded, my eyes widened in disbelief.
A series of lampstands gradually rose from below, their flas igniting one after another, casting light upon their design. I could see the lampstands clearly now—each was supported by skeletons, with steadily burning candles protruding from the ground.
Fear overwheld . I stood frozen, staring at the middle-aged man and shouting, "What is this cursed place? Why are there so many skeletons?"
The middle-aged man shrugged nonchalantly, saying, "You asked for light, didn't you? Don't complain. You want answers? Just take a look at the murals on the wall. They'll explain everything!"
Terror consud as I reluctantly turned my gaze toward the direction he pointed, steadying myself as best I could. What I saw were horrific murals illustrating life itself—from birth onward.
Observing the middle-aged man, I muttered in explanation, "The murals depict the stages of a person's life. It begins with birth…
In the first mural, amidst thunder and lightning, a Thunder Dragon descends from the storm clouds above, roaring as it arrives at the family. Just as the dragon collapses, the family hears deafening cries—those of a newborn child."
In the second mural, the scene shifts to the child's early years. As a young boy, he exhibits extraordinary physical ability, wielding swords and spears effortlessly. Even his father brings forth Jiao Wu to serve under him."
The third mural's style seems irregular, suggesting turmoil in their country. The boy reaches youth, garnering admiration from Baidu, and Gang Peng begins recruiting soldiers. The boy dons armor and charges into battle. Blessed with innate strength, he quickly earns General Zhang's favor, proving his valor in the military."
The fourth mural portrays the aftermath of war—a middle-aged hero returning triumphantly to the Emperor. He is appointed General and betrothed to his wife."
The sudden motion from the middle-aged man caught off guard, sending sprawling onto the ground. Glancing back, I saw the door close shut.
Rising to my feet, I tugged at the stone door, but it didn't budge an inch. I struck it repeatedly, shouting to the middle-aged man outside, "Let out! Why are you keeping here? Set free!"
Receiving no response, I continued pounding the stone door in frustration.
Realizing the futility of shouting, I turned around to face the dark room behind . Unable to see anything, I reached into my bag to check its contents. That morning, I had eaten a hearty al, which I now regretted not savoring more. I hadn't changed out of my loose trousers and slippers, making my current situation even more ridiculous.
Feeling my way along the walls, I searched for chanisms or clues. My hands glided over the surface, mimicking the middle-aged man's earlier actions, attempting to uncover a hidden switch.
After painstakingly inspecting the walls, I finally stumbled upon a movable stone. With a gentle push, the stone shifted—and the door opened with a loud bang!
Elated by my quick response, I turned to face the open doorway, only to find the middle-aged man standing there once more. He held a small bag in his hand.
The bag contained simple items like instant noodles and packaged snacks.
The middle-aged man extended the bag toward , saying, "You'll be staying here for now. Don't touch anything. There's enough food here to last you a few days."
Just as he prepared to close the door again, I dashed forward, grabbing onto the slowly shutting door and shouted, "You bring instant noodles, but at least get so hot water! If not hot water, then light a candle for ! Why do this to all these years? How can I call you master under these circumstances?"
Glancing into the dark room, the middle-aged man snapped his fingers, and the space was instantly illuminated as brightly as day.
Taking a mont to survey the room's furnishings, I felt an unsettling despair. The middle-aged man's presence beneath the light cast a shadow over any hope I had of escape.
Disgruntled, he smiled eerily and said, "If it's so bright, don't be too happy yet. The oil in those lamps will burn out soon—probably in an hour or two."
Angry, I grabbed at his arm and scread, "Why don't you just leave? Why won't you let go? If you won't, then wear shackles forever—or end it now and kill !"
Perhaps my words caught his attention, montarily disturbing him. For the first ti, I noticed hesitation in his deanor.
Finally, he reached into a pocket and pulled out an aged, yellowed book. Tossing it to the ground, he shoved back, retreating toward the entrance as he gestured to close the door.
I picked up the book he had flung to the floor, carefully brushing off the dust.
Its cover bore the ominous title: "Book of Death". Ten minutes.
The thought struck —if only I could harness the middle-aged man's powers to control General Zhang myself, I might yet find my way out.
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