In the village, Zhuo Xiong and He Yichao kept shouting into the ancient well, hoping for a response but hearing nothing. Their worry was turning into panic.
He Yichao couldn't take it anymore. He quickly grabbed his gear, stuffed whatever he could into his backpack, threw on his gloves, and grabbed the rope to descend into the well. "Blind Man, keep an eye on things up here. I'm heading down to see what's up. Something must've gone wrong!"
Zhuo Xiong stopped him with determination, "Let me go down. Back in the army, aerial insertion was my thing. I'm the best at rappelling. If I claimed second best in the platoon, no one would dare claim first!"
"The folks down there are my archaeological team. Wenbin is like a big brother, Professor Wang is my uncle, and the Little Witch is my sister! You came to guide us into the mountains, and you've done that. Don't risk yourself in that well—who will get us out if you're hurt?"
Zhuo Xiong tossed his cigarette and stomped it out, "He Yichao, what are you implying? Think I'm afraid of death? We've only been together two days, yet I see you as a brother and Wenbin as an elder brother! We're comrades. Running away would shame our time serving in Tibet."
He Yichao's eyes shone with tears as he hugged Zhuo Xiong, touched by his unexpected heroism. With a firm handshake, the two most hardened team members united!
Meanwhile, below, Zha Wenbin realized he was following a deliberately laid-out path. He had no time to think about the sharp, brittle bones which could be fatal if he slipped. He had to stay on course. Soon, he came to a branching road.
Zha Wenbin recalled seeing from a stone that the "path" required stepping over the central suspended bronze coffin to avoid bones, forming different routes. Then it hit him: the bones formed the pattern of the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams! Understanding its Daoist layout, he followed the path to the coffin, aiming for the center.
Just as he was about to move, a sudden shout from behind startled him...
Moments earlier, above the well, the soldiers of unmatched discipline geared up fast. Within ten seconds, they were ready.
He Yichao descended first, not pausing to admire wall carvings. Pure military-style: fast and efficient. Even with tactical gloves, the descent's heat was intense. It took Zha Wenbin hours, He Yichao did it in three minutes!
Upon landing, he tugged the rope, signaling the all-clear to Zhuo Xiong. Two minutes later, Zhuo Xiong joined him almost as if descending on wings. He Yichao thought, "Is this guy superhuman? His palms didn't catch fire?"
Zhuo Xiong landed and shot him a teasing look, "Told you I was faster! Fastest in my platoon during rapid descents!"
He Yichao replied, "I was just checking the way, being careful for you!"
They grinned, ready to face what lay ahead. As keen scouts, they noticed every detail—the pathway didn't run straight. Ahead, not ten meters, it made a sharp turn. Zha Wenbin was about eighty meters away, illuminated by a quartz glint.
Spotting this, He Yichao signaled for quiet and whispered, "Blind Man, something's ahead. Stay sharp!"
They spread five meters apart, shotguns drawn, moving cautiously. Spotting a figure in the distance, suddenly certain it was Zha Wenbin, both shouted his name with relief.
Seeing them, Zha Wenbin couldn't believe they'd descended! Hurrying over, they accidentally landed on a pile of bones, turning them to black powder.
"Don't move! You could set off traps. Let me come to you!" warned Zha Wenbin. Though soldiers were brave, the sight of carbonized human bones made an impact.
When Zha Wenbin reached them, He Yichao stuck out his tongue playfully, knowing he'd get scolded.
Zha Wenbin couldn't help but laugh. "Didn't I tell you not to come down? Did you want to collect my remains?"
Seeing him reassured them, "Was there an earthquake? And what's with the dragon we saw?"
"Earthquake? That wasn't any quake," Zha laughed, pointing to the ceiling.
Zhuo Xiong widened his eyes, "A dragon friend? You've got connections!"
Zha felt his exasperation vanish. "Let's focus. Professor Wang and Miss Leng are ahead. Let's save them!"
He Yichao called out, "Little Witch, Uncle Wang! Where are you?"
No reply. Zha Wenbin realized something: "It's right on the cliff edge. It was talking before. Hope nothing's happened! Let's go!"
He led, bypassing brittle bones. They knew the hanging bronze coffin was significant but had no choice but to pass.
The bone path allowed only one at a time, so they went single file—Zha Wenbin, then Zhuo Xiong, with He Yichao in the rear. The tension made their pace a brisk jog.
Near the bronze coffin, Zha slowed, seeing another large bronze box. Zhuo Xiong paused, marveling at its size, while He Yichao bumped into him.
