ATPnovel Chapter 89 Under the Dragon-Locking Well, Someone Knocked on the Door First
Chapter 89 Under the Dragon-Locking Well, Someone Knocked on the Door First
He was a rule-abiding technocrat, making a living entirely from processes, instruments, and data. But all the bizarre phenomena that occurred tonight had already completely shattered the boundaries between modern science and regulations.
Two elite engineers, fully equipped and experienced, descended only ten meters into the well. The ropes were intact, the passage was normal, and they were pulled up alive, with intact skeletons and undamaged organs. However, their chest cavities were completely clear, with no fluid accumulation, but their mouths were full of mud, and they were unconscious. All instrument tests were normal, and all data were normal. The doctors were helpless and frustrated.
Rules, processes, and data.
Faced with such supernatural and bizarre power, it is as worthless as waste paper.
Feeling aggrieved, Engineer Zhou could only reluctantly step aside to make way, muttering defiantly, "Do whatever you want, but if a major safety accident occurs, don't blame me for not stopping you beforehand."
Lu Yuan walked slowly past him, paused slightly, glanced casually at the well opening, and uttered a startling statement: "Someone has posted yellow talismans near the well."
Engineer Zhou froze on the spot, his face full of astonishment: "What yellow talisman? I was on-site the whole time, patrolling all areas in real time, and there wasn't one!"
"It's normal that you can't see it with your mortal eyes." Lu Yuan's tone was calm, without a trace of sarcasm, simply stating a fact.
Shen Qingci instantly grasped the key point and asked intently, "Mr. Lu, is there a problem with this talisman? What is its function?"
"At the four corners of the well, there are four secret talismans, new paper and new ink, the ink not yet completely dry." A cold glint flashed in Lu Yuan's eyes as he carefully dissected the mystery. "The ink is mixed with rooster blood and thousand-year-old silt from the bottom of the well. The person who drew the talismans is skilled and has a profound foundation, definitely not a layman. But although the brushstrokes are steady, the talismans contain evil spirits, and the thoughts are sinister. It is an evil technique that deliberately cultivates evil spirits."
Engineer Zhou's face turned deathly pale instantly, his back was drenched in cold sweat, and his scalp tingled: "Impossible! After the wellhead was sealed off, this was the highest-level security zone in the entire area. Unauthorized personnel are strictly prohibited from approaching. Apart from our core guards, no one has the authority or opportunity to infiltrate the area!"
"Then investigate your own people."
A single, seemingly casual remark resonated like a thunderclap at the scene.
A mole!
In a top-secret location under the double blockade and layer-by-layer security of the Observatory and the Municipal Bureau, someone secretly laid down evil talismans and colluded with the filth at the bottom of the well!
Zhou was jolted, instantly panicked, and forgot all about arguing. He sprinted towards the surveillance vehicle, yelling, "I'll retrieve the entire surveillance footage immediately! I'll thoroughly investigate all the entry and exit records of the personnel on duty!"
"Follow him," Shen Qingci whispered to the two team members beside her. "Don't let him touch the equipment, delete data, or tamper with records on his own."
"Roger that!" the two replied immediately and quickly followed.
The situation on the scene instantly reversed. What everyone was focused on as a crisis underground turned out to be an internal traitor, with undercurrents surging and danger lurking everywhere.
Shen Qingci looked at Lu Yuan again, her eyes filled with a complex and unreadable expression: "You haven't even gone down the well yet, and you've already exposed the hidden hands for me. This trip has definitely paid off for me."
"It was originally an equal exchange," Lu Yuan said calmly.
Shen Qingci smiled helplessly.
This man spoke with a bluntness bordering on the unpleasant, yet every word he uttered was true, brimming with confidence. Anyone else facing such a life-or-death crisis would first negotiate terms, save face, and seek a way out. Only he inspected the goods first, then discussed the price, and finally sold them, treating the favors exchanged with the Heavenly Bureau like picking through a secondhand market. His arrogance and swagger left everyone utterly speechless and completely convinced of his superiority.
Without further delay, the two quickly passed through the last blockade and arrived at the original site of the Lock Dragon Well in the backyard of the factory.
The old cement floor is covered with dense cracks, and a chilling, damp air seeps out from the cracks. Near the well, the temperature drops several degrees, and the cold seeps into your bones.
Above the wellhead, a thick, circular, high-density steel mesh firmly covers the surface, with neat and sturdy welds. However, right in the center of the mesh, a menacing fist-shaped bulge rises abruptly, with bent and deformed steel bars bearing obvious marks of being pushed outwards.
To an ordinary person, the area around the well would appear clean and uncluttered. But to Lu Yuan's clairvoyant eyes, four yellowed, malevolent talismans were firmly affixed to the four corners of the well, swirling with malevolent energy and gathering malevolent aura. The talisman patterns emanated a subtle black and red malevolent energy, like four inverted shackles. Instead of suppressing evil, they nurtured malevolent forces, continuously channeling the earth's energy and spiritual energy into the well's bottom, nourishing the evil spirits lurking in the shadows.
Lu Yuan bent down slightly, raised his fingertips, and casually pinched a corner of the yellow talisman.
