Chapter 251: Old Acquaintance (2)

There was no time to hesitate now. Liu Dashao immediately signaled everyone to head down the secret passage, flashlight in hand, leading the way cautiously. Each step he took was filled with care, the staircase stretching endlessly into pitch darkness. Occasionally, the sight of a skeleton or two sent chills down their spines.

No one spoke much along the way, treading carefully and quietly. It felt like an eternity before the path suddenly opened up, and they finally emerged.

Before them lay a narrow wooden walkway, flanked by evenly spaced stone pillars. The walkway stretched far into the distance, ending at a raised platform—perhaps the burial site of the Golden Queen.

The space was vast, about the size of a football field, littered with wooden chests made from poplar trees. Some were half-open, revealing treasures inside.

“Underground river! Water, water!” Lin Miaoke suddenly shouted.

“Where?” Liu Dashao quickly asked.

Without answering, Lin Miaoke turned and ran to the right. No one hesitated and followed closely behind.

Sure enough, Liu Dashao’s eyes fell upon a subterranean river. It was wide and fast-flowing, indicating a powerful underground water system. If there was water, why had the Golden Ancient City perished?

Everyone rushed to the riverbank, greedily drinking until they nearly forgot about Mr. Ni and Wang Zhicai. Liu Dashao snapped back to his senses and quickly filled a water bottle to give to Wang Zhicai. Wang, revived by the water, drank nonstop. Meanwhile, Fan Debiao was pouring water into Mr. Ni’s mouth.

Liu Dashao noticed that Mr. Ni was completely covered in sand, which could infect his wounds. He immediately called Fan Debiao and Liu Dashao to help clean him up.

They carried Mr. Ni to the riverbank, preparing to rinse him off. When the flashlight beam hit the water, they saw nothing but countless white bones. The sight nearly made Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao vomit up everything they had eaten the day before.

Wang Feifei hurriedly asked what was wrong, but Liu Dashao quickly dismissed it, not wanting to leave psychological scars. He simply said everything was fine.

Without further ado, he poured a pot of water directly over Mr. Ni’s head. The mud and sand washed away, revealing the face that had always been hidden behind a scarf.

Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao were both stunned. It was Scarface! No wonder he had always kept his face covered—he was afraid of being mocked.

Fan Debiao couldn’t help laughing, “The legendary Scarface Jason!”

Liu Dashao was speechless. What was going through this kid’s mind?

As Liu Dashao cleaned Mr. Ni’s wounds, Fan Debiao couldn’t resist poking at the scars on his face. Liu Dashao thought to himself that if Mr. Ni ever found out, he’d probably kill Fan for it.

Liu Dashao wasn’t in the mood to scold Fan, but as he cleaned the wounds, he noticed how thin the man was—less muscular than himself—and yet, with one hand, he had easily overpowered Fan Debiao.

Just then, Fan Debiao suddenly stood up straight. Liu Dashao found it strange—what was he up to now? He looked up at him.

Fan Debiao’s expression had changed, his face darkened, eyes fixed on his hand.

In his hand was something new—skin. A piece of human skin. Liu Dashao immediately understood. He quickly turned his flashlight toward Mr. Ni’s face, his heart tightening.

Mr. Ni’s scarred face was a mask—a human skin mask. His real identity was Geshuangwa!

Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao exchanged glances, their minds in chaos. This was beyond comprehension.

Mr. Ni—or rather, Geshuangwa—hadn’t died ten years ago. Not only had he not aged, but he appeared younger. How was that possible?

Fan Debiao was even more agitated now. He crouched down, grabbed Geshuangwa’s shoulders, and shook him repeatedly, urging him to wake up.

Liu Dashao saw how violently Fan was shaking him and worried he might kill Mr. Ni. He quickly intervened. It took a while before Fan finally calmed down.

Liu Dashao analyzed the situation and said, “We shouldn’t jump to conclusions yet. Think about it—how can someone live forever? Maybe he’s a relative of Master Ge. Let’s wait until he wakes up before we ask.”

Fan Debiao was at a loss, “It’s definitely him.” He then grabbed Zhang Zheng’s bag and started rummaging through it.

Liu Dashao couldn’t allow such disrespect and stopped him, “These are his personal belongings. Don’t touch them.”

