The felled trees could not be transported in one go. It was not that Zhu Shangbiao and the others could not carry them. The winding underground passages were simply not wide enough to allow carrying too many at once.
When Zhu Shangbiao and Cheng Shanping, who were in charge of this task, delivered the first batch of timber, Yu Qing signalled them to place it down gently. He feared too much vibration might startle the fire cricket, wherever it might be.
While the two went back to cut more trees, Yu Qing had already quarried several stone slabs from a large rock in the tunnel. He moved them to a corner of the molten lava lake and built a “well”-shaped frame behind one of the stalagmite pillars that connected floor to ceiling. He used stone slabs because there was no flat ground behind the pillar, only a trench of molten lava.
Yu Qing personally stacked the cut timber on the “well”-shaped stone base to form a criss-cross wooden fortress with a hollow vertical shaft in the centre.
Zhu Shangbiao and the others, who helped move the wood with light and careful steps, had no idea what this was for. They asked Tie Miaoqing, but she did not explain. In truth she could not explain it clearly either. She only knew it was supposed to be some kind of altar.
“Boss lady, it’s already dark outside,” Cheng Shanping reminded her as he passed by Tie Miaoqing. He could not help lowering his voice and throwing two sentences at Yu Qing. “You are not planning to set it on fire and use smoke to fumigate it, are you? Let me tell you, we have already tried every method we could think of. It was useless. A fire cricket that can survive in molten lava is not afraid of smoke and fire at all.” He was warning Yu Qing not to make them waste effort.
Tie Miaoqing frowned slightly upon hearing this.
Yu Qing said nothing. Only after the pyramid-shaped wooden fortress, taller than a person, was fully built and secured did he speak to Tie Miaoqing when no one else was around. “It’s about ready. Have everyone else step back. Those who do not respect the divine should not be here.”
Having experienced the “safety and well-being” incident, Tie Miaoqing tentatively believed he might actually have some method. She turned and did as he said, ordering the others to retreat further. She especially instructed Sun Ping to keep watch.
With no one else present, Yu Qing shouldered a trimmed long tree trunk, leapt onto the top of the wooden fortress, inserted the trunk into the vertical shaft, plunged it into the molten lava beneath the stone slabs, then let go and jumped down.
The freshly cut wet wood was hard to ignite. It did not catch fire immediately. Instead it first produced thick smoke, and only slowly began to burn.
What was this for? Tie Miaoqing found the altar rather strange, but she could not understand it. When she turned back she saw Yu Qing had already lit nine incense sticks.
Three were planted in the ground in front of the altar. Yu Qing called out, “Step back.”
After the two leapt onto solid land, Yu Qing planted three more in the ground and gazed at the slowly burning open flame in the centre of the wooden fortress.
As before, wet wood burned poorly and could not quickly ignite the entire structure. But the temperature in this underground molten lava space was high. A pile of wet wood was no different from being roasted over a fire.
In the end, Yu Qing still wanted to create a large amount of smoke to assist the insufficiently cultivated Observation Word Technique. Throwing wood directly into the lava would work too, but the burning would not last long, and the smoke production could not be sustained. That was why he built a wooden platform designed to slowly collapse from the inside.
Most importantly, since he had already fooled them with all this mysterious nonsense, he had to create a somewhat convincing process. He could not rely entirely on wild claims. They were not fools.
The smoke from the wet wood slowly spread through the underground space.
Yu Qing observed that his design should have no problems. The wooden fortress should gradually catch fire from within. Only then did he feel reassured and led Tie Miaoqing back from the cave entrance to a position where the molten lava lake could no longer be seen. This was also to prevent the fire cricket from fleeing upon seeing people.
Only at this moment did he sit cross-legged. He planted the last three incense sticks in the ground and faced the direction of the red glow.
Leaving again? Tie Miaoqing did not know how to position herself. She asked, “What next?”
Yu Qing wanted to know too, but he had no confidence at all in this method. He had zero assurance. He was simply forced into it and was trying his best. If it really did not work, he could only use the current layout to escape alone first. Money and possessions would have to be treated as external things. Saving his own life came first.
To put it bluntly, at this point he had already prepared for the worst. He was ready to abandon Xu Fei and Chong’er. Taking the two along made escape impossible.
For him, the dignified head of Linglong Temple could not die here. If the entire sect did not even know how their head died, how could that be acceptable? It would be too frustrating. He felt that rather than all three dying here, it was better for one to escape. At least there would be someone left to seek revenge later.
And as long as he escaped and left a warning message, the Miaoqing Hall group might not dare touch Xu Fei and Chong’er.
These were candidates escorted by Sinan Prefecture to the capital for the examination. Did a mere Miaoqing Hall dare casually slap Sinan Prefecture’s face? If they broke the rules of neutrality, even Youya would not protect them.
Of course, he would try this unreliable method first. Unless it truly failed at the very end, he was unwilling to give up Xu Fei’s four thousand taels of silver. Moreover, it was not just four thousand. The demon-revealing dew, rainbow silk, spirit rice, and banknotes taken by Cheng Shanping were worth at least twenty thousand taels. He absolutely could not abandon them lightly.
“Wait!”
With many distracting thoughts, Yu Qing gave Tie Miaoqing this answer.
Tie Miaoqing could only sit cross-legged as well, positioning herself slightly behind and to the side of Yu Qing, waiting quietly.
A moment later, Tie Miaoqing smelled the smoke. The smoke from the burning in the molten lava lake had expanded to a certain extent and finally began drifting outward.
