sorcière

Chapitre 2

The moment I touched the seal, my eyes lit up, and I finally remembered what this mountain village, which I should have known so well, was. Yes, it must be the small mountain village where my second uncle lived. Two mountain peaks soared into the clouds, and on the mountainside was a small village built against the mountain. A path in front of the village led directly to a small river at the foot of the mountain, and another path was on the back of the mountain. In particular, there was a pile of fallen rocks, from which the path split in two. Dunzi and all the features I had described left a very deep impression on me.

I glanced at the clock; it was already past 1 a.m. But since I'd already promised Dunzi I'd contact him immediately with any news, I dialed his number. The phone rang with the music of "praying to Buddha." I chuckled inwardly; this guy's pretty trendy, even playing with ringtones. After a while, I heard Dunzi's lazy voice: "Hey, bro, waking you up so late? Is there some important clue?" "Yeah, your 'praying to Buddha' was spot on. I know where that village is, I'm about 70-80% sure." Dunzi was overjoyed, his spirits lifted, and he exclaimed, "I told you I wouldn't be wrong! You're something else, hahaha!" "Come on, stop flattering me. What's next? Should I take you there?" I asked. "Of course, come to my shop tomorrow morning, and we'll talk again then. I'm going to get some sleep now; I haven't been able to sleep well in ages because of this. You've worked hard too, get some rest." Dunzi hung up the phone after saying that. I smiled, thinking that Dunzi must have received a lot of benefits from this person, otherwise I'd never seen him so dedicated to helping others before. Then I wondered, why would the person who commissioned Dunzi be so willing to spend money to find out the whereabouts of this mountain village? Could there really be some huge secret?

Although the matter Dunzi entrusted to me had been resolved, I still couldn't fall asleep. Thinking about the strange experience that happened at my second uncle's house when I was a child, and remembering what Dunzi's client said about the huge secret hidden in this village, I felt a strange unease. At that moment, I had a vague feeling that something very mysterious and terrifying was about to happen.

VII. Inscriptionless broken stele

The next morning, I took Dunzi on a hike up and down the mountain to the village where my second uncle lived. Dunzi seemed to be in a very good mood. Along the way, he loudly sang his favorite song, "Farewell My Concubine," startling the wild pigeons and pheasants in the bushes and grass nests on both sides of the mountain path, causing them to take flight. I chuckled to myself and said to Dunzi, "Hey, you 'Farewell My Concubine,' could you please stop 'farewell' so much? If you keep doing this, all the pheasants in the area will probably run away. What will the villagers eat then?" Dunzi laughed heartily and said, "Just mind your own business and don't meddle in my affairs. I know this is all thanks to your help. After we're done, I'll get you two authentic wild turtles at the best restaurant in town for a real treat."

As the sun began to set, we could already see the outline of the mountain village in the distance. Nestled among the green hills and white waters, rows of white-walled, black-tiled houses were scattered on the mountainside. The entire village was shrouded in mist, appearing and disappearing in the clouds. A dozen waterfalls of varying sizes cascaded down the mountainside, their roaring sounds audible from afar. Dunzi, visiting for the first time, exclaimed upon seeing the scenery, "What a paradise on earth! A fairyland on earth!"

After seven or eight years, the village hasn't changed much, except that we saw a road under construction on the nearby mountains as we drove there. Cement poles strung up with power lines leading directly to the village, so I guess the village has electricity now.

When I arrived at my second uncle's house, I saw him collecting dried bamboo shoots to dry in the open space outside. I went up to him and greeted him. At first, he didn't seem to recognize me, but after I introduced myself, he thought for a moment and immediately remembered me. He was overjoyed and quickly invited Dunzi and me into the house. My second uncle lived alone; his wife had passed away a long time ago, and due to their poor financial situation, he had never remarried. He rarely had guests, so his house was rather quiet. He was naturally very happy to see me visit him today. He made tea for us and cooked us sweet eggs. I handed him the two bottles of wine and a pack of cigarettes I had brought with me and started chatting with him. Dunzi, however, wasn't interested in our family matters and leisurely sipped his tea, praising the water and tea as he drank.

Since we arrived at my second uncle's house in the evening, we decided to stay the night. During dinner, we drank and inquired about the Song Dynasty official kiln octagonal vase with tubular handles. Dunzi even showed my second uncle several photos of the porcelain vase. After looking at them, my second uncle told us that similar porcelain pieces had indeed been found in the village a few days ago. Under our questioning, he recounted the details.

It turns out that with the country's economic development in recent years, the pace of development in the mountain village has also accelerated. The village got electricity two years ago, and this year they started building a road. While they were digging a tunnel through the mountain, they heard that someone had unearthed something. So the whole village rushed over to loot it. My second uncle also went to see it; it seemed they had unearthed several bronze and jade artifacts, but mostly porcelain. However, perhaps due to carelessness during the excavation, most of them were damaged, with only two or three pieces intact. Among them, there seemed to be a porcelain vase.

