I pulled a powerful flashlight from my person, switched it on, and aimed its intense beam deep into the shadows of Hanyunkū (Crying Cloud Cave). The light carved a gradually widening cone into the gloom of the cavern.

Illuminated by the flashlight, we could vaguely make out a narrow, elongated passage deep within Hanyunkū. The moment Man Niaoniao saw that passage, his face instantly turned as white as a sheet. "That's exactly where I saw the old man with the white beard last time!"

The shape of that narrow passage was bizarre. It stood upright, like the cross-section of a convex lens. Describing it as "narrow and long" was inaccurate; it was immensely tall vertically, yet extremely narrow horizontally, resembling a human mouth standing on its end.

"That passage is called Karmen, or the Gate of Life!" Ji Ye told us.

"The Gate of Life? Why is it called that?" Tan Ping'er asked curiously. Although Man Niaoniao and I were rough types, we had a vague understanding of human anatomy from various sources. Hearing Ji Ye mention the "Gate of Life," we exchanged a glance and chuckled, having immediately grasped the implied meaning.

Man Niaoniao and I watched the overly serious Ji Ye, wondering how the elder would respond. I thought to myself, all he needed to say was that it was called "Karmen"; why did he have to add the unnecessary flourish of calling it the "Gate of Life"?

When Tan Ping'er pressed him, Ji Ye’s old face flushed crimson, and he mumbled an answer that clearly lacked conviction: "I don't actually know why it’s called the 'Gate of Life'; it’s just what the old guard passed down!" It was typical of him to blame the ancestors whenever he couldn't explain something clearly. If those ancestors were watching from above, they’d surely scold this unworthy descendant.

Man Niaoniao and I, blushing slightly, struggled to suppress our giggles. Tan Ping'er gave us an innocent look, then glanced over at Karmen, likely guessing why it was also called the "Gate of Life." I saw her pretty face instantly turn bright red. Tan Ping'er shot Ji Ye a sidelong glare and said with a delicate pout, "Uncle An, your... your place... is also... old no..."

Ji Ye’s grizzled face turned even redder. He dared not look at Tan Ping'er, turning instead to glare fiercely at Man Niaoniao and me. "Laugh, laugh, laugh—what’s so funny? What is there to laugh about? Men laugh foolishly, women laugh strangely, and beggars laugh at their begging sacks!" Man Niaoniao and I quickly clamped our mouths shut, not daring to offend this powerful guiding light any further.

In truth, nature is full of rocks or mountains resembling parts of the human body; there's something they call the "Ran Jiong phenomenon." Not far from Xiamakou Village, in the town of Jiamachi, there is a mountain named "Celestial Maiden Sunning Her Groin," which is truly marvelous!

After the commotion, we noticed the white mist inside Hanyunkū had completely dispersed. We packed our things, switched on our flashlights, and followed the winding path, stepping slowly toward Karmen.

Only when we reached the entrance of Karmen did we truly grasp its height. Standing at the threshold, we saw a small path at the base, just wide enough for one person to pass through. The path looked damp and slick, likely from years of disuse, and was littered everywhere with the droppings of rock rats.

I was about to ask Man Niaoniao to take the lead, but he was nowhere to be seen. Assuming he had stepped away for a biological necessity, I muttered a curse about lazy folk and their constant need to relieve themselves, and stepped inside Karmen first, using the flashlight as my guide. Tan Ping'er followed right behind me, with Ji Ye bringing up the rear, one after the other moving forward along that narrow trail. Tan Ping'er kept whispering "Be careful" from behind me, holding tightly to the hem of my jacket and sticking close.

Before entering Karmen, I had intended to take out the bamboo lantern my father had made. However, Ji Ye stated that the air was circulating well enough, and the flashlight would suffice, so the bamboo lantern remained unlit.

Once inside Karmen, the visible range was limited to where the flashlight beam could reach. Ji Ye estimated Karmen was about two hundred meters deep, and with the ground covered in rock rat droppings, I worried about slipping. I dared not sweep the light wide, trying instead to find clean footholds to advance step by step.

