The chill deepened, my awareness blurring, feeling my body grow lighter yet simultaneously harder. My vision grew hazy with my fading consciousness. In that haze, the blood-red "basketball" seemed to swell larger, close enough to touch my nose, on the verge of bursting.

Half-awake, half-asleep, the sweet, coppery scent of blood enveloped my entire head. By then, all fear and astonishment had fled my heart. I had no idea where I was or what I was doing; the images of Qin Binger, Man Niao Niao, Ji Ye, and Hua'er seemed to have drained away with the flowing blood, leaving not a trace.

Just as I felt the last flicker of consciousness about to slip from my body, three distinct sounds—thud—thud—thud—pierced me like needles starting from the soles of my feet. My awareness snapped instantly clear and bright, and I straightened up. Before I could fully stand, the bamboo fungus, the size of a basketball, burst open with a soft pop, struck by the sudden noise.

Dark red **splattered everywhere, drenching my face, while the fungus instantly withered, its ugly, sodden mass struggling weakly for a moment before dissolving into a pool of bloody mire. I paid no mind to the sludge, nor the blood coating my face. I looked left and right, trying to locate the source of the strange sounds.

After a few seconds of thought, the sound struck me as intensely familiar, filling me with both shock and elation: wasn't that the sound of my grandfather's cane striking the ground? Though my grandfather had passed away over a decade ago, every gesture, every smile, even the sound of his dog-headed cane hitting the earth, was etched in my mind with perfect clarity. I searched my surroundings, unable to pinpoint the origin of the sound.

The environment remained dimly lit, shifting between light and shadow as before. Gradually, warmth returned to my body; the ghastly pale color in my hands began to recede, and the white frost on my lips melted, regaining a touch of moisture. I tried to lift my foot and let out a sharp cry, feeling as if a thousand needle-sharp cow hairs were pricking the soles—a natural consequence of squatting too long.

Limping, I managed to pivot in place, still clueless about the sound's source. Despite knowing my grandfather was dead, in that moment, my mind couldn't process such logic. I had called out his name a thousand times in my heart; had my earlier plea somehow worked?

Had my grandfather manifested a spirit presence? If so, I resolved, I'd be sending offerings home right away. But where was he?

Surrounded only by the silently standing water bamboo and similar flora, there was no sign of a person. Was this lifeline that had miraculously appeared about to slip through my fingers once more? In my growing desperation, three familiar cane strikes echoed near my ear again.

I instantly focused, pinpointing the sound to my front-right. Ignoring the searing pain in my feet as if they were embedded with steel needles, I bolted toward the direction of the noise. I ran a stretch, yet still saw no human silhouette ahead.

The sound had clearly originated from this vicinity just moments ago! Before I could take a closer look, three identical sounds echoed slightly further ahead. I charged again toward the source.

The discomfort in my feet lessened considerably as I ran, almost vanishing, allowing me to quicken my pace. Yet, when I finally reached the spot where the sound had manifested, there was still no one in sight. And so it went.

The moment that familiar sound rang out, I chased after it heedlessly. I ran and stopped, ran and stopped. When I heard the three identical sounds for the seventh time, and finally caught up to where they originated, the world before me suddenly illuminated.

My vision cleared, stretching further and sharper—I had finally escaped the strange environment that nearly caused my premature demise and emerged near the rock fissure I had seen earlier. I let out a long breath. Before I could even take in my surroundings, two figures, nearly naked and completely covered in crimson, lunged toward me.

"Aaaah—!" I shrieked, turning to flee, my heart hammering like a motorcycle engine suddenly revving up, thump-thump-thump... "Yingying, stop running, it's us!" a familiar voice called from behind. "Man Niao Niao?" I halted in confusion, summoning my courage, and turned to face the two blood-red, naked figures.

When I finally recognized the two apparitions as Man Niao Niao and Ji Ye, the tension in my chest eased, and my heart began to beat with a slower, steadier rhythm. The two "monsters" were now engaged in a different spectacle. They were locked together like sumo wrestlers, each gripping the other’s shoulders, their heads alternately rubbing vigorously against the other's body.

