Chapter Thirty-Six: The Big Bang

"Are you all right?" Miss Xue asked with concern.

Ding Jun bent down, flicked away the two venomous black-backed scorpions clinging to his trousers, and replied in a low voice, "I'm fine. Just a false alarm."

While rescuing the infant, he had managed to pinpoint the hiding place of Shi Miaoshou amidst the chaos. This time, he had to warn himself: "Shi Miaoshou has lost his humanity; I must strike when the time is right."

"You guard the baby; I will go and resolve the remaining issues," he said.

"Let's go together. I'm afraid you won't be able to bring yourself to strike," Miss Xue replied.

Suddenly, the tiny infant began to babble and coo, as if wanting to join their conversation.

"Are you scared, little one?" Ding Jun smiled and teased the child's tender cheeks.

"I have never met someone as reckless as you," Miss Xue sighed with genuine admiration. "The Ten Eagles are formidable, but their will to fight and desire to survive combined do not add up to yours."

Ding Jun looked at Miss Xue and replied sternly, "Miss Xue, the education I received is that 'the victor lives, the loser dies.' It is either black or white; there is no third option. On the battlefield, if you want to survive, you must win. And you must win for a lifetime. If I lose even once, my time is up. I am someone who cannot afford to lose—I can only win, never fail."

That was the truth. Others fought with martial arts, strength, and wisdom, but he fought with his entire being and his very life. Who was strong and who was weak was evident at a glance.

The two walked side by side to the left, turning left and right repeatedly sixteen times before finally entering a dimly lit mirror room. This chamber was the end of a dead-end; there was no further way forward. According to Ding Jun's estimation, Shi Miaoshou was right here. Yet, the mirror room was empty, and the five mirrors reflected only their own shadows.

"Shi Miaoshou is nearby. I can feel him watching us," Ding Jun said, looking at his reflection. He looked disheveled, but his fighting spirit remained undiminished.

"Kindness cannot move a demon. If you don't kill him, he will kill you. There is no room for negotiation on this," Miss Xue said.

Ding Jun nodded. "I understand."

With a low hum, the mirror surfaces began to tremble. The shadow of Shi Miaoshou silently appeared in the center of the mirror, with ghostly figures flickering behind him, as if thousands of wandering spirits were cheering and waving flags for him. Despite everything that had happened, Shi Miaoshou could still smile, retaining the gentle demeanor he had shown when they first met.

"Little Ding, take the child and leave. Don't concern yourself with my affairs anymore. If we meet another day, perhaps we could still be friends, rather than fighting to the death today," Shi Miaoshou's voice drifted in, echoing and impossible to track.

"Uncle Shi," Ding Jun stared at the mirror directly in front of him, watching the ghostly figures dancing grotesquely around Shi Miaoshou, "come out. This matter must be resolved; you cannot hide from it."

The mirrors to the left, front, and right merged into one, and three versions of Shi Miaoshou spoke simultaneously: "Little Ding, I do not want to kill you. Leave."

Ding Jun shook his head. "Until this is resolved, I will never leave Zada County."

Shi Miaoshou suddenly threw his head back and laughed. "Hahaha! And what if you don't leave? Will you end up like the ancestors of the Shi family, dying of old age or sickness here, only to be dug up and have your corpses whipped by others later? Little Ding, don't be a fool. You are an outsider; why seek trouble for yourself? Go, go, leave at once!"

A trace of sorrow flickered in Ding Jun's heart. Both Shi Miaoshou and Miss Xue believed he had no connection to Zada County, Toling Monastery, or the Guge tribe, but that was merely a surface appearance. He understood the heavy burden on his shoulders—a responsibility and duty that was eternal, unyielding, and impossible to set down.

"Tell me, how did Xue Honglou die? Actually, I know. The whole affair is like the Japanese film *Rashomon*; everyone can tell a different version. Uncle Shi, I want to hear it from you. Perhaps that is the only truth." Ding Jun took a step aside, away from Miss Xue and the baby, holding his breath and cautiously scanning for Shi Miaoshou's movements.

He had to keep making the other man speak, using the principles of sound wave reflection and scattering to triangulate his position. With just a little more time, he would find the direction and deliver the final blow.

"What is there to say about that matter? Little Ding, you don't have much time left. I fear we won't have the chance to sit and talk by candlelight," Shi Miaoshou replied.

Within five seconds, Ding Jun determined where Shi Miaoshou was hiding: in the corner of the adjacent mirror room to the left. He only needed to head left, discard all illusions, and he would face Shi Miaoshou directly.

"Uncle Shi, you are wrong. We have plenty of opportunities—" Ding Jun moved quickly to the left. He raised his right hand and flipped the small knife in his palm. The broken glass fragment embedded in the hilt immediately served its purpose; the mirror shattered with a clatter, revealing a gray cement wall. The wall was riddled with countless holes the size of a thumb, through which Shi Miaoshou's voice had been transmitted.

"You won't find me. Stop wasting your efforts," Shi Miaoshou laughed.

Ding Jun threw his backhand, and the mirror on the right also shattered, revealing another gray cement wall.

In the mirror directly in front of Ding Jun, Shi Miaoshou's image grew larger and larger. Finally, the entire mirror was occupied by his blue-gray face.

"Don't waste your efforts. This labyrinth is profound; even professional occultists cannot fathom it, let alone you." Shi Miaoshou’s mouth opened and closed like a great white shark ready to devour its prey.

