Zhang San and Li Si huddled together, excitement rising between them.
"Exactly! We grab the treasure, get rid of these useless witnesses, and the two of us can go anywhere...living like kings!"
The more Zhang San thought about it, the happier he became. Laughing loudly, he strode back and kicked the woodcutter in the backside.
"Damn it! Move! You're coming with us to haul the treasure!"
The woodcutter's face went pale.
Zhang San tapped the flat of his blade against the man's shoulder.
Torchlight stretched their shadows across the cave wall—
two long, twisting shapes that swayed with every flicker.
Like black snakes.
Deep inside Dead Children's Cave, the torchlight fell upon a narrow opening barely wide enough for a thin person to squeeze through. It looked no different from the other holes where the children's coffins had been placed.
But peering inside, the space beyond seemed large—only utterly black.
Wind slipped in through some unseen crack and slid along the stone walls.
"Woo—"
The first sound was faint.
Like someone drawing breath far away.
Li Si stopped.
"Did you hear that?"
Zhang San frowned."Damn it, what are you scared of? You've got a knife. If a ghost shows up, stab it!"
The wind circled again.
This time the sound was clearer.
"Woo… waa—"
Like a baby crying—thin, drifting, broken by distance.
The cave fell abruptly silent.
The flame wavered.
Shadows floated across the stone walls like ghosts themselves.
Li Si's face slowly drained of color.
"Boss… did you hear that?"
Zhang San spat, tore off a strip of cloth, and stuffed it into his ears.
"Coward. Just the wind."
Li Si copied him quickly.
But then came another cry—
"Waa—"
Sharper this time, scraping along the eardrum.
Li Si spun around and stumbled back a dozen steps before realizing no one had followed. Embarrassed, he forced himself to stop.
"This place is cursed," he muttered.
"Shut up!" Zhang San stared at the black opening ahead, a vicious glint flashing in his eyes."I don't care what's inside. The bold get rich, the timid starve!"
He suddenly barked out a shout, making the old woodcutter—third in line—jump violently.
Wei stood nearby, expressionless.
Firelight brushed across his face.
He was staring at the stone wall.
As if he hadn't heard a thing.
Zhang San walked over and slapped him on the back.
Wei turned and looked at him blankly.
Zhang San suddenly grinned—a dry, crooked smile.
"Damn it, don't shake like that."
"I know you're scared to death. But I promise—help me get the treasure, and you'll be the third king of the mountain stronghold."
Whether Wei could hear him or not, Zhang San shoved him forward.
"Inside."
Wei lowered his eyes to the hole. Without resisting, he dropped to the ground and crawled in.
Zhang San jammed the torch into his hand, but Wei shook his head and passed it back to Minnow, who stood second in line.
Then he crawled into the narrow opening alone, his shadow slowly swallowed by darkness.
The cave grew eerily quiet.
Ten breaths.
Twenty.
Thirty.
Quiet enough to hear a heartbeat.
Zhang San grew impatient. His boot scraped against the stone floor, kicking up dust.
He spat a thick wad of phlegm that landed an inch from Minnow's feet, spreading in a sticky smear.
"Slow as hell."
He slanted Minnow a sideways glance, mouth crooked with mockery.
"Move it, kid! Keep dawdling and I'll kick you in myself!"
Minnow was already pale; the words drained the last color from his face. Sweat gathered on his forehead and slid down his temples, dripping from his chin.
He took the torch, fingers so stiff he could barely hold it. The flame trembled in the wind, making the cave mouth seem even darker.
Seeing him shake harder, Zhang San burst into laughter. The sound echoed around the cave entrance like the howling of a stray dog.
"Look at this coward!"
He suddenly stepped forward, his thick arm slinging around Minnow's shoulders.
Minnow jerked away in disgust, shrugging off the greasy grip.
"Damn it! Back at Black Wind Pass I stabbed three men through with one swing. Blood sprayed all over my face and I didn't even blink.
And you? Scared of this little hole? Aren't you ashamed?"
He lifted his other hand and slapped Minnow lightly across the face twice—not hard, but deliberately humiliating.
"Why don't you kneel and beg me? If I'm in a good mood, maybe I won't make you go in first. Hahaha!"
Li Si joined in from the side, his voice shaky but trying to sound fierce.
"Yeah! Don't chicken out!"
The old woodcutter crouched at the back, head lowered, not daring to speak.
Zhang San released Minnow and shoved him hard between the shoulders, nearly knocking him into the hole.
"Get in there! Stop wasting my damn time. That treasure's waiting to make me rich!"
Minnow's throat tightened. He forced himself to move.
He thrust the torch forward. The flame leapt.
Lowering his head, he bent nearly double and crawled inside.
Behind him Zhang San kept shouting, his voice carrying through the narrow tunnel like nails driven into Minnow's ears.
"Don't look back, you little sissy! If you turn around I'll punch a hole through your ass and show you what real pain is!"
The tunnel gaped like an open mouth.
Cold wind poured out, carrying the smell of mold—and something else, a sour, metallic stench, like damp cloth rotting for years in a cellar.
Minnow's throat felt scraped raw.
He had always feared places like this.
Cramped. Low. No visible exit.
Just the thought of stone pressing overhead made his chest tighten, his breathing shallow, as if the air itself were being strangled away.
The deeper he crawled, the wetter the cave walls became.
Minnow's hand brushed against one accidentally.
His fingers touched something soft.
Collapsed.
Like rotten flesh.
Minnow swallowed hard. Lowering his head, he hurried forward.
Then—
A faint, low laugh drifted out from deep within the cave, damp with echo.
"Heh… heh-heh…"
Like a baby.
Like an old man.
Like someone laughing through a throat full of blood.
"Food… has come…"
The torchlight lurched violently.