Asura

Chapitre 6

When have I ever been so terrified? Something that only exists in alien movies actually grabbed me and made intimate contact. I finally screamed at the top of my lungs, "Oh my god! Fatty, come save me!"

The people above and the spider were startled by my shout. Brother Sen immediately opened fire, his aim perfect, hitting the spider's head with every shot. Blood and pus splattered everywhere. My ankle slipped, and I quickly grabbed the thin iron chain in front of me, desperately climbing up with both hands and feet. Halfway up, I heard Brother Sen's voice: "Damn it, we're out of bullets!"

I ignored him. Fatty grabbed my collar and pulled me up with all his might. He finally got me up there. I was still in shock and my body was weak. I saw that the spider was also climbing up the chain. I quickly pushed Fatty forward. I heard Fatty groan and lunge towards me, pushing me down again. Then I collapsed to the ground.

I was shocked to find myself half-suspended outside the cave, the chains digging into my hands with excruciating pain. I couldn't see what had happened to Fatty, and the spider was getting closer and closer, finally cornering me.

When in dire straits, people often perform amazingly well. I found myself to be that kind of person. I pulled the pistol out of my pocket with one hand, praying that there were still bullets left inside. When Brother Sen was around, I never dared to check if it was an empty gun, but now I had no choice but to take a gamble.

The spider crouched down on its hairy legs, black blood oozing from the bullet wound, but then leaped up quickly, its huge mouth snapping open to bite my outstretched hand, swallowing my entire arm. I closed my eyes and pulled the trigger with all my might—holy crap! The gun was empty! My head spun, and I was completely dumbfounded.

The spider's mouth was full of tiny, tooth-like things sucking at my arm, a tingling, numbing sensation that made me want to cry. Suddenly, I felt the spider stop chewing, and its whole body shuddered as it spat my arm out. I wondered what was going on. I quickly pulled my arm back and saw a jade pendant on my wrist. I immediately remembered that it was the pangolin that Jin Yong had given me. Could this thing be poisonous?

The spider had fallen to the ground, curled up in a ball and convulsing. I quickly grabbed the chain, flipped over, and climbed back up. Fatty was still unconscious. I picked up his flashlight and shone it on him, and found that, like the dead Da Gang, there was a small indentation on the back of his head, with blood seeping out. I was furious when I saw this. This was clearly Sen's doing. I couldn't help but curse Chen Jiansen, you bastard, kicking me when I'm down and making me your sacrifice. I forget who said it, but mercy to the enemy is cruelty to oneself. That's so damn true!

Left with no other choice, I dragged Fatty along as we laboriously crawled forward. After the large coffin blocking our way was pulled down, we could clearly see three paths branching off from where we had originally come in. I remember that the paths on the left and right were blocked by corpses, and the one in the middle was the path we had crawled in through – there was no mistake!

Dragging a big guy through a narrow hole is really unpleasant. This kind of difficult work left me breathless and I didn't even have a free hand to hold a flashlight to light the way. I just kept crawling forward in the dark, with only one thought in my mind: I can't let Fatty die here. Every now and then I would touch his nostrils and he was still breathing, which reassured me a little.

I don't know how much time passed, but as I was crawling forward, I bumped into someone's shoe sole. Startled, my hair stood on end, and I frantically backed away. The shoe sole was clearly also terrified, kicking me back with all its might, muttering under its breath, "I have an eighty-year-old mother, an eighteen-year-old wife, and a nursing grandson. Please let me go! I promise to burn incense and offer paper money to you every day! If I'm lying, may I be struck down by heaven!"

I laughed when I heard that. Isn't this an old Jin Yong movie?

Then he remembered that he was with Brother Sen and wasn't a good person either. He immediately let go of the fat man's hand, pulled out a dagger, pounced on him, pressed the dagger against his back, and Jin Laopian was so scared that he couldn't even speak properly.

I asked him fiercely, "You old Jin! You're actually a treacherous person behind people's backs. Where did Brother Sen go?"

