The Company

Chapter 70: Black Tang Jun

【One】

The doctor drifted between sleep and wakefulness, faintly hearing an argument nearby.

"...This person is highly suspicious! I've never seen such clothing or such short hair—how improper!" It was a young boy's voice, lively in tone yet speaking like an old traditionalist.

"This kind of attire... I think I've seen it before..." A man's voice chimed in. Though it should have been pleasant, there was a strange dissonance in certain syllables, making it sound peculiar.

"Could it be..." The boy paused thoughtfully, his voice turning dangerous. "Is this person a Grave Keeper?"

The doctor didn't understand what "Grave Keeper" meant, but he keenly detected the hostility in the boy's words. Struggling to open his eyes, he was met with the sight of gloomy mist hanging overhead.

Huh? Where was he?

"Oh, you're awake." The boy's voice carried thick regret, completely unconcealed, as if wanting to make sure the doctor noticed.

If he hadn't woken up, what were they planning to do to him? Following the voice, the doctor met the boy's sharp, blade-like gaze and felt a chill.

The boy appeared to be only fifteen or sixteen, handsome with thick eyebrows and sharp eyes, but his clothes were tattered. His skin was pale as jade, yet his exposed wrists and ankles bore old scars resembling centipedes, winding and disappearing into his black robes. As a doctor, he couldn't help but stare at the scars out of professional habit.

The fibrous tissue of these scars was strangely aligned—unlike anything he'd seen before. They didn't look like cuts from sharp objects or whip marks. If he had to describe them, they were more like deep cracks reaching the bone... But how could human skin develop such fissures? What could have caused them?

Lost in thought, the doctor's gaze lingered too long on the boy, especially on the scars. The boy, far more sensitive than most, noticed immediately and was on the verge of exploding.

Fortunately, the doctor caught himself in time. He knew well that patients were often self-conscious about their scars, and his prolonged staring was rude. He quickly averted his eyes to the young man beside the boy.

This was a long-haired youth, likely in his early twenties, dressed in an ancient-style purple robe. His hair was unbound, with long bangs covering most of his face, obscuring his expression. Only his pale lips and elegantly shaped jaw were visible.

Both were dressed in ancient clothing, which explained their disdain for his modern attire. The doctor pushed himself up from the ground, dusted off his hands, and finally took a moment to survey his surroundings.

Adjusting his crooked glasses on the bridge of his nose, he looked around in confusion at the wilderness-like scene. As far as he could see, there was only desolate, uninhabited land. The oppressive mist overhead cast a gloomy pall, creating an indescribable sense of suffocation.

There were no lights, no wind, no sounds—the eerie silence made every breath feel heavy.

Where was this? How did he get here? What had just happened?

Frowning, the doctor tried to recall. Right—he had met Madam Shi at the Sky Light Market and learned that Boss's friend Ying had been taken by the villain Zhao Gao to the Cloud Elephant Graveyard. He and Boss had been on their way to the Elephant Graveyard to rescue Ying..."Is this... the Cloud Elephant Graveyard?" With two people readily available, the Doctor figured he might as well ask.

The two exchanged a strange glance, and the youth who still harbored hostility toward the Doctor replied with an eerie smile, "Yes, this is the Cloud Elephant Graveyard."

The Doctor skeptically scanned his surroundings but found no sign of the Boss. Had he gotten separated from him? "Are you looking for someone? Don't bother—we only saw you here." The young man with the oddly disjointed speech seemed to see right through the Doctor, speaking calmly. This was not good...

Scratching his head, the Doctor instinctively pulled out his phone and turned on the screen—no signal, as expected. Though wary of the two, he had no choice but to ask them what the Cloud Elephant Graveyard truly was.

