Yang Erdan was absolutely determined to go, and only after Old Sheepskin repeatedly pressed him did he learn that a band of tomb-robbing bandits belonging to the Ni'er Hui (Mud Society) was operating in the Greater Khingan Range. They were a low-tier, scattershot group—bold and prone to sinister practices—but utterly clueless about how to locate unmarked ancient tombs. Yang Erdan, being shrewder and possessing more diverse skills than Old Sheepskin, harbored wicked intentions and decided to join the Ni'er Hui after being introduced. At that time, the Ni'er Hui desperately needed someone like Yang Erdan; they offered him unlimited access to women and wealth, and most critically, they positioned him in the commanding seat of a "Golden Chair," fawning over him constantly. Yang Erdan, who had always lived by reading other people’s expressions and enduring a humble existence at the social bottom for so many years, perhaps lacked the backbone to strike out on his own. Coaxed by the sweet talk of the Ni'er Hui members, he became completely lost, happily accepting the offer to become the "Da Gui" (Chief Steward) of the Ni'er Hui in the Northeast.

Driven by insatiable greed, Yang Erdan traveled to the deep mountains of the Northeast to serve as the "Da Gui" for the tomb-robbing bandits of the Ni'er Hui. Old Sheepskin had only this one brother, whom he valued more than his own life. Seeing that Yang Erdan's mind was set and there was no other option, he had no choice but to follow him to the Three Eastern Provinces, taking on the role of the Ni'er Hui's "Dong Ju" (Consulting Officer), a position roughly equivalent to a modern technical advisor.

Though Old Sheepskin and Yang Erdan were actual brothers, their temperaments were poles apart. Yang Erdan was ambitious, whereas Old Sheepskin was timid and conflict-averse, desiring only a quiet, law-abiding life. Furthermore, Old Sheepskin was deeply superstitious, revering ghosts and gods with ingrained beliefs. Yet, as the saying goes, "Those who fear ghosts do not rob tombs; those who rob tombs do not fear ghosts." Given his personality, he was utterly unsuited for vocations like "Dao Dou" (tomb raiding) or operating a "Xiong Ju" (Sinister Depot).

The so-called "Xiong Ju" referred to a clandestine operation tomb robbers used to cover their tracks. After acquiring valuable burial artifacts from ancient tombs and desolate graves, these robbers needed to trade them and find buyers. In the old days, communication was primitive, and life moved at a slower pace. To facilitate contact with buyers and expand their market, they utilized the underworld's "Er Huangzi" (Double Facade). None of the tomb robbers doing business operated an antique shop; instead, they specialized in selling various funeral supplies—such as paper horses, incense, and paper effigies of people, horses, oxen, houses, and sedan chairs—things supposedly needed in the netherworld.

A shop dealing in legitimate funeral supplies differed by only one character, being called a "Xiong Si" (Sinister Shop). However, the shops run by tomb robbers were different from ordinary paper crafting establishments. In the past, commercial shops displayed a huangzi (a hanging banner) outside their doors, immediately signaling their specific wares. Tomb robbers who opened paper crafting shops would invariably hang a string of white paper money—seventy-two pieces in total, corresponding to the number of Earthly Fiends. These paper bills were invariably stamped with ominous markings (Xiong Wen). Legitimate business owners, even those selling paper horses and incense, would never hang such inauspicious paper money on their banners. Any shop hanging a string of seventy pieces of paper money was known in the trade as a "Xiong Ju," implying it was either operated by tomb robbers or, at the very least, a place specifically used for fencing stolen goods acquired by tomb robbers.

Artisans skilled in "Dao Dou" performed a "sweeping excavation" every time they worked—as the saying went, "When the thief arrives, it’s like a shave"—leaving nothing behind in the tomb. They wouldn't even spare the contents from the deceased's lower orifices. Precious Ming Qi (objects buried with the dead) were easily liquidated, while smaller odds and ends, or Ming Qi for which a suitable buyer couldn't be found immediately, were all deposited into the "Xiong Ju." Every few days, merchants dealing in antiques would arrive to make acquisitions. During negotiations, they exchanged coded jargon and secret phrases. The paper horses and incense openly displayed in the shop were entirely a facade, invisible to most people unfamiliar with these customs.

The tomb-robbing chieftain named Chen operated several "Xiong Ju" establishments across Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces, privately dealing in Ming Qi. Old Sheepskin once served as the "Zha Gui" (accountant/gatekeeper) for him, an experience that nearly left him with a permanent psychological affliction. The Ming Qi from ancient tombs were saturated with dark energy and accumulated for ages, their scent of decay impossible to eliminate. Moreover, inexplicable, strange occurrences often manifested around some of these artifacts. Old Sheepskin was simply not cut out for this line of work, and his subsequent experiences joining his associates in robbing and excavating graves brought him many terrifying encounters that his psyche simply could not withstand.

After the whereabouts of the Chen chieftain became unknown, Old Sheepskin planned to use the savings he had accumulated over those two years to retire to the countryside and live a quiet, upright life, relinquishing his Black Tiger Talisman, washing his hands of the business of constantly dealing with the dead and their grave goods. However, fate played a cruel trick; to look after his brother Yang Erdan, he had no choice but to follow him to the Northeast and become the bandit's "Dong Ju."

The Ni'er Hui's effort to win over the Sheepskin brothers and install Yang Erdan as the Da Gui was not born of sincerity but rather from viewing them as disposable tools. The true authority within the Ni'er Hui belonged to the "Tongsuan Xiansheng" (Master Calculator) of the gang. This man had previously been a school teacher, had dug mud in rivers, and had worked as a wandering fortune teller. Having roamed for many years, he was worldly-wise, yet profoundly cunning, treacherous, black-hearted, and ruthless. For the sake of profit, there was nothing he dared not do. The bandits under his command did more than just rob tombs; they committed countless other heinous acts, earning a reputation for absolute wickedness.

Tongsuan Xiansheng and Yang Erdan led the Ni'er Hui bandits into the deep mountains and old forests, digging the mountainous regions riddled with potential tombs. They then sold the Ming Qi recovered from the graves, acquiring wealth and opium, which they squandered lavishly. As long as a buyer offered a high enough price, they didn't care if they sold to Japanese merchants and earned the infamy of being traitors (Han Jian); any slight dissent within the ranks was met with assassination by Tongsuan Xiansheng.

Old Sheepskin realized that continuing with the Ni'er Hui would inevitably lead to a disastrous end. He repeatedly smashed his head against the wall trying to persuade Yang Erdan to turn back, but Yang Erdan was bewitched, completely dismissing the warnings, fully committed to walking this dark path to the very end. Being a bandit meant luxury, indulgence, killing men, defiling women, smoking opium, and enjoying illicit wealth. If Heaven was the greatest authority, then the bandit was the second greatest; it was far more thrilling than being a meek, law-abiding commoner. To live once on this earth, one must live fully to feel it was worthwhile.

That winter, a Japanese man arrived seeking out Tongsuan Xiansheng of the Ni'er Hui. The two conferred secretly behind closed doors regarding a major plan. It turned out that through trading antiques, Tongsuan Xiansheng had established connections with the Japanese Black Dragon Society and gained their trust. The Japanese Kwantung Army was currently searching for an item lost somewhere among the Chinese populace, and intelligence suggested it might be buried in a certain tomb or beneath a temple pagoda.