Chapter Eleven: The Chaste Maiden Is Hard to Approach

Both Old Tan and I were stunned. I stepped forward and grabbed Peanut by the collar. "After what he did to my father, you still want to help him?" Mouse looked at Peanut with wide eyes, clearly not believing what he was hearing.

Peanut remained unruffled. "I chose the wrong words—it's not about helping. It's about mutual benefit."

"What are you planning?" I demanded.

"Don't you want to go to the place he mentioned, to see whether your father is alive or dead?"

As soon as Peanut finished speaking, I understood his meaning. After listening to the recording on the phone, I had been nearly overwhelmed with despair. But Peanut's words were like a flicker of fire amid a frozen wasteland, allowing me to see a glimmer of hope.

"I have a question for you," Peanut turned to Mouse. "Did you actually see Master Yuan die?"

"No, I didn't. I grabbed the phone and ran..." Mouse glanced at me and fell silent.

Peanut smiled at me. I hesitated for a moment. "So, that means my father might not be dead. He could still be trapped in there."

"Exactly. That's right. Don't lose hope, brother. I won't just stand by when it comes to your father. Let's go together and get him out." Old Tan came over and patted me on the shoulder.

I nodded heavily.

Peanut then asked Mouse where they had gone. Mouse was evasive, as if he didn't want to say. Peanut saw through him at once. "Don't worry. Since we’ve decided to go back, we have to know the location. We both know how these tomb-raiding things work. You've been there before—without you, we'd have a hard time succeeding. Young Master Yuan and this fellow are outsiders. If all goes well, no one wants you dead. We each get what we need."

Mouse looked at us, thought for a while, and finally said, "It's not that I don't want to say. I’ve seen your methods—you could take my life anytime, so... Well, since we’re all in the same boat now, I’ll tell you. The place we went before is on a mountain near Gulin County. Judging by its size, it should be a royal tomb from the Han Dynasty. As for who’s buried there, I don’t know."

"Who's in the same boat as you? Enough talk. Tell me—where's the key in my house?" I was anxious to save my father and wanted to get Mouse’s business over with as fast as possible.

"Ah? Young Master Yuan, why are you messing with me?" Mouse looked both surprised and aggrieved. "Your father said the key is in your old family house. Only you can take it out."

"No one ever told me anything about my father's affairs. Believe it or not, that’s up to you." I thought, since I already knew it was in Gulin, I couldn’t care less. But then I remembered—my father did say in the recording to hand that thing over. If Mouse wasn’t lying, what could it be? I glanced around at the things in the house.

"The table? A broken bench? Or the mosquito coil in the drawer?" None of it made sense. There was nothing in the house that could be considered a key. Surely it wasn’t those two nearly falling doors.

Peanut smiled. "I think the 'key' he mentioned might not be a literal key, but something very important hidden here in your old house."

I gave a bitter laugh. The most important thing in this house was Peanut himself—a living person. Suddenly, a thought flashed through my mind and I looked at Old Tan. Old Tan looked back at me with the same expression.

"Is it those three bricks?" Old Tan shouted.

Thinking carefully, it was very possible. So I explained everything, and we hurried through the kitchen to the back of the house. I had no real intention of doing Mouse any favors. If it weren't for Peanut's sudden appearance, he’d probably have gotten Old Tan and me killed. What I really wanted to know was how something from my family could be connected to a Han Dynasty tomb.

Behind the house, Old Tan shined his flashlight, and the three bricks with embossed gold patterns appeared before us, reflecting a faint golden light. On the brick with the human figure, the faces still wore eerie, ghostly grins.

"Ah!" Mouse suddenly screamed in terror, pointing at the wall. "That's it!"

"Damn, was that necessary? You scared the hell out of me," Old Tan said, giving Mouse a slap on the head.

We all looked at him in confusion, not understanding his reaction. Mouse took a few deep breaths, calming himself a little. "It's nothing. The tomb was full of these reliefs. Seeing them reminds me of being there… It was terrifying."

Judging by his fright, I doubted it was just as he said. I was about to ask more when Peanut patted my back. "It's late. Let's get these things out, grab a few hours’ sleep, and set off at first light."

"He's right, Young Master Yuan. Your father's been trapped for four days now. We need to get moving—"

I glared at Mouse, thinking I’d leave right now if I could.

"How do we get these out? Tear down the wall?" Old Tan looked up at the structure. "If we take out the wall, the whole kitchen might collapse."

"It shouldn’t be that hard," Peanut said. "Your father said only you could take them out. There must be a special way."

"What am I supposed to do?" I looked at Peanut.

Peanut didn’t reply. He looked around, then asked Old Tan for the flashlight and went into the kitchen. We followed to see Peanut shining the light behind the wall.

