Chapter 971 "The Truth Behind the Puzzle"

"Are you sure this is the clue?" Bai Xue looked down at the strange stone tablet, her fingers trembling slightly. The symbols engraved on the tablet seemed to be some kind of ancient language, but she couldn't understand it at all.

Zhang Meng stood beside her with a sly smile on his face, "Don't you realize that these symbols are exactly the same as the markings on the door we encountered before?"

Bai Xue frowned, recalling an ancient stone door in the maze. There were indeed similar symbols on the door. "Are you saying that these symbols are the key to unlocking the puzzle?"

"That's right," Zhang Meng nodded. "Don't you think that this maze cannot be passed by simply solving puzzles, but requires you to understand the meaning behind every detail?"

"Understand?" Bai Xue looked at these obscure symbols, puzzled, "Then how do I understand?"

Zhang Meng patted her shoulder. "Didn't you say that the maze is a test of our inner fear? Those symbols may not be for us to solve directly, but to trigger our potential through these 'ununderstood' things."

"Triggering potential?" Bai Xue sneered, "What you said sounds like the beginning of a chicken soup article. It makes me feel uncomfortable."

"Hey, don't underestimate these 'chicken soups'. Oftentimes, the real wisdom is hidden beneath the surface of these things that people don't take seriously." Zhang Meng said confidently.

"Then what wisdom do you think these symbols can give us?" Bai Xue still felt at a loss as to what to do with the symbols in front of her.

"These symbols represent 'memory' and 'time'." Zhang Meng paused, "Every time you enter the maze, these symbols will lead you to a new path. They are not difficult puzzles, but the key to the answer."

Bai Xue still felt a little confused after hearing what he said, but she didn't want to give up. "Okay, then how do we 'understand' these symbols?"

Zhang Meng lowered his head and thought for a while. Suddenly, his eyes lit up and he pointed at a symbol on the stone tablet. "Look at this symbol. It looks like the hands of a clock, pointing to the past. Perhaps, it represents 'time going backwards'."

"'Rewind time'?" Bai Xue was stunned for a moment, "You mean, we should go back to a certain place before and make different choices?"

Zhang Meng smiled and said, "Not exactly. In fact, the designer of the maze cannot directly let us 'go back to the past', but it may require us to look at every step we have taken from a completely new perspective."

"So, back to the starting point?" Bai Xue looked at Zhang Meng in confusion, "You want us to start all over again?"

"Yes, but this time, we have to look at it differently." Zhang Meng pointed at the symbols, "Just like these symbols, they may not represent something specific, but through our associations, they inspire new paths and ideas."

Bai Xue pursed her lips and suddenly felt that there was some truth in it. Her eyes fell on the symbols again, each symbol carrying its own unique hint. She took a deep breath and said silently in her heart: "Okay, let's give it a try."

The two decided to return to the original entrance of the maze and re-examine the path they had taken before. Bai Xue's steps were heavy and slow, and with every step she took, her heart was moved by those seemingly illogical symbols.

"What do you think we should do if we are really walking the same path over and over again?" Bai Xue suddenly asked.

"That means we missed something important before." Zhang Meng answered simply and directly, "Take the same path again and again until you can see fresh clues from it. Do you understand?"

"I understand." Bai Xue gritted her teeth and began to adjust her mindset. She realized that Zhang Meng was right. Sometimes we can't see certain clues clearly because we are too eager to get the answer.

As the two walked back, they found that every familiar corner seemed to have changed. The torch that had been extinguished was lit again, and some of the stone sculptures that had appeared before seemed to have undergone subtle changes.

"Look! The eyes of those stone sculptures seem to be moving!" Bai Xue suddenly said loudly, pointing to an ancient statue.

Zhang Meng narrowed his eyes and followed her gaze. Sure enough, the eyes of the stone sculptures moved slightly, as if they were watching them. Zhang Meng's face showed a hint of excitement that was hard to conceal, "You found it! This is exactly the clue we are looking for!"

"How is this possible? Could it be that the stone sculptures in this maze really move?" Bai Xue widened her eyes, her voice filled with astonishment.

"It's not really moving, but using some special mechanism to guide us." Zhang Meng said calmly, "If you look closely, the direction in which the eyes of these stone sculptures move is pointing to a specific place."

Bai Xue squinted her eyes and finally saw the direction the eyes of the statues were pointing. "So that's where it is!" she said excitedly.

The two quickened their pace and walked in the direction indicated by the stone sculpture. As soon as they turned a corner, they were stunned by the scene before them - a golden door appeared in front of them.

"Is this the road we need to find?" Bai Xue couldn't help swallowing.

"Yes," Zhang Meng answered confidently, "You see, a maze is like this. It is not just a complex external structure, but more of a test of our psychology. Now that we have passed the test of 'state of mind', the next challenge will be more complicated."

"Then what should we do?" Bai Xue pushed the golden door hard.

"The door cannot be opened." Zhang Meng pointed to the intricate patterns carved on the door. "If you look closely, the 'key' to this door is right next to it."

"Key? Next to the door?" Bai Xue looked in the direction he pointed, only to see several rows of ancient characters carved on the stone walls on both sides of the gate.

"This is our real puzzle." Zhang Meng said seriously, "These words seem to have no meaning, but as long as we can understand their 'essence', we can open this door."

"Then how do we decipher these texts?" Bai Xue had more questions in her mind.

Zhang Meng pointed to a row of words and said, "These words are probably some kind of symbol, representing 'balance'. The core of the maze is to find the balance between two extremes."

"Balance?" Bai Xue showed a puzzled expression. "You mean, 'balance' is the key to solving the puzzle?"

"Yes." Zhang Meng nodded vigorously, "Only by mastering the 'balance' can we unlock the real answer to the mystery."

"Okay, since you said so, I'll give it a try!" Bai Xue plucked up her courage and carefully studied the ancient texts.