Volume One, Chapter Twenty: The Gate of Life and the Gate of Death

Fat Girl immediately ran to the nearest cave entrance, scrutinizing it from top to bottom for a long while, but she found neither the patterns nor the clues like those in Yu King’s Cave. Unwilling to give up, she checked each of the other cave entrances one by one, but in the end, she found not the slightest trace of anything unusual.

“There are eight entrances in total, counting the one we came through. It’s clearly the pattern of the Eight Trigrams. It seems only by finding the Gate of Life can we get out!” Hanyu declared with much certainty as she paced the hall.

“Which one is the Gate of Life?” Fat Girl asked urgently, her eyes fixed on Hanyu. Hanyu fell silent for a while, then suddenly pointed to the second entrance on her left. Fat Girl dashed in at once, and Pancake hurried after her. The passageway twisted and turned, its walls pitted and uneven, growing colder the farther they advanced. Meiniang, following close behind, quickly grabbed Pancake and Fat Girl. “Be careful! Something’s wrong!” she warned. Turning around, Hanyu nodded in agreement.

With that, everyone drew their swords and staffs, proceeding forward on tiptoe. Sure enough, they hadn’t gone far when footsteps echoed from the bend ahead. They stopped immediately, only for the footsteps ahead to halt as well. After exchanging looks, they quietly took another step forward, and the footsteps around the bend echoed in perfect synchrony. Panic-stricken, Pancake tried to flee, but Meiniang and Fat Girl pushed and pulled him, inadvertently sending him to the very front of the group.

At the bend, Pancake, after catching his breath, gingerly poked his head around the corner—only to find another fat face poking out from the other side, right up against his own. For a split second, Pancake was breathless with shock, and Fat Girl and the others gaped in astonishment. Approaching them on tiptoe were, astoundingly, four people—identical in appearance, expressions, and movements to themselves. For a moment, the four of them were utterly bewildered.

The silence was first broken by the twin screams of the two Pancakes! All four turned and ran, their counterparts doing exactly the same, the tunnel resounding with doubled yells and the pounding of feet. No one knew how long they ran before Pancake and his friends finally stopped, gasping for air.

“I never thought... I’m actually quite pretty...” Meiniang said, clutching her chest.

“I... Ugh...” Hanyu was panting hard, but still couldn’t help cursing.

“Why... did we run...?” Fat Girl asked, mouth agape. Indeed, why had they run? Looking at one another, they replied in unison, “Wouldn’t you run if you were being chased by yourself?”

“Enough! Let’s head back. If we run into them again, we’ll just fight!” Fat Girl gripped her sword tightly.

“But...” Pancake was uneasy—it was himself, after all. If he slashed at himself, would he feel the pain?

“Well, Senior Sister Zhao has a point! Maybe they’re just illusions. Let’s try not to attack and see if we can charge through! If we can’t, then...” The thought of a version of herself acting just as stubborn made Hanyu bristle.

With no other options, they could only try. Taking a few deep breaths, they turned and continued forward. Sure enough, after only a few steps, they saw themselves peering around the corner from the other side. They stooped, the others stooped; they turned their heads, the others turned; Meiniang hiked up her skirt to show off her pale legs, and the Meiniang opposite did the same. Meiniang was clearly having fun, but Pancake was growing dizzy from all the commotion.

As they drew near, everyone slowed down, stopping only when their noses were practically touching.

“Close your eyes! Charge!” Hanyu commanded, and with the resolve to barrel through these doppelgängers, they rushed forward.

With a loud “bang,” all four tumbled to the ground. When they opened their eyes again, their doubles had vanished, and they found themselves back in the middle of the hall.

“How did we end up back here?” Pancake asked, scratching his head in confusion. This was even more baffling than his crazy master.

“Something’s wrong! How did the Gate of Life become the Gate of Fright?” Hanyu muttered, counting on her fingers in puzzlement.

“Maybe we miscalculated the time while inside the cave?” Meiniang said with a sly tone.

“I’m an underground traveler! How could I miscalculate?” Hanyu retorted, cheeks puffed in indignation.

“What are you getting so worked up for? I was just kindly reminding you...” Meiniang frowned. After all, both she and Hanyu were tunnel experts—how could they possibly lose track of time?

