Luo Ren’s heart tightened.

He pressed further: “Do you know where they are?”

Yafeng was afraid to speak. Her lips trembled as she kept backing away, nervously glancing through the window at Seventh Aunt’s silhouette. She only repeated: “You should leave quickly, don’t stay here, leave quickly.”

Luo Ren looked into her eyes, gently holding the back of her hand with one hand, while raising his other finger to his lips.

He had rescued many hostages before and knew how to calm people who were emotionally broken or hysterical. They weren’t unable to speak; they were just extremely tense and afraid.

He spoke softly: “Look at me, look at my eyes.”

Yafeng said, “If they find out I told you, they’ll beat me to death.”

Luo Ren spoke slowly, emphasizing each word: “I will come back and take you away. No one will know it was you who told me.”

Yafeng looked at him for a while, finally calming down gradually. After a long moment, she whispered two words: “On the mountain.”

On the mountain? Mountains surrounded them.

“Which one?”

Yafeng timidly bit her lip and slowly pointed to one of them.

That mountain was quite tall, but with a flat top, as if a piece had been cut off. It was easy to recognize.

Luo Ren smiled and said, “Good girl.”

He then instructed her in a low voice: “Remember, I was never here, and you never saw me. I will come back for you.”

He backed away slowly, keeping his eyes fixed on Yafeng’s, smiling at her, then gently closing the door.

Seventh Aunt was still sitting at the entrance, her back to the courtyard, threading her needle, occasionally looking up to listen to the lively shouts coming from the threshing ground.

—

The mountain.

Luo Ren ran at full speed up the mountain path. There were several simple sheds on this mountain, used by villagers when caught in the rain. If they were on the mountain, they would be either in a cave or in one of these sheds.

He went straight up and down, conducting a thorough search, checking every shed. They were all damp but showed no signs of anyone having stayed there.

But he couldn’t find any cave.

Caves generally form in a few ways: natural formation through crustal movement or artificial excavation. The latter requires substantial labor and resources, usually concentrated in mining areas or wartime tunneling, neither of which applied to Cao Family Village.

Naturally formed caves are divided into two types: open ones that are easily visible, and those with concealed entrances, which might be small but lead to intricate tunnel networks—natural underground labyrinths lurking in the dark interior.

Because of the unpredictability of these caves, cave exploration, along with deep-sea diving, rafting, mountaineering, and cave diving, is considered one of the world’s five most dangerous and challenging activities.

Could the cave Yafeng mentioned be inside the mountain?

Luo Ren composed himself, searching for any potential cave entrance that might have been overlooked. Finally, he discovered a spot that resembled a screen-covered entrance. Moving sideways to look, he found a narrow passage leading inside.

Luo Ren didn’t immediately enter. He pressed his ear against the rock wall and listened for a long time. Either there was no guard inside, or the guards were asleep—otherwise, it wouldn’t be completely silent.

He held his breath, drew his knife, and entered step by step.

The cave was not small, the light dim, but he could still see someone curled up in a corner of the cave.

Was that… Cao Yanhua?

He seemed to be asleep, or perhaps dead, head drooping motionless. Luo Ren didn’t rush over. He picked up two small stones from the ground, placed one between his index and middle fingers, and flicked it hard, hitting Cao Yanhua squarely on the shoulder blade.

Cao Yanhua winced in pain and abruptly raised his head. His gaze was initially bewildered, then suddenly focused, showing both surprise and joy.

If his mouth hadn’t been stuffed with cloth, he probably would have called out.

Luo Ren smiled slightly and was about to move forward when suddenly, Yafeng’s struggling scream came from outside the cave.

Luo Ren thought, “This is bad,” and quickly turned to see the light of torches and elongated shadows cast on the ground, approaching step by step.

First to enter was Yafeng, her face streaked with tears. And behind her…

Luo Ren smiled bitterly.

It was Qingshan.

Gone was his previous honest simplicity. His fan-like hand gripped Yafeng’s nape, while his other hand held a sickle with its edge pressed against her neck. Whether from jostling during their walk or not, it had already cut a thin line of blood.

Luo Ren quickly tucked his dagger into the small of his back. He lowered his sleeve, trapping the remaining stone between his wrist and sleeve, then spread his hands and slowly raised them, saying: “Everything can be discussed.”

He nodded toward Yafeng: “It’s not her fault, don’t frighten the young lady.”

Behind him, Cao Yanhua was struggling furiously, banging his head against his knees. Presumably, when he had been tricked by Qingshan before, he must have similarly ground his teeth in anger.

Qingshan remained silent, but his expression was ferocious: “You should have left when you had the chance.”

Yes, Luo Ren smiled: “How could I leave without finding my friends? Leaving like that wouldn’t be right.”

He continued to stall: “I realize I was wrong. Is it still possible for me to leave now?”

