Professor Sun also chimed in with admiration, "This is Wangxia Peak. Legend says that during the great floods that ravaged the world, Yu the Great led the populace in taming the waters—an act that required nothing short of altering the very heavens and earth, necessitating the aid of divine powers. Thus, a goddess descended to this very spot to guide the vessels, and over the long years, she transformed into this mountain, hence the name Goddess Peak." He suddenly seemed to have an epiphany, murmuring to himself as if answering an inner question, "The wife does not arrive, the mountains do not open. Could the 'mountain-opening wife' mentioned in this riddle refer to Goddess Peak?"

As the clouds began to gather once more, shrouding the indistinct mountain form, Master Sun Jiu remained lost in thought in the carriage, repeatedly muttering, "The mountains do not open... ninety turns in a hundred steps..." as if utterly entranced.

I had reviewed Professor Sun's notes many times and knew that after years spent studying and deciphering ancient symbols, he had become overly fixated on hints within riddles, causing his mind to become rather rigid and prone to getting stuck in dead ends. Seeing him now connecting "Goddess Peak" with the "Earth Immortal's Tomb" again, I interjected, "The legend of Goddess Peak is ancient, practically belonging to the mythical age, and Yu the Great was hardly a headless king. In mythology, Xingtian brandished his shield and battle-axe; the Xingtian clan was headless, using their belly as a face, but Xingtian was not a king, nor did his deeds take place near the Wu Gorge. I don't think the line, 'The wife does not arrive, the mountains do not open,' has anything to do with these myths. There might be another corresponding legend within the Wushan mountain range."

Shirley Yang also suggested focusing our attention near "Qingxi Ancient Town." If Commander Feng's revelation about the entrance to the "Earth Immortal Village" was true, the "Earth Immortal Ancient Tomb" was almost certainly located where there was a salt well. Though no one had found it before, we possessed several advantages. Firstly, we already knew half of the riddle left by the Earth Immortal for the descendants of the Feng family. Secondly, we had a "trump card"—the bronze ancient mirror capable of divining the vital energy of the dragon veins. At a critical juncture, we could use it to gain some hints.

I subconsciously touched the "Guixu Bagua Mirror" in my backpack and told the others, "A while back, I asked my senior apprentice brother, Zhang Yingchuan, to help me study the use of the divination runes. Luckily, he is a master of divination and calculation, versed in many aspects of Yin and Yang. Coupled with studying the ancient hexagram chants of the Southern Sea Dang people, we finally made some headway recently. However, the oceanic energy within the ancient mirror is almost completely dissipated; it can probably only be used one more time, and even then, I'm not entirely certain we can decipher the resulting half-set of hexagrams. We absolutely cannot use it lightly unless it becomes a last resort. The secrets of Fàqiū, Mòjīn, Bānshān, and Xièlǐng left behind many ancient techniques for grave robbing and tracing dragon veins. I refuse to believe that the four methods of observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking are insufficient to deal with the mere guidance-to-the-lost technique of a local mine owner."

Master Sun scoffed, "You are all still too young, lacking experience. Do you think the Earth Immortal's tomb is something easily attained, like picking up fallen fruit? Through historical research, I surmise that the Ming Xiaoling Mausoleum, where Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang was interred, was sited and designed by a Guanshan Taibao. That Earth Immortal inherited that title from his ancestors, and even his Guanshan Gold Plaque was an imperial gift. Therefore, Guanshan Zhimi is by no means an empty claim; it should be considered the essence of traditional culture."

I felt just as skeptical about Professor Sun’s assertions. "If we follow that logic, then the Mojin Talisman is the ancestor of the Guanshan Waist Plate. Cao Cao's tomb was supposedly constructed by the Mojin Xiaowei—that is true artistry, seamlessly concealed—how can it compare to the tabletop layout of the Ming Xiaoling?"

Professor Sun sputtered, "Hu Bayi, you speak nonsense! That the Mojin Xiaowei built Cao Cao's tomb is just something you cooked up on the spot, isn't it? Which historical text records that? This is not the proper attitude for engaging with history; I refuse to discuss this with you."

I countered Professor Sun, "Consider this: throughout history, how many major events are omitted from official histories? History books have always been written by the authorities, and they write whatever they please. How would the scribes writing the official accounts ever learn of genuine state secrets? They can only leave a few vague, dark words on white paper for posterity to puzzle over. Even the History of the Qing Dynasty contains much that is obscure and confused."

