Chapter Thirty: The Burning Bronze Sphere

Of course, the more severe consequence was the rapid rise in temperature within the sphere, with waves of heat rushing against them.

"Are you all right?" Disregarding his own safety, he asked her first.

The inside of the copper sphere was half-lit and half-shadowed. He saw the Snow Maiden standing with her hands clasped behind her back, looking upward with composure.

"We have no time left. We must risk our lives to drill a path out. Your two subordinates are very shrewd; once we get out, an encounter is inevitable. We must join forces. Do you agree?" Ding Jun weighed the situation and made the most sensible judgment possible.

Of the two enemies, the most dangerous was the one-eyed man. The gunman was merely his tool, and all actions were dictated by the one-eyed man. Judging by how he had instantly executed the small-eyed man, his cunning and agility were formidable—no less dangerous than an enraged Indian king cobra. Therefore, once they escaped, the one-eyed man would be Ding Jun’s first target.

"You are wrong," the Snow Maiden said.

The height of the copper sphere from bottom to top was about 2.3 meters, exactly the reach of a person’s arm. She tilted her head back, already very close to the copper pipe.

"The purpose of this sphere is to collect, not to murder. Therefore, the temperature will not rise steadily; it will fluctuate repeatedly," she added.

Sweat beads rolled incessantly down Ding Jun’s forehead. The inner wall of the sphere grew brighter and brighter, eventually turning a suffocating, fiery red. The temperature inside had long surpassed 45 degrees Celsius, equivalent to the extreme heat of the sun at high noon in midsummer. In such conditions, an ordinary person would collapse and die within half an hour.

Worse still, as the temperature rose, Ding Jun’s clothes were soaked through with sweat, making it impossible for him to think.

"Come here," the Snow Maiden said.

Ding Jun stumbled forward. As soon as he drew close to her, he felt a chilling sensation that cleared his mind significantly.

The Snow Maiden extended her right palm and pressed it against Ding Jun’s heart. Her palm emitted a steady stream of cold air, helping him resist the heat radiating from the walls.

Under any other circumstances, Ding Jun would never allow anyone to touch such a vital point on his body, especially someone who had been the leader of an enemy camp only a few hours prior.

"Thank you." His mind quickly became exceptionally clear. The Snow Maiden was like an unmelted iceberg; the cold and heat balanced each other, neutralizing the air within the sphere.

The two stood nearly face-to-face. A faint, ethereal fragrance wafted from the Snow Maiden, completely enveloping Ding Jun. The scent seeped into his nostrils, his senses, and his very core—cool, refreshing, and deeply soothing. Though he did not look directly at her, the corner of his eye caught a glimpse of her flawless face.

The Snow Maiden’s skin was as lustrous as jade, without a single blemish or freckle. To Ding Jun, even the most famous film actresses hailed as goddesses today—even with layers of foundation, milk-lotions, and heavy makeup—could not compare to even a ten-thousandth of the Snow Maiden. The beauty of her skin was natural, radiating from within; no synthetic cosmetic could ever replicate it.

Furthermore, her breathing was much slower than an ordinary person’s. The air released from her slightly fluttering nostrils carried the faint fragrance of snow lotuses and the purity of snow-capped mountains.

Flawless—that was the only word Ding Jun could think of to describe the Snow Maiden.

Compared to her, Fang Qing was like a rose—stunningly vibrant, yet possessing a touch of worldly grit. The Snow Maiden, conversely, seemed untainted by the mortal world, much like the verse from *Zhuangzi: Free and Easy Wandering* that Ruan Feng had recited at the Guge ruins: "On the Miao-gu-she Mountain, there lives a divine person; her skin is like ice and snow, her manner as graceful as a maiden. She does not eat the five grains, but inhales the wind and drinks the dew; she rides the clouds, drives flying dragons, and wanders beyond the four seas. Her spirit is focused, protecting all things from harm and ensuring a bountiful harvest."

In a trance, he recalled the graceful silhouette he had seen on the water inside the cave at the Guge ruins.

That must have been her. So, my guess was correct—she resides in a highly concealed cave. We were once so close... How was her shadow reflected on the water? Where was she when the shadow appeared? How could a girl as ethereal and otherworldly as her be the leader who commanded the Ten Sky Eagles to launch a long-range raid on Shi Miaoshou? The ways of the world are truly mysterious. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it... She is too beautiful, like a fairy beyond the reach of mortals, belonging not to our current, chaotic, and mundane world... Will we both be burned to death in this copper sphere? I must break out. The world outside is so beautiful, and she has a greater future—I must fight my way out with her...

Several times, he wanted to ask her about the cave at the Guge ruins, but he ultimately held back, unwilling to pierce the final layer of mystery and shatter the veil surrounding her.

For now, while there was a furnace of heat outside, there was a cooling breeze within. The cold and heat gradually reached a gentle equilibrium, calming his anxious heart.

Ten seconds later, as he regained his normal state with the Snow Maiden’s help, he immediately understood the designer’s intent: by repeatedly roasting those trapped, their willpower, spirit, and deepest desires for survival were refined, then transmitted through the copper pipe to be collected elsewhere for processing. Certain practitioners of *gu* magic, spiritual cultivation, dark sorcery, or mysterious tribal priests could enhance their powers by absorbing these invisible, intangible energies.

In fact, the absorption of energy to aid cultivation was a form of evil martial art that had existed in ancient China. Ding Jun had encountered it in several documents, the most widespread example being a variation of the ancient torture known as "inviting the prince to enter the urn."

Those four words were originally a Chinese idiom, meaning to use one’s own methods to deal with oneself.

