Below the peak of Bottle Mountain, mist swirled beneath a fissure in the rock—a bottomless, natural rift that exposed the ancient tomb within the mountain’s belly. If they could reach the subterranean palace directly, it would save them the immense trouble of carving a path through the mountain. But the legends of the Bottle Mountain tomb had circulated for ages, and no grave robber had ever managed to retrieve any treasure. Local bandits and mountain rogues had attempted entry several times through the earthquake-created crack, but most had paid with their lives. No one could guess what dangers lay concealed beneath that perpetual fog.

While the others weren't watching, Old Man Luo forced the familiar Miao guide to investigate the ancient tomb palace at the base of the sheer cliff, just to see exactly what sort of place swallowed men whole. Back then, the warlords were gods among men. There was a local proverb perfectly describing their conduct: "A curse word is a free ticket, and a Browning pistol is a passport." They’d eat, drink, gamble, and consort with women without paying a cent, then slap the casing of their gun and walk away. Killing a few peasants in the mountains was easier than crushing ants, so why would they spare a thought for the life of a single Miao man?

With a gun barrel pressed against his forehead, the guide soiled himself instantly, his knees buckling as he dropped to the ground, clutching Old Man Luo’s leg and begging desperately for mercy. This chasm on the mountain peak was treacherous and steep; a coward would feel dizzy and weak just looking down from the height, let alone dare to descend in search of an ancient tomb palace.

Old Man Luo paid him no mind, dragging the man like a sack of wet laundry to the cliff's edge, ready to kick him over. Just then, the colored mist inside the mountain suddenly surged upward, and a rumbling sound echoed from the deep gorge, like the grinding of colossal chariot wheels, shaking the loose stones until the very earth seemed to split and collapse. Blind Chen’s face changed drastically; he waved his hand and shouted, "It’s the Zhu Lanzi! Retreat!"

The others, seeing their leader signal a hasty withdrawal, knew disaster was near. Even Old Man Luo forgot the Miao guide, and everyone spun around, fleeing down the mountain as if pursued by specters. They only stopped once they reached the mountainside. Blind Chen let out a long breath. "That was close. This mountain truly holds something strange. That rainbow vapor in the deep gorge isn't the precious qi of a tomb at all; it's a monstrous miasma exhaled by venomous creatures—poisonous snakes, centipedes... I can’t say exactly what they are yet, but judging by the sound, these must be toxins cultivated for a hundred years. The sun has just begun to shift, and the poisonous mist is already rising from the depths. Had we lingered on the peak a moment longer, we’d all be dead from poison by now."

Old Man Luo, Hua Maguai, and the others were chilled by the news. In those days, anti-toxin measures were crude. This gang of murderers, unafraid of water, fire, or steel, feared only toxic gas. Moreover, since they couldn't identify the source of the poison, there was no known antidote; once infected, survival was impossible. In the cant of the Xieling tomb robbers, a poisonous tomb was invariably called a “Black Cellar” (Wu Jiao), and the leader of such a cellar was the "Pig Sty." Ancient pigpens were often situated next to cesspits, where the mingling odors were unbearable and universally avoided. Thus, the robbers referred to poison in the tomb as being in the Wu Jiao, as a means of keeping distance. This slang fell out of use after the late Qing dynasty and early Republic, and countless Xieling strongmen who made a living digging tombs had already perished in these "Black Cellars."

Seeing the venomous creatures stirring within the mountain, Old Man Luo was unwilling to give up and asked Blind Chen if they should simply abandon the effort.

Blind Chen shook his head, affecting an air of mystery. "A mountain man has his own clever ways. However, this is no place to discuss it. Let us return to the ridge first and then plan accordingly." Taking advantage of the early hour, he led the group back to the makeshift ancestral hall on the ridge, which the thieves converted into a temporary command post.

In front of Blind Chen, Old Man Luo didn't dare kill the guide, but he couldn't let him leave and betray military secrets either. He temporarily detained the man to serve as an orderly, assigning him chores like fetching water and sweeping.