Fan Debiao refused to back down, insisting on searching the bag. They began to struggle. Liu Dashao, seeing how worked up Fan had become, almost considered knocking him out to calm him.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed both of theirs—Mr. Ni’s. He slowly sat up and said, “Yes, I am Geshuangwa!”

Mr. Ni—no, Geshuangwa—admitted it. “Yes, I am Geshuangwa!”

A simple statement, yet it stunned Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao into silence. The grip on the bag loosened. They exchanged glances, unable to speak.

They had expected Geshuangwa to deny it, to make excuses, but he admitted it directly, which left Liu Dashao speechless.

“How can you prove you’re Geshuangwa?” Fan Debiao let go and looked between Liu Dashao and Zhang Zheng.

Liu Dashao inwardly cursed Fan Debiao. The guy was clearly unstable. Before, he insisted Zhang Zheng was Geshuangwa, but now that he admitted it, he doubted it again. In truth, Liu Dashao felt the same. There’s always a knot inside people—before the truth is revealed, you believe what you think is true. But once you get the answer, you question whether it’s right or wrong. Maybe that’s what Fan Debiao meant by “no thrill.”

“Believe it or not, Captain Fan!” Geshuangwa’s lips curled slightly as he turned to Liu Dashao, “Do you believe me?”

Their eyes met, and Liu Dashao felt a sense of emptiness. He couldn’t bear to look into those eyes and shifted his gaze to Fan Debiao, nodding involuntarily.

In fact, when Geshuangwa mentioned Fan Debiao’s old title, Liu Dashao was already certain of his identity. None of the others in Old Diao’s group knew Fan’s past.

“Speak clearly, damn it! Don’t talk in riddles!” Fan Debiao exploded, as if Geshuangwa had killed his father.

Liu Dashao saw the situation spiraling and stepped in, “Geshuangwa, what really happened back then? You owe everyone an explanation.”

Geshuangwa glanced sideways, “Call me Mr. Ni. I already told you everything back then. I only wanted the book. I never meant to harm anyone.”

Fan Debiao shook his head, said nothing, and walked off to smoke alone. Liu Dashao understood his pain and didn’t disturb him.

At the time, Liu Dashao hadn’t thought much of it, assuming it was just comfort. But later, he realized how much meaning was hidden in those words.

“Don’t you feel like in recent years, you haven’t aged—you’ve actually gotten younger?” Liu Dashao said meaningfully, hinting at immortality, though he considered it absurd.

“I don’t know,” Geshuangwa replied coldly, clearly dismissive.

“Fine, if you won’t say, it doesn’t matter. But you must tell me about Zhang Jiao’s secret in the Taiping Jing.”

Geshuangwa stared at Liu Dashao, “You shouldn’t know it. You don’t need to know.”

Liu Dashao felt anger rise, “Who says I don’t need to know? My name is on the book’s first page! Zhang Jiao was the keeper of the Taiping Jing. Why do you say I shouldn’t know?”

“I don’t know the secret. I didn’t say Zhang Jiao had it,” Geshuangwa replied.

“You’re lying,” Liu Dashao accused. “If you didn’t know the secret, why come here? You must’ve known the Golden Queen had the lower volume of the Taiping Jing. Even the Three Rows of Loshen Gate was fake. You wanted everyone to find the Golden Queen’s coffin first, then leave alone to solve the mystery. You knew the place, but underestimated the danger, which is why you got hurt.”

Geshuangwa’s face twitched slightly. Liu Dashao realized he had struck a nerve and felt proud of his deduction.

“You’re right,” Geshuangwa admitted. “I do know this place. The Three Rows of Loshen Gate was fake. Each door leads here, but with different dangers.”

“Cunning old fox,” Liu Dashao muttered under his breath.

Geshuangwa continued, “I did come for the final secret of the Taiping Army, but I don’t know the secret of the Taiping Jing. I’m searching for it, just like you.”

“You’re searching for what?” Liu Dashao remained skeptical. “Your name isn’t on the book.”

Geshuangwa smiled faintly, “We seek the same goal, but for different reasons.”

“What’s your reason?” Liu Dashao asked, puzzled.

“My reason is the same as Heaven General’s,” Geshuangwa said.

Immortality! Liu Dashao immediately thought. It made sense—why else would he have started grave-robbing? After falling into the whirlpool, something must have happened that granted him eternal youth.

