Mysterious Country 1: Mist-Shrouded Champa,Volume 6: Chapter 6: Trick Mine

Just as the Arab proverb says: “Luck is the synonym for miracle. Even if you throw a person who is having good luck into the vast ocean, he can swim back to shore holding a fish from the sea. Because there is no power in the world that can deal with a person who has good luck.”

Qian Baoshan collected and read through many Cham documents and ancient books. According to the methods recorded within, he peeled the demon face completely intact and put it on his own head. Afterward, some inexplicable strange things often happened around him. But these things were ethereal and difficult to describe. It was also unclear whether they were psychological effects or the Cham king’s yin’s spirit causing mischief. But it truly made him feel what was meant by fortune arriving.

Qian Baoshan, relying on the secret assistance of ghosts and gods, was certain that nothing would go wrong. Before the tropical storm system invaded, he assigned missions to three expedition teams separately. He only said they were going to Savage Mountain to search for the missing “Mosquito.” He falsely claimed that the cargo loaded in this transport plane was Myanmar treasures secretly transported by the British Royal Air Force before evacuation. And warned that the cargo was extremely dangerous. After finding it, they should act according to plan. He didn’t reveal half a word of the truth beforehand.

Having obtained heaven’s timing, each team immediately began operations. But considering meteorological and terrain factors, the departure times were staggered. The first expedition team entered the mountains first. They used rubber assault boats to enter from the north by water. But they had an inauspicious start. They quickly lost communication contact. Presumably, they encountered an accident. The second expedition team was the group led by Yu Feiyan. Although they suffered heavy casualties, several people luckily survived. They ultimately entered the Savage Mountain great rift valley.

Qian Baoshan followed the British team, piloting the Black Snake II transport plane circling in the air. But the weather changes exceeded expectations. Approaching the rift valley, he had to turn back. Who knew that the Mosquito special transport plane flew into a cloud of fog. After being struck, the engine failed. It plunged from mid air. Then was caught by ancient vines on the cliff. The crew woke from unconsciousness. They discovered they were surrounded by dense fog. They opened the cabin door and used strong light searchlights to scout nearby conditions. They encountered an unexpected attack. But violent winds and rain quickly suppressed the fog. Qian Baoshan again narrowly escaped death. At this time, Sima Hui and the others, to escape mountain rocks washed away by rain, fled in panic into the cabin. Then the plane and people fell into the abyss together. This modified Mosquito was a “wooden miracle” designed and produced by the old aviation empire. Relying on the chimney effect produced by thermal convection in the cave, it managed to safely descend in the valley. It didn’t crash and kill everyone on the spot.

Qian Baoshan was extremely fortunate. He thoroughly felt that “luck” was on his side. He believed that even if knives were falling from the sky at this moment, they wouldn’t harm half a hair on his head. So regardless of the damaged detonation mechanism, hiding in the darkness, he used the recorder to threaten everyone to immediately detonate the earthquake bomb. After the plan failed, he personally pressed the detonator taking advantage of the pitch black environment inside the cabin.

The heaven shaking and earth moving explosion occurred immediately. The chemical defoliant destroyed the cocoon formed by underground plants. Qian Baoshan finally entered the deepest part of the underground cave. And found the tunnel leading to the interior of the Golden Spider City. But relying on his own strength alone, he couldn’t open the stone door at all. He had to return to the underground jungle. He wanted to search for explosives from the transport plane that the British expedition team had taken. But unexpectedly, he found the other four survivors in a tree hollow.

Qian Baoshan knew it was absolutely not because Sima Hui and the others had great fortune that they survived until now. But because his own fortune had arrived. It couldn’t be blocked even if he wanted to. Additionally, he also discovered the Allied transport convoy that had been led into the cave by his subordinate Mu Kan to scout the path, then all went missing in Savage Mountain. He conveniently picked up a steel helmet. Changed into military uniform. Impersonated a veteran trapped underground. He used light communications to lead the four survivors into the tunnel. Although his tracks were exposed halfway, he still seized the opportunity to enter this place.

This snake belly tunnel was left by the Cham king. The space behind the stone door was located in the center of the ancient city. The truth hidden in the “Corpse Eye” chamber was almost within reach. But after Qian Baoshan examined it, he discovered that things were not as simple as he expected. With his own ability, he couldn’t enter the “Corpse Eye” at all. Savage Mountain was fraught with dangers on all sides. One wrong step would lead to an irredeemable situation. But Qian Baoshan firmly believed that “luck” had not abandoned him. Only the timing was not yet ripe. He was about to search carefully. But Sima Hui and the others had already closely pursued from behind. Qian Baoshan didn’t dare to directly show himself. So he first crouched in the corner hiding. He overheard Sima Hui and the others’ conversation. He learned that those four people had actually seen through his scheme. He couldn’t help but secretly feel alarmed. He quietly approached. He found an opportunity to destroy the camping lamp. And took advantage of the chaos to steal the white phosphorus incendiary bomb. Causing everyone to lose all illumination equipment. Trapped in the darkness, unable to take any further action. Only then did he appear to explain the reasons. And explain the benefits and harms. Hoping both sides could reach a deal.