The Miao guide, having narrowly escaped death, dared not disobey these powerful men. He hastily cleared out a spacious room in the ancestral hall, setting up a battered square table and a few chairs. Blind Chen, Old Man Luo, and the others sat down casually, finished their wine and food, and then plotted late into the night on how to plunder the great tomb within Bottle Mountain.

Blind Chen was the foremost authority among the Daodao Xieling masters, so the plans fell to him. After the day’s reconnaissance, they could confirm that the interior of Bottle Mountain contained at least three or five large caverns, interconnected by tunnels. The tunnel entrances were near the subterranean gate (Di Men), and though they were well-hidden, Blind Chen excelled at the "Listening" technique—using the wind, rain, thunder, and lightning to pinpoint the dragon's veins and locate the tomb entrance. Finding the approximate location of the tomb door wasn't difficult; with enough explosives, they could blast through a few layers of earth and certainly uncover the underground entrance. However, since the Yuan tomb was deeply buried with vast treasures, attacking it head-on using Xieling methods would likely require a colossal investment of manpower and resources.

Furthermore, the fissure on the mountaintop had split open at least two or three centuries ago, its sides looking as if sliced by a colossal blade. Colored mist perpetually rose from below, and the poisonous gas only slightly abated when the sun was high. Although the crevice offered a direct path to the subterranean palace, it was certain that some gigantic, venomous entity had claimed the ancient tomb as its lair. Descending directly through the gorge, even if they could evade the toxic miasma, would lead to certain consumption.

Considering these factors, Blind Chen felt that the Xieling force alone would struggle. He intended to wait for the Mountain Moving Daoists (Banshan Daoren) to come and assist. However, Hua Maguai and the others knew little of the Mountain Moving Split-Formula Art (Banshan Fen Jia Shu) and considered it nothing more than fantastical legend, unworthy of serious consideration. In this age ruled by the barrel of a gun, even gods couldn't outrun a volley of bullets; no matter how profound one’s skill, a single burst of automatic fire would lay them low. Could there truly be techniques surviving in this world?

Blind Chen rebuked them. "You are frogs in a well, knowing only that Xieling tomb robbing relies on superior numbers, supplemented by explosives, crude cannons, and various specialized tools. You dare belittle the world? Besides the common highway thieves, there are still the established schools of tomb raiding: Faqiu, Mojin, Banshan, and Xieling. Mojin robs using 'Spirit,' Xieling robs using 'Force,' but Banshan robs using 'Technique' (Shu). Its mechanisms are subtle, unfathomable to gods and ghosts—capable of moving mountains and filling seas, or slipping through the eye of a needle in an instant, traversing a thousand li unimpeded. How could there be no 'Technique'?"

Hua Maguai knew Blind Chen never flattered others at the expense of his own pride. Since he spoke this way, he must genuinely value the Mountain Moving Daoists' Split-Formula Art and recognized that the Bottle Mountain tomb was extraordinary. He concluded that combining the brute force of Xieling with the specialized techniques of Banshan was the only foolproof strategy, and he immediately bowed in respect.

Old Man Luo, listening to the bandit chief’s strategy, nervously scratched his head. "Damn his mother, by the time those old bastards of Daoists return from the Qian border, it’ll be too late for anything. This piece of meat within reach is turning sour…" He was loath to let the Mountain Moving Daoists claim a stake in Bottle Mountain. Regardless of whether the Daoists were seeking herbs or pearls, by the rules of the road, at least a portion of the tomb’s movable artifacts would have to be divided. The Xieling bandits could muster hundreds of master robbers throughout the Hunan and Hubei provinces at any time, and Marshal Luo, holding the second-in-command position, commanded tens of thousands of armed men. With such strength, did they really need to wait for those Daoists to help excavate a tomb? It wouldn't sound good if word got out; where would the face of the assembled Xieling thieves go?