The stockier one was clearly Man Niao Niao. He wore only a pair of garishly patterned briefs—which I immediately recognized—and his already muscular physique was covered in raised, blood-red stripes, as if he were wearing a patched, skin-tight suit. Ji Ye was also naked; in comparison, his physique wasn't 'muscle' but rather 'fat.' He too was crisscrossed with red ridges, and as his body swayed, his belly rippled like an underinflated red swim ring strapped around his waist.

Man Niao Niao, mid-rub, grinned widely at me, revealing startlingly white teeth, and managed to say with effort, "Why the hell are you running, you son of a bitch? Hurry up and bring your head over here to scratch my itch!" I froze, then understood the situation! It seemed these two had also emerged from the huoma forest, but unlike me, they hadn't been lucky enough to find the hemp rope for wrapping themselves.

This explained their bizarre, striking red 'attire.' Their original clothes must have been completely covered in huoma fibers, and wearing them would be tantamount to slow suicide. While finding it somewhat amusing, I sighed inwardly. Man Niao Niao was a blockhead, but surely even an expert like Ji Ye wasn't so dense as to try applying my hair-based method to counteract the huoma poison?

"What are you standing there for, scratching your crotch? Did Hua'er eat your conscience? We risked death chasing you, and you won't even help us now?" Seeing my half-smile as I stood motionless, Man Niao Niao grew agitated, and foul language began to bubble from his mouth like 'dregs of excrement.' I snapped back to reality.

Seeing their expressions of agony, I forgot my earlier internal insult to Man Niao Niao and rushed over, bowing my head, ready to rub against them. "Wait, I have a way to cure the poison on you," I called out, slamming on the brakes and pulling the two men who were 'practicing sumo' apart. "What method could you possibly have, you son of a bitch?

Hurry up, I’m so itchy I could flay my own skin!" Man Niao Niao roared, his curses flowing continuously like a gentle stream. I was about to retaliate, but then I remembered they hadn't abandoned me in the end and had chased after me despite their intense suffering. A wave of gratitude and guilt washed over me, so I swallowed my own barrage of insults and held my fire.

Ji Ye had remained silent throughout this exchange. When I pulled him free, he turned his grotesque face toward me, startling me. It was hardly a human face—his mouth was twisted, his nose crooked, his forehead swollen, and his beard looked as if it had been scorched by a wildfire, making him easily five times uglier than the fierce Zhong Kui in paintings.

I grew anxious too. I dragged both Ji Ye and Man Niao Niao toward the water bamboo grove. As we neared the edge, I suddenly recalled the bewildering experience within the grove and worried that if I sent them in recklessly, they too might get lost.

With that thought, I quickly untied the hemp rope from my waist. I secured one end to the wrist of each man and folded the rope in half, firmly tying the resulting loop end around a sturdy oak tree about a meter from the water bamboo's edge. "Alright, go into the water bamboo grove.

You'll be cured of the huoma poison shortly." Man Niao Niao eyed me suspiciously. "What kind of trick is this?" "Every man has his own way of skinning a dog!" I shot him a sly grin. "Go on in!

Less lip, more action!" Man Niao Niao and Ji Ye exchanged a look, then glanced at me again before ducking low and entering the water bamboo grove. My rationale was this: since the huoma poison on me had been neutralized within this bizarre water bamboo grove, perhaps a roll around inside would cure them too. This saved me the headache of devising a solution while allowing them to escape their agony quickly—it was like killing two birds with one stone; why not?

The sooner they were cured, the sooner we could search for Qin Binger. Every minute delayed meant another minute of danger for her. More hands meant more strength, and even facing a ghost wouldn't be so scary.

People say money is a man’s courage, but that axiom isn't universally true. In this situation, what use was money? I say friendship is a man's courage; with the support of camaraderie during hardship, one’s bravery naturally swells.