Qian Baoshan admitted that he had previously used the expedition team. It was he who concealed the true situation in Savage Mountain. This led to many personnel dying directly or indirectly. But at present, all survivors participating in the Savage Mountain operation were trapped here. Even if they turned hostile and fought to mutual destruction, it would be useless. So Qian Baoshan promised that as long as Sima Hui and the others no longer maintained a hostile relationship. And helped him find the “Corpse Eye.” He would provide a safe route to escape the Savage Mountain great rift valley. Afterward, apart from the remuneration previously promised to Yu Feiyan, there would be an additional heavy reward. Money was not a problem. Whatever number of digits, the gentlemen could name it at will. He would absolutely deliver it in full.

Qian Baoshan repeatedly emphasized that everything that could be known by everyone, he had already told completely. At the same time, he proposed three conditions: First, what was inside the “Corpse Eye” chamber. Second, Green Tomb’s true face and identity. Third, how he had hidden in the expedition team without being discovered by everyone. In short, these three conditions were the bottom line that no one could touch. He finally said: “If you feel these conditions are acceptable, let’s decide with one word right now. Wouldn’t that be quick?”

Sima Hui patiently listened to Qian Baoshan speak for quite a while. He knew Green Tomb was absolutely not a good person. How could this promise be lightly trusted? Only Sima Hui still couldn’t imagine how Green Tomb had hidden beside everyone without being noticed. This ancient city was full of mud and accumulated water. Moreover, it was deep and vast. Completely dark. Temporarily hiding one’s tracks was one thing. But that Mosquito special transport plane, how cramped and narrow was the space? How could a person hide under one’s very nose? Although Qian Baoshan claimed to be a living person, why did he never dare to show his true face? Moreover, his brain was pierced by a bullet. His skull cap was nearly blown off. Yet he still moved as normal. And all around was pitch black. Without relying on any light source, he could still understand everything. Sima Hui, while listening to the other party narrate the course, secretly pondered various possibilities. At present, there were extremely many factors that couldn’t be determined. But one point could be asserted: among the three secrets proposed by Green Tomb, as long as he could find an opportunity to crack one of them, it would constitute a direct threat to him. So he made a compromising posture, pretending to trust. He asked: “We have no light source. In the darkness, we can’t move an inch. How can we help?”

Yu Feiyan also half believing and half doubting asked Qian Baoshan: “After all, empty words have no proof. How can we trust you?”

A Cui secretly frowned. She said in a low voice to Yu Feiyan: “You still dare to believe?”

Luo Big Tongue had long been unable to contain himself. But he couldn’t vent in the darkness. He cursed: “Whoever believes these ghost words will die without even knowing how they died…”

Yu Feiyan thought: This was Sima Hui who first responded. How come you all instead blame me? She couldn’t help but feel somewhat angry. She felt that A Cui and the others were after all not on the same path as her. They couldn’t compare with the life and death brothers of the forest team. Once the feeling of estrangement arose, she unconsciously shifted half a step to the side. Unexpectedly, her foot stepped on something. She was extremely sharp. By feeling, she knew it seemed to be a pressure spring like mechanism. She immediately remembered the cargo she had seen on the American military transport vehicle earlier. Her body immediately broke out in a layer of cold sweat. She exclaimed: “Landmine!”

The other three, hearing these words, were also startled. Sima Hui knew the situation was bad. He hurriedly shouted: “Nobody move!”

But Luo Big Tongue beside him had already reacted instinctively. He performed an emergency dive. Who knew that his hand also pressed on a landmine trigger. He cried out: “Damn it!”

Fortunately, in his panic, he didn’t withdraw his hand. He immediately maintained a push up posture with all his strength. Keeping his body’s center of gravity. He didn’t dare to move slightly.

A Cui gently pressed Yu Feiyan’s shoulder. To comfort her: “You absolutely must not move.”

Yu Feiyan felt all hope was lost: “I’m finished. You quickly get away.”

A Cui didn’t answer. She felt the landmine under Yu Feiyan’s foot. In the darkness, she carefully distinguished the landmine’s shape and outline. She couldn’t help but suck in a breath of cold air. She said to Sima Hui: “It’s a release type anti personnel mine. As soon as you lift your foot… your leg will be gone.”

