The embers of terror, after a night of torment, hadn't died out. Instead, they quietly rekindled in the depths of everyone's heart, turning into colder, more desperate ashes. The discovery of the chilling, malicious whispers in the recording, like the last straw, completely crushed the little bit of luck and self-consolation I had left.

  The three of us, like walking corpses, were trapped in this dilapidated room reeking of mold and despair. Although the terrifying knocking and cold laughter from outside the door had stopped the night before, the lingering shadow felt like tangible shackles, locking us firmly in this cursed space.

  Xiao Zhang had completely changed. He was no longer irritable, nor did he absentmindedly mutter about the "woman in white." He just sat瘫slumped in the corner against the wall, eyes vacant, face expressionless, like a husk drained of its soul. Occasionally, his body would twitch unconsciously, a guttural growl like a beast's escaping his throat, but it quickly subsided back into silence. Fear had utterly destroyed his will. Perhaps... the influence of that "fox spirit" had already penetrated deep into his marrow?

  Meiling's state was equally worrying. She remained tightly wrapped in her blanket, curled up in the corner of the bed, refusing any interaction with the outside world. Her eyes were vacant and terrified, like a small animal overly frightened and completely unresponsive. Occasionally, her lips would move silently, as if praying, or perhaps muttering mad words.

  And me… though equally mired in the abyss of fear and despair, the reporter's instinct, and that stubbornness of never giving up until the very last moment, still supported me. Although the discovery in the recording was terrifying, it also proved that the abnormalities here were real, not entirely my illusion. This twisted "confirmation," paradoxically, sparked an almost morbid desire to explore.

  I had to figure it out! I had to get to the bottom of all this! White Snake Granny, fox spirit, night-roaming souls, the cursed runes on the walls, the mysterious old man, the corpse under the ruins... what was the connection between all these scattered and terrifying pieces?!

  But before seeking the truth, a more urgent, more practical problem confronted us – water.

  The drinking water for the three of us was completely gone. Our throats burned as if on fire, and our lips were cracked and peeling from dehydration. The feeling of physical weakness grew stronger. If we couldn't find a water source soon, we would likely die of dehydration before any evil spirits could get to us.

  The back mountain spring… the place the old man had strictly warned against, filled with taboo and danger, inevitably surfaced in my mind again.

  To go, or not to go?

  Fear screamed "No!". Reason also warned "Danger!".

  But the instinct for survival, and that fatal allure of the truth, acted like a stronger force, slowly but surely eroding my resolve.

  "We... need to find water," I rasped, my voice hoarse, speaking to my two companions who seemed to have lost their hearing.

  Xiao Zhang and Meiling didn't react.

  I clenched my teeth, making an incredibly difficult decision in my heart.

  "You wait here," I stood up, feeling my legs weak, but my eyes unusually determined. "I'll go find water."

  "...Go... where?" Xiao Zhang's vacant eyes finally showed a flicker of movement as he asked blankly.

  "...The back mountain," I forced out the two words.

  "No!!" Meiling, who had been silent, suddenly screamed, jerking her head up, her eyes filled with extreme terror. "We can't go! The old man said! There's... there's White Snake Granny there! We'll die if we go!!"

  "But if we don't find water, we'll die anyway!" I cut her off, my tone cold and resolute. "I'll be very careful. I'll just look around the periphery, absolutely not get close to the main source. Maybe I can find another small stream." I repeated yesterday's excuse, one I hardly believed myself.

  Xiao Zhang didn't speak, just stared at me with those empty eyes, as if looking at a condemned prisoner walking to the execution ground.

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  Meiling wanted to say more, but seeing the determination in my eyes, she finally gave up, burying her head in her knees again, letting out low, desperate whimpers.

  I didn't hesitate any longer. I checked my gear – camera, recorder, the last bit of compressed biscuit, Swiss Army knife, and the trekking pole that had saved my life. I put the headlamp on (even though it was daytime, the light in the back mountain would surely be dimmer), took a deep breath, pulled the door open, and stepped back into the dead-silent, thick fog.

  This time, my goal was very clear – the back mountain, near the water source.

  Moving alone highlighted the terror and oppression of the environment even more. The fog felt thicker than yesterday, dyeing the whole world greyish-white. The muddy ground and thorns were still difficult to navigate. The surroundings were dead silent, only my own heavy heartbeat and ragged breathing could be heard.

