As the final stroke landed on the edge of the circular pit, the end of the funnel structure pointed precisely at its center. Suddenly, the outermost ring of cinnabar-stained lines in the array all lit up, and amber light surged from the outside towards the tip of the funnel, converging at the edge of the pit into an increasingly bright sphere of light. That sphere of light hovered about a foot above the center of the pit, slowly rotating, its surface shimmering with a blend of amber and cinnabar light.
Snow Empress stared at the ball of light. Its rotation was opposite to the original flow of power in the array, reversing the flow of the main pattern, like a small vortex embedded in the surface of the array. Its tip pointed downwards, directly at the black stone slab at the bottom of the circular pit. Below the stone slab was the entrance to the side passage, and further down was the depths where the Demonic Flood Dragon lurked.
"It's spinning." Yin Wujou squatted beside her, watching the ball of light. His voice, tinged with the weariness of a whole day's work, carried a faint hint of something else. "The funnel structure has connected to the main vein of the array diagram. It can now draw power from the diagram and channel it deeper within itself."
Snow Empress stretched out her hand, palm facing the orb of light. Sensing the watery aura emanating from her, the orb slowly tilted a few inches toward her palm, like a small animal recognizing its master and smelling a familiar scent. She didn't touch it, but simply held her hand in mid-air for a moment, then withdrew it.
"The traction force has been established," she said. "Now, with each rotation of the array, a force flows through the funnel into the depths of the earth to pull that thing in. I haven't even sat inside yet, and it can already maintain its operation for almost half an hour. If I connect my spiritual veins with the array, the strength of the traction force will at least triple."
Yin Wujou looked at her profile. The light from the luminous pearl and the array pattern overlapped and shone on her face, clearly illuminating the outline of the bluish-gray patch spreading along the side of her neck—the color had spread from the center of her collarbone to the midline of her chest, the bluish-gray veins stretching outwards like fine vines, particularly glaring against her pale skin.
"Before nightfall tomorrow," he said.
Snow Empress nodded. She stood up from the edge of the circular pit, brushed the dust off her knees, and looked down at the bluish-gray patch on her chest, remaining silent for a few moments. "Before nightfall tomorrow, its residual power will spread to my heart," she said. "At that time, the water elemental energy within me will naturally flow into the array. I just need to sit in the circular pit and wait, and the array will naturally draw me in."
The two stood at the edge of the circular pit, neither speaking. The light of the array slowly flowed beneath their feet, and the rotating sphere of light in the funnel structure emitted a low hum, like a faint heart beating in the center of the stone slab. Yin Wujou squatted down to put the parchment and pen holder into the leather tube. When he stood up, he suddenly turned to the side, blocking Snow Empress's way—he stood with his back to her, facing the entrance of the tunnel, for two breaths before slowly turning back.
"What's wrong?" Snow Empress asked.
"It's nothing," he said, his voice a little tense but quickly relaxed, "A gust of wind blew." The depths of the passage were pitch black, without any movement. Yin Wujou slung the leather tube over his shoulder, reached out and took back the luminous pearl she handed him, and the two of them walked into the passage one after the other.
The way back was quieter than the way there. Snow Empress walked behind him, his steps deliberately slow to match hers. Their footsteps echoed against the walls of the passageway, sounding like many people walking. Halfway there, she suddenly spoke, " Yin Wujou."
He stopped and turned to look at her. In the dim blue light of the luminous pearl, her face was half-lit and half-shadowed, making it impossible to see her expression. But the way she stood there reminded him of something—like a tree that, even after being blown by the wind, still grows straight in the same place.
" The Separation Pattern is the reverse of the Puppet Technique of Thread Severing," she said. " Thread Severing involves tearing the puppet's manipulator's Spirit Line one by one. The puppet can still stand after all that tearing is because the person tearing the threads has a steady hand. How steady is your hand?"
Yin Wujou looked at her. The passageway was dark, with only the glowing blue light from the luminous pearl illuminating their faces. She stood at the edge of the light, half her face lit up and the other half in shadow, but he could see that her eyes shone brightly in the blue light, like two stars submerged in water.
"Stable," he said.
The Snow Empress glanced at him for a couple of moments, then turned and continued walking forward. Yin Wujou followed, and the two walked side by side for the rest of the way. When they emerged from underground, the night wind rushed towards them, carrying the bitter scent of late autumn grass and trees throughout the courtyard. They returned to the Wujou Hall, where the Snow Empress lay down again on the long couch. Yin Wujou placed the leather tube on the wooden table and bent down to add oil to the two oil lamps next to the copper ball.
The hall remained quiet for a long time. The light from the oil lamp spilled from the bronze ball and onto the ceiling, the amber spots shimmering slightly. Yin Wujou sat at the wooden table without lighting the parchment; he simply sat there, his hands clasped together on his knees, his gaze fixed on a point in the void.
About half an hour later, Snow Empress's voice suddenly came from the bed, very soft, like a murmur between sleep and wakefulness, " Yin Wujou."
"Hmm," he responded.
"If there's a slight mishap when the array tries to catch me tomorrow night," her voice was muffled, slumped with sleep, "Just use that funnel to pour the traction force directly in; don't worry about me."
Yin Wujou did not answer. He sat motionless in his chair, staring at the point in the void, and after a long time, he took a very light breath. The breathing on the couch had become even again, and Snow Empress had fallen asleep again. The flame of the oil lamp flickered twice, and the amber light spot on the ceiling swayed before settling down, enveloping the entire hall in a warm, quiet, dark golden light.
Yin Wujou remained in that position for a long time. The light of the oil lamp cast his shadow on the wall behind him, and he sat motionless, like a stone statue embedded in the darkness of the hall. He listened to the rhythm of the person on the couch's breathing, counting carefully. The interval between each inhale and exhale was slightly longer than usual, each time as if she was gathering some strength. He silently memorized this rhythm, tapping his fingers on his knees, perfectly matching the intervals of her breathing.
The night grew deeper. The wind outside the main hall swept across the eaves, whipping up a dry Yezi that pattered against the window paper before sliding down. Yin Wujou quietly stood up and walked to the window, tightening the cracks. As he turned, his gaze swept over the food box at the foot of the couch—the food inside had long since gone cold, the rice grains clumped together, and a layer of translucent oil film condensed on the surface of the soup. He walked over, picked up the food box, and placed it under the eaves outside the hall. On his way back, he glanced at the water clock next to the bronze sphere; it was just past midnight.
He sat back down at the wooden table and pulled out the rolled-up piece of leather from the leather tube. This time he didn't unfold it, but simply held the leather in his palm and felt its texture. This piece of leather was from the back of a small deer, supple and thin, and the dark red of the patterns could be faintly seen through the vermilion ink on the back.