Because my second uncle was the only one in the village with a higher education, he knew these might be cultural relics, so he tried to persuade everyone not to take them. But who listened to him at that moment? They snatched them all, leaving only broken pieces. As for who took the bottle, he couldn't say because of the chaos and couldn't see clearly. But for Dunzi and me, that was enough. Dunzi immediately dialed his phone to contact his client. However, due to poor signal in the mountains, he couldn't get through and had to give up, deciding to try again back in the city.

After dinner, Dunzi and I squatted in the open space outside the house, smoking and chatting. Ever since Dunzi tasted the tea here, he'd developed an inexplicable fondness for the place, repeatedly saying he wanted to retire here and enjoy his later years. Just then, my second uncle brought us two cups of tea from inside the house. I got up, took the teacup, and casually placed it on a broken bluestone slab beside me. Dunzi followed suit, intending to place his teacup on it as well. But just as he was about to put it down, he suddenly seemed to notice something and said, "Look what this is?" Hearing him say this, I looked in the direction he was pointing and discovered that he was referring to the very stone slab where I had placed my teacup.

Upon closer inspection, I realized that the bluestone slab appeared to be the upper part of a stone tablet. Moss had grown on the tablet. The top section was carved with a relief of a dragon amidst clouds; although somewhat damaged due to its age, the craftsmanship was exquisite. However, something strange was that, whether due to the passage of time and erosion or its original state, the tablet was completely devoid of any inscription. Later, my second uncle explained that the tablet had been washed down by a flood in the mountains a few years ago. Seeing that the tablet's surface was smooth and suitable as a stone table outside, my second uncle called several young men from the village to help carry it back.

In ancient times, people often engraved important events or literary works on stone or bronze artifacts to preserve them. Therefore, stone tablets and bronze artifacts became primary mediums for recording important information. However, with the passage of time, bronze-making techniques were gradually lost, and other smelting technologies such as iron and steel emerged, leading to the gradual disappearance of bronze artifacts from the historical stage. Stone tablets, on the other hand, have been used generation after generation to this day because of their abundant resources, relatively simple mining and manufacturing techniques, and long-term preservation.

Dunzi looked the stone tablet from side to side, a look of regret on his face. "It looks quite old. It's a pity it's damaged. If it were intact, it might fetch a good price in the city." I, however, disagreed, saying, "Apart from historians or archaeologists, I doubt anyone would want it." "Why?" "See? The surface of the tablet is smooth, not like it's been eroded by wind and rain. There isn't a single word on it; it's a blank tablet. According to relevant records, blank tablets discovered so far are generally tombstones." (Rudong) The tombstone of Xie An, the general who led the Jin dynasty in the Battle of Fei River, is blank because he defeated the arrogant and domineering Fu Jian, consolidating the Eastern Jin dynasty's rule. His "great achievements and merits are too numerous to mention." Similarly, Wu Zetian, the female emperor of the Tang dynasty, left her merits and demerits to be judged by posterity, also erecting a blank tombstone. "Since it's a tombstone, think about it, who likes to have a tombstone displayed at home for no reason?" Dunzi smiled and said, "Being a professionally trained person is definitely different from others." Then the three smiled at each other and changed the subject.

The next day, I accompanied Dunzi for a walk around the village. When we reached the pile of fallen rocks behind the village, I suddenly remembered the Taoist priest who had once saved me, and I decided to go up the mountain to see him. Dunzi, too, was captivated by the beautiful scenery of our motherland. When he heard that I wanted to visit the Zhenyuan Temple on the mountain, he became even more enthusiastic and wanted to go with me. So we walked up the mountain along the eastern stone path.

8. Clues

Wildflowers bloomed in vibrant colors along the way, and springs gurgled softly. Walking on the stone steps of this mountain path felt like entering another paradise, instantly refreshing my mind and spirit. Dunzi was in high spirits, humming his folk songs again as we walked. I could only smile wryly and endure his booming voice. Feeling relaxed, my steps were light, and soon I reached the top of the mountain. Unexpectedly, there was such a flat area on this steep mountainside, seemingly the size of a football field. On it stood a Taoist temple with red walls, black tiles, and painted beams. Outside the temple, pine and cypress trees formed a forest, and strange rocks stood tall; inside, incense smoke wafted, and bells rang out. The tall, round mountain gate was open, with a plaque with gold trim and a blue background hanging above it, bearing the three gilded characters "Zhenyuan Temple." What a paradise on earth, a blessed land of immortals!

When we entered the temple and explained the situation, a young Taoist boy told me that the patrolling Taoist priest had gone on a pilgrimage and probably wouldn't be back for a while. Seeing that things weren't going well, we had no choice but to give up. Dunzi said that since we had come all this way, we shouldn't leave empty-handed, so he donated some money for incense and asked for two amulets before bidding farewell to the boy and leaving the temple.

