The village chief no longer looked as furious as before. With little time to spare, I described Uncle Ji's appearance and briefly mentioned the strange foreign old man with a high nose bridge. The chief thumped his thigh in realization, "I just saw those people myself!"

"At where?" I asked, my blood running cold.

"When you were causing all that ruckus at the funeral hall, weren't they watching from the temple's side wing? When you left, they headed toward this direction!" He pointed to the mountain behind the temple.

"Really?"

"I'd deceive who?" He insisted. "They went one after another!" (Deceive)

"Thanks!" I said hurriedly, slung Tingpinger onto my back and shouted at Hua'er as we sprinted uphill. As we ran, questions flooded me - what was Uncle Ji mixed up with those foreigners? Were they the same people who had "created" Tingpinger all those years ago? This damned situation was driving me crazy.

Manbiao ran behind me without a word even though the chief shouted after us.

The night was pitch-black, thunder rumbling ominously in the distance as rain threatened to fall. My breath came in heavy gasps while I carried Tingpinger.

A cool breeze brushed against my feverish forehead when we'd gone far enough. That's when it struck me - with such a vast mountain range, how on earth would we find Uncle Ji and those foreigners? Worse still, the word "Nanliucheng" kept haunting my mind like mist that eluded both grasp and dismissal. Suddenly clear-headed, I recalled Qinghe Master's three cryptic characters carved into the coffin wall - were they indicating the location of She lou Divine Tree? This mysterious monk had obviously played a crucial role in the blood-soul tablet mystery. It was surely he who had sent Tingpinger to Xidu. If only we hadn't missed this key figure, leaving behind just those enigmatic characters that made everything even more confusing.

Regret gnawed at me. I should have pressed the chief for details about "Nanliucheng" - was it a location? And where exactly? As locals with his age and experience, wouldn't he know? Turning back now wasn't an option. When I finally looked over my shoulder, despair settled in as we were hopelessly lost. The temple's lights and drumbeats had vanished entirely. Dark shadows danced around us under thick clouds, no compass could orient me to east or west.

Manbiao's robust physique kept up well despite his ragged breathing which barely fell short of the rustling leaves. Hua'er initially lagged behind with hesitant steps but now dashed ahead so fast I couldn't even see him - just heard twigs snapping and panting in the underbrush. A strange thought flickered through me: Had Hua'er sensed Qinghe Master's death rather than following Uncle Ji all along?

These mysteries were too tangled for my exhausted brain to untangle. What mattered now was where Uncle Ji had gone, why he followed those foreigners, what their true intentions were - could they really be after She lou Divine Tree? Had they indeed created Tingpinger just to search this tree? And how did it connect with the ancient Ba Wuxiang legend?

My head throbbed as I bellowed into the dark mountains: "Hey!"

The shout roused Tingpinger from her daze. Struggling down from my back, she took unsteady steps so I had to steady her. Even Manbiao jolted awake, lighting a cigarette with flickering embers. After a long pause he muttered, "Rushing blindly won't help... Hey, you look like someone chased by ghosts!" Without waiting for me to reply, he continued, "Let me lead the way while you support Tingpinger. The An brother would surely light torches in these mountains - maybe I can spot some glow?"

I inwardly cursed Manbiao's nonsense. If Uncle Ji was following those foreigners secretly, he wouldn't risk exposing himself with open flames. But we'd already lost our heads completely. With a mountain brawler clearing the path ahead, at least Tingpinger's pretty face wouldn't get scratched by thorns.

"Okay," I simply replied. "Let's keep moving."

Manbiao said no more as we had no time for chatter. Rain began to fall in fine threads. Despite June being hot, the mountain wind carried a chill - perhaps not from cold but melancholy settling into our bones.

Only those who've traversed wild mountains in rain know this torment. Even with long pants on, our calves bore countless cuts from sharp thorns that burned where they met dewy grass. Our clothes were soaked through, drenched to the bone by hunger, fatigue and cold.

Just as we planned to rest under a thick-canopied tree, Manbiao suddenly whispered, "Stop! There appears to be light ahead!"

I halted abruptly. "Where?"

"There - dammit, where'd it go?"

Straining my eyes with his arm for support, I saw only blackness. "Tingpinger, did you see anything?" I asked uncertainly.

"No," she replied weakly, clearly exhausted and heartbroken.

Manbiao grumbled in frustration. "I told you we should've stopped to eat first! Instead you had to cause a ruckus at that cursed temple... Now no one gives us even scraps!" He then said, "Tingpinger's completely spent. You two rest somewhere while I'll scout ahead for An brother and see if I can catch some mountain chickens."

Before I could respond, Manbiao was already impatiently scanning the surroundings before disappearing into shrubs with a muttered, "There's a paulownia tree up front with a hollow at its base - hide there while I go. Hua'er ran off somewhere like it always does lately."

I cursed under my breath, "Damn fool! Rushing to die? Off without waiting for me!" Not sure if he heard, the world now only echoed with rain on leaves.

Though I wanted to chase after him, I saw Tingpinger's delicate frame had been trudging through this endless mountain rain all night without food or water. The death of Qinghe Master had shattered her completely - she could barely move another step.

The same went for me though I masked it from her, not wanting to add more worry.

With great effort, I guided Tingpinger under the paulownia tree Manbiao mentioned. Lighting my lighter revealed a hollow at the base big enough only for one person. After checking inside carefully, I insisted, "Rest here while I wait outside until Manbiao finds Uncle Ji."

"No! You'll get soaked!" she protested, trying to crawl out.

"Nonsense," I said firmly. "The rain isn't heavy and this root is dry. My hide's thick enough!"

After some rummaging, Tingpinger finally threw something out and said, "Come in, I've cleared space for two."

I tried objecting but she suddenly raised her voice sharply, "In here!"

Startled by her sudden assertiveness - the first time she spoke to me like this - I helplessly squeezed into the hollow.

Actually it couldn't hold both of us comfortably. After I entered, Tingpinger climbed out until I settled then re-entered and ended up seated on my lap. Initially flustered beyond words, eventually I just dared to wrap her in my arms awkwardly. The atmosphere was painfully awkward.

Tingpinger soon relaxed against me, whispering softly, "Your embrace is so comforting... I wish we could stay like this forever."

I chuckled nervously, "We have all the time in the world! Don't worry about anything!" She fell silent for a moment before sighing, "Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Just being here with you makes me satisfied."

"You silly girl," I gently stroked her face. "Why always so melancholic? Though tonight is scary dark, won't the sun rise again tomorrow?" I held her tighter. "Don't think about it. Rest well - I'll never leave!"

Tingpinger didn't respond, only sighing again as small hands tenderly caressed my forehead, making me both awkward and happy. At least in this darkness she couldn't see the blush on my face.

"Do you think we can find that She lou tree? I really want to accomplish our task... Then wherever you go is where I'll be - after all, I'm just an orphan with no family." Her words pierced my heart and I hugged her tighter, "Don't worry! My entire life will be your family. Once we complete what must be done, everything will get better!" She said nothing more but clung to my neck tightly as she listened to the strong heartbeat against her cheek.

That night, Manbiao and Hua'er never returned. Uncle Ji vanished without a trace.

I could never have imagined that this pitch-black rainy night, in this cramped hollow where we shared such tender moments - would become my most painful memory forever.