When I told Ji Ye that one of the skeletons on the stone bed was Man Yingying, a wave of exhaustion washed over me, leaving my whole body slick with clammy cold sweat. A dull ache began to throb in my forehead and temples. No one could ever imagine seeing another living version of themselves out of the blue, let alone realizing that the other "me" in my eyes was a stark white skeleton to everyone else.

Perhaps I just bore an uncanny resemblance to that man?

Then who was he? Why did he look so much like me? And who was that strange woman?

At that moment, everything around me was pitch black. My heart hammered with lingering fear, and I dared not shine the flashlight beam toward the stone bed in the center of the area. I was afraid—afraid of seeing that strange woman, afraid of seeing the "me" who had become a skeleton, afraid of seeing the patches of crimson "peach blossoms" staining the ground, and most of all, afraid of recalling the "humiliation" Man Niaoniao inflicted upon me!

When Ji Ye heard that the man on the stone bed was me, his eyelids almost failed to contain his eyeballs. "It was you?"

"..." I nodded heavily.

"Are you absolutely sure it was you?"

"..." I was speechless. How could this be explained? Up until now, I was probably the only one who had gotten a close look at the man and woman "locked in battle" on the stone bed. Considering the situation Ji Ye, Tan Ping'er, Man Niaoniao, and Hua'er were in, who had the presence of mind to carefully observe the pair on the stone bed? Aside from the distance, that man and woman had deliberately turned their heads away. Moreover, all Ji Ye saw were two sets of stark white skeletons.

"It’s a feeling! And... there was a character on the man’s forehead..." I said in a low voice, my tone weak and pallid.

"A character? What character?"

"I didn't see clearly. It seemed like the character '' (tǔ), but it had more strokes than the standard ''."

"What the heck does that mean?"

I let out a tragic smile, forcing down the complex emotions of sorrow, humiliation, terror, heartache, and doubt that were churning inside me. I recounted everything to Ji Ye, from the moment I entered this cave full of stone sculptures to the point where I started speaking with him. However, I omitted the part about the "humiliation" inflicted by Man Niaoniao; after all, that was the deepest secret of my life.

I secretly harbored a sliver of hope that Ji Ye hadn't seen my shameful experience. If I were to confess it myself, taking the initiative to reveal it, knowing Ji Ye's personality, he would never keep such a sensational tale bottled up. He would surely embellish it and tell others, leaving me with no face to live in this world. As for Man Niaoniao, I didn't know if he was alive or dead right now, but if he could still draw breath, I would truly have to put my mind to finding a way to seal that "broken sewage pipe" of his mouth. Still, I figured even if Man Niaoniao made it safely out of the cave, recalling his "great deed," no matter how thick his skin or how wide his mouth, he wouldn't easily invite his own disgrace, would he?

The remaining living beings were only Tan Ping'er and Hua'er. Tan Ping'er, judging by her condition then, seemed to have completely lost her mind and likely knew nothing about the outside world. As for Hua'er, even if she saw everything, she was unfortunately unable to speak, posing little threat to me.

Thinking this way, a tiny fissure appeared in my heart, which felt as heavy as iron. I stopped dwelling too much on the man who looked so much like me and the strange laughter and crying of that strange woman—it was nothing more than a manifestation of a "Soul Fiend," nothing more than bewitching the mind, nothing more than inducing hallucinations. For Man Yingying, what the hell did that matter!

Ji Ye listened, silent for a long time, rhythmically puffing the "high-pitched speaker" grass cigarette I rolled, his face blank, his eyes glazed over in obsession.

"Didn't you... hear the woman's strange sound?" Unable to bear the silence that spoke volumes, I looked at Ji Ye with dissatisfaction and asked.

"Huh? — Didn't hear anything. What sound?" Ji Ye seemed to snap awake from a dream.

"It was like crying and laughing, I can't really describe it. But I clearly heard her sigh, and it was exactly the same as the woman's sigh we heard in the limestone cave, only it sounded even more desolate and mournful, as if the whole world had failed her or betrayed her..."

Ji Ye was speechless again for a while. Only when my gaze pressured him into breaking his silence did he slowly speak: "Do you still remember that Yin-Yang Tree?"

