Outsiders believed the Burned Field was a ghostly realm, devoid of human presence. Little did they know that every year, a few daredevils ventured in, never to return.
That year, in the sweltering month of June, three men approached Shi Gui’s home, requesting him to journey to Zhong Mountain. It was a lucrative job—escorting twelve people back to Yun Ridge—with a handsome reward. Shi Gui had heard of the Burned Field’s dangers and found the task suspicious, so he initially declined. However, his shrewish wife caused such a commotion that she disrupted the entire household, even driving him and his elderly parents out in the middle of the night. She threatened that if he didn’t take this job, they’d never be allowed back home. Left with no choice, he accepted.
Shi Gui didn’t go alone; the three men accompanied him up the mountain, unsure if all twelve people were truly gone.
Before entering the Burned Field, they packed five days’ worth of food and water, enough for several round trips. Learning from past mistakes, they began marking their path as soon as they entered the Stone Forest. Despite their precautions, they still lost their way. When they reached their stopping point in Mei Forest, they finally found the people they were looking for, but could no longer find their way out. The twelve people had become twelve mutilated corpses. The cool, sunless environment had preserved the bodies, which showed signs of cannibalism and mutual slaughter. This gruesome sight deeply shocked the four men, planting seeds of fear and despair that would grow in the days to come.
By the third day, one man went berserk, drawing his knife. Shi Gui, skilled only in basic martial arts, was no match for the well-trained fighters. While the other two restrained the madman, Shi Gui quietly slipped away. Knowing he might die by their hands before starvation claimed him, he remained hidden even after the crazed man calmed down. As the three searched for him, Shi Gui circled large rocks, inadvertently finding his way out. Strangely, he discovered that while standing just outside the area, he could see their every move, yet they were completely unaware of his presence.
However, no matter how he tried afterward, he could never leave the place he’d arrived at. The three men, driven mad by fear and the gloomy environment, perished before their food and water ran out.
After their deaths, Shi Gui collected their remaining supplies. It took him a long time to find his way out, relying on hazy memories. For eight years, he tried countless times to leave, using different routes around the stone pillars, but to no avail. During this time, numerous groups entered. Like watching a series of plays, he observed them die in various ways, witnessing their truest selves in the face of death. Often, to obtain precious blood, he would “help” those on the brink of death.
Even the cold-blooded Mei Lin couldn’t help but swallow hard after hearing his story. A wave of nausea rose in her throat as she unconsciously held Murong Jinghe closer.
Shi Gui didn’t explain how he survived those eight years, and they didn’t ask.
“You’re a corpse herder,” Mei Lin stated, not questioning. Only someone in this unique profession could withstand such psychological pressure, living in this dark place for eight years without going mad. She doubted she could do it herself! She wondered why his fighting skills seemed so unrefined despite claiming to know some martial arts.
Shi Gui lowered his head, silently confirming.
Murong Jinghe had calmed down during Shi Gui’s story, now appearing composed and unreadable.
“You didn’t kill us last night because you wanted to wait until we were too weak from hunger to move, then bleed us,” he calmly pointed out Shi Gui’s intentions. Given his current strength, Shi Gui couldn’t be sure of overpowering both of them at once. Even if he could, they would have lost most of their blood by then—a significant waste in a place without water sources.
Shi Gui trembled and curled up again, his eyes hidden beneath his hair showing surprise and fear at being seen through, but he didn’t deny it.
Murong Jinghe nodded and continued, “Go eat something, then take us around a few more times.”
Shi Gui cautiously watched him for a while, only straightening up and standing when he was sure Murong Jinghe wasn’t angry.
“I’ve… eaten today,” he said. He ate only one small meal a day, often going hungry even then.
Unaware of Shi Gui’s eating habits, but noticing his trembling body, Murong Jinghe gestured for Mei Lin to untie him. He then had her carry him on her back as they followed Shi Gui.
Shi Gui was surprised at first, then grateful. As they walked, he often tried to help Mei Lin carry Murong Jinghe but was always refused.
