Chapter Eight: He Is the Golden Land

Following Dona’s footsteps, Han Tianyue and his companions arrived at the foot of the cliff. All around them were sheer rock faces; there was no sign of a cave.

Dona said, “This is just a trick of the eye. Follow me, and you’ll be able to enter the cave.”

They stayed close behind Dona. At first, their surroundings were clear, but the further they went, the hazier everything became, until finally a thick mist enveloped them completely.

“Don’t get separated. If you do, it’ll be very hard to find your way back!” Dona spoke as she walked, frequently checking to make sure no one was missing before continuing on.

“I never would have guessed that such an ordinary-looking cliff would hide such a strange place beneath it!” Fang Zhe exclaimed in awe.

Dona laughed. “We discovered this place by chance. Later, after some modifications, it gained its current abilities.”

As she spoke of these modifications, Dona looked immensely proud.

“Are you someone who sets up formations?” Han Tianyue asked, having read it in Dona’s expression.

Dona nodded. “It’s nothing too complicated, really. All I did was rearrange some things that were already here, and that’s how we achieved this effect.”

Dona made it sound simple, but in truth it was far from easy. Han Tianyue and Mao Xuanzi both knew that few people possessed the skill to arrange formations—and that formations were generally divided into arrays and wards.

Arrays are typically larger, and can consist of multiple wards or smaller arrays, while a ward is usually just a single unit. Arrays are often used to protect or imprison larger objects or areas, while wards are for smaller things. The structure of an array tends to be fixed, whereas wards are more unpredictable and variable.

Here ends a brief introduction to arrays and wards. As for Dona, her expertise lay mainly in arrays.

Dona led Han Tianyue and the others into the cave, where they saw three young men, each a little older than themselves, lying on the ground. As soon as these men saw Dona enter with strangers, they became agitated. “Dona, why have you brought strangers in here?”

Dona explained, “They’re good people!”

“How can you tell good people from bad?” one of them retorted, and Dona fell silent.

Seeing Dona reproached by her companions, Han Tianyue stepped forward and said, “How can you speak to your friend like that? Do you even know that he went out to find food for you, and didn’t eat a single bite himself?”

The three young men fell silent upon hearing this.

Dona hurried forward to stop Han Tianyue. “Actually, I did eat some,” she protested.

Fang Zhe, unable to keep quiet, stepped up and continued, “Yes, he did eat some, but only because we promised him the whole deer. He just took a little; the rest he brought back for you.”

Feng Shang, who had struggled to carry the deer meat all the way, tossed it to them.

The three young men stared at the meat on the ground, tears streaming down their faces. “We’re sorry. We’re so sorry!”

Dona dropped to her knees, embracing her companions. “I’m the one who should apologize. I’m useless; I couldn’t do anything to help you.”

The four young men clung to each other, weeping openly. Han Tianyue, Mao Xuanzi, Fang Zhe, and even Feng Shang—who was now sobbing uncontrollably—were all deeply moved.

“Thank you,” the three finally said, no longer blaming Dona but instead thanking Han Tianyue and his friends for telling them the truth.

“No need to thank us,” Han Tianyue replied, introducing himself and then Mao Xuanzi, Fang Zhe, and Feng Shang.

The leader of the group grinned broadly. “So we’re schoolmates! My name is Jin Di.”

The other two introduced themselves as Shui Xi and Wang Chong.

Because they were alumni, conversation soon flowed easily among them.

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