Dogger, cradling Lin Chaoying who rested on his lap, called out towards the tomb entrance, "Miss... Miss..." each time louder. After a quarter of an hour with no response from within the tomb, he couldn't help but scan the surroundings, wondering if Zhou Botong was lurking in the shadows. Lin Chaoying, no longer able to restrain herself, sprang up, her face flushed with shame and indignation, and cursed, "Wang Shixiong! You truly think so little of me!" Then, just as Zhou Botong had done the day before, she climbed the left stone wall and disappeared among a few large banyan trees. Dogger waited and waited until deep into the night. He heard the sound of fallen leaves being trampled heavily, knowing Lin Chaoying had returned. He quickly closed his eyes, feigning sleep, unable to bear looking at her expression.
Lin Chaoying went to investigate for any secret passages for entry, hoping to catch him unprepared, but returned disappointed. She gazed down from the top of the stone wall for a long time, then, mustering her courage, jumped down to the second tier of steps. Focusing her mind, she sensed him not far from the entrance, his gaze fixed upon her, as if trying to see her silhouette. "Do you know how I've lived these past eight years?" she whispered, afraid he might evade her. Fortunately, she still felt his presence. "To find you, I crossed seas and descended into deep valleys. I would brave them knowing they were schemes and traps, and try them even if they were rumors and lies." She lowered her head and pleaded sincerely, "If you wish me to leave, just come out and say a single word, and I will leave immediately, to a place where you will never encounter me again in this lifetime." The silence felt infinitely long. Lin Chaoying drew her sword in anger and cried, "Speak! Say something! Speak..." She raised her sword to the sky and slashed forward in the air, her shadow following the sword's descent. "A desolate glance at my shadow, enduring sleeplessness with you. This morning a guest arrives, from the banks of the Hui, able to convey your profound intentions." Now she truly understood the sentiment within. "Relying on the clear Huai River, clearly reaching the sea, within it are tears of longing." Her horizontal sweeps were filled with emotion, her direct thrusts imbued with sorrow.
Dogger's feigned sleep turned into genuine slumber. He awoke at dawn to find Lin Chaoying sitting in deep thought. Fearing to disturb her, he served her with an apologetic expression.
Lin Chaoying beckoned him closer and gestured for him to bow and receive her command. Dogger, having heard Lin Chaoying's whispered instructions, turned and headed towards the mountain hollow on the right. Lin Chaoying ascended the left stone wall, entered the deeper bamboo grove, and cut many bamboo stalks, both thick and thin, bundling them into two stacks, which she carried back to the tomb.
She cut the thinner ones into lengths of a finger's thickness, carving a rounded groove on one side of each section, then inserting stoppers made from dried branches. The thicker ones she cut to the length of a forearm and also inserted stoppers within. By early afternoon, her preparations were complete. Dogger returned with his findings around dusk. Lin Chaoying examined what Dogger had brought, glanced at the sky, and then whispered a few instructions to Dogger. The two of them began moving the thicker bamboo stalks to the edge near the first tier of steps.
Lin Chaoying called out loudly towards the entrance, "Wang Shixiong! You're playing the ghost here, and the villagers have invited Daoist priests to exorcise you, but they can't. Tonight, I, this Holy Mother, will act on behalf of Heaven and capture you, you malevolent spirit!" Dogger secretly chuckled at her resourcefulness, borrowing the appellation Xi Liang had used for her. After speaking, Lin Chaoying picked up one of the bamboo stalks, lit the connecting rope, and the flames rapidly climbed upwards. She threw it towards the entrance. The bamboo stalk, expanding from the heat, exploded in mid-air before it even hit the ground, the thunderous sound resonating for miles around. Lin Chaoying then threw two more bamboo stalks. One, appearing to miss, landed on the left stone wall. The thunderous roar shook the forest, and the firelight illuminated the entire area. Lin Chaoying suddenly lunged towards that spot, her claws extended, moving with lightning speed to capture the person revealed by the light. The person was Zhou Botong. He quickly turned and darted among the giant trees, trying to find a way to escape. He suddenly realized she was using him to locate the secret passage, and immediately changed direction. Unexpectedly, Dogger leaped down from a branch and landed on his head, covering his eyes with his hands. Lin Chaoying arrived at this moment and sealed several acupoints on his chest.
