Zha Wenbin took another look at the rope lines and shouted upward, "We're good, keep lowering!" From above, He Yichao acknowledged with a quick reply, and they resumed their careful collaboration, lowering the rope at a steady pace. As Wenbin descended deeper, his figure gradually faded from view, until only the glow from his headlamp remained visible from above.
At first, every five meters, Yichao would pause, and Wenbin would tug the rope once to signal it was safe to continue. Two tugs meant he needed a break, while three indicated he had reached the bottom. Continuous shaking was their agreed emergency signal, meaning he needed to be pulled up immediately. As the rope descended deeper into darkness, Yichao's pauses became more frequent, eventually checking for signals after every meter of descent.
What was Wenbin discovering down in the depths? What kind of world existed at the bottom of this ancient well? Let's shift our perspective to find out.
After moving past the initial section, Wenbin began studying the well walls carefully. The deeper he went, the more evident the water erosion marks became. The grayish-white surface of the upper well walls gradually transitioned to a rich brown. While moss decreased with depth, a stream of air from below grew stronger, eventually becoming powerful enough to stir the Eight Trigrams Bag hanging on his chest. This air was remarkably fresh—even sweeter than the outside world—which provided Wenbin some relief from his mounting tension. Human instinct recognizes bitter and pungent scents as danger signals, while sweet and fragrant ones typically suggest safety.
Throughout his descent, Wenbin kept his gaze fixed on the well walls. The ancient stone bore clear chisel marks that, with some imagination, allowed him to envision the original laborers excavating this ancient well. Every three meters, he spotted simple line drawings resembling primitive murals, primarily depicting fish, birds, and trees. Occasionally, human figures would appear. Most striking to Wenbin was a drawing of a figure with enormous eyes and ears—though the lines were crude, they burned into his memory after just a brief glance.
Around a hundred meters down, Wenbin discovered something remarkable. This ancient well was clearly artisan-made, with tool marks still visible despite centuries of erosion. But beyond the hundred-meter mark, the direction of the chisel marks suddenly changed.
Initially, the chiseling started from the top, with marks wider at the top and narrower at the bottom, indicating the direction of force during construction. However, past the hundred-meter point, Wenbin noticed the pattern reversed—chisel marks now appeared narrower at the top and wider at the bottom, with a clear separation line between the two patterns. The implication was astonishing: during construction, two teams might have worked from opposite ends—one from the village surface going down, and another from several hundred meters underground working upward.
How those ancient builders accessed the underground area remained a mystery, though the steady airflow confirmed some connection to the outside world that Wenbin hadn't yet discovered. The engineering feat was mind-boggling—ensuring a straight, nearly vertical shaft when drilling from both ends would challenge even modern geological survey tools and blueprints.
Consider this: if you were blindfolded on the roof of a hundred-meter building, how would your blindfolded partner in the basement position themselves to align perfectly with you vertically? This ancient achievement seemed almost supernatural—accomplished without surveying instruments or 3D modeling!
As Wenbin marveled at this engineering wonder, he noticed the murals on the well walls changing. The previous bird and fish motifs had disappeared, replaced by intricate insect depictions. The once barren trees now sprouted lush leaves. This artistic shift coincided precisely with the change in chisel marks.
Above ground, He Yichao and Zhuo Xiong could no longer see any light from below. As Wenbin descended deeper, all they had was the heavy rope in their hands. Despite losing visual contact, they maintained communication through the rope signals. However, as the rope exceeded a hundred meters, individual tugs lost their effectiveness along the length—something they hadn't anticipated!
Checking the rope's markings, Yichao estimated Wenbin had descended roughly two hundred meters. Though faint, he could still barely detect the weak signals from below, thanks to his careful attention. Both men focused entirely on the rope, oblivious to the astonishing events unfolding around them.
Zhuo Xiong, a habitual smoker, hadn't had a cigarette since Wenbin's descent two hours earlier, and the craving was becoming unbearable. During a lull between signal exchanges, he eagerly pulled out two crumpled cigarettes, lit them, and offered one to Yichao. "Hey man, got a smoke for you," he said casually.
Turning around, Yichao noticed and thought, "This guy picks the weirdest times to smoke... but damn, it's been a tense morning. A cigarette might actually help."
In the moments that followed, more changes would soon unfold as the mountain of legends appeared...
Zhuo Xiong: "..."
