Outsiders believed the Fire Burned Field to be a haunted place where no one ever returned. Little did they know that every year, a few foolhardy souls would venture in, only to never come out again.
It was a scorching June when three people came to the Corpse Ghost's home, asking him to make a trip to Zhongshan. It was a big job—to escort twelve people back to Yunling—and the payment was substantial. He had heard of the dangers of the Fire Burned Field, and the strangeness of the situation made him hesitant to accept. However, his shrewish wife caused such a ruckus at home, even driving him and his elderly parents out into the street in the middle of the night, declaring they would not be allowed back unless he took the job. Left with no choice, he agreed.
He wasn’t going alone; the three men also climbed the mountain, as they weren’t certain whether all twelve of their targets were indeed dead.
Before entering the Fire Burned Field, they carried five days’ worth of food and water, thinking it would be more than enough to search the area thoroughly. Aware of the dangers from previous failed attempts, they were careful to mark their path from the moment they entered the stone forest. Yet, despite all precautions, they still became lost within. When they reached the spot where Mei Lin and Murong Jing He had stopped, they finally found the twelve people they were looking for—but by then, it was too late to escape. The twelve individuals had turned into twelve incomplete corpses. The area was cold and devoid of sunlight, so the bodies hadn’t yet decayed, but signs of mutual slaughter and cannibalism were evident. The sight left the four men deeply shaken, planting seeds of fear and despair that only grew in the following days.
On the third day, one of the men snapped, drawing his knife and attacking the others wildly. The Corpse Ghost only knew a bit of martial arts—barely anything compared to true warriors—so while the other two subdued the madman, he quietly hid. He knew that staying with them meant he might die by their blades before ever succumbing to hunger, so even after the crazed man calmed down, he remained hidden. When the other three searched for him, he circled around the giant stones, accidentally finding his way out of that area. What surprised him even more was that once outside, he could see the others not far away, observing their every move, while they remained completely unaware of his presence.
However, no matter how much he tried afterward, he couldn’t find his way out of the area he was in. The three men, driven mad by fear and the oppressive environment, perished before running out of food and water.
After they died, he scavenged what was left of their supplies and spent a long time navigating his way out of that specific area. Over the next eight years, he circled the stone pillars countless times along different paths, but never found a way out. During this time, many other groups entered the field, and he watched them die, one by one, each death unfolding like a grim play before his eyes. He observed how people showed their truest selves in the face of death. Often, to obtain precious blood, he would even help them along in their final moments.
Even Mei Lin, usually unperturbed by cold and gruesome scenes, couldn’t help but swallow hard, feeling a wave of nausea rise in her throat as she unconsciously tightened her hold on the resting Murong Jing He.
He hadn’t mentioned how he survived those eight years, and neither of them wanted to ask.
“You’re a corpse handler,” she said, not as a question, but as a statement. Only someone in that unique profession could endure such psychological pressure, living in this dark, sunless place for eight years without going mad. She knew she couldn’t do it. She was, however, puzzled as to why he, who claimed to know some martial arts, had been so clumsy in his attacks.
The Corpse Ghost lowered his head in silent acknowledgment.
Murong Jing He, having calmed down during the Corpse Ghost’s tale, now looked composed, his thoughts unreadable.
“You didn’t kill us last night because you were waiting for us to become too weak to move, so you could drain our blood,” he calmly pointed out the Corpse Ghost’s plan. Given his current physical state, the Corpse Ghost likely couldn’t take on both of them at once. Even if he could, their blood would have been mostly spilled by then, a waste in a place with no water source.
The Corpse Ghost curled up again, trembling, the fear and surprise at being so accurately read clear in his eyes, though he didn’t deny it.
Murong Jing He nodded, then said, “Go eat something, and then take us for another walk.”
The Corpse Ghost eyed him cautiously for a long moment, only standing up once he was sure there was no sign of anger.
“I… I’ve already eaten today.” He ate just once a day, only half-filling himself, yet he often still went hungry.
Murong Jing He, unaware of the Corpse Ghost’s eating habits but noticing how weak he was, motioned for Mei Lin to untie him. Then, Mei Lin carried Murong Jing He on her back while the Corpse Ghost led the way.
At first, the Corpse Ghost was surprised, but then his expression turned to gratitude. As they walked, he occasionally offered to help Mei Lin carry Murong Jing He, but Murong Jing He refused each time.
With someone leading them, they moved much faster. They returned to the spot where they had been trapped before, then followed the Corpse Ghost’s path out. After circling the area near his dwelling twice, Mei Lin was nearly exhausted, and they finally stopped.
“This is a natural labyrinth,” Murong Jing He said after a long period of contemplation, a faint smile on his lips, his eyes gleaming with an unusual light.
The other two, who had remained silent out of respect for his concentration, immediately perked up, looking at him with hopeful eyes.
Murong Jing He gestured for Mei Lin to bring him a stick. She glanced around the empty surroundings and, without thinking much, was about to draw her dagger to cut a branch from the bamboo cart when the Corpse Ghost handed her a smooth, white bone. Mei Lin’s lips twitched slightly, but she quickly composed herself, thanked him with a smile, and used the smooth, jade-like forearm bone to draw in the black sand as Murong Jing He instructed.
The Corpse Ghost’s face lit up with joy at not being rejected.
A strange pattern of circles began to take shape in the black sand. At first glance, it seemed chaotic, but with closer examination, a subtle pattern became apparent.
“This is the layout of the stones where we were trapped,” Murong Jing He explained briefly, then instructed Mei Lin to count three stones to the right from the center and mark the space between the fourth and fifth stones as the exit. Beyond the exit lay a dead end. “Death is the beginning of life, and life is sustained by death. Life and death cycle endlessly, forming an invisible maze. It’s a simple labyrinth,” he explained. They hadn’t noticed it before because the sudden situation had caught them off guard, and they hadn’t considered the possibility of a labyrinth.
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