As I was concentrating intently on the path beneath my feet, a dark shadow suddenly lunged from diagonally in front of me, startling me. The shadow was beyond the flashlight’s reach, tall in stature and swift in motion. The sudden sight made me shriek wildly, my mind reeling, my limbs going weak. I instinctively jerked backward, and the flashlight tumbled to the ground with a thud.

Hearing my frantic cry, Tan Ping’er also stumbled backward, bumping squarely into Ji Ye behind her, causing him to land heavily on his rear. He started yelling incoherently, "Langg de langg de?"

Before any of us could react, the shadow picked up the flashlight and burst into loud laughter. "Hahaha, Man Yingying, that scared the hell out of you, didn't it? Huh? Weren't you always boasting about how timid I am? Hahaha! Turns out your guts are only the size of a needle's eye! Hahaha!" I wiped the cold sweat from my brow, steadied my nerves, and roared back, "Man Niaoniao, are you tired of living? Your old uncle here will loosen you up!"

Man Niaoniao shone the flashlight directly into my face, the beam stabbing my eyes until I couldn't open them. Hearing his continued laughter, my pent-up anger had nowhere to vent, and the four-letter curse directed at his mother nearly slipped out. Remembering Tan Ping'er and Ji Ye behind me, I forcefully choked back the words, snatched the flashlight, and spun around to check on them.

Tan Ping'er, realizing Man Niaoniao had played a trick, regained some composure. She clutched her chest lightly, patting it, her pretty face bleached utterly pale by the shock. Ji Ye recognized Man Niaoniao's voice and angrily scrambled up from the ground, dusting off his trousers while cursing him: "You wretched boy! Is there any need to scare people like that? Don't you know how Li the Mute in Haoziba lost his voice? He was scared mute by someone!" After scolding, he bent over to retrieve the items that had spilled from his reed basket.

The flashlight illuminated Ji Ye’s backside, and I saw it was completely plastered with rock rat droppings, smeared messily everywhere. My anger hadn't fully subsided, but I couldn't help but find it amusing.

Once Ji Ye had collected everything and hoisted the basket back onto his shoulders, I prepared my retaliation against Man Niaoniao. I simply could not hold it in any longer; I decided then and there that a true gentleman must avenge such an insult—today I had to "greet" his mother.

I smiled at Man Niaoniao and said, "Niaoniao, I’ll tell you a riddle. Guess it! If you get it right, it proves you aren't a pig's head!" Man Niaoniao had already tensed up, preparing for my counterattack, but he visibly froze at my words, his face filled with confusion. "Go ahead!"

I asked, "Niaoniao, your Gaga (maternal grandmother) has three daughters: your eldest aunt, your second aunt, and your mother. So, besides being the mother of your eldest and second aunts, whose mother is your Gaga?"

Man Niaoniao let out a loud laugh and boomed, "My mom's!"

I raised my thumb in a gesture of approval and declared loudly, "Correct! Looks like you aren't a pig's head after all!" Ji Ye and Tan Ping'er caught the hidden meaning in my words and were laughing so hard behind us that they doubled over. Only after hearing their laughter and thinking over my words did Man Niaoniao’s brain finally catch up. He scratched the back of his head and said, "So that’s how you can insult people like that! ... You really didn't waste all those books you read."

"You said that yourself; it has nothing to do with me. Come on, you lead the way!" Man Niaoniao stuck out his hand. "The master leads the way; how dare I walk ahead of you?" Having gotten my revenge, my mood was excellent. Recalling that he had encountered something sinister here as a child, I let it go and stepped forward to lead instead.

Before I had taken three steps, another dark shadow lunged out of the darkness. Having just been scared by Man Niaoniao, my subconscious assumed it was him trying the same trick again. But then I realized Man Niaoniao was clearly walking behind me—how could it be him? I stepped back, thinking, This time it really is the 'wolf' coming. I gripped the flashlight tightly, ready to strike whatever ghostly thing it was, determined to make the bastard reveal its true form.

The shadow pounced, wrapping around me instantly. A wet tongue licked my face. I screamed again in terror, hastily shining the flashlight on the silhouette. My heart leaped with both shock and joy. "Hua'er, is that you?"

