Chapter 27: Day and Night

She had originally thought that since the ant nest and snake colony coexisted in this place and had managed to thrive together until now, the venomous ants must have some natural check on the giant serpents.

The logic made sense, but Gu Xianwang hadn’t anticipated that her kick would pack so much force. The writhing mass of snakes, swarming with toxic ants, shot up like a cannonball into the canopy, punching straight through the leaves and leaving a gaping hole.

As the snakes scattered to avoid it, two sluggish ones got trampled in the crush and plummeted straight down.

Sara couldn’t care less if they lived or died. She leaped aside with two quick taps of her feet and yelled furiously, “Gu, are you out of your damn mind?”

Gu Xianwang truly hadn’t expected the snake pileup to cause a stampede like that. The unlucky serpent came hurtling down headfirst, clearly about to coil around her neck.

“Get down!”

Suddenly, the whistle of something slicing through the air rang out. As Gu Xianwang dropped low, a dagger pierced the snake right at its seven-inch spot, slamming it into the trunk of the opposite tree—just half an arm’s length from Ye Chan’s head.

The force behind it was tremendous. Ye Chan shrank back, listening to the knife hilt thud into the bark and then rattle back and forth from the residual momentum. It took her a good while to recover from the scare.

The other snake wasn’t any luckier. It landed right by Gu Xianwang’s feet, and before it could recover and strike, she swept her leg in a perfect arc. This time, she’d learned her lesson—she pulled back just enough on the hook of her foot, sending the snake brother straight into the ant nest with deadly precision.

Gu Xianwang glanced sideways to confirm the serpent was already ant chow, then straightened up and shook the stray venomous ants off her body.

Thousands upon thousands of the ants swarmed over the long snake. As they fed, they released some kind of odor—sour-smelling, but effective. The snake horde caught the scent and dispersed on their own, vanishing without a trace in moments.

Long Li walked back and shone her flashlight around. Her expression was grim. Gu Xianwang followed the beam and realized this trench was far larger than she’d imagined—nearly twenty feet long, stretching all the way under the distant tree roots.

“You okay?”

Gu Xianwang checked her arm. There were marks where the snakes had squeezed her skin, but luckily, no ants had gotten a bite in. “I’m fine.”

“Fine?” Sara’s eyes bulged as she jabbed a finger at her. “You’re fine, but I nearly died! Do you have a screw loose or what? Can’t you think before you act?”

Gu Xianwang slanted her a look and said coolly, “Got a better idea at the time?”

Sara pointed at the pit and hollered, “Big sis, that was a python! Pythons don’t have venom. You just had to sidestep slowly. It couldn’t swallow a grown person like you whole—did it really need to attack?”

Only then did it click for Gu Xianwang—the snake had indeed been patterned with those flower-like spots. But to her, getting attacked had become second nature. She didn’t see anything wrong with striking first in self-defense.

That said, things had gotten dicey just now, especially for Ye Chan. She didn’t have the reflexes to dodge in time and could’ve easily been caught in the crossfire.

Ye Chan caught Gu Xianwang looking her way and assumed she was backing down from Sara. She jumped in at full volume: “Enough already. Sister Gu didn’t mean to. It’s not her fault some people walk without watching their step. You didn’t expect the pit either, did you?”

Sara whipped around, hands on her hips. “Who’s the one who got bitten by ants first?”

It was like watching elementary school kids bickering.

Long Li walked over to the distant tree roots, crouched down, and examined the trench’s soil layers closely. Suddenly, she pressed down hard on the moss on the other side of the roots. With a deep boom, another straight trench collapsed in layers.

The noise drew the others’ attention. They looked over, and Sara craned her neck. “Long, you step in one too?”

Long Li said nothing, walking slowly back and shining her flashlight on the patch of moss where the snakes had fallen.

After a couple of glances, Gu Xianwang’s brows furrowed too. She scraped at the moss roots with her shoe sole, kicking clumps aside to expose the soil beneath. She squatted, picked up a clean shard of rock, and scraped away about an inch of humus.

Ye Chan watched in confusion and whispered, “Sister Gu, what are you looking for?”

Sara seemed to catch on as well. She started stomping around on the moss nearby, testing different spots. After a moment, realization dawned. “Tch, this feels off.”