Sima Hui deeply knew the terrifying aspect of this kind of landmine. It was specifically designed to kill infantry. Although it couldn’t kill a person, it was enough to blow off a leg. Causing them to lose combat capability. Thereby becoming a burden to their companions. Moreover, it used a release type detonation. Once triggered, the slightest change in pressure would immediately cause explosion. Even the great immortal Luo couldn’t escape. Even if they found the most experienced military engineering demining expert, there was no absolute guarantee of safe removal. Perhaps when building the Stilwell Road back then, there were still many Japanese in the nearby mountain regions that hadn’t been cleared. To prevent them from coming to destroy the road, anti personnel mines were often buried along the roadside. Mine laying was also a daily task of the construction troops. So these things were among the cargo loaded by the American military convoy. Sima Hui was so anxious that veins popped on his forehead. He secretly cursed Qian Baoshan’s sinister and vicious methods. Just now, not only did he steal the white phosphorus grenade, but he also silently placed landmines around everyone.

At this moment, everyone suddenly felt brightness before their eyes. It turned out Qian Baoshan had lit a nearby large mother and child copper lamp. That copper lamp was cast in the shape of a nine headed black snake. In each of the nine snake heads were human fat and fish oil. Called the thousand year fire, the ten thousand year stove. Inside the snake body were hidden wicks and oil channels. As long as one of them was lit, all nine heads would light up simultaneously. Instantly illuminating a hundred steps.

Sima Hui rubbed his eyes. Using the light to look around, he saw that where they were was a hall like a divine altar. The hall was extremely high and vast. Around it were five levels of descending corridors. Each level was surrounded by epic like magnificent and vast large scale colored murals. Dark springs surged endlessly in the four corners. In the center stood a large bellied ancient pagoda with a fresh appearance. The surrounding niche holes contained gold, pearls, and jade. The myriad phenomena dazzling to the eye were not things of the human world. There was also a statue of a strange python with four hands and four feet. The four hands respectively held a conch shell, lotus seed, scepter, and wheel treasure. Its scale covered body coiled around the pagoda body. Sima Hui, A Cui, and the others were precisely located in one of the corridors. In the cracks of the stone slabs on the ground beside their feet, six or seven anti personnel mines were placed. Yu Feiyan and Luo Big Tongue each happened to step on one. The two people’s cold sweat flowed down continuously. Their bodies also became stiff due to extreme tension.

Qian Baoshan, hiding beneath the towering copper lamp, said coldly: “It seems you understand more clearly than me the terrifying aspect of this kind of anti personnel mine. Under the dual pressure of spirit and body, no one can endure for too long.”

Qian Baoshan claimed that having done arms business for decades, he was most skilled at demining. Now only he could save Yu Feiyan and Luo Big Tongue. If Sima Hui didn’t want to watch his companions be blown to bloody flesh, he must obey all his instructions. There was no room for choice. Qian Baoshan told Sima Hui that the four handed and four footed strange python was said to be a statue of a corpse god from the dark ancient times. The strange python had no eyes. In its mouth held a precious casket. Inside was placed the key to open the “Corpse Eye” chamber. Qian Baoshan had seen the diagrams in the Cham king’s coffin. He was fully aware of these strange mysteries hidden in the silence. He had seen Sima Hui display his wall climbing and roof crossing skills in the tunnel. So he ordered Sima Hui to first disarm. Only bring the duck billed shovel. Climb to the pagoda top to search for the precious casket.

Sima Hui lowered his head to look at the anti personnel mine on the ground. He knew this kind of American made landmine was extremely vicious. Once triggered, it couldn’t be removed. Even the most experienced military engineering demining expert might not have thirty percent certainty. Who could guarantee that an arms dealer who trafficked landmines would know how to dismantle them? Those who sold drugs didn’t necessarily plant poppies in the fields themselves. Let alone Qian Baoshan’s actions were dangerous and vicious. He fundamentally didn’t care about anyone’s life or death. The promises he made absolutely couldn’t be fulfilled.

Luo Big Tongue lay on the ground. The wound on his waist was torn open again. Blood flowed continuously. He already felt he couldn’t support himself. He knew he was certainly doomed. So he said with bitter heart to Sima Hui: “I’m completely beyond saving this time. If my eyes and arms are both blown off, what’s the point of living? You and A Cui quickly get far away and shoot me. Aim at the head. Let me die happily. But you must definitely tear that son of a bitch Qian Baoshan into ten thousand pieces for me. I’ll go first. Wait for him on the Yellow Springs road…”

Sima Hui said to Luo Big Tongue: “If I shoot you in the head, you’d be happy. But my entire remaining life would have to live in nightmares. Although my remaining life might not exceed today.”

