Chapter 148: Mycelium
Bai Hongqi was wearing that gold-leaf outfit, her scalp tingling. Though she tried to remain calm, her face had turned pale.
Bai Mingyu, on the other hand, didn’t care about such things. He sat nearby, quietly chewing grains. After several handfuls, he drank a couple of sips of wine and regained some strength.
Mr. Huang had been dressed up by the villagers; his hair crown had fallen to the ground and been crushed, and though his clothes were mostly intact, they were wrapped in layers haphazardly. Because of this, he hadn’t caught a cold. Bai Mingyu took off his outer robe and put it on Bai Hongqi, then layered one of Mr. Huang’s robes on top. Huang Mingyou, though short and slightly plump, had robes that fit Bai Mingyu just right, though the silk fabric was thin—better than nothing.
Huang Mingyou carefully examined the murals in the tomb. Recognizing some details, he said, “These aren’t random drawings. There are probably more murals around. Did you notice any when you arrived?”
Bai Hongqi, shivering in the robe, replied, “Not really. We came in the dark, and only here is there any light.”
“This is a long-burning lamp. The oil is still sufficient. Bai Er, take the lamp and help me see outside. There are likely more symbols nearby. Following them, there may be a way out.” Different ritual areas had murals arranged with purpose—it might indeed reveal an exit.
Bai Mingyu and Bai Hongqi supported Mr. Huang on either side as they moved cautiously. Huang Mingyou said, “Let’s go step by step; just get as far as we can.”
Bai Mingyu nodded. “Okay. I’ve often gone up the mountain before—my family’s backyard is mountain terrain. The air here isn’t stagnant; there must be a path.”
Huddled together, they shared ideas and gradually calmed their fears.
Huang Mingyou, with a broken leg, struggled to move. Just a few steps left him sweating profusely, but he gritted his teeth and pressed on.
Seeing this, Bai Mingyu immediately crouched down and lifted him onto his back. “Sir, hold onto me. I’ll carry you.”
Bai Hongqi held the lamp, walking alongside them, as the three advanced slowly.
Bai Hongqi grew cold in waves. At first, she could grit her teeth and keep going, but eventually a high fever set in, making her unable to continue. She handed the lamp to Huang Mingyou, speaking in a calm tone: “You go ahead. I’ll follow behind.”
Bai Mingyu refused. “Aunt, I’m strong enough to carry both you and Sir.”
Bai Hongqi shook her head, gripping his hand and urging, “Carry Sir. He’s more important than me.”
Bai Er ignored her, put Mr. Huang down, stripped off his own clothes, and, before Bai Hongqi could protest, scooped her up like a child, wrapping both her and his robe together. Then he turned back and lifted Huang Mingyou onto his back, gritting his teeth. “Hold the lamp steady. I’ll carry you both and find the way.”
Tears filled Bai Hongqi’s eyes. “You go first. Don’t you have even a bit of foresight? If Uncle Jiu were here, he’d scold you. I told you to take Mr. Huang first. Do you hear me, you fool… go!”
“I don’t care!” Bai Mingyu’s eyes were bloodshot. “I have to try. I can’t just stand by and watch you die.”
Bai Hongqi didn’t move, quietly letting her tears fall on his chest. Bai Mingyu had lost a lot of weight; she could feel his ribs. After a while, she choked out, “If there’s an exit, you go first… remember to come back for me.”
Bai Mingyu nodded. His gaze was resolute. “If there’s a way out, I’ll take Sir and then come back for you. If you’re gone, I’ll jump and die with you!”
Bai Hongqi hugged him, whispering her agreement.
Huang Mingyou licked his lips, hoarse. “There may still be a way out. Bai Er, shine the lamp ahead. Let me see the murals.”
Bai Mingyu did as instructed.
Huang Mingyou spoke: “Follow this forked path. It’s a ritual map, arranged according to the old calendar. We should go forward.” After some exploration, Huang Mingyou confirmed the route, his tone showing some excitement. “The master’s coffin isn’t far. Let’s go there first. If it’s not sealed, we may find a way out.”
Elsewhere, Hu Da and several others, injured, escorted Xie Jing down the tunnels.
It wasn’t that they wanted to enter. Suddenly, the villagers attacked them like madmen. Even after shooting and wounding a few, they couldn’t stop them. These people, seemingly fearless of death, drove them down to the underground passage below the government office. Hu Da grabbed a minor ringleader, but the villagers didn’t stop, even killing their own. The wedding erupted into chaos, with gunfire outside and noise inside—an outright battle.