With a guide, they moved much faster. They returned to the place where they had seemed trapped, then followed Shi Gui’s route out. They circled Shi Gui’s living area twice before Mei Lin could no longer continue.
“This is a naturally linked formation,” Murong Jinghe mused, sitting on the bamboo cart. A faint smile played on his lips, his eyes gleaming with an unusual light.
The other two, silent due to his contemplation, perked up at his words, looking at him hopefully.
Murong Jinghe asked Mei Lin for a stick. Seeing the empty surroundings, she was about to cut a bamboo branch from the cart when a white, smooth rod was offered to her. Her lips twitched slightly, but she quickly composed herself, thanking Shi Gui as she took the polished forearm bone. Following Murong Jinghe’s instructions, she began drawing in the black sand.
Shi Gui, pleased at not being rejected, beamed with joy.
A strange pattern of circles gradually appeared in the black sand. At first glance, it seemed chaotic, but upon closer inspection, one could sense an underlying pattern.
“This is the layout of the giant rocks where we were trapped earlier,” Murong Jinghe explained briefly. He then instructed Mei Lin to count from the center to the third block on the right, then up to between the fourth and fifth blocks to mark the “life gate.” Outside the life gate was the “death gate.” “Death is the beginning of life, life is the bearer of death. Life and death cycle endlessly—this is a simple maze formation,” he explained. They hadn’t realized it was a formation earlier due to the sudden circumstances.
“Can we get out?” Mei Lin only cared about this, having no interest in discussing life and death philosophies in their current situation.
Murong Jinghe nodded but showed no joy.
When the three stood at the Stone Forest’s exit, facing sunlight and lush bamboo groves, Mei Lin finally understood why Murong Jinghe wasn’t happy. They had simply returned to their entry point. It truly was a cycle of life and death…
Shi Gui was undoubtedly the happiest of the three. After eight years without sunlight, his eyes were sensitive, but his joy was palpable enough to affect the others. This emotion, combined with finally leaving the dark place, improved their moods somewhat.
The sea holly above was gone, likely because it had lost its trail or because Murong Xuanlie and his group, learning they had entered the Stone Forest, decided to stop tracking them and recalled it.
The three entered the bamboo forest, resting by a stream. Surrounded by swaying bamboo, the air filled with the scent of wild chrysanthemums and pine, along with flying grass seeds and plant spores, sunlight filtering through the leaves onto their bodies and the ground—everything was full of vitality and life. Compared to the Stone Forest’s decay and gloom, it was like heaven and hell. Not just Shi Gui, but even Murong Jinghe and Mei Lin felt as if they were rediscovering the world’s beauty.
Aware of his foul odor, Shi Gui kept his distance from the other two, eventually disappearing without notice.
They didn’t mind, knowing there was no use in keeping him. Mei Lin used broad leaves to form a cone, fetching water for Murong Jinghe to drink. She wiped his face and hands with a damp handkerchief, then quickly washed herself before considering finding food.
Murong Jinghe insisted on accompanying her, despite her assurances that she wouldn’t abandon him. Resigned, Mei Lin searched for food while carrying her “big burden.”
A wild rabbit crouched in nearby bushes, watching them approach without fleeing. It continued nibbling grass while cautiously observing their movements, seemingly sensing that the two posed little threat.
Feeling insulted, Mei Lin drew her dagger and threw it, sheath and all, intending only to scare the creature. Unexpectedly, it struck the rabbit’s head. The animal fell sideways, its legs not even twitching as it inexplicably died.
Mei Lin clicked her tongue in amusement. Even Murong Jinghe raised his head slightly, looking oddly at the unfortunate creature.
Carrying the plump dead rabbit and half-supporting Murong Jinghe, Mei Lin returned to the stream. She gathered firewood and started a fire, then squatted by the water to skin and clean the rabbit.
The smell of blood made Murong Jinghe nauseous again. “I can’t eat this,” he said, knowing it might be a long time before he could stomach bloody foods again.
