shook his head. "The Black City of Xixia is buried beneath the sands, and the arts of moving mountains and draining seas are truly powerless against it. However, ancient legends speak of a lineage of Mojin Xiaowei—Grave Robbers—who specialize in locating mountains, tracing dragon veins, and determining auspicious burial sites through Feng Shui. Their Dragon-Seeking Formula incorporates celestial astrology and terrestrial geomancy, allowing them to gaze upon the stars and discern the pulse of the earth. If one could master this art, or secure the aid of a Mojin Xiaowei, finding the ancient ruins of the Great Buddha Temple in Black City would be as simple as reaching into one’s pocket."

Chen Xiazi replied, "A Mojin Xiaowei? Rumor has it that by the time of Master Zhang in the late Qing Dynasty, only three Mojin Talismans remained in the world. After the Republic era, there was no further word of Mojin deeds. Even if a few masters of dividing yin and yang still exist today, where in the world would one find such reclusive, high-level experts?"

It was whispered that the abbot of Wuku Temple was once a Mojin Xiaowei before taking his vows, but... the world nowadays is rife with trickery and charlatans. Chen Xiazi and had never dealt with that elder and could not verify his true origins. Furthermore, although the old monk possessed profound Buddhist understanding, he was well advanced in years; who knew if he was even still alive? Moreover, it was uncertain whether the celestial astrology and geomancy techniques of the Mojin Xiaowei could even be deployed in the vast desert.

Both and Chen Xiazi had pressing matters to attend to, and both believed the other’s proposed endeavor was tenuous and unlikely to succeed. Having made up their minds, not even eight horses and nine oxen could turn them back. In the end, they could only agree that "each has their own ambition; one should not force the issue." They parted ways in Xiangyin, one heading for the Tomb of the Xian King, the other for Black City.

A few days later, news arrived: bandits and ruffians from the vicinity of Laoxiong Ridge had mobilized en masse, descending upon the ancient Dan Palace tomb in Pingshan to dredge for treasure. Fierce armed conflicts erupted between various factions, resulting in numerous casualties. Not only was the ancestral cave of the Dan Palace destroyed, but these miscreants had also tasted success, realizing grave robbing could yield immense wealth. They gathered forces, broke into the local county seat, and used explosives to blast open the "Fengming Ancient Pagoda" in Nüqing County.

This ancient pagoda was reputed to possess peculiar spiritual power. Historically, it had been rebuilt eight times, and each reconstruction collapsed within a decade—not due to shoddy work or vandalism, but for inexplicable reasons. It was only during its final restoration in the Yuan Dynasty that it remained standing to this day, a famous local landmark.

The bandits and local warlords, capitalizing on the commotion from the Pingshan tomb raiding, subjected the old monk guarding the pagoda to torture, learning that a tomb lay buried beneath the Fengming Pagoda, possibly belonging to a foreign monk who died alongside the Yuan Dynasty general from Pingshan.

Upon receiving this intelligence, the horde immediately detonated the pagoda. Beneath the foundation, they indeed found several massive stone doors weighing thousands of pounds. However, inside, beyond the foreign monk's golden effigy, there was little treasure. A bizarre incident involving a reanimated corpse spitting out an elixir ensued, and in the chaos, someone ignited leftover explosives, leading to countless deaths. The common folk lamented that the destruction of the pagoda had broken the seal on the Mountain Corpse King, causing every household to post Chenzhou talismans, plunging the entirety of Laoxiong Ridge into disorder and unsettling the surrounding areas.

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiazi was furious. The failure of the Xieling bandits had inadvertently benefited these low-class thieves, filling him with mounting frustration. He began contemplating a major action to reassert their prestige.

Coincidentally, the fifteenth day of the third lunar month arrived—the traditional day when Lord Guan sharpens his great saber—marking the annual Rite of Rewards and Punishments. All affiliated gangs and highwaymen of Changsheng Mountain were required to convene from their various locations on this day. They set up an incense hall in the Martial Saint Temple in Xiangyin, setting out devotional tablets and portraits, summoning the chieftains of all robber bands. Seven to eight hundred men assembled before the hall.

It never failed to rain on the fifteenth of March, and this day was no exception. The sky was overcast, draped in mournful, fine rain. Distant thunder rumbled deep within the dark clouds. Although the hall was spacious, it could only accommodate a hundred people; the remaining hundreds had no choice but to stand silently in the downpour. Having just suffered a defeat, the atmosphere was unusually heavy, unlike in previous years. Nearly a thousand people observed a profound silence.

First, the bandit leader, Chen Xiazi, stepped forward. He led the assembly in bowing before Guan Gong’s blade, then burned incense and offered prayers before the altar. In the world of the Green Forest, incense burning differed from common practice: according to ancient custom, robbers and highwaymen must burn three and a half sticks, a practice embedded with the maxim, "Sui Dao Shang Yi" (Even bandits uphold righteousness), symbolizing three and a half measures of loyalty.