  I trudged with difficulty towards the back mountain, relying on my hazy memory from yesterday. The further in I went, the denser the vegetation became, the trees older and more twisted, the air colder and damper. The smell of decay and earthiness mixed together, creating a suffocating atmosphere.

  Soon, I saw yesterday's horrifyingly large drag mark again. It was still clearly imprinted on the muddy ground, smooth and deep, like a silent warning, reminding me of the danger ahead.

  My steps involuntarily slowed, my heart pounded again.

  But… water… I had to find water.

  I carefully skirted the drag mark and continued forward.

  Ahead, faintly, I heard that strange water sound from yesterday again – "Splash… splash…" Not like flowing water, more like something huge stirring in the water.

  At the same time, that cold, intense stench hit me again, even more pungent than yesterday!

  The water source… was very close!

  My palms were slick with cold sweat, breathing became extremely difficult. Every cell screamed "Danger! Run!".

  But…

  I clenched my teeth, still moving forward step by step. I planned to stop at this distance, carefully look around for any small streams branching off the main source.

  I pushed aside a patch of dense, thick-leaved, slippery ferns, and my view opened up slightly.

  Ahead, about ten meters away, the fog thinned a little. I could vaguely see what seemed to be a low-lying depression. In the center of the depression, was there a pool of water? The surface showed a strange, almost milky turbidity, its depth unclear. Around the pool, jagged rocks lay scattered, covered in blackish-green moss. Several extremely thick, twisted, ancient trees stood guard by the pool like sentinels.

  That eerie splashing sound seemed to come from that pool. And the intense stench originated there too.

  This… was this the forbidden water source?

  As I held my breath, nervously observing the strange pool, my gaze was suddenly drawn to a huge, moss-covered, bluish-black rock by the water's edge.

  On the side of the rock near the water, there seemed to be… something hanging?

  White… long… translucent…

  My heart leaped violently!

  What… what was that?!

  I instinctively raised my camera, zoomed the lens to its maximum, and focused on that rock.

  Through the telephoto lens, I finally saw it clearly!

  That… that was actually… a skin?!

  An incredibly huge, complete, eerily milky-white… snakeskin?!

  The snakeskin was as thick as a water bucket! Its length was immeasurable; one end hung on the rock, the other dragged into the fog and vegetation below, completely out of sight! The scale patterns on the snakeskin were clearly visible, each scale smooth as jade, faintly emitting a cold, unnatural sheen in the dim light!

  This… this simply surpassed the limits of my comprehension! How could there be such a gigantic snake in the world?!

  Could it be… this was the shed skin of that "White Snake Granny"?!

  Terror! Unparalleled terror instantly engulfed me like a tsunami! Evidence! This was real evidence! Proving the ancient legend, proving the huge drag mark, proving… that a terrifying creature beyond imagination truly existed here!

  My hands trembled violently, almost unable to hold the camera. I frantically pressed the shutter, wanting to record this unbelievable, terrifying sight!

  Just as I snapped several photos in succession!

  Suddenly!

  An extremely cold gust of wind, as if from the ninth circle of hell, whipped out from the direction of the pool without warning!

  The eerie wind carried a stench so thick it made me gag! It blew so hard I could barely open my eyes!

  And then!

  "HISSSSSSSSS!!!!"

  An incredibly loud, extremely sharp, piercing hiss filled with violence and warning, exploded from the depths of the fog, from the direction of the strange pool!!

  That sound was definitely not something an ordinary snake could make! It pierced gold and cracked stone, shaking my eardrums violently, my brain went blank! It felt as though even the air itself was trembling from this terrifying hiss!

  I disturbed it?!

  I disturbed that "White Snake Granny"?!

  "No one… can… live…!!" The old man's warning rang like a death knell in my mind!

  Run!!!

  That was the only thought!

  I didn't even have time to put away my camera, nor could I care about any water source! I let out a scream of ultimate terror, turned around, and used every ounce of strength I possessed, frantically, heedless of everything, scrambling back the way I came, towards the relative "safety" of the base camp!

  Behind me, the terrifying hiss seemed to continue, the fog churned, the foul wind raged.

  The Curse of the White Snake had truly descended!

  And could I escape its wrath?