Mei Lin, her hands still inside the rabbit, paused and looked back at him quizzically. Suddenly understanding, she burst out laughing.
“So that’s why you insisted on coming along—you were afraid Shi Gui would return and eat you!”
Murong Jinghe turned away, not responding, but his action confirmed her guess. Mei Lin felt embarrassed to keep laughing. She quickly finished preparing the rabbit, skewered it, and set it over the fire. Then she found some nearby bamboo shoots, peeled them, and roasted them as well.
Autumn bamboo shoots aren’t as good as spring or winter ones, and roasting them plain doesn’t make them particularly tasty, but it was better than nothing.
Mei Lin herself had little appetite, but her stomach growled with hunger. She only ate two roasted shoots, leaving the golden-brown, fragrant rabbit untouched. This benefited Shi Gui, who had mysteriously reappeared.
Shi Gui was soaking wet from head to toe. Though still covered in long hair and beard, he was much cleaner now, his pale skin visible. The thick, foul odor had diminished significantly. He had gone downstream to bathe and wash his clothes, and he had brought back a large handful of wild berries.
Mei Lin didn’t hesitate to eat the berries, also giving some to Murong Jinghe, ignoring his uncomfortable expression.
“Why didn’t you leave?” she asked.
Shi Gui, having not eaten hot, cooked food in a long time, didn’t mind the heat. He clutched the whole rabbit and gnawed on it, smearing oil all over his freshly cleaned beard. Hearing Mei Lin’s question, he mumbled while chewing, looking confused, “Leave where?”
Mei Lin asked strangely, “Wherever you want to go, of course.” She remembered him mentioning having a family, parents, and a wife. After eight years away, wouldn’t he be eager to return home?
Shi Gui froze, slowly stopping his eating. He looked bewildered, “Didn’t you capture me?”
This time, not only Mei Lin but even Murong Jinghe was stunned. They couldn’t believe someone could be so naive.
“We’re going back into the Stone Forest. Do you want to come with us?” Murong Jinghe asked with a smile before Mei Lin could speak. He didn’t believe this man would have the courage to re-enter that place.
As expected, Shi Gui’s already pale face turned even whiter at these words. His hand holding the rabbit began to shake uncontrollably.
“You… you want to… go back?” he stammered in disbelief.
Mei Lin felt a jolt in her heart but remained silent.
Murong Jinghe nodded, his gaze determined. Of course, they had to go back. Not only did he hope to escape Zhong Mountain through the Stone Forest, but he also wanted to unravel the mystery of the Tibetan king.
Shi Gui’s expression fluctuated between fear and blankness, his thoughts visible on his face like an open book.
Mei Lin suddenly felt that this man wasn’t so frightening after all, but rather endearingly straightforward. She was about to speak up to ease his dilemma when Murong Jinghe silenced her with a glare. Not knowing what he had in mind, she could only hold her tongue for now.
After a while, Shi Gui gritted his teeth, his face full of misery, as if he had made a life-or-death decision. He looked at Murong Jinghe woodenly and said, “Of course… I’ll… go with you…” After saying this, his eyes reddened, with a hint of tears glistening in them.
Seeing his expression, Mei Lin felt an inexplicable pang in her heart, suddenly reminded of the Dark Factory. If it were her, she would never return, even if it meant death.
Murong Jinghe smiled faintly, seemingly satisfied with the answer.
In the end, Murong Jinghe didn’t let Shi Gui accompany them into the Stone Forest. Instead, he gave Shi Gui his jade pendant and instructed him to deliver a message to Qing Yan at the Jing Bei Prince’s mansion in Zhao Jing, and then wait for him there.
He said he suddenly missed the two beauties in Jing Bei and asked Qing Yan to bring them to Zhao Jing.
Noticing that he didn’t mention his situation or possible exit routes from the mountain, Mei Lin didn’t interfere. She wondered if this man was truly lecherous or just addicted to acting, still thinking about his women in such a state.
Murong Jinghe gave two instructions: first, not to show the jade pendant if encountering officials when leaving the mountain; second, not to mention meeting him unless speaking directly to Qing Yan.