Off-balance, Zhuo grabbed a dangling chain, flinching as his finger was pricked, causing blood to drip on the bronze coffin.
Instantly, a tremor ran through the air. Cracks appeared in the chains, a sign of imminent collapse. Rocks started falling, crushing the carbonized bones with each impact.
The scouts didn't waste time, springing from the path. Zha Wenbin's only thought: escape the bone pit fast! Stone crashes and chain clinks echoed around them. They sprinted, ignoring sharp bones, knowing Zha Wenbin's familiarity with the Eight Trigrams formation meant an escape route.
What they couldn't see behind them was remarkable. When Zhuo Xiong's blood touched the bronze coffin, years of copper rust flaked away, revealing ancient inscriptions—the same script Zha Wenbin had seen in the General's Temple. The patterns gleamed like new, restoring the coffin to its original glory.
The massive coffin—five meters long, three meters wide—was a metallurgical masterpiece. Its lid depicted a great tree with three branches, each splitting into three limbs, totaling nine. Every limb bore three copper leaves—twenty-seven in all. Each leaf had three unique insects engraved on it—eighty-one insects total! The inscriptions formed seven lines of seven characters each—forty-nine characters in all!
The coffin's front bore a dragon's head; its rear, a dragon's tail. Its sides revealed dragon wings, matching the "ghost fire" dragon Zha Wenbin had released earlier. As the last rust flaked off, two enormous eyes appeared, consuming a quarter of the dragon's head—terrifying to behold!
The chains binding the coffin began snapping loudly. The trio couldn't notice this transformation as they fled, rocks crashing all around them.
Once safe, they stopped to catch their breath, hands on knees. Behind them, chaos: the pool, once littered with bones, now crammed with rocks of varying sizes.
He Yichao panted, "Blind Man! What just happened? If not for quick feet, those rocks would've crushed us!"
Despite being a veteran scout, Zhuo Xiong quivered, "What did I do? You pushed me! I lost my footing. I'd have fallen rather than touch that."
Zha Wenbin knew that mere blood dripping onto the coffin rewrote their fate. He didn't understand why he feared the bronze coffin so intensely. He'd seen many coffins but never an ancient bronze artifact like this—something from legends beyond even the Zhou Dynasty. Who knew if modern rules applied to such ancient treasures?
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He might handle a spirit, but mechanical traps made humans vulnerable—one rock could end him instantly. From his first day learning the Dao, his master taught him: never read your own fortune or invite divine retribution! He couldn't predict when disaster would strike. True Daoists understand life's ways and help others, never defying fate. Those who challenge heaven become mere taboos in Daoism!
But there was no time to contemplate. He remembered Leng Yiran waving from a rock crevice above. "Yichao, you're agile. Try climbing up there," he pointed. "Professor Wang and the others are inside."
The wall stood twenty meters high with barely any footholds. He Yichao borrowed Zhuo Xiong's military knife, draped a rope over his shoulder, and approached the seemingly impossible climb.
Despite appearances, he found tiny crevices, alternately jamming the knife into them. Halfway up, he grinned down, "No problem here!"
From his height, He Yichao saw what the others couldn't—the coffin's chains had completely broken, and its lid had cracked open slightly. The bronze coffin weighed at least a thousand pounds, yet was moving without any apparent cause. The gap widened gradually, as if something was pushing from within.
He'd been clinging to the cliff for over a minute, staring not at his companions but at something in the distance.
Zhuo Xiong shouted, "Yichao! What are you doing? Get up there fast!"
He Yichao, knife pointed forward, face flushed, could only stammer, "That..."
Zha Wenbin looked confused. "What is it? If you can't make it, come down and let me try!" He rolled up his sleeves, ready to climb.
Then he noticed He Yichao's extended pause. Following his gaze, Zha saw the chains connecting the bronze coffin showing signs of cracking. Under immense strain, the four chains descended slowly, cracks spreading outward. This was serious—natural forces impossible to fight. "Yichao, don't just stand there! Hurry and get them down! We're running out of time! This place might collapse!"
Already high above, He Yichao stopped looking back. He needed to move quickly. Like a monkey, he scaled the wall with his knife, darting into the crevice without a word to those below. Inside, he found Professor Wang and Leng Yiran unconscious, faces pale.
Checking their pulses, he confirmed they were breathing. Professor Wang was barely hanging on. He Yichao tied a rope around a large rock and threw it down. "They're both here and alive! Blind Man, hurry up and get one of them!"
This news gave Zhuo Xiong and Zha Wenbin hope amid danger. Their friends lived—there was still a chance!
