In the early autumn season, the forest in Northeast China is exceptionally beautiful. Two years ago, at this same time, we four were assigned to come here with our own complicated feelings. At that time, my goal was to leave as soon as possible. Two years later, I no longer have the heart to appreciate the beauty of this forest. This time, its about survival for us.

  More than ten days ago, Tan Mujiangs wife gave birth to a stillborn baby and buried it in the back mountain. We cant talk about this yet, as people in rural areas believe in such things, and if we bring it up, who can explain? We didnt even tell Yuan Xiaobai herself, fearing that she wouldnt be able to accept it if she knew.

  Fatso lay on the bed, chewing a straw and said: "Cha Ye, you say its really like that? In that case, didnt Xiaobai harm that infant?"

  Cha Wenbin said disapprovingly, "Its not about being able to avoid harm, its all about fate. One is destined to survive, the other is doomed to be short-lived. This is what they mean by whose fate is stronger. Otherwise, why would we have encountered that incident at just the right time? What cant be avoided will ultimately not be avoided, and no one can stop whats meant to come."

  "What did your old man mean by what he said before he died?"

  Zha Wenbin shook his head and said, "I dont know either. By rights, her three souls and seven spirits should have all returned to their places, but my master insists that there are some missing. I think he wouldnt lie about this matter."

  I suddenly remembered something: "Ah, yes! Back then we even took a painting from here, and the woman in it really looks like her."

  Zha Wenbin suddenly sat up and asked me: "What about that painting?"

  "Its painted at home, hidden under my moms trunk."

  Zha Wenbin said to me, "Now that you mention it, I do have some memories of this matter. Tomorrow well go to Xishan and start searching from where we began. Theres no such coincidence in the world; that painting suggests she really does have some connection with this place."

  Fatso said: "Whats there? Shes not from around here either, with a mouth full of southern accent, its worlds apart."

  "Its not now doesnt mean it wasnt before." Cha Wenbin paused and said: "Im talking about the previous life or even earlier than that."

  "I reminded them, Its late, go to sleep. Dont bother with those things, its better to think about how to deal with that child tomorrow, so people know it was us who did it. I reckon no one will survive to get out."

  It was 2 am, the time we had agreed to take action. Rural people usually get up at 4:30 am to cook and go down to the fields at 5 am. We still have two hours to get things done.

  West Slope, we used to grow corn there when we were sent down to the countryside as youth. At night, wild boars would cause trouble, and I went with Fatso to check on the shed at night. That place was originally a bit desolate, some of it was cleared during land reform, but there were still many hidden in the forest. In the summer, we often saw fireflies flying around inside, to be honest, that place was also where the village branch secretary bullied us outsiders, locals didnt dare go there at night either. Who would want to run to a grave mound to sleep at midnight?

  That shed is still there, but no one has lived in it for the past two years. The roof leaks and inside it smells musty. Around the shed are scattered some unburned paper money, which shows that not long ago a funeral procession had passed by.

  In funeral customs, there is a rule that is followed in both the south and north: white-haired people do not send off black-haired people. As for infants, its even more out of the question. Before the 1970s, the mortality rate was extremely high, so they would usually just dig a hole on the spot and bury them. Therefore, Cha Wenbin judged that these paper offerings absolutely were not for that infant.

  "It just so happens I forgot to ask Old Man Miao, dont know if anyone else has died in the village recently."

  Fatso said: "The tomb of that kid and the adults tomb are different, if they really touched the wrong tomb it would be too ridiculous."

  "It wont." Zhang Wenbin thought for a moment and added another sentence: "It shouldnt."

  Old Miao said that the child was buried behind the old poplar tree at the back of the shed. He saw it with his own eyes when several men in the village buried him, using a black wooden box that was part of the dowry given by the childs mothers family when she got married. The old poplar tree is easy to recognize, as a few years ago a lightning bolt struck it and half of it died, but the other half is still alive. So one half has leaves, while the other half is just dry branches. My friend Pangzi and I have both seen that tree.

  "These people are really irresponsible." Zhang Wenbin said while walking: "That half-dead tree is also called a yin-yang tree, and in the past, there were people who collected it. For some people, it was a good thing, but for others, it was something that harmed them."

  Fatso immediately perked up: "Huh? Someones buying it? Is it worth money?"

