Chapter 256: Following the Map

Wu Yili pulled the two fragmented pieces of the Burial Bone Testament from his bag and held them out to Qian Shizhong. Pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, he spoke before I could get a word in. “I must ask you to help us decipher this map, old gentleman. Where exactly in Northern Shaanxi is the location indicated on this human skin map?”

Qian Shizhong closed his eyes and turned his head away. Leaning both hands on his cane, he showed no intention of acknowledging Wu Yili. “In this life, I work only for myself and the Chief Chief,” he said. “If it is you who wishes to decipher the Burial Bone Testament, then I’m afraid this old man must respectfully decline.”

Wu Yili had never been treated with such coldness. He simply tossed the map into my arms. One of his students who possessed a deep understanding of history was also hot-tempered, and he spoke up on his teacher’s behalf. “You old man, you don’t know what’s good for you! How many of us have come here, how many times, always treating you with courtesy? Yet every time, you spout such arrogance. Last time you told us to get lost, and this time you refuse to decipher the map. Could it be that you don’t actually know Heavenly Star Feng Shui at all, and you’re just using this as an excuse to stall us?”

Qian Shizhong kept his face turned away, sitting on the kang and swinging his legs, completely uninterested in talking to anyone.

Seeing his continued silence, Wu Yili grew irritated and gestured to his students. “Chen Si, it seems that even if this old man has talent, he’s just a mediocrity. This Heavenly Star Feng Shui has never been anything more than a legend. Since he doesn’t know, let’s not force him. We wouldn’t want him throwing another tantrum because he can’t point out the direction.”

“Hold on.”

At that moment, Qian Shizhong’s cane struck the ground with a heavy thud. The dull sound echoed through the cave dwelling^[1], and everyone froze instantly.

Qian Shizhong gave a cold snort and turned to look at Wu Yili. “Learning requires asking questions! You want to learn, yet you refuse to ask. I only made you come here twice, yet every one of you is brimming with resentment. You have no sense of propriety! It’s no wonder the world has grown so cold and the Five Masters have withered away. Nowadays, one can’t even find someone with a superficial understanding of Heavenly Star Feng Shui. How tragic, how truly tragic!”

The little old man certainly knew how to put on airs, but many elders with unique skills shared this trait; they couldn’t bear to lose face. I actually found Old Qian quite amusing. Seeing his attitude soften slightly, I immediately presented the human skin map in my hands to him.

“Sir, I’ve searched everywhere to decipher this map to no avail. It is truly due to our own lack of ability that we’ve come to seek your guidance. I must trouble you to take a look.” I sat a little closer, holding the map out to him with both hands.

My words clearly pleased Qian Shizhong. “The Chief’s descendant is polite, after all. Young man, what is your name?”

“Gan Ji.”

Qian Shizhong tilted his head slightly. “How did you end up with a name like that?”

He thought for a moment, shook his head, and then turned a kind face toward me. Switching his cane to his right hand, he patted my shoulder with his left. After studying me for a while, he lowered his gaze to the human skin map. He traced it with his cracked, calloused fingers and let out a sigh.

“The place you’re looking for,” he said, “is no tomb.”

Wu Yili sat on a stool. “If that line doesn’t represent a tomb, then what is it? Before the King of Gune became king, he slaughtered many neighboring countries, to the point where they all became his vassal states in the end. This can only be the tomb of a vassal state of ancient Gune.”

Qian Shizhong clicked his tongue. “Brash youth, you see only half the picture. Since you’ve come to ask for my guidance, I shall teach you properly. Back then, the King of Gune did indeed slaughter many neighboring lands, but he never treated them as vassal states of his capital. Instead, he used them for sacrifices. As for this place you speak of, with cliffs sheer to the bottom, wide at the top and narrow at the base, it’s a tight ravine. The air does not circulate; it cannot be a tomb. It can only be one thing: an ancient battlefield.”

At those words, everyone fell silent.

After a long pause, Fourth Brother finally asked, “May I ask, sir, how far is that place from here?”

Qian Shizhong pointed off in a direction. “Go ten li west from here. Cross through Yellow Wind Ravine, and you will enter a mountain valley. The locals call it Eagle Valley. The ancient battlefield you seek is in the deepest part of Eagle Valley.”

Fourth Brother immediately turned and left the cave dwelling. He instructed me to stay behind for a bit, as it would take some time for them to bring up the crew and gear, and asked me to keep Qian Shizhong company. Old Qian and the others naturally followed Fourth Brother out. I sat on the kang and neatly rolled up the human skin map. Soon, the entire cave dwelling was left with only me and Qian Shizhong.

“Look at them, look at them… such impatient youngsters. I suppose we’ll never see the likes of the old days again.” Qian Shizhong took my hand and asked, “Why are you following people like that? Out of all those youths, you’re the one I find most agreeable. Why not stay here and keep this old man company? Don’t go wading into dead bodies with them.”

I politely declined. “I appreciate your kindness, sir, but I came to help my Fourth Brother. Now that we’ve finally found the place, I can’t very well run away at the last moment.”

Qian Shizhong sighed and shook his head. “Since you’re unwilling, then so be it. Gaining some experience isn’t a bad thing. Young man, do you like listening to stories? It’s been a long time since I’ve told one to anyone.”

Just as he finished speaking, He Yu came huffing and puffing through the doorway of the cave dwelling. He had likely come looking for me to dodge the work on Fourth Brother’s end. Thick-skinned as ever, He Yu didn’t feel the least bit ashamed. “I love listening to stories! Sir, tell me one too.”

Hearing him say that, Qian Shizhong burst into laughter. I happened to want to rest my feet as well; crossing the mountains earlier had drained so much of my strength that I still hadn’t fully recovered. Besides, I planned to take this opportunity to ask Qian Shizhong about my great-grandfather back in the day. Ever since hearing what Zhurige told me, I had grown more and more interested in these matters.

Over the next two hours, Qian Shizhong told me the origin of the Burial Bone Testament in my hands, along with a past tale concerning the eight hundred li of Qinchuan^[2]. The sheer complexity of the events left both He Yu and me speechless, but that story is far too long to recount here for now.

We set out that same day, carrying our supplies and equipment. Following Qian Shizhong’s directions, three pickup trucks continued rattling westward along the dirt road. The trucks drove without stopping for a moment, and the constant jolting left all of us in the back looking sallow-faced. He Yu couldn’t stop himself from vomiting several times, until he was completely drained.

Asking for directions as we went, the three pickups had just reached the edge of Yellow Wind Ravine when one broke down. As luck would have it, that truck was loaded entirely with our supplies and equipment. We all unloaded the gear, carrying on our backs what we could and leaving what we couldn’t in the vehicle for the time being, then set off into Yellow Wind Ravine on foot.

Yellow Wind Ravine was one of the few place names within a hundred-li radius that suggested water. It was actually a towering pillar of rock split right down the middle. Because the ground at the bottom was low, as we passed through, we could see the yellow dust being whipped up by the wind outside, which was why the locals called it Yellow Wind Ravine.