The Great Song Dynasty: You were put in charge of teaching, and you produced a whole bunch of prime

The sound was like two rusty iron pieces rubbing against each other, hoarse and cold, carrying a deathly aura that didn't belong to the living.

Jiang Lin and the other two felt their hair stand on end and turned around abruptly, shining their cold light sticks in the direction from which the sound came.

In the deepest shadows of the cave, a tall, dark figure slowly rose to his feet.

"Clang... clang..."

Accompanied by the sound of chains dragging on the ground, the dark figure walked out step by step.

When the light from the cold light stick illuminated his face, Zhao Lingjun couldn't help but let out a short gasp and instinctively hid behind Jiang Lin.

That wasn't a human face at all.

His face was covered with crisscrossing scars, the deepest of which ran from his left eye to his chin, tearing half of his face apart.

His left eye socket was empty, just a black hole. His remaining right eye, however, gleamed with a ferocious, beast-like light.

He was extremely burly, almost nine feet tall, with bulging muscles all over his body, exuding an explosive sense of power.

His wrists and ankles were fastened with thick iron shackles, the other end of which was fixed to the rock wall deep inside the cave.

He stood there shirtless, like a caged prehistoric beast, staring coldly at Jiang Lin and the others with his single eye.

"You...were you sent by Zhao Liben to deliver the food?" he asked, his voice still unpleasant enough to send chills down one's spine. "Today's food...smells especially sweet."

As he spoke, he stuck out his scarlet tongue and licked his chapped lips.

Jiang Lin's heart sank to the bottom.

He could sense the pure, insane killing intent emanating from the "person" before him.

This is completely different from the murderous aura that Xue Gang developed later in life; it is an innate brutality that treats human life as worthless.

This person is definitely the last and strongest line of defense that Zhao Liben hid here.

"We are just lost travelers who stumbled into this place by accident. We'll leave now." Jiang Lin forced himself to calm down and slowly backed away.

"Lost?" The cyclops grinned, revealing a set of yellowish-black teeth, his laughter like that of a night owl. "Anyone who managed to get here wasn't lost. That old dog Zhao Liben, does he think I'm useless and want to send you to kill me to silence me?"

A savage glint flashed in his single eye.

"Fine... I haven't tasted fresh flesh and blood in a long time anyway."

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly struggled.

"Clang!"

With a loud bang, the iron chain, thicker than an adult's arm, was stretched taut by his own efforts! Fine cracks appeared on the rock wall where the chain was fixed.

Jiang Lin and the other two's expressions changed drastically. They dared not harbor any more illusions and turned to run away.

"Trying to run away?"

The Cyclops let out a roar and stomped the ground beneath his feet.

"boom!"

The entire cave trembled. A rock the size of a human head at his feet was kicked up by him and, like a cannonball, whistled as it hurtled towards Shen Kuo, who was running at the back.

"Watch out!" Jiang Lin shouted and shoved Shen Kuo aside.

The stone grazed Shen Kuo's back before crashing heavily into the rock wall, creating a deep crater and scattering fragments everywhere.

Shen Kuo broke out in a cold sweat. If he had been hit by that thing, he would be a pile of minced meat by now.

"Hurry! Don't look back!" Jiang Lin pulled Shen Kuo up, and together with Zhao Lingjun, they ran back the way they came like madmen.

"roar!"

Behind them came the Cyclops's furious roar and the sound of chains slamming against the rock wall.

The three of them scrambled back to the underground riverbank, and without thinking twice, they grabbed the ropes that were still hanging there and began to climb to the other side on all fours.

Fortunately, the Cyclops seemed to be limited by the length of the chain and did not chase after them out of the cave.

When they returned to the other side and looked back in shock, they saw that the dark cave entrance was like the mouth of a giant beast ready to devour them, eerily quiet.

"Then... what kind of monster is it?" Zhao Lingjun's voice was still trembling.

"I don't know." Jiang Lin's expression was also unusually solemn. "But one thing is certain: that was definitely Zhao Liben's trump card. A humanoid weapon that he chained up."

"What do we do now? Xue Gang has definitely blocked our way back," Shen Kuo asked, panting.

A desperate situation.

They were surrounded by Xue Gang and his men in front, and lurked by an unknown monster behind. They were trapped in this dark and gloomy underground, as if they would never see the sun rise again.

Jiang Lin's brain was working at lightning speed.

He forced himself to calm down and analyze the situation before him.

The way back is blocked. At the end of that natural cave lies the monster.

So, that leaves only...

Jiang Lin's gaze fell on the rushing underground river.

"This river is a living river," Jiang Lin suddenly said. "Where there's an entrance, there must be an exit. It must lead somewhere."

"Headmaster, you mean..." Shen Kuo instantly understood Jiang Lin's thoughts, his expression changing, "You want us to follow this river?"

"That's right." A hint of madness flashed in Jiang Lin's eyes. "This is our only way to survive."

"But... the current is so strong, if we go down, won't we just be throwing our lives away?" Zhao Lingjun found the suggestion hard to accept.

"If we don't go down, we'll die anyway if Xue Gang's men search us. Or we'll die if that monster breaks free of its chains."

Jiang Lin's voice was cold, "Jump down, and we'll have a sliver of hope. Stay here, and we're doomed."

He looked at the two of them: "What's your choice?"

Shen Kuo and Zhao Lingjun both fell silent.

They knew that Jiang Lin was right.

"I...I can't swim," Zhao Lingjun's voice was barely audible.

"I will." Jiang Lin looked at her, his eyes brooking no doubt. "I will take you out."

He then looked at Shen Kuo: "And you?"

Shen Kuo pushed up his glasses, a hint of excitement appearing on his face.

"I've always been interested in the trends of groundwater. This might be a rare opportunity for a field investigation."

"..." Jiang Lin and Zhao Lingjun were both speechless. This scientific madman's brain circuits are indeed different from normal people.

"Alright, since you've all agreed," Jiang Lin said, not wanting to waste any more time. "Throw away all your heavy belongings, leaving only the account book and the cold light stick. Untie the rope, and tie the three of us together so we don't get separated by the water."

The three immediately sprang into action. Shen Kuo reluctantly discarded his box, which was filled with all sorts of treasures, leaving only a few glow sticks and some waterproof tarpaulins.

They tied their waists together with a rope, forming a simple community of life.

"Is everything ready?" Jiang Lin stood by the river, looking at the dark water at his feet, and took a deep breath.

Shen Kuo and Zhao Lingjun both nodded, their faces filled with tension and determination.

"Remember, no matter what happens, don't let go," Jiang Lin said as a final reminder.

"Jump!"

He shouted, grabbed the two of them, and leaped into the icy, bone-chilling underground river.