My heart felt a mix of doubt and unease, but our immediate priority was to establish a safe haven, so I didn't voice my concerns to the others.
Guanhai'er, seeing the idol surrounded by native corpses, was visibly startled. She tugged at my sleeve, her voice trembling, "Brother Ye, why is there something like this in a military base!"
As I pondered how to explain this to Guanhai'er, Qu Xiangyun stepped forward, examining the symbols carved into the side of the idol with a thoughtful expression.
Luo Yaqin, perhaps due to her medical background, showed no fear towards the corpses and even observed their causes of death with keen interest.
After a while, she approached me and said, "Lu Ziye, where is this military base you mentioned? Take us to see it. Maybe we can find something useful."
Taking Luo Yaqin's suggestion, I instructed everyone to place their belongings in the cave and then led them back to the passage I had previously emerged from.
Before we entered, I specifically cautioned them, "I'll go first with the torch to light the way. It might be a bit frightening, so if you're scared, don't look to the sides. Stay close to me."
I led the group downwards, and within a few steps, we reached the warehouse filled with corpses.
Upon seeing the warehouse packed with bodies, Shangguan Yao let out a terrified scream and collapsed onto the ground. The others were also very frightened. After all, they were people from a peaceful era and had never seen so many corpses.
Seeing Shangguan Yao's reaction, I felt a surge of helplessness. I wondered how she had grown up, with the smallest amount of courage, easily startled by everything, and prone to faltering at critical moments!
I quickly walked over to Shangguan Yao and, without wasting words, picked her up and placed her on my back.
"Don't look at anything. Stay on my back, and I'll carry you inside."
Shangguan Yao, with her eyes tightly shut, clutching Pudding, climbed onto my back. I then addressed the other women, "This part of the path isn't long. Make sure no one falls behind."
With that, I followed the path I had carved through the sea of bodies, heading deeper into the military base.
After considerable effort, I managed to lead everyone through the terrifying warehouse and into a brightly lit hall. Everyone let out a collective sigh of relief and sat on the ground to rest.
I looked around, feeling that something in this hall was different from my memory. The temperature seemed to have dropped significantly, and I could even see my breath misting in the air.
This subtle sense of incongruity put me on high alert.
Once everyone had calmed down, I said to them, "Let's search this hall for anything useful. Don't wander too far."
The others agreed, though Shangguan Yao still seemed quite frightened and remained seated, clutching Pudding.
I glanced at Pudding and, feigning a cold demeanor, suggested to Shangguan Yao, "Shangguan Yao, it's quite cold here. How about we use Pudding's fur to make a pair of gloves?"
Upon hearing this, Shangguan Yao immediately clutched Pudding tighter.
"Lu Ziye, you must be dreaming! If you dare touch Pudding, I'll fight you to the death!"
Pudding, in her arms, seemed to understand my words and nudged against Shangguan Yao, letting out a few soft yelps in my direction.
Seeing that my words had successfully diverted Shangguan Yao's attention and restored her spirits, I playfully chided Pudding, "You little fellow, you certainly know how to pick your owner. Don't worry, I won't do anything to you."
Shangguan Yao snorted, then hugged Pudding and walked to the side.
Seeing that Shangguan Yao was alright, I walked to the table in the center of the hall to inspect it.
Last time, I had discovered the mechanism to the outside here. Could this table still be hiding other secrets?
I glanced at the deceased officer sitting on a nearby chair and began to examine the table. I searched not only the tabletop but also the floor beneath it, but after a thorough investigation, I found nothing.
I exhaled, rubbing my reddened hands together.
What was wrong with this cursed place? Why was it so cold?
I had only been searching for a short while, and my hands were already numb from the cold.
Just then, Guanhai'er rushed up to me, her voice filled with anxiety, "Brother Ye, it's bad! Xiangyun is gone!"
My heart tightened. I asked Guanhai'er in a deep voice, "What happened? When did she disappear?"
Guanhai'er's voice was tinged with tears, "We were just talking a moment ago. I only took a few steps forward, and when I looked back, Sister Xiangyun was gone."
I quickly gathered everyone to search for Qu Xiangyun's whereabouts. Shangguan Yao, upon hearing that Qu Xiangyun was missing, felt her previous fear surge back, and she began to cry, wanting to go back.
I sternly told her, "Qu Xiangyun is one of us. We can't leave her here alone. If we leave, we leave together."
Shangguan Yao, hearing my words, managed to control her emotions for the moment, though her eyes remained red.
We began searching along the edges of the hall for any trace of Qu Xiangyun.
Not long after, Luo Yaqin discovered a small hidden door in the wall of the hall.
Could Qu Xiangyun have found this hidden door and gone inside by herself?