The instant the talisman left the ground and detached from its original position—
Boom!
A deep, muffled thud suddenly erupted from the bottom of the well.
The noise wasn't explosive, but it was extremely penetrating, traveling up the deep well walls layer by layer. The entire ground trembled slightly, and people's hearts sank heavily as a chill ran straight to the top of their heads.
All the personnel on duty outside the cordon changed their expressions at once, exchanging glances with barely concealed fear in their eyes. No one dared to utter a sound to break the deathly silence.
Shen Qingci's gaze turned serious as she spoke in a deep voice: "Previously, there were unusual movements in the well every ten minutes. As soon as you activated the talisman, it immediately responded. The thing in the well is definitely communicating secretly with the person who set up the talisman, responding from both inside and outside."
"Whether or not ventilation is working will soon be clear."
Lu Yuan gently rubbed the newly made evil talisman between his fingertips, and the entire talisman instantly turned into fine paper ash, which fluttered down to the well mouth.
Boom-!
A second muffled thud sounded from the bottom of the well, closer, deeper, and more ferocious than the first, its malice palpable and unmistakable.
"Cut machine!" Shen Qingci gave the order decisively, without the slightest hesitation.
A combat engineer beside him quickly stepped forward, handed over an industrial cutting machine, swallowed hard, and nervously advised, "Director Shen, are we really going to force open the steel mesh? The dangers underground are unknown; recklessly opening the seal could lead to a major disaster!"
"Open." Shen Qingci's tone was resolute, without the slightest hesitation.
The sappers handed over the cutting machine with both hands and waited for instructions.
Lu Yuan did not take the tools, but simply stepped forward and lightly touched the center of the thick steel mesh with his toes.
Click—!
A crisp, ear-piercing cracking sound suddenly resounded throughout the entire venue.
The high-density bulletproof steel mesh, weighing hundreds of kilograms and reinforced with multiple welds, collapsed instantly like a thin sheet of paper. All the welds broke off, and the thick steel bars bent and snapped, crashing into the deep well with a series of hollow echoes.
The whole process was handled casually and effortlessly.
The engineers and guards standing by were all stunned, their pupils contracted, and they were deeply shocked.
Is this something that can be achieved by human power?!
The wellhead was wide open, the pitch-black shaft seemingly bottomless, like the gaping maw of a colossal beast that had lain dormant for millennia, devouring all things—a truly eerie and terrifying sight. The powerful beams of the surface searchlights shone vertically down, but the light only penetrated twenty meters into the well before being completely swallowed by the thick black mist, unable to penetrate even a fraction further.
A surge of odor, a mixture of decaying earth and the chill of age, rose up, along with a faint yet incredibly subtle medicinal scent.
Lu Yuan's nose twitched slightly, and he instantly discerned the truth.
The medicine has an old and strong aroma, indicating it was not stored for a short time. It must have been buried deep underground for at least twenty years. Its medicinal properties are subtle and strange, making it no ordinary medicine. For decades, someone has been secretly throwing medicine into the well day after day to nurture a malevolent spirit. This could be either forcibly keeping an ancient artifact or an evil creature alive, or deliberately cultivating a ferocious monster at the bottom of the well that could bring down a city.
"rope."
The sapper quickly snapped out of his daze and hurriedly handed over a thickened and reinforced professional safety rope.
"Mr. Lu, I'll go down with you!"
As soon as Shen Qingci finished speaking, her team members were shocked and rushed forward to dissuade her: "Director Shen! You can't take the risk! The mine is extremely dangerous; you absolutely must not go in!"
"Shut up." Shen Qingci coldly stopped everyone, her gaze fixed firmly on Lu Yuan. "You need to give me the truth, give me an explanation. I can't just stand at the well and listen to the results. I must see for myself why this turmoil started and why it happened."
Lu Yuan glanced at her indifferently and said bluntly without the slightest politeness: "If you go down there, you'll only hold me back."
"That's really harsh to say." Shen Qingci's lips twitched slightly, and she gave a helpless bitter smile.
"The truth is always hard to hear."
Shen Qingci remained silent for two seconds, fully accepting reality. She deftly removed her sidearm and spare magazine from her waist and handed them all to the team members beside her, preparing to stay and provide support.
"Then I'll guard the wellhead and support you as you go up and down."
She looked up, earnestly asking the last question: "If there are living creatures hiding down there, should we leave them alive?"
"Let's see if it's worthy of speaking human language." Lu Yuan's tone was indifferent, yet his killing intent was hidden.
"What if they could speak?"
"It's not too late to kill him after we've investigated all the causes and consequences and uncovered all the potential problems."
Shen Qingci nodded emphatically: "Okay. I'll wait for you to come out."
Lu Yuan gripped the safety rope tightly with one hand, and with a light leap, plunged into the dark, deep well.
The well walls were damp and slippery, and the cracks between the blue bricks were covered with cold, damp moss. The further you went down, the colder the temperature became, and the denser the surrounding yin energy became, making it hard to breathe.
After falling vertically for more than 20 meters, the straight shaft suddenly ended, and a man-made horizontal tunnel appeared on the side.
