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Shen Cai dragged the python's carcass aside, then reached out and grabbed the old vine, shaking it forcefully. It felt loose, indicating that the stone hollow was simply filled with water; the "Heartbreak Poison Mother" was born in water and had not taken root in the soil.

“We should be able to pull it out.” After saying that, Shen Caihua pushed off the ground with his legs, hugged the dark brown thick vine, and used all his strength to finally pull the “Heartbreak Poison Mother” out of the stone hollow little by little.

At the base of the old vine is a purple nodule the size of a basketball, covered with knots and cracked bark, which looks like it's over a thousand years old.

"It's so big...so big, how am I going to carry it?" Dudu wondered.

Chen Caihua lifted it up; it weighed several dozen kilograms, and neither he nor Dudu could carry it. After thinking for a moment, he said, "We forgot to bring a knife; we need to find something to cut it."

Looking around, there wasn't even a hard rock on the ground. What could we use to cut it?

"Yes...yes." Dudu turned her head and said mysteriously.

Shen Caihua looked at Dudu with a puzzled expression, wondering what idea it had come up with.

Dudu approached the python's head, raised its hard, iron-like curved beak, and inserted it into the old python's mouth. It bit down on the last remaining large tooth on the palate and forcefully pried it off. The old python's tooth roots were already loose and could not withstand the powerful beak of the parrot, so it was easily broken off.

Shen Caihua grasped the sharp snake teeth and sawed at the thick vine little by little. Before long, he cut the old vine and removed the huge root nodule. He struggled to lift the root nodule, but it was still too heavy.

“Smash it into pieces, and take...take a piece back to Han, Hansheng’s father, no, that would be fine,” Dudu suggested haltingly.

With a helpless sigh, Shen Caihua lifted the root nodule and slammed it hard onto the stone ground. With a "plop," the old root nodule burst open, revealing a jet-black, egg-shaped object inside, about the size of a duck egg, glossy black all over.

"What, what kind of egg is this?" Dudu had sharp eyes and spotted it early in the morning.

Shen Cai bent down and picked up the black, egg-shaped object. It felt heavy in his hand. He didn't know what it was, and Han Sheng's father had never mentioned it.

"It must be a treasure... a precious baby," Dudu said excitedly.

“This black egg might be the most poisonous part of the ‘Heartbreak Poison Mother.’ Han Sheng’s father will be happy to see it.” Shen Caihua said with pride, carefully putting it into his shirt pocket.

“This is for me…” Dudu picked up the old python’s fang with its curved beak and handed it to Xiao Caihua, saying, “Keep it safe for me.”

Shen Caihua chuckled, stuffed Da Ya into his pocket, and said, "Alright, we should go back..." Suddenly, he snapped to attention and exclaimed in a panic, "Oh no! The vines on that cliff have come loose. How are we going to get up there?"

Dudu replied, "No, it's alright, I'll fly back to find that old... old monk to save you."

After thinking it over, Shen Caihua realized that this was the only way, so he instructed Dudu, "Don't tell anyone about this black egg."

“The world is dangerous, I know, I know,” Dudu replied.

At this moment, the light coming through the crack in the stone cave grew weaker and weaker, and the surroundings became dim. In a short while, it was pitch black, and the weather changed.

They groped their way back, bumping their heads from time to time. After walking for a long time, they still hadn't returned to the cave where they had descended the cliff.

They got lost.

Chapter 9, Part 3

Stumbling and staggering for an unknown amount of time in the darkness, Chen Caicai felt an unbearable hunger and thirst in his stomach. "Dudu, I feel like we're going downhill, and it's getting hotter and hotter. Could we have reached the bottom of Poyang Lake?" he asked doubtfully.

“I, I don’t know,” came a weary voice from the darkness. “Poyang Lake is located at 30 degrees north latitude. Along this line are the Bermuda Triangle, the Egyptian pyramids, the Mayan civilization, and... the highest mountain on Earth, the Himalayas, and the deepest Mariana Trench. Anyway, it’s very, very strange.”

"Really?" Shen Caihua was hearing these terms for the first time and found them very interesting, which piqued his curiosity. "Dudu, what else is strange?"

"And...and also, girls who grow up along the 30th parallel north are the most beautiful in the world..." Dudu said shyly.

"Does Mo Mo count?" Shen Caihua asked.

"No, that doesn't count," Dudu replied bluntly.

A faint ray of light appeared in the distance, and Chen Cai's spirits lifted. He quickly said, "Dudu, look over there!"

"It looks like... there's an exit!" Dudu exclaimed excitedly.

When they arrived, panting, they discovered it was just lights...

This is a spacious stone hall with a stone table, stone benches, and a stone bed. A red candle is lit on the stone table, and in the dim candlelight, you can see an old man sitting cross-legged on the stone bed, naked with white hair and a disheveled appearance.

"How could there be someone here?" Shen Caihua asked in surprise.

