Old Qian’s expression was clearly awkward, but he finally managed a smile and said, “Fine, I’ll listen to you. I will definitely find Lu Zong or bring him out.” With that, he swiftly slipped into the hole. Ma Xiong mulled it over, finding the scene just witnessed incredibly strange and eerie. What exactly were those two up to? He thought of Ge Mei, usually quiet and unassuming, now appearing so profound and unfathomable. He looked at Ge Mei, whose expression was strikingly serious.

He slowly approached Ge Mei, then asked with a smile, “Ge Mei, I notice you’re different from the Ge Mei I met before. Why do I feel like you know everything? I have a feeling you know exactly what happened last night. Can you tell me what’s going on? I’m going mad, I’m practically collapsing from the stress.”

Ge Mei gave Ma Xiong a slight, shallow smile and replied, “What are you talking about? Do you really think I’m profound and mysterious? No way. I was just playing a little joke on Old Qian just now. I see it happen all the time on TV shows, so I just said it casually. Who knew Old Qian would get so tense? I was startled myself at first. Later I realized, Old Qian must watch that same TV show, so he played along. Is my acting really that good? I still don’t understand the logic of that show.” Ge Mei lowered her head, looking dejected, staring blankly at the ground, cupping her chin in her hands as if pondering the matter deeply.

Ma Xiong watched Ge Mei’s head-bowed contemplation, feeling a mix of amusement and irritation. This woman was too playful; even with her life on the line, she had the mind to joke. He could only manage a bitter smile, then looked at Ge Mei, retracing their conversation, and asked, “Then let me ask you, what did you mean when you said his heart was stolen? Did you actually see his heart stolen last night?”

Ge Mei suddenly widened her eyes, staring at Ma Xiong. Ma Xiong instantly felt a look of disdain in her gaze, as if she truly knew something. Yet, Ge Mei didn't continue speaking. Instead, she extended her palm and gently touched Ma Xiong’s forehead. Ma Xiong found Ge Mei’s hand incredibly soothing; surely she was transmitting memories to him. Regardless, he perceived Ge Mei as deeply mysterious, convinced she intended to pass him some information through her touch. So, he closed his eyes, waiting for scenes like a movie reel to suddenly burst into his mind. But all he experienced was the warmth and comfort of her palm, nothing more. As he puzzled over this, Ge Mei muttered to herself, “No fever… why has he become so dull-witted?”

Ma Xiong felt a sudden wave of nausea. Had Ge Mei truly been joking just now?

This man was truly hard to figure out. If he couldn't understand her, he might as well stop thinking about it. However, after Ge Mei’s little jest, he felt certain that Old Qian had an issue; otherwise, he wouldn't have been so clearly guilty. He glanced at Ge Mei, who met his gaze with an ambiguous look that startled him into quickly looking away. This was certainly not the time for romance. But thinking back, what Ma Xiong sensed just then about Old Qian must be true—Old Qian was hiding something.

First, when Ma Xiong mentioned that something in his chest had been stolen, Old Qian immediately looked towards his own chest, deliberately turning his back on the other two. This indicated a problem with his chest, though the nature of the problem remained unknown. Then, when Ge Mei asked if his conscience had been stolen, his complexion visibly tightened—he must have felt guilty about something, which explained his nervousness. Finally, when Ge Mei stated she would bring Lu Zong back, his expression grew even more awkward, as if his scheme had been exposed. He felt certain Old Qian was concealing something vital from him.

It was not a time to press the issue. He was uncomfortably sharing space with someone whose true identity he couldn't grasp. For now, he needed to be wary of both of them, especially Old Qian, whom he needed to watch with extreme care. He couldn't afford to be careless with Ge Mei either; her tone earlier hadn't sounded like a joke at all.

He glanced at the sun; it was nearly noon. Old Qian had been gone for about three hours. He walked to the tomb tunnel and peered in. The rope tethering Old Qian remained untouched at the opening, silent. He then approached the enormous tomb itself, marveling internally. Though ancient mechanisms and technology weren't as advanced as today, the ancient incantations and Daoist arts were surprisingly sophisticated—at least more so than current methods. With the spread of scientific education, fewer people believed in outright superstition. But they failed to see that much of that knowledge contained genuine scientific principles, like the methods for determining the sex of a child, accumulated over thousands of years of ancestral experience—truths derived from practice. Yet, so many dismissed it as mere folklore, which felt rather mocking.