As he spoke the last word, his raised hand suddenly flicked downward, sending the stone hidden in his sleeve flying through the air, striking Qingshan’s hand that held the sickle. Qingshan cried out in pain, the blade shifting away. Yafeng pushed the sickle aside and ran toward Luo Ren. Qingshan kicked the back of her legs, causing her to stumble forward.

Luo Ren was prepared. He quickly lay down at an angle, caught Yafeng, and rolled with her, reaching back to draw his knife.

For Cao Yanhua’s sake, he wouldn’t take Qingshan’s life, but at the very least, he would disable one of his hands or legs first.

Just as his hand touched the knife handle, suddenly his center of gravity vanished. The level ground beneath him seemed to abruptly withdraw. Luo Ren, unable to control his body, suddenly tumbled downward.

—

In the darkness, Mu Dai had tried many methods to truly split off a personality without pain sensation.

Why couldn’t she do it?

Dr. He had told her many cases of dissociative identity disorder. Some people had more than twenty personalities. These personalities, because of their disorder, pulled the whole person toward chaos and abnormality.

What if they could be ordered? Would it be like having more than twenty helpers?

She held her breath, telling herself: “Come out, come out, one of you.”

Of course, it didn’t work.

She also tried self-hypnosis: “Now, you are the one who doesn’t feel pain.”

That didn’t work either. Her hand, grasping the rock wall, still changed color with pain.

It was just one fingernail, just one leg!

She became extremely frustrated, like a trapped beast underground, futilely turning around, not knowing how much time had passed—day and night were indistinguishable here; she had lost all concept of day and night.

Finally, she said in her heart: To hell with it all, I’m going up.

She walked to the rock wall, extended her left hand, and grabbed a slightly protruding spot.

The pain seemed tangible. Looking closely, she could see the finger with bulging veins, the skin on its surface trembling uncontrollably.

Mu Dai didn’t let go. She whispered, “Does it hurt? It can hurt even more.”

Gritting her teeth, she increased the force. This time, her whole arm trembled, a fine sweat coating her forehead. She pressed her forehead against the rock wall, grinding hard, tears seeping from the corners of her eyes.

She said, “I haven’t died from the pain. How much worse can it get?”

This time, she used all her strength. Small streaks of blood seeped through the bandage. At the limit of pain, it was just like that.

It was manageable; this kind of pain could be endured.

Looking up at the cave ceiling, 20-30 meters high, she knew she would be very slow, but she could make it up.

She shook her hand, flexed her wrists and ankles, twisted her neck, tightened her belt to the last notch, and thought about drinking some more water.

Shining her flashlight, she saw the water had receded.

The rain had probably decreased, but it didn’t matter. One side of the rock wall was still wet. Mu Dai went over, moistened her lips, and finally took a deep breath.

She began to climb.

It still hurt. She cursed all the way, using many crude words she would have been ashamed to utter before, cursing her hand and also her leg.

She cursed: “You wretched thing, giving me trouble at a time like this. I’ll tear you apart.”

She didn’t just curse; she also offered incentives: “If you behave, when we get out, I’ll feed you the best food, I’ll use the most expensive hand cream on you, and even get your nails done.”

Sweating profusely, her whole body trembling, she maintained herself through sheer will and nonsensical talk.

Halfway up, she looked down, felt dizzy, and her legs weakened. She didn’t have the energy to curse anymore. Thinking she needed to change her strategy, she tried being gentle and coaxing.

“If we fall now, none of us will survive, so let’s work together, hmm? Hmm?”

Her tone made it seem as if her hand and leg could respond to her.

She continued climbing, sweat pouring down like rain, dripping into her eyelashes, occasionally flowing into her eyes, unbearably salty.

The cave was wider at the bottom and narrower at the top, an inverted dome shape.

As the saying goes, “The last 10% of the journey is half the battle.” She truly couldn’t climb anymore.

It wasn’t just because of her injuries, but also because she hadn’t eaten anything since entering the cave. Supported only by determination, she watched helplessly as the last few meters remained out of reach.

She clung desperately to the rock wall, gasping for breath. Her head spun, ears ringing. For a moment, she felt the entire vast cave was filled with the sound of her breathing.

This scene… somehow felt familiar.

In her daze, she sensed the dampness, mustiness, and the scent of despair.

Suddenly, like lightning flashing across her mind, Mu Dai raised her head abruptly, her heart pounding as she stared intently at the cave.

High up, cold, chilling.

A chill rose from the depths of her heart as she tilted her head back to look ahead.

Small grains of sand were falling from above, rustling down before her eyes.

She remembered—she had had a dream!

Without thinking, Mu Dai used all her strength, pushing off hard with her feet and lunging straight toward the opposite rock wall.

Would someone fall? Would it be Luo Ren? She didn’t know, but she couldn’t wait. Waiting for that one or two seconds until she could see clearly who it was would mean missing the opportunity.

She needed this collision to be precisely timed.

Something rapidly descended from above. Mu Dai crashed hard into a person, her momentum slightly reduced. She reached down and grabbed the person’s clothes with one hand, her other hand desperately clutching at the opposite rock wall.