After untying the ropes around himself, Wenbin began exploring this first chamber of the underground world. The ground beneath his feet was bare black stone, showing no signs of human modification—it appeared entirely natural. Ahead stretched a dark river, while solid rock rose behind him. The entire structure at the well's bottom formed a reverse "L" shape: the vertical section being the well shaft itself, and the horizontal part formed by the dark river. It seemed this river flowed from somewhere in the distance, reaching the well before ending there, transforming into the man-made shaft. Wenbin stood on a large protruding black rock, observing a significant depression ahead, likely carved by powerful water currents forming a whirlpool over time.
Wenbin realized that at this depth—270 meters down—this space had probably been completely submerged just yesterday. If Professor Wang and the others had been down here... with so much time passed, did they still have any chance of survival? Wenbin looked up toward the well's distant exit, then resolutely decided to press forward.
Thankfully, the tactical flashlight Yichao had purchased proved incredibly useful. In this vast underground chamber, Wenbin's vision extended about fifty meters ahead. The underground river still had shallow water flowing through it, so Wenbin called out several times, "Professor Wang? Professor Wang? Are you there?" His voice echoed through the cavern, reverberating before fading into silence. If they were here, they should have heard him. After several attempts with no response, he continued his exploration.
"What's this?" Wenbin suddenly noticed murals covering the cave walls, connected like panels in a comic book. Unlike the carvings in the well shaft, these were drawings outlined in white. Though parts had been eroded by water and moss, their large size made most details visible.
The first mural showed only a swirling white line with a sharp object protruding from it. Confused, Wenbin moved forward to examine the next image.
The second mural resembled the first, featuring a twisting white line with a similar sharp object. However, this one contained additional elements—inside the circle formed by the white line were several defeated warriors. Outside stood a monstrous figure with eight legs, three heads, and six arms wielding various weapons. This being, significantly larger than the others, emanated dominance. Behind him stood smaller figures with weapons raised, apparently his followers preparing to attack.
Seeing this mural, Wenbin's heart raced. Though he didn't know who created these images, he instantly recognized the eight-legged, three-headed figure—it was Chi You!
According to legend, Chi You led the Jiuli tribe in ancient times and was renowned as the God of War. He once battled the Flame Emperor and, with his extraordinary combat skills, defeated him decisively.
After this victory, the Flame Emperor sought help from another tribal leader, the Yellow Emperor. Together, they united against Chi You. Overconfident in his strength, Chi You underestimated them and led his eighty-one brothers into battle against the Yellow Emperor at Zhuolu. When the Yellow Emperor couldn't defeat Chi You through ordinary means, he sought divine assistance, resulting in a terrible bloodbath. Ultimately, Chi You fell to the Yellow Emperor. After his head was severed, his body was buried separately, and his head supposedly transformed into a blood-red maple forest. Later, honoring Chi You's martial prowess, the Yellow Emperor named him the "Lord of War."
Since the figure in the mural was clearly Chi You, Wenbin deduced that the person within the white line must be the Yellow Emperor. Was this depicting the legendary Battle of Zhuolu? Understanding the significance of these stone images, Wenbin realized he was looking at representations of China's three ancient ancestors—the Yellow Emperor, the Flame Emperor, and Chi You. Finding such murals wasn't entirely surprising in a place steeped in myth and legend.
After studying this scene, Wenbin cautiously proceeded to the third mural. This image continued the narrative but transformed the sharp object into a towering mountain reaching into the clouds. Atop the mountain stood a woman holding a white line that extended down to the peak. The figures inside had also changed—now several animals appeared alongside humans. One warrior charged forward, followed by bears, badgers, wolves, leopards, eagles, dragons, and owls—all anthropomorphized and wielding weapons, ready to battle Chi You. Wenbin recognized this as another depiction of the Battle of Zhuolu, showing how the Yellow Emperor led tribal totems against Chi You. The woman in the sky particularly intrigued him—was she a divine being, since legends claim the Yellow Emperor received celestial assistance? And what did the white line represent?
As Wenbin contemplated these questions, he suddenly realized something crucial: the sharp object from earlier murals had transformed into a mountain! He stepped back, heart pounding. Could this mountain be what he'd seen earlier that day—Qifeng Mountain hidden in the mist? How could this be explained? Everyone knew the Battle of Zhuolu occurred in present-day Zhuoxian, Hebei, thousands of kilometers from Sichuan. Why would these murals associate it with Qifeng Mountain?
Deeply confused, Wenbin continued forward until a large pool of water blocked his path. The icy water of the dark river sent a chill through him. As he aimed his flashlight across the expanse, a cold sensation washed over him. It seemed he would need to wade through the water, so he set his pack aside and squatted to remove his shoes. Just then, a voice called out, "Wenbin, don't go in the water!"