Then, the well-fed Shi Gui, wearing his tattered clothes and sporting disheveled hair and beard, left with a heart full of shock and awe at Murong Jinghe’s identity.
“Aren’t you afraid he’ll run off with your jade pendant?” Mei Lin asked while preparing for their re-entry into the forest. Once Shi Gui left, Murong Jinghe no longer insisted on staying close to her at all times.
“Where could he run?” Murong Jinghe replied casually. No matter where Shi Gui fled, showing the jade pendant would mean certain death. The only way to survive was to obediently go to Zhao Jing, find Qing Yan, and stay under his watchful eye until Murong Jinghe returned safely.
Murong Jinghe lay on the ground, his gaze fixed on a tiny blue wildflower about an inch away. The delicate stem supported the fragile blossom, trembling in the wind. The petals were like thin porcelain, fragile and transparent, seeming as if they might shatter at the slightest touch. As if triggered by a memory, his gaze became distant and misty.
Mei Lin glanced at him, suddenly realizing that after spending so many days in the mountains, the dissipated air about him seemed to have been purified, leaving only a pale, sickly appearance that was somehow more pleasing to the eye. Of course, she didn’t consider that this change in perception might be due to a shift in her mindset.
After a moment’s thought, she understood his intentions. Their earlier probing had revealed Shi Gui to be a simple, somewhat foolish fellow who was willing to return to his nightmarish place with them. He certainly wouldn’t flee halfway. Murong Jinghe must have recognized this trait and chosen him to deliver the message, not only letting Murong Xuanlie and others know he was still alive and forcing them to be cautious but also removing a presence that greatly bothered him. It was killing two birds with one stone.
“Quite the schemer,” she muttered, saying no more. Since they met, this man had been adept at utilizing every available resource around him. She should be used to it by now.
With their previous experience, they were better prepared for re-entering the Stone Forest. They wove a crude bamboo mat and made several pine resin-soaked torches. For food, besides wild fruits, they brought plenty of cooked mountain yams and wild potatoes, but no meat. Not only Murong Jinghe but Mei Lin herself was somewhat averse to meat deep down.
According to Murong Jinghe, he had “some knowledge” of the art of divination and various formations, so their journey through the Stone Forest, while not entirely smooth, was no longer as challenging as before. He explained that this stone formation was natural, unlike man-made ones that could be easily altered or filled with traps. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to navigate it. Such a place wasn’t enough to trap the Tibetan king.
Just as he finished speaking, they heard the sound of rotting wood cracking. The ground beneath Mei Lin’s feet suddenly gave way, and she plummeted downward, taking Murong Jinghe, whom she was half-carrying, with her. Midway through their fall, they were briefly caught by the wedged bamboo cart. However, the decayed wood couldn’t support the weight of two people and the cart, shattering into pieces, and finally, the cart itself tipped over and fell.
The unexpected pit wasn’t too deep, and their fall had been somewhat cushioned. When they hit the bottom, neither was injured, but they were dazed by the subsequent impacts of the falling cart and its contents. It took them a while to regain their senses.
Mei Lin cursed under her breath, struggling to push off the objects on top of her and stand up. She took out her flint, lit it, and quickly surveyed the area. Noticing that the soil at the bottom of the pit wasn’t black, she felt relieved. She found a torch, lit it, and stuck it in the ground a short distance away.
Untying the rope around her waist, she moved the cart aside to reveal Murong Jinghe’s bloodless face.
His eyes were tightly shut, his chest motionless…
Mei Lin was startled. She hurriedly cleared away the debris on top of him and carefully lifted his upper body. She checked for breath under his nose and finally relaxed slightly. Then she pinched his philtrum and gave him water, eventually bringing him back to consciousness.
It turned out that Mei Lin had been slightly delayed by the vine tied around her waist to pull the cart, so Murong Jinghe had hit the ground first. She and the subsequent falling cart and other objects had landed on top of him, nearly knocking the wind out of him.