Upon hearing that it was me, Jin Laopian breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly begged for mercy: "Master Feng, please get down first. I'm old, and you're going to break my ribs. Although I, Jin Laopian, am greedy and lustful, I am definitely not that kind of despicable person. When I saw Brother Sen attacking Fatty, I knew he wouldn't let me off either. With my limited skills, how could I be a match for him? I rushed into the tunnel and ran away. I really wasn't with Brother Sen."

I knew that Jin Laopian was also coerced into coming here by Brother Sen. In my anger, I quickly regained my senses, climbed off Jin Laopian, and continued to ask him, "With your old bones, how could Brother Sen not catch you? Don't try to fool me!"

Jin Laopian, panting, said, "It's true, I hadn't crawled far in the tunnel when I saw a pair of human feet blocking my way. I quickly crawled over and placed the feet behind me to make a dummy. When Brother Sen caught up, he pulled out his pistol and fired several shots at the corpse. That's how I escaped with my life! I waited a long time before turning around and following Brother Sen's trail to find this tunnel that wasn't a dead end. My old bones were about to fall apart when I heard someone climbing up behind me. I had no choice but to lie here panting and waiting to die. It turned out to be you, Master Feng! You absolutely mustn't abandon this old man!"

The old movie I watched seemed to tell the truth. I searched him and found no weapons, so I didn't make things difficult for him. I just told him to help me push the fat guy at the end while I pulled from the front, using all my strength to keep crawling forward.

I estimated that about two hours had passed and we should be there soon. I was secretly pleased. Although Fatty was unconscious, his breathing was still strong and he wouldn't die anytime soon. So I stopped and told Jin Laopian to rest before we left the cave.

I had just caught my breath when I heard a sound coming from the silent cave ahead. It sounded like someone was desperately climbing. I quickly turned on my flashlight and saw a pair of feet crawling backwards. When I flashed my light, the person stopped and became quiet.

Judging from the style of the shoes, they must belong to Brother Sen. I just don't know why he's crawling back backwards. Did something in front of him scare him? Thinking of this, I also became very uneasy and stared intently at those motionless feet.

After a long standoff, a faint voice was heard: "Is that Brother Feng behind me? Come quickly and save me! It's me, Ah Sen!"

Jin Laopian grabbed me, signaling me not to go up. This guy is very cunning; it's hard to say if he's playing some kind of trick.

I turned on my flashlight and saw that the soles of his shoes were covered in blood, which was still flowing out along the edges. He was trembling and seemed to be about to die. I slowly crawled over and saw that it was indeed Brother Sen, who was vomiting black blood in large gulps. He looked like he was about to die.

This time, I wasn't going to be so merciful as to save him. So I rummaged through his body, looking for any wounds or treasures. When I touched his chest, I felt something hard. I wondered if this was the Black Flame Lamp that had made him so happy? Just as I was about to pull it out, Brother Sen suddenly grabbed my wrist as if he had a sudden burst of energy before he died, and said, word by word, "Brother Feng, you can't touch this Black Flame Lamp, it'll kill you!"

I didn't care about anything else. I slapped him across the face, pried open his fingers, took out the lamp, and stuffed it into my pocket. Brother Sen probably knew I wouldn't save him. He coughed up blood and said, "Brother Feng, it's my fault. Please, just give me a quick death. I'm not going to make it. My internal organs are shattered. It hurts so much!" After saying that, he coughed up another mouthful of blood clots, and his limbs curled up and twitched uncontrollably.

I have never killed anyone in my life, nor have I ever had such a thought. I know that if I hadn't been lucky, I would have been killed by him just now, but even so, I still can't bring myself to kill him. Is this right or wrong?

Brother Sen looked at the dagger in my hand with pleading eyes. I shook my head slightly. I saw Brother Sen's eyes show despair. He spat out a mouthful of black blood. My heart softened. I sighed and raised the dagger to cut his throat. Just as the knife was close, Brother Sen's eyes widened and he died.

For a moment, I was stunned. If it weren't for such a coincidence, Brother Sen would have been unable to escape death in the end. Would he have died by my knife, or would he have died when his lifespan came to an end? Who would be held responsible for this?

