8: The hole under the vines

The next day, just as a sliver of fish-belly white tore through the sky and before the thick mountain mist had dispersed, Lin Feng slapped a hand against Wang Dalong's tent.

"Fatty, get up! Sleep after the work is done!"

There was a flurry of chaos inside the tent. After a long while, Wang Dalong emerged with hair like a bird's nest and bleary eyes, drool almost leaking out. "Brother Feng, what time is it... it's not even fully light out. Let me snooze for five more minutes, just five minutes..."

"In five minutes, the opportunity will be gone!" Lin Feng had already packed his gear with lightning speed. "Stop talking and hurry up. We're changing directions."

Half of Wang Dalong's sleepiness vanished instantly. "Changing directions? Not going upstream anymore? Then wasn't yesterday's effort for nothing?"

"Who said it was for nothing?" Lin Feng stuffed compressed biscuits and a water bottle into his arms, giving the fat man no chance to argue. "I re-studied the map last night and realized our previous line of thinking was too naive. Look over there."

Lin Feng pointed toward another ridgeline in the east, dyed grayish-purple by the dawn, his tone full of confidence.

"That valley has a wider entrance and relatively flat terrain. If I were Wang Mang's confidant and wanted to leave a mark that could be found thousands of years later, I would definitely choose that spot!"

He spoke with clear logic and absolute certainty.

Wang Dalong was stunned by his words. Although he had his doubts, seeing Lin Feng's excited state, it didn't seem like he was faking it. He knew Lin Feng; he wouldn't be this decisive without being sure.

"Fine, I'll listen to you. If you say east, we go east; if you say chase the dog, I won't catch the chicken," Wang Dalong grumbled while haphazardly stuffing things into his backpack.

The two quickly refueled, turned on the livestream, and hit the road immediately.

The new route was a hundred times harder to traverse than imagined.

First, they had to cross a rapid stream. The sound of rushing water washing over mossy cobbles was enough to make one's scalp tingle.

"Brother Feng, how... how do we get across? The water is too strong!" Wang Dalong stood on the bank, his face turning pale as he watched the churning white foam at his feet.

Lin Feng didn't waste words. He untied the climbing rope, tied a dead knot around his waist, and threw the other end to Wang Dalong. "Tie it tight! I'll go first. Follow my footprints, and only take the next step once you're steady!"

With that, he stuffed the livestream equipment into a waterproof bag, grabbed his trekking pole, and tentatively stepped into the icy stream.

The current instantly rose above his knees, and the immense force caused him to stumble.

The hearts of the livestream viewers instantly leaped into their throats.

[Holy crap! This current is like it's on double speed! Streamer, be careful!]

[Brother Feng is the GOAT! His nerves must be made of iron!]

[Fat Brother, hold onto the rope! You're Brother Feng's only anchor!]

[My legs are shaking just watching this; if he falls, he's a goner!]

Lin Feng gritted his teeth, each step as steady as a driven nail. He used the trekking pole to brace against the upstream rocks, hunching his body as he edged toward the opposite bank.

Wang Dalong watched in terror from behind, his palms drenched in sweat.

It took Lin Feng nearly ten minutes to cross the dozen-meter span. By the time he climbed onto the opposite bank, his legs were so cold they had almost lost all sensation.

He didn't dare rest. He immediately turned around, pulled the rope taut, and shouted to Wang Dalong, "Fatty, come over!"

With Lin Feng acting as a "human crane" in front, Wang Dalong managed to cross the river without further incident, but he was completely spent, collapsing onto the ground and gasping for air. "Oh my god... this is more freaking deadly than the university eight-hundred-meter physical test..."

After a brief rest, an even greater challenge arrived.

A nearly seventy-degree cliff stood before them, covered in slippery moss and thorny shrubs.

There was no path at all.

They could only use both hands and feet, crawling up bit by bit like geckos.

"Brother Feng... are you sure... it's here?" Wang Dalong clung to a rock, feeling like his arms were about to break. "Good lord, this place... even a monkey would cry and call you master."

Lin Feng didn't look back. His physical exhaustion was immense, but the fire in his heart was burning brightly.

That point of light from last night was his entire motivation! He trusted his system!

Time passed minute by minute. The livestream camera shook violently, leaving only the sound of their heavy breathing and the sight of the steep rock wall.

[So intense! This is the peak of outdoor livestreaming, no doubt!]

[Keep going, Fat Brother! I'm sending you a 'Power Bar' gift, hang in there!]

[Stop rushing them. Can't you see Fat Brother is exhausted? Safety first!]

After another hour, the two finally crested the ridge and collapsed onto the ground, exhausted.

Looking out, a new valley appeared before them.

The vegetation in the valley was overly lush, making it look eerie and desolate, no different from any other ordinary valley in the Qinling Mountains.

"Brother Feng, you meant here?" Wang Dalong held his knees, out of breath. "It's a godforsaken place, not a soul in sight."

Lin Feng ignored him, took out his binoculars, and scanned the opposite rock wall inch by inch.

Last night, the point of light had been in that area.

