Chapter 424: Like Heading to the Underworld

Since obtaining this from the Treasure Cave in Falling Eagle Gully, Xibei, he actually has no time to properly sit down and examine it.

The map is covered in dense markings and annotations; who knows how much painstaking effort went into them.

He was focusing intently when a fuzzy little head poked out from under his arm.

Tuan Tuan climbed onto his leg and moved up to the picture book: "Third Brother, what are you looking at?"

"This," Xiao Ningxun shifted the picture book down a bit so she could see more clearly, "is the thing from that treasure cave that Uncle Luo took us to."

Tuan Tuan looked curiously: "Where is this?"

"Jiang Prefecture."

"And here?"

"This is Swallow Shoal, which we will pass through tonight."

"Oh." Tuan Tuan's big eyes scanned back and forth across the picture book.

Suddenly she pointed with her little hand: "Third Brother, where is this little black dot?"

Xiao Ningxun followed the direction of her finger and examined it closely.

That is a stretch of mountainous terrain at the junction of Jiangnan Region and Xibei; next to an inconspicuous low peak there is an extremely tiny ink dot.

The ink dot is so tiny that, had Tuan Tuan not pointed it out, he would have thought it was a blemish on the paper.

Strangely, in this picture book, every marked location has an accompanying annotation: name, quantity of deposits, how to mine…

Only beside this black dot is it clean and empty, with nothing at all.

Xiao Ningxun thought for a moment, then called out loudly: "Old Jiang."

Old Jiang responded upon hearing: "Third Young Master?"

Xiao Ningxun pointed at the black dot: "Come take a look, is this place right up ahead?"

Old Jiang walked over and took a look: "That's Old Crow Mountain; you'll reach it after going another ten or so li forward."

Just right.

"Pass the word down: we'll moor the boat beside Old Crow Mountain."

Old Jiang was taken aback: "Third Young Master, it's desolate out there—not even a fishing village…"

"No problem."

"Yes!"

After an hour, the passenger boat slowly drew to shore, and everyone, following the map's indication, arrived at the foot of a mountain.

Just as Old Jiang had said, this place is extremely barren, with rocky beaches and weeds growing thickly.

Xiao Ran looked around: "What godforsaken place is this—there's not even a person."

Xiao Er led several guards wielding sabers to clear the path ahead, while Xiao Ningxun followed closely behind, occasionally checking against the map in his hand.

Xiao Ran asked: "What are we doing here? Looking for something?"

Xiao Ningxun glanced at the surrounding terrain: "Since the picture book deliberately marks this spot, there must be a reason."

Tuan Tuan looked left and right, then suddenly stretched out her little hand toward the right: "What a beautiful butterfly!"

She swung her little legs and ran after the butterfly.

Lu Qi shouted: "Miss! Slow down! Watch your step!"

Xiao Er sprang into pursuit—what if the miss fell and got hurt!

The others also hurried after them.

All they saw was a blue-winged, black-spotted swallowtail butterfly dancing in the air; Tuan Tuan's path was blocked by countless vines, and she turned and shouted: "Uncle Er!"

Xiao Er swung his blade to cut through the vines; instantly startled, a narrow path appeared: "Third Young Master, look!"

Xiao Ningxun fixed his gaze ahead; this path was extremely narrow, leading to a rock face with a crevice just wide enough for a person to slip through sideways.

The butterfly nimbly slipped into it.

Tuan Tuan pointed at the crevice: "Third Brother, does the butterfly live in there?"

Since it was Tuan Tuan who saw it, it must be out of the ordinary—could this be the place indicated by that mark?

Xiao Ningxun said: "Let's go in and have a look."

Lu Qi gave it a try, turning sideways and shuffling in: "We can get in!"

Everyone followed him, walking about the time it takes to finish a cup of tea deep within the rocky peak.

Before them, the view suddenly opened up—it was actually a small valley encircled by mountains.

The valley floor was flat, facing a steep cliff face draped with vines and mottled with water stains.

Tuan Tuan looked around: "Where's my butterfly?"

Xiao Ran brushed himself off: "It has wings, we don't—who knows where it flew off to."

Tuan Tuan grew unhappy: "Little butterfly! I've come to play with you—where are you?"