In just a few seconds, I felt like I had changed a lot.

Chapter Sixteen: The Truth Revealed

When Jin Laopian passed by Sen Ge's body, he silently bowed his head and prayed something. I was also saddened. I never thought I would become like this. I had only heard of people forcing others to rebel, but I had never heard of people forcing others to kill. Although he did not die by my hand, I had murderous intent. If Sen Ge had not died, I probably would have really slit his throat. Has my personality really changed drastically and I am no longer the Feng Yixi I used to be?

Following the narrow hole, Jin Laopian and I, one in front and one behind, dragged the unconscious Fatty out. It was still my little house, empty and deserted. Although there were no windows to see what time it was, judging from the light coming in from the doorway, it must have been the morning of the next day.

Aside from Old Jin being somewhat better off, Fatty and I were covered in stinking liquid that made us dizzy. Our clothes were tattered and worn, and our faces were covered in yellow dirt. What was even more terrifying was my arm, which had been chewed by a spider and turned into a horrifying black mess. In broad daylight, I didn't dare to go out and wash up. I could only take out a clean set of clothes for Old Jin to change into, go out and fetch a bucket of water, quickly wipe myself down, then take off all my dirty clothes and throw them into the hole. I then moved the mattress over to block it up.

After everything was finished, that damn fat guy woke up. The first thing he asked me when he opened his eyes was, "Where am I?" Then he slapped the back of his head, complained of a headache, and fell asleep with loud snoring.

I was completely relieved. I was so exhausted that I couldn't catch my breath. I squeezed onto the mattress with Jin Laopian and the other two and fell asleep together.

With old films playing next to me, I couldn't sleep soundly, and I woke up after a while.

Seeing that Fatty was breathing evenly, he was in good physical condition and should be fine. Old Jin was also sleeping soundly, occasionally moving his body. The old bones had suffered a lot that night!

I took out that thick notebook and started reading from the first page, until I was drenched in sweat!

It turns out that this notebook was written by Zhang Tianshi and Zhang Daolin, whom I found at Longhu Mountain. What a coincidence! The kind of amazing coincidences you only see in movies actually happened to me.

The notes describe the following: The owner of the notes was named Zhang Daolin. During the Japanese invasion of China, around 1944, Zhang Daolin was a spirited young man in his early twenties. He was studying Taoism at Longhu Mountain. In those chaotic times, with the world in turmoil, he embraced the lofty ideal of helping others rather than just protecting himself. He left the mountain and traveled around, practicing medicine and saving lives. Relying on his magical abilities, he was not easily harmed by ordinary Japanese devils and defeated Kuomintang soldiers. As a result, he saved countless lives across the north and south of the Yangtze River and along the Yellow River, earning him the somewhat famous title of Zhang Tianshi (Celestial Master Zhang).

After North China fell to the Japanese, Zhang Daolin followed the refugees to the vicinity of Nanyang, Henan. One day, while digging for medicinal herbs on a mountain outside the city, he unearthed a young woman from the ground. The woman claimed that she had been trapped under a landslide the day before, surviving only on a sliver of air. She said that without Zhang Daolin's rescue, she would have suffocated to death soon. She expressed her gratitude for his help and offered herself in marriage. Seeing her pitiful state and lack of manners, Zhang Daolin took her in. However, the woman was very thin and sickly, spending most of her day lying in bed recuperating and refusing to see anyone.

Zhang Daolin had no intention of agreeing to the woman's offer of marriage. Furthermore, he was busy with his official duties of treating patients and saving lives. Seeing that she refused to see anyone, he assumed it was just a woman's shyness, and that her shame would subside after a while. Therefore, he didn't question her further, and their meetings became less frequent. Later, Zhang Daolin joined the War of Resistance against Japan. After Japan's unconditional surrender, Zhang Daolin took the woman and settled in Tianjin.