Dogger placed bamboo stalks between Zhou Botong's arms, waist, and legs, then bound him, stretching his body into a cross shape, rendering him immobile. Lin Chaoying stood him upright on the second tier of steps, facing the entrance, and announced loudly, "The accomplice of the malevolent spirit has been dealt with by this Holy Mother, and will undergo the trial of purification by fire." With that, she raised her hand and released three of his acupoints. Zhou Botong saw Lin Chaoying pick up a bamboo stalk and aim it at him, recognizing its potency. He cried out in alarm, "Demoness! You are the bloodthirsty demon! I am an immortal child of the Three Realms incarnated, to subdue demons and eradicate evil. Be sensible and release me, and obediently kowtow and beg for forgiveness." Seeing Lin Chaoying pick up burning dry branches and slowly approach the rope of the bamboo stalk, he quickly changed his tune to coax her, "Lin Niangzi... ah, that's too old-fashioned! Lin girl... dear sister Lin, remember how I twice helped you fend off that old rascal. Spare me and let me go." As he spoke, the bamboo stalk was suddenly thrown close by, exploding to the right not far away. Still shaken, he cursed incessantly, "Lin Chaoying, you are inhumane! Heartless! Treacherous! Ruthless! Destructive for ten thousand years! Unbearable to heaven and earth..." He glimpsed Lin Chaoying picking up another bamboo stalk and cried out, "Wang Shixiong, you malevolent spirit, come out and stop her! Senior brother, save me! I'm dying! I'm about to suffocate!" Saying this, his head drooped to one side, as if he had fainted. Dogger felt a pang of pity and looked at Lin Chaoying with a pleading expression.
"Tomorrow I have new tricks. Let's see if he can still endure them. Aren't you someone who values loyalty and righteousness? Then get out here and save him. Heh, afraid you can't beat me?" Lin Chaoying shouted towards the tomb entrance, then lowered her voice to instruct Dogger, "Lay him down." After saying this, she went to prepare on the other side.
After Dogger laid Zhou Botong down, he gave him water to drink and fed him a casually picked egg, softly saying, "I've made you suffer." Zhou Botong trembled, "You scared me to death! It was truly too stimulating. Is she preparing more tomorrow? It should be even more formidable, right?" Seeing the anticipation in his eyes, Dogger couldn't help but smile and scold him.
In his dream, Zhou Botong felt himself being picked up again. In his daze, he heard Lin Chaoying issuing challenges again, saying, "If you don't come out before noon, don't blame me for being ruthless." She turned to him and said, "If you don't want to suffer anymore, then persuade him to come out." That would ruin all the fun! He absolutely wouldn't do that. "Alas. Demoness, if that stupid ox understood human speech, you wouldn't have to put in so much effort. Whatever novel poisonous tricks you have, reveal them all at once!"
Lin Chaoying gave him a cold glare and walked away indifferently.
Dogger couldn't help but interject, "Brother Shixiong, if you have any responsibility, come out and settle this face to face. Why drag things out and involve others?"
Zhou Botong kept craning his neck to observe Lin Chaoying's movements in the distance, and also looked up at the sky, hoping for time to pass quickly.
Dogger, meanwhile, kept watch at the tomb entrance, hoping he would change his mind. Suddenly, he heard Zhou Botong exclaim repeatedly, "Unbelievable! Unbelievable!" He saw Lin Chaoying approaching with bundles of arrows in both hands.
Lin Chaoying piled the arrow bundles in front of Zhou Botong, turned him to face away from the tomb entrance, and said coldly, "Let's see what it feels like to have arrows pierce your heart." Zhou Botong pleaded, "Don't aim for the chest right away. Shoot other places first, your hands, your legs, so we can play for longer." Lin Chaoying nocked an arrow and drew her bow. The moment she released her finger, the arrow shot out like lightning. The bamboo whistle tied to the arrow shaft let out a piercing shriek that split the heavens. Before Zhou Botong could even exclaim in surprise, the arrow grazed his cheek and shot deep into the tomb entrance. Lin Chaoying fired three more arrows, which whizzed past Zhou Botong's forehead and ears, disappearing into the darkness of the tomb. Although interspersed with Zhou Botong's shouts and commotion, one could clearly hear the bamboo whistles stopping abruptly, evidently struck down by someone. He felt a surge of frustration, grievance, and disdain. A mix of emotions churned within him. Unable to distinguish whether he was scolding, blaming, accusing, or complaining, he simply cried out, "Come out! Come out! I want you to come out! Why don't you come out and face me!" In his agitation, his arrows flew in rapid succession, like a bamboo forest being battered by a fierce wind, like a flock of birds chirping wildly as they leave the forest.
Dogger rushed forward without regard, pushing Zhou Botong down, then turned and ran towards Lin Chaoying, forcefully holding her hands. With both pity and worry, he urgently said, "Stop! The skin on your hands is broken, and you're bleeding profusely." Lin Chaoying looked at her bleeding hands in a daze, sighed softly, closed her eyes, and leaned weakly against Dogger. Dogger helped her sit down, bandaged her wounds, and tidied her appearance.
