The Lost Tomb : Ten Years Later

Chapter 13: Centipedes

"Centipedes?" Kan Jian sniffed: "Are the centipedes as big as a tree?"

Anything could happen in the Heavenly Palace, but it seemed a bit exaggerated once I thought about it.

The branches of the distant shadows of the trees were extremely thin, just like a centipede with long, needle-like feet. When I looked closely, it seemed to be a giant centipede with its upper body lifted up. Wang Meng hadn't noticed anything yet and was still yelling angrily. I wanted to go up and strangle him directly.

When Puxian Wannu was chased here by Zhijin Guiyou [1], and the descendants of Eastern Xia moved underground, they must have been shocked to find these giant centipedes living in the geothermal cracks. They probably linked the Jurchen myths with these wonders.

Wannu and the Mongols fought a decisive battle on this land, but even with the power of ghosts and gods, they could only be defeated in the face of the Mongols' victorious period. The rest of the tribe fled underground with the gold, silver, and agate they had plundered at the border for decades.

Was it because people in Eastern Xia had been operating here for many years and digging through the mountain crevices, so the underground centipedes could run aboveground?

Son of a bitch, don't dig casually, I said to myself. If these shadows were really centipedes as big as trees, then with the small knife in my hand, it was better to be merciful and let Kan Jian directly break Wang Meng's head open with an iron ball from his slingshot.

"What should we do?" Kan Jian asked me. I looked at Xiao Hua, who looked back at me before saying, "This time it's your call. You always manage to come up with a solution."

I twirled my knife in my hand. Was there nothing I could do? How many times had people said that there was no way, but I managed to think up plenty of ways?

Cleverness could never compare with the great principles of the Mystic Nine, but when it was used to save people, it was called a miracle.

I opened my backpack, poured out the dry food and sundries inside, then cut a centipede with my knife, broke off its head, and threw it into the bag. Kan Jian was shocked, but I told him not to ask and to follow.

I packed the big bag full of centipedes like cut up shrimp. The decapitated centipedes could still live for a long time, so the whole bag was moving, and the juices soaked the whole bag. I picked it up and trotted all the way towards Wang Meng's direction. As I ran, I asked, "How far away can you aim? Let me know when we get there."

Kan Jian nodded. Xiao Hua already knew what I was going to do and said, "Be quick!"

"I know!" I yelled. I ran for five minutes, before Kan Jian suddenly stopped and said "Stop! Here!"

"Go up the tree!"

Xiao Hua went up the tree, pulled the two of us up, and climbed to the tree branches with a height similar to that of Wang Meng. At this time, we weren't far from them and could clearly see the fire.

A few of the giant trees that I suspected were centipedes were all around them. I still couldn't see clearly from this distance, but I was sure that they weren't trees. They had to be some living creatures.

I tore the gauze from the wound on my hand, pressed it hard until it split open, and then let the blood continue to flow out. I grabbed a headless centipede with my bleeding hand, pressed it hard, mixed the blood and juices, and then threw it at Kan Jian. "Hit their ankles and faces."

The advantage of keeping Kan Jian close to me was that he never asked anything. Two iron balls were stuffed into the centipede's body, the slingshot was prepped, and then the centipede was shot out. The centipede disintegrated in the air, so not many of the balls hit Wang Meng. He immediately noticed and looked around.

When I turned on the flashlight to signal him, he immediately knew it was me and shouted, "You have guts to hit a person when they're down!"

"Hit him in the mouth." I said coldly.

Kan Jian fired the slingshot and hit Wang Meng in the mouth, almost choking him to death.

Everything was chaotic after we hit them with the pack of centipedes, but my blood and the centipede juices seemed to help. Wang Meng had also discovered the secret with the slingshot, and immediately accepted it with a resigned expression.

After I finished signaling them to come quickly, I watched Wang Meng climb down the tree and then threw the flashlight to Xiao Hua, "Lead them out."

"What about you?"

I watched those strange "giant trees" start to shake as they obviously noticed that their prey was escaping. I want to see what these things are. I took a flare from my waist, loaded it, and shot it in that direction.

The flare exploded in the air and fell slowly like a little sun. I only took one look and didn't even bothering looking a second time before I started running: "Fuck, run! Don't look back!"

Countless wings suddenly rose from the shadows of the distant trees, and a big bird flew up. It wasn't a centipede at all, but a withered tree full of those man-faced birds. So many of them were standing on it that the tree couldn't support the weight and started swaying.

I heard screaming, and saw that one of Wang Meng's men was caught in the air.

I need heavy firepower, I thought to myself. Fatty, where are you?

"Get into the well!" Xiao Hua yelled from the darkness ahead.

Wang Meng was still holding his torch. "Kan Jian, put out the lights!" As soon as I yelled, a twang split the air and Wang Meng's torch was blown away. It was quickly caught by a shadow falling from the sky.

As several human-faced birds scrambled in midair for the torch, I saw a wellhead in front of me and jumped in. As soon as I landed, the ground under my feet became loose, and the whole bottom collapsed, dragging me down with it.

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Note:

[1] The translator went with the pinyin, but pretty sure it's Güyük Khan (March 19, 1206 – April 20, 1248), who was the third Great Khan of the Mongol Empire and a grandson of Genghis Kan.