When they finally had a chance to investigate the woman's situation, they were shocked to discover a shocking truth. Using the Taoist arts of Longhu Mountain to torture her, they learned that the woman was actually a century-old corpse who had learned some evil magic to find treasures in underground tombs. She could see the treasures in underground tombs and had been digging up graves everywhere. In an ancient tomb in Hubei, she found an ancient book that recorded an evil technique. By practicing this technique, she would peel off the skin of living people and swallow it whole to slow down her aging. Countless innocent lives had already been lost at her hands.

Later, during the Hongwu era, Zhu Yuanzhang's chief strategist, Liu Bowen, set up the Five Ghosts Corpse-Scraping Formation to capture the woman. He forced her to take a drug that put her in a state of rigor mortis, and buried her alive in Nanyang along with the Black Flame Lamp. He planned to use the Heavenly Mystic Fire to refine the corpse, but before he could use it, Liu Bowen died at the hands of Zhu Yuanzhang.

In 1644, at the end of the Ming Dynasty, the female corpse escaped, but was bitten by a thieving cat and sucked into a black flame lamp. She didn't get far before she died in the ground. Three hundred years later, the female corpse recovered a lot and captured several henchmen to work for her. She learned a lot about the situation at that time. Just when she was about to cause a great upheaval, she encountered Zhang Daolin. His Taoist magic was righteous and awe-inspiring, which made the female corpse dare not move rashly. Unable to get rid of him, she has barely survived to this day.

Zhang Daolin was shocked when he learned of this. After all, she had followed him for many years and had not harmed anyone again. It was hard to say whether she was truly good. He was afraid that if he released her, she would use evil magic to harm people again. In the end, the Taoist idea of eliminating demons and protecting the righteous path prevailed. He hardened his heart and used the Five Ding Disfigurement Technique to skin her alive and bury her in the ground.

At the end of his notes, Zhang Daolin wrote that this incident had always troubled his conscience. The memory of the woman's pleading expression, and the fact that he had skinned her alive—though done to exorcise evil and uphold justice—was filled him with remorse for his cruel methods. He regretted not having the time to generate the necessary heat to burn her instantly, as that would have caused a greater disaster. He had no choice but to resort to evil magic, using violence to combat violence. After burying the woman's body, he realized the inappropriateness of the act and thus wrote down the events leading up to it. He buried the notes and the black flame lamp together, hoping that someone destined to read them would one day find the skinless corpse and burn it, thus allowing her to be reborn sooner.

After reading the notes, I felt a chill run down my spine. Look at this timeline: In 1644, the female corpse escaped; three hundred years later, her body recovered and she encountered Zhang Daolin; twenty-five years later, I was born, and Zhang Daolin came to name me; another twenty-five years later, I went on a business trip to Longhu Mountain and obtained Zhang Daolin's "Secret Techniques of Tianyuan Mountain and Water", and came to Tianjin, the burial place of the female corpse!

Zhang Daolin clearly wants to release the female corpse but doesn't want to take responsibility. What a cunning old fox! High temperature? Isn't that just the incinerator at the crematorium? Pour oil on it, and with a burst of flames, no matter what kind of demon or corpse it is, it will all be reduced to ashes!

What puzzles me most is that, according to Zhang Tianshi, this century-old corpse and the Black Flame Lamp have been buried together in Tianjin for many years. Why did I see the Black Flame Lamp in a dilapidated house in Nanyang more than three years ago? Did the century-old corpse escape and want to go back to its hometown, and just happened to run into Uncle Wu and Chen Lianzi? Did the lamp grow legs and fly back to Tianjin with the corpse? Or is there more than one Black Flame Lamp?

Seeing this, I vaguely understood that the yellow-clad female ghost that Uncle Wu mentioned was clinging to Chen Lianzi's back was probably related to the century-old corpse! And there was probably some connection between Chen Lianzi and Chen Jiansen! All of this was also very much related to me, otherwise why would my childhood dreams be filled with corpse pits without skin? Weren't those people eaten by the century-old corpse?

So this was all a trap set by God, waiting for me to fall into! Thinking of this, I couldn't help but curse: "You Zhang Daolin! You actually set such a big trap to fool me! Damn it!" Before I could finish speaking, someone gently patted my shoulder, which startled me and I didn't say the rest of the curse.

