Early the next morning, Chen Yang heard movement in the courtyard.
He went outside and saw a man dressed in an Eastern Mausoleum guard's uniform standing in the courtyard with two large black dogs that reached his waist.
Upon seeing Chen Miao, the man gave him a slight nod but said nothing.
Apparently, this was the Eastern Mausoleum Grave Keeper whom the Deputy Steward had sent to take them to the Five Grave Zones.
While Chen Miao was studying him, Kong Yue and Kong Tian opened their doors and came outside.
Only upon seeing Kong Yue did the Grave Keeper step forward and salute with clasped hands.
"I am Jiang Wei, a Grave Keeper of the Eastern Mausoleum. By the Deputy Steward's orders, I will take you all to the Shadow Cave."
Kong Yue returned his salute and asked, "Are the others going to the Shadow Cave today as well?"
Jiang Wei shook his head.
"The Five Grave Zones shouldn't have too many guards, so the Deputy Steward has divided you into three groups, each assigned to a different location. You can rotate later."
With that, Jiang Wei pointed to the bundle on the nearby table.
"Junior Banner Officer Kong, these are your rations for today. From now on, I'll deliver rations to the three of you every day. If anything comes up, you can also report it to our superiors through me."
Kong Yue nodded and walked over to the stone table.
Inside the bundle were three ration bags, each about the size of a face.
The bags contained flatbreads.
"The Yin Energy in the Eastern Mausoleum is dense, so these flatbreads are specially made. Eating them will make your Vital Blood circulate a little faster. But because they're specially made, you must finish them each day, or they'll