Though I reasoned this way, my stomach was still churning. To this day, I didn't know if the mist in the water bamboo grove or the scent of the fungus had cured my poison. If it was the latter, I was in deep trouble.

If it failed, Ji Ye might be fine, but Man Niao Niao’s foul mouth—that broken chamber pot—would curse me until I ascended to Nirvana twice over. Forget it. I decided not to dwell on it.

If, as Man Niao Niao claimed, fate dictated I eat whatever was available, even a pig’s penis was better than no meat at all. The reason I tied them with the rope was solely to prevent them from getting lost like I had. If they encountered a similar situation, I could simply tug the rope and lead them out.

I secretly congratulated myself on my cleverness. For some reason, my state of mind was remarkably calm now. The despair, sorrow, and anxiety caused by Qin Binger's unknown fate in the huoma forest had completely vanished.

Subconsciously, I felt Qin Binger was safe, merely waiting for us ahead. This feeling was strange yet familiar; I had experienced it many times, and when I felt a loved one was fine, they invariably were. I looked up to scan the water bamboo grove for Man Niao Niao and Ji Ye.

Because I was standing on slightly higher ground, and visibility had greatly improved, aided by my flashlight, I quickly spotted their figures despite the mist rising from the grove. Man Niao Niao was pressed close to Ji Ye, his head swaying left and right; I couldn't tell what he was saying to Ji Ye. I chuckled internally; Man Niao Niao was probably so terrified by the so-called 'half-puppet' that he was about to start singing a song about needing someone to lean on.

Seeing that they weren't darting around the water bamboo like I had, I presumed they were unharmed. I then swung my flashlight around, examining the surrounding environment... It was a cavern resembling a circular, ancient cauldron, except this "cauldron" seemed to have been violently dented and squashed.

Irregular stones jutted out from the inner walls, and the 'cauldron lid' above had several faint cracks through which slivers of weak daylight filtered down. The hall wasn't large, perhaps twenty meters in diameter. The walls were draped in thick, pale yellow monkey grass, resembling the burnt crust left after steaming corn bread.

The water bamboo grove occupied the bottom of the hall, about seventy or eighty short stalks scattered somewhat evenly. I was utterly perplexed. How could such a small, unremarkable space have trapped me for nearly an hour?

Had I stumbled into some legendary magical formation? Recalling my ordeal in the water bamboo grove still sent shivers down my spine. Strange things happen every year, but this year was exceptional.

The oddest part remained: was that familiar sound of a cane striking the ground truly my grandfather's spirit making an appearance? If so, why couldn't I see him? What was the origin of that bizarre fungus, and why was it so enormous?

Why was I nearly subjected to 'blood marriage'? Who cast that 'blood marriage' spell? And why did the blood-engorged fungus explode after those three sounds?

I had always scorned gods and ghosts, relying solely on my own strength, yet these past few days had repeatedly battered my convictions. "The bridge will straighten itself when the boat reaches the river," I sighed, shaking my head, deciding not to ponder further. Holding my flashlight, I swept it meticulously several times through the water bamboo grove.

Eh? A sudden shock jolted me! I hadn't noticed before, but upon closer inspection now, I was astonished to find that the seemingly random clusters of water bamboo appeared to be arranged in a bizarre pattern.

The bamboo stalks formed the shape of two dogs. Their arrangement was peculiar: referencing one as the standard, the other was its mirror image rotated 180 degrees horizontally—like a 6 placed next to a 9. The two dog shapes were not far apart, creating a perfectly straight passage between them.

Within the dog shapes, certain areas were empty spaces, devoid of any plant life or rocks other than the monkey grass on the floor. This was baffling. This straight passage ran exactly from where my feet were planted, extending to the spot where I first stood when entering the water bamboo grove.

How could I have gotten lost inside? I wouldn't believe for a second that these two dog shapes were natural formations. They must have been placed by human hands.

Who arranged them into this shape? What did the shape signify? What was its purpose?