Dogger looked at Lin Chaoying, who was like a broken puppet, then at the silent tomb entrance, unsure what to do. The tears welling in his eyes made him dizzy and disoriented. He stood by her side with his hands hanging limply until deep into the night, when he was softly called. Dogger went to Zhou Botong's side, his gaze still fixed on Lin Chaoying, and asked, "Are you hungry?" Zhou Botong's voice trembled, "I need to defecate... I can't hold it much longer..." Dogger smiled, unable to prevent tears from sliding down the corners of his eyes, and said, "You can go. There's no point in you staying here." With that, he untied him. Zhou Botong hurried away, covering his backside with his hands as he ran, saying, "After I feel comfortable... I'll come back right away... to be your hostage again..." Dogger covered his face, suppressing a smile, and glanced at Lin Chaoying, who suddenly rose, drew her long sword, glared at the tomb entrance with furious eyes.
She remained in that posture all night, unmoving like a stone statue. Dogger was truly terrified but dared not approach to persuade her. As the dawn light brushed across her cold face, she seemed to be released from a spell. Gritting her teeth, she stepped onto the first tier of steps, mere inches from the tomb entrance, and said softly and indifferently, "From that morning eight years ago, I have always believed that your departure was merely difficult to accept at first. When I came to understand, I considered it a lesson learned, to regroup and strive anew for a better land for the Song people. You know well that great responsibility entails great burden. You will learn from those like Zhang Liang and Han Xin, adhere to your beliefs, and not care about minor defeats or humiliations." She paused and continued, "To help you regain your spirit, I am willing to sacrifice my future, my sect, the care for my grandmother... even my life..." As she spoke, she spun around and raised her sword to her own throat. A small stone shot out from the tomb and struck the tip of the sword, stopping her in time. With a flourish of the sword, she attempted to commit suicide again, but was again struck down by flying stones. Lin Chaoying's heart stirred, and she used "Flower Meets Rain's Tribulation," injuring herself, but was hit by flying stones in the vital spots. She then used "Dragonfly Perched on Three Lotuses," and Dogger, who had rushed to her side, managed to block the attack. Lin Chaoying glared at him, gesturing for him to step aside. Dogger, not understanding, but filled with extreme worry, obeyed. Lin Chaoying then used "Brocade Pathways Disturbed," still employing the elusive techniques of the dark swordsman. Zhou Botong, hidden in the shadows, emerged to intercept her. She urgently signaled to him. Dogger found himself in a difficult position and reluctantly went to intercept him. Lin Chaoying continued with over ten more elusive sword techniques, all of which were thwarted by flying stones. Lin Chaoying sneered and said, "You definitely won't be able to break this move." Raising her right hand, she threw her sword into the tomb entrance. With her left palm, she swiftly struck towards her own brow.
A dark figure shot out from the tomb entrance like lightning, with a pointed finger stopping her palm. Lin Chaoying recognized the person before her. With a flowing beard of five strands and an old yellow robe, he looked exactly like an old Daoist priest of the jianghu. Where was the gallant hero of yesteryear? The Daoist priest looked at her expression, his face full of shame. He lowered his right hand and raised his left hand in a salute, saying, "Benefactor, please return." He then turned and walked back into the tomb. Lin Chaoying softly called out, "Wang Shixiong..." The man shook his head slightly and said, "There is no longer a Wang Shixiong in this world. This poor Daoist's dharma name is Chongyang." Missing one to wear the dogwood... Heh, you're still thinking about those brothers! Lin Chaoying suppressed the anger in her chest and said, "Be it Wang Shixiong or Wang Chongyang, since you've come out, you're not going back!" Dogger glared and coerced, and Zhou Botong also chimed in, "Lady Lin is here. She's been provoking you for seven days and seven nights. At least find a place to continue your ill-fated romance... no, no, no, to decide your fate of life and death!" Wang Chongyang looked hesitant and said anxiously, "I'm going in to get some things." Dogger quickly took Lin Chaoying's arm and said, "Let's go in and have a look around too." Lin Chaoying suddenly thought that this was his residence, and as a pure maiden, how could she boldly visit? She shook her head and refused. Dogger, not understanding her thoughts, knew that letting him go back would be like a hidden dragon emerging from the sea. He busied himself, "Brother Shixiong... no, Brother Chongyang, Dogger has grown up. Let me serve you! Just give the orders, with Zhou Botong leading the way." Saying this, he tightly grasped Zhou Botong's sleeve. Zhou Botong sighed and said, "What else does he have? Nothing more than a broken sword and two worn-out robes." Dogger said, "Then take me to get them. Brother Shixiong, you two find a place to chat."