Old Man Luo calculated his own advantage and persuaded Blind Chen not to wait for the Mountain Moving Daoists. "Let’s go it alone. We have a well-equipped Engineer Excavation Battalion. What tomb can’t we dig open? With proper planning, we can break into Bottle Mountain. It doesn't matter if we lose a thousand or eight hundred soldiers—lives are cheap these days. As long as we have silver dollars and opium, we raise the recruitment flag, and damn it, we’ll have plenty of men willing to eat rations. If we plunder the Bottle Mountain tomb and strike a massive fortune, we can have as many men and guns as we wish."

Blind Chen, already someone with immense self-regard, had twice had his life saved by the Banshan leader, Partridge Whistle (Zhegushao), during past dangers, and he harbored a lingering resentment, feeling inferior to the Daoists. Hearing Old Man Luo’s flattering words, he pondered and agreed it made sense. If the Xieling bandits succeeded alone, despite losses, achieving this great feat would show Partridge Whistle and his Daoists exactly what the Xieling gang under Chen's command was capable of, and how many years he had dedicated to hard study in the mountains. This grand opportunity to secure lasting fame could not be passed up.

With that thought, Blind Chen made up his mind. He looked around at the assembled men and declared, "Brothers, the Xieling bandits are descendants of the Red Eyebrows Uprising. We gather in fellowship, roam the greenwood, and uphold the ancestral teachings: executing justice on behalf of Heaven, striking down the wicked. I have heard: starving people devour their own young to survive, while the noble feast on jade and pearls. Truly, Heaven is blind, and the common folk are upside down. Now, there is the Bottle Mountain tomb, containing countless gold and pearls, solidified by the sweat and blood of the people. We of Xieling are destined to seize it, take all the treasures within, achieve greatness, and bring relief to this chaotic age."

No previous Xieling chief possessed the eloquence of Blind Chen, capable of presenting the sordid business of grave robbing with such upright conviction and fierce passion. Old Man Luo and the others were stunned into admiration and immediately began offering suggestions and planning the various logistics of the operation.

Blind Chen first ordered Old Man Luo to draft a transfer order, affixing his seal, and hand it to the mute Kunlun Mole (Moluo) to take down the mountain immediately to rally the troops. The forces hidden near the ancient border wall of the Miao territory were divided into three groups. One contingent, nearly a hundred strong, consisted of horsemen from Xiangyin, directly under Blind Chen’s command as part of the Xieling bandits. The others were two units belonging to Old Man Luo. The largest contingent, several hundred men strong, was the so-called "Engineer Battalion." In reality, in the irregular armies of these petty warlords, organizational structures were rarely standard, and professional engineering units were usually absent. The unit Luo formed specialized not in building fortifications or laying mines; they were, in fact, a dedicated tomb-digging crew, chosen for being reckless, not fearing death for money, and having received relevant training. They were equipped with standard Xieling tools and assigned numerous mules and horses to carry explosives, crude cannons, and stones, or to transport the treasures plundered from the graves.

There was also a Pistol Company, composed of Old Man Luo’s trusted confidants, serving as an enforcement squad. During the excavation, anyone caught trying to hoard artifacts or deserting would be executed on the spot. The Pistol Company soldiers were well-equipped with German-made weaponry—two Mauser C96s for every man, giving them formidable combat strength and firepower.

The "Twenty-Shots" and the "Big-Belly Box" were common nicknames for the German Mauser pistol. The largest magazine could hold twenty rounds, hence the name. Due to the constant warlord conflicts following the Xinhai Revolution, the international community imposed an arms embargo on China, restricting the purchase of submachine guns and heavy machine guns. However, the warlords found ways around the restrictions to increase their troops' firepower. German-made Mauser pistols were classified as self-defense handguns and were not included in the embargo. Yet, the weapon had a large caliber, long range, and significant lethality. It featured a selective fire switch; when set to rapid fire, twenty rounds could be swept out in a continuous stream, effectively turning it into a submachine gun. With a stock attached, its accuracy improved, allowing it to function as a carbine. By all measures, it was an extremely practical and reliable individual weapon.