Long Li eyed the red soil layer Gu Xianwang had gradually uncovered. She said gravely, “The main way to distinguish primeval forest from planted woods is by the depth of the humus and the state of the moss and vines. The soil layer under this ground has been artificially altered.”

Ye Chan caught on instantly. “Like in ancient tomb-building? Is this cultivated soil?”

Sara picked up a lump of clay that Gu Xianwang had unearthed. She pinched it between her fingertips and pondered aloud, “This soil shouldn’t be able to support trees growing this tall.”

Long Li nodded. “Exactly. The way this soil layer is distributed through the forest has clearly been designed that way on purpose.”

Ye Chan stared off into space at the ditch for a long moment before blurting out, “This ditch looks awfully straight.”

Sara rolled her eyes at her. “Say something useful for once.”

Ye Chan ignored the jab and continued muttering to herself, “It’s like it was measured out with an ink line.”

Her words sparked something in Sara. She scrambled to the pit wall and peered along its length in both directions, stretching out her arm to gauge it. Sure enough, it was perfectly straight.

How was that possible?

Would ordinary people digging a trap go to such lengths? Did the overseer have some kind of obsessive compulsion?

While the others puzzled over it, Gu Xianwang kept digging. In short order, she had excavated a small pit about a palm deep. Long Li leaned down, shining her light on the spot. A few minutes later—five or six, perhaps—there came a faint metallic clang as her tool struck something hard.

Long Li crouched beside her and helped brush away the soil with her hands. A sliver of bronze emerged.

The bronze had a curved edge and showed little rust despite being buried. Judging by its shape, the full plate was likely disc-shaped.

Sara and Ye Chan caught sight of it and exchanged a glance, their eyes gleaming with shared excitement. They rushed forward, heads bumping as they dove in to dig with a vengeance.

Ant bites be damned—this was an antique.

Sara’s mind raced: Holy shit, bonus loot. Ka-ching.

Ye Chan’s thoughts were similar, though more academic: Historical treasure. My next paper’s a lock.

Many hands make light work, and with all four pitching in, they soon unearthed half the bronze disc. It measured about three feet across, perfectly round, adorned with a simple motif: an inner ring of fanning arcs like rays of light, encircled by what looked like claw marks.

Ye Chan recognized it instantly. “That’s the Sun God Bird totem!”

Sara blinked. “The what now?”

“Ancient Shu Kingdom! Jinsha Site! It’s identical to the one they found there!”

“Whatever—point is, it’s an antique, right?”

“Obviously! The Ancient Shu Kingdom dates back three thousand years to the Shang and Zhou eras. This isn’t just any old relic—it’s a gem from a lost mysterious civilization!”

Gu Xianwang paused and eyed the remaining half, still half-buried against the ditch wall. Digging it out would probably collapse the whole pit.

A Sun Bird again. Her mind flashed to the carvings in the Black Mud Pool of the karst cave, and the pieces began to connect: Witch Clan, Chi You, Nine Li, Yelang. It was all intertwined, some greater truth lurking just beneath the surface, ready to break free.

What linked the Witch Clan to the Forbidden Witch Bone?

Did the depths of this primeval forest truly hold the clues she sought?

For no clear reason, as she gazed at the half-exposed bronze disc, a chill of foreboding stirred in her chest.

Had people settled in this sinkhole thousands of years ago, reshaping and building within it?

What purpose did this cultivated soil serve? This bronze artifact? These traps? What—or who—were they meant to guard against?

Ye Chan fidgeted as Gu Xianwang stopped. “We quitting now?”

Long Li glanced at the darkening sky and stood. “It’s heavy. Even if we dig it out, we couldn’t carry it. Night’s falling—better find a spot to camp.”

Sara’s eyes flicked with understanding. With these two outsiders around, even unearthing it would be tricky to handle. Things were too hot outside right now; caution was key.

They had marked the location anyway. Once the mission wrapped, they could bring a team and claim it first. “Long’s right,” she agreed. “Who knows what venomous bugs and beasts come out at night in this wild forest? Too dangerous to stay here.”

Ye Chan hesitated, shooting Gu Xianwang a look. Then realization dawned: Right—these two are from the Organization. What if they’re grave robbers? Greedy types who might do us in out here for the loot?

“Uh, yeah,” she said quickly. “Now that you mention it, I’m parched and starving. Ow—my hand’s killing me too. Any chance of a water bottle?”