After a long silence, Hanyu finally pointed to the cave entrance directly opposite the one they’d entered. This time, Hanyu took the lead, Pancake right behind her. They’d gone less than a hundred meters when a heady fragrance wafted through the air, growing stronger and more enticing. Hanyu frowned—this was certainly no good omen.

Tension mounting, Pancake’s stomach suddenly growled loudly, earning him a withering glare from everyone. Pancake rubbed his stomach in embarrassment and hurried to the front. Rounding a gentle bend, the passage suddenly turned straight, shrouded in a dense mist that obscured the end.

“Be careful! There’s a strange noise ahead!” Meiniang sensed an ominous sound, though she couldn’t quite define it.

“Quick, turn back...” Hanyu shouted, but before she could finish, a sudden whizzing erupted ahead. Countless glittering points of light pierced through the mist, shooting toward them like a storm, and in the narrow tunnel, there was nowhere to hide.

“We can’t get through...” Meiniang shut her eyes in despair.

“Pot?” was all Pancake heard clearly, and instantly his mind conjured the image of his senior brother hoisting a heavy pot. Acting on instinct, his sword transformed into a large pot. Immediately, the tunnel rang with a cacophony of arrows striking the pot’s bottom. But the onslaught didn’t cease; it was ceaseless as the waters of the Yellow River, relentless and unending. Hanyu quickly pulled Pancake back, the four retreating in a single line to the hall.

“Couldn’t you have turned it into a shield?” Hanyu frowned.

“How do you turn a pot into a shield?” Pancake replied, face full of misery.

“A shield...” Fat Girl clarified quickly.

“Don’t glare at me. There’s something wrong with this cave. The directions and timing were correct!” Hanyu shrugged, seeing Meiniang’s reproachful look.

“The Gate of Life turned to the Gate of Death...” Meiniang counted on her fingers several times and was still baffled.

“You must be hungry,” Fat Girl said, seeing Pancake clutch his stomach. She took out some dried food from her bundle.

While Pancake ate, they all discussed their predicament, Meiniang and Hanyu tossing ideas back and forth in lively debate. Fat Girl chewed quietly, pondering each suggestion. Pancake ignored them all, sitting, squatting, and finally sprawling on the stone table.

“We can’t go forward or back. I wonder how Senior Brother and the others are doing...” Fat Girl said worriedly.

“They should be... well... don’t worry... we’ll get out!” Hanyu tried to reassure her.

“I just hope it won’t be too late when we do...” Fat Girl’s voice wavered with emotion.

“Not necessarily! The Handsome Gentleman has a quirk—he always carries out major plans on the night of the full moon. There are still two days to go, so they should be safe for now!” Meiniang looked at Fat Girl with sympathy.

“What’s your name?” Fat Girl asked.

“Fox Spirit!” Hanyu called out. Fat Girl couldn’t help but laugh.

“Nonsense! Rabbit Spirit! My surname is Hu and my given name is Meiniang!” The Seven-Tailed Fox struck a coquettish pose.

“Oh really...” Hanyu was about to retort when Fat Girl held her back. “I haven’t yet asked your fine name?” Hanyu glared at Meiniang before turning to Fat Girl with a smile, “Senior Sister Zhao, my surname is Bai, given name Hanyu!” She straightened her neck proudly toward the Seven-Tailed Fox. Meiniang merely scoffed and paid her no further heed.

“You and Brother Mu, are you...?” Fat Girl asked curiously.

“...Enemies!” Hanyu replied resolutely. Pancake sat bolt upright on the stone table, about to speak, but Hanyu broke into laughter. “Did you believe that? Ha!” Fat Girl and Meiniang exchanged bemused glances.

“Thank you, Sister Zhao, for your help these past days!” Hanyu moved closer, taking Fat Girl’s arm.

“Thank you... it was nothing...” Fat Girl was still having trouble believing this delicate young lady was the same adorable little white rabbit.

“We’d best focus on finding a way out!” Meiniang said sourly.

“Yes! Let’s think of something!” Fat Girl looked at Pancake expectantly. Pancake wracked his brains, recalling every trick he’d used when escaping from Crescent Mound, but still found no good solution. The more frustrated he became, the more sensitive he was to discomfort. The shallow indentation on the stone table was digging into him, so he shifted around, seeking a comfortable spot.