Turning my head, I saw that I had woken up Old Jin. This old man is a light sleeper, and he woke up immediately when I shouted at him.

I tossed the notes to him, lit a cigarette, and went off to sulk. My stomach was growling with hunger, and even the cigarette tasted bland.

Jin Laopian finished reading the notes quickly with bright eyes, closed them, and said, "So that's how it is! In my opinion, the person with the destiny must be Master Feng. Besides having magical powers, the Black Flame Lamp is truly an ominous object. Chen Jiansen is not the person with the destiny, so he was naturally harmed by it. But what should we do next?"

I was furious. I went to the wardrobe, ripped off the tape, pointed inside, and yelled, "Go ask this century-old corpse yourself! What do we do? What do we do? How should I know what to do?"

Jin Laopian quickly turned his head away, refusing to look, and exclaimed, "My good Master Feng, please close the door quickly! I dare not get involved in this kind of thing. Master Qin said that this Five Ding Disfigurement Technique is deadly to anyone who sees it!"

Damn it! I was even more annoyed. Why did all this mess have to happen to me? Seeing Jin Laopian trembling with fear, I couldn't bear it, so I closed the cabinet door and sat down.

I thought for a moment and said, "Old Jin, I think you should make a copy of this book, 'The Secret Techniques of Tianyuan Mountain and Water,' and take it back to America. While you're at it, ask that Master Qin what he thinks. It wouldn't be a waste of our acquaintance." I didn't want him to know about the black flame lamp I took out from that unlucky Brother Sen's pocket yet, so I didn't mention it at all.

Jin Laopian was clearly pleased, giving me a thumbs up and praising my lack of sectarian bias, saying it was truly impressive. Then, he hesitated and probed, "Master Feng, there's one more thing. Don't you think we should return that Mountain-Piercing Armor to me? Should we take it back with us? That thing is a magical treasure!"

I got angry again as soon as I heard that. So you gave me this piece of old gold just to make me work for you? I waved my hand impatiently and said, "Alright, alright, consider that piece of wood as a deposit for the book you brought from Master Qin. Stop with the nonsense!"

It was already noon, and Yang Bin was going to deliver lunch to his sister. There wouldn't be anyone else coming outside for the time being, so I woke up Fatty, and we went out to wash up, change into clean clothes, and the three of us went out to eat.

Tianjin has a lot of delicious food, but I had only been here for two days and was not familiar with it at all. So Fatty drove the two of us around to a vegetarian restaurant outside the East Gate. Perhaps we were starving, because as soon as eight bowls of vegetarian dishes were served, the three of us devoured them and were panting heavily in the private room.

After finishing his meal, Fatty remembered that he hadn't asked for leave yet and had to leave early because of work. I stopped him and asked, "How are you feeling? Can you handle it?" Fatty patted his forehead and said, "I'm fine, my head still hurts a little. That Sen-ge's gun butt didn't hit me hard enough. I'll be fine after a rest. You guys chat first, I'll come see you after get off work."

I quickly stopped Fatty and said, "No, go home and rest after get off work. Jin Laopian and I will just sit for a while and then head back." So Fatty drove home first.

Seeing that Jin Laopian had almost finished eating, I lit a cigarette, asked the waiter to make some tea, and started chatting: "Jin Laopian, you said you went down into an ancient tomb a few years ago, is that true?"

Jin Laopian said, "This old man is only fit to follow others and drink the soup. I only went into the ancient tomb because of the help of Master Qin and Fatty. Ten years ago, after Master Qin returned from Tibet, he retired from the business, took off his talismans and went to America. I couldn't bear to lose Master Qin after he left, so I abandoned my huge business in Panjiayuan, Beijing and went to America with them. Ten years have passed in a flash. I can still play mahjong with them every day to pass the time, but Master Qin can't stand it. He misses his previous adventures very much and has been grumbling to Fatty more than once about going to Guangzhou to visit one of his relatives."

I said, "Master Qin? Master Fatty? You old Jin, you love to throw around such high praise. These two aren't that old, are they? Putting everything else aside, I'm most interested in Master Qin's book."

