You have good fortune.
Li Man'er found the words a little off, not like praise but like an insult. Yet, she had no proof. "What do you mean by 'I have good fortune'?" If she had good fortune, she wouldn't have fallen into a tomb.
"Do you think anyone can touch the mechanisms on that altar? And when we were in the tomb chamber, if you hadn't accidentally sat down on the ground and looked down to see the mechanism beneath the coffin, we might never have gotten out."
Qi Yihan guessed that the mechanism was specifically designed by the Wu people to test outsiders. If the intruder possessed reverence and a kind heart, upon seeing the deceased, they would naturally kneel and pay respects, thus discovering the mechanism beneath the coffin and escaping. Conversely, if the intruder was disrespectful, even venting their anger on the dead, they would likely remain there forever. It just so happened that Li Man'er had the good luck to slump onto the ground without any decorum, but her sharp eyes spotted the inconspicuous mechanism under the coffin, allowing them to emerge unharmed.
As Qi Yihan cut grass and led Li Man'er out, he observed the surroundings. The underground tomb was ingeniously constructed, with entrances and exits in unexpected places, showing considerable thought. If he wasn't mistaken, the tomb chamber they had just left should have been...
*Crack...*
Qi Yihan suddenly stepped on something, making quite a noise. Li Man'er instinctively took a step forward, grabbing his arm, fearing he might have accidentally triggered a mechanism like she had before. "Are you alright?"
After a moment, with no danger appearing, they looked down to find that Qi Yihan had stepped on a piece of dry bone. They exchanged a look, seeing a trace of solemnity in each other's eyes. Looking around, they saw many scattered skeletons among the grass. Over time, the wind and sun had caused them to decay to an unrecognizable state. However, the sheer number of bones scattered everywhere was shocking, with at least dozens visible as far as the eye could see. Dozens of lives, to be precise, dozens of Wu lives. How had they died here in such disarray?
"Let's regroup with Ah Wu and the others first, then find a place to bury them!" These were his birth mother's people, and they deserved to be interred.
Li Man'er nodded, took out a whistle, and put it to her lips. The sharp whistle sound quickly attracted Ah Wu and the others. Seeing the two safe and sound, they were overjoyed. "Your Highness, are you alright?" "Your subordinates searched for a long time and were terrified." "If we hadn't heard the whistle, we might not have found Your Highness and Miss Li so soon." Ah Si said, "It's good that Miss was clever and brought a whistle."
"Enough with the nonsense. There are dozens of skeletons here, exposed to the elements, which is truly pitiful. Let's bury them first, and discuss other matters later."
"Yes!"
The group carefully avoided the skeletons, dug a large pit nearby, and then gathered the bones one by one into the pit. Finally, they filled the pit and mounded the earth, providing a resting place for these souls.
Li Man'er had been pondering a question. Why had all these people died in one night? While this place appeared to be a desolate wilderness, it was actually the living grounds of the Wu people in ancient times. Why did they die outside the tomb? Was it suicide or murder? It was a pity that the skeletal remains were too severely decayed; some were so fragile they couldn't be picked up and crumbled to dust with a slight touch, revealing nothing. All the truth seemed to be buried with the passage of time, and it was unknown if it would ever come to light.
"Let's leave here!" If luck was on their side, they might reach the other shore to rest.
"Mm!"
And so, the group of more than a dozen people quickly retraced their steps back to the cliff's edge.
"Your Highness, what do we do?" If they returned the way they came, this bridge would remain suspended. If they took down that pole, the bridge might retract, making it difficult for them to leave.
Qi Yihan made a decisive move. "Leave the pole here." Who knew when they might return, and if the pole fell, the bridge might retract on its own. They knew the secret of this suspension bridge, but others wouldn't. It wouldn't be easy for anyone to reach this point smoothly.
"Yes!"
The group quickly crossed the suspension bridge and successfully reached the other side.
"The temperature is high here, suitable for spending the night. We'll rest here tonight and officially descend the mountain tomorrow."
"Yes!"
Everyone set to work efficiently, some building fires, others searching for food, and still others organizing their gear. Apart from Li Man'er and Qi Yihan, no one was idle.
"Still thinking about things on that side."
Qi Yihan's preoccupied demeanor surprised Li Man'er. She had always thought that for Qi Yihan, the Wu tribe might have been merely a distant and vague maternal clan. He didn't even remember his birth mother, so how could he have any impression or feelings for the Wu tribe? But seeing Qi Yihan's sadness now, she felt she might have been mistaken. Perhaps he held different feelings for the Wu tribe.
"Mm!" Qi Yihan said, "I've never been able to figure out what treasure is here that they've talked about so mysteriously. The great Wu tomb, you've seen it." Although that tomb chamber was intricately designed, it had nothing to do with treasure. Why did the late emperor insist on coming to the Wu tribe back then, and why did he marry a Wu princess? Was it truly for some damned longevity? He didn't believe it.
"Perhaps there's something we haven't discovered. Regardless, you're not aiming for this, so it doesn't matter." Li Man'er had long since realized that Qi Yihan most likely wanted to bring his birth mother's soul back to her homeland. As for any damned treasure, it was the last thing he cared about. That's why after finding the Wu tomb chamber, he only looked for an exit and didn't pay attention to anything else.
"Mm! I fear that person won't believe it and will send people to investigate thoroughly."
"What's there to be afraid of? His people might not be able to get past the poison mist."
Qi Yihan chuckled, "That's true."
Regardless, coming here had fulfilled half of his wish. One day, interring his birth mother's ashes in the Wu tomb would be fulfilling his filial duty. The journey down the mountain felt exceptionally light. In just a few days, they emerged from the dense forest and returned to where they had originally ascended.
Old Sun was sitting idly in the carriage, gazing into the forest. When he saw Ah Wu and the others, he thought he was hallucinating. When they truly emerged from the forest and stood before him, Old Sun suddenly became excited. He let out a yell, jumped off the carriage, and gestured wildly, "Here, here." After so many days, they had finally returned.