"Well...it seems pretty pitiful," Dudu said softly.

They moved their feet lightly and slowly approached each other.

By the dim candlelight, I could see that the old man before me was incredibly ugly. His face was covered with layers of wrinkles and creases, and his two deep-set eyes contained a pair of dull, white eyeballs. His cheeks were sunken, and his neck, like goosebumps, was surrounded by a ring of large, swollen, purplish-red bumps. Strangely, this ugly old man's body had smooth, delicate skin and full, strong muscles, just like a young man's.

Shen Caihua and Dudu looked at each other in bewilderment. What kind of strange person was this?

"Who...who are you?" Dudu mustered her courage and stepped forward to ask tentatively.

"Hiss hiss..." The strange man's withered lips made a trembling sound.

"Old man, who are you? Why are you alone underground?" Shen Caihua asked cautiously.

"Hahaha... I was just about to ask you two a question!" A hearty laugh rang out in the stone hall, but it seemed to lack strength.

Shen Caihua and Dudu were taken aback. The voice did not come from the ugly old man on the stone bed, but from behind them.

"Who is speaking?" Shen Caihua asked cautiously as he turned around.

“Elder Anxi,” the voice said.

Chapter 10 of the main text

While Shen Cai was still in a daze, a withered figure silently floated down in front of him... It was an elderly monk with white eyebrows and beard, wearing a yellow monk's robe, with deep eyes, smiling at him.

"How come...another old Bon monk has come?" Dudu noticed that the old monk also had a bone bottle hanging from his neck, so she asked curiously.

"Haha," the old monk looked at Dudu with considerable surprise and asked in confusion, "This big bird not only understands human language, but also knows about Bon religion. It's truly amazing. Elder Anxi, who are you? How did you get to the bottom of this lake?"

"The bottom of the lake? Grandpa, do you mean we're at the bottom of Poyang Lake now?" Shen Caihua asked.

“Indeed, this is the bottom of Poyang Lake,” Elder Anxi replied.

Shen Cai felt that the old monk had a kind and benevolent face, and he already had a good impression of him, so he told the truth: "Elder Peng from Stone Bell Mountain brought us here..."

Dudu leaned close to Xiao Caihua's ear and whispered, "The world is... dangerous."

"Elder Peng? Hmm, why did he bring you to Shoe Mountain?" Elder Anxi asked, sounding as if he knew Elder Peng.

“I want to wait for the ‘spiritual embryo’ to be born so I can ask it one thing,” Shen Caihua replied.

“Oh,” Elder Anxi nodded, then asked, “How did you get to the bottom of this lake?”

"We were playing on the mountain when we wandered into a cave and somehow got lost. We ended up here in the dark," Shen Caihua said, thinking to himself that the world was dangerous and it was best not to talk about the "Heartbreak Poison Mother."

“This mountain is made of limestone and has many holes. Children shouldn’t wander around like that; they could easily get lost,” Elder Anxi rebuked.

"Is that old man over there sick? It looks like he has carbuncles." Shen Caihua touched his neck. He had seen many patients with carbuncles and boils since he was a child at the Nanshan Rural Hospital.

“Grandpa? He’s still a young man,” Elder Anxi laughed, then continued, “You little kid have some knowledge, but what he has is no ordinary carbuncle. I’ve tried everything for six years, but I still can’t cure it.”

Dudu glanced at the ugly old man's neck and muttered softly, "Those purplish-red bumps are really...really disgusting."

"That's strange. How can he have the body of a young man but the head of an old man?" Chen Caihua asked, puzzled. "Does he have a name?"

“I don’t know,” Elder Anxi replied. “I met him in the capital six years ago and brought him here. To this day, I haven’t been able to get a single question out of him.”

"The capital?" In Shen Caihua's eyes, it was a very distant place.

"Grandpa, please tell me what happened. My father is a very famous traditional Chinese medicine doctor. Maybe he can help him," Shen Cai asked the old monk, moved by compassion.

“Alas, if traditional Chinese medicine could cure this, why would I have had to endure six years of confinement at the bottom of Poyang Lake?” Elder Anxi sighed, then continued, “Seeing as you are such a young child with such a kind heart, and considering I am nearing the end of my life, I will tell you about this person’s origins. Your encounter with me at the bottom of Poyang Lake can be considered a kind of fate. But you must promise never to tell anyone about this, understand?”

Shen Cai nodded understandingly.

“Child, sit down, this old monk will tell you slowly.” Elder Anxi and Shen Caihua sat down on the stone bench and began to recount the events that had occurred in the capital six years ago…

Chapter 10, Part 2

Six years ago, on a late autumn day, a cold wind blew and withered leaves fell. A somber atmosphere enveloped the entire land of China, and the capital city lost its usual hustle and bustle. The great leader Mao Zedong had passed away.