Jin Laopian chuckled: "That's right, Master Qin's real name is Qin Jianjun. He's about the same age as Fatty, probably close to forty this year. But because he was in the army, he's in good health and looks very young! At your age, you're at most twenty-five or twenty-six. Qin Jianjun was in the army at your age, haha, truly the younger generation surpasses the older. With Master Feng's skills, it's a real pity that he's been buried in obscurity. After I return to America, I'll definitely get you a copy of the first half of the book. You really should make the most of your youth!"

I glared at him: "Give it your all! You mean something like losing your head, right? Get lost! Don't give me that crap, I'm not that poor!"

Chapter Seventeen: A Heart-Fluttering Moment

Jin Laopian leaned closer and whispered, "It's not about money. To be honest, in the ten years I've been in America, besides playing mahjong to kill time, I've made a fortune off those Japanese devils!" He gestured with his hand as if counting money, then continued, "Even Master Qin and Fatty aren't short of money. They're not big spenders. If Master Qin didn't still care about some of his fallen comrades back home, he'd be a wealthy man retired and enjoying his life long ago. What I mean by 'making a good run' is that the *Tianyuan Mountain and Water Crossing Secret*..." The book, titled "The Art of Deception," hides a shocking secret that can unlock the enigmatic meaning of the "Dragon and Phoenix Jade Tablet." Historically, the tablet's contents are profound and obscure, containing two major historical mysteries. The first is the monumental enigma of the "Phoenix Dancing in the Dragon Tower," related to Qin Shi Huang; the second is the inside story of the "Dragon Coiling on the Immortal Mountain," involving the underworld and several folk legends. Back then, Qin Shi Huang, Qin Tai, and Fatty traveled extensively throughout Xinjiang, Guangxi, Tibet, Shaanxi, and Northeast China to uncover the secrets recorded on the "Dragon and Phoenix Jade Tablet"!

My heart skipped a beat: "What secret! Is it really that amazing?"

Jin Laopian said, "Currently, only three pieces of this 'Dragon and Phoenix Jade Piece' are known to exist. Qin Tai's surname is Yang, and the piece passed down through her family was found by her father in the tomb of the Blackwater King of the Western Liao Kingdom. After liberation, another piece was unearthed in Gutian County, Shaanxi, but it was lost due to a transport plane crash. The last piece was in a jade box, which Qin Ye lost in the tomb of the Rong King in Nandan, Guangxi. So, currently, we can only see the piece passed down through Qin Tai's family. However, this 'Dragon and Phoenix Jade Piece' cannot be used as a burial object for the tomb owner. It is generally used as a guardian spirit in the tomb chamber. Therefore, Qin Ye believes that the secret of the 'Dragon Coiling Immortal Mountain' in the 'Dragon and Phoenix Jade Piece' is very likely the secret to immortality and escaping the six realms of reincarnation. However, there is another way to interpret it, which requires the help of your book, Master Feng!"

I was stunned, and I had a vague feeling that the black flame lamp I was holding might also be related to this matter.

Jin Laopian said even more mysteriously, "The most bizarre tomb raiding Qin Ye and his team ever did was the Rongwang Tomb in the Jiwan Mountains of Nandan, Guangxi. They barely escaped with their lives. Unfortunately, the most mysterious jade box and bronze mirror were lost. They brought back sixteen black rings after great hardship, treasures that surpass all other burial objects. It was eventually deduced that they were tools specifically used to decipher the secrets of the 'Dragon and Phoenix Jade Piece,' like a codebook. Now, Qin Ye has the Dragon and Phoenix Jade Piece code and the rings to decipher it. But to number these sixteen rings in order, you two must collect both of the 'Secret Techniques of Tianyuan Mountain and Water.' Only then will the mission be accomplished. Back then, Qin Ye ran his legs off trying to find this book but couldn't. Isn't that amazing? That's what you call fate!"

I asked curiously, "What is the Tomb of King Rong? I've never heard of it before?"

