Though I still have many questions, hearing all this has given me a basic framework: Ba Wu-xiang, a descendant of the Yan people, was the ancestor of the Tujia people. He was always aware of the millennium-old feud between his tribe and the Cong people. Unexpectedly, he later shared an intimate bond with the Goddess of Salt Water, a descendant of the Cong people, only to shoot and kill her afterward. The Goddess of Salt Water then snatched Ba Wu-xiang's Blood Soul Stele, deepening the tribal enmity. To resolve this feud, Ba Wu-xiang passed down a mission through generations of Tujia Tima in oral tradition. This mission, now reaching our generation, intersects with the mission left by the Cong people for their descendants (represented by Man Niao-niao), thus sparking all these events.

Understanding this, I became less concerned with my own identity, not expecting that my best friend held such a lineage. I sneered at Man Niao-niao, "I still hold you in utter contempt. After all you've said, aren't you just admitting you're a spy? Were Qian Ping'er and I merely tools for you to achieve your goals?"

Man Niao-niao's expression didn't shift in the slightest; he said coolly, "I told you long ago I’m accustomed to your attitude. Once I told you everything, I knew our friendship was over... It couldn't be helped; I didn't want this either."

I snorted, "Thank you for finally revealing your true identity. Now I finally understand the dream I had at Old Man Xiang’s wake: the deceased Old Man Xiang hacked at your head with the Si Dao—he was warning me! I suppose pushing me and Qian Ping'er into the Fish Wood Cave in Fish Wood Village was also intentional drunkenness on your part?"

"Correct," Man Niao-niao nodded casually. "Do you remember that old man who led us to Fish Wood Village only to disappear mysteriously? He came to tell me that the High-Nosed Chief already knew the location of the Suo Luo Divine Tree, and you two could be eliminated. That's why I put a drug in your wine to make you drunk faster, then feigned drunkenness myself to push you both down the cave. Who knew your lives were so resilient, and you unintentionally discovered the probable location of the Divine Tree, and even learned of the High-Nosed Chief’s movements—which, of course, you told me personally at Suo Bu Ya. I felt things were getting complicated then, but I figured since Old Man Gao Bi Liang had found the Divine Tree, and the Blood Soul Stele and the two ceramic seals were still with Old Man An, destroying the tree's seed would complete half the task, so I wasn't in a rush. Who knew I underestimated two people, no, three: two people and a dog. The two are Old Man An and that dead ghost Master Qing He, and the dog is that son-of-a-bitch Hua'er from your house. That accursed mongrel has always held a grudge against me; he must know my origins. Perhaps he really has some connection to that black hunting dog from years ago. He smelled the scents of the High-Nosed Chief and Master Qing He and led you tracing them here... When I saw Master Qing He carve the words 'Nan Liu City' onto the coffin wall near the Divine Tree, I kept wanting to ditch you and find Old Man An to get the Blood Soul Stele and the seals. That’s why I staged last night’s performance—quite eerie, wasn't it? It's a pity I still couldn't kill you and Qian Ping'er, what a regret! When I finally found Old Man An, unexpectedly, he had also found the Divine Tree and had long seen through my identity. How could his old bones compare to me? After I snatched the Blood Soul Stele and the ceramic seals, the damned old fellow actually slipped away right under my nose, and he even made that group of foreigners disappear without a trace... Old Man An, I never understood, when did you start suspecting me?" This last sentence was directed at Ji Ye.

"Actually, I suspected you quite early on, but the moment I truly understood your ill intentions was when I gave you the 'Flame'," Ji Ye said coldly.

This statement left me utterly bewildered, staring at Ji Ye with my mouth agape. Ji Ye glanced at me and said, "I never gave him any 'Flame' at all; I just lightly patted him. Don't you find it strange? He acted so afraid of ghosts initially, but why was he so bold later in the Underground Imperial City?"

Man Niao-niao nodded in agreement, "I was careless about that point, but you old fox acted deep indeed. Even when I pushed Man Ying-ying and Qian Ping'er toward the Fish Wood Cave, you didn't expose me."

Ji Ye suddenly laughed, "All of this was within my calculations. And I also knew they wouldn't die."

Man Niao-niao looked confused, "Do you really possess such great power?" Ji Ye gave a disdainful laugh, "It's not my great power, but the power of our ancestors. They prophesied all of this long ago. Look, what is this book I'm writing about?" As he spoke, Ji Ye pulled a book from his embrace and held it up. Damn it, wasn't that the book Old Man Xiang left for Ji Ye? Could this book not be a spell manual but contain something else?

Man Niao-niao leaped up, snatched the book from Ji Ye’s hand, flipped through a few pages in haste, and his expression instantly turned frantic, "Impossible! Impossible! Your ancestor Lang Ge could know what would happen later?" Ji Ye gave a cold smile, "You don't know too much; I can’t even be bothered to tell you. As for your matters, I understand them now too. That marble in An Le Cave was also deliberately placed by you, wasn't it? And that white-bearded old man was also your fabrication, right? The white-bearded old man appearing on the back of Man Ying-ying's head was your doing too?"

Man Niao-niao burst into loud laughter, "Correct. I feared you all would lose your nerve back then, so I came up with that trick. But none of that matters now; I must avenge our Goddess. I’m done wasting words with you!"

Ji Ye gave another cold laugh, "Revenge, revenge. If you could get this revenge, would you still wait until we reached the top of this tree?"

"What do you mean?" Man Niao-niao asked, holding up the Blood Soul Stele containing the ceramic seals with both hands.