The news reached Yangon, Myanmar, where someone delivered a letter to Elder Anxi of the Shwedagon Pagoda's Fushou Palace, inviting him to visit Beijing. The letter was signed by Hong Hai'er. Several days later, Elder Anxi packed his bags and set off north with his disciple Elder Peng and two protectors.

Upon arriving in the capital, the leader (Red Boy) warmly received them and that very night held a private conversation with Elder Anxi until late. The leader provided a detailed analysis of the current situation in China and the power struggles among various political factions, requesting Elder Anxi's assistance. Elder Anxi ultimately refused, warning Red Boy that destiny cannot be defied, and that if he remained entangled in the power struggles of officialdom, his end would be tragic. Throughout history, countless heroes and brilliant minds, though powerful for a time, ultimately met with ruin and death. Even Mao Zedong, hailed as one of the greatest emperors of all time, was imprisoned before his body was even cold. Karma's retribution is inevitable, sooner or later, a natural order; one should never force things.

The following day, Elder Anxi declined Red Boy's offer to accompany him and, along with Elder Peng and his retinue of protectors, toured the capital's famous historical sites on his own. Decades later, returning to the old capital, he found the ancient city walls destroyed and the streets and alleys unrecognizable, a sight that evoked deep sighs of regret.

Around noon, Elder Anxi and his entourage visited Wangfujing Street in Dongdan, went up to the second floor of Donglaishun Restaurant, found a window seat facing the street, and prepared to eat a bowl of Donglaishun hot pot, a famous old brand in Beijing.

Looking out the window, I saw a disheveled old beggar across the street, leaning on a wooden stick, his white hair and wrinkled face shivering in the cold wind.

Master Anxi's gaze fell on the old beggar's neck. The man's neck was covered with a ring of greasy red plasters, resembling a tattered Japanese Rising Sun flag. His hands were withered like chicken claws, and a broken porcelain basin lay at his feet, containing some scattered coins.

"Do you see anything unusual about that old beggar?" Elder Anxi asked Elder Peng.

"No, this disciple is dull-witted and cannot see anything unusual," Elder Peng replied, glancing at the old beggar across the street.

Elder Anxi smiled slightly and said, "This person has extraordinary bones and a healthy physique, so he should undoubtedly be a young man. However, his face is old and ugly, and his eyes are dull. This is not something he has deliberately put on. Therefore, I am certain that there is something fishy about this person."

After hearing his master's words, Elder Peng looked at the old beggar more closely and realized that he was indeed somewhat different from others: "Yes, he's strange, there's really something indescribable about him."

After finishing their meal, Elder Anxi and his entourage came downstairs. Snowflakes were falling gently from the gloomy sky. The old beggar on the street was still hunched over, reaching out his hand to beg from passersby.

The elder Anxi stopped and stood on the other side of the road, gazing silently.

The old beggar stared blankly at passersby with his dull, lifeless eyes. Whenever a strikingly beautiful young woman walked by, he would unconsciously reach down to his crotch and touch his testicles, muttering something under his breath...

Chapter 10, Part 3

The snow fell heavier and heavier, and a cold wind swept across the ground, causing the thinly dressed old beggar to shiver uncontrollably.

The Dharma Protector Venerable Anxi ordered the purchase of a plate of steamed mutton dumplings from Donglaishun and served it to the old beggar.

The steaming dumplings smelled delicious. The old beggar sniffed them, then hurriedly reached out his withered, dirty hands to grab the dumplings and stuff them into his mouth, drooling and making smacking noises.

"Who are you?" Elder Anxi asked in a calm tone.

"Huff, huff..." The old beggar kept swallowing, seemingly oblivious to what was happening.

"The elder is asking you a question!" the protector rebuked in a low but stern voice.

Elder Anxi gestured to stop the protector, his gaze sharply fixed on the red plaster around the beggar's neck. He felt a faint heat rising in his chest, a strange sensation washing over him like waves, one after another. Finally, his vibrating eardrums gradually revealed the scale of the Tantric mantra, "Om... Ah... Hum..."

The elder's eyes welled up with tears. He knew that it was the "exorcism spell" cast by the Second Karmapa of the Black Hat lineage seven hundred years ago... "Take him away," Elder Anxi ordered the two protectors in a low voice.

The old beggar's body was found to be inhabited by a Tantric "exorcism spell," which greatly surprised Elder Anxi. This matter was extremely strange and needed to be investigated. However, the capital was thousands of miles away from Myanmar. How could he secretly bring him back to the Shwedagon Pagoda? It seemed that he had no choice but to find a safe place to hide in China first. Elder Anxi pondered this with hesitation.

“Master, my hometown is on the shore of Poyang Lake in Jiangxi Province. There is a small island in the lake called ‘Shoe Mountain’. It is uninhabited, quiet and remote, and very few tourists visit it. There is a dilapidated Zen temple and pagoda on the island. The island is made of limestone and has many caves, making it very secluded.” Elder Peng understood his master’s predicament and thus offered his advice.