Setting Out

Early the next morning, everyone washed up, ate some of the rations they had brought, and returned to the stockade to find a Shumiao to guide them. Though the guide was a native Miao, he knew the local terrain and the legends and tales of the Mengdong River better than anyone. He had also once traveled and traded with Hakka merchants, so he was well versed in both the Han language and Han history.

Chen Yulou told the guide that his group had heard Bottle Mountain was steep and majestic, a rare wonder of the world. Now that they had come this way as traveling merchants, they wanted to visit it.

The mountain man coveted the several large bags of salt Chen Yulou offered him and agreed at once. He led the group through secluded paths and lush greenery, climbing cliffs and crawling through caves, over mountains and across streams for a long way.

They set out at dawn and walked until nearly noon. Only when the sun hung high overhead did they finally reach a perilous cliff on Old Bear Ridge.

"Damn it, we finally made it. I'm exhausted!"

When Luo Laowai was young, he had been a man who could endure hardship. But he had lived in comfort these past few years and had never suffered like this.

Lu Yan glanced at Luo Laowai and shook his head, then surveyed the surrounding mountains from the lofty old cliff.

As far as the eye could see, ranges of mountain peaks stretched into the distance, one after another, towering between heaven and earth without end.

Bottle Mountain resembled a tilted ancient vase with a bulging belly. Its slopes seemed shaped by nature's wondrous hand. Surrounded by layer upon layer of mountains and clustered green peaks, several places were veiled in rising white mist, with faint rainbow-colored lights appearing and disappearing within it.

"Hey, quit pretending."

"What did you figure out?"

Lu Yan nudged Chen Yulou with his shoulder. Chen had his hands clasped behind his back and looked as if he were deep in thought.

Chen Yulou gave Lu Yan a helpless glance, then turned and said, "The mountains conceal and contain; the soil is firm and deep. The land's veins rise high, and the waters should wind around them. This must be a blessed place. But from up here, I can't tell where the ancient tomb's entrance is. We'll have to get closer and take a look."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go back and gather the men!"

Seeing the auspicious aura around Bottle Mountain, Luo Laowai imagined its countless treasures and was already itching to get his hands on them. How could he wait?

"Honored guests, you mustn't go! A hundred years ago, an earthquake split the ancient tomb in Bottle Mountain open in several places. Plenty of grave robbers and bandits tried to make their fortune inside, but a Corpse King was buried in that tomb. Every one of them died. You're all honest businessmen. Why go somewhere so dangerous for no reason..."

The guide was a local mountain man who had grown up hearing the eerie legends of Bottle Mountain. How could he dare go near it?

Luo Laowai had grown impatient with his complaints. He kicked the guide to the ground and pointed his gun at him. "Damn it, you're going whether you like it or not. Otherwise, I'll blow your brains out."

Lu Yan, Chen Yulou, and the others disapproved of Luo Laowai's domineering bandit ways. But the two groups were using each other, and the guide was indeed still useful, so they let Luo Laowai force the Shumiao along as they headed to inspect the fissure in Bottle Mountain.

They wound their way down the mountain, passed through Bottle Mountain's entrance, and reached a deep ravine.

Where there was soil, the trees and grass grew thick; where there was none, the ground was covered in huge, dark-blue rocks. Chen Yulou couldn't use his method of reading soil marks and the color of the grass, so he went closer to the ravine and had Luo Laowai fire a few shots into its depths, putting the Mountain Listening Dragon Technique to use.

Chen Yulou had possessed keen senses since childhood. Now, as he listened intently, his ears twitching, he pieced together the general layout of the ravine's depths from the echoes. Turning around with confidence, he said, "There's a sizable underground palace below. We can go down from here."

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go back and gather the men!"

Luo Laowai's face twisted with excitement. He shoved the guide along as they headed back.

"Let's go!"

Chen Yulou and the others, along with Lu Yan, hurried after them, making for Coffin Gathering in the mountains.

Walking shoulder to shoulder with Chen Yulou, Lu Yan sized him up a few times, then said with a smile, "Brother Chen, your senses are astonishing. Your innate mental strength must be very high. You'd make a fine candidate."

Chen Yulou's expression shifted as if he had thought of something. Curious, he asked, "What do you mean?"

Lu Yan kept walking, pushing aside the brambles blocking their path as he continued.

"Most cultivation methods in the world come down to refining essence, energy, and spirit. The Arcanist path I practice focuses on the spirit. Most apprentices who begin training have high innate mental strength and can easily sense energy."

Chen Yulou nodded, suppressing his urge to ask Lu Yan to take him as a disciple. "Doesn't that mean people with low mental strength lack the aptitude to cultivate?"

"Not necessarily. Some rare treasures of heaven and earth can increase a person's mental strength. But even the people who have those treasures don't think they have enough. Why would they give them to someone with no ties to them? They can always find someone with good aptitude instead."

"I see."

Chen Yulou nodded in understanding. He hesitated, wanting to say something, but ultimately kept quiet.

The descent was harder than the climb. By the time the group returned to Coffin Gathering, the sky had begun to darken. Chen Yulou had Luo Laowai write an order and affix his seal. He then sent Kunlun out of the mountains before nightfall to bring the main force over.

Chen Yulou and the others used the dead men's inn as a temporary command post, offering suggestions and making all the arrangements for the tomb-robbing operation.

Lu Yan sat off to one side and yawned, bored. He couldn't be bothered to join in, so he focused his mind and entered the Stone Bead.

This was Lu Yan's first time traveling through time, and he had no experience. He hadn't expected that, besides the vast amount of unknown energy consumed during the journey, being in another time and space would consume that energy every moment as well.

He had hoped to stay longer on this trip, but judging by the energy he had left, he probably couldn't last a month.

"Time is short. We have to deal with Bottle Mountain as soon as possible."

Lu Yan closed his eyes and began his daily meditation.

Meanwhile, Red Maiden glanced at Lu Yan, who was meditating with his eyes closed, then sidled up to Chen Yulou and whispered, "Boss, Lu Yan seemed to be saying he wanted to take you as his disciple. Why didn't you agree?"

Chen Yulou glanced at Hua Maguai and Luo Laowai, who had come over curiously, and shook his head. "Brother Lu is extremely capable, but we haven't known each other long. I still don't know what kind of person he is or what his abilities are. We can discuss it after we're done at Bottle Mountain."

At noon the next day, when Luo Laowai had long since grown impatient waiting, a large crowd finally arrived in a noisy throng.

The group was divided into two parts. One was a band of Xiangyin bandits, nearly a hundred of Chen Yulou's trusted men who usually accompanied him on tomb raids. They looked tough and capable.

The other part was Luo Laowai's troops, divided into the so-called Engineering Battalion and the Pistol Company. The Engineering Battalion was made up of old opium addicts who followed Luo Laowai into tombs. They couldn't even stand straight and were as thin as bones, but they weren't afraid to die for a pipe of opium. The Pistol Company consisted of Luo Laowai's trusted men. They were well equipped, with formidable combat ability and firepower, much like a military police unit.

Chen Yulou looked at the sea of people and gestured to Luo Laowai. "Commander Luo, would you like to say a few words?"

Luo Laowai adjusted his military cap and nodded. He jumped onto a huge rock and waved to get everyone's attention.

"Brothers..."

Luo Laowai thought for a long time but couldn't manage a single smooth sentence. He simply raised his hand and shouted,

"Move out!"