Chapter 82

At cockcrow, the lamps went out, and the burial garments were taken in hand almost simultaneously, making it hard to tell which came first; "Partridge Whistle" pulled the black cloth from his mouth and saw those starving wild cats sprawled over the Southern Song woman's corpse, clawing and biting wildly, with several more at the far end of the tomb chamber, snarling and fighting over the corpse of a cat previously killed by impact; "Partridge Whistle" watched, secretly shocked—these were no cats, clearly a pack of famished evil spirits.

Dogs and pigs, when starving, will eat human flesh; at this point, after three cockcrows, corpse transformation would no longer occur; the female corpse in this ancient tomb held a "Corpse-Fixing Pill" in her mouth, restrained by the drug, causing corpse poison to accumulate within the body without outward diffusion, so the female corpse remains perfectly preserved to this day; these starving cats eating her flesh would surely die from corpse poison.

"Partridge Whistle" thought this was for the best; this Southern Song female corpse, with corpse poison accumulated, was fortunate to be suppressed by the "Corpse-Fixing Pill" and the "Copper-Horned Golden Coffin"; if left to remain buried deep in the tomb, it would eventually become a great scourge, harming the region; letting these damned wild cats eat her clean and perish together would also save much trouble.

Thus "Partridge Whistle" neatly folded the burial garments he had taken, picked up the horse lantern on the coffin lid, and crawled out of the robber's tunnel; though it was now cockcrow, the sky remained pitch black; "Partridge Whistle" took advantage of the darkness to backfill the robber's tunnel, sealing the wild cats and everything in the tomb inside, then returned the blank stone stele to its original position; upon inspection, not a trace of disturbance remained.

He then returned to "Wukong Temple," saw Elder Chén, presented the burial garments, and recounted the night's events in full detail; finally, he said to Elder Chén: "At the exact moment of cockcrow and lamp extinction, I took hold of the ancient corpse's burial garments, unable to discern which came first or last; I dare not claim I did not violate the rules; undoubtedly, I lack the fate to receive my master's teachings; should I survive, I will surely return to hear your Zen principles; for now, I still have pressing matters, so I bid you farewell."

Elder Chén had also wandered the martial world for many years, once a standout among the Corpse-Grubbing Colonels, surpassing peers and excelling; hearing "Partridge Whistle" say this, he could not fail to grasp his meaning; thinking that "Partridge Whistle" is also a notable figure in the grave-robbing trade, his words were a retreat to advance.

Elder Chén gazed at "Partridge Whistle" kneeling on the ground, which reminded him of his own youthful self, nearly identical to the present "Partridge Whistle."

Since hearing "Partridge Whistle" explain his reasons for becoming a "Mountain-Moving Daoist," Elder Chén had made up his mind: first, because saving people from suffering is the Buddhist aim; since he knew the secret of the Gegelama tribe, he could not stand idly by; second, he admired "Partridge Whistle's" skill, his upright character, and his lack of concealment regarding the detail of only obtaining the burial garments at the simultaneous moment of lamp extinction and cockcrow—in this morally degenerate society, such honesty is truly rare; thus, his own secret art of Metal Division and Point Selection could well be transmitted to him.

Elder Chén helped "Partridge Whistle" to his feet and said: "Quickly rise; although you only obtained the burial garments at the moment of cockcrow and lamp extinction, this does not count as violating the Corpse-Grubbing Colonel's rules; the patriarch only said one must not handle gold after cockcrow and lamp extinction, never mentioning simultaneity."

Upon hearing this, "Partridge Whistle" was overjoyed, bowed his head, and prepared to perform the disciple's bow: "Having received your grace, not rejected, recorded under the door-wall, truly a fortune of three lifetimes; revered master above, please accept my three bows."

Elder Chén hastily stopped him: "No need for such great rites; Corpse-Grubbing Colonels, since ancient times, have only had peer-to-peer transmission, never master-disciple succession; unlike the Mountain-Movers and Ridge-Relayers, who pass down from master to disciple, generation to generation; anyone who uses Corpse-Grubbing Colonel's methods to rob tombs and follows their rules counts as a peer; my transmission of these arts to you is our affinity, but it is merely a peer's favor, without the title of master."

Although "Partridge Whistle" was hindered by Elder Chén's obstruction, he still insisted on performing the great bow, then stood with hands lowered, respectfully awaiting instruction; Elder Chén was very satisfied with "Partridge Whistle's" account of this tomb-robbing and obtaining the burial garments; later, he would have the Southern Song woman's burial garments burned, recite several passages of the Rebirth Mantra, to send the transformed corpse to the Pure Land.

