Volume One - The Hundred Coffin Tomb Chapter Twenty-Two - The Tiger’s Den?

Upon hearing this, I turned my head toward the direction we had come from and spoke into the phone to Li Kun, “Alright, tell me where you are, I’ll head over now.”

After Li Kun described his location, I leapt down from the large stone beneath my feet and began retracing my steps. In no time, I arrived at the spot where Li Kun and I had parted ways. I glanced ahead—there were small trees and some massive boulders. The path I had taken earlier was stark, devoid of any vegetation, littered only with gravel and stones, unlike here, where a few plants still clung to life.

I lifted my feet and walked slowly toward him. The position Li Kun had told me about wasn’t heading up or down the mountain, but rather along the mountainside, halfway up. After walking for about ten minutes, I saw Li Kun standing atop a huge boulder, shouting for me.

Turning to look, I saw Li Kun surrounded by a cluster of massive stones, standing on the largest among them.

He called out, “Liu, over here!” Seeing his anxious expression, I quickened my pace.

Once I reached the base of the boulder, I looked up and asked, “Li, what did you find?”

From above, Li Kun pointed to a gap on the left side of the boulder. “Look over there.”

I followed his gesture, seeing he indicated the edge of the giant stone. Beside it was a gap less than half a meter wide, blocked tightly by another massive rock.

I approached and peered into the crevice. What I saw inside took me by surprise—through the narrow opening, there was a dark stone cave.

The cave was nearly two meters wide and about one and a half meters tall. Most striking, though, was that its entrance was sealed by the two enormous stones before me; entering seemed impossible, as neither boulder could be moved in the slightest.

Seeing this cave, I recalled an old story about Thunder Mountain. It was said a giant tiger once lived atop the mountain. In those days, wild animals abounded in these hills, but after Thunder Mountain was destroyed overnight by a lightning storm, not a single antelope or elk could be found in the surrounding ranges.

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Could this cave before me be the tiger’s lair from Thunder Mountain? If not, might it be the entrance to the great tomb said to lie within?

As I pondered, Li Kun interrupted from atop the boulder. He squatted down and called, “Liu, what are you doing? Hurry up and climb up here. We should be able to get inside from up here.”

His words made my eyes light up. I looked at the boulder—it blocked the cave entrance, but there was still a meter or so between the stone and the opening.

Since we were halfway up the mountain and the ground sloped, if Li Kun and I could dig through the top or side of the boulder, we might gain entry to the cave and discover whether it was truly the tiger’s den or the entrance to the tomb.

I hastily climbed up the earthen slope beside the boulder. When I reached the top and surveyed the scene, my earlier suspicions were confirmed—there was indeed a way into the cave from above.

Several stones wedged between the slope and the boulder could be moved, but Li Kun and I hadn’t brought any tools. I squatted on the incline and tried to shift them with my hands.

Watching me struggle, Li Kun wiped the sweat from his brow and said, “Liu, don’t bother. These rocks can be moved, but not by hand. I tried earlier—no luck. We’ll need tools to pry them loose.”

I nodded in agreement, thinking that if this really was the tomb entrance, it would be worth the effort. But if it was only a tiger’s cave, our labor would be in vain.

Considering this, I took a leather pouch from my coat, unfastened the button, and placed the Dragon-Seeking Compass in my palm. I recited softly, “To seek the dragon’s lair, one must discern yin and yang; two forces, four symbols mark the mountains, five elements and six harmonies gather in the hand, nine palaces and eight trigrams determine fate. Unite!”

I tapped the compass lightly, and Li Kun and I watched as the needle began spinning. After a few seconds, it stopped.

The compass needle pointed to the Kun position, which in the Eight Trigrams represents earth, the element of burial, meaning the tomb lay beneath us.

The Kun position was southwest, and I was standing above the cave. The needle pointed directly toward the cave’s interior.

Seeing this, my heart settled. Perhaps this was the tiger’s lair, but it was certainly also the entrance to the great tomb of Thunder Mountain.

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At this, I turned to Li Kun and said, “Li, we’ve found the entrance to the tomb.”

He was momentarily stunned. “The cave I found is really the tomb entrance?”

I smiled and nodded, standing up to pat his shoulder. “Li, I never expected you’d find the entrance so easily.”

Li Kun scratched his head sheepishly. “It was just luck. As I passed by, I noticed a gap between the stones and came to look. Didn’t expect there’d be an actual cave.”

I said, “You’ve done us a great service. Tonight, we’ll bring our tools, pry these stones open, and then we’ll descend into the tomb.”

Li Kun rubbed his hands in excitement. “Heh, finally we get to explore a tomb. I wonder what treasures lie inside.”

I chuckled. “Look at you. Alright, let’s head back now. When night falls, we’ll return. Most important now is to eat well—otherwise, we’ll have no strength tonight.”

Li Kun laughed. “You’re right, Liu. Let’s go feast—I’m starving.”

I nodded. “Yes, let’s.”

With that, Li Kun and I turned and walked down the mountain together.