Chapter 28

In the treasure-rich area, where spirits and ghosts play tricks.

Sitting for a while longer, Shi Mei felt overwhelmingly sleepy yet resisted the urge to sleep, worried she might miss the game Bai She would roast.

Seeing Shi Mei's head nodding off like a dozing cat, Bai She suggested, "Take a nap."

Shi Mei, groggily looking up at him, asked, "When will you go hunting?"

Bai She, taken aback, eventually laughed, "I'll wait for the rain to stop."

"Oh," Shi Mei nodded and yawned.

Nearby, the three others had already fallen asleep. The burly man lay sprawled, snoring loudly, while the thin, tall man rested with closed eyes. The monk sat cross-legged, muttering what seemed like prayers under his breath.

Qin Xiang Lian, now seeing Shi Mei in a more favorable light, regretted not taking her hunting before. He was completely oblivious to Luan Jing Yi's current state next to him. Luan Jing Yi, sitting quietly beside Qin Xiang Lian, dared not lean closer, her eyes fixed on Shi Mei leaning on Bai She. Seeing Qin Xiang Lian's concern for Shi Mei and Bai She's formidable presence, Luan Jing Yi grew more self-pitying, wondering why things were the way they were.

Just as Shi Mei was about to give in to sleep, the sound of the rain outside the temple lightened, shifting from a downpour to a drizzle.

In her drowsy state, Shi Mei only heard the mournful whistling of the wind, resembling an old woman's cries, both hoarse and piercing.

Luan Jing Yi, being a sheltered lady, was thoroughly frightened by the eerie wind and clung to Qin Xiang Lian, whispering, "My lord."

Qin Xiang Lian turned to see her frightened and pitiful, and tenderly wrapped his arms around her, reassuring, "Don't be afraid, it's just the wind."

Luan Jing Yi nodded, feeling comforted by Qin Xiang Lian's affectionate gaze, secretly wishing for Shi Mei and Bai She to quickly unite and leave, sparing Qin Xiang Lian from divided affections.

Meanwhile, Shi Mei awoke, her eyes opening with a hint of confusion. After a moment of daze, she looked at Bai She beside her and asked, "Singing a tune?"

"Hmm?" Bai She was puzzled.

"I heard someone singing a tune," said Shi Mei.

Bai She frowned slightly, and Qin Xiang Lian across them was also taken aback. Everyone awake listened intently, and soon, amidst the whistling mountain wind, they discerned a strange melody, as if a woman was singing, the tune melodious and faintly discernible.

Shi Mei, who loved to follow the older servants to listen to operas as a child, could identify the tune.

"Sounds like Wenqin opera," she whispered to Bai She.

Bai She, slightly surprised, asked, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I knew an old lady from Qian Nan who loved humming this tune. Listen to its three-three-four pattern, and you can tell what she's singing. It sounds like a Qingyi role."

Bai She, following Shi Mei's cue on the three-three-four pattern, indeed discerned the lyrics, which were in the southwestern Mandarin dialect. He could understand most of it; the song was about:

"Heaven's wrath swift and severe,"

"Grievous calamities descend,"

"Plaguing me with famine and hunger,"

"Divine punishments descend,"

"Rebels causing strife within."

"Refugees scattered afar,"

"Blinded and confused,"

"Defeated, retreating in disarray,"

"Pacifying our nation."

……

"Seems like the lyrics are adapted from 'Zhao Min,'" observed Luan Jing Yi, well-versed in literature. She recognized the pattern from Shi Mei's description. 'Zhao Min' is a piece from the 'Daya,' criticizing King You of Zhou for his misrule and favoritism towards the unworthy, leading to the imminent downfall of the state.

"Damn it all."

At this moment, the large man who had been snoring awoke and cursed, "We've encountered a female Mao Zi."

Shi Mei, confused, moved closer to Bai She and asked, "What's a female Mao Zi?"