But why was everything tied to the Taiping Jing? And what role did Liu Dashao himself play in this mystery? If immortality was real, then the curse on his name in the book wasn’t so hard to believe.

Every time he thought about it, Liu Dashao got a headache. Suddenly, his phone rang from his pocket. He answered—Old Diao. He sighed in relief, at least Diao was safe.

“Diao, what’s going on?” he asked.

A long silence followed, then Diao’s voice came through, “Quick, get out of there! Don’t stay by the river!”

Now is not the time for any hesitation. Liu Dashao immediately called everyone to descend through the secret passage. He took the lead with a flashlight in hand, moving cautiously with each step. The staircase seemed endless, shrouded in darkness ahead, with occasional human skeletons appearing in sight, sending chills down their spines.

The group moved in silence, treading lightly. After what felt like an eternity, they suddenly emerged into a vast, open space.

A narrow plank path appeared before them, flanked by evenly spaced stone pillars. The path was long, with a raised section at the end, possibly the tomb of the Golden Queen.

The area was vast, the size of a football field, scattered with boxes made of poplar wood, some half-open, revealing treasures inside.

“Dark river, water, water!” Lin Miaoke suddenly shouted from the side.

“Where?” Liu Dashao quickly asked.

Without answering, Lin Miaoke turned and ran to the right. The group followed without delay.

Sure enough, a wide, flowing dark river came into view. It wasn’t stagnant but rather swift, indicating a powerful underground river system. With water present, how did the Golden City perish?

Everyone rushed to the river, drinking eagerly, almost forgetting about Clayman Zhang and Wang Zhicai. Liu Dashao snapped back to reality, quickly filling a water bottle for Wang Zhicai, who drank thirstily. Fan Debiao was also helping Clayman Zhang drink.

Noticing Clayman Zhang was covered in sand, which could infect his wounds, Liu Dashao called Fan Debiao to help clean him.

They carried Clayman Zhang to the riverbank. As they prepared to fetch water, the flashlight revealed a riverbed full of white bones. The sight nearly made Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao vomit.

Wang Feifei asked what was wrong. It was better not to explain, to avoid leaving them with nightmares, so Liu Dashao quickly said it was nothing.

He then poured water over Clayman Zhang’s head, washing away the sand and revealing his face, previously hidden by a scarf.

Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao were stunned. The man had a scarred face, explaining why he always covered it, likely to avoid ridicule.

Fan Debiao laughed, “The legendary Scarface Jason.”

Liu Dashao was speechless, wondering what was going through Fan Debiao’s mind.

As Liu Dashao cleaned Clayman Zhang’s wounds, Fan Debiao playfully poked at the scars. Liu Dashao thought if Clayman Zhang knew, he’d surely kill Fan Debiao.

Liu Dashao didn’t have the mood to “teach” Fan Debiao a lesson, focusing on cleaning the wounds. He noticed Clayman Zhang was quite thin, not as strong as himself, yet he had easily subdued Fan Debiao.

Suddenly, Fan Debiao stood up abruptly. Liu Dashao found it strange and looked up at him.

Fan Debiao’s expression changed, his face darkening as he stared at his hand.

He was holding something—a piece of skin, human skin. Liu Dashao immediately understood, his gaze shifting to Clayman Zhang’s face, his heart tightening.

Clayman Zhang’s scarred face was a mask, a human skin mask. His true identity was Ge Shuanwa!

Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao locked eyes, their minds in turmoil. This was beyond their comprehension.

Clayman Zhang—no, Ge Shuanwa—hadn’t died ten years ago. Not only that, but he also looked younger. What was going on?

Fan Debiao was even more agitated than Liu Dashao, shaking Clayman Zhang’s shoulders and calling for him to wake up.

Seeing Fan Debiao’s intensity, Liu Dashao feared he might kill Clayman Zhang and quickly intervened. It took a while for Fan Debiao to calm down.

Liu Dashao analyzed the situation, “We can’t be entirely sure he’s Ge Shuanwa. Think about it, how could someone not age? Maybe he’s related to Ge the Taoist. We’ll ask him when he wakes up.”

Fan Debiao was at a loss, “It must be Ge.” He then started rummaging through Zhang Zheng’s bag.