Elder Chén merely felt "Partridge Whistle" had been overly harsh in kicking the wild cat to death; no matter how one says it, this act was excessive; thus he lectured "Partridge Whistle" on Buddhist principles, urging him henceforth, when coming to blows with others, to always leave the opponent a way to live, not to drive matters to extermination; doing so also accumulates hidden blessings for oneself.

"Partridge Whistle" deeply respected Elder Chén, but felt that since taking monastic vows, Elder Chén had become somewhat nagging; killing a single cat hardly warranted such a fuss; "Partridge Whistle" thought this rather dismissively: "What is kicking to death a couple of troublesome wild cats, when I have slaughtered people like hemp all my life?" Yet he dared not retort, so he suppressed his temper and listened to Elder Chén's lengthy discourse on cause and effect.

After great effort, once Elder Chén's lotus-flower-like Zen discourse had concluded, he then proceeded to detail the Corpse-Grubbing Colonel's rules and methods, taboos and avoidances, and various transmissions, explaining each thoroughly to "Partridge Whistle"; last time he had been brief, this time he left no detail unexamined, going article by article, explaining exhaustively:

Those who rob tombs, rather than being called people, are more like half-human, half-ghost; in the black night when ordinary people sleep soundly, they enter ancient tombs to handle gold; if a tunnel cannot be finished in one day, it may be split over ten days; but there is one rule: once inside the tomb chamber, after cockcrow, one must not touch the coffin or coffin lining, for each world has its own laws; the world after cockcrow belongs to yang, while the yin of night must at this time retreat—this is called "Yang persons advance, yin persons retreat, no gold-handling at cockcrow." After the golden rooster announces dawn, the world no longer belongs to tomb-robbers; if the rule is broken, the patriarch will surely incur punishment; one must believe in this, or else one will surely face the day of being unable to walk while carrying a basket.

Upon entering the tomb's inner palace, the Corpse-Grubbing Colonel must, before opening the coffin, place a lit candle in the southeast corner: one, to prevent sudden increase of toxic gases in the inner palace; two, this is a tacit contract between the living and the dead, transmitted from the patriarch thousands of years ago; if the candle goes out, it means the funerary objects in this inner palace may not be taken; if one insists, it is not forbidden, but any resulting trouble must be borne by oneself; as long as one's eight characters are strong enough, one may still carry out the funerary objects after the lamp goes out, but doing so is extremely dangerous—nine deaths to one life; "Tomb-robbing for gold" seeks wealth and funerary objects, not the extermination of lineage tombs; the world has many tombs rich in funerary objects; there is no need to risk one's life on a dead-end pursuit; thus, this rule most valued by the Corpse-Grubbing Colonel—"no gold-handling after lamp extinction"—should best be observed; moreover, the brightness or extinction of the candle's flame can predict whether corpse transformation will occur, and detect some vicious talismans buried in the tomb; hence, saying the candle's light is the Corpse-Grubbing Colonel's life is not an exaggeration; tomb-robbing must involve lighting a candle, the greatest difference between the Corpse-Grubbing Colonel and other tomb-robbers.

Elder Chén explained all the rules and methods, oral formulas, and usage of special implements in detail; "Partridge Whistle" committed each to memory; from now on, he would bid farewell to the identity of "Mountain-Moving Daoist" and become a Corpse-Grubbing Colonel.

Elder Chén took from his bosom two "Corpse-Grubbing Tallies" and said to "Partridge Whistle": "This tally is a thousand-year-old relic; having learned the Corpse-Grubbing Colonel's methods amounts at most to half a Corpse-Grubbing Colonel; only by wearing the Corpse-Grubbing Tally does one become a true Corpse-Grubbing Colonel; these two tallies are mine and those of a former peer; we two have robbed many great tombs together; alas, twenty years ago, in a Luoyang tomb, he encountered the Soul-Entrapping Nail Mechanism in the Chǐxùn chamber, sigh… those old matters need not be mentioned; from now on, this tally of mine shall be yours; only hope that in your future tomb-robbing and gold-handling, you never violate the rules, and may be worthy of the Corpse-Grubbing Colonel's character and stature."

"Partridge Whistle" hastily took the "Corpse-Grubbing Tally" with both hands, respectfully placed it around his neck, close to the flesh and well hidden, then again bowed to the ground in thanks to Elder Chén.

Elder Chén then questioned "Partridge Whistle" in detail about various matters concerning that ancient tribe and the "Ghost Cave" and "Dust Pearl," and also asked about the situation of the Western Xia treasure cave.