Wenbin instinctively pulled back his foot. Wasn't that the little girl's voice? Following the sound, he quickly raised his flashlight. The voice came from the opposite corner, but when he illuminated the area, he saw only rocks. Yet he clearly heard someone call his name—who was it?
"Miss Leng, is that you? Where are you?" he called out.
"I'm over here, Wenbin! Find a way to come save me! Professor Wang is fading fast." The voice came through clearly, almost breaking into tears. This time he understood perfectly. Following the direction of the sound, he looked again and finally spotted a rock crevice on the opposite cliff with a hand waving a white garment. Wenbin instantly recognized it—Professor Wang's clothing!
He'd found them! Wenbin quickly put his shoes back on and shouted, "Don't panic! Stay there and don't move or make a sound. Just close your eyes and pretend you've seen nothing, got it?"
Her affirmative reply calmed him. He lit incense, arranged biscuits, found a large rock slab, and propped it up with two stones to serve as a makeshift altar. Fortunately, he had brought candles and spirit money, allowing him to quickly establish a complete ritual setup in this ancient underground river chamber. The scene was so incongruous that even he couldn't help but chuckle.
After finishing the preparations, Wenbin called out again, "Miss Leng, no matter what happens, don't interfere or make any noise. Just close your eyes and pretend you haven't seen anything. Understood?"
Satisfied with her response, he felt relieved. He lit the incense sticks, placed biscuits on the stone altar, and secured several stones on the slab. He inserted three incense sticks into the crevices and laid spirit money in front, weighting it down with stones. Taking out his white bronze ink box, he dipped it in cinnabar and quickly sketched four intricate talismans on the ground, each representing:
1. Taiqing Jiuzhen Anhua Shang Ai Yu Talisman
2. Jiaosheng Ming Yu Talisman
3. Zhenhuang Hundan Su Xuan Talisman
4. Ming Gang Xuan Zhao Da Ming Jiuhua Talisman
All were derived from the supreme Daoist text "Eight Might Dragons Manuscript," traditionally attributed to the Celestial Lord, the Real Person of Creation. These talismans utilized the eight forms of the sun, moon, mountains, rivers, fire, human, and ghost, using unique Daoist cloud seals to align the energies of heaven and earth.
As Wenbin completed each talisman with swift, precise strokes, the surrounding ghostly green "ghost fire" began to swirl violently before suddenly spreading apart! Clearly startled, the green lights hovered in the air momentarily before settling back down, though the glow on the coffin appeared noticeably dimmer than before.
Wenbin unsheathed his Peachwood Sword with a crisp sound, the blade gleaming coldly as he raised his left hand and tossed a talisman skyward. With a swift stroke, he pierced the talisman mid-air. Turning his wrist, he pointed the sword downward and drove it fiercely into the gravel. As he released his grip, the sword swayed as if alive, emitting a soft buzzing sound. He noticed several spots of green "ghost fire" quickly drifting toward the center, plunging into the stack.
Before the sword fully stabilized, Wenbin drew his Protective Bell, raised it high with his right hand, and with a flick of his wrist, produced a crisp ringing that echoed through the ancient passage, lingering in the air. He closed his eyes tightly and began murmuring words of invocation:
"The Lonely Souls
Nine Mystics, Seven Ancestors,
Four Lives, Six Paths,
Cycle of Birth and Death,
Escaping Hell,
And gazing upon the Eastern Heaven,
To save suffering beings,
To save on the earthly realm, it's good practice,
Only heaven, no hell,
When Yan Jun sees, he dares not speak loudly,
The young boys and night demons greet with fists and palms clasped,
Ox-Head and Horse-Face show deep respect and allegiance.
In the eighteen layers of hell, there's leisure,
In the thirty-three heavens, there's freedom,
Ascending heaven's mirror,
Where there's no sound of hell.
Escaping hell, forever free from suffering,
Transcending to the human realm, ascending to pure land,
Endless joy, coming and going without attachment.
Supreme Savior of Suffering, boundless magical power, great eater of destiny, I carry my life to follow the Supreme Deity seeking to save suffering!"
This was the incantation for the nine ancestors' souls. As Wenbin chanted the words, the "ghost fire" that had been attached to the bronze coffin began to scatter, swirling through the air. After several passes, the entire space filled with these lights, resembling a swarm of fireflies dancing in the darkness, illuminating the cave in an eerie green glow. Far from beautiful, the sight was deeply unsettling—the ghostly aura intensified, making the already cold chamber feel even more frigid.