Back in Hangzhou, Dunzi couldn't wait to call his client and arrange a time to discuss things in person. Afterwards, he indeed took me to a high-class restaurant for a hearty meal. The main dish, of course, was the famous "Farewell My Concubine." While eating and drinking, I joked with Dunzi, "Dunzi, look how profound our Chinese culture is! This dish is actually a turtle and a chicken, yet it's named 'Farewell My Concubine.' If it were the Americans, they would never have thought of such a name." Dunzi replied, "Yes, I don't know about other things, but take those antique artifacts we deal with every day. A monkey riding a horse is called 'Immediately Promoted to a High Rank' by the ancients, for good luck; a bat and a coin together is called 'Fortune Before Your Eyes,' for wealth and prosperity; a vase with a few ears of rice is called 'Peace Year After Year,' for safety. And so on and so forth." He went on and on, exaggerating. After a satisfying meal, seeing that it was almost time, they all went their separate ways.

The next day, in a quiet private room of a teahouse in the Longjing Tea Garden, I met Dunzi's old client. She turned out to be a woman of about twenty-six or twenty-seven. She was dignified and elegant, exuding the refined grace of an upper-class noble family. Dunzi first introduced her to me. Her name was Jenny, and she was a well-known figure in Hong Kong's business world. She owned two supermarkets, an office building, and a multinational corporation. Her grandfather was a director of HSBC Hong Kong. Hearing these titles, I was practically dizzy. I had always thought such a person only existed on television, but here she was, right in front of me. No wonder Dunzi treated her like a VIP, obeying her every word and doing her bidding without complaint. Who wouldn't benefit from such a wealthy patron?

Then Dunzi introduced me to Jenny, making up some completely unreliable stories about me. He claimed I was a rising star in the domestic archaeological field, having published dozens of high-quality academic papers, discovered over a dozen ancient tombs, filling gaps in domestic archaeology, and made a special contribution to the discovery of the Liangzhu culture—it was all utterly nonsensical.

Hearing Dunzi say that, I was inwardly screaming, begging him to stop exaggerating. But I couldn't say it outright, after all, he was flattering me. He just didn't realize how much weight this flattery was putting on me; such a thick layer was being slapped on my face, without a care for whether it would stick. Fortunately, Jenny didn't seem to care much about any of this, only asking about the mountain village with concern. So Dunzi recounted his trip to the village in detail, including everything his second uncle had seen and heard. Finally, he also told Jenny about finding the blank, broken stele at his second uncle's house, asking if she was interested in it.

I chuckled inwardly. This guy, Dunzi, after spending so much time in the business world these past two years, had definitely picked up the businessman's ways. He wasn't even willing to let a broken tombstone go, hoping to squeeze some profit out of it. However, to my surprise, Jenny seemed particularly interested when he talked about the tombstone and immediately expressed her desire to see it for herself.

I thought to myself, "It's true what they say, 'When the forest is big, all kinds of birds will come'." Perhaps these high-ranking officials and wealthy people are so rich they have too much money to spend that they indulge in all sorts of strange hobbies. This woman in front of me is probably someone who specializes in collecting tombstones and stone carvings. Oh well, if she wants them, I'll sell them. She's a walking money pit anyway; why not make some money while I can?

The second time I saw Jenny, she had changed out of her elegant Italian attire and into a top-of-the-line outdoor outfit. She wore Canadian ARC TERYX GORE-TEX hiking jacket and pants, Columbia hiking boots, and Italian-made RUDYPROJECT professional sports glasses. It was unexpected that such a young and slender girl was actually a highly professional outdoor adventurer; appearances can be deceiving!

When we arrived at my second great-uncle's house and saw the broken stele, Jenny bent down to examine it for a long time, seemingly quite satisfied with the discovery. She said that although the stele was broken and had no inscription, the remaining bas-relief dragon pattern suggested it was from the Song Dynasty. Furthermore, considering the Song Dynasty official kiln porcelain found nearby, it seemed a high-ranking Song Dynasty official's tomb should be buried in the mountains. The village was remote, and transportation was inconvenient, so the stele couldn't have been brought here from outside. Therefore, based on our information, Jenny's deduction was highly probable. It turns out she's an expert in antique appraisal; how come I didn't realize it before?

Hearing Jenny's words and my agreement, Dunzi became interested. He tentatively asked, "Miss Jenny, is this the ancient tomb you've been searching for?" "Perhaps," Jenny replied. "My grandfather told me something very mysterious before he passed away. This matter has haunted me for years. I've wanted to solve this mystery, but progress has been very slow, until I obtained that Song Dynasty porcelain vase. Perhaps this Song Dynasty tomb is a crucial clue to unlocking this secret."

Dunzi and I were completely baffled, but since she wouldn't explain, she must have her own concerns, so we didn't press her. Dunzi sensed her interest in the ancient tomb and went up to discuss the search for its location with her. I, however, wasn't particularly interested in any of this and went inside to chat with my second uncle.

