Chapter 30: A Sudden Turn of Events

"Is everyone clear-headed now? We’ll wait for the effects of this drug to wear off before we move. It should take about half an hour, but we’ll wait a bit longer just to be safe." With that, Sun Laosan carefully tucked away his small bottle of powder.

"Third Brother, this stuff is potent. You said you borrowed it from a friend in the underworld? Which friend?" I asked curiously.

Sun Laosan shook his head. "This stuff? I got it from 'Cripple Xiang' of the Eight Eccentrics. Good thing I came prepared."

Many have heard of the term "soul-stupefying incense." In old historical dramas, one would often see criminals poke a hole through paper windows and blow smoke inside using a hollow bamboo tube. This was no mere flight of fancy, though it was truly astonishing to find such fragrance persisting for thousands of years within this underground palace.

Before the Republic of China era, those who roamed the underworld were divided into various factions, including the Eight Exterior Sects, the Eight Interior Sects, and the Seven Yin Sects, which encompassed the Eight Eccentrics of Tianqiao.

What were the Eight Eccentrics of Tianqiao? They were categorized into the crafts of gold, skin, color, hanging, commentary, troupe, incense, and willow. The "Cripple Xiang" that Third Brother mentioned was the second-to-last among the Eight Eccentrics, ranking above the Willow Sect—the latter being the trade of prostitutes.

Since we had to wait half an hour for the drug’s effects to dissipate, my curiosity about the Eight Eccentrics grew, and I took the opportunity to learn more. Third Brother explained that some of the successors to the Eight Eccentrics still existed, while others had vanished, much like the legendary grave-robbing factions of old: the Mo Jin, Xie Ling, Ban Shan, and Fa Qiu.

These individuals all carried nicknames in the underworld back in the day. "Cripple Xiang of the Soul-Stupefying Incense" was just one; there were many other remarkable figures: the romantic beggar Hua Jianliu, Zhang Xiaohong the sugar-figure maker, the wandering swordsman Xiao Liutou, the drum-singer Xiao Songrong, the performer Wei Guotong, the storyteller Bai Yuqing, the swift-as-a-meteor Wang Shaoyuan, and "Swallow" Li, who could scale walls and vault over roofs. Each of them possessed extraordinary skills. Back then, grave robbers like us, who were considered the lowest of the low, were not even fit to stand on the same stage; very few among us could even claim a name.

I silently memorized these names, thinking that if I ever had the chance, I would like to witness these legends of the underworld for myself.

"Old Third, how big is this underground palace exactly? How much space could Feie Mountain possibly have?" Sensing the drug's effects were fading, One-Mole asked, looking troubled.

Sun Laosan shook his head helplessly. "Who knows? We’ll take it one step at a time."

"Yunfeng, Big Brother, the effects should be gone. Let’s keep moving. If we don’t get to the bottom of this Western Zhou palace, all our hard work over the past few months will have been for nothing."

After gathering our gear, we continued forward. About ten minutes later, we discovered a highly unusual structure. In the heart of the palace lay a circular, dried-up pit. The sides of the pit were smooth, and standing inside were three headless stone statues wearing robes. Looking at the clean, smooth cuts on the statues' necks, we guessed they had been sculpted that way intentionally; if they had been damaged by human hands, the breaks would never have been so uniform. The pit resembled a reservoir, clearly dug out by design.

"Hey, why are there so many holes along the edge here? What are they for?" One-Mole suddenly noticed something at the edge of the pit.

I saw it too. As she said, there were many small holes arranged along the rim of the circular pool, their purpose unknown. Third Brother, being the boldest, jumped down first. Standing in the middle, he frowned as he examined the three headless statues.

"What is it, Old Third? Did you find something?" We followed him down into the pit.

"Big Brother, look at this spot," Sun Laosan said, pointing to the chest of one of the headless statues. I saw it too—there was a slight indentation on the chest where he pointed. It was subtle, but visible up close.

"Old Third, don't touch it!"

It was already a second too late. Almost simultaneously, Sun Laosan pressed his right hand down. We stood frozen, not daring to draw a breath as we watched the stone statue’s chest collapse inward.

*Clack-clack, clack...*

I was the first to hear it—a series of sounds emanating from beneath the pool, like the noise of heavy iron chains being pulled taut. At the same moment, the very ground beneath our feet began to sink!

"Run!"

Sun Laosan reacted with incredible speed. Sensing the danger, he took three long strides and leaped out of the pit, followed closely by Sun the Eldest.

*Clack, clack, clatter.* The sound of the chains grew louder. Suddenly, the three headless stone figures rotated, turning to face me directly.

"Yunfeng! Xiaohong! Jump up here!" Third Brother shouted in panic.

The entire reservoir was descending rapidly. In the time it took me to blink, it had already sunk nearly two meters. With my jumping ability, there was no way to reach the top now.

"The rope! Big Brother! Get the rope!" One-Mole cried out, her voice filled with anxiety.

Suddenly, there was another loud *snap*, like a chain breaking. Before Big Brother could lower the climbing rope, the descent of the reservoir accelerated.

"Come here, Yunfeng!" One-Mole’s forehead was beaded with sweat. "It's too late! Crouch down! Hug the stone statue!" She demonstrated, showing me what to do.

A profound sense of weightlessness engulfed me. I could no longer see Big Brother or Third Brother above. Paralyzed by fear, I didn't know what to do. Seeing me frozen, One-Mole bit her lip, ran over, and grabbed me. I finally snapped out of it and scrambled to hug the same stone statue as her, mimicking her slightly crouched posture.

It was then that I saw them—hundreds of thick bronze chains embedded in the surrounding stone walls. One-Mole and I gripped each other's arms, helpless, forced to watch as we sank deeper and deeper with the reservoir.

A massive splash followed. The impact was so powerful that I lost my grip on the statue and was sent sprawling backward. First, I felt a biting chill on my back, then the cold seeped through my entire body. It was the freezing water of an underground river.

The water rose with terrifying speed. My head was spinning, and before I could recover or try to escape, it was too late. Not knowing how to swim, I swallowed mouthfuls of water, gasping for air and screaming for help. I flailed my arms and legs, but I only continued to sink. My lungs felt as though they were about to burst as I submerged, bubbles escaping my lips.

As my consciousness began to drift, my life flashed before my eyes like a fast-moving slide show. I saw my grandmother, the look in my uncle's eyes, the guidance of our leader, and Li Jing’s smile. I tried desperately to hold onto these images, but they slipped through my fingers.

My consciousness was fading into nothingness.

Then, perhaps just a hallucination before death, I suddenly felt someone wrap their arms around me from behind.