Having been swamped by accidents at the unit these past few days, I barely kept up, leading to a two-day hiatus. Please forgive me; I plan to release four updates today.

At first, I was startled. Was this fellow deliberately making that ghastly face in broad daylight, trying to scare someone to death? When that foul mouth behind the mask started singing a few more off-key notes, I was so enraged my ‘seven apertures were filled with smoke, six spirits were jumping wildly, five organs were burning, four limbs were ice-cold, the three burners were dry with heat, and both eyes spewed fire,’ wearing an expression of profound misery. Damn it all, I almost lost my life and perished, all because this wretched son of a—pushed us! You wouldn't even let out a moan, but why are you acting so high and mighty, sporting that ridiculous mask in such an elegant and beautiful place, teasing the girls? Isn't that blatantly saying you get the feast while I lick the dregs, you commit the crime while I take the bullet? All that talk about husbands and wives never parting is utter, mother-cursing nonsense!

Fueled by this rage, I ignored Qin Ping’er’s attempts to hold me back. Bearing a fury as ripe as cured jerky, I quietly circled a few of the youngsters and hid behind the detestable figure. My right hand shot out like lightning, snatching the mask off his face, and then suddenly let go. The mask snapped back with a whoosh, causing the man such pain, as if his testicles had been squeezed, that he jumped up, raising his fist the size of a rice bowl, ready to strike me with catastrophic force. But when he saw my face, flushed crimson with anger, the man with the voice that could shatter heaven and make ghosts weep froze instantly. In those few seconds, he peered over his shoulder, catching a glimpse of my true self. The fellow shot up like a toad whose rear had been poked, throwing his arms wide open to embrace me. “Hahaha, my precious, Yingying, you really didn't ‘skip out’ on me?”

He held me so tightly in his cold embrace that I could barely breathe. I swung my leg, aiming a kick at his ***. The boy dodged like a startled rabbit, leaping away with a swish, and ripped the mask from his face. “Damn dog, you trying to kick my precious insides to pieces?”

I regarded him with a smile that held no warmth. “So? Disappointed you didn't manage to eat three bowls? Old… you nearly cost me my life, and you still care about that useless piece of trouble you brought upon yourself?”

The one wearing the cursed mask was naturally that useless wretch, Man Niao Niao.

“The way you put it,” Man Niao Niao said, walking closer with a grin that didn't quite reach his eyes, “who told you to drink so much? If you can’t handle it, don’t drink, right? Making you stagger around—is that my fault?”

My lungs felt ready to burst, my face turning red. “Damn it, if you hadn't bumped into me, Qin Ping’er and I wouldn't have ended up in that mess! And you have the nerve to be fooling around here with girls!”

Man Niao Niao laughed, “That was a tribulation destined for you. Of course, that’s what An Ge said. Translated into my language, it’s a ‘Niú’ān’ you were destined to consume... Oh, right, where’s Ping’er?”

“I’m right here,” Qin Ping’er said, standing behind Man Niao Niao. “Niao Niao, looks like you’re doing well!”

Man Niao Niao turned around. “You’ve got that wrong. Ever since you fell into that pitch-black hole, I cried my heart out, Ping’er. My eyes were so dry from crying, I couldn’t eat or sleep soundly…”

“Stop, stop!” Qin Ping’er waved her hand urgently. “I can’t stand your sentimentality, and besides, how come I can’t see any sign you’ve been crying?”

“Whether I cried or not is beside the point. Anyway, An Ge told me you two escaped danger without a scratch, and certainly wouldn't lose your lives! Sigh, it’s my fault too. If I hadn’t drunk so much back then, if I hadn’t been so reckless like Man Yingying, I wouldn’t have accidentally bumped you two down there... I’m sorry, your esteemed self!” His face was all unctuous flattery, bending deeply to show excessive deference to Qin Ping’er, completely ignoring me standing nearby, consumed by sorrow and rage.

“Forget it,” Qin Ping’er cut off Man Niao Niao’s mouth, which moved faster than a windmill. “You didn’t mean to… By the way, where is Uncle An?”

“An Ge? He was just here. Did he find some sweetie and hide in a corner for some smooching?” Man Niao Niao looked around, carefully avoiding my murderous glare, his face a mask of confusion and innocence.

“Come on, Uncle An isn’t the type you’re describing… What did you just say, Uncle An knew Yingying and I wouldn't die?” Qin Ping’er, ignoring Man Niao Niao’s theatrics, asked with a serious expression.

“Yes. After you fell, the alcohol cleared my head instantly. I was scrambling to find something to rescue you, but An Ge was all-knowing. He did a quick divination, said your lives weren't meant to end there, and that you’d even have an unexpected great fortune... Oh, right, did you really have a great fortune? Was this great fortune related to you and that useless fellow…” He pointed at me, “…and did your relationship progress substantially?”

Qin Ping’er was flustered, her face flushing and paling. “Can you spit out some ivory from that dog mouth of yours? Why do you only think about those things… So, Uncle An knew long ago that Yingying and I were safe? Does he really possess such great power?”

“That you wouldn’t know,” Man Niao Niao said with mock seriousness. “I told you before, An Ge used to be a famous fortune-teller. After he got that silk book from his master, his abilities grew even greater. It seems like he can calculate anything… Look, he said you’d be fine, and here you both stand before me now, alive and well. I’m convinced! Truly convinced!!”

As Qin Ping’er and Man Niao Niao kept up their lively banter, my mind cleared rapidly. I had to admit, Ji Ye’s changes recently had been quite significant. Whether he truly mastered the Tujia Tima’s secret art of foretelling the future still required practical verification; I couldn't take Man Niao Niao’s crooked mouth as gospel truth.