Yu Feiyan, hearing from the side, felt a wave of sourness in her heart. She also thought that since others couldn’t do it, she might as well seek her own end. She said to Sima Hui: “Sometimes my temper is not very good. You must not hold it against me…”

Sima Hui’s expression was dark. As if he didn’t hear Yu Feiyan’s words at all. He only pulled out the duck billed shovel from behind her and put it on his own body. Then he unfastened the automatic pistol and hunting knife. He lifted his foot to look at the sole. Seeing it was all mud picked up in the cave. He used the water cloth to wipe it several times. Then casually threw the water cloth to A Cui. Without looking at the other three again. He leaped over the corridor. Displaying his “kicking off the boot” skill to climb the stone pagoda.

That ancient pagoda and python body were both steep and dangerous. Sima Hui didn’t dare to be careless. Relying on his swift skills, not inferior to monkeys and apes. He climbed to the absolute highest point in one breath. Hugging the pagoda top and looking down. The three people on the hall side, A Cui, Luo Big Tongue, and Yu Feiyan, had already become a blurred mass of black shadows mixed together. He couldn’t tell who was who. He took a deep breath. Forcefully enduring the pain from his shoulder injury. He climbed from the pagoda top to the python head. Sure enough, he saw the python mouth wide open. Biting a precious casket shaped like a snake eye. Inside was hidden a gilt and silver engraved four legged snake. Its size was close to a normal person’s arm. Sima Hui reached in and pulled out the four legged snake. Together with the duck billed shovel, he inserted them behind his back. Then looking down from the python head. The giant bricks paving the hall bottom also showed a large dark pattern under the lamplight. Upon careful identification, it was faintly the shape of that corpse god ancient pagoda. If not climbing to such a high place, one would fundamentally not discover there was a pattern on the ground. And the “Corpse Eye” chamber was hidden beneath the shadow of the python head’s forehead.

Sima Hui, having seen the position, immediately slid down from the ancient pagoda. He found the stone brick close by. He used the duck billed shovel to scrape away the soil. He pried at the edge of that stone brick. Sure enough, it became loose. Beneath the brick was exposed a copper plate with a circular strange imprint. Approximately one meter square. Placing the gilt lizard on it. The four claws could exactly embed into the copper imprint. Sima Hui pressed the gilt lizard. Turning it counterclockwise half a circle. Closing the lock buckle. The four legged snake had become one body with the copper cover. He grasped the handle with both hands and pulled upward. With a thunderous sound, an underground cave opened. Black qi rushed out from inside. The lamps and candles in the hall all dimmed.

Sima Hui knew that putrid air from centuries of decay was dangerous. He didn’t dare to go close to look at the situation inside the cave. He stood aside and said to Qian Baoshan: “The things you asked me to do, I have now accomplished. What about those two anti personnel mines?”

Qian Baoshan answered unhurriedly: “Anyway, it’s already been dragged out this long. What’s the rush? Even if you’re rushing to become a ghost and be reincarnated, there’s no need to compete for this moment.”

Sima Hui secretly grew anxious. He asked again: “Could it be that you fundamentally don’t know how to dismantle American made anti personnel mines? And you never intended to let us leave Savage Mountain alive?”

Qian Baoshan firmly believed that there was no power in the world that could oppose “luck.” This feeling that transcended all fear made him as if he were in heaven. And the development of all matters was under his own control. The secret in the “Corpse Eye” was almost before his eyes. How could he still put these few people in his eyes? So he sneered and didn’t answer.

Sima Hui saw that his prediction was not wrong. His eyes nearly spat fire. He said angrily: “Then don’t blame me for not being polite. In my life, I most hate those who go back on their word and break faith. And those arms and drug dealers who deceive heaven and cheat people. With your actions, dying ten times in my hands wouldn’t be too many.”

Qian Baoshan didn’t care at all. He simply leaned out from behind the copper lamp and said: “You really think that with you, a monkey cub, you can touch me?”

Sima Hui pointed at Qian Baoshan and said: “Even if you are truly a god or buddha descended to earth, I will touch you today.”

Although Qian Baoshan had something to rely on, he was cautious by nature. Accustomed to suspicion. He couldn’t help but generate some doubt. He couldn’t predict what changes might appear. He probed: “What basis do you have for such wild talk?”

Sima Hui said: “There is only one way in the world that can deal with a person who is having good luck.”

Qian Baoshan was startled: “Absolutely impossible… Th… that is what way?”