  "A coffin made from a 60-year-old yin-yang tree is worth a fortune. My master told me that back in the day, one such tree could be exchanged for an entire street in the capital city. You say its not valuable? First, the tree must be large enough to make a single-piece coffin without any joints; second, it must be at least 60 years old - anything less is unacceptable; third, the type of tree determines the price, with snow pear being the most expensive and nanmu coming in second. This kind of tree makes coffins that exist between the realms of yin and yang, outside the five elements and three realms. In short, the person inside can continue to be a ghost without needing to reincarnate."

  I just cant understand: "Cant even reincarnate, whats the point of doing this? Being a ghost is more enjoyable than being human?"

  Cha Wenbin said, "Because they cant bear to give up what they had in life, but if they bury the child here, there will be trouble. The childs spirit is still young and has just taken shape. If its not handled properly and gets entangled with the trees energy, it wont be able to disperse or escape. Then it will entangle with Xiaobai, and over time, the child will absorb the yin-yang energy of the tree and become a great calamity."

  "Were here, thats the tree where Master Cha is." Fatso pointed with his hand and shouted loudly: "Ahh, my god! You guys see that? Theres still someone hanging on that tree!"

  My heart also skipped a beat: "There really is someone..."

  "Dont panic... " Cha Wenbin said with a miners lamp, shining upwards for a while: "It seems to be a piece of clothing, take a closer look."

  I took another look and indeed it was just an empty garment with no feet.

  "Damn it, which bastard did this? This is intentional!" The fatty said with increasing anger and kicked the tree trunk. His kick was quite powerful, and the tree shook as a result. Then I saw the clothes on the tree swaying back and forth before "floating" down.

  This is indeed a garment, and its a longevity robe! Made of purple-black satin fabric, the lining is made of high-quality silk, with golden "longevity" characters embroidered on the front, and on the back, there is an embroidery of a mysterious creature that looks like either a dragon or a snake intertwined together.

  Cha Wenbin felt a bit uncomfortable looking at this thing, and Zhen Suifeng had once warned him that if one day he saw someone wearing an embroidered "Ming Dragon" pattern, he would avoid them, even if it meant denying his own identity as a Taoist disciple.

  This "Ming Dragon" painting is extremely rare, and there are probably no more than ten people in China who can recognize its true identity. Firstly, records of it are scarce; secondly, this is a taboo topic that respectable people generally do not discuss, let alone pass down, because it is the only dragon from the underworld.

  This species of dragon is not only found in China, but also in ancient Greece, Babylon and Egypt, where the shadow of the dragon can be seen. This divine creature, described as a footless lizard, has unparalleled magical powers; and on our vast land, the totem of the dragon can be seen everywhere, but this kind of dark dragon is almost invisible.

  The dragon is blind!

  Idiom: Drawing a dragon and dotting its eyes. Its said that a dragon can only fly after its eyes are dotted, but the underground dragon is an exception!

  It is said that in the underworld, there are eighteen layers of hell, one of which is called Huangquanchuan. This layer of hell is not under the jurisdiction of the three temples of Yanluo, because this place has accumulated too much resentment and evil energy as the lowest level of hell, so even Yanluo dare not go down.

  In the depths of the underworld, there is a lake called "Wú Biān" (Boundless), which means that its edges cannot be seen. Its said that within this lake lives a ferocious beast known as Jiǎo Chūn, one of the infamous "Four Great Ferocious Beasts" of ancient times. Jiǎo Chūn is revered as an embodiment of cruelty and is so ferociously stubborn that even gods are unable to tame it, thus it was imprisoned in this layer of hell.

  According to the saying of rising and falling, the greater a persons sin, the more wrongdoings they committed before birth, the lower the level of hell they will be assigned to. Resentful energy and malignant energy are all sinking, because they are too heavy, over time, the cauldron bottom of the deepest layer of hell naturally bears the brunt of countless resentful energies that have sunk to this place.

  The aura of prosperity can give birth to the dragon, why cant the aura of resentment? These are two completely different directions, when they reach their extremes, they will each produce their own splendor.

  Minglong is the ultimate product of resentment, with a cloud of misty and dark energy, and an endless lake as its sea. It is the most ferocious and greedy species within the three realms.

  The so-called spells, formations, are all casters using symbols and incantations as a medium to borrow the power of others. So naturally, someone has thought of that dragons head. Wherever the "Ming Dragon" appears as a symbol, it is definitely not an orthodox school, but an extraordinary evil sect. Ma Suifeng repeatedly reminded Cha Wenbin to remember this pattern very early on, but he didnt know who this picture belonged to.