Before dinner, Dunzi and Jenny had reached a preliminary agreement. Dunzi, not wanting to miss this golden opportunity to reap benefits, volunteered to take on the responsibility of finding the tomb. And since we successfully helped her find the origin of the Southern Song Dynasty official kiln octagonal vase with tubular handles, Jenny did not doubt our abilities, so she happily handed the task over to us.

9. Entering the Mountains

According to my second uncle, the discovery of some funerary objects last time somehow alerted the cultural relics management office in the provincial capital. Several groups of people have come to the village to survey the terrain in the past few days. It seems the cultural relics management office has also noticed something, and it's very likely that higher-ups will take action soon. To avoid being affected by their actions, everyone discussed it and decided to act quickly, trying to find the Song Dynasty tomb before them. After discussing it, they decided to stay at my second uncle's house temporarily to observe the further actions of the cultural relics management office. Jenny's bodyguard, Ah Bao, went back to Hangzhou to prepare all the equipment and tools for the treasure hunt in the mountains.

Three days later, Ah Bao and his men brought all the equipment we needed back to my second uncle's house. This included military shovels used by the US 101st Mountain Division, German-made M-177 small mountain rock drills and various other digging tools; Wolf Eye tactical flashlights, Canadian-made CMT808 LED headlamps, and various cold-lighting devices; US Navy SEAL M9 tactical folding knives, Swiss Army knives, and various other knives. Ropes, quick-draw helmets, and other safety equipment were also readily available—all imported through Jenny's connections in Hong Kong. There were also detonators, explosives, plastic explosives, crossbows, and hunting rifles for emergencies. Dunzi and I were completely stunned. This equipment was incredibly useful. They're truly wealthy; they're so generous.

With everything prepared, we set off into the mountains to search for the Song Dynasty tomb that might hold important clues. To avoid attracting attention, we took our equipment in batches to the mass grave behind the village before gathering together to set off. Because we were worried about too many people causing gossip, only Dunzi, Jenny, and Abao went into the mountains this time. Jenny told the others to return to Hangzhou to await further instructions.

We all felt the tomb should be hidden somewhere secluded in the valley, not near the Taoist temple on the mountaintop. So, after passing the pile of fallen rocks behind the village, we chose the western path that led deeper into the valley. Although the path was shaded by ancient trees and shrouded in gloom, it was broad daylight, and with our large group and good equipment, we didn't feel particularly panicked.

Before long, we arrived at the overgrown, desolate burial ground. The path had disappeared into a patch of waist-high weeds. It was eerily quiet; not a sound of insects or birds could be heard. The only sound was the rustling of the mountain wind through the treetops. I remembered what had happened here in my youth, and a sense of fear crept into my heart. I told everyone to be vigilant and not to get separated from the group.

There were no more established mountain paths here, so we had to feel our way deeper into the valley. The four of us lined up in a single file, about two meters apart. Ah Bao led the way, using his dog-leg knife to clear a path through the thorns and dead trees blocking our way. I followed second, using binoculars to survey the terrain. Jenny came next. Dunzi brought up the rear with a hunting rifle in case of a sudden attack from wild animals or birds of prey.

Ah Bao was over 1.85 meters tall, with a burly build and strong bones. Jenny explained that Ah Bao was a descendant of Chinese Americans. He had previously served as a mercenary in the US and was quite skilled. Later, he met Jenny's grandfather in a Las Vegas casino. At the time, Ah Bao owed a large sum of money to loan sharks and was desperate. Jenny's grandfather helped him, settling the matter with money. Grateful to Jenny's grandfather, Ah Bao became his bodyguard. After Jenny's grandfather passed away, he remained by Jenny's side. With such a formidable figure paving the way, everyone felt much more at ease.

Before we knew it, dusk had fallen, and we had walked quite a distance from the mass grave. The sky was darkening, and we were all exhausted from a day's hike. We found a relatively flat clearing of about twenty or thirty square meters nearby, with a large rock nearby offering shelter from the wind and rain, so we decided to set up camp there. Just as we unloaded our gear, the sun began to set. The temperature plummeted, and everyone shivered. Dunzi rubbed his arms constantly, cursing, "This damn place! How can the weather change so suddenly? It was so hot just now, and now it's all gone!" I let him grumble to himself while I helped Abao build a fire behind the huge rock. Jenny also gathered a lot of dry firewood from the surrounding area for fuel. Seeing everyone busy, Dunzi felt bad about just sitting around doing nothing, so he went to Jenny's side and helped gather firewood.

After setting up camp, we ate some noodles and dried meat. Jenny then leaned against the boulder and started writing her treasure hunt notes. Dunzi and Abao sat around the fire, recounting their respective military histories. I lay half-reclined beside the fire, listening to Dunzi and Abao tell their stories of their military service.

