Lu Zong walked up and clapped the Fatty on the shoulder, saying, "Fatty, you must be crazy. How could we possibly communicate with that thing from the underworld? I think it's just a stray ghost at most. Let's just ignore it."

Fatty looked at Lu Zong in disbelief. "Look at that. Just moments ago, you were stubbornly denying the existence of the Hall of Yama, and now you’re lecturing us about stray ghosts. Fine, let's forget about it and move on. At least we know the owner of those footprints, and he doesn't seem to pose a threat to us."

The instant they turned to leave, a hoarse voice echoed from behind them, sounding like the vibration of old elm wood. The nerves of the group jolted, and they spun around sharply to see the black silhouette standing openly before them.

Fatty asked nervously, "Who are you?"

The ancient voice replied, "You don't even know who I am, so how can you ask me for directions?"

Fatty composed himself, observing the bloodless faces of the others. He knew he had to remain steady if the others were to calm down. He asked in a measured tone, "Who exactly are you, and why are you following us?"

The voice retorted, "It's not me following you; you have trespassed onto my domain. Tell me, why have you intruded here?"

Fatty wiped the sweat from his brow. "What? Your domain? How could this be your domain? Right, who are you, exactly?"

At this, the black shadow stepped forward, allowing them to see clearly that it was an old man dressed in ancient attire, covered head to toe in dust. Had they not looked closely, they might have mistaken him for a clay statue. He wore gilded armor on his upper body, a golden helmet, and his legs were wrapped in something resembling animal hide. His attire was bizarre, and the group was captivated, staring up and down at his strange appearance.

The old man suddenly spoke. "Who are you people, and why have you appeared here?"

Lu Zong worried that Fatty might grow impatient with the elder and offend him, which would be disastrous, especially given their lack of knowledge about his identity. After all, an elder who could survive underground must possess immense power; that mystery alone gave them reason enough not to act rashly.

Lu Zong respectfully inquired, "We are from the Xinjiang Cultural Relics Bureau. We arrived here due to an accident. Senior, we implore you to reveal your identity. If you could offer us any guidance, we would be eternally grateful."

The elder sighed. "Xinjiang Cultural Relics Bureau? I don't understand what that is. Tell me, what time is it now?"

Lu Zong replied, "It’s about five or six in the afternoon, time for dinner. We have some dry rations left. If the senior doesn't mind, please join us for a meal."

The elder’s next words shocked them again: "I am asking what era it is. Are they still fighting wars outside?"

Lu Zong found this slightly amusing, but maintained his respect as he answered, "It is February 2nd, 2010. China has already joined the World Trade Organization; the wars have long ceased. The Japanese surrendered ages ago."

The elder frowned. "What do you mean? I don't understand. What is 2010, World Trade Organization? I don't know. Say, do you have any food? I'm practically starving to death. You woke me from my sleep... you must take responsibility."

Lu Zong hurriedly and respectfully said, "Yes, yes, we do, Senior. Please come, let's share a meal; my treat."

Saying that, he gestured for the others, whose mouths were agape in shock, to squat down. He laid out dried beef, compressed biscuits, and other items on the ground, inviting the elder to eat.

It was unclear how long it had been since the elder last ate; he managed to fit an entire compressed biscuit into his mouth in a single bite.

The others watched him as if he were a strange creature, trying to glean some answer to the mysteries surrounding him. What was this old man, and why was he appearing so deep within Cao Cao's tomb? They also noted that his feet looked no different from those of a normal person, suggesting those large, ear-shaped footprints didn't belong to him. Did they truly belong to Bull Head and Horse Face? Furthermore, why couldn't he understand their speech?

When the elder finally let out a satisfying burp, the group glanced at him, signaling Lu Zong with their eyes to ask what he was actually doing there.

Lu Zong looked at the elder and asked, "We still hope to learn your esteemed name, Senior."

The elder let out another burp. "My name is Qian Cheng. I don't know how long I've been sleeping here. You all just disturbed my rest."

Lu Zong inquired, "Hello, Qian Cheng. Could you please tell us why you are here, and how long you have been in this place?"

Hearing this, the hand Qian Cheng was using to bring food to his mouth suddenly stopped. His mouth froze mid-chew. His vacant eyes flickered with painful light, and his mouth twitched, as if recalling a deeply agonizing memory.

The group was alarmed by the elder's reaction. Lu Zong quickly soothed him, "It's alright, it's alright. If you can't remember, don't force it. Once you've eaten your fill, you can travel with us."