It turned out that when the four of us started heading into Hanyunkū from that small path, Hua'er had followed us at some point. I had seen it then and repeatedly shouted for it to go back and guard the house. Hua'er had looked up at me twice and then left. When we reached the mouth of Anle Cave, Hua'er followed again. I assumed it would turn back after circling once, and I became absorbed in the strange sights of Hanyunkū, forgetting about it. Perhaps when that swarm of rock rats flew out, Hua'er thought it was amusing and entered Karmen ahead of us. Seeing us now, it must have come out to greet us.

The others behind me relaxed when they realized it was Hua'er. Seeing the dog, Tan Ping'er remembered how it had indirectly saved her life by fighting that monstrous toad. She reached out affectionately to stroke Hua'er's head. Hua'er grunted a few times, rubbed itself against Tan Ping'er's calf a few times, and then stayed close by her side.

Man Niaoniao, seeing how well-behaved Hua'er was, also reached out to pet its head. But Hua'er's eyes suddenly flashed fiercely, its mouth opened wide, and it barked furiously at Man Niaoniao: "Woof!" The single woof echoed and bounced off the narrow confines of Karmen several times, making our ears tingle.

Man Niaoniao hastily pulled his hand back, muttering resentfully, "Yingying, why is your little brother so unfriendly to me?" I chuckled. "My Hua'er has fiery golden eyes; it can see clearly who is a good person and who is a bad one."

Man Niaoniao was about to start a verbal spat when Ji Ye called from behind, "Hurry up, the mist is coming back!"

I looked up and saw clumps of mist surging out from within Karmen, a billowy white expanse. It seemed Hua'er's loud bark had "called" the fog back out again. It was then we noticed that the white mist being summoned was emanating from inside Karmen. We had no idea what the conditions were like deeper in.

The white mist swirled toward us in an instant. I felt a damp, chilling wind hit my face, cold and shivery. My ears picked up a "dede" sound from within Karmen. Now, that sound was much louder, seemingly echoing right beside my ear.

Seeing me frozen there, Ji Ye shoved Tan Ping'er. "Why aren't you moving? It’ll be hard to walk once the fog gets thicker!" Tan Ping'er bumped into me, startling me. I grasped the flashlight, pointed it forward, and slowly walked into the dense fog.

The white mist grew thicker and thicker. Though the flashlight beam seemed brighter as it pierced the fog, it couldn't illuminate very far. I had no idea how far we had walked, but there was still no sign of an exit ahead.

After walking another fifty or sixty meters, I suddenly spotted a thick, tangled object standing upright toward the sky in the dense fog ahead. I rubbed my eyes—did it look like a Reticulated Python? I shrieked in terror and immediately turned to run. This was my greatest fear, and seeing it suddenly made my soul nearly fly out of my body!

Tan Ping'er was following me intently and didn't anticipate my sudden turn. She cried out and stumbled right into my arms. I felt a very soft, spongy sensation against my chest, but at that moment, the comforting feeling was entirely overshadowed by my terror. I clutched her tightly and yelled in a panic, "Stop! Stop! There’s a huge snake ahead!"

"Don't panic, let me see!" Ji Ye sidled up from behind, took the flashlight from my hand, and scanned the upright 'snake' from top to bottom. Then he said to me, "This isn't a snake at all; it's clearly a giant Amorphophallus konjac!"

"Konjac?" My tension eased, and I hid behind Ji Ye, sneaking a look at the plant I had mistaken for a snake.

I saw clearly: it was indeed a giant konjac. The plant was so tall that standing beneath it, we could barely see the top; the main stalk was mottled black and gray, covered in patterns resembling snakeskin, which explained why I thought it was a python. This type of plant is common in our area; there are several growing in my bamboo grove. The rhizome of the konjac is shaped like a small ball, and the very common local konjac tofu is made by grinding this rhizome into a fine powder. The finished tofu is grayish-brown and quite nutritious, tasting very good, though I've forgotten the exact method for making it. Our village even has specialists who produce konjac powder that is sold domestically and abroad.

However, I had never seen a konjac plant this enormous. As we moved closer for a better look, we realized that the tree-like trunk, with its snake-skin pattern, also bore several dark green leaves. These leaves appeared hazy through the continuously rising white mist and were dripping condensation downward.

"Niaoniao, did you see this konjac when you came last time?" I asked Man Niaoniao behind me.