"You found the Suo Luo Divine Tree, the Blood Soul Stele and the seals are in your hands, and the Incense Burner Stone is right in front of you. After all this time, why haven't you destroyed them? I suppose you can't open the Incense Burner Stone, can you? I know you need to destroy these items, but it’s impossible without opening the Stone."

Man Niao-niao nodded, "Correct, this old man indeed can't open the Incense Burner Stone. Well, since you're here, I’m sure there must be a way, right?" Saying this, he menacingly advanced toward Ji Ye and Qian Ping'er step by step.

I leaped in front of Ji Ye and Qian Ping'er, "With me here, no one can harm them. Hua'er, go!" Hearing the call, Hua'er rushed forward to confront Man Niao-niao.

Ji Ye sprang up from the ground, tightly embracing Qian Ping'er while standing his ground, and loudly commanded me, "Ying-ying, stand motionless in front of the Incense Burner Stone. Hua'er, go to the right side. Azure Dragon, shouldn't I show myself now?" These shouts stunned me where I stood. As I hesitated in confusion, a small snake slowly crawled out of the Incense Burner Stone. It was pitch black. After coiling a few times, it climbed to the left side of the Incense Burner Stone—that stone at the center of the treetop resembling an incense burner—and settled into a slightly sunken pit, its two terrifying eyes fixed intently on Man Niao-niao.

"Aren't you moving?" Ji Ye shouted at me. Snapping out of my daze, although I didn't know Ji Ye's plan, I obediently walked to the front of the Incense Burner Stone and found a similar indentation. "Right, stand exactly in that pit and don't move." That fellow Hua'er, somehow understanding Ji Ye's words, also walked to the indentation on the right side of the Incense Burner Stone and stood there.

Seeing the three positions occupied, Ji Ye drew his Si Dao, held it across his chest, half-embraced Qian Ping'er, and stood on the opposite side.

Only then did I realize: wasn't this the simple formation of "Vermilion Bird in Front, Black Tortoise in Back, Azure Dragon on the Left, White Tiger on the Right"? No wonder a character for "Zhu" (Vermilion) appeared on my forehead. Did I really represent the Vermilion Bird Divine Beast? If so, Ji Ye must be the Black Tortoise, and Hua'er the White Tiger? What about the dark green snake? The Azure Dragon?

While we were moving, Man Niao-niao stood frozen, watching us with an expression of disbelief. Ji Ye tightly held Qian Ping'er, turned his hand, and plunged the Si Dao onto the Incense Burner Stone. A red light flashed, and the Si Dao pierced the Stone's center as if slicing through tofu.

Ji Ye did not pause. He recited something under his breath, pulled out the Eight-Treasure Bronze Bell, and shook it. The ringing grew faster and denser until the sound finally became a continuous line. Suddenly, a clap of thunder echoed from the sky, and a dazzling bolt of lightning descended, striking the Si Dao on the Incense Burner Stone.

A rumbling sound followed, and the once perfectly sealed Incense Burner Stone slowly cracked open, revealing a pitch-black, gleaming empty coffin in the center.

Man Niao-niao’s eyes widened upon seeing the empty coffin. He ignored the rest of us, raised the Blood Soul Stele containing the seals, and tossed it into the empty coffin. "Hahahaha, you all did me a great favor by opening the Incense Burner Stone for me. I can finally be free..." As he spoke, he stared intently at the Incense Burner Stone, the coffin, and the Blood Soul Stele inside, seemingly waiting for something.

"Are you still waiting for something?" Ji Ye mocked Man Niao-niao with a grin.

"..." Man Niao-niao completely ignored Ji Ye's ridicule, his eyes still locked on the Blood Soul Stele. After a long pause, he muttered to himself, "What's going on? Why isn't it collapsing? Why isn't it collapsing?" After another moment, Man Niao-niao rushed like a whirlwind into the coffin in the center of the Incense Burner Stone, snatched up the Blood Soul Stele holding the ceramic seals, scrutinized it closely, looking both as if he were crying and laughing, causing a frenzy of bizarre behavior. Then, with a fling of his hand, he threw the Blood Soul Stele down from the treetop with a swish. "If it won't work, then nothing will!" Man Niao-niao cursed viciously.

Seeing the Blood Soul Stele fall into the thick mist, I cried out in alarm, instantly leaped next to Man Niao-niao, and prepared to strike him with overwhelming force. Unprepared, a whirlwind enveloped me, and Hua'er’s bulky figure lunged at Man Niao-niao like lightning. Man Niao-niao possessed an innate aversion to Hua'er, and seeing the fierce attack, he instinctively stumbled back a few steps. This backward movement brought him right to the edge of the treetop. Man Niao-niao leaned back twice, and his head plummeted downward with a desperate wail that faded into the distance below.

I lunged toward the edge, trying to grab him, but I was too late; his silhouette had already vanished into the dense vapor.

Tears instantly welled up in my eyes. Though the words he spoke today surprised me greatly, he was, after all, my best friend from childhood. Now that the "weight" was broken, what use was I, the lone "plummet"?

After grieving for a long time, I remembered to seek Ji Ye's help to see if Man Niao-niao could be rescued. When I turned around, I was shocked to see Ji Ye slowly placing the unconscious Qian Ping’er into that gleaming empty coffin, while the cracked Incense Burner Stone was slowly sealing itself shut.

My face drained of color. I scrambled up and rushed toward the Incense Burner Stone, shouting, "Ji Ye, are you mad? Why are you putting a living person in a coffin?" Ji Ye pointed the Si Dao at me, and a red flash of light shot toward me. I immediately fell backward, my vision darkening, faintly hearing Ji Ye’s voice in my ears: "She is the true Blood Soul Stele..."