Chapter 103: Approaching

Liang Shiye pointed his chin at me with a contemptuous look. I cursed inwardly, you ingrate, I've been taking care of you all along the way, and I never expected you to treat me like this. If I had known, I would have killed you back then to avoid future trouble.

Fatty took a solid fuel lamp out of his backpack, lit it and placed it on the ground. This gear is used when climbing high-altitude snowy mountains; it provides both light and warmth, and in an instant the whole cave lit up. Then he took out a few compressed biscuits and tossed them to me. While doing all this, the muzzle of the short rifle in his hand was always aimed at me.

I caught the biscuits he tossed and found it inexplicable, thinking to myself, what kind of act is this? So I threw the biscuits back at him and said, "Brother, we're in your hands. Kill us if you're going to kill us, why all the nonsense?"

Liang Shiye grinned, turned to Fatty, and said, "I told you, greenhorn is a greenhorn, still doesn't get

Boss Wang shook his head, then tossed the cookies back to me and said, "Youngster, when you're out in the world, you need to keep your eyes open. If I'm giving you food, it means I don't intend to harm you. Acting like this, if you run into someone with a bad temper, you'll be asking for death."

Compared to that Old Tai, this man had a completely different temperament. Old Tai, at first glance, was the kind of ruthless desperado who would kill without blinking. This fat boss, on the other hand, was all smiles and put people at ease. However, the kick he gave me earlier was quite powerful—not something an antique shop owner would be capable of. I couldn't figure out his true identity at all.

Boss Wang glanced at me, as if reading the doubt between my brows. He took a deep drag of his cigarette and continued, "I'm different from Old Tai and his lot. I'm a businessman. In business, there are no eternal friends, nor eternal enemies."

Advisor Liang said, "Boss Wang, why don't you just tell them straight? These two lads can't seem to get their heads around it. The Wu kid is easier to talk to. Once that sleeping one wakes up, I'm afraid there'll be more trouble."

Boss Wang laughed and said to me, "Alright, I won't speak falsely in front of a real person. I'll put it bluntly: I'm a businessman, and I don't like using knives and guns. You've seen the situation yourselves. Even if you weren't in my hands, you'd have a hard time getting out. Old Tai is already dead. There's no point in messing with you. Consider it: do you want to cooperate with me? I guarantee you won't lose out—you'll even make a profit." Hearing this, I realized it was the same line I had used on Advisor Liang earlier. Damn, a few hours later and it was being turned back on me. Truly, fortunes reverse in turn.

Seeing my lack of reaction, he handed me another cigarette and said, "It's fine even if you don't agree. I'll give you some gear and let you go down on your own. But you, one person with a sick man—have you thought about how you'll manage on the road?"

What he said was actually quite reasonable, and I found myself a bit tempted. But then I thought: he has equipment and weapons—why does he need my cooperation? Isn't that just laying out the stall for someone else to make money? There must be a scheme. These people who wander the world are too deep. Look at Advisor Liang—he followed us all the way with a flattering face, and as soon as he found the chance, he turned the tables and became the master. We didn't see it coming at all. Compared to them, we are really too green. Their seeking my cooperation must have some targeted purpose.

A thought flashed through my mind, and I already had a plan. I had to agree to their conditions first, just as Advisor Liang had initially followed us. Later, I would find a way to escape. Besides, as he said, to safely take Old Yang down, I would need at least one more person's help. Doing it alone was too much of a stretch. These two clearly looked down on me, the same mistake I had made earlier. I was certain I could find an opportunity to turn the tables, at least to get hold of a gun.

With this thought, my expression softened. I pretended to hesitate and asked him, "Alright, even if what you say makes sense, I can cooperate with you. But you must first let me know—what exactly do you need me to do?"

Boss Wang let out a sigh of relief and exchanged a glance with Advisor Liang. The latter patted me and said, "A wise man knows his situation. Little Wu Ge, since you've nodded, we're all on the same side now. I won't hide anything from you. Naturally, I'll tell you what I know, but it's a long story. How about we eat and talk at the same time?"