Ding Jun tilted his head to listen for a moment, then suddenly lunged forward and shattered the third mirror in front of him. Shi Miaoshou's shadow finally vanished.

"He moves very quickly and is extremely familiar with the terrain. If this continues, we have no chance of winning," Ding Jun said while straining his ears to listen for movement in the neighboring room.

Soon, he heard the sound of water droplets falling—that was exactly what he needed. During their struggle at the stone platform, he had struck Shi Miaoshou in the face with his elbow, which must have caused the corner of his mouth to bleed. What he heard now was the sound of blood drops hitting the ground.

"Then what do you suggest?" Miss Xue asked.

Ding Jun stepped forward quickly, pulled a soft, pliable object from his pocket, and pressed it against the cement wall in front of him. This plastic explosive was the specialty of Delta Force demolition experts; at its maximum power, it could easily blow through the vault wall of a bank.

"Will blowing that up be of any use?" Miss Xue asked, puzzled.

"Before entering the Shi manor, I circled Toling town. Behind the manor lies a deep canyon. We are currently only half a step away from the edge of the canyon. Therefore, blowing up the wall will create a hole in the canyon wall from the blast wave. We will get out first, then regroup," Ding Jun said. "Now, move back and cover the baby's ears."

Miss Xue took the baby and turned to another room. Ding Jun double-checked his plan and took a black, rod-shaped remote control from another pocket.

A gust of wind swept by, and someone emerged from behind to suddenly snatch the remote. The person laughed heartily. But before the laughter could fade, the man realized he was holding nothing but a knife-sheath shaped like a remote, and a bright, sharp dagger had already been drawn from the sheath and plunged into his right flank.

"You... also used a trick?" The man was none other than Shi Miaoshou.

His agility was undeniable, and his intelligence was high, but this time he had miscalculated and been played by Ding Jun.

"It's not really a trick. I actually did consider blowing up the wall to escape and get some fresh air. Uncle Shi, you were the one who lost your patience." Having succeeded, Ding Jun remained calm, his eyes fixed on Shi Miaoshou. That strike was enough to neutralize his combat ability without being instantly fatal.

With the knife in his ribs, Shi Miaoshou leaned against the wall, not daring to speak loudly. "Little Ding, you won. Congratulations."

"Uncle Shi, can we go outside and talk?" Ding Jun asked.

Just as Shi Miaoshou opened his mouth to reply, the wall behind him exploded with a boom. Amidst the flying debris, the labyrinth was breached, and fresh air surged in.

Ding Jun dodged quickly and avoided the rubble, but Shi Miaoshou took the brunt of the blast, ending up covered in blood and suffering multiple severe injuries.

The wall had been completely demolished. Through the irregular three-meter-wide hole, Ding Jun saw the vast, star-filled sky.

Ding Jun dug Shi Miaoshou out from the rubble, hoisted him onto his shoulder, and led Miss Xue outside. They descended a slope slowly until they reached a dry riverbed.

Using the compass on his watch, he confirmed their direction. They were now in the valley north of Toling town—perfectly safe and having completely escaped the labyrinth of poisonous insects.

Miss Xue held the baby and followed in silence.

"It's over," Ding Jun said.

Shi Miaoshou's death meant the end of all conspiracies; those who came to help would scatter like falling trees, no longer opposing Miss Xue. Every grievance had its source, and every debt its collector; with the debtor dead, the debt should dissipate like clouds and mist.

"Is he still alive?" Miss Xue asked.

Ding Jun checked Shi Miaoshou's breathing; he was barely exhaling, with almost no life left.

"The High Priest said we must find out how much of the Guge secrets Shi Miaoshou knows. In the past, Xue Honglou traveled from the snowy mountains to Zada County to carry out a mission, but she was bewitched by Shi Miaoshou. Not only did she lose her life, but she also revealed the great secret of Guge to an outsider and lost half of the Celestial Scripture. I must revive him and retrieve that half," Miss Xue said.

Ding Jun laid Shi Miaoshou on a flat boulder and examined his wounds to see if he could survive.

The most dangerous wound was at the back of Shi Miaoshou's head; a fist-sized, triangular piece of debris had pierced his skull like a blade, with most of it embedded, likely damaging his brain.

"Let me," Miss Xue said, placing the infant to the side.

Ding Jun raised a hand to stop her. "Miss Xue, Xue Honglou is dead, and Uncle Shi will soon die as well. Those secrets will rot away with him. You can go back and tell your High Priest that this matter is finished."

Miss Xue remained unmoved. "You don't understand. The secrets of Guge concern our survival; we cannot be careless. Please step aside; I must do this."

"How will you do it?" Ding Jun asked.

Miss Xue replied, "I will use a hollow silver needle to pierce his brain, release the pooled blood, and balance the intracranial pressure. That will prompt him to wake up. You have your principles, and I have my duty. I must complete the task assigned by the High Priest."

The two stood face to face, locked in a stalemate, neither able to persuade the other.

***

Thank you all for your support of *The Hidden Treasure Master*.

Today is the first day of 2014. I wish all readers a Happy New Year and may all your wishes come true! May you have the spirit of a dragon and a horse, and may you be blessed with prosperity and health!

Additionally, I recommend another work:
*Memoirs of a Ukrainian International Student: Sailing Back to the Flowering Season*
http://mm../book/

Thanks again to everyone.