Dunzi took a sip of his freshly brewed coffee and slowly recounted a strange incident that happened four or five years ago when he was serving in the army in Shaanxi. That year, the weather was very hot, and many places in Shaanxi suffered from drought. The crops in the fields were on the verge of dying from the heat. At this time, the army received orders from above to help the local people fight the drought and provide disaster relief by dredging ditches and bringing water into the fields. While everyone was digging ditches to bring water into the fields, someone in Dunzi's platoon accidentally dug a pit. The pit was below a small earthen slope, with an opening about one meter in diameter, and it was dark inside. At first, everyone thought they had accidentally dug up an abandoned grave, so they didn't pay much attention to it and continued working.

However, as dusk fell, a series of strange "clicking" sounds faintly came from the cave. Everyone found this odd and ran over to investigate. What they saw was a figure vaguely standing in the cave. This startled them greatly. How could the corpse in the grave be standing? Had it risen from the dead?

Immediately, three or four people scattered and ran away, but only Dunzi's squad leader, refusing to believe it was a ghost, went into the cave and dragged the standing thing out. Upon closer inspection, they realized it was a human terracotta warrior. The size was life-size, dressed in armor and boots, with glaring, angry eyes, exuding a very imposing aura. It was remarkably similar to the terracotta warriors discovered at the Qin Mausoleum.

Strangely, for some unknown reason, a series of strange "crackling" sounds, like shattering glass, kept emanating from the terracotta figure. Along with the sounds, the figure emitted a cold, bluish light that flickered between light and shadow with each crackling sound. It seemed as if there was something inside the terracotta figure.

Just as everyone was staring in stunned silence, a blinding blue light suddenly shot out from the terracotta figure. The sudden burst of light blinded everyone, and they instinctively closed their eyes. When the light faded, the terracotta figure had turned to ashes. Looking at the onlookers, they were all standing motionless, frozen in the same pose as the terracotta figure.

These soldiers were later sent to the local military hospital for examination, but the cause of their condition remained unknown. Several days passed, and his comrades remained in the same position, motionless. They had heartbeats but felt nothing.

Later, I heard from the old people in the village that their place was called Tunbingling (囤兵岭), and those terracotta figures were the ghost soldiers that the First Emperor made for himself...

Just as Dunzi was speaking in a mysterious and cryptic tone, I suddenly thought I saw a white shadow flash by about twenty meters ahead. Jenny seemed to have heard the unusual noise as well. She stopped writing and looked around with a hint of fear. I signaled Dunzi and the others to be on their guard, then took an M2 Forest King crossbow from the pack piled next to the boulder and began searching the area around the camp.

10. White-haired Spirit Ape

I gripped my Forest King crossbow tightly, carefully searching the area where the white shadow had flashed. About fifteen or sixteen seconds later, Dunzi and Abao ran up to me, each carrying a hunting rifle and machete. "What did you see?" Abao asked, puzzled. "I don't know, it looked like a white shadow flashed by." "A white shadow? You must be seeing things," Dunzi asked, equally puzzled. Jenny, who had somehow appeared, listened to my words and said, "The wild animals and birds of prey in this forest are usually not white. According to the laws of natural evolution, white fur would reveal their location, making it difficult for them to evade predators and hunt prey." She paused, then continued, "But I did hear an unusual sound just now."

Since it's unlikely to be an animal from this forest, what could it be? Suddenly, I remembered the headless, floating corpse I encountered in the secret chamber of the mass grave when I was a child, and a chill ran down my spine. Looking at Dunzi, I saw cold sweat beading on his forehead; he seemed to have realized something terrifying too. Only Jenny and Abao seemed relatively calm, continuing their careful search of the surroundings.

After searching for about half an incense stick's time, carefully checking the area within a hundred meters, we found nothing except a large snake's skin. So we returned to camp. Seeing that it was getting late, we decided to rest early to conserve our energy for continuing the search for the Song Dynasty tomb the next day. However, to prevent any unforeseen circumstances, we decided that one person would take turns keeping watch while everyone slept. Because I had been genuinely frightened by the white shadow earlier and had no sleepiness whatsoever, I volunteered to be on the first shift.

Ah Bao took some ashes from the burning fire and scattered them in a circle around the campsite, saying it would prevent snake and insect bites at night. Then he and Dunzi each found a spot under a boulder to lie down and rest. Less than half a cup of tea's time later, I heard Dunzi's deep snoring. I thought to myself, "Dunzi is really carefree. He was sweating bullets just now, but now he's sleeping so soundly."

After a busy day, I was actually quite tired, but the shock had kept me in a state of high excitement, making it difficult to fall asleep. So I simply leaned against the boulder and lay down to rest quietly. Moonlight shone through the dense canopy of trees, creating bright spots on the ground, like fireflies or the Milky Way falling to earth—a truly unique sight.

