"It's simple!"
Gu Cheng spoke with complete sincerity.
"I'll lead the team and handle the overall planning."
"We'll work together in good faith. No masters or servants, no ranks-we'll all be brothers."
"Brother Hu, you know the Celestial-Star Feng Shui Art, so Gold-Fixing and Acupoint-Determining shouldn't be a problem for you."
"Brother Wang, you're a good fighter. You and Brother Hu will be our team's fighting force."
"I'm no good in a fight, but when it comes to my eye for antiques and my experience, if I called myself second best in Panjiayuan, no one would dare claim first. No treasure gets past my eyes. I can tell at a glance what we should take and what we should leave."
"And I know a little about the traps in ancient tombs."
"With the three of us working together, we'll be unstoppable. Success will be ours."
"Whatever treasures we get, we'll split three ways."
Having said that, he finished.
Gu Cheng held out his hand between the three of them.
Wang Kaixuan glanced at Hu Bayi, then eagerly placed his hand on top.
Finally, both of them looked at Hu Bayi.
Wang Kaixuan urged him, "Hu, what's there to think about? Didn't you say you weren't the type to settle down and behave? This is a great opportunity!"
"Besides, since you know that Sixteen-Character Yin-Yang Feng Shui Secret Art or whatever it's called, you can't just let it go to waste!"
Hu Bayi stared at Gu Cheng for a long moment.
Then he suddenly said, "I haven't decided whether to join your team yet. After all, this is our first meeting. It's too soon, and I need to think it over carefully."
"But we can work together once first, just as you suggested."
"Besides... I have one condition."
"It shouldn't be a problem for you."
Gu Cheng said, "Go ahead."
"Lend me s... seven million."
Hu Bayi lowered his head. A faint blush actually appeared on his sun-darkened face.
"What?!"
Wang Kaixuan looked at Hu Bayi in astonishment.
Gu Cheng was a little surprised too.
But he asked no further questions and said bluntly, "All right! You've got it!"
Hu Bayi and Wang Kaixuan both stared at him, wide-eyed.
Hu Bayi said, "Aren't you going to ask why?"
Gu Cheng chuckled. "I trust you!"
Hu Bayi hesitated for a moment, then said, "There may be danger down in the tomb. I'll do everything I can to keep you safe. Even if it means dying, I'll die before you do. Consider that repayment. If we find any treasures, deduct the money from my share."
"All right!"
"Give me your account number. I'll have someone transfer the money."
The three of them continued talking as they ate.
Partway through, while Gu Cheng was in the restroom, they had a moment alone.
Wang Kaixuan immediately asked, "Hu, what do you need all that money for? Seven million! You've got some damn nerve asking for that!"
Hu Bayi looked a little downcast. "Fatty, don't ask. The money isn't for me."
Seeing how troubled he looked, Wang Kaixuan could only suppress his curiosity and doubts.
"Hu, we're brothers. Whatever you do, I'll trust you and support you, no questions asked."
"I'm sure you have a reason for needing the money."
"When the time comes, we'll deduct it from both our shares."
A smile appeared on Hu Bayi's face.
"Thank you."
"What are you talking about? We're brothers. What's there to thank me for?!"
"Anyway, tell me what exactly the Gold-Seeking Commandants are. Young Master Gu talked about them for ages just now, but there was a lot I didn't understand."
Hu Bayi smiled and eagerly took on the role of teacher.
"The Gold-Seeking Commandants, well, they..."
When Gu Cheng returned, the two still hadn't finished talking.
As he warmed to his subject, Hu Bayi also shared some of the strange things his grandfather had experienced.
Gu Cheng listened with interest, occasionally adding a comment or two.
Seven days later.
At the border.
Gu Cheng, Hu Bayi, and Wang Kaixuan drove a Hummer across the vast grasslands.
A fully loaded truck followed behind them.
Their destination was a place called Ganggang Yingzi.
Hu Bayi said his old army unit had been stationed nearby for more than a year.
"Hu, are you sure you haven't got it wrong?"
"Would there really be a grand tomb in a godforsaken place like this?"
At the wheel, Wang Kaixuan looked at the endless grasslands stretching beneath the boundless sky and asked doubtfully.
Hu Bayi sat in the passenger seat.
He was studying the mountains and terrain outside the window.
"I'm absolutely certain!"
"When our unit was stationed here, I thought the terrain and the shape of the mountains were strange every time we went on field exercises."
"Among the mountains covered by that vast sea of forest stood an enormous, oddly shaped peak. The whole mountain looked like an ox's heart, and nine great waterfalls rushed down its slopes like white silk ribbons, like jade dragons."
"But back then, I hadn't thoroughly studied the Sixteen-Character Yin-Yang Feng Shui Secret Art, so I didn't give it much thought."
"The day we decided to look for an ancient tomb, it suddenly came back to me."
"That arrangement of mountains and water makes an exceptional feng shui burial site."
"It has an open view in front and solid support behind. The nine waterfalls look like nine dragons drawing water, dividing the hill into the shape of a lotus in full bloom. This feng shui formation is recorded in the Sixteen-Character Yin-Yang Feng Shui Secret Art. It's called Nine Dragons Enclosing the Jade Lotus."
"It also has another name: Goddess Luo's Palanquin."
"It's best suited for burying a woman. If a man is buried there, his family will suffer terrible misfortune."
"Finally, I remembered a local legend that's been passed down for years. Supposedly, the tomb of a Liao empress dowager might be inside the mountain, but no one has ever found the entrance."
After speaking, he gazed intently into the distance at a great mountain half-hidden in the mist.