The wind blew down from the passage overhead.
Gu Qingshan moved his hand away from the hidden compartment in the wall and sighed.
"Wind and Rain Saint managed to build a hidden passage like this all by herself in the Land of No Return. That's no small feat."
Fox Girl said proudly, "Of course. She was the one who surveyed the entire Land of No Return. The many construction sites were interwoven and crisscrossed, and the layout of the Underground Palace, the passages, and the formations all drew opinions from the various Saints. Only she could win everyone over and make the final call."
Gu Qingshan nodded. "But so much time has passed. Is it possible the fiends haven't discovered it at all?"
"I don't know. Why don't you use me to cast a divination?" Fox Girl said.
Gu Qingshan did as she suggested, taking out some copper coins and tossing them into the air.
The coins spun incessantly, then all came to rest with the same side facing up.
"Great misfortune. No matter how you cast it, you get this hexagram." Fox Girl sounded discouraged.
"Then we'll just have to be careful."
Gu Qingshan didn't take it to heart. He smiled as he spoke.
He rolled on the spot, transforming into a large, entirely orange cat. Then he borrowed Flawless Jade from the Only Venerable and concealed himself in the void.
"Ready to go?" Fox Girl asked.
"Meow!" The orange cat nodded and meowed.
With a leap, it flew upward.
The passage was filled with a chilly breeze, dry and cool. The orange cat raced upward along the vertical wall.
Several dozen breaths later,
the orange cat slowed and stealthily peered above.
A mass of dark shadow lay motionless against the wall.
"Amitabha. This is a fiendish guard, tasked