Hu Bayi, who had been sleeping by the campfire, suddenly woke up.
Still groggy, he saw Xu Lang and Shirley Yang sitting together and struggled to sit up, about to speak.
But both Xu Lang and Shirley Yang immediately raised a finger to their lips.
Then Xu Lang pointed behind Hu Bayi—toward the massive banyan tree.
Less than a minute later, Hu Bayi's expression changed.
A veteran soldier, his reactions were sharp. He quickly grabbed the air rifle and quietly pulled back the bolt.
Then he rummaged through the bag and pulled out a round object.
Xu Lang glanced at it in the firelight…
A black donkey hoof.
Clearly, Hu Bayi had already assumed something unusual was going on.
"Old Hu, Xu Lang… there's someone inside that tree."
After listening carefully, Shirley Yang finally spoke, tightening her grip on the handgun.
Hu Bayi froze."Someone? How can you be sure? Could it be an animal?"
Shirley Yang shook her head.
"No. Listen carefully. The knocking has a pattern—three short, three long, three short…"
"Di-di-di… da~ da~ da~… di-di-di…"
Hu Bayi looked confused.
Xu Lang, however, understood instantly.
"Morse code?"
Shirley Yang nodded.
"That's right. It's SOS—the international distress signal."
Hu Bayi felt a chill run down his spine.
"A distress signal? Then… someone's trapped inside the tree trunk?"
Shirley Yang hesitated.
"This place is deep in the wilderness. Even the locals outside Zhèlóng Mountain wouldn't come here. I'm afraid… what's sending that signal might not be human."
"…Then what is it?" Hu Bayi asked, his face turning pale.
If not human… then what?
Xu Lang cut in impatiently.
"Whatever it is, I'll go take a look."
Of course, Xu Lang already knew what was up there.
With the Golden Silkworm Gu and his abilities, he didn't want the others taking unnecessary risks.
But Hu Bayi stopped him immediately.
"You can't go alone. This might be a ghost signal."
He then explained something from his time in the military.
Sometimes, strange radio signals would appear on the battlefield—distress calls, warnings…
Units would go to investigate.
But those sent out never came back.
In the end, people began calling them ghost signals—lures meant to draw people in.
Xu Lang knew it was nonsense… but Hu Bayi meant well.
In the end, they decided:
Xu Lang and Hu Bayi would go up.Shirley Yang and Wang Pangzi would stay below.
When climbing, Xu Lang moved quickly and soon got ahead of Hu Bayi.
Before long, he reached the top of the tree canopy.
"There's a wrecked plane up here!"
Hearing this, Shirley Yang couldn't stay put anymore and climbed up as well.
Wang Pangzi, due to his size, was strictly forbidden from following.
Once on top, Shirley Yang quickly identified it.
"A U.S. transport plane."
Hu Bayi, with his military background, nodded.
"Most likely from World War II… flying from Burma into China."
But Xu Lang wasn't paying attention to their discussion.
His eyes were locked on the cockpit.
"Xu Lang, there might be useful supplies inside. It could help us later. Let's check it out."
Hu Bayi spoke.
Xu Lang pointed toward the cockpit.
"Listen."
They fell silent.
Soon, the knocking sound returned.
Clearer this time.
Closer.
The source—
Inside the cockpit.
Hu Bayi's fighting instincts kicked in.
He drew his knife, cut through the vines covering the wreck, and moved forward.
Shirley Yang followed closely, gun in hand.
But Xu Lang stayed where he was.
Not because he was afraid.
Because something felt… off.
There was definitely something inside the cockpit.
But it didn't feel like just one presence.
Because the knocking earlier—
Wasn't just SOS.
"Be careful. Something's not right here."
Xu Lang warned.
Hu Bayi and Shirley Yang cautiously entered the cockpit.
Inside, they found the remains of a pilot.
Still wearing a U.S. uniform.
A helmet on his head.
Everything else—just a skeleton.
The head hung at an unnatural angle.
Hu Bayi stepped forward carefully, knife raised.
At that moment—
The knocking sound came again.
Then—
The helmet moved.
Xu Lang, standing outside, saw it clearly.
Hu Bayi and Shirley Yang froze.
They were just about to retreat—
When the pilot's helmet slowly lifted.
As if the long-dead body was trying to rise again.
Then—
The helmet tilted up completely.
And from within—
Two faint golden glimmers appeared.