The *Extensive Records of the Taiping Era*, in the chapter on "Zhou Xing of the Imperial Court," recorded: During the Tang Dynasty, Lai Junchen and Zhou Xing were dining together. Lai asked, "If a prisoner refuses to confess, how should I deal with it?" Zhou replied, "It is very easy. Take a large jar, heat it with charcoal all around, and put the prisoner inside. What would they not confess?" Lai then called for a large jar and had it surrounded with fire. He then stood up and told Zhou, "There is a secret report accusing you, brother. Please enter this jar." Zhou was terrified and kowtowed, confessing immediately.

The *Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government* contains a similar account: Zhou said, "This is very easy! Take a large jar, put the prisoner inside, and they will confess to anything!" Lai Junchen then called for a large jar, surrounded it with fire just as Zhou had suggested, and said, "There is a secret report against you, brother. Please enter this jar." Zhou was terrified, kowtowed, and confessed his crimes.

Pu Songling’s *Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio* also mentions: "I shall scoop the water of the Western River to rinse your bowels; I shall burn the bed against the eastern wall and invite you to enter the urn."

To literary scholars, these records are merely historical anecdotes for amusement. However, in the archives of Pentagon military analysts, they are subject to profound and unique scrutiny, proving that the setup of the large urn and remote heating is actually a form of dark sorcery used for refining *qi* and *gu*. Furthermore, the working notes of Kunbudosha, a Chinese-Filipino master of *gu* magic who was exposed by the media in modern times, mentioned the "inviting the prince to enter the urn" method hundreds of times.

Ding Jun was a man of extreme intelligence and meticulous thought. After clearing his mind, he quickly connected the dots: the energy collection in the copper sphere at the old Shi mansion, the "vessel of ten thousand *gu*" in the eyes of the pregnant woman Si Qin, and the desperate trap in the cellar of the Toling Temple—all signs pointed to the fact that the mastermind behind it all was likely Shi Miaoshou.

The reason he had refused to admit this until now was that he had felt guilty ever since Shi Hai was dismembered, and he had wholeheartedly revered Shi Miaoshou as a father figure.

If the final truth were truly so cruel, what should I... At this moment, his heart felt like a spice rack that had been overturned.

"All right," the Snow Maiden said, letting go.

Strangely, the copper walls, which had been glowing with heat, slowly cooled, losing their terrifying, scorching intensity.

"That is all there is to the *gu* master’s tricks. Alternating cold and heat for seven days and nights, fourteen cycles—this is just the beginning," she said.

Ding Jun took a deep breath, gripped the hand drill with his left hand, and looked up to determine the exact position for drilling.

"Where is the energy being sent?" the Snow Maiden muttered to herself.

Ding Jun suddenly had a thought. The courtyard of the Shi mansion was vast and flat, lacking any trees or ponds—not even stone tables, stools, flowers, or trellises. What did that signify? Based on his experience, the flatter the surface of the ground, the more likely it was to hide unspeakable secrets beneath.

"Another underground laboratory?" he continued, picking up on the Snow Maiden’s thought.

"Energy is reversible. The destination will feed back as much energy as it receives," the Snow Maiden added.

Ding Jun thought for a moment and put down the hand drill. He first stretched out his arm to test the temperature near the copper pipe. Confirming it was only lukewarm, he inserted his index fingers into the pipe and pulled himself up, performing a feat of strength similar to a pull-up on a single bar during military training.

He pressed his right ear to the opening and closed his eyes to listen.

First, he heard the sound of whistling wind. Then, the baby occasionally let out a cry. Another sound—a rustling, clicking noise—likely came from the gnawing and devouring of crustaceans. He also heard someone whispering a spell; the incantations were obscure, not in any of the languages he was familiar with.

From the fluctuating wind, he could discern that the copper pipe was at least a hundred meters long, with seven or eight bends between the entrance and the exit.

He slowly lowered himself to the ground and silently analyzed the various sounds, but he could not connect them into coherent information.

The Snow Maiden walked directly under the copper pipe. At about 165 centimeters tall, she could not reach the opening without a boost.

"I heard—" Ding Jun wanted to tell her what he had discovered.

"No, do not say it," she said, raising a hand to stop him. "People have seven emotions and six desires, and the body has internal organs. What you hear and what you think are one. Once a preconception is formed, what use is it to tell others?"

Ding Jun gave a wry smile. "Very well. I will help you, and I hope you can find something."

He knelt on one knee, presented his right knee, tapped it lightly, and then tapped his right shoulder, signaling for the Snow Maiden to stand on him.

The Snow Maiden hesitated for a moment but did not refuse. She placed her right toe lightly on his knee and stepped onto his shoulder with her left foot, standing steadily.

During military training, Ding Jun had performed this lifting maneuver countless times with comrades, but those had always been burly men weighing over eighty kilograms. He had never supported a girl before.

He could not judge her exact weight, but he felt only the slightest pressure on his knee and shoulder. Her body felt as light as a crane in the clouds; he felt he could lift her with a single hand and arm.

"Poisonous insects, incantations, infants, mazes... these are common tools for a *gu* master. That space is in the southwest. The exit of the copper pipe lies at the center of a *Qimen* formation. If we want to enter, it will take some effort. I feel a heavy sense of resentment. The position of this courtyard in Toling Town is also peculiar—there is a deep ravine behind it, a formation of 'burning the boats and cutting off one's own path.' Death can ignite a person's will to survive, and poison can fight poison, reversing any established program... If all these *Qimen* formations were set by Shi Miaoshou himself, his cultivation is too high; he wouldn't need so many people to help him," the Snow Maiden said softly.

After listening for a while longer, she could not help but sigh: "I can sense that maze filled with murderous intent. We have no choice; we must go straight through it to reach the center of the formation. That is where the truth will be revealed."