Old Man Luo, having amassed wealth through tomb robbing, equipped this Pistol Company detachment, hiring German instructors for rigorous training, and commanding them directly. Their current operation in the wilds of Laoxiong Ridge along the Mengdong River in Western Hunan took place in a vacuum between several warlords' territories, making armed conflict a real possibility. To prevent his own Engineer Corps from becoming greedy and turning on him, he specifically requested the Pistol Company be brought along.

Blind Chen's plan was to strike simultaneously at the tomb entrance and the main palace. In addition to explosives, he ordered the Engineer Excavation Battalion to bring large basins of lime and Chenzhou sand, intending to use these materials against the giant snakes and venomous insects lurking in the crevices. Mute Kunlun Mole received the order and departed. He was a wild man of the mountains, possessing naturally long arms and legs, with ropey muscles covering his body and the soles of his feet thick with calluses—truly resembling a hairless black ape. Traversing mountains and scaling cliffs was like walking on level ground for him; the distance between Laoxiong Ridge and the Miao border wall was a minor task. However, the Engineer Battalion carried substantial supplies, so the mute man, having left that night, would likely only return with the troops by the following evening.

With the deployment finalized, the thieves spent the night quietly. As dawn broke, they ordered the guide to take them once more to the base of Bottle Mountain. This second reconnaissance involved circling the mountain. They observed that around Bottle Mountain, aside from towering ancient trees, several waterfalls—some clear, some murky—cascaded out from mountain fissures. The Miao guide explained that there were no natural water veins in the mountains; the outpouring must be due to heavy rains accumulating inside the mountain, washing out mud and rock down from the towering peak.

Seeing the pooled water in Bottle Mountain, Blind Chen frowned slightly, worried that the subterranean palace might be excessively flooded. Rainwater was highly corrosive to ancient artifacts. If that were the case, the movable treasures in the main hall might already be ruined, resulting in an empty effort. However, when listening for the dragon’s veins, he had sensed several cavern systems the size of small cities inside the mountain, connected by tunnels. Even if one or two were waterlogged, as long as the tomb passages had overlapping, sealed doors, a substantial portion of the chambers must remain intact, so there was no need for undue anxiety.

The group scouted around Bottle Mountain, continually spotting ancient stone beams and archways, remnants of architecture dating mostly from before the Song and Yuan dynasties, much of which had been demolished during the Yuan period. The Yuan tomb itself lacked surface structures or stone figures and steles, but subtle signs of rammed earth and sealed stone did not escape the Xieling chief’s notice. These locations were likely sacrificial pits, holding nothing of monetary value. As he observed, Blind Chen instructed his subordinate, Red Girl (Hong Niang), to sketch the terrain of Bottle Mountain on paper for reference. As the saying goes: a thousand feet reveal the overall posture, but a hundred feet examine the details. Observing from below the mountain, limited vision only allowed for discerning the shape, not the underlying pattern (shi); therefore, a detailed map was necessary.

Though the bizarrely shaped rock mountain was jagged and perilous, it still adhered to the principles of Yin and Yang, projecting an extraordinary presence. Blind Chen completed his circuit around the mountain as the sun began to sink. He dared not linger long in the dense woods and was preparing to lead the men back to the temporary headquarters in the ancestral hall. Halfway there, however, he suddenly spotted a cleared, empty grave pit in the forest. Inside, earth silkworms and earth rats scattered wildly upon seeing the intrusion. Weeds had already grown over the empty graves, leaving the area a wreck. Seeing this, Blind Chen was abruptly reminded of something. He lunged forward, grabbing the guide by the collar, and hissed, "Yesterday you said the corpse king was buried inside Bottle Mountain. What was the meaning of that?"

When questioned about this matter, the guide's expression turned even paler than a corpse's, as if facing imminent doom. "My chief, you must know, one must never venture into the mountain’s belly. None of us Dongs dare go there. Our entire clan knows Bottle Mountain is a place where corpses shift—a Yishi Di."