I never expected Ji Ye to suddenly bring up the Yin-Yang Tree. I was about to complain that he was going off on an irrelevant tangent, but a thought struck me—could the Yin-Yang Tree truly have some connection to the couple on the stone bed? Then I thought again, that didn't seem right. According to Ji Ye’s earlier description, if the scene at the Yin-Yang Tree was meant to illustrate the concept of a 'hated wife,' and if that pair were indeed husband and wife, their expressions and actions should have been the complete opposite; the man should have been strangling the woman.

"What are you thinking about?"

"...That... I can't explain clearly right now." The expected answer.

I sighed, utterly disheartened. Up to this point, the mysteries were piling up, and the matters involved were increasingly unbelievable. Not only was the inexplicable token monument nowhere to be seen, but even Man Niaoniao was lost, and the lifelong friendship between me and Man Niaoniao was gone. Tan Ping'er... this pure and delicate mixed-blood beauty, was not flawless either. I had nothing left but the feeling of being 'heartbroken and disillusioned.'

Looking at the unconscious Tan Ping'er, my heart ached fiercely. I couldn't precisely define my feelings for her; I just kept thinking about her, constantly worrying for her, wanting to protect her. Now she had been forcefully taken advantage of by Man Niaoniao and tormented to this state. The grief and resentment in my heart were thousands of times stronger than when Man Niaoniao snatched my favorite toy as a child.

"...The shock I felt when I first saw these piles of skeletons is hard to describe," Ji Ye said, noticing me staring blankly and weakly at Tan Ping'er, breaking the silence. "When Man Niaoniao smashed the bones of the first skeleton, I secretly wondered—isn't Man Niaoniao the most afraid of these things? Where did he suddenly get the courage to lash out at something he's usually scared of? Who knew that what you guys saw was different from what I saw..."

I kept staring blankly at Tan Ping'er, listening to Ji Ye continue: "The further we went, the more shocked I became. Even a person like me was gasping for air and sweating profusely, but you youngsters got more and more excited. I was shouting from the back, but you wouldn't stop. I knew something was wrong. I was anxious and scared, stumbling along with my basket on my back. When I finally caught up, I had just glanced at the skeletons on the stone bed when I saw Man Niaoniao throw you toward the stone bed and simultaneously try to pull the Lady Tan, who was in... that state, into his arms, only to be bitten hard on the back of the neck by Hua'er, who forcefully knocked him to the ground..."

"Wait!" I cried out, my grief-stricken mind latching onto the tail end of Ji Ye's words. "You mean Hua'er knocked Man Niaoniao down? Is that right? Is that right? Is that right?"

"Yes!" Ji Ye seemed unfazed by my frantic reaction, staring steadily at me. "Before Man Niaoniao’s hand even touched Lady Tan, Hua'er tackled him. Man Niaoniao looked furious, turned around, grabbed Hua'er by the neck, and violently slammed him to the ground. Then he pinned Hua'er’s stomach and raised his machete..."

I lunged toward Ji Ye and planted a hard kiss on his rugged, bearded face. The gloom in my heart vanished instantly, and I burst into loud laughter. "Hua'er... Hua'er... my dear Hua'er..." Laughter mixed with tears of excitement streamed down my face.

With trembling hands, I helped Tan Ping'er sit up and was surprised to find that the still-unconscious Tan Ping'er had her lips tightly shut, her breathing heavy, and her whole body shaking slightly. In my state of euphoria, I didn't think of anything else. Like retrieving a lost treasure, I held her tightly and wouldn't let go.

"...Later, I also saw Lady Tan hugging and kissing the surrounding skeletons wildly. Fearing she might do something foolish, I stopped worrying about Man Niaoniao and Hua'er and went over to pull her away. Who knew that the moment I touched her hand, she... she..." Ji Ye's face flushed scarlet here, and he looked at me warily.

"What happened to her?" I said to Ji Ye with a silly smile.

"She... she... alas! She tried to lean in and kiss my mouth, and she tried to reach out... to touch me," Ji Ye paused, then rushed out the words. "But luckily, I was quick and slipped behind her, bravely hugging her. She seemed... to have reached her limit, still twisting and struggling even though I held her tight... that sensation was truly unbearable. So, I didn't see anything else!"

I had been listening with great interest, but that final sentence from Ji Ye scared me half to death. Was this old man making a declaration or teasing me? That unnecessary sentence was loaded with meaning!