After hearing "Partridge Whistle's" explanation, Elder Chén slowly nodded: "The affairs of the Dust Pearl, I have also heard some rumors; it is said the Dust Pearl is also called Phoenix's Gall, some say it was left when the Yellow Emperor ascended to immortality, some say it is obtained from a depth of a thousand zhang underground, a ten-thousand-year-old jade transformed from the Earth Mother, others say it is condensed from the phoenix's spiritual aura; various legends, no consensus; its shape closely resembles a human eyeball, it is the world's first rare treasure; formerly buried with Emperor Wu of Han, later the Red Eyebrow Army extensively excavated, and the objects in Maoling were thus scattered among the populace; who would have thought it would ultimately fall into the hands of the Western Xia royal family?"

"Partridge Whistle" said to Elder Chén: "In my clan, many relatives are entangled by the Ghost Cave's evil curse; at death, they suffer unspeakably; generation after generation, this calamity stems from the fact that the clan's former Grand Libationer, not knowing what the Dust Pearl was, merely through divine revelation, knew that a piece of ancient jade shaped like an eyeball could probe the Ghost Cave's details, so he fabricated a false Dust Pearl to spy on the secrets within the Ghost Cave, thus triggering this endless disaster; later, the clan migrated to the Central Plains, only then realizing such a divine object exists in the world; only by finding the true Dust Pearl can one seek to resolve the Ghost Cave disaster; since then, everyone in the clan has taken seeking the Dust Pearl as their task, exhausting countless efforts, yet always gaining nothing; I learned last year that in the Song Dynasty, this Dust Pearl had once circulated into Western Xia; the Mongols had also once extensively searched the Western Xia royal treasury, but those court treasures were hidden so deeply that the Mongols never found them; legend says Western Xia has a city called Blackwater City, later abandoned as a dead city; near Blackwater City is a temple named Blackwater River Reaching Heaven Great Buddha Temple; the temple was originally built as an outpost on the outskirts of Blackwater City, later rebuilt; at that time, Western Xia had a minister who understood heaven and earth, named Yēlǐ Guōgěn, son of Yēlǐ Rénróng; he patrolled the city walls at night, Yēlǐ Guōgěn inspected the city ramparts, saw three stars shining above the outer earthen wall ten li from the city, with purple气 rushing to the clouds, and thus launched grand construction, transforming that place into the Reaching Heaven Great Buddha Temple, hoping to be buried there after death; but later this minister was killed by the Li surname dynasty, the tomb built beneath the temple has remained empty ever since; afterward, the Blackwater River changed course, swallowing most of Blackwater City in sand, turning it into an abandoned city; the last emperor, Li Déwàng of the Li clan, at the time of national collapse, ordered the palace's rare treasures and exotic jewels to be hidden in that empty tomb near Blackwater City; the Dust Pearl is very likely also there; the ground structures there have long been destroyed, buried to this day; without the secret art of Metal Division and Point Selection, one cannot possibly find the exact location."

After hearing this, Elder Chén said to "Partridge Whistle": "Blackwater City lies between the Yellow River and Helan Mountains, head resting on green mountains, feet treading jade belts, truly a feng shui treasure spot; the Western Xia royal tombs absorbed the strengths of Qin, Han, Li, and Tang dynasties' burials, grand in scale, orderly in layout; moreover, the Western Xia people devoutly believe in Buddhism, deeply influenced by Buddhist teachings, yet simultaneously possess the ethnic trait of favoring the Han; thus, in tomb construction, they are uniquely distinctive, later generations unable to fathom their secrets, just like the long-lost Western Xia script, where a left-falling or right-falling stroke looks like Central Chinese characters, yet is actually more intricate."

"Partridge Whistle" responded: "Exactly so; some years ago, a large group of foreigners banded with horse bandits, looted Blackwater City's antiquities, excavated seven Buddhist towers, carried off countless treasures from the towers, among which were many documents written in Western Xia script; perhaps they contain records of the Dust Pearl; sadly, they have all flowed overseas, impossible to investigate; if one could find the Western Xia classic containing the location record of the tomb beneath the Blackwater River Reaching Heaven Great Buddha Temple, it would also save much trouble."

Elder Chén said to "Partridge Whistle": "Western Xia script has long been lost; modern people cannot decipher it; even if there were clear records, they could not be translated; however, where three stars shine and purple气 rushes to the heavens, there should be a Dragon Pavilion Treasure Hall; using the Corpse-Grubbing Colonel's Metal Division and Point Selection secret art, even if there is no trace on the surface, one can accurately locate that tomb's treasure cave."

Metal Division and Point Selection is a branch of celestial-stem feng shui, and also the most difficult item; it requires knowing astronomy above and geography below, then according to the sun, moon, and stars to examine the veins' main branches; if one wishes to learn Metal Division and Point Selection, one must first gradually learn from the most basic feng shui techniques; feng shui is intricate and profound, not something one can master in a day or two; at the very least, one must study for five or six years.

