Leaping down to the first level, he clearly saw the four characters "Living Dead Tomb" inscribed on the stone tablet to the left of the tomb's arch. It was his handwriting! From the strokes, one could feel the despair he must have felt while carving it with his sword. The living dead! Why succumb to such degeneracy, to a life worse than death, after just one setback? He had thought of serving the country and rebuilding his strength through secret cultivation, but instead, he had been cooped up in this desolate place for eight years. A heroic patriot and anti-Japanese warrior had degenerated into a monstrous fiend! What was there to fear? "Coward!" he roared at the dark, deep entrance to the tomb, which lacked a door. His voice echoed through the hills, startling the birds from the trees. The dog, who had been watching closely, finally saw the half-visible figure and shouted, "Zhou Botong!" Zhou Botong turned to flee, but the dog relentlessly pursued him across slopes, through flower bushes, and into ravines. After about an hour, Zhou Botong, who had been only a few feet away, vanished without a trace.
The dog returned to the tomb, full of suspicion. He saw Lin Chaoying kneeling on the steps, hands on the ground, her face flushed crimson, repeatedly muttering the word "coward." The dog immediately helped her sit up, sat cross-legged, and assisted her in regulating her blood circulation. After a while, when her complexion returned to normal, the dog plucked some dry grass to make a cushion for her to sleep soundly. He then picked large leaves to cover her body and cleaned the surrounding area, thinking: What trick did Zhou Botong use to escape? Could Brother Shixiong hear the maiden's cries? Should I go into the tomb and drag him out? Ever since she was injured at Lishan, her heart's blood circulation had not been smooth; once this matter was resolved, he would definitely advise her to seek medical treatment. The dog gazed at the entrance, which resembled an Asura with its mouth agape, and then thought: The maiden said he disdained to share the sky with the Jin invaders, hence his self-imposed exile in the deep cavern. Now that they had met again, they would live together in the tomb, escaping the world, which would not be in vain for the hardships she had endured over the past eight years.
Waking up, Lin Chaoying saw that it was nearly dawn. She stared at the dog sitting beside her, hugging his knees. Seeing her shake her head slightly, her chest felt tight, and a sharp pain pierced her heart. "Wang Shixiong, you spineless turtle! What is a mere setback? To play tricks and live in hiding here! Han Shizhong was truly blind to trust such a useless wretch. If you were a man, you should have drawn your sword and avenged the fallen heroes of the Chuzhou Uprising!" Lin Chaoying suddenly felt dizzy. The dog helped her sit down and gave her water. In a daze, she seemed to see a man's figure emerging from the tomb entrance. Lin Chaoying blinked her eyes repeatedly. As her vision cleared, she suddenly heard the dog exclaim, "Zhou Botong, why are you here again!"
Lin Chaoying stood up straight and stumbled forward a step. She indeed saw Zhou Botong holding a tablet inscribed with "Spirit Tablet of Wang Haifeng." He said, "Wang Shixiong has not been in this world for many years. You should stop causing trouble here and leave quickly." The dog said, "Alright! I'll go in and get Shixiong's remains as compensation for my maiden." She acted as she spoke. Zhou Botong tried to stop her several times, but she dodged his attempts, and he watched helplessly as she dashed into the tomb.
It was pitch black inside. Fortunately, having been in caves for a long time, especially after the "Phantom Light Cave" in Cuihua Mountain, it was not difficult for the dog to see in the dark. The passage went up and down, with many twists and turns. After walking for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, she began to lose her direction. At this moment, she seemed to smell a familiar scent not far behind her. She lunged backward, vaguely sensing a figure rapidly retreating. "Brother Shixiong, it's me, Gou'er." There was no movement; it was as she had guessed. "My maiden is outside. Why not come out and meet her?" She continued, locating the target's position in the dark, "She has been searching for you all over the world for eight years since you disappeared. It's only fair that you get scolded by her when you come out." Hearing the faintest sound of breathing, and following the scent, the dog suddenly lunged to grab the person's throat and arms, but it was in vain, so empty that one might mistake it for an illusion. However, the dog was certain she hadn't made a mistake. Her hands touched stone walls on both sides, but she deduced that there must be a mechanism, thus concluding that Zhou Botong had hidden in a secret passage connecting the outside to the tomb yesterday.
Gou'er emerged from the tomb and glanced at Lin Chaoying, then lowered her head in self-reproach. Lin Chaoying suddenly struck the tablet in Zhou Botong's hands, breaking it into two pieces. Filled with indignation, she said, "Do you think this little trick can dismiss me?" Zhou Botong seized the opportunity to escape, scrambling up the stone wall covered with tree roots on the left and disappearing among the large banyan trees.