As if hearing her call, the butterfly appeared again.

Tuan Tuan reached out: "Little butterfly! Come down—may I touch you?"

The butterfly fluttered above her for a moment, then landed on a vine on the cliff face.

Xiao Ningxun stared at that cliff face, stepped forward slowly, pushed aside the dense vines, and examined closely: "There are carving marks here."

Lu Qi and he joined forces to pull down a large sheet of vines.

A rust-covered iron door suddenly came into view!

Xiao Ran's face showed astonishment: "What the heck is this?"

The door had no keyhole; nine bowl‑sized beast‑head bronze rings were arranged in the Nine Palaces directions, each beast‑head ferocious‑looking, gripping a bronze ring in its mouth.

The nine beast heads differed in form: dragon, tiger, lion, deer…

Xiao Ningxun cautiously gave it a tug, but the iron door didn't budge at all.

Lu Qi showed a thoughtful expression: "This is the Nine Palaces Gate; I've seen it in the Tianji Pavilion. One must turn the bronze rings in a specific order to open it."

Xiao Ran asked, "Do you know the order?"

Lu Qi shook his head: "The Nine Palaces have countless variations; without a diagram, even a lifetime might not yield the correct sequence."

Tuan Tuan ran to the iron gate, tilted her little head to look at the beast heads.

She tiptoed, reaching with her hand to the lowest deer head.

Xiao Er lunged forward in a single stride: "Miss, be careful!"

"It's fine, I'll give it a try," Tuan Tuan said, poking the deer antler with her little finger.

There was no reaction.

She turned to the snarling tiger head beside it and poked its teeth.

Still nothing moved.

She gazed up at the dragon head above, eyes wide, bearing a fierce mien.

"Uncle Two! Hold me!"

Xiao Er lifted her high and brought her close to the iron gate.

Tuan Tuan reached out her little hand, stroked its face, then ruffled its dragon whiskers: "Big Dragon, why won't you pay attention to me?"

She rubbed the dragon head wildly with both little hands, then lightly brushed its nose.

"Ah—choo!"

The dragon head suddenly shuddered, blowing out a puff of years‑old dust from its nostrils that hit Tuan Tuan in the face!

"Cough cough..." Tuan Tuan choked, rubbing her eyes.

Everyone was shocked and hastily stepped back a few paces.

Xiao Er retreated the fastest and farthest: "Miss! Are you all right?"

He pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the dust from Tuan Tuan's face.

Everyone had thought the iron gate would open then, and they all widened their eyes in anticipation.

But the dragon head simply returned to its original state, unmoving.

Tuan Tuan was unhappy: "Uncle Two, hold me again!"

Xiao Er held her and approached the gate again; Tuan Tuan thrust out her hand and slapped the dragon's forehead with a "Pa!"—"You're so mischievous! You blew dirt all over my face!"

The next moment, the bronze ring held in the dragon's mouth clicked and turned half a circle to the left on its own!

Xiao Ran exclaimed, "It moved!"

The turn of the dragon's bronze ring seemed to trigger a mechanism; the bronze rings on the eight beast heads beside it began to rotate on their own, some left, some right, at varying speeds.

A crisp "click‑clack, click‑clack" of the machinery rang continuously in their ears.

After the final click ceased, a sound of a bolt being drawn came from inside the iron gate: "Clang!"

Immediately, the iron gate slowly revealed a crack; inside there was no light, just pitch darkness.

A cool breeze carrying an earthy odor seeped out from the crack.

Tuan Tuan clapped her little hands: "Third Brother! Look! I opened the door!"

Everyone stared at one another; this truly was an opening in name and deed!

Who would have thought that slapping this dragon head was what opened the gate!

After waiting a moment for the interior smell to fade, Lu Qi said, "I'll go in and scout."

Having said that, he struck a fire starter, lit it, and stepped inside cautiously.

A moment later he shouted, "Come in!"

The crowd filed in single file, Xiao Er clutching Tuan Tuan tightly as he brought up the rear.

Having gone a short distance inside, Lu Qi pointed ahead and saw only a winding, steep slope descending endlessly, its bottom nowhere in sight.

A guard swallowed his saliva: "This… looks like it's heading toward the underworld."