Jin Laopian laughed, thought for a moment and said, "If even you have heard of them, how could they still be in America? But recently, Master Qin has been frequently mentioning the Rongwang Tomb. He feels that there are still many unsolved mysteries. Master Qin, Mrs. Qin and Fatty have argued about these issues countless times, but they still have no clue."

Then Jin Suanpan told me about the Rong King's Tomb. The gist was: During the Qin and Han dynasties, there was an ancient kingdom called Rong in Guangxi. Legend had it that many of its people possessed sorcery, leading some historians to call it a perplexing kingdom. Records of it were scarce, but the most bizarre thing was that the entire kingdom eventually disappeared. Many years later, a surviving official confessed that the Rong King had led his people to migrate far away to the deep mountains to live in seclusion. The last Rong King chose a uniquely auspicious burial site and used sorcery to force the entire kingdom to be buried alive with him. Because of the special environment of that place, it was difficult for anyone to raid the tomb. However, through the words of this sole survivor, the details of the extraordinary tomb were revealed. After a harrowing experience, Qin Ye, Qin Tai, and Fatty successfully excavated the tomb and returned safely. The most bizarre and unbelievable thing was that at the last moment, the three of them fainted. Later, no matter how they recalled it, it felt like a dream, impossible to grasp onto reality. Qin Ye and his group unanimously concluded that this was not in line with the ruthless style of Rong Wang, and there must be another reason behind it.

Jin Laopian's words captivated me, piquing my curiosity to its peak. My mind was filled with thoughts of that unfamiliar old man, Rong Wang. It wasn't until Jin Laopian said he had to leave that I snapped out of my daze and quickly grabbed him, asking, "What exactly did you mean by that tongue-twister-like thing you said earlier, like being trapped in a ghost wall or possessed by a ghost? I've heard of it, but I've never quite understood it. No rush, tell me before you go."

Jin Laopian cleared his throat and said to me, "I'm talking about the partridge and pangolin, the seal of the Heavenly Official of Tomb Raiders, the ghost wall in the dark of the tomb; digging ridges and roaming the four seas, the tomb raider left behind, the ghost possesses you at dawn. There are many meanings to that. According to the ancestral saying, there are four schools of tomb raiding, with digging ridges and digging ridges being the ancestor, and tomb raiding being a branch."

I had already heard about these things from my fifth uncle, and Jin Laopian said something similar, so I didn't listen to it in detail anymore. However, when Jin Laopian later mentioned that Master Qin and Mrs. Qin were arguing endlessly about whether being trapped in a ghost's maze or being possessed by a ghost was worse, without reaching a conclusion, I laughed a few times.

Before leaving, Jin Laopian asked for my phone number. I didn't have one; those kettle-sized phones cost tens of thousands of yuan, ridiculously expensive. So I gave him Fatty's office number. When Jin Laopian went to the bank to withdraw money and book plane tickets, he insisted on giving me 20,000 yuan, saying that I was going through a difficult time and I mustn't give up. He told me to wait for his news and that this money was a deposit for the second half of my book. I looked at the two thick bricks bundled together for ten yuan each, which were hard to carry, so I accepted 10,000 yuan first. I thought that the dark room was indeed not a place for a human to live, and I should move to a better place.

I guess Jin Laopian booked a ticket back to the United States directly. Judging from how happily he took away the photocopy of my book, I knew this matter was of great significance and he wasn't just trying to fool me.

After I finished eating, I slowly walked back. I thought to myself that I hadn't explored Tianjin properly yet, so I decided to walk back. On the way, I could think about what to do with the woman's portrait in the house, whether or not to let it go.

Back in the cabin, I still hadn't figured out what to do. After experiencing so many terrifying things last night, the cabin no longer seemed scary to me. I just wanted to rest as soon as possible. I lay down on the bed and drifted in and out of sleep for what felt like forever. In my half-asleep state, I heard a woman's voice: "I'm so pitiful... please let me out..."

I opened my eyes and looked in the direction of the sound. In the darkness, I could vaguely see a woman in yellow emerging from the pit. She looked to be around forty years old and walked towards me with a cold smile, saying as she walked, "If you don't let me go... we'll all die together... it's good that we're dead... come with me..."

