Tomb Raider: I Am Hu Bayi's Cousin

Chapter 328 Insect Nest

One by one, the people went down into the well, which was extremely deep and bottomless.

Even without Hu Ming's further explanation, everyone understood.

This cave is a passage connecting the two nearby mountain peaks, and it must be V-shaped.

In other words, they are currently moving diagonally downwards, and once they are halfway through the journey, they should be moving upwards.

That was the most tiring time.

Of course, if Wang Zanghai had been out of his mind and insisted on digging a "Z"-shaped tunnel, then Hu Ming and his team would have been completely helpless.

Continuing downwards, the passage, heavily marked by human intervention, soon came to an end.

Here, the man-made passage connects to a natural volcanic lava cave.

"That's right. When the Cloud Palace was being built, Wang Zanghai must have accidentally discovered the natural volcanic cave here."

"That's why this passage was built. Otherwise, secretly digging through the two mountains would have been a huge undertaking, and given Wang Zanghai's situation at the time, he certainly wouldn't have had the time or resources for that."

Upon seeing this, Wu Xie sighed in sudden realization.

However, the natural lava cave in front of it rapidly narrows.

Under the searchlight, only a narrow crevice remained, barely wide enough for one person to squeeze through sideways, like an irregular sword mark piercing deep into the rock.

"But then again, this situation isn't very friendly to fat people."

As he spoke, Wu Xie looked at the fat man with a teasing expression.

This passage was prepared by Wang Zanghai for himself, without any intention of bringing convenience to future generations.

Clearly, Wang Zanghai himself was not a fat man.

"...Damn it, this dog's barking is awful. Does it have to be so discriminatory towards fat people?"

"What happened to the fat guy? Did he eat their food or drink their water?"

"Suddenly, it's become like trying to get through a crack in the wall; is that even possible?"

The fat man's face immediately darkened.

After counting them all, everyone here is the type who exercises regularly and keeps their figures in good shape, except for him who's fat!
The fat man could barely squeeze through the passage ahead by sucking in his stomach.

But what happened afterward...
The fat man was a bit conflicted. What if the path ahead continued to narrow, trapping him inside? How would he get out?
Surely we won't really be trapped and die in this godforsaken place!

"Tsk, what about that weight loss you talked about last time? What are the results?"

"Hmm? I feel like you've gotten fatter since last time?"

Hu Ming clicked his tongue and looked at the fat man with a mocking expression.

"...Next time, definitely!" the fat man said with an embarrassed smile, rubbing his belly.

There's a reason why it's rare to see a fat man raiding tombs.

The fat man understood the reasoning behind it, but he just couldn't control his mouth.

Eating is the most important thing in the world!
"Don't worry, volcanic caves have a dendritic structure, and these small holes will eventually lead to larger gaps."

"Geologically, this is also known as an underground corridor."

"The roads will be clear soon, just bear with it."

"Of course... you should go last and cover the rear. If you get stuck in there, the people behind you won't be able to move."

Hu Ming said with certainty.

"Hey, you fatso, you regret eating now, don't you?"

"I've been following Third Master in this line of work for over ten years, and you're the only one I've ever seen who's this fat from working in the fields. You deserve to get stuck!"

Panzi gloated and mocked the fat man.

"Hmph, Da Pan, I'm not going to argue with you today. Damn it, wait till we get back, I'll be as thin as lightning!" The fat man cursed as he walked to the back of the line.

"Uncle Ming, be careful of Chen Pi. That old man's gaze towards you has been a bit strange since earlier."

"Who knows what he's up to? Anyway, it's better to be safe than sorry. If things don't work out, we'll find an opportunity to take him down."

As they passed Hu Ming, the fat man whispered something in Hu Ming's ear without leaving a trace.

Clearly, the fat man had noticed the changes in Chen Pi before and after.

Although he knew that Chen Pi couldn't do anything to Hu Ming, there was still some risk in secretly shooting him.

Therefore, the saying "rough on the outside, delicate on the inside" perfectly describes fat people.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing!"

Hu Ming felt a warmth in his heart, his lips moved slightly, and he spoke in a voice barely audible.

The group had already expended a lot of energy on their journey.

After resting here for a while and replenishing their water and food, they continued on their way.

Hu Ming took the lead, and one by one they squeezed in sideways like crabs.

The glass and mica in the passageway reflected the searchlights, creating a colorful and magical atmosphere.

This journey took a full four hours.

As Hu Ming said, the narrow gaps widened along the way.

It even passed through many man-made passages.

Now, Hu Ming and the others have reached the very bottom.

The journey ahead will now enter its second phase, a diagonal ascent.

After you finish walking this last stretch, the Heavenly Palace on the Clouds will be right ahead!
This steep, upward-sloping passage is extremely difficult to climb.

Fortunately, in the most difficult parts to climb, there are always some traces of artificial repairs.

As they climbed, just when everyone was exhausted, they suddenly heard the sound of flowing water all around them.

Looking up, one can see several springs and waterfalls flowing down the cliff face.

There is a huge natural underground cavern with several small underground hot springs inside.

Immediately, everyone's eyes lit up.

After climbing all the way up, everyone was exhausted.

"Be careful, there are hibernating centipedes here. You can rest, but don't make any noise that might wake them."

Hu Ming pointed to the stone next to the hot spring and said.

The stone had many strange, fiery red patterns on it. Upon closer inspection, they were not volcanic patterns at all, but rather centipedes as thick as an arm.

The surrounding rocks were covered with these things, and they remained motionless.

"What happened? How did we end up in an insect nest?"

The fat man lowered his voice and asked softly.

"That's normal. The environment in the snow-capped mountains is always extremely cold, and the creatures here usually gather around the hot springs."

"However, these things seem to be in a state of suspended animation. Unless there is too much stimulation, they should not wake up."

"A short rest is fine, but please don't recklessly wake these things up. There are just too many of them, it'll cause a lot of trouble."

With that, Hu Ming turned off the searchlight.

Almost the entire surrounding cliff was filled with countless tiny, eerie green lights, like a vast sea of ​​stars. It seemed as if hundreds of millions of centipedes lived there, making everyone's scalp tingle.

(End of this chapter)