Volume Two – The General’s Tomb Chapter Twenty-Six – Swarms of Bees and Gathering Ants, Tigers Lying in Wait and Dragons Coiled

I looked ahead. After crossing this mountain, it seemed there was still some distance to go. If we ventured further in, it wouldn’t be convenient to keep A-Miao with us. Entering a tomb, after all, meant we couldn’t bring her along—people who had perished in the General’s Tomb were not just one or two, but more than twenty skilled geomancers.

I turned my head and nodded at Li Kun, then walked over to his side and whispered, “Old Li, let’s put on a show for now and go down the mountain later. Tonight, we’ll bring our gear and come back. I’ve already worked out the approximate location of this General’s Tomb.”

Li Kun nodded without saying anything. I turned to A-Miao and said, “Miss A-Miao, I don’t see any issues here, nor any hidden dangers. Why don’t we go ahead and take a look up front?”

A-Miao nodded, replying, “Alright, let’s head to the mountain ahead then. I can check if the traps I set the other day caught anything. If we’ve got something, we can feast tonight.”

Li Kun clapped his hands and said, “That’s great—I do love meat, haha.”

“Let’s go ahead and see then,” I said. With that, the three of us started moving forward.

Walking through the forest, I turned to A-Miao and asked, “Miss A-Miao, how old are you this year? You look to be just over twenty.”

She nodded. “Yes, I just celebrated my twentieth birthday the day before yesterday.”

Hearing this, Li Kun said, “Miss A-Miao, you’re so young to be hunting in the mountains. Isn’t it dangerous?”

She waved her hand nonchalantly. “I grew up hunting with my father and grandfather. I started handling a shotgun when I was seven or eight. And by the way, brothers, you don’t need to keep calling me Miss A-Miao. Just call me A-Miao.”

Li Kun and I both chuckled, amused by her frankness. Who would have thought such a young girl could be so spirited—she reminded me a bit of Mulan.

The three of us wove through the forest, and after crossing the small hill, we made our way onto the higher mountain ahead.

This mountain was indeed very tall—probably three or four times the height of the last one. I looked around; the area was vast, and smaller hills flanked either side, though not densely packed.

If we wanted to see the lay of the surrounding mountains, we’d probably get a clear view of the entire dragon vein’s feng shui pattern once we reached the summit.

Thinking this, I quickened my pace. Before long, as we climbed higher, A-Miao called from behind, “Brother Liu, follow me.”

I glanced back to see her crouching and heading into a grove to the left. I realized this must be where she’d mentioned setting her trap.

Li Kun and I fell in behind her, moving uphill at a diagonal.

After a hundred meters or so, we saw a patch of dry, yellow leaves ahead. This was clearly an ideal spot for a trap—find an animal trail, dig a pit, and cover it with leaves, and you’re sure to catch something big.

A-Miao waved us over. “Here we are—this is where I dug the trap.”

I nodded, and the three of us walked slowly forward.

We hadn’t gone far when the sound of a wild boar’s cries carried over from nearby.

At this, all our faces lit up. A-Miao quickly grabbed her shotgun and rushed toward the sound.

Just as I expected, among the dry leaves was a pit over a meter wide and more than two deep, and the cries were coming from within.

We peered into the trap. A-Miao’s face broke into a broad smile. “We caught a wild boar—this trap was worth the effort.”

She turned to us. “Brother Liu, Brother Li, give me a hand in a moment. Those tusks aren’t to be trifled with. I’ll shoot it first, then you help me haul it up.”

Li Kun and I nodded. A-Miao raised her gun and aimed at the boar in the pit.

It took quite some work, but eventually the three of us had the boar securely tied and threaded onto a sturdy pole. I then said, “A-Miao, I’d like to take a look at the summit. Would you come with us? After that, we’ll go straight back.”

She nodded. “Sure, it’s not far from here. Let’s just leave this guy here for now.”

Li Kun hurriedly asked, “Won’t wolves come and eat it if we leave it here?”

A-Miao replied, “Don’t worry. The wolves won’t come here—this isn’t their territory. At most, a lone wolf might wander through, but that’s nothing to fear.”

Li Kun asked, “How can you be sure it would only be one wolf?”

A-Miao explained, “Because the wolf pack’s territory is large enough. Except for these surrounding hills, all the other mountains around here belong to them. Unless they’re driving out a member, you’ll never see one alone. And even if we do, it’s a bargain—a wild boar for a wolf is a great deal.”

We nodded at that. I said, “In that case, let’s head up and take a look.”

A-Miao and Li Kun agreed, and the three of us started climbing toward the summit.

Because we were ascending, our pace slowed considerably. Fortunately, with A-Miao leading the way, we made better time than Li Kun and I would have managed on our own.

We hiked for quite a while before finally nearing the top. I shaded my eyes and looked up—the summit was close now.

Li Kun and I were both military men, so mountain climbing was routine. A-Miao, who hunted often, had stamina to match—Li Kun and I were starting to tire, but she remained full of energy.

A-Miao shaded her eyes and looked up, imitating me. “We’re almost there.”

Li Kun, sturdy as he was, was sweating and panting behind us, complaining, “Good grief, you two aren’t tired at all. Slim builds really are better… I’m about done in.”

I laughed, “What’s wrong, haven’t carried logs on your back lately? Lost your edge?”

Li Kun, hands on his hips and out of breath, said, “I don’t have the energy to banter with you. Go ahead, I’ll catch up after a rest.”

“All right, but don’t dawdle,” I said. He waved us off and plopped down on the ground to rest.

A-Miao and I continued upward. As we walked, she said, “Brother Liu, I didn’t expect you to have such stamina. Even Li Da-ye, as sturdy as he is, can’t keep up.”

I chuckled and teased, “He’s not sturdy, just full of fat.”

A-Miao covered her mouth and laughed. “Brother Liu, you’re too funny.”

“Come on, let’s hurry up.” She nodded, and we quickened our pace.

Before long, we reached the summit. The moment we arrived, a chill hit us—the winter winds in the Northeast were no joke, sharp and biting.

We both tightened our clothes, and I began scanning our surroundings.

The peak we stood on was indeed the highest of all the surrounding mountains. Looking ahead, I saw other tall mountains, but to my astonishment, the mountain directly in front of us was a mirror image of the one beneath our feet—identical in form and perfectly aligned.

The only difference was that the mountain ahead had two smaller hills flanking its sides, like two enormous arms curved inward.

At this, I drew a sharp breath. Such a formation was truly rare—the “arm” on the left resembled a great azure dragon lying in wait, while the right, connected to the mountain, looked just like a white tiger crouched at its side.

Such a feng shui pattern is recorded in the Classic of the Twenty-Four Mountains: a swarm of bees, an assembly of ants, tigers crouching, dragons coiling.

Looking out, I saw the smaller peaks ahead clustered together like a hive of bees, rounded and unbroken, undisturbed and auspicious.

The blue-green dragon to the left curved protectively, while the white tiger on the right lay low, both watching over the central mountain as if a great general sat at the heart, armies encircling him, their loyalty absolute—a sign of immense fortune and prosperity.

I couldn’t help but murmur, “Where the true dragon rests, the dragon stands tall and the tiger is tamed; the dragon lies with affection, the tiger crouches unalarmed. This is the most auspicious terrain—what an extraordinary place!”

Marvelous, truly marvelous.