After the third recitation, Wenbin retrieved a small bottle from his backpack. He dipped his index finger into it and, with a flourish, flicked several drops of liquid upward. The droplets fell precisely onto the stone altar. As they landed, the ghost fires near the altar approached cautiously, circling but keeping their distance, seemingly afraid of the sword. Wenbin dipped again and released more droplets, attracting even more ghost fires.
This wasn't ordinary water—it was Yin-Yang Water, known as "water without roots." This special water, which doesn't remain grounded, is collected at the precise moment when Yin and Yang energies shift. Traditionally gathered by an unmarried virgin holding a clean vessel atop her head in an open field during the spring equinox, it's considered extremely precious. This liquid now served as a guiding passage for these spirits; not only had it drawn them here, but it had also transformed their appearance. Could they be here to express gratitude? It seemed likely. Watching these mysterious entities, Wenbin felt deeply moved—all beings appreciate kindness and seek to repay it.
He waved the soul-summoning flag again, pointing his sword toward the well and commanding, "Go!" However, the dragon-shaped ghost fire merely swayed its tail anxiously, showing no intention to leave.
This puzzled him. The spirits had been summoned successfully, so what was keeping them here? Wenbin scanned the area but saw nothing unusual. The dragon's head remained bowed respectfully before him, yet its body continued swaying restlessly. As Wenbin observed more closely, he noticed something peculiar about those large wings! Suddenly, he remembered something crucial: in traditional Chinese mythology, dragons typically don't have wings—those are features of Western dragons, often portrayed as evil creatures. But there was one exception—the "Responding Dragon"!
According to the Classic of Mountains and Seas: "In the northeastern corner of the Great Wasteland lies a mountain called the Evil Plow Hill. The Responding Dragon resides at the South Pole, slaying Chi You and Kua Fu without ever returning, leading to multiple droughts."
"Responding Dragon?" Wenbin murmured to himself, suddenly recalling an ancient story about "dotting the eyes of the painted dragon." During the Liang dynasty, the famous painter Zhang Sengyao painted four dragons on the walls of the Anle Temple in Jinling but deliberately left their eyes unpainted. He often remarked, "Once the eyes are dotted, the dragon will fly away." People considered this absurd until one day, when he dotted the eyes of one dragon, and moments later, a lightning bolt cracked the wall open, allowing that dragon to soar into the sky while the others remained in place.
With this revelation, Wenbin realized the assembled "dragon" before him indeed had no eyes! In a moment of inspiration, he pricked his finger and quickly touched the spots where the dragon's eyes would be. The moment he completed this action, the mass of ghost fires transformed, genuinely becoming a colossal dragon. It circled Wenbin several times, nodding its head as if in gratitude. Then, with a thunderous roar that echoed so powerfully that even Yichao and Zhuo Xiong above could hear it clearly, the dragon prepared to depart. Its head plunged into the well first, and as its wings tucked close to its body, it revealed an incredible length as countless green lights swept past Wenbin before finally disappearing.
Meanwhile, He Yichao and Zhuo Xiong stood at the well's edge, feeling the ground tremble beneath them. The nearby dilapidated buildings crumbled completely, as if in a minor earthquake. Before they could flee, a powerful gust erupted from the ancient well, bringing with it a massive green dragon that rose skyward like a tower. As its tail finally left the well, a pair of enormous wings unfurled dramatically. The creature circled Qifeng Mountain once before soaring westward, leaving both men utterly stunned.
When Yichao finally regained his senses, he slapped himself hard—then looked at Zhuo Xiong. "What the hell was that?"
Zhuo Xiong stared blankly. "I think I just saw a dragon..."
They continued to stare at each other, dumbfounded.
A few minutes later, both men sprang to their feet and sprinted to the well, shouting desperately, "Wenbin! Wenbin! Zha Wenbin!"
Down below, Wenbin had returned to the altar and heard nothing of their calls. Strangely, the pool of water that had blocked his path was now completely gone. The scattered bones had charred to ash, and the once-hidden bronze coffin lay fully exposed. The small snails that had covered its chains had fallen away, their shells now pure white. Everything in this chamber had transformed—the giant claw of a huge Arowana had lifted the coffin, but only an empty shell remained.
"Miss Leng, did you hear me? I'm coming over right now!"
"Wenbin! Please hurry and save us!" Miss Leng cried out.
The two stranded people were now Wenbin's top priority. He quickly made his way toward the opposite cliff. With the pool now dry, a path through the charred bones led directly to the bronze coffin. Rescuing the survivors came first—Wenbin had no time to waste. He decided it would be safer to walk past the coffin than to tread on the bones. Stepping carefully from his rock, he jumped down and cautiously made his way along the path...