He shook his head with a wry smile and walked up to the tomb, listening intently for any sound, but heard nothing. After waiting a while longer, he called out again, still receiving no response.

He resigned himself to waiting by the tomb. His only hope now rested on Old Qian successfully rescuing Lu Zong.

Ge Mei slowly walked over, and Ma Xiong’s eyes drifted to her slender legs. Normally, this sight would ignite his base instincts, but this was a life-or-death moment, and his mind wasn't wired for such thoughts. He didn't even understand his own detachment. Observing her delicate waist, those long, shapely legs, and the curves beneath her clothes, his usual lecherous nature was subdued. He crouched down, feeling a touch of melancholy—perhaps he was truly getting old.

Ge Mei approached Ma Xiong and comforted him solicitously, “Don’t worry, Lu Zong will be fine. You don’t need to fret.” Ma Xiong merely offered a bitter shake of his head. There was nothing left to say; he could only take things one step at a time. Even if Lu Zong died, he had done his best and had nothing to feel guilty about.

Ge Mei stepped forward to offer consolation: “I think perhaps we should prepare for the worst and accept our fate.” Hearing the phrase “accept our fate,” Ma Xiong’s heart trembled. Those were the very words he dreaded, yet they had slipped out unintentionally. Was this a subtle hint? Seeing Ma Xiong’s mood darken, Ge Mei quickly explained, “Oh, I’m sorry. I meant we should just take things as they come, step by step. I watch too much TV, and sometimes I use the wrong phrases. Please don’t take it to heart.”

Ma Xiong managed another wry smile. Television seemed to poison young women's minds deeply these days.

But Ge Mei genuinely wanted to help Ma Xiong. Suddenly remembering something, she quickly said, “Right, Ma Xiong, do you remember the hole in the tent we looked through before? We saw so much through that opening. I wonder if it’s still there?”

Ma Xiong slapped his thigh—yes! How could he have forgotten? That hole in the tent must still exist. Although the tent had now become a tomb, and the hole was part of the tent structure, if the tent itself transformed, the hole, likely made of different material, shouldn't degrade upon contact with air. It should persist. He eagerly grabbed Ge Mei’s hand and rushed behind the tent structure. After searching for a while, they located the seemingly insignificant little hole. Indeed, its position was unchanged. Ma Xiong was ecstatic. He immediately pressed his eye to it and peered inside.

But the interior was just a black void; nothing was visible, only pitch darkness. He looked back at Ge Mei, whose eyes were full of anticipation, with disappointment, shaking his head. “It’s useless, it’s useless. This little hole is ruined; it’s pitch black inside, I can’t see anything.”

Ge Mei, slightly skeptical, lowered her head to look inside. Ma Xiong had lost all hope for the aperture. He turned to leave, but unexpectedly, Ge Mei suddenly shrieked from behind him, “Ma Xiong, Ma Xiong, come look! I can see Lu Zong! Hurry and look!”

Ma Xiong spun around in alarm, seeing Ge Mei still peering into the hole, waving him over frantically. Thinking she was joking again, he ignored her and kept walking. But Ge Mei grabbed him forcefully and pulled him back, saying, “Hurry up and look! What is in there? I swear, I’m not lying to you.”

Ma Xiong said, slightly annoyed, “What is it? It was completely dark a moment ago, how could you possibly see anything?”

Ge Mei quickly explained, “I really, really can see Lu Zong. Remember, the three of us saw different things initially? This hole must be unstable. Look closely, and you’ll understand.”

Before she could finish, Ma Xiong, who had been leaning down to examine the hole, suddenly let out a cry. Ge Mei crowed triumphantly, “See? I told you you could see it! Now quickly tell me what you saw. Let’s see if what we saw matches!”

Ma Xiong lifted his head, his expression icy cold, the complete opposite of the surprised look Ge Mei had hoped for. He was met instead with a chilly, almost angry face.

Ma Xiong said in a sharp, severe tone, “Don’t play jokes like this with me anymore. It’s pitch black inside; I can’t see anything. Since you can see, then you stay here and watch. It’s not like it’s spying if you can see.”

Ge Mei suddenly exploded, shouting furiously at Ma Xiong, “Damn it, look closer! I don’t believe you can’t see it!”