Zhuo Xiong grabbed the rope without hesitation. His training kicked in; he scaled the twenty-meter rock face in under ten seconds, moving as if on flat ground. Zha Wenbin watched the widening crack above. "Hurry! No time!"
With mounting pressure, He Yichao took responsibility for carrying Leng Yiran. She was unconscious and limp—a fall would be disastrous. The two friends tore their tactical vests into strips, creating makeshift harnesses to secure their unconscious comrades for the descent.
Since the climbing rope was compromised, they had to descend separately.
Zhuo Xiong, carrying the critical Professor Wang, went first—slower than before due to the added weight. Zha Wenbin urged from below, "Faster! Faster!" He Yichao understood the urgency, seeing the cliff crack and the bronze coffin now two-thirds open.
As soon as Zhuo Xiong hit the ground, He Yichao grabbed the rope. Zha Wenbin and Zhuo Xiong shouted, "Yichao, hurry!" The cracks above the chains were ready to rupture, making the solid rock look fragile. Had He Yichao looked back, he'd have seen the coffin fully open.
Just five meters from the ground, a tremendous rumble filled the air. Stones flew everywhere as the cliff gave way completely. A series of deafening metallic crashes followed, creating a cacophony that forced everyone to cover their ears. The shockwave knocked He Yichao off the rope. Instinctively, he stabbed his knife into a narrow rock section, saving himself but tearing his palms in the process.
He couldn't focus on the pain. The important thing was survival. He landed in a protective crouch, keeping Leng Yiran safe on his back.
After the dust settled, they wiped ash from their faces and checked each other. All were covered in bone dust, and the water pool was now buried under rubble. Zhuo Xiong looked around, bewildered. "Wenbin, aren't those the four coffins from the village?"
He Yichao, the only one who'd witnessed everything, explained, "I noticed it moving when I was climbing. I wanted to tell you, but it was too late—now it's fully open."
Zha Wenbin couldn't determine if this was ritual or destiny. What awaited them? The four coffins appeared to have been pulled down by the chains. What force could move such massive coffins through solid rock? Perhaps these weren't the same coffins from above but had been hanging from this cliff all along! If they wanted to escape, they'd have to face whatever lay ahead—ghost or spirit. If something blocked their path, even the King of Hell himself, Zha would pluck his beard hairs!
Suddenly, a chill wind blew through, nearly knocking the three off their feet. As they stared at the five coffins ahead, it was apparent that whatever was about to happen was inevitable!
Chinese Words/Phrases in Chapter 14 The Gathering
Daoist Practitioners and Sects
1. "Daoist" (道家) - Practitioners of Daoism, a philosophical and religious tradition that emphasizes living in harmony with the Dao or "Way".
Divination Tools and Objects
1. "Eight Trigrams" (八卦) - A set of symbolic signs used in Daoist cosmology representing the fundamental principles of reality, often used for divination.
2. "Five Elements" (五行) - The five basic elements (Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water) believed to constitute all phenomena in the universe, used in Chinese cosmology and divination.
Ritual Practices and Techniques
1. "Learning the Dao" (學道) - The process of studying Daoist teachings and practices under a master.
2. "Ghost fire" (鬼火) - A supernatural flame associated with spirits, which Zha Wenbin was able to control or release.
Cultural and Historical References
1. "King of Hell" (閻王) - The ruler of the underworld in Chinese mythology who judges the dead.
2. "Zhou Dynasty" (周朝) - An ancient Chinese dynasty (1046-256 BCE) mentioned as a reference point for historical antiquity.
3. "Divine retribution" (天譴) - Punishment from heaven for going against the natural order or fate.
Locations
1. "General's Temple" (將軍廟) - A temple mentioned in the text where Zha Wenbin previously saw ancient inscriptions similar to those on the bronze coffin.
2. "Tibet" (西藏) - A region mentioned where He Yichao and Zhuo Xiong apparently served together.
Character Names and Titles
1. "Zha Wenbin" (查文斌) - A main character with knowledge of Daoist practices and the Eight Trigrams.
2. "He Yichao" (何一超) - A character with archaeological and military experience.
3. "Zhuo Xiong" (卓雄) - A former soldier nicknamed "Blind Man" (盲人).
4. "Professor Wang" (王教授) - A professor on the archaeological team, referred to respectfully as "Uncle Wang" by some characters.
5. "Little Witch" (小巫) - Nickname for Leng Yiran, suggesting she may have some supernatural abilities.
6. "Leng Yiran" (冷藝然) - A female character on the archaeological team.