Liu Dashao stopped him, “That’s his private stuff, don’t mess with it.”

Fan Debiao insisted, pulling at the bag. Liu Dashao, seeing Fan Debiao was truly out of control, considered using force to calm him down.

Suddenly, a hand grabbed both Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao. It was Clayman Zhang, who slowly sat up and said, “Yes, I am Ge Shuanwa!”

Clayman Zhang—or rather, Ge Shuanwa—admitted it. “Yes, I am Ge Shuanwa.”

Such a simple, straightforward statement left Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao stunned, their grip on the bag loosening. They stared at each other, speechless.

They had expected Ge Shuanwa to deny it or come up with excuses, but his direct admission left Liu Dashao at a loss for words.

“How can you prove you’re Ge Shuanwa?” Fan Debiao let go, looking between Liu Dashao and Zhang Zheng.

Liu Dashao cursed Fan Debiao inwardly. The man was insane. When Ge Shuanwa hadn’t admitted it, he was adamant he was Zhang Zheng. Now that he admitted it, Fan Debiao didn’t believe him. Liu Dashao also had his doubts. It was a knot in everyone’s mind—before the truth was revealed, they believed what they thought was true. Once the truth matched their expectations, they doubted its validity. Perhaps this was what Fan Debiao often referred to as the lack of excitement.

“Believe it or not, Captain Fan!” Ge Shuanwa’s lips curled slightly as he looked at Liu Dashao, “Do you believe it?”

That gaze made Liu Dashao feel empty. He couldn’t bear to look into his eyes, shifting his gaze to Fan Debiao and nodding involuntarily.

In fact, when Ge Shuanwa mentioned Fan Debiao’s position at the construction site, Liu Dashao had already confirmed his identity. The people in Uncle Diao’s team didn’t know what Fan Debiao used to do.

“Speak clearly, don’t give me riddles,” Fan Debiao exploded, as if Ge Shuanwa had killed his father.

Seeing the two at an impasse, one asking irrelevant questions, the other unwilling to answer, Liu Dashao spoke up, “Ge Shuanwa, what exactly happened back then? You need to tell us.”

Ge Shuanwa glanced sideways, “Call me Clayman Zhang. I’ve already told you everything back then. I only wanted the book, not to harm anyone.”

Fan Debiao shook his head, said nothing, and went to sit alone, smoking. Liu Dashao understood his mood and didn’t disturb him, letting him calm down.

Back then, Liu Dashao hadn’t paid much attention to Clayman Zhang’s words, thinking it was just to comfort Fan Debiao. But after everything became clear, Liu Dashao realized the hidden meaning in those words.

“Have you noticed that over the years, you haven’t aged but instead look younger?” Liu Dashao said meaningfully, essentially asking if he had achieved immortality, though Liu Dashao felt it was absurd.

“I don’t know!” Clayman Zhang replied coldly, his tone dismissive.

“Fine, you don’t have to answer that. I don’t care. But you should tell me about Zhang Jiao’s secret of the Taiping Jing,” Liu Dashao stared intently, hoping for an answer to free himself.

“You shouldn’t know Zhang Jiao’s secret, nor do you need to,” Clayman Zhang said.

Hearing this, Liu Dashao felt a surge of anger, a lump in his chest, “Who says I don’t need to know? My name is on the book’s title page. Zhang Jiao, that sorcerer, holds the Taiping Jing. What right do you have to say I shouldn’t know?” Liu Dashao was agitated, convinced Clayman Zhang knew something.

“I don’t know the secret of the Taiping Jing. I didn’t say Zhang Jiao holds its secret,” Clayman Zhang said.

“You’re lying,” Liu Dashao knew Clayman Zhang wasn’t being truthful, “If you didn’t know the secret, why come here? You must have known the Golden Queen had the second volume of the Taiping Jing. The Three Gates of Luo Shengmen were fake too, right? You wanted us to find the Golden Queen’s tomb first, then solve the mystery and leave alone. You knew this place but didn’t anticipate its dangers, hence your injuries.”

Clayman Zhang’s face twitched slightly, confirming Liu Dashao’s deduction. Liu Dashao was impressed with his own reasoning.