My face flushed, and I felt less hatred toward Man Niaoniao. Come to think of it, even I couldn't resist the bewitchment and lost my reason to aggressively take liberties with Tan Ping'er. How could Man Niaoniao, a brute whose mind was full of 'scraps,' be expected to control himself? If he hadn't lost his mind, he wouldn't have been so indiscriminate as to embrace me, a man, intending to engage in intimacy. Besides, being subjected to his "wild beating" wasn't such a huge deal; we'd even compared the size and length of our private parts many times while herding cattle as kids! As for fighting, that was trivial; they fought one moment and were friendly the next. Otherwise, how could we have that saying about a "hungry dog never leaving a stinky latrine"?

However, the act of him forcefully biting down on my lips with brute force was something I simply couldn't let go of. I resolved that I would find an opportunity to teach him a lesson to avenge that kiss!

Thinking of this, I asked Ji Ye, "Where is Man Niaoniao? How did he get off me..." Close call—I almost confessed my shame and exposed myself. Fortunately, my mind was quick, and I managed to stop myself just in time.

Ji Ye's expression changed instantly. He hesitated, mumbling for a long time before awkwardly changing the subject: "Let's not waste time, we should hurry up and find Man Niaoniao. He might truly be in danger."

I was utterly confused by Ji Ye's behavior. What could make Ji Ye so frightened that he spoke so incoherently? Only then did I recall Man Niaoniao's state at the time. Without some external reason, he definitely wouldn't have willingly 'uncovered' himself from me. I was too preoccupied with the disgust then, so the memory was very hazy. And I had heard a loud crash and smelled a foul stench, and many stone sculptures had been knocked over. What on earth had preserved my innocence?

"Hurry up! If we don't move, Man Niaoniao might be 'gone'!" Ji Ye frantically gathered the few oil pine torches he possessed, lit one, picked up his wine gourd, kicked his precious basket aside, and strode toward the pile of overturned stone sculptures.

I dared not delay. Bare-chested, I slung my machete, called out to Hua'er, held the flashlight between my teeth, and closely followed him, carrying Tan Ping'er on my back.

When I reached the toppled stone sculptures, I was startled again. Those lifelike stone sculptures now looked like ordinary gray-white stalagmites—lifeless, cold, and hard, completely lacking the graceful allure they possessed before. I suspiciously shone the flashlight on the stone bed; there was only a vague shadow, looking like nothing more than a pile of rubble.

Ji Ye seemed to notice the anomaly too. He let out an "Oh!" in front of me but said no more. He swiftly weaved through the fallen stalagmites, moving hurriedly. It looked as if he had fire burning under his backside.

I didn't dare to examine the stone bed in the center of the area closely either. Carrying Tan Ping'er, I moved swiftly over the stalagmites lying strewn about, no longer pondering why the passionate sculptures had turned into ordinary stalagmites. In my heart, I was genuinely starting to worry about Man Niaoniao's safety.

Tan Ping'er was draped across my back, her two soft mounds pressed intimately against my back. Her arms naturally wrapped around my neck, and her moist little mouth was naturally pressed close to my cheek. Her body was no longer trembling; she seemed peaceful and content like a sleeping infant. With every breath, her warm, fragrant air made me intoxicated and spellbound, and my pace became lighter and quicker.

My heart was conflicted at this moment. I wanted Tan Ping'er to wake up soon so I could be relieved, but I also didn't want her to wake up right now because I didn't know how I should face her. Objectively speaking, I hadn't had any physical intimacy or deep exchange with her. In this day and age, taking a little advantage or touching a little would hardly count as illegal or immoral. However, the situation then certainly had the taint of taking advantage of someone’s vulnerability, and my actions were too despicable and rogue—completely inconsistent with my usual image of a gentle scholar.

At this point, I felt a bit grateful to Man Niaoniao. Of course, I was even more grateful to Hua'er.

As I walked and thought, a faint shouting and calling sound drifted from ahead. Hua'er instantly darted forward.

When I first heard the sound, I thought it was the strange woman sighing again, playing some "tricks." I stopped in place and listened closely, only to realize the sound was very familiar and intimate—it was Man Niaoniao's lackey cursing and shouting hoarsely, sounding incredibly violent.