The first stick was burned for Yang Jiao'ai and Zuo Botao from the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. These two men traveled together to serve the State of Chu. Halfway there, they ran out of provisions, enough only for one to survive. Zuo Botao committed suicide to ensure Yang Jiao'ai could reach Chu, leaving his clothes and food for his friend, sacrificing his life to help Yang Jiao'ai achieve his goals. The virtue of these ancients remains moving to this day.

The remaining two sticks were dedicated to the sworn brothers of the Peach Garden—Liu Bei, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei—and to the One Hundred and Eight Heroes of Liangshan Marsh. They embodied both the brotherhood of "righteousness" and the fealty of "loyalty." Together with Yang and Zuo, they were all figures who refused to betray one another even unto death, their stories passed down as legends worthy of profound reverence and full incense offerings.

The final "half-stick of incense" was reserved for the heroes of the Wagang Fortress. Why could the Wagang heroes not receive a full offering? During the Sui and Tang Dynasties, Emperor Yang of Sui ruled unjustly, throwing the realm into chaos. The Thirty-Six Friends of Jia Family Tower swore brotherhood and revolted, gathering at Wagang Fortress, raising their banner to enforce Heaven's will, punishing the unjust, and achieving widespread renown for a time. However, this group later submitted to the Li Tang Dynasty, following Heaven’s mandate. Only Shan Tong (Shan Xiongxin) refused to surrender to the Tang, meeting his death. When he was led to the execution ground, among all his sworn brothers, only Qin Qiong (Qin Shubao) came to see him off. Thus, the righteousness of Wagang was incomplete, and they could only be honored with half the incense offering, as a lesson for posterity.

After offering incense to the divine spirits, the Xieling bandits proceeded with their annual assessment of merits and demerits, during which any transgressions were also punished. As the saying goes, "Even a thief has his code." Highwaymen who turned to banditry because of official oppression or who sought refuge in the Green Forest due to unappreciated talents were not to be ashamed of their path. However, highwaymen had their own stringent rules, and violating a taboo meant courting death. The punishments within Changsheng Mountain were exceedingly severe.

Chen Xiazi commanded the Head Executor of Punishments to step forward and reiterate the commandments of Changsheng Mountain. The executor first arranged various torture implements on the incense table before publicly reading aloud: "Shedding light on others' affairs, forgetting loyalty and righteousness—a broken leg, severed hand, buried deep; insubordination toward superiors, disrespecting the order—eighty red cudgels will scorch the flesh; collusion or leaking secrets—even three knives and six holes will not spare the offender; careless words harming the mountain’s name—chew your own tongue..."

When the executor finished reading the articles, Chen Xiazi beckoned, and several heavily bound bandits were dragged before the hall. These men were the cowards who had fled during the Pingshan collapse, abandoning their loot alongside deserting soldiers of the warlord forces. They had since been recaptured. Seeing the grim expression on their leader’s face and the murderous atmosphere pervading the temple, they knew death was certain, and they trembled violently.

Chen Xiazi asked the executor, "According to the rules of our Changsheng Mountain, how are those who secretly hoard wealth or desert in the face of battle to be dealt with?"

The executor replied, "This is a grave offense, unforgivable. By regulation, they should be separated from their heads by the white blade, and they may not be buried intact after death." The seven or eight bound men heard every word clearly, their faces turning ashen. Facing the end, they could blame no one but themselves and closed their eyes to await death. The remaining crowd watched in terror.

But Chen Xiazi declared, "The collapse at Pingshan cost us many brothers. That was my error in judgment, a failure to plan adequately beforehand. If the rule dictates decapitation by the blade, then my head should be taken first. While these few brothers committed faults, their crimes do not warrant death; simple Miedeng punishment [gouging out eyes] should suffice."

The bandits were struck by the leader’s open admission of fault and quickly tried to dissuade him. They argued that the Pingshan incident was an act of Heaven, a setback Changsheng Mountain had to endure, beyond human control, and not the fault of any single person. Changsheng Mountain could not afford to be without a head; they needed their helmsman to lead them back to glory.

Chen Xiazi, unwilling to part with his own substantial body, had merely been posturing while feigning a desire for self-sacrifice. Persuaded by the crowd, he readily accepted the excuse, using the opportunity to spare the few men, ordering them instead to redeem themselves through service alongside him. The spared bandits wept torrentially, utterly submitting to his command.

Chen Xiazi walked to the front of the hall and spoke loudly for all the assembled robbers to hear: "The world is in decline now, truly a time for heroes and capable men to make their mark. Our ten thousand strong Xieling robbers, scattered since the defeat of the Red Eyebrows Army in the Han Dynasty, have long lurked in the mountains and wandered the martial world. Though we have only busied ourselves with digging up tombs and dividing spoils, great ambitions have always resided within us. Looking at the state of the world—the four seas are turbulent, and the hearts of men yearn for change. How can we remain unmoved? Those who understand the times are worthy of praise; those who grasp the world's trends are true heroes. At this opportune moment, let us heroes unite our wills, let us brave men join hearts, and we shall surely achieve wealth, purple robes, and an entry into the annals of history—a life worthwhile, though fleeting as the seasonal grass."

