Changes, Part Two

The two hurried deeper into the cave, one after the other. After turning left and right and passing through a courtyard filled with mushrooms of every kind, they suddenly came upon a massive fox statue.

The statue stood over ten meters tall. Strangely, it had two fox heads. One on the left smiled amiably, while the other on the right wore a sorrowful frown, forming a stark contrast.

It reminded Lin Xin of the Two-Faced Country in the Nether Prefecture.

The Two-Headed Fox's forelegs formed a rounded archway in the stone wall. It was made of some pale yellow metal, its surface engraved with numerous complex symbols and patterns. Some resembled the alternation of sun and moon, the evolution of mountains, rivers, and streams.

The Black Fox youth stepped forward and pushed at the metal door. The gate, over five meters high, actually opened easily beneath his hand. It seemed no ordinary door; it was more as though an array was helping to move it.

Inside was a small, sealed stone chamber. Four large bookshelves stood within, densely packed with thick scrolls in black cases.

Every scroll carried the dusty scent of something sealed away for ages.

"This was where my father lived before he died. Those scrolls are all records he wrote by hand."

The Black Fox youth walked over and removed one, a trace of sorrow showing in his eyes.

"I was still young then and barely remembered anything. I only remember him sitting here alone, holding a pen and writing like a madman. He kept writing, never stopping. By the time someone realized something was wrong with him, he had already gone mad..."

He handed the scroll to Lin Xin.

Lin Xin took it, gently poured the scroll from its case, and slowly unfurled it.

The paper