The young man with the peculiar voice said indifferently, "'The mountaintop is called a graveyard, hence the Cloud Elephant Graveyard.' A graveyard is a tomb mound shaped like a hill. This place is essentially a massive tomb." "A tomb?" the Doctor muttered to himself, gazing at the silent, barren land around him, finding it hard to believe. It felt more like a desolate mountain than a tomb. "Just as elephants, knowing they are about to die, go to the Elephant Graveyard to await death quietly," the young man slowed his speech, his syllables still disjointed but carrying an inexplicable solemnity, "all antiques in the Cloud Elephant Graveyard are either waiting to die or on the verge of death. Of course, they will all die eventually."

The statement sounded convoluted at first, but the Doctor sensed a certain fatalism in it. It took him a long moment to find his voice again. He looked at the empty wasteland and stammered, "But... where are the antiques here?"

This time, the youth shrugged and spread his hands, saying, "Things already dead are, of course, buried beneath the soil!" He then stared intently at the Doctor, his hands twitching unconsciously.

The Doctor's lips twitched—this guy really wore his thoughts on his sleeve! "Wait, I'm not an antique! I'm human! I came here to find someone!"

"Mhmm, sure, I'm human too," the youth nodded dismissively, clearly not buying the Doctor's explanation. This was impossible to reason with! The Doctor turned a pleading gaze toward the young man with the strange speech.

The indistinct-faced young man curved his lips into a slight smile and said, "Since you're looking for someone, sir, you must want to leave the Cloud Elephant Graveyard."

The Doctor nodded vigorously. If the Boss couldn't find him here, he'd surely be waiting at the exit.

The young man raised his hand and pointed into the distance, saying, "The way out of the Cloud Elephant Graveyard is simple. It's said that you just need to climb to the mountaintop to leave this place."

Following his finger, the Doctor looked into the distance. There, only a perpetually dense fog lingered.

【Two】

Stumbling along behind the two, the Doctor learned from their conversation that the youth was named Tang Jun, and the young man with the disjointed speech was Jin Bu.

However... what bothered the Doctor was that, although he hadn't seen the face of the Boss's friend Ying in the Water Mirror, he knew Ying wore a purple robe—which vaguely resembled Jin Bu's attire.However, to the Doctor, ancient robes all looked quite similar, and there was a color difference between the Water Mirror and reality, so he couldn't be certain. Fortunately, the two men shared the same goal as him—heading toward the summit of the Cloud Elephant Graveyard—so there was plenty of time to observe.

It was only as they walked that the Doctor noticed a set of jade pendants hanging from Jin Bu's waist, which jingled melodiously whenever he quickened his pace. Though the sound should have been crisp and pleasant, it carried an indescribable sense of urgency.

Unable to resist, the Doctor slowed his steps. Jin Bu, walking ahead, seemed to sense this and also decelerated, causing the rhythm of the jade pendants' clinking to slow, occasionally chiming just once.

Staring at the other's back, the Doctor couldn't help but ask, "Did you two just arrive at the Cloud Elephant Graveyard too? What a coincidence!"

Upon hearing this, the two men ahead stopped and turned to glance at the Doctor with complicated expressions. Tang Jun snorted coldly and remarked sarcastically, "Within the Cloud Elephant Graveyard, there is no sun or moon. Since I arrived here, I have been journeying toward the summit. Yet to this day... the peak remains as distant as the horizon."

Hearing this, the Doctor wasn't overly surprised. This was a place the great villain had meticulously designed to lure people into; if reaching the summit were as simple as walking there, he might have suspected some trickery. Shifting his gaze to Jin Bu, he wanted to ask if Jin Bu had also been in the Cloud Elephant Graveyard for a long time but feared it would seem too deliberate.

At that moment, Jin Bu spoke up, "Are you certain you want to go to the summit? They say it's a path of no return. Among those in the Cloud Elephant Graveyard who choose to head for the summit, none have ever come back."

The Doctor pondered that if Jin Bu spoke this way, he must have been in the Cloud Elephant Graveyard for quite some time. Thinking it over, he replied, "Not returning is a good thing! It means they all made it out of the Cloud Elephant Graveyard!"

