The valiant soldiers lacked capable generals to lead them. Those in power, the commanders, spoke in empty words of recovering lost territories, while each household secretly plotted for personal gain and preserved their strength, leading to discord among the generals and demoralizing the troops. This ultimately resulted in the "Fuli Defeat" on May 23rd of the first year of Longxing, a turning point that severely crippled the Song army's northern expedition.
After two months of interrupted correspondence, Lin Chaoying harbored an ominous premonition. She set off from Cuihua Mountain with Gou'er, heading towards the frontline in Suzhou to investigate. Upon learning of the Fuli battle, Wang Chongyang had already departed from the Northern Martial Group. Lin Chaoying understood he was not afraid of battle but weary of it. This time, the stakes were higher and heavier than in Chuzhou, and the loss was more bitter and complete. Gou'er, fearful of how many more years she would spend searching for him, mumbled, "Could he be hiding in the Tomb of the Living Dead again?" Lin Chaoying replied coldly, "A turtle naturally retreats into its shell." She was determined to drag him out to face it! To face her, to face their promises, to face others and matters... Regardless of what he would face, or how he would face it, the key was his willingness to confront it.
Gou'er sensed her hesitation, her fear... In any case, she deliberately lingered along the way, taking over a month to reach Zhongnan Mountain. It was already November 22nd. Amidst the rugged mountains, withered shrubs and bare tree trunks stood out in the unusual silence, as if the entire mountain had fallen asleep. Yet, Lin Chaoying thought: he should be awake.
Passing through dense trees that resembled soldiers in formation, and traversing flower patches and mountain hollows, they arrived at another forest beyond a grassy slope. Lin Chaoying recalled the scene of their reunion, walking one behind the other, and felt a pang in her heart: we went out to wander and see, took a big loop, and returned to the starting point. kuAiδugg
Not long after entering the forest, a familiar voice was heard.
"Prime Minister Tang Situi's eagerness for peace ruined our border defenses, and now the Jin army has reclaimed territory from our northern expedition forces and is pressing towards the Yangtze River!" Guan Zumei shouted towards the entrance of the tomb. Meng Han Guang followed, "If you resent General Li Xianzhong for repeatedly rejecting your advice, the defeat at Fuli was due to complex reasons, making it difficult to pinpoint a single cause. Moreover, the past is done. We should now call upon all parties to resist the Jin invaders." There was no response for a long time. Jie Wushan anxiously shouted, "We assisted the Prefect of Chuzhou, Wei Sheng, in resisting the enemy at Huaiyang, and the Weiwu Alliance has already suffered heavy casualties. Coupled with the incident of 'Sun Bole's rebellion and disappearance,' it has severely impacted our foundation. Wang Shixiong, now is the time for you to rally and display your reputation as the ' foremost person to defend Chuzhou with righteousness!'"
Lin Chaoying, eavesdropping from the treetops, chuckled inwardly. Along the way, she had heard and seen: the setbacks of the northern expedition, the disintegration of morale, the rapid resurgence of the peace faction, and the shift in public sentiment from a desire for continued war to disheartened resignation and yearning for peace. Organizations like the Weiwu Alliance and the Yangwu Gang, which advocated for fighting and saving the nation, had plummeted, losing substantial support. Seeing the entrance to the tomb still silent, she wondered, could he not hear? Or was he ignoring them? Was he truly in the tomb? Only when she saw Guan Zumei and Meng Han Guang descend the lowest tier of steps and pull Zhou Botong from a pile of weeds and dead branches did she feel a sense of relief.
Zhou Botong rubbed his sleepy eyes and exclaimed, "I told you long ago, the moment he entered this tomb, his soul was immediately absorbed by the ghosts within." He then chuckled and said eerily, "At this moment, he might be consorting with water ghosts." With that, he covered his mouth with his hands and turned to run, but was stopped by Meng Han Guang. Zhou Botong put on a pained expression and said, "You can't force me any further, my stomach... it hurts... I can't hold it much longer!" With a swift move, he sidestepped Meng Han Guang, scrambled up the stone wall to his left, and disappeared among a few trees.
After ambushing him for four days to capture him, Guan Zumei regretted not listening to Jie Wushan's advice and tying him up.
Gou'er observed from high up in the trees, saying, "The secret passage must be between that banyan tree." Lin Chaoying replied, "I'll go around to that side to investigate. You carefully search this forest and the mountain hollows." Recalling Zhou Botong's words, she reminded him, "Watch for any abnormalities in the water sources, not even a small puddle should be overlooked."