I further informed Professor Sun that Cao Cao's tomb was hidden within a primordial chaos energy left over from when heaven and earth were unformed—seemingly nonexistent, yet present. For the burial, they first had to find a snake-maiden, scrape her scales, draw her blood within the tomb, and only take her rendered fat out of the chamber. Afterward, the tomb passage was sealed, making it impossible for anyone from the outside to perceive the tomb's shape again. During rituals, they had to light a lamp using the snake-maiden's rendered fat; only then would a red light flicker in the mountains, indicating where to offer sacrifices. After many years, once that lamp oil was exhausted, even the gods could not locate the tomb. These were the mystical skills of the ancient Mojin Xiaowei. Therefore, we must never underestimate the wisdom and techniques of the ancients; finding the 'Earth Immortal's Ancient Mound' in the Wushan Mountains should certainly not be taken lightly.

Professor Sun remained unconvinced. His strict principle was, "If even a single word is in a book, I can believe it; if there is no record whatsoever, I firmly do not believe it." He was exceedingly stubborn, and we argued incessantly all the way. Fatty, meanwhile, was snoring soundly, and no one noticed how long the car had been driving until Yaomeier suddenly called for the driver to stop.

I thought we had arrived at our destination and quickly woke Fatty up. The group filed out of the vehicle and stood looking around. All we saw was a vast expanse of mountains shrouded in swirling mist—precisely a place with "no village in front and no shop behind." I asked Yaomeier where we were.

Yaomeier said, "Didn't I tell you already? You young ones don't remember, do you? You have to walk the Five-Foot Road to reach Qingxi. From this mountain down, we'll be on the Five-Foot Road."

I glanced back at the car that brought us; it had already vanished from sight. I had intended to settle in a county town before proceeding, but plans always give way to reality. Now, we had no choice but to enter the mountains directly from here. Yaomeier had only walked this path once in her life; who knew how long it would take to reach the destination?

The five of us followed a narrow, winding mountain path, tracing the contours of the ridge. Soon, we found traces of the ancient plank road—a section where stone slabs and wooden planks formed the "Five-Foot Road," suspended over a sheer cliff face. This ancient road was constructed during the pre-Qin period to transport the salt from the mountains. The engineering achievement of the Qin Dynasty was extraordinary; undertakings like the Great Wall, the Qin Huai River, the Ancient Plank Roads, the Qin Mausoleum, and the Epang Palace—their difficulties, strangeness, and sheer scale remain unimaginable to modern people.

We stepped onto the "Five-Foot Road," traversing the deep, misty valleys, feeling as if we were walking on clouds. With every step, the stone slabs beneath our feet wobbled precariously. In some places, the stone beams and slabs had collapsed entirely, leaving only a few swaying wooden logs spanning the void. When Fatty saw even Yaomeier navigating with such ease, he refused to lose face and reluctantly forced himself forward, clutching my backpack, inching along behind.

No one dared to be careless, sticking close to the rock face, afraid to look around. Occasionally, we had to stop briefly to catch our breath.

Looking out, the view was nothing but towering, rugged mountains rising sharply above and sheer cliffs below. Beneath us, a torrent rushed, roaring like rolling thunder. Below, obscured by the mountain mist, we could only hear the immense sound of the rushing water, unable to see the churning white rapids.

The Five-Foot Ancient Road might not have been exceptionally long, but it felt endless to us. The deeper we went into the mountains, the stranger the surrounding scenery became. Where the sheer cliffs seemed to block any path forward, we would round a bend, and as the clouds parted, a whole new vista would open up. The dense, unceasing moisture rose along the mountainsides, transforming into floating clouds and fine rain. Some areas were choked with rolling dark clouds, while others were covered in vast, white dew. Wherever the mist shrouded the area, it seemed an illusory realm, making the ancient road even more perilous. The elevation drop was already nearing a thousand meters, and no one dared to be distracted admiring those ethereal, hazy cloud transformations any longer.

We finally reached the end, everyone’s limbs stiff and numb. We sat down on the mountainside to rest for a long time, yet still felt disoriented, barely able to comprehend how we had managed to keep going step by step. The thought of having to walk back the same way made us tremble to the core.

Yaomeier pointed down the slope and said to me, "Brother Harrier, look quickly, Qingxi Town is just below. You see the houses are still there; maybe my old home hasn't collapsed yet."

The rain clouds had just dispersed. A blood-red setting sun hung on the horizon, and the distant mountains were steeped in deep twilight. Heaven, earth, mountains, and rivers resembled a hazy painting. I quickly pulled myself together and, before it grew completely dark, used my binoculars to survey the terrain below. I saw a large cluster of ancient residential buildings scattered picturesquely across the mountainside, with streets often connected by stone steps. Since the ancient town had long been abandoned, there were no lights or signs of life within; it seemed not even a stray cat or rat remained. The entire area was steeped in a deathly silence. This place wasn't even marked on the map anymore.