"Exactly, exactly!" Tang Jun actually agreed with the Doctor's perspective and appreciatively cupped his hands in salute. The Doctor hastily returned the gesture in a fluster. "You're quite an interesting fellow. Earlier, I mistook you for the Grave Keeper—my apologies, my apologies!" Tang Jun was not one to hide his thoughts; having previously found the Doctor irritating, he now immediately changed his attitude. "Grave Keeper? What does he do?" This was the second time the Doctor had heard Tang Jun mention the term "Grave Keeper," and sensing Tang Jun's hostility toward the Grave Keeper, he was genuinely puzzled. Judging solely from the name "Grave Keeper," this person should be the guardian of the Cloud Elephant Graveyard! Why would Tang Jun harbor such strong animosity toward him?

This time, Tang Jun walked side by side with the Doctor, explaining the matter of the Grave Keeper as they went.

According to Tang Jun, no one in the Cloud Elephant Graveyard had ever seen the true face of the Grave Keeper. Some claimed he was an old man, others said he was a child; some reported seeing a youth, while others insisted he was actually a beautiful young girl. In short, the Grave Keeper was a very mysterious presence. And the Grave Keeper's task was not to protect the antiques within the Cloud Elephant Graveyard, but to guard the eternal silence of the Cloud Elephant Graveyard.

"Eternal silence?" the Doctor repeated, puzzled. At first, he thought Tang Jun had misspoken, substituting "silence" for "peace," but he soon dismissed that notion."Exactly, the Grave Keeper is the murderer." Tang Jun's handsome face tightened, his sword-like eyebrows furrowing fiercely. "I had a friend who was killed by them!"

The Doctor was startled by these words. Was the Grave Keeper really this audacious? Would they discover he had trespassed into the Cloud Elephant Graveyard and execute him on the spot?

"Actually, we can't exactly call the Grave Keeper a murderer," Jin Bu interjected calmly from behind, walking at a leisurely pace. "This is an antique's burial ground. The Grave Keeper merely wants unsettled antiques to resolve their lingering attachments and rest eternally."

Tang Jun responded with a disapproving snort. Hooking his arm around the Doctor's neck, he quickened their pace and lowered his voice: "This Jin Bu, though traveling with me, is highly likely to be the Grave Keeper."

The Doctor's mouth twitched. He found Tang Jun's suspicion that everyone might be the Grave Keeper rather abnormal. Wiping cold sweat from his brow, he changed the subject: "Since you're also trying to leave the Cloud Elephant Graveyard, how did you both end up here?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Jun withdrew his arm and stood upright, his expression instantly turning stern. "I don't know. I simply opened my eyes one day and found myself here."

"The same for me," Jin Bu echoed from behind.

Pondering their words, the Doctor thought this Cloud Elephant Graveyard seemed more like the underworld from human legends. If antiques had spirits, after their physical forms shattered, those spirits would come to the Cloud Elephant Graveyard without realizing they were already dead. The Grave Keeper would then be similar to Ox-Head and Horse-Face, though naturally the spirits would see them as adversaries...

Wait, he was originally a scientific atheist - why was he analyzing this so naturally? The Doctor annoyingly knocked on his own head.

"I awoke one day and was already here. So long ago I've lost track of time," Tang Jun repeated, almost as if covering something up.

"Do all antiques eventually... come here?" The Doctor carefully phrased his question, trying to learn more without provoking Tang Jun.

"Most do."

The Doctor recalled Tang Jun's earlier words about deceased antiques being buried beneath the soil. Looking down at the solid earth beneath his feet and the distant, peakless horizons, he tried estimating the Cloud Elephant Graveyard's vastness.

"Cloud Elephant Graveyard, hmph. An emperor's burial site is called a ling, those with tombstones are called fen or mu, but those hastily buried under handfuls of yellow earth can only be called zhong," Jin Bu answered this time, still maintaining his unhurried pace, his jade pendant rhythmically tinkling. "Not all antiques are buried here though. Many have their own tombs with human sacrifices. The most remarkable would be that 'Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion' - a calligraphy scroll supposedly buried with emperors."