The assembled robbers, being men of the wilds, were stirred by Chen Xiazi's highly inflammatory words and immediately roared their assent. However, the warlords in the north wielded immense power with their foreign guns and artillery, which were devastatingly effective. While Changsheng Mountain had a few skirmishes with warlords, they could not compete. Without a large supply of advanced weaponry, success was impossible.

Chen Xiazi stated that the Xieling bandits had always focused on extracting profit from tomb raiding. In ancient times, a single imperial tomb could hold half the wealth of the entire realm. If they could successfully raid one intact imperial tomb or the tomb of a major vassal king, the gold, jewels, and ancient artifacts inside would suffice to keep ten thousand men supplied for months without end. He had recently learned that behind Zhelong Mountain, along the banks of the Lancang River, lay the Tomb of the Xian King. Its treasures were so opulent and grand that they were said to be beyond mortal comprehension. If they could plunder this tomb, their great undertaking would surely succeed; the treasures within would last ten generations.

But Yunnan was distant, high in the mountains, a journey requiring arduous travel that could not be accomplished overnight. Moreover, it was a desolate region far outside the sphere of influence of Changsheng Mountain, presenting innumerable and unimaginable dangers. Yet, it was also an opportunity to establish fame and acquire staggering wealth. Those bandits with great ambition immediately wished to follow; the seasoned and cautious objected. Many were undecided, leading to a flurry of discussion.

Since suffering the setback at Pingshan, Chen Xiazi felt that a larger group made achieving goals more difficult. This time, he only intended to take a few dozen men south to Yunnan. If they failed to rob the Tomb of the Xian King, the losses would not be too severe. If another thousand or so men were lost, even if others said nothing, he would have no face left to serve as helmsman. A thought flashed through his mind. When the clamor in the hall subsided slightly, he announced his intention to spread out yellow paper and invoke the ancient, inherited "Great Curse of the Red Chicken" (Guo Hong Ji), by which the selection of who would go and who would stay would be decided.

The robbers immediately agreed. This was an act of submitting to fate, preventing indecisiveness and hesitation. Those wishing to redeem themselves through service would naturally go; those marked by the Red Chicken would have no further grounds for argument.

The term "Green Forest" refers to the underworld; setting up meetings and swearing allegiance always involved "slaughtering a chicken head, burning yellow paper, and taking solemn oaths." The "Guo Hong Ji" was a specific type of "Chicken Selection Decree" (Cai Ji Ling), not for swearing brotherhood, but for selecting the so-called Dare-to-Die Squad for tomb raiding.

How was the Guo Hong Ji performed? Amidst the dim, misty rain, the Kuan Ti Temple was brightly lit by candles. First, the "Writing Brush" was brought forth, and the names of all the Xieling bandits were inscribed on an extremely large sheet of yellow paper. Because there were so many people, the paper, once finished, was dense with names, leaving almost no space between them. The helpers who would accompany the bandit leader to Zhelong Mountain in Yunnan would be chosen from this list; how many would go, and who they would be, was left to Heaven’s will.

A deacon of the Chicken Selection then chose a vibrant, living rooster. He sang a "Praise of Chicken Selection" before the crowd, which consisted of verses like: "This chicken came from the heavens above, what is its purpose descending to the mortal world? Mortals have no use for it, so the disciples take it to select the Red Chicken..." Once the praises were sung, the deacon knelt on one knee before Chen Xiazi, holding the gleaming blade in his mouth, and asked, "Dare I ask, Helm Master, shall this Phoenix Chicken be selected by decree of the writing, or by decree of martial force?"

Chen Xiazi, who had been seated grandly, rose and bowed toward the Phoenix Chicken. He then said to the executor, "According to the old custom of the Red Eyebrows, this is the Nomination Warrant of the Red Chicken. It requires neither literary talent nor martial prowess; it depends on the comrade's spoken word."

The executor received the command for "Oral Talent." Holding the sharp blade between his teeth, he brought the large rooster close to his face, tossed his head, and let the blade in his mouth slash across the chicken's neck. The executor then released the knife, shouted, "It’s bled red!" and gripped the dying chicken, its windpipe torn. He swept it across the top of the yellow paper covered with names, moving from west to east, directly over the parchment laid out on the incense table. The blood surged out, sprinkling the paper drop by drop.

Any name dotted by the chicken blood was considered "touched by red." These individuals were designated to follow Chen Xiazi to Yunnan for the enterprise. Counting them up, there were slightly more than thirty people, whose names were immediately announced.

The bandits whose names were not touched by the red celebrated by clasping their hands in congratulations to the marked men, offering them wine. Those whose names were chosen were required to drink three bowls of blood wine to steady their nerves. The wine was drained completely. The blood was that of the golden chicken, and the wine was Dukang liquor. Drinking the blood wine signified the removal of the ominous energy from the red mark on the nomination warrant. The bandit leader also distributed a sum of money to each man on the spot to settle matters for their families, calling it "Life-Securing Money."