VIP Volume Chapter 055: The Haunted Cave of Mount Suo

Ye Xiaoxuan could not fathom why the giant turtle had spent an entire night bringing him to the lofty Suo Mountain. Was there some treasure hidden here? In truth, the Suo Mountain range was not far from Reed Village, though not particularly close either—over two hundred kilometers separated them. Apart from mountains and water, the area was sparsely populated, devoid of entertainment, and he had never visited before.

This was also the only passage connecting Great Immortal Lake and the East Sea, but the largest ships permitted through were merely of the Fortune type. Ahead, the waters were riddled with dark reefs; the giant turtle, too large to proceed, halted beside a rocky outcrop. Ye Xiaoxuan found a spot, curled up, and slept—no matter how dire the situation, he would deal with it after a good rest.

He slept until the afternoon, waking to see an old friend on the lake beneath him: Little Green! After delivering Ye Dajun and Hao Six-Fingers back to the village, this creature had hurried back! Even more remarkably, it carried a cardboard box tied to its shell. Upon opening it, Ye Xiaoxuan discovered several bottles of mineral water, some bread, and jerky—someone clever had anticipated he would be delayed on the lake and prepared these supplies.

Ye Xiaoxuan was moved; he did not know who had been so thoughtful. Little Green tugged at his trouser leg, urging him to climb aboard. Taking a bottle of water and a piece of bread, Ye Xiaoxuan leapt onto its back.

Munching contentedly, he said to Little Green, “I just don’t understand why your mother brought me here.” Then he turned and shouted at the giant turtle behind, “Alright, your son’s here, you can leave now!” The giant turtle slowly sank beneath the surface, but did not depart—it seemed intent on waiting for Ye Xiaoxuan’s return.

Having eaten and drunk his fill, Ye Xiaoxuan lay on Little Green’s back, closed his eyes to rest, and when he opened them again, found himself surrounded by utter darkness. Had night fallen so quickly? He was about to sit up when his red pupils flashed in the gloom, and he obediently remained still, not daring to move.

Above him, jagged rocks jutted at varying heights—clearly a true cave, likely carved by water’s force, not high enough to sit up. Lying flat on the turtle’s back, Ye Xiaoxuan broke out in cold sweat. He had thought the rocks ahead would surely strike his head, but as they passed, it seemed as if the path had been designed—one inch lower and he would have been scraped, but he barely cleared each obstacle.

Eventually, they reached a wider space. Ye Xiaoxuan wiped the sweat from his brow and cursed at Little Green, “Why did you bring me to this godforsaken place? Where are we headed? How much farther? Hey! Don’t—don’t be reckless… brother, we’re both young…”

Not far ahead, the roar of water grew louder. The tunnel seemed to have been chopped apart, and the lake cascaded from the broken edge, sending spray as high as ten meters! Ye Xiaoxuan was now less than three hundred meters from the cliff’s edge.

“Damn your wife! Are you and your mother just tricking me here to die? Why bother with all this effort? You could have drowned me in a puddle!” Ye Xiaoxuan was nearly frantic, seeing Little Green not slowing but swimming even more eagerly toward the precipice, wishing he could jump on its neck and strangle it.

Little Green was as excited as if injected with adrenaline, its tail raised, four stubby legs paddling like propellers, mouth agape and drooling. Ye Xiaoxuan sat pale-faced on the turtle’s back, helplessly cursing, “So cheerful to rush towards death—this is a first for me! What grudge do you have against me? After a night of torment, you bring me here to seek death! That cliff must be over a hundred meters high—if we fall, the water will smash us to pieces!”

Hearing this, Little Green paddled even more vigorously, nearing the cliff, now only a hundred meters away.

In truth, even if it stopped and simply floated, they would fall sooner—but its energetic paddling actually delayed the inevitable.

No, Ye Xiaoxuan suddenly realized, this creature wasn’t rushing to die, but fleeing for its life! With the current’s speed, they’d be swept over in less than five minutes, but now, though moving forward, progress was slow, and they were edging closer to the cave wall.

At last, Little Green reached the wall, but seemed exhausted, being carried along by the water. Ye Xiaoxuan spotted a dark spot nearby—it must be a side tunnel. Little Green tried to enter, but, worn out, was struggling.

Seeing they were about to be swept away, Ye Xiaoxuan understood Little Green’s intent. He grabbed a stone jutting from the entrance, his body plunging into the water, but with his other hand seized Little Green’s tail, hauling it into the side tunnel.

Once inside, the deep waters of Great Immortal Lake became a gentle stream. The darkness here was absolute, untainted by any hue, pure and thorough.

Yet Ye Xiaoxuan was not afraid, for he possessed a pair of demonic red eyes. Little Green, too, had such eyes, though green and glowing, giving the impression of a wolf.

The cave floor was slightly elevated, preventing the outside waters from flooding in, only allowing trickles to wind their way to a pool.

Little Green rested at the entrance, then cheerfully crawled toward the pool, and Ye Xiaoxuan followed, puzzled.

From the moment he entered, Ye Xiaoxuan felt an odd familiarity, as if he had been here before. But that was impossible—even if sleepwalking, he could never cross Great Immortal Lake. How could he have ever been here?

The closer he came to the pool, the stronger the sense of familiarity grew. Had he once bathed here?

Even stranger, the pool bore signs of human repair! In such a hidden, dark place without even a flicker of light, why would someone bother to repair a pool?

Ye Xiaoxuan recognized the rocks around the pool—black, glossy, smooth, faintly fragrant. Suddenly it struck him, and he nearly blurted out, “Fragrant Sand!”

This was the material from Fragrant Sand Island—the giant turtle’s dung! Ye Xiaoxuan nearly snorted in outrage. That lumbering beast had no sense of propriety, defecating anywhere it pleased! Still, the pool looked like a natural bathtub—it would surely be comfortable to soak in.

Just as Ye Xiaoxuan stepped to the pool’s edge, he felt his heart suddenly jolt.

At the same instant, golden light erupted from the pool, the waters boiling like molten lava, startling him so much he nearly toppled headfirst!