Without realizing it, I gradually relaxed, feeling my eyelids growing heavier and heavier. Just as I was about to fall asleep, a heart-wrenching scream suddenly rang out from afar. The sound seemed to be coming from a cliff on the edge of the valley. After the first scream, similar screams echoed intermittently from the cliffs on both sides of the valley where we were, continuing uninterrupted. After the first scream, Jenny and the others were already awake. They quickly gathered around me, looking at the cliffs and asking me what had happened. "I don't know either. Everything was fine just now, and then this strange sound came from somewhere," I said, taking out my infrared night vision binoculars from my backpack and looking in the direction of the sound.

Because of the distance, the view was unclear, but I could see many dark objects moving around on the edge of the cliff, occasionally stopping to call out. Judging from their numbers, there were at least a hundred. When I handed the infrared night vision binoculars to Jenny so she could take a look, Ah Bao, who had been listening for a while, suddenly spoke up, "They might be apes. I heard them in the jungles of Cambodia years ago, but today's sounds seem a little different, so I'm not entirely sure." He thought for a moment and added, "Besides, apes generally have very similar habits to humans; they're active during the day and rest at night. It's already past midnight; I wonder what's happened."

Since it might be apes, there was no need to be too nervous; just stay alert. But with those sharp, piercing cries, it was impossible to fall asleep. So everyone took out their firearms from their packs and, like me, leaned against the boulder, resting while preparing to deal with any unexpected events.

He didn't sleep a wink all night, and the noise continued intermittently throughout. It only gradually faded as dawn broke over the horizon. Dunzi, yawning, tidied up the campsite, still cursing the ghostly sounds. I went over and patted him on the shoulder, comforting him, "Good things come to those who wait. Finding treasure requires sacrifice. So what if you didn't sleep all night? Once you find the tomb and pull out some real stuff, won't that make you happier?" Dunzi thought about it and realized I was right, so he smiled and said nothing more.

As we finished setting up camp, extinguished the campfire, and were about to set off, Jenny suddenly shouted, "Look!" We looked in the direction she pointed and saw hundreds of apes crouching densely on a cliff very close to us. These must be the black dots we'd seen the night before. And in the middle of these black apes, on a high, protruding rock, sat a white ape. It was much larger than the others, clearly the alpha male of the troop. It stared at us motionless, its majestic presence and arrogant demeanor sending a chill down our spines. Only then did we remember the fleeting white shadow we'd seen the night before; it was probably this towering ape alpha male. Apes generally have black or brown fur; an ape with completely white fur like this is likely an albino species. For example, white tigers and white snakes, which are common in zoos, are relatively rare in the wild.

Looking at the apes, Ah Bao gently said to everyone, "Apes generally don't attack humans unprovoked. Their unusual behavior last night was probably because they smelled the aroma of the food we were eating. If we leave some food on the ground, perhaps they won't bother us anymore."

Since we were well-equipped and had plenty of food for this trip into the mountains, and we were even prepared to hunt wild animals if we ran out of food, we decided, after discussion, to get rid of the monkeys as quickly as possible, to leave behind a quarter of our food. Seeing that the monkeys didn't make any further moves, we continued our original plan and headed deeper into the valley along the mountainside.

After walking about two or three miles, we started seeing abandoned bluestone blocks along the roadside, clearly showing signs of human carving, indicating that we were gradually approaching the Song Dynasty tomb. Just as we reached a headless stone beast, we suddenly heard an increasingly loud rustling sound around us. The sound seemed to be the rustling of some animal stepping on the thick layer of fallen leaves and bitter grass in the forest. "We seem to be surrounded?" Dunzi said in alarm. At that moment, everyone realized simultaneously that it must be those monkeys. So, to avoid being suddenly attacked from behind, the four of us stood back to back facing four different directions, our weapons already pointed forward.

Dunzi wiped the sweat from his brow and said, "I doubt our food is even enough to fill the teeth of those hundred or so monkeys. They're probably going to drag us along for dinner now." Only he could still crack such a joke at this point. Although monkeys generally don't attack humans unprovoked, if these hundred or so monkeys got angry, the four of us wouldn't even have time to fire our guns; we'd be torn to shreds. Life or death, we had to fight to the death. At that moment, I secretly glanced at Jenny beside me and saw her calm and composed. Unexpectedly, this slender young lady seemed like someone who had experienced great things, never showing the slightest sign of panic.

In the blink of an eye, the troop of apes was right in front of us. They stopped about ten feet away, surrounding the four of us completely. "Damn it, why aren't they charging? Are they afraid of our guns or are they trying to negotiate a peace?" Dunzi muttered to himself again. "If they were afraid of our guns, they wouldn't have come. I think they have some purpose." Just as Jenny was speaking, the encirclement opened up in the direction I was facing. The huge white-haired ape had appeared there at some point. It walked towards us slowly and deliberately. Its two sharp eyes made our hearts race.

Although the four of us were armed, they were all conventional hunting weapons—crossbows, rifles, and the like—each capable of firing only one arrow at a time. Faced with so many wild creatures, we dared not make a move. It was then that I realized how useless the weapons Jenny had provided were; in a critical moment, they were barely better than firewood.