“Huh?” Pancake now noticed that the mark on the stone table looked remarkably like a butt print. He slid his large backside into it, and to his surprise, it fit perfectly, as though made just for him.

“Wow...” Pancake’s mouth was still open when the entire stone table began to spin wildly, his ample flesh whipping about with the motion. Fat Girl and the others leapt back several meters in fright, staring helplessly at him. By the time the table finally stopped, the girls felt dizzy just from watching, and Pancake even more so; though the spinning had ceased, his head kept swaying. Thankfully, Fat Girl caught him, helping him steady himself.

“Oh—oh—oh—” Pancake retched dryly, his eyes unfocused, as Fat Girl patted his back.

“Hey!” Meiniang’s eyes suddenly lit up as she pointed to the cave entrance directly in front of Pancake. Hanyu nodded, then shook her head. Seeing Fat Girl’s puzzled look, she explained, “That’s the Gate of Injury, absolutely not to be entered! But Pancake stopping here can't be without reason.”

“Might as well try! We made it out in one piece last time, didn’t we? Besides, perhaps this is the true meaning of the Primordial Cave—returning to the source. It should be right!” Meiniang was eager to try.

After a brief wait for Pancake’s insides to settle, the four mustered their courage and headed for the entrance, though Pancake kept veering off course. The tunnel was especially uneven—climbing up one moment, down the next, left then right—like a maze. Suddenly, a deep ravine barred their path, its depths clearly visible. Meiniang leapt first, almost reaching the far side, but the ledge inexplicably shifted back two more feet, and, caught off guard, Meiniang fell in.

“Careful!” Hanyu shouted mid-leap. If not for Fat Girl grabbing Pancake’s belt, he would have tumbled in as well. Dangling over the edge, Pancake peered down, cold sweat pouring from his brow. At some point, the ravine had filled with venomous snakes!

“Damn it, trying to bite me?” Meiniang showed no fear, stomping wildly as she landed, and even gave Hanyu, who’d also fallen, a push back up.

Hanyu staggered upright, wiping sweat from her brow. Thank goodness for Meiniang, or she’d have been in real trouble. Turning back, she saw Meiniang still stomping away below. “Hurry up! Aren’t you done yet?”

At last, Meiniang leapt for the ledge again, but it shifted just as she landed. Luckily, Hanyu was ready; she caught Meiniang’s arm mid-air and pulled her up as they scrambled away, or Meiniang would have fallen once more.

Battered and bruised, they all retreated to the hall, with Pancake and Fat Girl, being the plumpest, sporting the most lumps and bruises.

“What’s going on?” Fat Girl asked Meiniang in confusion. Meiniang frowned for a long moment, then nudged her chin at Pancake. “Sit down again!” Pancake obeyed, plopping onto the table, and once more, the wild spinning began.

This time, the table didn’t stop at the previous cave but at the one directly opposite. Meiniang and Hanyu exchanged glances and then entered side by side, with Fat Girl supporting Pancake as they followed.

Once bitten, twice shy; this time, they moved with utmost caution, watching every step as they explored ahead. Dozens of meters in, all seemed well, and smiles began to appear. But suddenly, a chill wind swept through, and a horde of ghost-faced bats swooped down, every one of them as hideous as a demon from hell. This time, Meiniang ran faster than anyone, so fast that even Hanyu was surprised!

Only upon dashing back into the hall did Meiniang, pale-faced, clutch her chest and gasp, “If... one of those ghost-faced bats bites you... your face will be ruined!” Hanyu, frightened, quickly touched her cheek, then remarked, “You? There’s not much to ruin!” Meiniang shot her a glare and said no more.

Fat Girl had been silent all this time, her gaze fixed on the stone table. Suddenly, she declared, “Brother Mu, this time you go up and stay put! The three of us will go in ourselves!”

At her words, Meiniang rolled her eyes, and Hanyu frowned. But they had to admit, Zhao’s idea made sense—maybe that shallow mark really was a butt print! The three exchanged looks and nodded. Pancake, though confused, obediently hopped onto the table. Perhaps he was getting used to it, for he didn’t feel as dizzy as before. Yet this time, he faced the very cave that had nearly filled them with arrows just before—the Gate of Death.