As he leaned in, I really wanted to strangle him. But out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Boss Wang's gun was still pointed in my direction. I suppressed my inner anger, forced a smile, and said, "Go ahead."

Advisor Liang looked at the bronze tree outside and said, "Speaking of this thing, it's quite remarkable. According to the records in the *He Mu Ji*, the initial discovery of this bronze tree was in the thirteenth year of the Qianlong reign—"

Before setting out, Advisor Liang had carefully studied the sections of the *He Mu Ji* that pertained to this tomb. The *He Mu Ji* was a notebook written in a very casual manner—sometimes in Manchu, sometimes in Chinese, and a small part in Mongolian. As for the passage concerning this place, most of it was written in Manchu. On the mainland today, no more than twenty people can read Manchu. Advisor Liang could only glean a few clues from the parts written in Chinese.

There were two matters recorded in Chinese:

The first matter: In the thirteenth year of the Qianlong reign, roughly in the Taibai Mountain area, at an official mine, a mining supervisor reported that workers had unearthed an ancient bronze pillar. They dug downward from its base for four months without reaching the bottom. The depth of its penetration into the earth was unknown.

This caused quite a stir locally. Some said the pillar was sentient—the more you dug, the deeper it grew, never to be fully unearthed. Others said it was the handle of a giant axe used by Pangu when he separated heaven and earth, and if they kept digging, they would find the axe head. Even a feng shui master claimed it was a nail driven by the Jade Emperor to pin down the dragon vein of the Qinling Mountains; otherwise, this earthly dragon would fly into the sky. The bronze pillar was said to extend eight hundred li into the earth. They must not dig further, or all of China would face misfortune.

Not long after, the Iron Helmet Cavalry Camp where Li Pipa's ancestor served received a secret order. They were to take three thousand death row prisoners, take over the mine, seal off the mountain, set up camp, and continue digging.

The second matter: In the spring of the eighteenth year of the Qianlong reign, it states that after digging for four years and three months, the three thousand death row prisoners had dug upward until they reached the cave we are now in, and downward to the mountain's base. They did not uncover the bronze tree's root, but instead unearthed a stone box with dragon patterns. It was hollow inside, containing an object, but had no seams—they could not open it no matter how they tried. Afraid to act rashly, they sent the box to the palace.

The third matter was very brief. At the end of the eighteenth year of the Qianlong reign, the *He Mu Ji* records that the emperor granted rewards, conferring second-rank noble titles. Each man was awarded a hundred taels of gold, and the entire camp was feasted. The men got drunk. Li Pipa's ancestor and several close soldier clansmen became completely intoxicated. They made a bet to climb the ancient bronze tree.

(The text cuts off here. Everything below is in Manchu. It's unknown if there is a particular purpose; Advisor Liang cannot read it, which is truly regrettable.) Advisor Liang told us that the other boss, Li Pipa, could understand these things, but when asked what was written below, he absolutely refused to say—extremely secretive. This was very similar to Old Yang's behavior. We wonder what the reason was.

At the end of the *He Mu Ji*, there is a climbing process recorded in Chinese. Above our current position, there are plank roads that wind around the cliff face. They were originally prepared for the emperor to come and see, but unfortunately, they could not be completed near the top. Moreover, while building the plank roads, people often fell off the cliff for no reason. Later, the project was abandoned.

We crawled out of the low cave. Boss Wang handed me a pair of binoculars while he shone a high-powered flashlight to illuminate. After adjusting the focus, sure enough, not far above, I could see several sections of wooden plank roads wedged into the cliff face, spiraling upward. Our flashlights were too weak to reach that far, so we hadn't noticed them earlier. Boss Wang's idea was that if we could reach that plank road and climb along it, we could save a lot of energy. However, there would surely be something tricky on the plank road. Advisor Liang was a scholar—good for research but not fighting—so the two of us would have to go.