XI. Ancient Sacrificial Rituals

The white-haired ape king slowly walked up to me, sniffing me all over. Then it moved to Jenny beside me and looked her up and down. It circled us like that, like a general scrutinizing his captives. "Is it choosing its dinner?" came Dunzi's soft voice from behind me. I replied, "Hopefully not, otherwise you're the fattest and strongest of the four of us. You're the most likely to be chosen." "Pah, pah, pah, you jinx!"

Just as Dunzi and I were finding amusement in our misery, we suddenly heard Jenny's voice, "Look, what is it going to do?" Hearing this, we instinctively turned our heads to look in her direction. We saw that after the white-haired ape king had finished examining us, it walked to the bottom of a cliff next to us and used its two strong forelimbs to dig a hole the size of a water vat in the ground.

"Are they trying to bury us alive? That's something the Japanese did back in the day! Why are these little monkeys doing this to us?" Dunzi said in a panic. "You're so imaginative right now," I replied. "Can't you think of something positive?" At this point, Abao, who had been silent, spoke up. "What he said might be true. Back in the Cambodian jungle, I saw many wild animals bury food they couldn't finish, saving it for when food was scarce." Abao was truly an honest man; he wouldn't make up lies to comfort everyone. But at this point, we had no choice but to take a gamble. We men couldn't just sit and wait to die. So I quietly said to them, "Since that's the case, we have to gamble. We need to catch the leader first. When I give the signal, everyone aim your weapons at that white-haired ape and concentrate your fire to take it down. Success or failure depends on this." This was the only option. I felt cold sweat dripping down my forehead. Was this going to be our final resting place?

Just as my mind was in turmoil, I heard Jenny's voice again. "Wait, look what it dug up!" It turned out that while we were feeling discouraged, Jenny hadn't given up. She had been watching the white-haired ape king's every move intently. Then she seemed to have discovered something, so she called everyone to look.

When we turned our heads, I saw that the white-haired ape king had dug a deep pit in the ground and taken something out of it. It was black, round, and seemed quite sturdy. Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be a bronze cauldron. It was covered with a lot of light-colored patina, so it looked like an antique. What was it doing? I was even more puzzled. Dunzi and the others seemed confused by its actions as well, and remained silent for a long time.

The white-haired ape king, carrying a bronze cauldron in one hand, crawled up to us, placed the cauldron beside us, and then plopped down on the ground, refusing to come any closer. These bizarre actions left us completely baffled. Dunzi was the first to react, excitedly saying, "Haha, this white-haired monster is probably thanking us with this ancient bronze cauldron for eating the food we left them!" I was about to tell him not to be so happy when Jenny exclaimed, "Perhaps it's performing some ancient mountain worship ritual with us. Look at the stone carvings on that cliff over there." I turned around and saw three huge stone carvings on a cliff next to where the white-haired ape king had been digging. Because of their age, they were covered in moss and vines, making them difficult to see without close inspection.

The first stone carving depicts a group of people carrying fruit, pigs, and sheep to the foot of a giant rock, placing the offerings beside it. Seeing this rock, I felt it looked familiar; after a moment's thought, I realized its shape was exactly the same as the giant rock at our campsite last night. The second carving shows a group of monkeys surrounding several people, who are burning incense and bowing before an incense burner or tripod-shaped object. The third carving shows the people following a group of monkeys to a waterfall, where one of them takes out a scroll and reads it aloud to the heavens. The others kneel on the ground, listening intently.

"Could it be that this white-haired monster brought out this cauldron to make us burn incense and kowtow?" Dunzi asked疑惑地. "It probably is," Jenny said. "At first, I didn't understand the meaning of these paintings either. But when I saw the huge stone on the first carving, I began to understand. These apes must be the guardians of this ancient tomb. Their unusual behavior last night was an attempt to drive away us strangers who had suddenly entered this forbidden area. But because we left some meat by the huge stone this morning, we accidentally stumbled into the first part of this ancient ritual. So they mistook us for people who came to the mountain to worship. Now they are leading us to the second part according to plan. If all goes well, they will lead us to the cemetery next. That way, we won't have to find it ourselves."

After hearing Jenny's explanation, it was exactly as I had thought. It's clear this lady from a prominent family is truly exceptional; she maintains such composure even in the face of danger. She's also adept at observing things and analyzing causes. No wonder she can manage so many businesses so well. I felt an even greater fondness and respect for her.

It seemed we were out of immediate danger. I finally felt a little relieved. Then Jenny asked, "But where are we going to find incense and candles now?" "Yeah, only a fool would think of doing that to get into the mountains," Dunzi chimed in. If this second step didn't go through, not only would we be unable to enter the mountains and reach the tomb, but who knew what those wild creatures would do to us? We were all gripped by anxiety again.

