Special Hot Spring Pool

Lu Zhe's remark "Rather than being born on the same year, month, and day, I'd prefer to die on the same year, month, and day" dispelled the romantic atmosphere in an instant.

Shen Bing sighed and gaped, immediately picturing the scene of Liu, Guan, and Zhang forming a sworn brotherhood.

"Alright, but if we ever need to make up for the wedding later, I'll have the final say. Otherwise, you might really turn it into a brotherhood ceremony."

"That wouldn't happen! But I have no issue with you deciding on the wedding. After all, the highlight is always the woman's beauty and gentleness. The man is just a prop."

"Hmph, good to know!"

They both stood up and observed the cave more closely. It had an irregular oval shape, with most of it formed by rocks except for the opening they had fallen through.

The cave was about four meters wide and two and a half meters high, with a two-and-a-half-meter-wide river channel running through the middle. The water was incredibly clear.

Lu Zhe was overjoyed and dipped his hand into the underground river, feeling a slight coolness on his fingertips.

"Ding! New freshwater resource discovered..."

He took a sip, and the water was refreshingly cool without a trace of sulfur.

Freshwater!

Truly pure freshwater!

"Great water! Shen Bing, hurry and have a drink!"

Shen Bing cupped some water and drank. "Hmm, it tastes like high-end mineral water."

After quenching their thirst, they used the spring water to give themselves a rough wash.

Shen Bing retrieved their clothes and washed them thoroughly, inside and out.

Putting them back on made them feel more normal, but the damp clothes still felt chilly in the cave.

Lu Zhe didn't mind, but Shen Bing felt slightly uncomfortable and sneezed several times.

Examining the direction of the cave, it came from the northwest, the direction of the volcano's base, and the water flowed southeast, towards their camp.

Northwest or southeast, which way should they go?

Since they weren't sure which path was passable, Lu Zhe chose the more likely option – following the water flow southeast.

"This way!"

After walking for two minutes, they came across a fork.

One path emitted steam and the smell of sulfur, while the other had a scent of herbs.

Lu Zhe clearly understood where these two paths led!

He intended to get out quickly, retrieve their aircraft, and record this "new route."

But seeing Shen Bing sneeze again, Lu Zhe knew she might have caught a cold and could get sick.

Although they had ibuprofen and various herbs, following the principle of avoiding illness in the wilderness if possible, he decided to take the path that seemed to lead to hot springs first.

"This way..."

"Why?"

"Trust me!"

Lu Zhe took Shen Bing's hand and entered the steamy cave. Soon, they saw a hot spring pool.

Larger than the first one, this second pool had a unique, elongated shuttle shape.

It was seven or eight meters long, widest in the middle and narrower at both ends.

The spring water flowed in from one end, where a smooth, rounded rock protruded from the water's force.

The water then overflowed from the other end, cascading onto the stone floor before draining into a hole about three meters away.

At its widest, the pool was about two meters across, with a raised stone platform on either side to prevent water from spilling over.

The water temperature was around 35°C (95°F), slightly cooler than the first pool.

It was unknown whether the temperature remained constant or fluctuated with currents or air temperature.

However, this temperature could maintain body heat while still feeling comfortable.

"Let's bathe before continuing," said Lu Zhe.

Shen Bing frowned. "I don't know, there's something odd about the shape of this pool."

"What's odd about it? It's a perfectly normal pool, completely clean without any monkeys!"

"The shape is just... weird."

"Nature, like the creator, shapes landscapes into unimaginable forms. Besides, I think the shape is nice!"

"Well, alright..." Shen Bing sighed, as her damp clothes did make her want to soak in the hot spring.

"We just put these on, and now we have to take them off again!"

"It's not that much effort to put clothes on, is it?"

"The effort isn't the issue, but there's one thing we absolutely, absolutely, absolutely must be mindful of..." Shen Bing raised a stern finger.

"What's that?"

"Restraint!"

Lu Zhe nodded. "You're right, we need to exercise restraint, or I really feel like I might stray from the right path."

"Yes, me too! What was the first line again?"

"The emperor's enterprise was left unfinished when he passed away prematurely!"

"Mmhmm..."

The two recited the Preface to the Prince of Teng's Staff together as they soaked in the hot spring.

Lu Zhe finally found relief from his fatigue after a day of hard work.

Shen Bing also felt the pressure on her chest ease significantly!

After another half hour, they had both cleaned their bodies and... had not relieved their fatigue?!

But the two had memorized the Preface to the Prince of Teng's Staff thoroughly, having withstood the temptation!

"I think that's enough, let's go!"

"Should we put our clothes back on? It's still quite chilly!"

"Or we could just use our clothes to dry ourselves first. It's just the two of us, an old married couple now..."

"Alright, but remember, we must exercise restraint!"

"Yeah!"

They dried themselves with their clothes, then continued along the other river channel.

The river flowed into a dark tunnel, like an underground sewer.

"Too bad we can't divert it to our camp..."

"This isn't bad either. The camp shouldn't be too far from here."

Looking up, there seemed to be some light ahead?

"If we're lucky, that's the cave exit."

They walked towards the light and saw a flat stone blocking the way.

Lu Zhe pushed it, opening the entrance significantly.

However, the pre-dawn darkness made it impossible to see more than a few inches ahead.

They could only hear the rain, sometimes drizzling, sometimes pouring.

Checking his watch, it was already 4:30 AM. In an hour and a half, daylight might arrive.

"Should we head back now or wait a bit?" asked Lu Zhe.

"Hmm, let's wait. The forest is too dark now. It might be better once it's light out."

"But the sun could also be covered by clouds!"

"That's always a possibility!"

"Yeah, let's wait here for a bit and watch the rain."

Shen Bing found a rock to sit on but immediately jumped up with an "Aiya!"

"What's wrong?"

"The rock is so cold!"

"Really?" Lu Zhe sat down. "I don't think it's that cold."

But then he realized that the difference in perception might be due to the differences between male and female physiology.

"Never mind, I'll just stand."

"But that'll be tiring." Lu Zhe thought for a moment. "Why don't you sit on my lap?"

"Um..." Shen Bing hesitated. "Alright, but we both need to restrain ourselves!"

"Absolutely!"

Shen Bing then sat on his lap.

"No wonder you're young, you're like a little heater!"

"Well, that's..."

After that, neither of them spoke for five minutes.

Finally, Shen Bing broke the silence. "Hey, why don't we... one last time?"