Chapter 36: The Garden

Sister Hong and Chen Jiansheng are both people in their thirties or forties, yet they bicker as soon as they open their mouths. An outsider would surely say they lack decorum.

I do not see it that way.

They are both members of the thieving underworld, wanderers of the fringes, and people of the "three religions and nine schools." They carry an inherent, gritty street-toughness that is difficult to shake off.

After I explained the situation several times, Sister Hong finally understood.

"Hmph," she sneered with a mocking tone. "I was wondering why he kept parroting us. Turns out he’s just a total idiot. Forget it, I won’t lower myself to the level of a Southern School fool."

"That’s the spirit," I said, then pointed to the opposite bank of the river and asked, "Sister Hong, how do you suggest we get across?"

"Oh?" She frowned. "Why go over there? Do you actually believe what that fool said?"

After thinking for a moment, I nodded. "Sister Hong, didn't you notice? Where did that firewood come from? I have a feeling he might be telling the truth; there could be other secrets hidden here."

Chen Jiansheng was still acting dazed, still parroting our words.

Sister Hong turned to look at him, gritted her teeth, and said, "Fine, Yunfeng. You trust him, and I trust you. Let’s swim across and see if there’s truly a world within a world."

"Yunfeng, you’re not a good swimmer, are you?" she asked.

"Well... it’s not that I’m not good; I can't even dog-paddle," I replied, my face twisting in embarrassment.

She sighed helplessly. "I’m telling you, Yunfeng, if we find Lao San and the others and get out of here, you need to practice swimming. In this line of work, if you can’t swim, you’re bound to suffer sooner or later."

"Hold onto me tightly from behind. I’ll carry you across."

I nodded hurriedly.

This underground river wasn't wide, but it was deep, and the water temperature at this time of year was biting. Sister Hong was a strong swimmer, but she didn't dare to be overconfident.

"Move down a bit, kid. Where are your hands?"

"Oh, oh, I’m sorry, Sister Hong." I quickly shifted my hands lower.

Before entering the water, I looked back at the mentally unstable Chen Jiansheng and asked, "Sister Hong, what about this guy? Are we just leaving him here?"

"Mind your own business," she said coldly. "He's a Southern School grave robber; if he dies, he dies. Don't worry about him."

"Oh..." I didn't dare to argue.

I took one last long look at the man, then drew a deep breath.

With a splash, I held onto Sister Hong, and we jumped into the underground river together.

The water was even colder than I had imagined. Within seconds, my limbs were numb from the chill.

"Focus, don't let go, we’ll be there soon," Sister Hong said, carrying me as she swam toward the bank.

We were lucky; no accidents occurred this time. In less than ten minutes, we reached the shore safely.

After wringing out our clothes, we walked toward the fissure.

The mountain crack was over ten meters high and appeared very deep from the outside, though it was only wide enough for one person to pass at a time.

I checked my flashlight; it still worked, but the beam was dim and scattered.

Sister Hong and I exchanged a glance.

I nodded and led the way, sliding in sideways.

As I squeezed through, I kept my stomach sucked in, as there were jagged rocks protruding from the walls that I had brushed against a few times, leaving my skin sore and bruised.

After walking for about three hundred meters, a faint light appeared ahead.

My heart leaped, and I picked up my pace.

When I emerged, I stared blankly at everything before me, completely stunned.

I had expected to find another underground cavern on the other side of the fissure.

But... I was wrong.

In junior high, we studied a text called *The Peach Blossom Spring*—I’ve forgotten the author's name—which described a hidden paradise filled with reclusive people.

But there was no one here—not a single soul. As far as the eye could see, there was only plant life. A vast, overwhelming amount of it.

There were massive trees over twenty meters tall, wild flowers and grasses, and tangled vines. Having been isolated from the world for over three thousand years, this place had become its own ecosystem, lush and vibrant with greenery.

At that time of year, spring had already arrived in Shunde, but the vegetation on Feie Mountain couldn't compare to this. Many of the trees and flowers were styles I had never seen, let alone named.

No wonder Chen Jiansheng of the Southern School had called this the tomb owner's backyard.

It was just that this "backyard" was perhaps a bit too large; it stretched beyond sight, as if the entire underground space of Feie Mountain had been hollowed out.

Sister Hong and I were both struck dumb, unable to find the words, left only to marvel at the uncanny craftsmanship of nature.

Chen Jiansheng had likely survived here for half a year by relying on this hidden paradise.

I asked, "Sister Hong... what exactly is this?"

She bent down to pick a blade of wild grass, examined it, and then looked around, saying in a low voice, "To me, it seems the ancients viewed death as they did life. Qin Shi Huang built an army of a hundred thousand terracotta warriors, used mercury to create rivers and seas, and used pearls to map the stars. We underestimated the scope of the ancients..."

Just then, applause echoed from behind us.

"Clap, clap."

"Exactly, the scope was underestimated. Agreed, agreed," it was Chen Jiansheng of the Southern School.

He was soaking wet, his face neutral, revealing no particular expression.

"Chen... Grave-Robber Chen, you’re back to yourself?" I asked, feeling somewhat guilty. After all, he was the one who told us about this place, yet we had abandoned him.

"Hmph," Sister Hong snorted, her expression hardening.

"Hey, Northern boy, what happened just now? I was in a daze for a moment, and you two took off and left me behind?"

I thought to myself, *Brother, please stop talking. You have a mental illness; you need treatment.*

"Ahem," I coughed intentionally to cover the awkwardness, then said, "It’s nothing, nothing at all. There was just a small situation, but it’s settled now. We’re all back together, so let’s cooperate for now and figure out how to get out."

Hearing this, Chen Jiansheng looked at Sister Hong and said, "Chen Hong of the Northern School's logistics, right? This kid is right. I’ve been here for months and know a bit more than you do. Our ultimate goal is to get out. As for the grievances of the underworld, we can settle those later. Do you agree?"

Sister Hong rubbed her temples, looking exhausted. "Fine. But... I’m afraid someone might have another episode and drag Yunfeng and me down with them."

"Episode? Who’s sick? What kind of episode? Are there others here?" Chen Jiansheng looked around in confusion.

I quickly stepped in. "No, no one is sick. Everyone is fine. Grave-Robber Chen, this place is huge. Since you know the way, tell us where we should go next."

"Alright, follow me. I’ve found a few suspicious spots. Two heads are better than one; I’ll take you to see them and you can offer your own opinions."

As he led the way, he explained, "It’s not small here. I’ve paced it out several times; it’s probably three or four kilometers long. It’s a dead end at the far side—no way through. Also, I’ll warn you: there are some things you absolutely must not touch."

"Otherwise, you’ll just be asking for trouble."