The Doctor didn't understand at first, needing to process Jin Bu's words twice before realizing: from an antique's perspective, humans were the burial offerings...

"Speaking of which, we can't be certain Emperor Taizong of Tang was buried with that 'Orchid Pavilion Preface'! Legend says Emperor Taizong wanted it as burial goods, but his son Emperor Gaozong of Tang pretended compliance while secretly taking it for his own tomb. Later, Empress Wu learned well and did the same... That Orchid Pavilion, favored by three generations of emperors, must possess devastating beauty." Jin Bu showed keen interest in this gossip, speaking so rapidly his peculiar cadence became almost indistinguishable."Superficial," Tang Jun remarked disdainfully.

"What's wrong with being superficial? The fact remains that Lanting is popular!" Jin Bu retorted indignantly. For a moment, the Doctor thought he was seeing a fan defending their idol.

[Three]

Their bickering actually helped alleviate the loneliness of their long journey. Within the Cloud Elephant Graveyard, there was no sun or moon, and the Doctor felt neither hunger nor fatigue. Yet facing the nearly unchanging wilderness, his spirit quickly approached its limit of endurance.

Perhaps it was his imagination, but at some point the sky seemed to have darkened slightly. Upon closer observation, the Doctor realized the mist that had been hanging above their heads had descended around them, growing increasingly dense as time passed.

"We're climbing a mountain," Jin Bu reminded him when he noticed the Doctor stopping to look around in confusion. After a moment's thought, the Doctor understood. If their naked eyes couldn't perceive it as a mountain, it could only mean this mountain was extraordinarily massive. The mist had previously been above them, but as they ascended, they had finally entered the mist itself. "Let's go, don't stray too far," Jin Bu's voice came from ahead, where only a faint silhouette was visible through the haze. The Doctor hurried to catch up. After walking for what felt like quite a while, the mist grew so thick that he couldn't see anything beyond three steps ahead. Humans possess an innate fear of darkness precisely because of impaired visibility. The same environment feels completely different during daytime versus nighttime, which is why the invention of fire-making through friction was so crucial... These random thoughts flashed through the Doctor's mind. He began feeling grateful for the jade pendants hanging from Jin Bu's waist. Though he couldn't see the figure ahead, he could simply follow the tinkling sound of the jade.

After an indeterminable period, the Doctor suddenly heard an additional rustling sound behind him.

A chill shot from his feet to the crown of his head. Both Tang Jun and Jin Bu were walking ahead of him - so who was behind? "Who's there?" Tang Jun's voice came from not far ahead. Simultaneously, the sound of Jin Bu's jade pendants abruptly ceased, clearly indicating both had heard the noise behind them and stopped.

Through the mist came a hoarse, aged voice: "Oh dear... has anyone seen my leg..." The Doctor immediately felt less afraid. What had happened to this old man's leg? He quickly turned and took two steps toward the sound. Through the swirling mist emerged an old man with a white beard, his hair completely silvered, appearing to be in his seventies or eighties. The Doctor briefly glanced at his wrinkled face before lowering his gaze.

The old man wore an antique golden robe, and combined with the thick fog, the Doctor couldn't see the condition of his legs at all.

"Forgive my intrusion," the Doctor apologized as he crouched down to feel the old man's legs. The left femur, knee joint, tibia, fibula, and ankle were all present - and the right... the right side was intact too!

The Doctor also noticed the old man wasn't using a cane, meaning he could walk without assistance. So... given his advanced age, could this be Alzheimer's disease?"Grandpa Shang, haven't you found your leg yet?" Jin Bu recognized who it was and breathed a sigh of relief. "My apologies, that was too forward of me." The doctor stood up and offered an apology. "Heh haha, no matter..." Grandpa Shang narrowed his small eyes, not finding the unfamiliar young man's immediate touching offensive. Instead, having been isolated from others for so long, he felt somewhat nostalgic.

Standing close to Grandpa Shang, the doctor observed the old man's expression and became more convinced he was suffering from dementia.

