Chapter 70: Deep Sleepwalker

"Actually, there is another option: using modern cutting machinery to force the lock, open the white copper pillar, and take out whatever is hidden inside," Guan Wen said.

"Clap, clap clap." Someone applauded from the side. Little Huo stepped out from behind the steps, his face full of smiles. "Mr. Guan, we thought of the exact same thing."

Being of a similar age, Little Huo's appearance was far more pleasing to the eye than Kaler's. Especially when he laughed sincerely and heartily, Guan Wen found himself greatly infected by his warmth.

"Some of my friends in Kathmandu are engaged in high-precision manufacturing and own top-tier digital-controlled nano-machine tools globally. Cutting open a white copper pillar will be absolute child's play," Little Huo continued.

Over the past century, countries all over the world have attached great importance to the research and development of modern industrial machinery, perfectly mirroring the old Chinese adage: "Sharpening the axe does not delay the work of chopping wood." All industrial decision-makers have seen this truth—only with advanced machine tools can one process advanced parts to assemble advanced machines.

"That would be wonderful," Guan Wen nodded repeatedly.

Baoling's face did not show a trace of joy. Instead, she smiled bitterly and shook her head. "You are wrong. The interior of that white copper pillar possesses a bizarre mechanism design; brute-force cutting will only turn it into meaningless junk. The wisdom of the ancients always surpasses that of modern people. The wise men who left behind the white copper pillar long anticipated the situations that might arise in the future. Aside from finding the key, any other method is entirely wrong."

A trace of doubt flickered across the corners of Little Huo's mouth. "Really? But the calculation and manufacturing capabilities of the ancients were so primitive. Saying that—aren't you belittling yourselves and overestimating their wisdom?"

Baoling did not reply. She only met the biting northern wind and heaved a long sigh.

Guan Wen suddenly thought, "Who knows how long ago the white copper pillar was cast? Since someone was able to forge it and carve inscriptions upon it, they naturally had the ability to arrange its internal structure with even greater complexity."

Before he could speak, Little Huo had already drawn in a sharp breath, murmuring to himself, "Ancient high technology—the white copper pillar utilizes ancient high technology! I understand, I understand, I understand..."

He exchanged a glance with Guan Wen. They understood each other tacitly, completely enlightened by Baoling's explanation.

The three of them stood in silence for a while before Baoling walked alone toward the eastern side of the villa.

Guan Wen originally wanted to follow her, but Little Huo spoke up again, "Mr. Guan, I've always wanted to have a good chat with you. Can we do that now?"

He had no choice but to stop and nod with a smile, "Of course, please go ahead."

Little Huo's quick-wittedness, low profile, and friendliness had won his affection. In his heart, this young man surpassed Gao Xiang and Kaler; he was a trustworthy friend.

Little Huo turned up the collar of his leather jacket, rubbed his face hard to rouse his exhausted spirit, and then said softly, "Mr. Guan, I know Sister Gu holds you in very high regard. Sometimes, the way she secretly looks at you is so focused, so affectionate. I've known her for a long time, and I've never seen her care this much about any man."

Guan Wen did not know what to say, because he could see the deep bitterness in the depths of Little Huo's eyes—the genuine emotional exposure unique to someone suffering from unrequited love.

"Bless you, you are truly so fortunate. This time, I will do everything in my power to help Sister Gu accomplish what she wants to do. If I survive, I will vanish alone, never to see her again for the rest of my life, nor will I maintain any contact. Originally, I was determined to tell no one about these things, but now, I have lost to you, so I must frankly admit it. I hope you will cherish Sister Gu well; she is a flawless girl, surpassing any treasure in this world..." Speaking with deep emotion, Little Huo's voice choked up.

Guan Wen nodded repeatedly, a myriad of emotions churning in his heart.

In his heart, he held both Baoling and Gu Qingcheng, yet this life, which seemed immensely blessed in the eyes of other men, had precisely become an obstacle to "subduing demons."

"In the past, I knew Sister Gu's goal was to hunt down the leaders of the Green Dragon Society and collect the hefty bounties. Although that kind of work was dangerous, it was incomparably thrilling—her absolute favorite. But now, I don't understand what you, she, and Miss Baoling are trying to accomplish together. You keep talking about 'subduing demons.' Shouldn't a matter of such magnitude concerning the survival of the Earth be driven by a coalition of superpowers? Why place a burden as heavy as Mount Himalayas on the shoulders of you three? Objectively speaking, you will be crushed; doing this is tantamount to throwing eggs at a rock. I received news before setting off for the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery: the Green Dragon Society has dispatched an assassination squad led by Tang Jue, targeting anyone who dares to touch the secrets of Mount Niseri. Mr. Guan, you might as well advise Sister Gu to temporarily avoid the brunt of their force and make a comeback when the time is ripe..."