I wasn't as optimistic as him. I looked through the binoculars for a long time, but I couldn't make out exactly what those plank roads looked like. The light here was too dim, and the edges of the roads seemed wrapped in something like plant roots, very different from the steel-structured plank roads I had climbed in tourist areas. The *He Mu Ji* was written during the Qing dynasty, over a hundred years ago. Whether those plank roads were even intact was unclear, let alone whether they were sturdy.

Boss Wang said that back then, this path was built for the emperor's sightseeing, not as a temporary mining passage. So the materials and craftsmanship would have been very meticulous. Many Ming and Qing dynasty ancient buildings are still very sturdy, so he thought there wouldn't be major problems. Worst case, we still had plenty of rope. With these plank roads, climbing would naturally be much more convenient.

He spoke very decisively, leaving no room for discussion. I cursed inwardly but had to stop voicing opinions. He and Advisor Liang briefly discussed and decided to let me rest for another fifteen minutes. Then the fat boss would take me up, while Advisor Liang and Old Yang would stay here.

After the nap, my energy had recovered a lot. I also ate something. Boss Wang sat down and chatted with Advisor Liang in Cantonese. I couldn't understand much, but I gathered they were talking about what the fat boss had mentioned earlier: Qilin blood resin. I had always had a knot in my heart about this matter. I figured that since our relationship had ostensibly eased, I might as well take the chance to ask clearly. So I asked Advisor Liang, "What exactly is the qilin blood resin? Will it have any side effects?" Advisor Liang said, "You don't need to worry at all about that. I didn't tell you everything earlier because I wanted to keep a card up my sleeve, in case I needed something to bargain for my life if you tried to run. Now that we've officially formed an alliance, I'll tell you, so you won't be uneasy."

"Qilin resin is the congealed blood of the qilin, a very precious medicinal ingredient. However, it is not actually qilin blood, but the sap of a plant called the qilin blood vine, also known as blood snake vine. It is generally found in more southern regions."

The longer qilin blood is stored, the better its effects. In its early stages, it only has some ordinary uses, generally used as medicine. But in traditional Chinese medicine, there is a rare application: using it to fumigate corpses. In ancient times, some ethnic minorities and mountain villages had a custom of placing a piece of qilin blood on the navel of a corpse before burial, which could remove the corpse's yin energy. The corpse would rot, but it would not attract maggots.

As qilin blood ages, it gradually changes from dark red to black; the older it gets, the deeper the black. At a certain point, its nature changes, becoming so that it dissolves in the mouth. After a person eats it, blood-sucking evil insects will not approach; even in summer, mosquitoes will not dare to come near you.

Of course, this is just a legend. Advisor Liang had only heard others mention it; today, seeing this situation for the first time, he began to believe it was true. As for whether there are any side effects, there are no relevant records. However, Chinese medicine generally has low toxicity, so he told me not to worry: 'Rather than thinking about that, I think the most troublesome thing is still those gu worms. According to the "He Mu Ji", during the excavation, no such masks were dug up. Whether it was a confusing trap set by the ancients, or the work of the person who killed the thousand people outside, I cannot be sure. When you go up, you must be extra careful and not be careless.'

We rested for a while. Old Yang still hadn't woken up. Boss Fatty took down some equipment and gave it to me. I put on a tactical headlamp, shouldered the rope, and continued onward toward the edge of the plank path above.

Logically, reaching that plank path wasn't far, but in reality, there was always a hint of helplessness. The distance estimated by sight was always much shorter than the actual distance. We expected to reach the top in an hour, but after half an hour, we only barely climbed to the bottom of the plank path.

Only then did I realize that Boss Fatty was right. The plank path was very well preserved. It wasn't because it was a path for an emperor to walk on and thus built more sturdy, but because it had been continuously repaired. So there was still an outer layer of scaffolding made from oil bamboo citrus branches, which were very moisture-resistant. After hundreds of years of decay, it was still very sturdy. Walking on it, one could still hear the resilient creaking sounds.