Looking around the ancient town, the surface had suffered so much damage that appraising the Feng Shui formations was impossible. If the Earth Immortal's tomb was hidden nearby, I truly could not imagine how Guanshan Zhimi could locate the dragon veins. Seeing that it was getting late, and everyone was exhausted and hungry after the long trek, we decided any action would have to wait until tomorrow. I took out my wolf-eye flashlight, adjusted the beam, illuminated the path below, and led the way down the mountain, intending to find a place in town to spend the night.

By the time our group reached the foot of the mountain, it was pitch black. Yaomeier found me a long branch to test the ground ahead. It turned out the path forward passed through a large area of grave pits. The coffins had been moved elsewhere during ancestral relocation, leaving empty dirt pits overgrown with weeds—tall grass concealing deep holes. If we didn't probe the path like searching for landmines with a stick, someone would surely fall and twist an ankle in the darkness.

I had to tap the ground with the branch one step at a time, with the other four following closely behind me. There were numerous insects in the weeds, and the flashlight beam attracted many moths and gnats that kept fluttering toward our faces. I had to wave my hands constantly to shoo them away, unable to stop frowning. The terrain and environment of Qingxi Ancient Town were far more complex than anticipated. What unknown things might lurk in that dead city?

The group stumbled through the burial grounds, sinking deep into the soft earth. Although we had smeared ourselves with mosquito repellent everywhere, we had no idea how much blood the "Kamikaze squad" of horseflies had drawn. After circling several dry ponds, we finally entered the ancient town. We saw the empty, ancient buildings of Qingxi Town, all with their doors wide open—most of the door panels were gone. The furniture inside had also been cleared out, leaving only hollow shells and walls covered in political slogans. In the gloom of the night, they looked like towering, dark specters. It was the height of summer, the heat was oppressive, and without a breath of wind, the air after dark was even more humid and stifling, making everyone feel deeply oppressed and uneasy.

Professor Sun remarked, "It’s a good thing we are a group. If one were alone, who would dare spend the night here? We need to find a place to settle down quickly, otherwise, being bitten by insects all night, even a Vajra Arhat couldn't bear it."

I said since we hadn't brought tents, we definitely had to find an abandoned residence for the night. However, there was no starlight or moonlight, suggesting thunderstorms later in the night. Looking at these houses, all long overdue for repair, any one of them could collapse at any moment. We couldn't rush; we had to select one that was sturdy and reliable for security.

Fatty swept his wolf-eye flashlight around the street, "They all look the same to me. It's already pitch dark; where are we going to find stability? Let's just take a chance and randomly crash in one. If the house doesn't collapse, consider it our good fortune."

I disagreed with Fatty’s reliance on blind luck. Luck should be reserved for critical moments, not relied upon constantly. So, I intended to lead the group further down the street when Shirley Yang asked Yaomeier, "Are there any police stations, hospitals, or similar places in town? Tell us... which house is the biggest and most luxurious?"

Yaomeier thought hard and replied, "There definitely aren't any Public Security Bureaus or hospitals. The former Supply and Marketing Cooperatives, guesthouses, and health clinics are also run-down; the buildings are all very old and crude and certainly uninhabitable now. If you're talking about the biggest and most luxurious residence, it must be the Feng family manor. That’s a huge complex of buildings, even larger than the Dragon King Temple. But people say it’s not clean inside—it's considered haunted—and no one has lived there for a long time. The Feng family manor is an old name; the owners in later generations weren't surnamed Feng. The stone archway and the stone lions in front of the manor are hundreds of years old."

When I heard that there was still a surviving 'living mansion' from the time of the Guanshan Taibao, I naturally wanted to see it. I asked Yaomeier to lead the way. She had been away from home for a long time and couldn't quite remember the route, but thankfully, she recalled that the "Feng family manor" was in the very center of the entire ancient town. Feeling our way there, we arrived before a building with black tiles and white walls, guarded at the entrance by a pair of very large stone lions—it was indeed that ancient residence.

Most of the old manor had been dismantled and no longer resembled its former glory; the remaining section was much smaller than it once was. Aside from the stone lions at the entrance, only this building and a majestic, imposing green stone archway remained as ancient structures dating back to before the Qing Dynasty.

I noticed that although the colorful paint on the eaves and pillars had mostly peeled off, the brick and timber materials and the tight construction were far superior to ordinary dwellings. As an old residence that had stood for ages, it was much sturdier than the other newer buildings in town. I just wondered if the haunted Feng manor would be peaceful at night?

Just then, it began to rain. Everyone was severely exhausted and no longer hesitated. We immediately decided to spend the night right there, each taking out their flashlights and entering the building.