Behind the kitchen wall was a cement water tank, now dry and crawling with spiders in the beam of the flashlight. The tank was built in an L-shape, so we couldn’t see the back of the three bricks.

I knew Peanut suspected there was something behind the tank. He stepped back a couple of paces and looked like he was about to kick the corner of the tank.

I frowned. Who exactly was Peanut? Earlier, he’d used a sheet of paper like a flying knife—a skill that was astonishing. With his strength, he could probably kick through a cement wall with no trouble.

We braced ourselves to witness his prowess, but what he said next nearly made me choke.

"Uh, this might be a bit thick. Better to smash it open with something," Peanut said, scratching his head sheepishly.

At that, Mouse stepped up, patted the wall, thumped his chest, and said, "Let me handle it."

Seeing his skinny arms, Old Tan and I exchanged skeptical looks. Mouse crouched down, pressed his mouth to the tank, then opened his mouth wide. The next instant, a sound nearly splitting my eardrums burst forth.

Old Tan and I felt our brains vibrate and quickly covered our ears. The sound echoed in the kitchen for a full five seconds, like a small earthquake—enough to make the wooden beams tremble.

As soon as the sound stopped, Old Tan and I both wanted to give Mouse a kick. But then we saw cracks suddenly spread from where Mouse had aimed, spreading like spiderwebs. With a series of crashes, the water tank collapsed completely.

"No wonder your boss sent you alone—you really do have some skills," Peanut said with a sly smile. Later, I realized Peanut could have kicked down the tank himself but was testing Mouse’s abilities. Since the 'key' was so urgent for Mouse, he’d have to show his best to get it quickly.

"Was that Lion’s Roar?" Old Tan eyed Mouse warily.

Mouse looked pleased but insisted we check what was inside.

We stepped forward, and Peanut shined his light behind the three metal bricks. We were all stunned. Behind the three bricks grew three things that looked just like human tongues. The most nauseating part was that the tongues were alive, slowly moving in the flashlight’s beam as if savoring something.

"Good grief, that’s disgusting," Old Tan said, breaking out in goosebumps. But Mouse’s next move nearly made him vomit.

Mouse suddenly beamed, crawled over, put his mouth in front of the three tongues, and then stuck out his own tongue.

"You pervert!" Old Tan yelled.

I was stunned too, but then thought—Mouse was a teenager, and although those three tongues were disgusting, perhaps they triggered something in him. My father, Peanut, Dirt Dog, Mouse—the tomb raiders I’d known had always struck me as strange. But compared to someone else I’d meet later, they were almost normal.

Mouse nearly kissed the things, but suddenly ran over to me. "Do what I just did. The stuff will come out by itself."

"What?!" I exclaimed.

Peanut laughed. "He’s right. Those three things are called 'Chaste Maiden Fragrance,' a type of bloodsucking parasite. They were used to seal coffin lids. In the old days, you’d let them suck the tomb owner’s blood, close the lid, and even gods couldn’t open the coffin. But if you fed them the tomb owner's blood again, they’d dissolve at once. Like chaste maidens, loyal to only one husband. I guess your father fed these three with your blood as a child, so only your blood can remove the bricks."

Peanut pointed, and I saw the three tongue-like things were connected to the metal bricks and the foundation. Unless I gave blood, we’d have to carry the entire kitchen to Gulin.

Old Tan chuckled. "Old Yuan, those things are so devoted to you—you’d better fulfill their longing."

"You can be their husband," I retorted. There was no way I’d touch those things with my tongue. Chaste maidens? More like monsters.

Peanut sobered a little. "Mouse’s way is fastest—using your tongue only makes it numb, not painful. If you use your hand, it’ll hurt like hell. But it’s up to you." He patted my chest meaningfully.

I wanted to refuse—this was Mouse’s mess, not mine. But for now, only he knew where my father was. If he didn’t come, we’d be lost in the tomb, so I couldn’t fall out with him yet.

With a sigh, I looked at the three things, feeling my hair stand on end. Since I couldn’t bear kissing three St. Joan’s, I’d have to use my hand. I walked over and pressed my palm to them.

"How bad could it be?"

One second, I was pretending to be nonchalant, and the next, my face twisted in agony. The three soft things latched onto my hand, and a pain shot through my body—like every cell was being stabbed with knives and needles. It was agony beyond life and death. My mind flashed back to childhood when my father made me pick something in the grass and I was pricked by something—it hurt so much I fainted. I’d forgotten, but the same pain brought it all back.

In just two or three seconds, I nearly passed out. The pain faded, but I was still in a daze. Old Tan helped me up, and after several minutes, I managed to stand, though my reactions were slow. Peanut, meanwhile, easily removed the three metal bricks. Mouse tried to take them, but Peanut stopped him with a smile.

Once I’d fully recovered, the first thing I said was, "Those chaste maidens... damn, they’re not for just anyone to handle."