Chapter 12: The Lie Exposed

Wu Xiaoxie cursed with lingering fear, “Damn it, such a tiny place, how could there be two Coelacanths here? It’s like they don’t want us to live.”

Zhang Wuxun tried to comfort him, “It’s okay. Maybe when we get out of the tomb, we’ll find another way. If not, we’ll just fight our way through. Lao Yang has a gun, right? Then we can use this dead Coelacanth as bait, lure the other one out, and shoot it.”

The Coelacanth lying dead on the ground bore not only the fatal wounds inflicted by Zhang Wuxun but also several small bullet holes around its side, likely from iron pellets. It seemed the creature had already been injured before attacking them, which worked to their advantage.

The three of them lit a fire, took off their wet clothes, and set up a wooden frame to dry them before putting them back on—wet clothes clinging to the skin were unbearable.

Zhang Wuxun’s backpack was high-quality and super waterproof; the food inside remained intact.

They filled their stomachs with oil cakes and two cans of meat, rested briefly, then set off again.

Lao Yang led the way with a flashlight, holding his "bat-shaped weapon" at the ready.

The homemade gun had eight bullets—four blue and four red. Judging by how dear Lao Yang treated it, it was probably still functional.

Zhang Wuxun nudged Wu Xiaoxie’s elbow, whispering a warning to stay alert and not get tricked.

Wu Xiaoxie patted the pocket of his jacket where his compact pistol was hidden and gave a reassuring "OK" sign.

He wasn’t a fool; he knew Lao Yang was suspicious but still kept close. Only someone with a screw loose would do such a thing.

Thinking this, Wu Xiaoxie felt grateful he had brought Zhang Wuxun along.

With such a strong ally, he wasn’t worried at all.

The three formed a line, with Zhang Wuxun at the rear, and entered the largest mine tunnel in the rocky wall one after another.

The tunnel was pitch black.

Of course, that was true for most people; Zhang Wuxun considered himself no ordinary man.

(The author smirks slyly: Our buddy Mu Yu is pretty impressive.)

—

Zhang Wuxun kept a third of his attention on Lao Yang ahead.

Perhaps feeling the flashlight’s beam was too limited in the darkness, Lao Yang didn’t bother to pretend or waste time; he strode swiftly toward their destination.

After a while, the flashlight flickered and then went out with a snap.

Lao Yang tapped his palm, “Seems like the batteries are dead. Xiaoxie, do you have any spares?”

“I do.” Wu Xiaoxie rummaged through the side pocket of his backpack and pulled out a row of batteries wrapped in plastic, handing two to Lao Yang to replace.

“Where exactly are we?” Wu Xiaoxie asked. “Have you been here before?”

Lao Yang shook his head, then took a seemingly casual step back. His heel clanged against something.

Shining the light revealed a rusty, thick iron chain ending in a large iron ring attached to a trapdoor set into the stone floor.

Lao Yang knocked on the stone slab trapdoor, puzzled. “Strange. I don’t know what’s beneath here. Should we check it out?”

Wu Xiaoxie noticed this and stepped back to stand side by side with Zhang Wuxun, sneering, “Lao Yang, it’s come to this—stop pretending.”

Lao Yang looked confused. “What are you talking about? Pretending what?”

Wu Xiaoxie pointed at the bulge beneath his coat, coldly saying, “Don’t think I don’t know you stashed that stick you dug up last night. Stop acting. You’ve been here before. Tell us, why did you trick me into coming to this place?”

Lao Yang struggled feebly, “What stick? You must be mistaken… Was it that Mu Yu next to you? He’s definitely lying to you; he’s just jealous of our close relationship…”

Zhang Wuxun scoffed and rolled his eyes.

Wu Xiaoxie’s face was a mix of anger and disappointment. His voice was heavy: “Lao Yang, we’ve known each other for so many years. I’ve always treated you well, never fooled you. But now, even at this critical moment, you’re still lying. Last night, Mu Yu and I saw you dig out that stick with our own eyes. And everything that’s happened on this journey—it all seems too coincidental, doesn’t it?”

He added, “Also, Mu Yu is my sworn brother. If you want to sow discord, at least pick the right target.”

In Wu Xiaoxie’s heart, Zhang Wuxun was utterly trustworthy; he could always rely on him completely.

Zhang Wuxun nodded in agreement, clearly reassured.

Wu Xiaoxie gave his final ultimatum, “If you don’t tell the truth today, from this moment on, our more than twenty years of friendship are over.”

Though he spoke harshly, his heart ached greatly. From the Seven Star Lu Palace to the underwater tomb in the West Sand Sea, every step he took had been planned and plotted by others, pushing him like a pawn. Being used like this was unbearable, and Lao Yang’s betrayal was the final stab.

Lao Yang’s face flashed with embarrassment and panic, but he quickly composed himself and said in a low voice, “Fine, since you’ve found out, I’ll be honest. I did lie to you before.”

He then recounted the story of the "shadow man" again, but this time, the main character was himself.

The so-called "shadow man" he had spoken of was actually him.

It turned out that the distant cousin he mentioned never entered the mountain with Lao Yang. Lao Yang had to gather a group of about twenty border people he met along the way. The journey was perilous; many died before reaching the destination. Those who remained were crushed or buried by falling rocks, almost all perishing. Lao Yang himself was partially buried under stones.

Just as a rock was about to strike his head, the ground beneath him suddenly collapsed, and he fell in, saving his life.

Wu Xiaoxie studied his expression carefully, skeptical: “You say you are the shadow man? What proof do you have?”

“The proof is me,” Lao Yang said solemnly. “I can sense some things, unclear and intangible. They seem not to exist, but I can definitely feel their presence…”

Lao Yang rambled on incoherently, and Wu Xiaoxie’s expression grew colder.

He had suspected all along that Lao Yang was lying; even now, he was still deceiving them.

As for ghosts and shadow men, Wu Xiaoxie wouldn’t believe a word.

He was utterly disappointed in Lao Yang.

“Enough,” Wu Xiaoxie waved him off impatiently. “I don’t want to hear any more of your nonsense or riddles. I just want to know why you tricked me into coming to this godforsaken place.”