One minute passed.

Five minutes passed.

Ten minutes passed.

His system didn't have the slightest reaction.

A sliver of cold doubt rose from his heart once more.

Was he really seeing things? Or was it just some mineral reflection?

If that were the case, then leading Fatty on this life-risking detour would make him the world's biggest fool.

"Forget it, Brother Feng. I think we should just..." Seeing him silent for so long, Wang Dalong also felt it was a lost cause and was about to suggest giving up.

Halfway through his sentence, he suddenly let out a startled "Eh?" as if he'd been shocked, pointing toward a spot at the bottom of the rock wall.

"Look over there. That cluster of vines... doesn't it look a bit off?"

Lin Feng immediately looked in the direction he was pointing!

On that rock wall, large patches of vines hung down like a green waterfall. And at the very bottom of the waterfall, near the ground, there was indeed an unnatural indentation!

More importantly, the soil around the indentation was clearly fresher, with signs of having been disturbed!

A judgment instantly flashed through Lin Feng's mind: "It might have been the recent heavy rains that caused a small-scale landslide, washing out whatever was originally buried!"

The two looked at each other, both seeing uncontrollable ecstasy in the other's eyes!

Their fatigue vanished instantly!

They scrambled over and together pulled aside the thick layer of vines.

Behind the vines, a pitch-black cave entrance was revealed!

The entrance wasn't large, only half a person tall, requiring one to bend over to enter. A cold, damp smell mixed with earth and rot wafted out.

"Holy crap! Holy crap! There really is a damn cave!" Wang Dalong's voice trembled with excitement.

The long-silent livestream chat instantly exploded.

[!!! Holy shit! Amazing! They actually found it?!]

[I declare Brother Feng a human dowsing rod! Fatty is a god-tier detector!]

[Quick, quick, quick! Go in and look! There must be a big treasure inside!]

[Tips! This move makes me want to kneel and call him 'Daddy'! I must tip!]

Without a word, Lin Feng clicked on his headlamp and was the first to bend down and crawl inside. Wang Dalong followed closely behind.

It was even colder inside the cave, the beam of the headlamp flickering in the darkness. This was a natural rock fissure, not man-made.

After walking a dozen meters, they reached the end.

The end of the cave was completely empty.

There were only some weathered, bleached animal bones on the ground; other than that, there wasn't a single thing.

"Well," Wang Dalong's excitement was instantly doused. He kicked a bone, full of disappointment. "Excited for nothing. Turns out it's just a wild boar's den. Let's get out of here."

Lin Feng also felt a surge of disappointment.

He swept his headlamp around one last time, preparing to leave.

Just as the light swept across the deepest part of the cave, in the corner right against the stone wall, his movements abruptly stopped!

A soft golden halo, visible only to him, was flashing on the stone wall there, pulsing like a heartbeat!

It's here!

It's finally here!

"Wait!" Lin Feng's voice stopped Wang Dalong, who was about to walk out.

He rushed to that corner and crouched down.

There were some rocks and loose soil piled here, looking perfectly ordinary.

"Fatty, give me the entrenching tool!" Lin Feng's voice carried a hint of a tremor.

Wang Dalong didn't understand why, but he handed over the tool anyway.

Lin Feng took the shovel, but his movements suddenly became as gentle as if he were stroking a lover, lightly brushing away the surface rocks and soil.

The soil trickled down.

Soon, the hard rock wall was revealed.

But on that rock wall were some markings that were definitely not natural!

Lin Feng held his breath, reached out, and gently wiped away the dust with his sleeve.

As the dust cleared, a pattern gradually appeared before their eyes.

The livestream camera also focused tightly on that section of the stone wall, all the viewers widening their eyes.

It was a map carved directly into the stone wall!

The map's lines were simple and ancient, yet the outlines of several surrounding peaks and a winding river were clearly identifiable.

And on the mountainside of one of those peaks, a very prominent mark was carved—a coiled snake!

Wang Dalong's eyes nearly popped out of his head. He spoke stutteringly, his voice cracking:

"Is... is... is this a damn treasure map?!"

Lin Feng didn't answer him.

His entire mind was captivated by this image. The carving style was ancient and vigorous, filled with the unique grandeur of the Han Dynasty! There was no mistake; this was definitely something left behind two thousand years ago!

At that moment, the mechanical voice in his mind finally rang out again!

[Ding! Key clue discovered: "Mystic Snake Guidance Map"!]

[Current task completion: 75%!]

As the system notification faded, the golden halo on the stone wall also slowly vanished.

Lin Feng stood up, his chest heaving. A surge of hot blood rushed to his head, nearly making him cry out!

He knew!

He understood everything!

This cave wasn't the treasure site at all! It was just a signpost! A signpost pointing to the true treasure!

The true secret lay at the place marked by the "Mystic Snake"!

"Fatty, make a rubbing of it!" Lin Feng's voice was resolute. "Let's go!"

In the dark cave, his eyes reflected the light of the headlamp, shining frighteningly bright.

"Let's go find that snake!"