From the exit, a subterranean river flowed, with moonworms emitting white light moving up and down in the water, creating a beautiful sight.
The three did not want to wade across the river, so they decided to walk slowly along the bank.
"It's strange, isn't it? These corpses have been here for so many years, yet they're still so lifelike, not much decay at all," Fatty, walking along, started to ramble again. "Could it be they were all raised on preservatives?"
"How is that possible?" Wu Tianzhen, while skillfully and cautiously maneuvering his light-brain to capture Zhang Qiling's rare moment of awkwardness, replied with a suppressed laugh, "Didn't you notice the oily substance on those intact corpses?"
"That's probably the preservative layer, plus the cold environment in the cave. This is essentially a refrigerator specially made by the Li tribe for the giant snakes."
"Whoa, so the snake has a pretty small appetite!" Fatty nodded with mock seriousness and said profoundly, "It's been so many years, and this food hasn't been finished yet."
...!
Wu Tianzhen suddenly stopped. Fatty's words were like a hook that instantly lifted the fog of unease that had been lingering in his mind.
Why hadn't the female corpse in the previous chamber been completely devoured by the giant snake?
It was attracted to Fatty's white sweater, indicating that those corpses were at least part of its diet.
Why, after thousands of years and in a place with so many snakes, could these corpses remain so intact?
Unless... there was something else here, serving as food for the giant snakes!
Just as he thought this, Zhang Qiling suddenly looked up, gently touched the stone wall beside him with his right hand, which was not wrapped, and after a moment of silence, his expression changed!
"Something's coming, stick to the wall!"
Fatty and Wu Tianzhen instinctively followed suit, holding their breath. The path was extremely quiet, with no sign of anything approaching.
[Hiss—What is it? Why hasn't it arrived yet?]
[Damn, could it be that invisible, transparent thing, and it's already passed us without us knowing?]
[No way, if something passed, wouldn't Xiao Ge know?]
...
Zhang Qiling didn't look at his light-brain but stared intently into the darkness ahead.
He could clearly feel the subtle vibrations of the wall as a colossal creature ran along the path, yet he couldn't hear even the slightest sound.
This sensory contradiction made him uncomfortable, but he was certain that those things were gradually approaching.
...Getting closer, closer...
In an instant, as if a texture refresh, a group of dark figures appeared out of nowhere at the end of the pitch-black path!
Are these... cattle?!
The sharp horns on their heads and their familiar forms identified them, but they were not normal cattle.
Having lived in the darkness underground for a long time, the eyes of these cattle had completely degenerated into a thin, closed slit running across their entire faces!
What should have been honest muzzles were now ferocious, covered in scales, with sharp, terrifying teeth dripping dark saliva from their gaping mouths.
They landed silently, but the path and the stone walls began to tremble more violently.
As they approached, Zhang Qiling could see their appearance more clearly.
For some reason, the cracks on their faces looked so familiar, resembling twisted human faces fused with their ashen skin!
These cattle rushed past them. Their degenerated eyes meant they didn't notice the three people pressed against the wall, motionless.
Then, a commotion suddenly erupted behind the herd. Several cattle began fighting over the thick snake bodies they were carrying in their mouths!
Sharp teeth tore, hooves kicked, and soon the ground was covered in black and red blood!
Pale snake bones fell to the ground. The fierce battle also attracted the attention of other cattle, causing the herd to become chaotic and charge indiscriminately.
Soon, several cattle, in their panic, headed straight for the three of them!
"Damn it!"
At this point, they were surrounded by the herd and had nowhere to escape.
Wu Tianzhen and Fatty were to Zhang Qiling's right. He reached out to protect them, about to draw his Black Gold Ancient Saber with his left hand, when a peculiar sensation made him realize a neglected problem.
Zhang Qiling: ...
Wu Tianzhen and Fatty, who saw it: ...Heh heh! (Guilty conscience)
Zhang Qiling twitched the corner of his mouth and gave up the idea of drawing his saber to hit the cattle.
Then, as if a powerful aura swept past, a majestic and unparalleled Qilin roar faintly echoed through the void!
The charging monstrous cattle instantly felt a deep, primal fear. It was as if something at the apex of the food chain was hidden in the darkness ahead, staring at them and issuing a deterrent warning of territorial invasion!
"Moooooo—!"
They flipped backward abruptly. Overwhelmed by terror, they immediately turned around, ignoring their forward momentum. The immense inertia even broke their bones!
Several cattle collided with each other and fell into the subterranean river. The moonworms, idly floating there, suddenly received a feast from the heavens. They immediately swarmed, poisoned, and gnawed, providing a full-service meal. In a short while, the cattle became pale skeletons and sank into the deep water.
Moonworms: Thanks for the heavenly gift!
Zhang Qiling, for the first time in a long time, used the deterrent skill of his Qilin tattoo again and found it very effective. It was a pity that its activation time was short and its range limited, not as useful as drawing blood.
The herd of cattle ran past, leaving only blood and scattered bones to mark their passage.
Fatty approached the snake bones, which had been fiercely fought over by several cattle, and exclaimed in wonder.
"Good heavens, snakes eat cattle, cattle eat snakes, it's like a nesting doll."
By now, all three understood that what the giant snake had been feeding on until now were likely these monstrous cattle that had bred underground for generations.
"The Li tribe leader led his people to discover the cattle..." Wu Tianzhen murmured, recalling the scenes from the murals.
"It must be this herd of cattle."
"Whoa, what about that old guy with the horns?" Fatty remembered the one he had mocked for so long. "That's great, the snake he picked up is alive, and the cattle he picked up are also alive."
"So in the end, only he himself died. Isn't that hilarious?"
"These cattle are from how many generations later? They can't really be considered alive, can they?"
"That's true. Well, that's good. The old guy still has a herd of cattle down there to keep him company, maybe they go grazing together with Ox-Head and Horse-Face!"
"Oh my... you should really watch your mouth!"
...The two began to argue again about whether the King of Li had cattle for company underground.
Zhang Qiling watched them speechlessly for a moment, then suddenly heard a strange sound coming from the distance.
Unlike the monstrous cattle that landed silently, this time it was the clear sound of hooves hitting the ground.
Thump, thump, thump...
Drawing his saber with his right hand, Zhang Qiling spun around, on guard.
What met his eyes was a pale, ancient human face, smiling!
The smile on the face seemed superficial, as if painted on a mask, but the eyeballs swiveled around, fixing on Zhang Qiling.
For a moment, a whimsical thought popped into Zhang Qiling's mind.
...It seems the King of Li will have to live alone in the underworld.
His cattle are still alive, aren't they?