“You’re right,” Clayman Zhang admitted, and Liu Dashao felt relieved he was finally talking, “I am familiar with this place. The Three Gates of Luo Shengmen are fake. Each gate leads here but with different dangers.”

“Cunning old fox,” Liu Dashao thought but didn’t say aloud, as the plot wasn’t fully revealed.

Clayman Zhang continued, “I came for the ultimate secret of the Taiping Army, but I don’t know what the Taiping Jing’s secret is. Like you, I’m searching.”

“What are you searching for?” Liu Dashao was skeptical, “Your name isn’t on the book’s title page.”

Clayman Zhang smiled slightly, “We seek the same goal but for different purposes.”

“What’s your purpose?” Liu Dashao was puzzled.

“My purpose is the same as the Heavenly Duke’s back then,” Clayman Zhang said.

Immortality! The word flashed in Liu Dashao’s mind. It made sense. They had sought immortality before, and after Clayman Zhang fell into the vortex, something must have happened, granting him immortality. It wasn’t surprising he was searching for it.

Why did all this tie back to the “Taiping Jing”? What role did he play in this mystery? If immortality was achievable, then his name appearing in the book as a thousand-year curse wasn’t strange.

Thinking about it gave Liu Dashao a headache. Suddenly, his phone rang. It was Uncle Diao. Relieved to know he was safe, Liu Dashao answered, “Uncle Diao, what’s the situation?”

The line was filled with chaotic noises before Uncle Diao’s voice came through, “Nephew, have you found the dark river?”

“Yes, we’re by the dark river…” Before Liu Dashao could finish, Uncle Diao’s urgent voice cut in, “Leave now, don’t stay there, hurry!” Then Old Wu’s voice, “Seventh Master, hurry, no time!” followed by more chaos before the line went dead.

What was going on? The call left Liu Dashao confused. Why call them to the dark river only to tell them to leave now? What were they up to? Why did Old Wu say there was no time? Liu Dashao concluded that Uncle Diao and the others were in trouble.

Without further thought, he urged everyone to leave the dark river immediately. The others looked at him, puzzled. Liu Dashao didn’t explain, simply repeating Uncle Diao’s urgent command. Their expressions changed, and they quickly gathered their belongings, guns ready for any emergency.

Liu Dashao signaled them to follow, but as soon as they turned, a loud roar echoed behind them, like a dam bursting. A massive surge of water flooded the dark river, waves crashing repeatedly before settling.

Four figures emerged from the water—Uncle Diao and his team. Before Liu Dashao could process it, Uncle Diao shouted, “Didn’t I tell you to leave? Don’t just stand there, run!”

The group was momentarily stunned, exchanging glances. Uncle Diao’s tone was serious, not joking or angry. Liu Dashao looked behind Uncle Diao and saw a small waterfall forming. Before he could guess what it was, a giant white serpent, about ten meters long with a blood-red eye, flew out.

Liu Dashao’s heart sank. What kind of snake was this? Without hesitation, everyone turned and ran.

Uncle Diao and his team ran for their lives, quickly overtaking the group. The serpent followed closely, sending chills down Liu Dashao’s spine. He sprinted, taking three steps at a time.

Fan Debiao, carrying Wang Zhicai, couldn’t run as fast. The serpent was right on his tail, and Fan Debiao cursed nonstop.

Seeing this wasn’t sustainable, Liu Dashao decided to use their guns. Their double-barreled shotguns could take down a black bear; surely they could handle this snake.

Liu Dashao stopped abruptly, turned, and fired two shots into the snake’s body. The snake paused in pain. Seizing the moment, Liu Dashao fired a few more rounds. Fan Debiao and Jackson, seeing Liu Dashao’s actions, set Wang Zhicai aside and fired several shots each.

The snake, hit multiple times, collapsed. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, but the snake wasn’t dead. It suddenly sprang up. Liu Dashao raised his gun, but it jammed. Fan Debiao and Jackson’s guns also jammed simultaneously. Liu Dashao cursed inwardly—what were the odds of all three guns jamming at once?

In desperation, Clayman Zhang leaped towards the snake. A flash of cold light, and the snake’s head fell to the ground. The snake twitched and died.

Clayman Zhang sheathed his sword, seeing everyone’s astonished faces, “Don’t be surprised. This is the second one I’ve killed.”