Hu Da hadn’t expected the whole town to be like this. Their small contingent of dozens couldn’t push through.
The old town mayor was missing. Some even entered the tunnels with knives. Many were barely teenagers. Hu Da’s group couldn’t act; some were knocked unconscious with gun butts. Outnumbered, they were trapped in the office’s underground passage. The villagers’ deeds were countless.
Only now did Hu Da realize that the guide earlier in the morning wasn’t afraid of Xie Jing—but of the office itself.
The hollowed office beneath revealed that Shuiniu Town was a living tomb.
Calling it a “grave” was an understatement—it was practically a subterranean palace.
The villagers had sealed the tomb entrance. Hu Da’s group could only escort Xie Jing further inside. Gunfire rang outside, then abruptly ceased.
Xie Jing’s old arm injuries had reopened, bandaged with gauze and disinfected with a bit of Hu Da’s liquor—no better treatment was available. They couldn’t leave, unsure of the outside, but the town’s chaos suggested discovery was inevitable. The villagers’ madness showed they either didn’t care or expected not to live long.
Attempts to move up were met with boiling castor oil, forcing them back. Smoke made them cough uncontrollably, unclear if it was fire or smoke being poured in. They had to retreat from the entrance.
Hu Da lit a match, revealing a faint path. Xie Jing observed the flame’s flicker. “There’s wind—this isn’t a dead end. Go in.”
Hu Da acknowledged, and the group followed.
Xie Jing struggled to speak, intermittently distracted, but persisted.
Stone steps led downward. The tunnels widened enough for three to walk side by side. Air flowed, so it wasn’t a dead-end. The scent of water, damp earth, and iron or blood lingered. Hu Da sniffed. “Strange… a smell of grass, moss, damp and weird.”
After more turns, they saw dim light ahead.
It led to the master’s tomb, vast and perfectly constructed. The space was so high and deep, it appeared like a miniature estate above ground, complete with a stone bridge.
Xie Jing, standing on the bridge, saw mostly black and white, but to him, large patches of red appeared. Stunned, he hesitated.
Hu Da called out. Xie Jing shook his head, bloodshot eyes lingering on the bridge, then stepped forward. Hu Da gritted his teeth, following immediately.
Beyond the bridge was a door—perfectly intact, appearing as if it led to a bedroom, inexplicably there.
The carved wooden door was exquisite, the vermilion paint bright, with dragons and tigers sculpted—tiger head high, dragon coiled low, mirroring the town’s motifs but more distinct.
Xie Jing pushed it open. A stone table had a long-burning lamp. Surprisingly, a living person sat there.
A woman in a red bridal dress, hair in a bun, shrank back in alarm, more wary than afraid.
Hu Da, shocked to find a living person, instinctively shielded Xie Jing with a few men, guns aimed. “Who—come out!”
The woman choked and slowly stood. The sound of iron chains revealed she was barefoot, locked for an unknown time; her ankles were worn down to the bone.
By the lamp, Xie Jing saw her, and she studied him in turn, surprised.
Liu Ruyi recognized him first. Hesitant, she asked: “Manager Xie…?”
Xie Jing nodded. “Miss Liu, how did you end up here?” After a pause: “Where is this place?”
Liu Ruyi smiled bitterly. “This is the Grand Tomb.”
She recounted the past three years. After leaving the North, she had been sold repeatedly, eventually arriving in Shu. Unknown who bought her, they consulted her birth chart, paid a large sum, and brought her to Shuiniu Town.
Her fate wasn’t kind.
The town had gone mad.
Liu Ruyi said: “The old mayor wasn’t the originator. The ‘living tomb’ wasn’t created by his generation.”
Xie Jing: “You mean, the office below is entirely a tomb?”
Liu Ruyi shook her head. “You underestimate the townsfolk. This isn’t just a tomb beneath the office—it’s part of a palace underground. You don’t know where it leads—it’s extremely deep.” She smiled bitterly. “I ran inside, and the old mayor locked me here for three years. He fed me a type of mycelium that induced hallucinations, keeping me semi-conscious for long periods. Though I occasionally regained clarity, I thought of escaping. But even when I ran far, I couldn’t find an exit. Eventually, I was caught and chained by the ankles.”
Xie Jing looked down at her ankles; the iron chains had ground her flesh to bloody pulp.
Hu Da gasped. “The mayor… has he lost his mind?”
Liu Ruyi replied: “Yes. And not just him. The townspeople care nothing for their lives—they only seek wealth and prosperity in the next life.”