This place should be very close to the surface. Many tree roots hung down from the surrounding cliffs, coiling around the railings like vines. Some roots were extremely thick, almost like octopus tentacles blocking the plank path. The higher we went, the more of these there were, making it very difficult to walk. Some sections were completely wrapped in roots, leaving almost no place to stand. We had to use a machete to clear a path, or simply crawl over them.

Because of the invasion of tree roots, the rocks here were cracked, and stones occasionally fell. We had to keep our heads covered and watch our steps. Walking actually felt more tiring than climbing.

We were so focused on walking that we didn't know how many loops we had ascended. A very large gap appeared in the plank path ahead, nearly ten meters wide, because the rocks on the side had burst and collapsed. I measured the distance and said to Boss Wang, 'No way, we can't jump across. We need to use the rope.'

By this time, nearly an hour had passed since we set out, but looking down from above, it seemed we hadn't come up very far. It looked impossible to reach the tree top within an hour. We had climbed too hastily earlier, and our physical strength was severely depleted. We had to rest for a while. This vertical karst cave was very cold and damp. After walking this section, my clothes were completely soaked with sweat, sticking to my body uncomfortably. They wouldn't dry completely for a while, making it easy to get sick. We had to find a way to warm up.

We found a root hole where tree roots and the plank path were intertwined. Boss Wang took out a solid-fuel lantern and hung it on a tree root with his dagger. I took off my clothes to dry my underwear first, then casually ate something. Boss Wang had a very serious expression. While eating, he shone a high-intensity tactical flashlight at the bronze tree opposite. After a moment, he said to me, 'Come look. You can already see the top from here. What's that up there?'

I picked up my binoculars to observe. About a dozen meters above, it was already the top of the bronze tree. Many tree roots hung down from the top of the cave, completely blocking that area. I could barely see that it was wrapped in a large cluster of roots. A great number of root tendrils coiled down the bronze tree. What was inside was impossible to see clearly.

The plank path spiraling upward along the cave wall was still much higher than the top of this bronze tree. This was different from what was recorded in the 'He Mu Ji'. It was possible that after years of excavation, the heavy bronze tree had a tendency to sink back into the rock layers. Over the centuries, its height had dropped below the plank path.

These root tendrils hanging from the cave ceiling might be from the huge banyan trees we saw from the top of Goldfish Mountain when we came, trees that would take a dozen people to encircle. Now it seemed that their root systems were even more spectacular than their foliage. These things, like pale ghost claws, twisted together like fried dough twists, resembling a giant hand grasping this bronze pillar, trying to pull it out of hell. They also looked like a huge totem wrapped with fossilized giant pythons, giving one goosebumps.

I was staring intently, but then I heard Boss Fatty say to me, 'Look at how dense these tree roots are. It means that above this rock shell should be the topsoil layer. This is a natural karst cave. The ancients wouldn't have come through the mountain to perform sacrifices. There must be a cave system above that leads outside. If we're lucky, we might not have to go back the way we came.'

I heard the implication in his words and was delighted. If we didn't have to go back the same way, that would be wonderful. But this natural karst cave must also be some peaceful place; whether we could actually get out would need further consideration. Boss Wang nudged me and said, 'This is the situation at the top of the bronze tree. But look among those piles of roots—there seems to be a statue. It's too far to see clearly from here. Let's go somewhere else to take a closer look.'

I looked in the direction he indicated and saw, below the top of the pillar, amidst the tangled roots, what seemed to be two bronze carved arms. They were very similar to the remains of a strangely seductive statue we had seen in Jiazigou. At that time, its face had been blown off by tomb raiders. I had a very peculiar sixth sense then, always feeling that this face had something wrong with it. Now was the perfect chance to see—what exactly did this thing look like?