Volume One – The Hundred Coffins Tomb Chapter Twenty-One – Pathfinding

The car moved along the street as Li Kun and I began searching for a shop that sold incense. At that moment, Li Kun pointed to my left and said, “Liu, there’s an incense shop over there.”

I turned my head to look. It was a small establishment, not much larger than a booth, with the words “Buddha Gathering Blessings” written above. I nodded to Li Kun, then steered the car directly toward it.

Parking by the roadside, I opened the door, and together we stepped inside the shop.

I raised my hand and knocked gently. In a short while, a man about sixty, stooped and dark-skinned, opened the wooden door. Seeing customers arrive, he greeted us with a faint smile and said, “What would you like to buy, gentlemen? I have a full range of goods here.”

I replied, “Sir, please give me two bundles of high-quality incense.”

The old man looked puzzled. “This kind of incense is rarely bought. It’s hard to burn, a bit sturdier than ordinary incense, but why do you want it?”

I smiled slightly. “Sir, you don’t need to concern yourself with the reason. Just tell me if you have it.”

Unable to get more answers, he nodded and turned to rummage behind the counter. Soon he produced two bundles of incense, unwrapped and black in color.

I took them and handed him the money. After he nodded, Li Kun and I slowly turned and left.

But as we left, the old man’s curiosity grew stronger. His small shop carried all kinds of incense and candles, but this particular incense was rare; in the whole county, only his shop sold it. This type was not meant for worship or offerings, but for summoning spirits, or perhaps, paying respects to ghosts.

Once we were back in the car, Li Kun asked, “Liu, what exactly is this incense for?”

I started the car and drove straight toward Leishan, speaking slowly, “Kun, you may believe what I’m about to say, or not. But whether or not you believe in ghosts and gods, you should never disrespect them. Remember this.”

Li Kun nodded in confusion. “All right, I’ll keep it in mind. But what’s the incense for?”

I replied, “It’s better not to ask now. When we reach the tomb, you’ll know its purpose. I can’t explain it yet.” Li Kun nodded, sensibly holding his tongue.

At that moment, I pulled the car over and said, “Kun, you take the wheel.” He nodded, and we switched seats.

Li Kun started the car and asked, “Liu, which way should I go now?”

“Wait a moment,” I said, as I took out the Dragon-Seeking Compass from my backpack.

Li Kun saw me holding the compass, and since there was a fork in the road ahead, he parked by the roadside and turned to watch me.

I unfastened the leather case, placed the compass in my palm, then closed my eyes and took a deep breath. After calming my breathing, I opened my eyes and stared at the compass, reciting softly, “Seeking the dragon’s lair, divide yin and yang; two forms and four symbols determine a thousand hills; five elements and six harmonies gather in hand; nine palaces and eight trigrams define heaven and earth—combine!”

As the incantation drifted from my lips, I tapped the center of the compass with my finger. In that instant, the needle began to turn slowly.

Li Kun stared at the compass, his mouth agape in astonishment. It was the first time he’d witnessed such a marvel.

We both fixed our gaze on the compass. After a few seconds, the needle pointed directly east.

I looked at the compass and raised my hand, pointing east. “This way.”

Li Kun glanced in the direction I indicated. Seeing it was the right fork, he started the car and accelerated.

After checking several directions with the compass, Li Kun and I soon arrived at the foot of Leishan.

We parked at the base of the mountain and got out, glancing around. The area was deserted, not a soul or even a village in sight. All around were mountains and rivers, and since it was winter, the ground was covered with fallen leaves.

I checked the compass. Its needle pointed toward the mountain above. I nodded at Li Kun, and together we began to climb.

We had come to survey the terrain, so we brought nothing with us, ascending empty-handed.

There was no path where we walked—it seemed Leishan had been untouched for years. Unlike other mountains with sand and soil, this one was unusually clean, covered only with rocks of various sizes. Some patches of ground were marked with black stains, likely remnants of lightning strikes.

We climbed slowly. Before we’d gone far, the needle of my compass stopped moving, remaining still even as I walked.

“Kun, we’ve arrived,” I said.

Li Kun came over, glancing around. “Really? There’s nothing here, and we’re not at the summit yet. Just big rocks everywhere.”

I looked about. We were halfway up, surrounded by boulders, still some distance from the peak.

“Let’s search the area,” I told Li Kun. “If you spot anything unusual, call me.” He nodded, and we split up.

Li Kun headed left, while I continued upward. The place was full of massive rocks, nothing remarkable. Seeing nothing, I decided to continue climbing.

After ten minutes or so, my phone rang. Checking the caller, I saw it was Li Kun and answered, “Liu, where are you? Come over here—I’ve found a cave entrance.”