Everything Little Huo said was golden wisdom. Guan Wen listened and nodded frequently. When trapped in the ancient walnut tree cellar, he and Baoling had nearly perished at the hands of Tang Guang, only escaping with their lives thanks to Gu Qingcheng's timely arrival. Though he was not a man of the martial world, he understood its perils one hundred percent.

"Thank you, Mr. Guan. Saying all this makes me feel much better inside," Little Huo let out a long sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Little Huo," Guan Wen said sincerely.

The two men shook hands firmly. Little Huo earnestly urged, "Mr. Guan, you are different from us; you don't understand the martial world and have never dabbled in it. Therefore, once trouble starts outside, make sure to lock your doors tightly and do not act rashly. When it comes to drawing guns and fighting for our lives, I will hold the line. No matter what, I must ensure that you and Sister Gu return safely to the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery."

Guan Wen was deeply moved and, at the same time, comforted that Gu Qingcheng had such a loyal and passionate friend.

Little Huo smiled, withdrew his hand, and walked alone toward the other side of the main building to patrol and observe.

Guan Wen hurried off to find Baoling. She was standing at the far eastern side of the main building, looking up at the shattered eastern window of the meditation room.

"The window is broken, and the meditation room no longer exists. Just in time, just in time..." she said.

Guan Wen realized his situation was becoming increasingly awkward. He had become a piece drifting on the periphery of events, watching the game change before his eyes without being able to intervene or sway the outcome of the battle. At present, regarding the white copper pillar incident, the core figures were only Baoling and Kaler; he had been completely marginalized.

"Perhaps we can take the white copper pillar back to the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, mobilize all resources, and search for the key. What do you think?" Guan Wen asked.

In truth, that was the only option. Remaining holed up in the Summer Palace was utterly meaningless.

"I originally thought so too, but after seeing that window, I suddenly felt that without destruction, there is no construction—grand destruction brings grand construction. Since that window is already broken, new changes are bound to arise." Baoling stared unblinkingly at the window for a full minute before suddenly crying out, "I know what is wrong! It's the cats—we've been in here for so long, and we haven't seen a single cat, have we?"

Guan Wen looked around and remembered the story about cats Baoling had told before coming to Nepal.

According to Baoling's account, the Summer Palace was surrounded by tall walls, along which cats would patrol the cat-walks on the summits, leaping up and down without a care in the world. Looking at the present reality, while the walls remained, not a single kitten was in sight. Supposedly, the ecological environment around the estate was decent; the woods must contain field mice and the like for cats to hunt, and the vacant main building provided a place for them to play. It was impossible that not a single cat had stayed behind.

"There really aren't any," Guan Wen nodded.

"Without cats, I cannot enter the familiar world of the past, nor can I access the secret buried within the Summer Palace. It would mean my trip to Nepal was for nothing." Baoling tugged at the disheveled hair beside her cheeks, her brow knitted tightly in agony.

"We could ask Kaler whether some upheaval occurred at the Summer Palace that led to its present desolation and vacancy," Guan Wen suggested.

"I'm so tired, my mind is in total chaos. I need to find a place to sleep and wait until my mood calms down before making other plans."

As she spoke, Baoling's legs went soft, and she collapsed into Guan Wen's arms, her eyes closing heavily.

"Baoling, how are you? Are you alright?" Guan Wen called out repeatedly.

Baoling's eyelids twitched, and she mumbled with a heavy nasal tone, "Don't call me... let me sleep, let me sleep..."

Guan Wen picked her up, walked up to the second floor of the main building, and pushed open the door of the first guest room to the east of the stairwell. The guest room was very clean. A bouquet of charming red roses and three cream-yellow lilies were placed in a vase on the table, filling the room with a serene, elegant fragrance.

Guan Wen laid Baoling down on the spacious European-style iron-framed bed, covered her with a blanket, and then reclined diagonally on the sofa, closing his eyes to rest his mind. Having stayed awake all night, anyone would feel exhausted; at this moment, the only thing needed was a deep, dreamless sleep to wash away a thousand worries. Keeping watch over her here brought him peace of mind, and he hoped it brought her peace too.

In his half-asleep state, Guan Wen heard the sound of the door handle turning gently.

He sat up abruptly just as Gu Qingcheng pushed the door open and walked in.

"Shh," Guan Wen made a gesture for silence.

Gu Qingcheng lowered her voice, "Let's go outside to talk."