Knowing "Partridge Whistle" was anxious and eager, Elder Chén decided to first accompany him to Blackwater City at the foot of Helan Mountains, to obtain the "Dust Pearl," then slowly transmit the Metal Division and Point Selection secret art.

Seeing Elder Chén willing to go out and assist, "Partridge Whistle" was deeply grateful; after brief preparations, the two set out; Elder Chén, being a monk, remained in the guise of a wandering monk seeking alms along the way; "Partridge Whistle" had always acted as a Daoist, but a monk and a Daoist traveling together inevitably draws attention; thus, "Partridge Whistle" changed into secular attire, and along the way attentively served Elder Chén.

From Zhejiang to Helan Mountains—how could it be anything but high mountains and distant waters? Fortunately, Elder Chén had once been a master at dragon-seeking and tomb-robbing; though aged, his legs and feet remained agile; this day they reached Yanggou Bend, prepared to abandon the cart and switch to a boat, boarding a ferry to enter the Yellow River, intending to disembark at Wuxiang Fort, which is not far from Blackwater City at the foot of Helan Mountains.

While waiting for the boat at Yanggou Bay, gazing afar at the Yellow River winding and twisting like a jade belt, beholding it stirs the soul and turns the intestines; Elder Chén and "Partridge Whistle" chatted idly about local customs and sentiments, and incidentally recounted a segment of their past experiences in this place.

In those days, Elder Chén had not yet taken monastic vows; he was a standout among Corpse-Grubbing Colonels, with the nickname "Flying Tian Hūtuó"; he robbed tombs for gold in various places; once he needed to pass through Bronze Gorge to reach the Hundred-and-Eight Pagodas to the north; the locals all said the Yellow River's river god was extremely efficacious; passing vessels had to throw cargo into the river to proceed smoothly.

Yet the boat Elder Chén had taken then was a private vessel hauling earth sludge; previously, it had never come to this river stretch; the boatman was nothing but a salt bandit, extremely stingy; when a boatman urged him to offer sacrifice to the river god, the boatman said, no matter what, he would not throw a sack of earth sludge into the river, only scattering a handful of large salt grains.

That night, before the Bronze Gorge, a lodger arrived: an old man wearing a headgear with a green pimple-like spur; normally, people's hat spurs are red, but this old man wore a green one, strikingly conspicuous; the old man held a ladle in hand, wanting to ask the boatman for a ladle of earth sludge, which is a very precious spice; the boatman, how could he freely give it? He coaxed and drove the old man away.

In his youth, Elder Chén was kind-hearted; seeing the old man pitiful, he took out money and asked the boatman to buy a ladle of earth sludge; this earth sludge can substitute for lime at the coffin base, dry and with a lasting exotic fragrance; at that time, Elder Chén also did not ask the old man what he wanted the earth sludge for, then gave a ladle to the old man wearing the green pimple-like spur hat; the old man thanked him profusely and departed.

The next day, continuing the boat journey, they reached Bronze Gorge, and oh dear—suddenly from the river emerged a gigantic turtle, as large as seven or eight rooms connected together; the giant turtle charged at the boat; in the end, it overturned the entire boat before relenting; all the boat's cargo sank to the riverbed; however, everyone on board survived, all swept ashore by the river water; afterward, people all said this was thanks to Elder Chén's almsgiving of that ladle of earth sludge, the river god's ancestors then granted mercy and spared them.

Upon hearing this, "Partridge Whistle" was also startled; no matter how great one's abilities, on the surging waves of the Yellow River, one cannot display them; see how one must conduct oneself, must leave room; suddenly recalling something, he asked Elder Chén: "I have heard people say that when boarding ships on rivers, lakes, and seas, there are many taboos, such as not being allowed to say 'overturn,' 'capsize,' 'sink,' and similar words; once said, the ship will meet with accident; these various taboos and particulars of river travel, if one were to enumerate them, I fear they would not be fewer than those of the Corpse-Grubbing Colonel."

Elder Chén was about to answer when the crowd waiting for the boat suddenly surged forward; the boat had already arrived; thus the two fell silent; "Partridge Whistle" supported Elder Chén as they boarded with the crowd.

At this time, the sky was cloudless and the sun blazing; the river surface had no wind or waves; the boat moved extremely smoothly; there were many passengers on board; "Partridge Whistle" and Elder Chén disliked crowds, so they picked a less crowded spot, one side leaning on the rail to view the Yellow River's riverside scenery, the other side pointing out feng shui formations, also feeling quite pleased.

Just as they were speaking, "Partridge Whistle" suddenly lowered his voice and said to Elder Chén: "There is a ghost on this boat."