Common sense dictates that unless it's a distilled spirit, the longer alcohol sits, the more it evaporates. This is particularly true for rice wine, which has a low alcohol content to begin with. Even if you keep the lid on, I don't believe for a second that it won't taste like water with no flavor left after a few decades.

However, the liquor in the Soul Warehouse was different; I even suspected that it wasn't liquor at all.

Chen Jiansheng, a notorious drunkard, scooped up a little with his hand and tasted it. He immediately showed signs of inebriation, slurring his words, his face flushed alarmingly red.

"Chen the Earthworker, are you alright? Can you still walk?" I steadied him as he seemed unsteady on his feet.

"Of course! How could I not?"

"Great liquor! Really strong stuff!" His face was red, and his speech was slurred.

"What a Two Hundred and Fifty," Red Sister rolled her eyes and cursed under her breath.

Chen Jiansheng cradled the Soul Warehouse and staggered forward, swaying with each step.

"Let's go, let's go. I'm not drunk. This liquor... I'm going to take it out and sell it for a hundred thousand a drop!"

Unable to argue with him, I cautioned, "Then Chen the Earthworker, watch your step and don't fall."

To the northwest of the Sacrificial Pit, there was a narrow path leading to a cave, the only route in sight, clearly man-made. We had no idea where this path would lead, only that it was the way those things had entered.

Chen Jiansheng, still unsteady, led the way with his Soul Warehouse jug, while Red Sister and I followed behind.

The path appeared flat from the outside, but after a few dozen meters, it began to slope upward.

A surge of excitement rose within me; this was a promising development, as the uphill path might lead us to higher ground.

Suddenly, from all around us, came a chorus of noises, much like the chattering of monkeys.

They appeared out of nowhere.

Before us stood a cluster of creatures...

They were the Short Mountain Monsters, each wearing a cap.

They blocked our path, chattering wildly at us, each holding a stone the size of a child's fist.

Red Sister and I were stunned by the Battle Array before us and instinctively began to retreat.

There's a saying: if the enemy doesn't move, neither do I.

After all, these animals belonged to the Primates, and any movement on our part would be seen as a sign of weakness.

"Red Sister, watch out!"

In a flash, a stone hurtled toward her forehead.

Red Sister's reflexes were quick; she dodged, and the fist-sized stone grazed past her hair, smacking into the wall and splitting in two, demonstrating the force behind it. Had it struck her head, it would have been a bloody scene.

"Let's get out of here!" Red Sister immediately grasped the gravity of the situation.

"Run!" I grabbed the dazed Chen Jiansheng and bolted. Almost simultaneously, a hail of stones rained down on us. One caught me on the arm, the pain so intense it brought sweat to my brow.

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After we got out, those creatures didn't immediately follow us.

Seeing the blood running down my arm, Red Sister quickly asked how I was doing and if it hurt.

Of course it hurt... But clutching my arm, I put on a brave face and said, "It's nothing, just a superficial wound. The bone should be fine." I tried to lift my arm; the left one couldn't muster any strength, and it hurt to even try. I guessed right then that it was probably broken...

"It's all your fault!" Red Sister glared at Chen Jiansheng: "Why did you even bother with that damn urine pot? Just because of that delay, this happened!"

Chen Jiansheng's face was still flushed, whether from the alcohol or from Red Sister's scolding, it was hard to tell.

He shook his head and cursed, "Just a bunch of Hairy Monkeys, give me a knife and I'll stab them all to death!"

"Don't be rash, Chen the Earthworker," I said, enduring the pain, "We shouldn't underestimate these beasts. To attack them like that would be suicide."

The uphill path we were on was likely the only way up, and though we'd gone to great lengths to find it, we were blocked by a horde of creatures. You can imagine how frustrating that was.

If only we had a gun. If we had that kind of firepower, a spray of bullets would have turned them all into a hornet's nest.

We huddled together to discuss how to deal with these creatures, to find a way out.

Red Sister came up with an idea. She suggested that one person could go ahead to draw the creatures' attention and lead them away. If they weren't discovered, the other two could then pass safely.

Considering our situation and without resorting to a do-or-die approach, this was indeed a solution. But then the question arose, who would do it?

Red Sister looked straight at Chen Jiansheng.

"You go. You bear the greatest responsibility for how things turned out," Red Sister said coldly.

I expected Chen Jiansheng to argue, as this task could very well lead to death. But to my surprise, he hung his head low.

"Alright, I'll go then. You two hide behind."

He didn't argue and agreed so quickly that Red Sister was visibly taken aback.

As if sobered up, Chen Jiansheng bowed and said, "Young man, Chen the Logistician, let me tell you something. Since I'm at fault here, if I get killed by a falling rock, I can't complain. But there's something else I want you to know. I'm not just a tomb raider's laborer; I am also a descendant of the Bai Chun Dian from the Comment Gate."

Red Sister was stunned, "Bai Chun Dian, you say you're a descendant of the Eight Small Gates Evaluation?"

Chen Jiansheng nodded, "Yes, that's right. I didn't mean anything by it; just wanted to state my lineage."

I, too, was just apprised of this news and found it somewhat startling.

This term "Eight Small Gates" is now a mystery to many.

In the late Qing dynasty and the Republic of China era, aside from the Tomb Raiding Thieves' Guild and the myriad cons of the swindlers, as well as the dealings with the deceased by the Yin Seven Gates, the folk Martial Arts World also recognized the Four Great Gates and the Eight Small Gates.

Wind, Horse, Goose, Sparrow—these are the Four Great Gates.

Metal, Leather, Color, Hanging, Rating, Group, Tuning, Willow—these are the Eight Small Gates.

Included among these are the Ointment Seller, the Knife vendor, the Bun seller, the Trick Performer, the Storyteller, the Face Reader, the seller of Insect Medicine for the eyes, and the Credit Knife Man. There are also practitioners of the Chest-Shattering Stone Qi Gong, and now more famously, the successors of Wang Mazier's Scissors and the Qingfeng Bun Shop, who are the contemporary descendants of those original tradespeople within the Eight Small Gates.

Chen Jiansheng claims to be a descendant of the Eight Small Gates Evaluator, the elder Bai Chun Dian, which means he is a storyteller. Regarding Bai Chun Dian, there are many rumors within the trade, among which one of the more famous is that the venerable Mr. Bai could recite the Ghost Book.

In folklore, reciting the Ghost Book, much like performing a ghost play, is an art where the audience is not of this world. In the old society, when someone passed away, the head of the household would often engage someone to perform a ghost play or recite the Ghost Book. The nature of this act is akin to inviting a White Funeral Song and Dance Troupe today.

Recitations for the ghosts to hear. Songs for the ghosts to hear. To forge a benevolent connection with the Underworld.

Bai Chun Dian was such a person.

Unexpectedly, the unassuming Chen Jiansheng also bore this identity.

With a chuckle, Chen Jiansheng said, "My apologies, Chen the Logistician, after all, our two factions never bow to each other. I am not called Chen Jiansheng; in fact, my name is Bai Jiansheng."

"If I do not reveal my identity and meet my end, it would be a pitiful affair. Yet, even in the direst of straits, I am still one of the Eight Gates. It would be best to pass on a message."

"Spring Point Comment Gate Bai Jiansheng met his demise in Shunde Moth Mountain."

"Once the message is out, I shall die with a name and a legacy." (To be continued)

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I have also posted the following more chapters [All free]: https://www.readgates.com/article/7b136c