Gou'er's deduction was correct; the shadowy figure had indeed used a mechanism to slip into the secret chamber. He was delighted that she had become so capable under Lin Chaoying's training, but also ashamed of what Lin Chaoying had said she had done. After much thought, and confirming through a gap that Gou'er had exited the tomb, he quietly approached the tomb entrance. At this moment, he heard Lin Chaoying cursing, "...Your paltry skills, even if you hide and practice inside for a hundred years, it will be useless. Taste my newly practiced sword technique; with a few moves, I'll cut off your head, letting the world know that you ultimately fell to my Lin Chaoying." He sighed, realizing that after so many years, she was still so competitive. He stood there, lost in thought for a long time, when he suddenly heard a soft voice: "Wang Shixiong, are you there?" Overwhelmed with emotion, he quickly retreated inside.
Lin Chaoying agreed with Gou'er's sentiment of "there will be time in the future"; even if she had to wait here for a hundred years, she would find a way to force him out to face her. Gou'er also told her what she had encountered and thought inside the tomb, and then ordered her to search the hillside for secret passages in and out. Lin Chaoying always walked within the first level's range, not knowing why, but she dared not take another step up. Under the cold moon, only a solitary figure kept her company, yet she imagined him standing at the tomb entrance before her, gazing at her. She couldn't help but whisper, "Wang Shixiong, are you there?" After a long while, she secretly laughed at herself for being so foolish and changed her tone, cursing repeatedly, "Wang Shixiong, you turtle, you coward, you big dummy, you melon rind..."
In the past few years, studying scriptures and cultivating had gradually made her mind like withered wood. Who would have thought that worldly trifles would sprout and grow rapidly in her mind and heart overnight, spreading in a way that made her restless? She quietly approached the tomb entrance again. As expected, she heard her voice; listening closely, she was discussing the current situation. Guan Zumei had visited two years ago, and he had also stood at the tomb entrance, conversing with him for a while. He had informed him of the Jin ruler's movements, but even though the court was no longer controlled by Qin Hui, the inclination to seek peace and fear the enemy remained the mainstream. Having lost the Chuzhou army back then, how did people from all walks of life view him now? Would they still believe and obey him? With so many talented individuals emerging, he was no longer, or perhaps never was, a young prodigy. Moreover, he was not good at interacting with people. He did not state it explicitly but made excuses about focusing on cultivation to decline.
She continued to speak about the division of the Wei Wu Alliance and how some within it colluded with the You Xu Cave. You misunderstand! My two junior brothers are merely friends with the Wei Wu Alliance. They all disdain corrupt officials selling out the country and foreign aggression, and are merely people who have come out to protect their homeland and defend their territory. Even if they were part of it, after the devastating defeat back then, they should have had no place to stand, and no ability to interfere. Alas, she then changed the topic to the uprising in Haizhou last year. In the spring of last year, Guan Zumei, along with Meng Hanguang, brought the news of Yin Pingzhi's death, causing a mixture of grief and joy. Grief for the departure of an old comrade; joy that a great general, paralyzed for many years, had finally found release. Meng Hanguang, stating that the Haizhou uprising forces were weak, wished to emulate the Chuzhou army of the past and summon many experts to support them, thereby strengthening the anti-Jin forces along the coast. He came to seek assistance. Coincidentally, his junior brother was still there, so he sent him to assist in that area. He had also mentioned the matter of the Yushi Valley medicinal people and the master and servant duo assisting in transporting supplies when his junior brother returned last winter.
You are in the prime of your youth, while I am already past my prime and uninterested. My proximity will only drag you down. Do not waste your energy or time on me.
Ignoring her, he returned inside dejectedly. Fearing that any sound might be transmitted, he hurried to the next two levels, bypassed the coffin room, and went to the most secluded secret chamber. This secret chamber was located on the side of the cliff opposite the tomb entrance. There was an air hole, large enough for half a person's body, through which one could observe the outside. Standing there, he looked up at the sky, which transitioned from bright to dark, with sparse stars. A few raindrops suddenly turned into a downpour. He worried about how they would fare if they had to camp outside in the rain. The heavy rain stopped less than half an hour later. He remained in this chamber, either sitting or pacing, regretting that his junior brother, who had left yesterday morning, had not yet returned, otherwise, he would know how they had fared outside. As dawn broke, he slowly walked back towards the tomb entrance. The ground was dry, unlike anyone having sheltered there. The outside had returned to its usual silence. They should not have left; perhaps they had escaped and were hiding outside. It was already noon, and it was still silent outside. Where had she gone? It was past the afternoon, and why was it still so quiet? Could something unexpected have happened? Suddenly, he heard Gou'er's cries, repeatedly calling, "Maiden... Maiden..." His heart began to race with anxiety.