She caught hold, but quickly lost her grip. This time, the weight was too heavy, and their descent speed noticeably increased. Mu Dai’s mind went blank. Except for keeping one hand holding onto the person, she used both legs to brace against the rock wall, trying to increase friction even slightly.

Then, for reasons unknown, sparks suddenly appeared before her eyes, and their descent abruptly stopped.

This sudden halt was as jarring as the rapid fall, and neither could be controlled immediately. Mu Dai flipped upside down, but in that critical moment, the person reached out an arm and caught her.

He said, “Straighten up, slowly straighten your waist.”

It was Luo Ren’s voice.

Mu Dai’s throat constricted, her eyes welling with warmth. She held her breath, gripping Luo Ren’s arm as she slowly straightened her waist. Looking down, she estimated they were still about ten meters from the bottom.

She embraced Luo Ren, burying her head against his chest.

Luo Ren pulled back slightly. He didn’t like embracing or hugging, instinctively not wanting to leave his chest or abdomen vulnerable to anyone.

But in his arms was a familiar feeling.

Luo Ren blurted out: “Is it Mu Dai?”

He hadn’t even clearly seen who was in front of him, only knowing that after falling, he had suddenly been hit in mid-air, then grabbed—regardless, that person had been trying to save him.

Using this brief reprieve, he drew his knife and thrust it into a crack in the rock wall. The knife tip sparked against the stone before finally gaining purchase.

He asked again: “Is it Mu Dai?”

Mu Dai remained silent, her mind still blank. She could barely remember what had just happened, only knowing that she had taken another hard fall, then stopped, not dead.

At least for now, she wasn’t dead, and she was holding someone.

She smiled through her tears.

Luo Ren held her tight, looking down at the cave floor. Unlike Mu Dai, he wasn’t accustomed to the darkness and took a while to make out that they were about ten meters from the ground.

He lowered his head and kissed her forehead: “I have a rope in my bag. Take it out, tie it around my waist, then you go down first.”

Mu Dai didn’t want to move; she felt she had no strength left.

Luo Ren said, “Be good, Mu Dai, go down first. This knife won’t hold up for long.”

True, they weren’t safe yet; they couldn’t relax.

Mu Dai gathered her strength, fumbling to open Luo Ren’s backpack zipper and pulling out the rope. It was a climbing rope with guaranteed durability. Luo Ren took it, wrapped it once around his waist, then pulled it over his shoulder to distribute the pressure points: “Come, go down.”

Mu Dai barely needed to use her hands. The rope coiled snake-like around her, and she tried not to rely on Luo Ren’s strength as she descended with a few twists.

Upon reaching the ground, she collapsed, falling backward and immediately passed out.

However, she didn’t remain unconscious for long, seemingly just a minute or two before opening her eyes again.

Luo Ren was still up above.

Mu Dai lay on the ground, staring at him. After a moment, she took out the small flashlight from her pocket and shined it toward him.

Suddenly encountering the light, Luo Ren could barely open his eyes.

Mu Dai found it a bit strange: “Why haven’t you come down yet?”

Luo Ren replied: “You talk as if I could just come down. I’m not like you; I can’t just climb walls at will.”

Oh, that’s right. Luo Ren couldn’t wall-climb.

Knowing she shouldn’t laugh, Mu Dai still couldn’t help it. She suddenly burst into laughter. The ground was ice-cold, but she laughed until tears came to her eyes.

Luo Ren looked at her with concern.

How long had Mu Dai been down here?

In Western cave exploration teams, psychiatrists were often included because the dark, extremely quiet underground environment was not something normal people could endure. Many cave rescue survivors subsequently suffered from mental instability for the rest of their lives.

He couldn’t help but worry: “Mu Dai?”

Mu Dai ignored him. After a while, she propped herself up on her arms, shining the flashlight around the rock walls.

The lower part of the wall was different from the upper part, with more crevices.

She breathed heavily, backing up until she sat down on the ground, her hand touching something.

She said, “Little Knife Luo, beg me. Beg me, and I’ll help you down.”

Luo Ren didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Then he said: “I beg you.”

After all, begging her wasn’t shameful.

Mu Dai burst into laughter, then suddenly stopped, saying: “Little Knife Luo, wait. I’ll make you a golden, sparkling road to fortune.”

As she spoke, she raised her hand, the red cloth bag in her hand opening to spill shining silver coins across the ground with a clatter.

She picked up one coin, aimed carefully, and forcefully threw it at the rock wall. With a clink, it wedged firmly into a crack, half in and half out.

Small as it was, it was enough to serve as a foothold for him.

Mu Dai picked up another coin, first bringing it to her lips to blow on it, then holding it to her ear to listen to the humming sound—the legendary sound of money, truly pleasant and comforting.

With a flick of her hand, there was another clink as it wedged into another crack, about one meter below the first one.

Then she looked up, her gaze meeting his.

In his heart, Luo Ren said, “Beautiful!”