"No. Maybe I never made it this far last time!" Man Niaoniao also found it very strange.

"Huh? What is this thing?" Using the light from Ji Ye’s flashlight, I saw a small konjac plant growing beneath the giant one. This little one was no more than two feet tall, its top wrapped by several leaves into a funnel shape. Inside the funnel, something flashed with a cold, bright gleam under the light.

Ji Ye also spotted the object. He hesitated, then reached out and picked it up, his eyes widening in surprise. "How could there be a steel ball here?"

Man Niaoniao heard about a steel ball, squeezed past Tan Ping'er, picked up the ball, and his eyes immediately went wide. "Isn't this the marble I lost last time? How did it end up here?"

"You lost a marble last time?" I asked, astonished.

"Yes! But I distinctly remember dropping it on the ground. How could it end up on top of this konjac tree?"

"That's strange. By rights, after so many years, this marble should be rusted, but it’s still so shiny?"

"So, you're saying the place you saw the white-bearded old man last time was right here?" Ji Ye remarked.

"I don't remember exactly, but with this marble here, it means I did make it this far last time!" Man Niaoniao said.

Hearing Man Niaoniao's statement, I quickly took the flashlight back from Ji Ye and swept the light all around—front, back, left, right, up, and down. But apart from the two konjac trees, one large and one small, dripping water, and the damp stone walls, there was no trace of a white-bearded old man. Ji Ye followed the beam of light, his eyes wary. Tan Ping'er held my hand tightly, her breathing heavy, her lips pressed thin, her body trembling slightly. I placed my hand over hers and told her, "Don't be afraid. With Ji Ye here, nothing will happen. Besides, my Yan Huo (Flame Power) is strong, my Yang energy is heavy; as long as you are near me, you won't see that strange thing!" Although I was comforting Tan Ping'er, my own heart was pounding hard, and my palms were sweating.

"What did the white-bearded old man you saw last time look like?" Ji Ye asked Man Niaoniao.

"That's hard to say. Last time I came in, I didn't have a flashlight; I relied entirely on my lighter for light. When I got about to this spot, the lighter's flame flickered, and I thought the wind had blown it. Worried the lighter would go out, I quickly used my hand to shield the flame. When I looked up, I saw a white-bearded old man staring at me with a cold sneer. I screamed wildly and frantically retreated. The marble in my pocket must have fallen out somehow during my panic, and I didn't have time to pick it up. Recalling it now, the most vivid impression is that old man's clump of white beard; as for what his face actually looked like, I can't recall clearly anymore..." Man Niaoniao mused, recounting the past events.

Hearing his vivid description, I scanned the area again with the flashlight beam but still found nothing unusual. My belief wavered between doubt and acceptance.

I looked again at the large konjac tree and noticed it was blocking the middle of the path. I held the flashlight in my left hand, wrapped my right arm around the trunk, and spun myself around to the other side of the tree. Some water droplets fell from the tree, landing on my neck—ice cold to the bone.

Tan Ping'er mimicked my action and passed the konjac tree. Just as Ji Ye’s right hand reached out to hug the tree, Man Niaoniao screamed from behind, "His face... the white-bearded old man! Uncle An... save me!" Tan Ping'er and I, standing behind the konjac, were startled by Man Niaoniao's cry. Tan Ping'er clung to my arm, shaking violently. I swung the flashlight wildly around but couldn't see a white-bearded old man anywhere.

Ji Ye hastily pulled his hand back, spun around to meet Man Niaoniao, and repeatedly asked, "Where? Where?" but his voice seemed to fade into the distance. Tan Ping'er and I stood behind the konjac tree, utterly bewildered. I called out loudly in distress, "Ji Ye... Niaoniao..." but received no reply. The surroundings fell deathly silent, leaving only the sound of our ragged breathing.

I was extremely tense now, unsure whether to advance or retreat. I steadied my mind and swept the area again with the flashlight, preparing to lead Tan Ping'er back to the front of the konjac tree, when suddenly I saw Ji Ye pushing Man Niaoniao around the back of the tree. Ji Ye shouted at me, "Go, go, go! Run forward!" Hearing his shout, I didn't waste time thinking. I grabbed Tan Ping'er and charged forward into the mist-shrouded depths of Karmen...