Before Bai She could respond, the monk explained, "Don't be frightened by his words, miss. 'Female Mao Zi' in our lingo means a female ghost pretending to be a corpse."

Shi Mei felt a chill, "Pretending to be a corpse... a ghost?"

"Heh heh," the large man, finding Shi Mei's reaction amusing, teased her, "You didn't know, huh? Ancient corpses are usually sealed away from light. If they get exposed, they might grow hair and come to life. These 'Mao Zi' are more dangerous than ordinary spirits, especially the females."

Shi Mei, though skeptical, was still visibly frightened by the tale, given their remote location in the mountains and the rumors she had heard about many ancient tombs in the Da Yu mountains.

"But..." After a moment, Shi Mei finally reacted and asked Bai She, "Why does this ghost have a southwestern accent?"

"Haha..." The big man laughed heartily at Shi Mei's question, explaining, "Ghosts have their regional dialects too... Let me tell you, those who die far from their hometown are even fiercer. They're called unsettled wandering ghosts."

Shi Mei leaned closer to Bai She and whispered, "Is he making this up?"

Bai She handed her a flask of wine, saying, "Take a sip to bolster your courage."

After pondering for a moment, Shi Mei took the flask, opened it, and drank a mouthful before handing it back to Bai She, who also took a sip.

Watching Bai She’s actions, as the mouth of the flask touched his lips and he swallowed the wine, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly, Shi Mei's face flushed considerably.

Bai She, after drinking, looked at her with a slightly lifted corner of his mouth, his lips still moist. Shi Mei looked down, not speaking anymore, thinking to herself how appealing this man was.

On the other side, Qin Xiang Lian was feeling frustrated. Bai She seemed unassuming, but he was indeed skillful!

At that moment, the sound of the wind outside grew louder, and the singing became clearer, as if it was floating around them. Shi Mei and Luan Jing Yi exchanged glances, setting aside their previous animosity, united in fear.

"It’s nothing to worry about."

The monk reassured everyone, "We’re in a temple; the ghost won’t dare to come inside."

"Really?" asked Shi Mei.

"Whether there’s really a ghost or not is debatable," said Bai She slowly. "We’ll only know if it’s real or fake when it actually shows up."

"Hehe," the big man nodded, addressing Bai She, "Brother, you seem to be a man of the martial world? With your skills, you must be someone significant. Are you here in the mountains searching for something?"

Baisha glanced at him and didn't hide the truth, simply saying, "A friend of mine died. I came to investigate how it happened."

The burly man nodded, then refrained from further questioning, only saying, "Do you know the secrets of these mountains?"

Baisha and Shimei exchanged glances, and even Qin Xianglian and the others tacitly shook their heads.

The man turned to Qin Xianglian and asked, "You seem to be from the official class. What brings you to these deep mountains and ancient forests?"

Qin Xianglian answered nonchalantly, "I'm here for some wild game with my lady."

Everyone was taken aback by Qin Xianglian's ambiguous comment. Luan Jing'er blushed and pushed him, and Qin Xianglian laughed heartily, saying, "I just heard there are treasures in these mountains, so I brought my men to have a look."

The man nodded and said, "Well... let me tell you. In our circles, there's a verse: 'In the east, Poyang with its eighty-three crevices; in the south, Wushan with its three peaks and eight sights; in the west, Qinling with its seventy-two valleys; in the north, Changbai with its thousand mountains and one peak; and in the center, Dayu with its ten thousand tombs and thousand lineages.'"

Listening, Shimei found it quite intriguing and asked, "Does this refer to famous landmarks in the east, south, west, north, and center?"

The man shook his head and said, "No, these are the five great treasure troves of the east, south, west, north, and center."

"Treasure troves?" Shimei exclaimed in surprise.