Chinese Words/Phrases in the Chapter 13: White Bone Pool
Character Names and Titles
- Zha Wenbin (查文斌) - Main character, a Daoist practitioner who explores the well
- He Yichao (何毅超) - Wenbin's companion who helps operate the rope from above
- Zhuo Xiong (卓雄) - Another companion helping with the well exploration
- Professor Wang (老王) - Person trapped in the underground cave
- Miss Leng (冷小姐) - Young woman trapped with Wang in the underground cave
Daoist Practitioners and Sects
- Real Person of Creation (元始真人) - A divine Daoist figure attributed as the author of the "Eight Might Dragons Manuscript"
- Celestial Lord (天尊) - Divine entity mentioned as a source of Daoist knowledge
Divination Tools and Objects
- Eight Trigrams Bag (乾坤袋) - Special bag carried by Wenbin containing ritual items
- White bronze ink box (白铜墨盒) - Tool used for drawing talismans with cinnabar
- Peachwood Sword (桃木剑) - Ritual sword used in Daoist ceremonies to control spirits
- Protective Bell (避护铃) - Ritual bell used to ward off evil spirits and call upon divine entities
- Soul-summoning flag (招魂幡) - Flag used to summon and direct spirits
Ritual Practices and Techniques
- Taiqing Jiuzhen Anhua Shang Ai Yu Talisman (太清九真安化上艾玉符) - Powerful Daoist talisman
- Jiaosheng Ming Yu Talisman (娇生明玉符) - Talisman used in the ritual
- Zhenhuang Hundan Su Xuan Talisman (真黄混丹素玄符) - Talisman used in the ritual
- Ming Gang Xuan Zhao Da Ming Jiuhua Talisman (明刚玄照大明九华符) - Talisman used in the ritual
- Yin-Yang Water (阴阳水) - Special "water without roots" collected during specific celestial alignment
- Incantation for the nine ancestors' souls (九祖魂魄咒) - Ritual chant to communicate with ancestral spirits
- Dotting the eyes of the dragon (点睛) - Ritual technique to bring a dragon to life
Cultural and Historical References
- Chi You (蚩尤) - Ancient tribal leader and God of War in Chinese mythology
- Yellow Emperor (黄帝) - Legendary ancestor of the Chinese people
- Flame Emperor (炎帝) - Another legendary ruler and ancestor figure
- Battle of Zhuolu (涿鹿之战) - Legendary battle between the Yellow Emperor and Chi You
- Jiuli tribe (九黎族) - Ancient tribe led by Chi You
- Responding Dragon (应龙) - Mythical dragon mentioned in Classic of Mountains and Seas
- Kua Fu (夸父) - Mythological figure mentioned alongside Chi You
- Zhang Sengyao (张僧繇) - Famous painter from the Liang dynasty known for painting dragons
- Ox-Head and Horse-Face (牛头马面) - Guardians of the underworld in Chinese mythology
- Yan Jun (阎君) - Ruler of the underworld
- Three Origins (三元) - Daoist concept referring to three primordial energies
- Five Virtues (五德) - Set of virtues in Daoist philosophy
- Eight Assemblies (八会) - Daoist concept related to cosmic forces
Sacred Texts
- Eight Might Dragons Manuscript (八威龙文) - Supreme Daoist text containing powerful talismans
- Eight Dragon Cloud Seal (八龙云篆) - Related text mentioned in the document
- Manifest Light Chapter (显明章) - Related text mentioned in the document
- Classic of Mountains and Seas (山海经) - Ancient Chinese text containing mythological geography and beasts
- Cavernous Spirit Treasures (洞灵宝) - Daoist text quoted in the document
Locations
- Qifeng Mountain (蕲封山) - Mountain associated with the legendary battle
- White Bone Pool (白骨池) - The title of the chapter, referring to the underground cave area
- Evil Plow Hill (恶耕之丘) - Mountain mentioned in Classic of Mountains and Seas
- Anle Temple (安乐寺) - Temple in Jinling where Zhang Sengyao painted dragons
- Zhuoxian, Hebei (涿县, 河北) - Modern location of the ancient Battle of Zhuolu
Mythological Creatures
- Responding Dragon (应龙) - Special type of winged dragon mentioned in Classic of Mountains and Seas
- Arowana (龙鱼/金龙) - Type of fish mentioned near the end of the chapter, associated with the bronze coffin