Suddenly, a brilliant idea flashed into my mind. I put my M2 Forest King crossbow on the ground, pulled a pack of cigarettes from my pocket, waved it at the three of them, and said, "Today, let's give the local mountain gods and land spirits a change of pace, something fresh." They all looked at each other and smiled, agreeing with my idea. Hopefully, these monkeys wouldn't be allergic to tobacco.

I slowly walked to the bronze cauldron, took out three cigarettes from my pack, lit them one by one with my Zippo lighter, and then, following the pattern carved on the cliff face, placed the three cigarettes inside the cauldron. Then I bowed down in worship. Dunzi and the others followed suit, bowing three times before the cauldron. Just as we finished worshiping, the white-haired ape king let out a long howl, followed by hundreds of apes roaring to the sky in unison. The echoes reverberated throughout the entire valley, deafeningly loud.

Dunzi covered his ears and cursed, "How can anyone stand this wailing? It would be better if you just swallowed me whole!" After about two or three minutes, the roaring finally subsided. The white-haired ape king buried the bronze cauldron back in the original pit, then commanded its subjects to line up and head into the valley. We quickly followed their army into the depths of the valley.

As we walked, Dunzi asked me if I had clearly seen the bronze cauldron when I lit a cigarette. He asked what era it was from and if it was valuable. He also said to remember the location where I bought and kept the cauldron, so I wouldn't forget to dig it up and take it with me next time I came back. But I wasn't paying attention to his irrelevant questions. For some reason, I had a feeling that things wouldn't be as simple as we imagined. Would something else terrifying happen when we reached the tomb?

12. The Sacred Path in the Cave

Following the troop of apes, we walked for about two or three hours. Along the way, we gradually saw more and more broken stone carvings. Based on my professional theory, I deduced that this was probably where the stone figures and beasts for the tomb's spirit path were made. The completed stone figures and beasts had already been placed on both sides of the spirit path leading to the tomb. Some defective pieces that were accidentally damaged during the production process were abandoned in this wilderness.

Then, the troop of apes stopped in front of a cliff face. We looked around and found ourselves surrounded by high, steep cliffs. It felt like we had come to a dead end. There was no way forward. Did we really have to climb this precipice? I wondered to myself. I had never learned any rock climbing techniques, and climbing this cliff several hundred meters high would be quite a challenge.

Just as I was staring blankly at the cliff face, I saw the white-haired ape king, the leader, walk to the edge of the cliff, grab a clump of thick mountain vines and weeds, and pull them out with all its might. The thick vines and weeds were uprooted. I thought to myself, thank goodness they won't attack us now; otherwise, none of the four of us could withstand its pull. After it quickly cleared the vines from the cliff face, a small opening, just large enough for one person to enter, appeared on the cliff. From the outside, it was pitch black inside, and nothing could be seen clearly.

Before I could even get a proper look, the monkeys followed the white-haired ape king and disappeared into the cave one by one. After the last one went in, without giving me much time to think, Leopard and Jenny lit a cold firework and entered the cave. I had no choice but to follow. Dunzi was the last to enter. Because it was so dark inside, our eyes couldn't adjust to the darkness, so everything around us was blurry and indistinct. Luckily, Leopard and Jenny's cold firework was ahead, so we could see a bright spot. We then cautiously made our way towards that spot.

The cave seemed damp, with mountain spring water constantly dripping from the rocks overhead, feeling incredibly cold. Each drop sent shivers down my spine, raising goosebumps all over my body, making me extremely uncomfortable. Just then, Dunzi's voice came from behind: "How can this water be so cold? It's like ice water from a refrigerator. I should have brought a helmet." "I don't know either. Logically, the water in this cave shouldn't have such a large temperature difference throughout the year. There are no snow-capped mountains or ice sheets here, so it shouldn't be possible for such icy water to exist." Jenny's voice came from the front: "I don't know why the groundwater here is so cold. Everyone, hurry up and get out of here as soon as possible." So everyone, keeping their heads down, quickened their pace and walked deeper into the cave, hoping to escape this strange cave, baptized by icy water, as soon as possible.

After walking for about ten more minutes, the cave gradually opened up, eventually forming a hall the size of a basketball court. On the stone walls of the hall, many glittering objects appeared, emitting a faint blue glow under the cold light of the firework. Upon closer inspection, I realized they were crystal-like rock formations. It seemed we had entered a huge crystal mine. Looking at the enormous cave, Dunzi exclaimed happily, "This trip was definitely worthwhile! Even if we don't get into the Song Dynasty tomb, finding such a large crystal vein means we'll have no shortage of money!" Jenny, however, seemed indifferent to the crystals, only urging everyone to hurry on.

I felt a strange unease. They were both businesswomen, so why was there such a big difference between Jenny and Dunzi? Dunzi was only thinking about getting rich, while Jenny seemed completely indifferent to the wealth right in front of her. Was it because Jenny was a big boss with plenty of money and had no interest in it? But if that were the case, what secret was she searching for in this ancient tomb?