The cave entrance has a regular outline, and the rock wall has clear old rivet and chisel marks, which clearly indicate that it was deliberately excavated decades ago and hidden extremely well, avoiding all conventional detection.
Lu Yuan landed steadily on his feet, his shoes sinking into a layer of cool, damp mud at the bottom of the well.
The passageway was narrow and cramped, allowing only one person to pass sideways. Ahead of the passage, three old oil lamps stood quietly, their flames flickering brightly, the oil still warm, the wicks freshly lit, the heat not yet dissipated.
Someone just left, definitely no more than ten minutes ago.
Lu Yuan raised his hand, and a wisp of pale golden spiritual fire ignited out of thin air at his fingertips. The soft yet extremely penetrating light instantly illuminated the entire dark passage, dispelling the thick darkness and clearly reflecting all the patterns on the rock walls.
The stone walls on both sides of the passage are densely covered with eerie blood-red runes.
At first glance, it appears chaotic and illogical, but upon closer inspection, it reveals a meticulously crafted scheme with layers of deduction. It is an ancient talisman drawn with human blood mixed with cinnabar from a hundred years ago. The outer layer of runes is a legitimate seal for suppressing evil spirits at the bottom of the well; the inner layer of runes, however, is a heretical method for nurturing evil spirits, layered upon layered and reversing the formation's core, deliberately nourishing the filth.
One is righteous, the other evil; one suppresses, the other nurtures. Two completely different sets of techniques are forcibly combined, competing, balancing, and altering each other.
Clearly, over the decades, two different groups of people have been playing a game of strategy, constantly changing tactics, and pursuing their own goals from the bottom of this small well.
Lu Yuan slowly walked forward more than ten steps, his gaze suddenly fixed on the ground.
A brand new shoe print clearly emerged from the mud.
The shoes run small, with a delicate and intricate sole pattern, making them a women's exclusive style. A few unique white wall plaster particles adhere to the edge of the sole; these are the fresh, old plaster powder unique to this abandoned textile factory, showing remarkably recent footsteps.
woman.
I just left.
Lu Yuan paused slightly as all the clues in his mind instantly connected and closed the loop, his thoughts becoming completely clear and transparent.
A new evil talisman was painted on the wellhead, the ink still wet; a new oil lamp was lit in the well, still warm; the dark passage was still wet with human presence, leaving no trace.
This person not only possesses the highest access authority of the Heavenly Surveillance Bureau, allowing free entry and exit from the three-layered security perimeter, but also travels back and forth through the wellhead secret passage, sets up talismans to nurture evil spirits, and quietly withdraws without being detected by any guards or monitoring equipment.
They were definitely not external infiltrators.
He is a mole hidden within the system, holding a high position and enjoying deep trust.
She is someone close to Shen Qingci.
Just as he was pondering the truth, a faint, dragging sound suddenly came from the endless darkness around the corner ahead of the passage.
Splash... splash...
The cold, hard sound of rusty iron chains dragging against the damp rock wall was unhurried and rhythmic, carrying an extremely deliberate mockery and provocation.
It was not an unconscious change.
Someone was deliberately dragging the iron chain, stepping to a fixed rhythm, waiting for him to come to their door in the dark.
The next second, a soft, cold, and somewhat lazy female voice drifted out from the boundless darkness, echoing within the narrow passage, layer upon layer, exuding a chilling aura.
"Shen Qingci is becoming more and more knowledgeable about the rules; she's even willing to invite a true expert who can see through the intricacies to personally participate."
"Unfortunately... it's too late."
The moment the words left his mouth, the three flickering oil lamps in front of him suddenly went out at the same time!
Puff, puff, puff!
The three sparks vanished instantly, plunging the entire passage into a thick, inky darkness. The golden spiritual fire at Lu Yuan's fingertips was suppressed by a sudden burst of overwhelming, chilling malevolent energy, causing the flames to flicker violently and dim.
A deathly silence enveloped the entire area.
There was no wind, no echo, no breathing.
The entire world seemed to be filled only with darkness and unknown malevolent forces.
After a moment of deathly silence, four steady and clear tapping sounds echoed softly from the deepest part of the darkness against the stone wall.
Three short, one long.
This is the very thing that swept through Jiangnan tonight, causing strange phenomena across the entire region and disrupting order—the Ancient Well Gate Demon!
The moment the knocking sound ended, the nonchalance in Lu Yuan's eyes vanished completely, his gaze turned as cold as frost, and his aura suddenly became heavy and intense.
He finally understood completely.
This Dragon-Locking Well is never just a simple ominous or malevolent site.
It is a door.
A gate to the underworld, sealed for a thousand years and secretly nurtured for decades, is about to be fully opened!
Lu Yuan did not retreat, but instead took a small step forward.
The mud beneath his feet sank silently, while the spiritual fire around him surged an inch against the odds, forcefully breaking through the suppression of the Yin energy and illuminating the three feet of darkness before him once more.
He gazed at the endless darkness ahead, his tone calm, yet carrying an overwhelming domineering air:
"Hiding and knocking on the wall, too afraid to show their face?"
"Since you've asked me to come down, then come out and meet me."