Yu Qing knew this was only the beginning. The smoke would surely grow thicker later.
He was not anxious. Calmly he took out the towel Tie Miaoqing had prepared for him, poured water from the water flask to wet the towel, repeatedly pressed it over his mouth and nose, folded it to the optimal filtering thickness, then tore a strip from his sleeve as a cord to tie it securely in place.
Tie Miaoqing beside him smelled the increasingly strong smoke. She looked at Yu Qing, who had covered his mouth and nose and sat there composed. She felt quite speechless. Only then did she understand. So this fellow had known all along that they would be choked by smoke and had prepared in advance. Knowing yet not telling her beforehand, letting her suffer the smoke, was rather detestable.
The smoke was already irritating. Yu Qing turned and said, “Endure the smoke smell. Do not cough no matter what, or you might startle the fire cricket.”
Tie Miaoqing nodded to show she understood. She covered her mouth and nose with her sleeve, took a deep filtered breath of clean air, then circulated her energy to reduce her body’s need for and dependence on air.
Yu Qing glanced at her twice and sneered inwardly. He would see how long this woman could hold out once the smoke grew thick.
As he had judged, the smoke became denser. It became impossible for Tie Miaoqing to filter clean air simply with her sleeve. She also did not know how long this operation would require staying immersed in the smoke. She held her breath for a long while. As she neared the point of needing to exhale, she gently stood up and said softly, “The smoke is too choking. I will prepare myself and come back.”
Who would have thought Yu Qing stood up with her and raised his hand to signal they should go back together.
Tie Miaoqing, holding her breath, was surprised and asked, “What are you doing?”
Yu Qing said, “Going back with you to get my spirit rice.”
“Spirit rice?” Tie Miaoqing was puzzled. “Why get the spirit rice now?”
Yu Qing replied, “Later I might need to use the spirit rice as an offering.”
Since that was the case, Tie Miaoqing could only express understanding. “No need for you to run back and forth. I will bring it for you on the way back.”
Yu Qing said, “Later the whole body will be fumigated in thick smoke for a very long time. The person will even take on the smell. If you come along you cannot help at all and might distract my mind when I am communicating with the spirits. It could backfire. So there is really no need for you to suffer this together.
Also, you should go restrain your people. Tell them not to make any noise, not to walk back and forth in the tunnel. Movement will transmit vibrations underground. I need an environment of complete silence for the ritual. Later the smoke might seep over there too. I worry you will cough and make noise, especially my two companions. I suggest you all exit the tunnel and guard at the entrance.”
It sounded somewhat reasonable. Tie Miaoqing was not worried at all that he could escape from this underground place. She only hesitated a little. “One trip is more than ten li…”
Yu Qing said, “If you want a higher chance of success, listen to me. Just wait outside the cave for my good news.”
Tie Miaoqing’s breath was nearly exhausted. She could not hold it any longer. She could only agree. “Fine, as you say.” She turned and quickly left the area.
Yu Qing followed and deliberately reminded her, “By the way, please boss lady keep an eye on my two companions. I worry that fellow surnamed Cheng might do something reckless. I am risking my life here for you. You must not stab me in the back. Otherwise do not blame me if I destroy the fire cricket we obtain later.”
From this tone, he seemed quite confident about catching the fire cricket.
She also knew this man would risk everything for his two companions. Tie Miaoqing smiled. “You are overthinking. Rest assured, as long as you do not act rashly, I guarantee they will be fine.”
The two quickly reached a spot one li away and saw Sun Ping and the others waiting there. A portable oil lamp was lit on the ground.
Seeing the two suddenly return, those sitting on the ground stood up one after another. Xu Fei and Chong’er stared in shock at Yu Qing, whose face was wrapped up, wondering what had happened.
Although air circulation here was slow, the terrain sloped upward all the way. The smoke was already about to reach this place. Tie Miaoqing, taking deep breaths, did not delay at all. She directly called to Cheng Shanping, “Old Cheng, bring his spirit rice.”
Cheng Shanping did not understand why, but he still picked up the nearby package, opened it, took out the bag containing Yu Qing’s spirit rice, and handed it to Tie Miaoqing.
Tie Miaoqing passed it to Yu Qing without a word.
Cheng Shanping and the others were stunned.
A trace of complexity flashed in Yu Qing’s gaze towards Xu Fei and Chong’er. He gave them a smile, then resolutely turned and left without saying a single word. He did not know what to say. More precisely, even if he had words, he could not bring himself to speak them.
After disappearing from their sight, he tied the spirit rice securely on his back again. This was something he intended to take when he escaped.
The valuable demon-revealing dew and rainbow silk could not be retrieved. The banknotes were hard to excuse taking back. In this situation, asking for those things would be hard to explain and could easily arouse suspicion. After thinking it over, only the spirit rice had a plausible excuse. As long as he could recover even a little, he could not let it go.
After returning to sit in front of the three incense sticks, he slowly filtered another breath of clean air deep into his lungs, then circulated his energy to sit quietly and reduce consumption. He repeated this process, occasionally sprinkling a bit more water on the towel covering his mouth and nose.
Circulating energy to resist the smoke, after enduring nearly half an hour, he quietly stood up again. Lightly, on tiptoe, cautiously and carefully, he moved towards the cave entrance. When he reached the spot where he had retrieved the spirit rice earlier and saw no one there, he confirmed that Tie Miaoqing had followed his instructions and taken the others away. He immediately breathed a sigh of relief. He knew his escape plan had already succeeded by half.