The elder slowly regained his composure, looked at Lu Zong, sighed, and said, "Very well, I will accompany you forward. To be honest, I don't truly know who I am, or when or why I arrived here. I just feel this place is so, so familiar, like home. By the way, why are you here?"

Lu Zong replied, "We are here searching for the Demon Pagoda."

"What? The Demon Pagoda?" The elder’s eyes suddenly flashed with killing intent. "Who exactly are you people? Why are you looking for the Demon Pagoda? Hand over your Demon Pagoda map!"

The elder advanced toward them, cursing viciously. For a moment, the group failed to react; the elder’s change in demeanor had been too swift.

Fortunately, Lu Zong was prepared. He quickly embraced the elder’s waist, saying, "Senior, please calm your anger. Hear us out first."

The elder crouched down, burying his head in his arms, his body shaking as if weeping. After a while, he raised his eyes, but this time they appeared much clearer. He looked up at the sky and let out a long, sorrowful cry in a voice thick with experience: "Woe upon woe! I never thought a lifetime of hard work would end in such a state."

The others exchanged bewildered glances, unsure why the elder was lamenting so deeply. Lu Zong stepped forward and asked, "Senior, what causes you such distress?"

The elder sighed. "Alas, it is the heavens' doing, the heavens' doing! You few were far too careless. Why did you trespass into the Queen's tomb?"

A commotion broke out among the group upon hearing the words "Queen's tomb" from the elder’s mouth.

How could the elder know they had previously been inside the Queen’s tomb?

Lu Zong continued to press, "Old Master Qian, how did you know we visited the Queen's tomb before?"

The elder sighed. "Heh, is that something that needs asking? You must have encountered Meng Po on the Bridge of Helplessness. Did you drink her soup?"

Lu Zong hastily replied respectfully, "We did not drink it, we did not drink it! Is that truly the Bridge of Helplessness?"

The elder smiled kindly. "To be honest, I don't know if that was truly the Bridge of Helplessness, or the real Hall of Yama. But I did see Meng Po on the bridge, and I entered the souls of the departed."

Lu Zong urgently responded, "Senior, we won't hide anything from you. We actually experienced the same situation as you. Could you please explain what is going on?"

The elder laughed heartily. "I don't know what is happening either. But I never believed it was real; I always assumed those were just my personal hallucinations. But now that I see you today, and you have seen what I saw, it seems what I witnessed back then was indeed true."

Lu Zong still had countless questions, but since they weren't in a hurry to proceed, he decided to walk slowly alongside the elder, inquiring about the history of this tomb.

Seeing that Lu Zong was so interested in his own affairs, the elder grew slightly impatient. He said to Lu Zong, "Since you are so curious about me, I will share my story with you. After all, I have completely forgotten everything about myself. For years, the only companions I’ve had were fragmented dreams that appeared intermittently. I will tell you these dream fragments so that these youngsters stop prying into what little remains in my mind."

Lu Zong and the others lowered their heads in embarrassment, listening respectfully to the elder’s story.

The elder cleared his throat, took a sip of clear water, and began.

The elder stated that he remembered the first time he had the dream with perfect clarity. He recalled fighting alongside his comrades under the command of an old man. Smoke billowed, the battle raged, and the ground was littered with the corpses of the slain. The white clouds in the sky were stained red with the blood on the earth. He heard the agonizing screams of his comrade being pierced by a spear, and he watched an enemy swing a saber across his comrade’s face. The man’s jaw was ripped clean off his skull, leaving him unable to even scream, only to writhe on the ground. The soldier who cut him then urinated into the man’s mouth, tormenting him. Unable to bear it, the elder charged forward with his own saber and brought it down on the soldier’s neck. The soldier’s head separated from his body, flying high into the air, his eyes rolling back fixedly at the elder. The elder was so terrified that he immediately squeezed his own eyes shut.

That battle lasted for a long time. He couldn't recall how many people he killed; the fighting seemed endless. He fought tirelessly above, slashing and killing until finally, exhaustion and dizziness overcame him. The sounds of killing and the moans of the wounded still echoed in his ears as his consciousness gradually blurred until it vanished completely.

After an unknown period, the sounds of burning and slaughter finally ceased, and the surroundings fell into a dead silence. His body cycled between hot and cold, signaling the change between day and night. He didn't know how many days passed, or how many vultures he had driven away before he managed to survive.

Just as despair began to set in, he heard a sound permeating the air around him—a gentle female voice.