"The Qinling Mountains have always been considered a dragon vein, the foremost feng shui treasure. There are many imperial tombs there. Poyang Lake, that eerie place, is known for sinking ships. Legend has it that at the bottom of the lake are eighty-three crevices, each hiding an ancient ship laden with gold and silver. Wushan is a divine land with numerous ancient artifacts, but it's perilously difficult to access, and few venture there. The Changbai Mountain area, although not rich in tombs, abounds in treasures, mostly medicinal herbs. And here, the Dayu Mountain in the central region, known as the resting place of the Qilin, is said to rival Qinling in spiritual energy. Though it lacks the grand tombs of legendary emperors, it's home to nearly ten thousand graves of various landlords and clans," the burly man explained, taking a sip from his wine gourd. "Compared to the other treasure troves, Dayu Mountain is the least dangerous, attracting fewer experts and more novices. However, there's a recent rumor..."

"What rumor?" Shimei asked, curious.

"It's said that there's a jade Buddha bought by an obscure, short-lived emperor, not even mentioned in history books. This Buddha contains a mechanism, hiding a fortune. So, many are searching for it... but the clues are few and hard to follow."

Bai She inquired, "Without even knowing their names or surnames, how do you plan to find them?"

"Oh," the man shook his head, "That's not hard. Ancient people were meticulous, especially in building tombs. The grandeur of an emperor's tomb and a minor clan leader's burial site differ vastly. That emperor's tomb should be from the Five Dynasties period, characterized by distinct features. We make our living by distinguishing these details."

"Have you found anything yet?" Shi Mei asked. "I overheard you mentioning that you've been searching for three days without a clue."

The big man, finding Shi Mei straightforward and likable, responded, "Honestly, we haven't found anything. It's rather strange this time, attracting so many from the Jianghu."

"Jianghu people?" Bai She furrowed his brows slightly.

"At least two of the four big families have arrived," added the tall, thin man. "Usually, Jianghu people steer clear of our profession, deeming grave robbing shameful and fearing divine retribution. But this time, they've joined us in the mountains, so eager... Who wouldn’t believe there's a great treasure here?"

Nodding in understanding, Shi Mei turned to Bai She, who was silent, and asked, "Do you know Qiao Lao Kuan?"

Both the big man and Bai She were taken aback. Shi Mei winked at them – these were thieves, after all, perhaps familiar with each other.

"Yes, we know him," the tall man replied. "Heard he died?"

"Damn it," the big man cursed, slapping his thigh. "I still owe that kid for a feast. Can't believe he just up and died on me!"

"You were close?" Shi Mei inquired.

The monk turned around and said, "Grave robbers and house thieves, they are all thieves, known by their deeds. Qiao Lao Kuan is one of the greatest thieves, admired by his peers. It's natural to recognize him."

"He had been in these mountains before," noted the tall man. "And it seemed like he found something."

"What did he find?" Bai She asked.

"Uh..."

Just as the tall, thin man was about to speak, suddenly, a scream from Luan Jingyi cut through the air.

Shi Mei jumped at the sound, which was filled with terror.

Everyone turned to Luan Jingyi, who seemed terrified, wilting in Qin Xianglian's arms and pointing toward a broken window.

Qin Xianglian looked over and saw nothing but darkness outside the broken window. He asked, "What's wrong?"

"There was a woman standing there just now, with a pale white face!" Luan Jingyi's voice trembled as she clung to Qin Xianglian's hand, "Lord... it was so frightening."

Qin Xianglian frowned and signaled to a guard behind him. The guard moved to check outside, but before he could reach the door, the fire inside the temple flickered ominously.

Suddenly, the campfire before them turned a ghostly green. The eerie green flames leapt and danced, flaring up high before dying down again.

"Huh..." The big man gasped, "Damn it! That thing wants to come in!"

Everyone tensed, their eyes fixed on the windows and doors.

Shi Mei, also frightened, clutched Bai She's arm, whispering, "Is there really a ghost?"

Unlike everyone else's tension, Bai She remained expressionless. He casually stirred the firewood at the edge of the fire with his knife, calmly uttering, "All smoke and mirrors."