Yao Yumen was accompanied by three men whose gazes were steady and composed. Each of them was dressed in a suit, donning sunglasses. Their hair was meticulously combed, and they stood in silence, simply there, present but unspoken.

"Cloud Peak, what brings you here... are these your classmates?" Yao Yumen's eyes held a meaningful depth as she looked at me.

I desperately tried to communicate with the woman through exaggerated winks.

She responded with a grin, "Since we've run into each other today, Cloud Peak, why don't you join us for a meal? I have some things I'd like to discuss with you privately."

After speaking, she pulled out a flip phone and made a call: "Yes, it's me. We'll probably head over about half an hour late."

The appearance of the flip phone drew the attention of many in the restaurant, including Little Yellow-haired Kid.

At that time, owning such a device was a symbol of wealth, not to mention the three men who looked like underworld figures flanking Yao Yumen. Suddenly, Little Yellow-haired Kid swallowed hard and no longer dared to pester me.

"Your friend is calling you, go ahead, Cloud Peak. We can catch up later," Li Jing, sensing my thoughts, generously encouraged me to join them.

Inside the Star Grand Restaurant, in a luxurious private room on the second floor, course after course was served, featuring exquisite dishes of fish and shrimp.

Yao Yumen poured herself a drink and took a sip before fixing her gaze on me, "Cloud Peak, what are your team's plans moving forward?"

I paused, chopsticks mid-air, wary of the three men in suits beside me.

"It's alright, they're with us," Yao Yumen reassured me as she set down her glass.

"Jade Sister, Big Brother is already off to work. The boss wants us to disentangle ourselves and leave this place as soon as possible," I said with a serious expression.

Yao Yumen twirled her glass, "Hmm, that's for the best. King Leader still knows what's important. Remember, once you leave Shunde, don't come back."

Confused, I asked her why.

She took a bite of her food and set down her chopsticks, "Our line of work is like the martial arts world in martial arts novels. There are strategists, suicide soldiers, warriors, open strategies, and ghostly schemes. You, a young man starting out, just need to loyally follow Mr. Wang, and a bright future awaits you."

"Also, do you believe in mountain goblins and spirits in this world?" she suddenly changed the subject.

I shook my head, "I don't. When people die, they go upwards like birds; they don't live forever. Where then do ghosts and spirits come from?"

My youthful appearance contrasted with the world-weary wisdom of my words, drawing a smile from Yao Yumen.

She took out a Bagua compass she carried with her and held it up before my eyes with one hand.

For some reason, the three needles on the compass suddenly swiveled, all pointing directly behind me.

Seeing me lost in thought, Yao Yumen startled me by saying, "Cloud Peak, there's a toothless old crone who died of hunger standing right behind you."

I don't know if it was psychological suggestion, but as soon as she said that, I suddenly felt a chill down my spine.

A man in a suit took off his sunglasses and shook his head, "Enough, Yumen. This lad's features aren't ordinary; stop teasing him."

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Yao Yumen retracted her compass.

"Here, take this. Consider it an amulet," she said, handing me a necklace.

The necklace was strung with red cord, ending in a small crow box, stuffed with a wad of yellow and red paper.

"Thank you, Jade Sister," I said, trying it on. It fit quite well and was easily concealed under my clothes, leaving only a bit of red cord visible.

We chatted for a while longer, and Yao Yumen shared a few stories about the legendary King Leader, which filled me with admiration. I wondered when I might achieve such respect and prowess in our circle.

After a satisfying meal, I bid farewell to Yao Yumen and even took a packed meal with me. By then, Li Jing's table downstairs had cleared, and I assumed she had left.

On my way back, I kept pulling out the amulet to admire it; the more I looked at it, the more I liked it.

"Third Brother, I'm back, and I've brought you something to eat," I said, pushing open the door to the inn with the meal in hand.

"Third Brother? Third Brother?"

Before me, the inn's floor was littered with crumpled white papers, and Third Elder Sun lay on the concrete, surrounded by more sheets of paper.

