Chapter 39: Upheaval

　　Part 1: Jasmine　　Seeing my strange expression, Young Master Feng asked, "What is it?"　　"Temporal ripple."　　Hearing me enunciate each word, their expressions turned grave.　　"It's fine!" Mr. Egg adjusted his pack and strode ahead of me. "What's meant to be will be! We keep moving. I'll lead."　　"I'll do it," I said. "I should lead."　　Mr. Egg clapped my shoulder. "Not bad. Finally acting like a leader!"　　I smiled faintly and took the front.　　The passage ahead widened slightly. Moving quietly past several mushroom clusters, we slowly approached a bend. The damp corner was overgrown with all kinds of fungi. Suddenly, a shrill, agonized scream made my whole body jolt. The cries, growing more desperate, came from around the corner, chilling our blood.　　"People?" I was certain that was a human voice! After walking in the pitch-black mountain for so long, we'd finally encountered living people!　　"What are you doing?" Mr. Egg grabbed my arm.　　"Help—"　　"Quiet!" He clamped a hand over my mouth, signaling for silence. "Lights off!"　　I switched off my headlamp, and darkness closed in again.　　Young Master Feng pulled out his phone, gesturing for me to extend the camera around the corner. I took it. The shaky screen soon revealed a man—half-lying on the ground, his clothes torn, his chest a bloody, mangled mess as if slashed repeatedly with a knife. Crimson blood was splattered everywhere. Even the flashlight on the ground cast a half-beam of lurid red, painting half the tunnel in a bloody hue that tinted our faces through the screen.　　"Ah… ah… AHH!" He kicked and wailed, the sound sharp and trembling, grating on my nerves.　　"Let's help him!" I growled, ready to dash over, but Mr. Egg pinned me against the corner again.　　"Want to die? Gympie-Gympie Mushrooms!"　　On the phone screen, several scattered golden dots glinted with a