I tried to get out of bed, but my body wouldn't move. My limbs were paralyzed, but my mind was clear. I knew this was the old corpse that had been suppressed by the Five Ding Disfigurement Technique. But seeing how terrifying she was, I couldn't help but curse in my heart: "Damn it, it seems I have to return to my place."

I knew that if that century-old corpse took a few more steps closer, I would lose all composure and die without a doubt. Even if I didn't die, I would probably end up as a lowly henchman like Aunt Mei, working for her.

The woman in yellow drew closer, and her features became more clearly visible. Her face was fair and full, but her mouth and nose were indistinct. Only her eyes, like the two vortexes in the photograph, were visible. Although the room was dark, these two black vortexes were even darker than the night itself, a darkness devoid of any life, like a black hole in space. Against her pale face, they appeared even more grotesque and terrifying.

That's when I was truly terrified. It was even more terrifying than the spider in the tomb! Truly, those who are not of our kind are sure to have different hearts. I admit that if I hadn't been completely stiff, I would have wet my pants. She slowly reached out with a half-smile, trying to pull my wrist to join her. Just as her hand touched my wrist, she suddenly let out a strange cry, let go, and ran away.

I let out a shout and sat up in bed, panting heavily. I saw the bright sunshine outside the window, dazzling and beautiful. I looked at my watch and realized it was already 10 a.m. I had been sleeping since yesterday afternoon!

I looked around; everything in the room was normal, quiet, except for my own rapid breathing and the pounding of my heart. Was it all just a dream?

If it was a dream, how could the scenes in a dream be so vivid? I subconsciously raised my hand to look at my wrist, only then remembering that I was still wearing the "Mountain-Piercing Armor" that Jin Laopian had given me. I never imagined that it would save my life twice in just two days. It seems that this thing must be genuine, or at least made of some rare material that is either poisonous or capable of suppressing evil spirits. I stroked my wrist, which had lost its black aura, and my thoughts were in turmoil. I felt even more longing for the experiences of Jin Laopian, Qin Jianjun, and Qin Tai.

At noon, I cooked two more packets of instant noodles. After eating, I lay in bed, lost in thought. I thought about how strange this house felt, and how I'd go crazy if I stayed any longer. I have a major flaw in my personality: I'm too arrogant. They say one shouldn't be arrogant, but one shouldn't lack backbone. I don't know if I have backbone, but I have a very strong sense of self-respect. I don't want to be looked down upon by others, and I'm too confident in my intelligence and physical abilities. I even think there's nothing in the world I can't do. If I hadn't overestimated myself, I wouldn't be in this situation now.

"It's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature." Although I know my own flaws, I can't overcome them. The thought of running away reignited my arrogant, "what's the use of trying?" attitude. I thought to myself, "I've never seen a ghost in my life. My luck has been bad lately, which is why these unclean things have appeared. If I'm afraid of them, I'm not worthy of being a man. I ran from Beijing to Tianjin, where else would I go? That old bastard Zhang Daolin won't let me, his scapegoat, escape so easily."

Maybe these are all hallucinations caused by lack of sleep. And even if it really is haunted and a ghost kills me, at worst I'll become a ghost too. Then I can settle the score with the female ghost who killed me. Damn it, we're all ghosts, why would I be afraid of her?

Time flies, and it was already past four in the afternoon. Since I had decided to stay, I mustered my energy and went for a walk in the courtyard of our little building. It was called a courtyard, but it was pitifully small. There was a small flower bed by the wall on the left, and a rope with a few clothes hanging on it on the right. The ground was paved with large square blue bricks, which had been worn smooth and dull over time. The whole courtyard, along with this two-story Western-style building, was dilapidated, but it had a kind of decadent beauty unique to antiques.

The people of Tianjin are kind and honest. The residents in my building were very welcoming when they learned that I was new to the area. They surrounded me and asked me all sorts of questions. I chatted with them and learned a little about my three neighbors upstairs.