He paused, then continued, “After we entered the Xuan Gate, we encountered such a snake. Everything was chaotic; no one knew how to use their guns. I was the only one who made it out alive.”

Hearing this, Liu Dashao was shocked. There was more than one of these snakes. The other team had better equipment than their double-barreled shotguns—automatic weapons. Even in chaos, with so many guns, they should have turned the snake into Swiss cheese. Unless the snake they encountered was more formidable than this one.

“So, the other team might have been wiped out?” Uncle Diao leaned against a wall, lighting a cigarette to rest.

“Perhaps. These snakes might be the guardians here, one behind each Xuan Gate,” Clayman Zhang sat down. The others, relieved, also sat. Liu Dashao faced the snake’s head, its blood-red eye seemingly alive, sending shivers down his spine. He turned away, unable to bear the sight.

“So, there’s another one of these snakes. What kind of snake is this?” Liu Dashao asked Clayman Zhang.

Clayman Zhang closed his eyes, “There’s definitely another one. It won’t come to the main tomb chamber. This snake is likely the same species as the ones we saw in the tomb full of coffins. I don’t know why they grew so large and turned white.”

Hearing this, Liu Dashao thought, perhaps the “Shan Hai Jing” wasn’t wrong. The snakes those people saw were indeed this kind. But how did Central Plains snakes end up guarding the Golden Queen’s tomb? It must be related to the Central Plains-style tomb passage earlier.

Liu Dashao noticed Clayman Zhang’s injuries, each one severe, and asked how formidable the snake he encountered was.

Then the line went dead.

What the hell? Liu Dashao was confused. Why call them to the river, then tell them to leave? What was going on?

Without hesitation, he ordered everyone to evacuate the riverbank. They looked confused but followed orders, packing quickly and loading their guns.

Just as Liu Dashao turned to leave, a thunderous roar echoed behind them. A massive wave surged into the river, crashing violently. After the chaos settled, four figures emerged from the water—Old Diao and the others.

Before Liu Dashao could react, Diao shouted, “Didn’t I tell you to leave? Why didn’t you listen? Don’t stand there—run!”

No one knew what was happening, but Diao’s tone left no room for doubt. Liu Dashao ordered everyone to follow him.

As he turned, he heard a sudden rumble. A waterfall-like surge of water burst through, and from it flew a giant white serpent, over ten meters long, with a blood-red eye on its head.

Liu Dashao’s heart sank. What kind of snake was this?

Without hesitation, everyone ran. Diao and the others sprinted ahead, the serpent in hot pursuit. Liu Dashao’s sweat poured as he ran for his life.

Fan Debiao carried Wang Zhicai, but his speed was limited. The serpent pursued him relentlessly, and Fan cursed nonstop.

Liu Dashao realized running wouldn’t work. He stopped abruptly, raised his shotgun, and fired two rounds into the serpent. It flinched. Encouraged, he fired again. Fan Debiao and Jackson joined in, each unloading several rounds.

The serpent collapsed, but then suddenly leapt up again. Liu Dashao aimed, but his gun jammed—*click*. Fan and Jackson’s guns jammed too.

Just as panic set in, Mr. Ni leapt forward, sword flashing. The serpent’s head rolled.

Mr. Ni sheathed his sword, “Don’t be surprised. This is the second one I’ve killed.”

He continued, “We encountered one behind the mysterious gate. Everyone panicked. Only I survived.”

Liu Dashao was stunned. There were more than one? But the others had better gear than their shotguns. Unless this serpent was far more powerful.

“So, the other team might be dead?” Diao lit a cigarette, leaning against the wall.

“Perhaps. These serpents might be guardians. Each gate has one,” Mr. Ni replied.

Everyone exhaled in relief, sitting down. Liu Dashao stared at the serpent’s head, its red eye still glowing eerily. He turned away, shivering.

“So, there’s another one?” Liu Dashao asked.

“Yes. It’s in the main tomb. It won’t come here. It’s the same species as the ones in the coffin chamber, but why are they so big and white?” Mr. Ni explained.

Liu Dashao thought, so the *Classic of Mountains and Seas* wasn’t wrong. But how did a Chinese serpent end up guarding a foreign tomb? It must be related to the Chinese-style tomb passage.

Liu Dashao noticed Mr. Ni’s injuries and asked how powerful the serpent had been.