The bottom of the pit was about two people tall, with a narrow mouth widening at the bottom. Above, they could see the wooden planks with a large hole, clearly meant as a trap. In their current state, climbing out was impossible.
Mei Lin circled the pit bottom with the torch, noticing scattered weapons on the ground. In the corner, she discovered three skeletons: one curled up, another clinging to the pit wall in a strange posture, and the third sitting cross-legged against the wall, its body perfectly straight, with a gold-backed saber across its knees. Judging by the bone structure, this person must have been imposing and tall in life. The only similarity among the three was that their bones were as black as ink, extremely eerie.
“Cough… help me over there,” Murong Jinghe said, clearly having noticed the skeletons as well, suppressing the pain in his chest from being compressed.
Mei Lin stuck the torch near the skeletons before returning to help him.
Up close, Murong Jinghe simply observed silently, stopping Mei Lin from searching for the remains. After a while, he pointed with his chin to the ground in front of the sitting skeleton and said, “There are words on the ground, take a look.”
Mei Lin peered closely but saw nothing unusual. He insisted so she had no choice but to lay him on the unrolled bamboo mat and then lie on the ground herself to scrape away the surface layer of soil.
The pit bottom was covered with a layer of gray soil, evidently accumulated over hundreds of years, similar to that on the skeletons. Mei Lin had only scraped for a moment when she indeed saw traces of carving underneath. Her spirits lifted, and her movements became more efficient. Soon, four boldly written characters appeared before her eyes. Though only palm-sized, they were powerful and deep, carved several inches into the ground as if to engrave all the anger and resentment into them.
“Qian zei hai wo!” (The Qian traitor harmed me!)
Mei Lin couldn’t understand the meaning of these words, but she could feel the intense hatred they conveyed. She straightened up and turned to look at Murong Jinghe, who had been staring at the ground. Being close by, he could naturally see these characters.
Murong Jinghe fell silent. After a long while, he said to her, “You should kowtow to him a few times.”
Mei Lin was dumbfounded. “Why?”
Murong Jinghe smiled briefly but quickly returned to his indifferent expression. “He’s a war god. If you kowtow to him, he might bless us to get out alive.”
His words both irritated and amused Mei Lin, especially given his serious tone. She couldn’t help but retort sarcastically, “With your noble status, your kowtow would surely be more effective…” Before she could finish, she saw him looking at her as if she were an idiot, causing her to stop mid-sentence.
“You think I can… cough cough…” Despite his sickly appearance, his attitude was enough to infuriate anyone.
Mei Lin glared back at him, standing up and dusting herself off. “If he could bless us to get out, why would he be trapped here himself?” she said, preparing to continue looking for a way to climb out of the pit.
“Then kowtow on my behalf, and I’ll owe you a favor,” Murong Jinghe suddenly compromised.
This was the first time he had compromised since they met, which startled Mei Lin. She almost wanted to feel his forehead to check if the fall had addled his brain.
“Are you serious?” she asked skeptically.
“Of course!” Murong Jinghe frowned, showing some impatience.
Mei Lin thought for a moment, considering it a fair exchange. Although he seemed harmless at present, who could predict the future? She didn’t seek fame or fortune, only peace and safety.
With this in mind, she agreed readily, kneeling before the skeleton and kowtowing three times with resounding thuds. She didn’t ask for any guarantees or written promises, knowing that if he chose to renege, such things would be worthless. She was gambling on luck!
As she stood up, she glanced at the man lying on his side, seeing an extremely complex expression in his eyes, as if he had drifted off in thought again.
“One day, you won’t regret kowtowing,” he said softly, noticing her gaze and coming back to his senses.
“That would be best,” Mei Lin muttered, preparing to search for a way out. Suddenly remembering something, she paused and asked, “Do you want me to help bury him?” She was convinced that this person had a deep connection to Murong Jinghe; otherwise, given his status and pride, how could he ask someone to kowtow on his behalf? She thought it might be good to complete the gesture, making him remember the favor even more deeply.