Regardless, the final outcome for Qin Ping’er and me did align with Ji Ye’s prediction (if it was indeed his prediction): we survived without major harm, and we found a great fortune—wasn't the mural we saw in Anle Cave that very fortune? If it weren't for that mural, we wouldn't have obediently come to Suobuya.

But then, how did Ji Ye and Man Niao Niao end up in Suobuya? Was it another feat of Ji Ye, the Tujia Tima?

Man Niao Niao sneaked glances at me a few times. Seeing my expression return slightly to normal, he deliberately put on a sorrowful look and crept closer to me. “Yingying, don't be angry, it’s bad for your skin to be angry… I truly wanted to jump down to save you then, and I truly regretted it immensely. I even slapped myself a few times, but Ji Ye stopped me. He consoled me and the people of Yumuzhai, saying you two would definitely be fine. I trust An Ge more, but the people of Yumuzhai don't know Ji Ye’s background. Two living people vanished into a pit in the ground—this matter was bigger than heaven. They frantically gathered ropes, preparing to descend. An Ge saw he couldn't persuade them, chanted a few spells wildly, pointed his finger, and damn it all, it worked! All the people of Yumuzhai seemed to forget the incident. They all thought they were dreaming. A few of the lads even said, ‘Hey, how did I end up in this place? Was I bumped by a ghost?’ Even Elanguo, whose face was pale with fright, stopped crying. Her complexion changed drastically in a short time. When she walked up to An Ge and me, she was smiling brightly, saying, ‘Are you two guests here to visit Yumudong? Be careful now…’ as if she didn't recognize us at all. Isn’t that strange?”

What sorcery was Ji Ye using? If he truly had such abilities, could he make people lose their memories so quickly? We’ve run into a ghost!

Qin Ping’er and I exchanged a glance. My heart was full of disbelief, and I even forgot to stay angry at Man Niao Niao. I half-believed and half-doubted what he was saying. “You’re not making this up, are you?”

“Make up what the hell? What are my capabilities? Could I invent something like this? Think about it—you two living souls suddenly vanished in Yumudong, such a monumental event—who would dare joke about it? Even if you don't believe me, you should at least believe Elanguo and her father and grandfather, right? Why aren't they trying to find you? Why didn't they call 110?” Man Niao Niao’s face grew redder. “If you still don't believe me, I swear to the heavens! If I’m spewing bullshit to trick you two, may I jump off a building and die!!”

“Alright, alright! Stop swearing!” Seeing that Man Niao Niao didn't seem to be trying to ‘mess with’ me, I quickly waved my hand to stop his endless nonsense. “But, does Ji Ye really have such skills?”

“I saw it with my own eyes, believe it or not, it’s up to you. Besides, don't you believe in your Ji Ye somewhat now? At least he personally saved you in the Underground Royal City, right?” Man Niao Niao sounded slightly annoyed.

Qin Ping’er quickly calmed him down and asked, “Then how did you guys decide to come to Suobuya?”

“That was An Ge’s divination too! I tried to squeeze more details out of him, but that old guy acted like a completely different person. I couldn’t get a straight answer out of him with three sticks. He was full of gloom and gloom, completely ignoring my attempts to connect, as if I owed him years of unpaid debts. It’s baffling. After bumping you two down the hole, it wasn't like I did it on purpose.”

Seeing that neither Qin Ping’er nor I spoke, Man Niao Niao looked somewhat awkward and scratched the back of his head, searching for something to say. “Right, how exactly did you two manage to escape that pit?” I ignored him and reached into his pocket for a cigarette. I pulled out a pack of Mantianxing, which cost sixty yuan a pack. I was surprised. How had this useless fellow suddenly become so generous? Usually, he smoked the five-yuan-a-pack Hongjinlong. Had he struck it rich? Man Niao Niao smiled ingratiatingly and said, “This pack of cigarettes is my offering to your esteemed self! Please, smoke, smoke!” Since he was being so solicitous, I couldn't bother arguing. I took one out, lit it, and unceremoniously stuffed the rest into my own pocket. —Constantly eating chaff and straw, it’s not impossible to occasionally enjoy fine grain.

When Man Niao Niao saw me ignoring him, he turned to cozy up to Qin Ping’er. Being completely guileless, Qin Ping’er recounted their entire experience in Tenglong Cave to Man Niao Niao in detail. After listening, Man Niao Niao sighed deeply and said sincerely, “Surviving a great disaster means you will have great fortune in the future! You will have great fortune! So, you really did accidentally find a clue to locating the Suoluo Tree, didn't you? —And who on earth was that old man with the high, hooked nose?”

Finishing the cigarette, I felt my spirits revive. I grabbed Man Niao Niao. “Where’s my backpack?”

“An Ge is carrying it… Where exactly did An Ge go? Should I go look for him?”

“Wait, did you see Hua’er?” I held onto Man Niao Niao.

“Didn’t see him! Didn’t Ping’er say she smelled mine and An Ge’s scent and that’s how she led you to Suobuya?”

This was strange. Hua’er definitely had the ability to track by scent, but Man Niao Niao was right here, and Hua’er was nowhere in sight. Where did this useless fellow run off to now? Did he go looking for Ji Ye?

My brain couldn't figure it out. I had no choice but to pull Qin Ping’er along and follow Man Niao Niao to find Ji Ye, who was hiding in some forgotten corner. I swept my gaze around again. Besides a crowd of young men and women haggling and testing each other’s limits, there were only local youths singing duets to each other. There wasn't a trace of any foreigners! Not even the group of tourists who came with us earlier had vanished!

In this scene, I felt as if I were caught in a dream!