I casually unfolded a paper ball and saw that it was covered with angles drawn with a compass and pencil, and a rope repeatedly sketched out.

"Third Brother, what is all this?" I asked him, surveying the mess.

Third Elder Sun's face was pale as he stared at the ceiling, then suddenly burst into laughter.

"I've found it, I've found it... I've discovered how to open the Natural Stone!"

He suddenly sat up, grabbed my shoulders with an excited expression, and said, "Cloud Peak, I've figured out how to open it! A thickened hook needle! That's all we need to pull it open!"

His face was ghastly white, his eyes bloodshot. Before I could respond, he eagerly explained, "A thickened hook needle is all we need!"

I shook my head, "It won't work, Third Brother. Even if we thicken the hook needle, it's still a tool that requires human effort, and we don't have enough people."

I wasn't just making things up. To open the underground palace gate of the large tomb beneath Moth Mountain, we could try three methods.

First, gather forty or fifty people to pull; second, use hundreds of pounds of explosives to blast it open—though explosives might not work and could even bury us alive; third, report to the National Archaeological Team and let the authorities handle it.

Given our current situation, none of these three options were feasible. With Leader's retreat decided, I felt Third Elder Sun's tinkering was in vain.

"No, no," Third Elder Sun picked up a piece of paper from the ground, his finger excitedly pointing at it for me to see.

I looked on, puzzled. On the white paper was drawn a large basket, and inside it, three little calves.

Connecting this to the thick rope he had just sketched, a thunderclap seemed to explode in my mind.

"Third Brother... Third Brother, you couldn't possibly be thinking..."

"Ha ha," he laughed heartily, "Exactly! Add people to the Three Cows, thicken the Hook Needle, strengthen the rope, and we can surely pull the Natural Stone off course in one go!"

His wildly imaginative idea took me by surprise, and I asked again, "Three little calves? Are they strong enough to pull?"

"We'll feed them!"

"Think about it, Cloud Peak, the entrance to that hole is only so big, nothing larger can get through. We could lower the calves down in the basket and let them grow bigger by eating feed below!" Third Elder Sun's eyes shone as he finished his explanation.

I reached out to touch his forehead, "Third Brother, are you alright? You don't have a fever, do you?"

He grabbed my hand firmly, "Are you in or out, Cloud Peak? Join me and the Boss in this!"

Seeing his earnest face, I grimaced, "But what about the King Leader? He's made his decision, Third Brother."

"Don't worry about the King Leader, it'll just be the three of us."

"This... keeping it from the King Leader? That doesn't seem right."

He stood up, gripping my shoulders, "Cloud Peak, the Boss hasn't returned these past few days, do you think he's still out there?"

"In fact, he's been back for a while, staying in Shunde..."

...

Late that night, Third Elder Sun took me to a secret location, keeping it from the King Leader.

Upon entering the house, I saw Eldest Elder Sun, whom I hadn't seen for days. To my surprise, that woman, A Mole, was also there.

Three sticks of incense were lit, and in the presence of A Mole, the Boss, the third elder, and I knelt on the ground.

Third Elder Sun clasped his hands together in front of the incense burner and said, "The outcome of this plan is uncertain, and the fate ahead perilous, much like our Bone-burying Underground Palace, we harbor no regrets. Should we emerge, and the world's police come for us, we hold no grudges."

"The Old Sun's Family values Rest in Peace. Even if Second Brother has become a pile of bones, we will ensure he returns to his roots."

"I, Sun Liantian."

"I, Sun Lianxing."

"I, Xiang Yunfeng."

The three of us spoke in unison, "From this day forth, we are Brothers, sharing in fortune and in adversity."

We bowed our heads to the ground.

A glint of something unusual flashed in A Mole's eyes.

Indeed, this was a venture into the unthinkable, an act of daring that few would dare undertake.

Knowing the mountain harbors tigers, yet still we stride towards Tiger Mountain. (To be continued)

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