To her surprise, Murong Jinghe responded coldly, “Don’t meddle unnecessarily.”
Feeling rebuffed, Mei Lin took the torch and silently began searching for a way out.
“The color of the opposite corner wall is a bit lighter,” Murong Jinghe suddenly spoke up as she fell silent.
Mei Lin hadn’t gone far. Hearing this, she turned her head to look where he was pointing. In the dim torchlight shadows, that area indeed seemed different from the surrounding walls. Because of its low position, she hadn’t noticed it earlier.
Her heart beating slightly faster, she took a deep breath before quickly walking over.
It was a stone, about half a person’s height, surrounded by soil, which explained the color difference. Up close, Mei Lin felt it with her hand, initially disappointed, but still tapped it with the hilt of her dagger. To her surprise, it produced a hollow echo, indicating that the other side was empty. Her disappointment immediately vanished, and she began trying to push it with her hands. However, despite using all her strength, the stone wall remained immovable.
Frustrated, Mei Lin punched the stone wall, only hurting herself in the process. As she nursed her hand, feeling discouraged, Murong Jinghe spoke up again.
“Stupid, why don’t you use the dagger?” His dagger could cut through iron like butter; he couldn’t believe she didn’t know this. Otherwise, during her fight with Shi Gui, she wouldn’t have changed from slicing his wrist to striking his solar plexus with her elbow. She must have known that one slash of the dagger would have severed Shi Gui’s wrist completely. Compassion was this woman’s weakness.
It’s because I was afraid of damaging your dagger, Mei Lin thought to herself. But eager to explore what was behind the stone wall, she had no energy to argue with him. She simply drew the dagger and began by carefully inserting it at the junction of the stone and soil.
The dagger blade was about a foot long, and before it was fully inserted, she felt it slip into emptiness. Her spirits lifted once again.
Slowly cutting along the edge of the stone wall, stone dust fell in a steady stream, but the dagger blade met no resistance. Soon, she had cut around the entire perimeter. With a push of her hand against the center of the stone, there was a “boom,” and dust exploded everywhere, covering her face and head.
Ignoring the dust, she waved her sleeve to clear the air while coughing and peering inside.
A dark passage appeared before her eyes, too deep to see clearly in the limited light. She turned to grab the torch stuck nearby and shone it inside, but it only illuminated about ten feet ahead. However, this was enough to see that beneath the fallen stone slab was a neatly laid brick floor, with a few bricks cracked from the impact of the stone.
Mei Lin stared at this man-made structure for a while, only snapping out of it when Murong Jinghe impatiently asked what she saw. She turned back to look at him with a strange expression and said, “You said this stone formation was naturally formed, so how could there be such a passage underneath?”
Murong Jinghe couldn’t see it himself, but he sensed something odd from her words. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Light another torch and throw it in.”
Mei Lin understood and did as he suggested. The torch thrown into the depths only dimmed for an instant when it hit the ground, then burned steadily, showing no signs of going out anytime soon. The air in the passage was circulating.
Not knowing how deep it went, Mei Lin didn’t want to waste resources. She crawled in to retrieve the thrown torch and extinguished it, burning a few intersecting cobwebs in the process. She left only one torch burning, then returned to sit beside Murong Jinghe and briefly described what she had seen inside.
Seeing her dust-covered face, Murong Jinghe couldn’t help but laugh. When she looked at him quizzically, he quickly said, “It was probably built by later people and might not be related to the giant stones above.” Although he said this, he was no longer as certain as before.
The Stone Forest is man-made! The thought occurred to both of them simultaneously but was quickly dismissed. Murong Jinghe couldn’t recall any historical records of such a massive project, while Mei Lin was worried about the narrow passage that only allowed for crawling. She couldn’t understand why someone would build such a neat passageway yet not allow people to walk upright. More troubling was that the passage was too narrow for the bamboo cart to pass through. This meant that for the upcoming journey, she would not only have to drag Murong Jinghe but also carry food, water, and a torch.
This was an extremely challenging task for anyone.
(End of Chun Hua Yan – Chapter)