My heart jumped a few times, then eased slightly. According to Man Niaoniao's habits, if he encountered a so-called "Half-Ghoul," he'd likely have trouble breathing, let alone shouting. Hearing him curse angrily now meant he must have run into some venomous insects or fierce beasts—that would truly be a match made in heaven!

However, I wondered if Man Niaoniao had truly fulfilled his grand wish, leaving his seed inside his opponent or taking the opponent's flesh inside him.

Thinking this, I dared not delay and quickened my pace. But the fallen stalagmites were scattered everywhere, and bumping and stumbling was inevitable during the journey. Faintly, I heard Tan Ping'er let out a soft sound several times, tightening her grip around my neck. I was anxious, and the flashlight held in my mouth was making my jaw ache, so I didn't dwell too much on other things.

Man Niaoniao's curses grew clearer, now even mixed with sobs. I was secretly surprised—what powerful thing made that scoundrel Man Niaoniao sound so pathetic and cowardly?

Ji Ye suddenly stopped, his body swaying forward like a swimmer. The torchlight drew several irregular ellipses in the air. Hua'er stood next to Ji Ye, barking wildly, his barks mixed with Man Niaoniao’s shouts and the sound of surging water, making my eardrums throb painfully.

I quickly stepped forward, carrying Tan Ping'er on my back, and bounded to Ji Ye's side. What met my eyes appeared to be a huge, dark, circular pit. Man Niaoniao's voice was coming from below the pit.

I freed one hand to take the flashlight and searched around the pit for a while, finally spotting Man Niaoniao seemingly floating on the wastewater at the bottom, only half his body exposed, his hands waving wildly. I felt strange; Man Niaoniao’s swimming technique was limited to a few strokes of 'dog paddle,' so why did he look like he was treading water now? Upon closer inspection, I realized something was wrong. The wastewater at the bottom of the pit was constantly churning and surging, and sometimes black objects would surface briefly before sinking back down, kicking up columns of water. The water hitting the pit walls made loud slapping sounds, sending up clouds of grayish-white bubbles, looking almost identical to the scene in a cesspit. Ji Ye's torch was swinging wildly before my eyes, not helping but obstructing my vision. Those black objects flashed by too quickly, and after staring intently for a long time, I still couldn't figure out what those creatures were.

One thing was certain: Man Niaoniao had neither left his seed in those things nor taken their flesh into himself.

"An Ge... is that you? Hurry and save me!!" Man Niaoniao shouted from below, holding his breath, his crying turning to pleasant surprise. "Man Yingying... you're still standing there... look at your old man's dangly bits... I'm about to be strangled to death... hurry up and save me!"

This was truly old hatred compounded by new grievance. I still held a grudge against Man Niaoniao and hadn't figured out how to retaliate for that kiss and touch. Now, he had taken full advantage, cursing me rotten—I truly wished I could rivet that broken mouth of his shut with screws.

Rage flared in my chest. I secretly cursed Man Niaoniao for always bragging nonsense, yet turning into such a wimp when facing a real crisis. A dignified Tujia man, scared enough to shed 'cat's pee,' if I didn't 'finish him off,' I would be letting down my elders!

Cursing aside, my heart was still extremely anxious. I gripped the flashlight and carefully searched the inner wall of the pit, hoping to find a foothold to climb down to the bottom to rescue Man Niaoniao. However, the inner wall of the massive pit was as smooth as a mirror, seemingly constructed from sticky Guanyin clay, which is why it was gray-white. The pit wall curved downward, making the pit look like a mortar used for pounding rice.

My red rope was long gone. All I had left was my long trousers, and I didn't know when the underwear I cherished in my pouch had disappeared. So, the only 'tools' I had were a machete and a flashlight.

What could I do?

There was one way to reach the bottom of the pit: jump in recklessly. However, first, the part of this mortar-shaped pit above the water surface was about ten meters deep. Second, I didn't know what those things lurking underwater were. If I jumped down without a strategy, even if I didn't break my neck or drown, what if those things were incredibly ferocious and bloodthirsty? Wouldn't that be a one-hundred-percent 'offering meat to the chopping block'?

While I was at a loss, an ugly and enormous head shot up from the bottom of the pit with incredible speed, looming directly before my eyes.

When I glimpsed that head and the body extending straight down to the pit floor behind it, my head buzzed, all the blood in my body instantly froze, my vision suddenly went dark, my knees buckled, and I fell backward onto the ground...