Could it truly be a bewildering magical array? My gaze was fixed, my mind a tangled mess. An unintentional glance caught sight of Ji Ye and Man Niao Niao—they had separated at some point, both slightly bent over, appearing to search for something within the water bamboo.

I leaped up in alarm, my heart racing. Had they also been mesmerized by the same thing I experienced? Had they been subjected to 'blood marriage'?

I thought the safety rope would prevent this, but this situation had still arisen. This was truly like leading an eel only to find a water snake—one unexpected obstacle after another. With Qin Binger still missing, and these two now in peril, I felt truly helpless, crying out to heaven and earth to no avail.

I bounded over to the oak tree, throwing caution to the wind. Gripping the rope, I pulled back hard. I saw Ji Ye and Man Niao Niao stumble, their bodies swaying slightly, before they bent over again and returned to the clusters of bamboo in front of them.

Growing more frantic, I clutched the rope and pulled them both out of the water bamboo grove as if engaged in a game of tug-of-war. As soon as he was out, Man Niao Niao furiously cursed me: "You son of a bitch, did a flint land on your back? I can't even piss in peace without you, you little motherfucker!" I paused.

Had they been urinating near the water bamboo? No wonder they had separated! "You too, you should stand properly when you piss!

You should kick one leg up!" I shot back, laughing. Seeing that the red 'patches' on their bodies had indeed vanished completely, their skin restored to its normal color, albeit both were naked—a decidedly unseemly sight. Man Niao Niao grumbled as he retrieved his and Ji Ye's clothes, spun them around a few times near the edge of the water bamboo grove, and threw them haphazardly onto their bodies.

I smiled wryly. If the water bamboo grove could cure the huoma poison, could it also remove the huoma fluff clinging to their clothes? Seeing that Ji Ye and Man Niao Niao showed no adverse effects, I felt slightly relieved, yet another question added itself to my list of uncertainties.

However, most of my attention was now focused on that strange pattern. Before Ji Ye had finished dressing, I grabbed him and pointed toward the water bamboo grove. "Uncle, take a look at this bizarre pattern!" Seeing my urgency, Ji Ye took the flashlight, craned his neck, and carefully examined the water bamboo patch once.

His expression instantly changed. "Heavenly Father, isn't this the totem of the Tujia people?" Ji Ye gasped, his voice hoarse. "Totem?

These two dogs are the Tujia totem?" I asked, confused. "Little coward, don't speak nonsense. How are these dogs?

They are two tigers!" "Tigers? They don't look like tigers at all," I scrutinized them again, unable to see any resemblance to a tiger. "Don't you remember what Old Man Wenshu said: 'When Xiang Wang Linjun died, his soul transformed into a white tiger'?

Legend says we Tujia people are descendants of the White Tiger. There's also a saying, 'Three dreams of the White Tiger sitting in the hall; the one sitting in the hall is the household god.' That’s why the Tujia totem is the White Tiger, and this pattern formed by the water bamboo is the totem drawing passed down by the elders." I was about to ask more when Man Niao Niao started shouting again. "What totem?

It gives me a headache. Yingying, why are you still rambling? Aren't you going to hurry up and find Binger?" Man Niao Niao, now dressed, glared at me, dissatisfied.

"Brother An and I risked the pain in our feet to jump into the huoma forest to find you; we were afraid you and Binger were in danger. And now you’re not in a hurry?" This fellow, without Qin Binger around to temper him, had far fewer scruples, and his mouth was full of the coarse language characteristic of males. I certainly wasn't going to be outdone.

You take three meals from me, and I must return the favor, "Man Niao Niao, is that thing hanging from your mouth your totem? Go grab some lime and wash that chamber pot mouth of yours! Disinfect it!" Ji Ye, seeing Man Niao Niao and I about to resume our verbal sparring, quickly intervened: "Alright, alright, Niao Niao has a point.

We should focus on finding Miss Qin first! Now is not the time for long-winded arguments!" With that, he went to a corner of the grass to retrieve his basket, looked up toward the rock fissure where Hua'er had vanished, and remarked, "This stone cave is awfully strange, isn't it?"