Lin Chaoying spent nearly four hours searching the forest on the stone wall to her left but found nothing. Looking up, the red sun was gradually setting behind the peaks ahead, a beautiful scene. She strolled to the summit. Surveying the vista, she saw a large expanse of green forest in the distance, surrounded by withered black wood under the setting sun, exceptionally beautiful and pleasing to the eye. She sat beside a large rock to admire the view, and suddenly thought of him who had retreated from the world, her brother who had long slept under the cliffside trees, and her grandmother who had dissipated like smoke and ashes. How would she manage to descend? Her throat felt dry, followed by a persistent cough, palpitations, and dizziness. Turning, she leaned against the large rock to rest and gradually fainted.
Gou'er, searching for her, witnessed the scene. Besides her anxiety, she couldn't help but blame herself for noticing Lin Chaoying's poor spirits a few days prior but still letting her act alone. After Gou'er pressed some acupoints and channeled energy into her, Lin Chaoying regained consciousness. Mao Ya's demise had triggered Lin Chaoying's old illness, yet she refused medical treatment or medication. She recuperated in Fuliu Mountain for a full hundred days, passing the New Year. Only after her condition slightly improved did she return to Cuihua Mountain. Gou'er said, "You took cousin Le Fu's elixirs, and they were quite effective. Why don't we visit the East Sea..." Seeing her subtly shake her head, Gou'er sighed, realizing she still couldn't bear to leave him, and changed the subject, "We haven't found any secret..."
Lin Chaoying waved her hand and said, "What good would it do if we went inside? Dragging him out forcibly would be no different from those people outside the tomb. Let him do as he pleases." Gou'er remarked, "If he hides, it might be for years again." Lin Chaoying replied, "Then I will accompany him for those years. The scenery here is beautiful, let's stay a few more days." The two then took shelter in a nearby cave.
The next day, Gou'er reported that Jie Wushan had broken into the tomb at dawn. Guan and Meng couldn't stop him, and Meng Han Guang, in his urgency, followed him in and they were both trapped. In the afternoon, they were released by Zhou Botong. After a round of scolding, Jie Wushan left in anger, and Guan and Meng reluctantly followed. Lin Chaoying did not respond directly, listening while tending to a sapling that was knee-high, saying, "When I jumped down yesterday, I flattened it, but today it has returned to its original state. What kind of species is this 'ugly tree'? It's so bare and unsightly."
Gou'er found it difficult to ascertain whether Wang Chongyang was hidden in the Tomb of the Living Dead, but seeing Lin Chaoying believe it might prevent her from being exhausted by another wild goose chase, she was happy to comply. After all, her body could hardly endure further hardship! Gou'er hoped she would return to the Phantom Light Cave to be treated by its cold air, but anticipating that she had no intention of retreating, she "fetched" some items to set up the cave as a bedroom for her recuperation.
They stayed there for over a month, until the first day of the lunar new year.
Gou'er prepared "crispy sesame cakes." Lin Chaoying picked one up to taste and praised, "The fragrance of the crispness with a hint of salt, it's good." Gou'er watched her face and said, "Take some to that side..." Seeing her expression darken, she had a sudden flash of wit and said, "Let's go pay respects to Wang Haifeng." Lin Chaoying's cold face showed a hint of amusement, and she slowly nodded.
When she returned, Gou'er saw her sitting cross-legged and practicing her qi. Outside, the snow was falling heavily, yet she was sweating and her face was flushed. Gou'er rushed to help her guide her qi and alleviate the stagnation. Lin Chaoying let out a long sigh, slightly opened her eyelids, and asked, "Did you encounter that vengeful spirit?" Gou'er nodded, glancing at her, and immediately her eyebrows and cheeks lit up with joy, saying, "Shi... That... knew you had a relapse and said he had a way to help."
Lin Chaoying closed her eyes and sneered, "He can barely save himself, yet he brags! Next time you encounter that vengeful spirit, warn him not to wander aimlessly, lest he be devoured by that witch outside the tomb."
As Gou'er pondered what method Wang Chongyang had for treatment, she suddenly heard her say, "Make a new spirit tablet for him."
Besides the newly made spirit tablet, Gou'er also frequently sent: satirical poems and paintings, food, hand-molded clay figures, and wood carvings into the tomb; she also relayed a few words of comfort and simple letters back to the cave.
Spring turned to autumn, until one day.
Lin Chaoying was observing the "ugly tree"— after growing to almost her shoulder height, it began to sprout some lateral branches and palm-shaped compound leaves. Strangely, near the base, another trunk grew, with leaves similar in shape but smaller, serrated along the edges, slightly different from the main trunk. She glanced sideways at Gou'er, who had returned with a solemn expression, and stammered, "Zhou Botong said he's been hiding for nearly ten days, sitting there without speaking or eating." Lin Chaoying asked, "Did he find out about the signing of the new peace treaty?"
Gou'er nodded, then watched as she turned her back, facing the "ugly tree," as if she heard her utter, "I was wrong." After a long while, she heard her say resolutely, "To drive out the turtle, we must first smash its shell."