Sara, with the antique in mind, didn’t skimp this time. “Thirsty, huh? Long, pass out some supplies.”

Long Li handed each of them a bottle of water and half a compressed biscuit.

“Supplies are low,” she said. “This is a full day’s ration.”

Gu Xianwang didn’t take the water. She hefted the brick-like compressed biscuit in her hand, glanced at the python nailed to the tree trunk, and said hungrily, “Since this snake is non-venomous, could we eat it?”

Ye Chan hissed through her teeth, chomping down on her biscuit as she mumbled, “Good idea… If we roast it, there’d be at least three pounds of meat, right?”

Sara twisted her face into an expression that defied description and praised them sincerely. “You two really aren’t picky eaters.”

“No. We can’t light a fire tonight.” Long Li swept the flashlight beam around the forest before switching it off. “Judging by when the signal went out, the people from the ancient stockade should already be on their way.”

The sobering words hit home, sending a chill through all three women’s hearts. If they were ambushed in this primitive forest, they’d be sitting ducks, trapped like turtles in a jar.

Gu Xianwang frowned. “Who knows how many old traps are buried in these woods. Traps are one thing, but with all the poisonous insects around, even without a fire, we might not find a safe spot to bed down. Why not press on under cover of darkness?”

Long Li shook her head. “That’s exactly why we can’t rush blindly. Danger doesn’t always come from outside—when you’re physically and mentally exhausted, even avoidable threats can catch you off guard.”

Truth be told, Gu Xianwang knew it herself. Her limbs were already stiffening, a sure sign her stamina was hitting its limit.

Ye Chan suggested, “Since the forest is so dangerous, why don’t we head back to the base of that cliff? It was a lot drier there, and the view was better.”

“Idiot,” Sara shot back, rolling her eyes. “Your view might be good, but theirs of you would be even better. Come midnight, those villagers crawl out of the karst cave, pepper you with arrows, and you’re done for.”

“…” Ye Chan was left speechless. “Okay, that actually makes sense.”

“Let’s move.” After a short rest, Long Li hoisted her backpack again. “We’ll find a high spot first.”

~~~

This time, the three women followed Long Li’s footsteps with extra care, pushing through the underbrush for over an hour before halting beneath an ancient huai tree.

The tree had to be at least a thousand years old. Its trunk was thick enough for several people to encircle with outstretched arms, and its branches cascaded down like an emerald waterfall. Planted at a village entrance, it could have shaded the entire populace on a hot day.

Ye Chan marveled aloud. “We sleeping under the tree tonight?”

Long Li nodded. “Yeah. The mound here gives us a slight elevation, and the huai leaves provide cover overhead. It’s relatively safe. We’ll scatter insect repellent around the perimeter. I’ll take first watch tonight—you two get some rest.”

Gu Xianwang said, “You need rest too. We’ll alternate shifts.”

Ye Chan settled against the roots in a clean patch of ground, looking a little sheepish. “That doesn’t seem right. How about we each take a turn?”

Sara snorted. “You on watch? I’d be dead before I knew what hit me. Forget it—Long’s not like you lot. She can pull an all-nighter no problem.”

With that, she pulled her jacket hood over her head, found a convenient slope, and flopped down. “Anyone who doesn’t sleep is an idiot.”

Ye Chan was already fighting to keep her eyes open. The medicine she’d applied earlier had dulled the stinging, and exhaustion crashed over her like a wave. She still managed a stubborn retort. “You got zero team spirit. Sister Long being in the same organization as you is a total waste.”

Sara rolled over and cracked one eye open, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “Hey, I’m stumped. This tour had just eight spots. When we set up the trap, I wondered which two suckers would walk right into it. Now that I’ve seen you, it all makes sense.”

“Huh?” Ye Chan’s eyes went wide. “You pull off something illegal like this and have the gall to talk? I was just on vacation—next thing I know, it’s being hunted and surviving in the wild. Who do I even complain to? Sister Gu, we’re the innocent ones here, right!”

Gu Xianwang pressed her lips together and said nothing.

Sara let out a couple of laughs. “Sure, you’re innocent. The other one? That’s debatable.”

Ye Chan bristled. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Sara propped herself up on an elbow and shot a meaningful glance their way. “Your Sister Gu’s got some real skills. Haven’t you figured that out yet?”