Guan Wen glanced back; Baoling was still fast asleep. He followed Gu Qingcheng outside and pulled the door shut behind him.

The sound of Kaler's cursing constantly drifted from the study at the end of the long corridor, showing that he still had not managed the keyhole on the white copper pillar.

"Under the current circumstances, Kaler can't handle the white copper pillar. After tonight, I'll discuss it with him and take the pillar back to the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery to figure something out. Guan Wen, no matter what, on this trip to Nepal we at least acquired the secret inside the globe. It's not like entering a mountain of treasures and returning empty-handed. Besides, you'd better have a long talk with Baoling and get her to tell you everything she knows so we can study it together and leave no regrets." Gu Qingcheng tried hard to mask her disappointment, but her eyes and expression said it all.

Guan Wen rubbed his eyes, walked into the opposite washroom, turned on the tap, and splashed his face thoroughly with cold water. His mind immediately cleared up quite a bit.

He thought once more about the topic of the cats. All domestic cats in the world were born to catch mice, and cats had a strong reproductive capacity. Given enough food and space, they would quickly multiply into a large colony inside and outside the Summer Palace. Right now, not a single cat could be seen or heard in the long-abandoned estate, which was abnormal.

Gu Qingcheng followed him in, and the two of them locked eyes in the mirror above the sink.

"Qingcheng, help me think: why could Baoling see so many cats in her dreams, yet not a single one exists in reality? According to common sense, wild cats should be scurrying in and out of the estate instead of this utter stillness. So, what on earth caused this situation?"

Gu Qingcheng replied without hesitation, "The extinction of any animal within a small area has nothing to do with natural disasters or man-made calamities; it is caused by a sudden surge in the population of its natural predators."

Guan Wen suddenly recalled that a large number of freed dogs lived outside the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery. Dogs were one of the natural predators of cats, which was why kittens were rarely seen inside or outside the monastery grounds. However, it was "rarely" rather than "extinct," and one or two could still be seen occasionally. This showed that the natural predators of the cats in the Summer Palace were not dogs, because they hadn't seen a single dog since entering the estate.

"Don't guess anymore. I suspect it was caused by venomous snakes, pythons, or something similar," Gu Qingcheng whispered.

Guan Wen was startled, "Are you saying the withered grass outside is also due to the presence of venomous snakes?"

He noted that the lawns were planted with the easiest-to-survive species: tall fescue, buffalo grass, and zoysia. These three grasses possessed extremely strong environmental adaptability, well-developed subterranean root systems, early greening, long green periods, good elasticity, and the ability to recover rapidly after damage. Even in the bitter winters battered by ice and snow, they would not wither away so thoroughly. The only explanation was that venomous pests frequently crawled across the lawn and tunneled beneath it, destroying the underground root systems upon which these grasses depended for survival.

Looking out from the back window of the washroom, the vegetation gradually returned to normal about twenty meters beyond the estate's walls.

"That's right." Gu Qingcheng stroked the pistol in her palm and reminded him with a heavy expression, "Take a deep breath and smell the air in the building. Isn't there a faint, toxic, fishy stench?"

Guan Wen closed his eyes and took several deep breaths in succession. Sure enough, he caught that hair-raising odor. There was a stainless steel floor drain in the left corner of the washroom; he walked over and realized the smell was wafting straight up from it.

"Should we evacuate immediately?" He was plagued with a headache by this unexpected discovery.

"No rush, no rush—I actually want to see what kind of intentions Kaler had by going to such great lengths to lure us here. Besides, Baoling truly received divine enlightenment in the meditation room and guided everyone to discover the secret within the globe. I think we should temporarily hold our ground, play along with his scheme, and wait until Kaler reveals his true colors before launching a desperate counterattack." Gu Qingcheng smiled coldly, much like a clever hunter watching with absolute confidence as prey blundered blindly into a trap.

The Summer Palace belonged to the Canna family, and it was at Kaler's request that the group had crossed the Zhangmu Port to come here. Thus, the mastermind behind all these abnormal events could only be Kaler.

"Guan Wen, once a fight breaks out, you and Baoling must not show yourselves, so stray bullets won't injure you. The martial world has its own rules, and the affairs of martial artists must be resolved by martial artists themselves," Gu Qingcheng said.

The tone in which she said these words was identical to Little Huo's, giving Guan Wen a slight pang of heartache.

"It's truly shameful. Not only am I unable to protect you, but you have to protect me instead," he said.

Gu Qingcheng smiled faintly, "Between friends, why think so much? Being able to meet in Tibet is a matter of fate, and also the arrangement of the heavens."