"You..."Grandpa Shang drifted off for a moment before remembering why he had stopped them, asking in a rambling manner, 'Has anyone seen my leg?'""

"No, Grandpa Shang, we haven't seen it." Jin Bu patiently replied, then explained to the bewildered doctor, "Grandpa Shang has been here a long time, always searching for his lost leg."

"Don't believe him. This Shang Jue has been looking for his leg for ages, who knows if it's true or not." True to form, Tang Jun was suspicious of everyone, even speaking without lowering his voice as if deliberately letting the other hear. "Perhaps he's the Grave Keeper, using the leg search as an excuse to wander about."

The doctor adjusted his glasses, genuinely feeling exhausted on Tang Jun's behalf.

But Shang Jue? Tang Jun? Jin Bu? Was there something odd about these people's names? "Ah, my leg... if you see it, remember to pick it up for me..."Old man Shang Jue trembled as he instructed, slowly turning around under Tang Jun's distrustful gaze."

"Alright, Grandpa Shang, take care." Jin Bu bid farewell to Shang Jue with practiced ease, clearly having met the old man frequently.

Old man Shang Jue acknowledged but didn't continue turning. Instead, as if suddenly remembering something, he looked back curiously and asked, "My, my... where are you all heading?"

"We plan to go to the mountain peak." The doctor replied politely. "The peak? Oh dear, the peak won't do! Don't go any further! The mist will grow thicker!" Shang Jue waved his withered hands dramatically, but seeing the three remain unmoved, he could only sigh and say, "Ah well, those who won't listen to an old man's advice will learn the hard way... I'm off, may you find your own fortune..."

"My leg oh... where are you, leg oh... come back soon oh..."

The three watched as old man Shang Jue staggered away. The mist obstructed their view, and Shang Jue soon disappeared into the fog.

"This old master Shang... has he become senile?" The doctor scratched his head, searching for an appropriate term to describe Shang Jue's dementia.

"Jue, a wine vessel. With a spout in front, tail in back, cup in the middle, a handle on one side, and three legs below." Tang Jun recited rhythmically, emphasizing the last two words.

"Three legs? Jue? Shang Jue? A Shang Dynasty jue?" The doctor repeated dazedly, each phrase growing more incredulous. It couldn't possibly be what he was thinking, could it? "Grandpa Shang has always been concerned about his missing leg. He says once he finds it, he can sleep forever."

Jin Bu gazed deeply in the direction Shang Jue had departed and sighed heavily.The doctor glanced at Jin Bu, whose disheveled hair was so long it completely obscured his expression, making it impossible to tell whether his sigh carried regret or envy.

"Whether Shang Jue's leg was truly lost or not remains unclear," Tang Jun remarked indifferently before turning to continue forward. Hearing the jade pendants on Jin Bu's attire jingle as he moved, the doctor quickly averted his gaze and hurried to catch up with them. Shang Jue... as in the Shang dynasty bronze jue? This Cloud Elephant Graveyard is filled with the spirits of antiques... Judging by their surnames, are they all named after dynasties? Then what antiquities from the Tang and Jin dynasties might Tang Jun and Jin Bu represent? Jun... as in the "Jun" from "a critical moment"? Bu... like the purple robe Jin Bu is wearing?

Doctor’s doubts bubbled up one after another in his heart. He wanted to ask questions but didn’t know where to begin.

The fog grew denser imperceptibly, visibility dropping so low that he could barely make out his five fingers even when holding his hand right before his eyes.

Doctor halted, realizing he could no longer hear the jade pendant sounds from Jin Bu. The mist obscured all vision, and he dared not take a single step, unable to discern which direction to move in. Suddenly, a blaze of fire pierced through the fog before him, its blinding glare forcing him to instinctively shut his eyes.

【Four】

Tang Jun was enveloped in crimson flames, the fire greedily licking his entire body. Though engulfed in scorching heat, he showed no trace of panic, instead feeling a profound sense of nostalgia.

Yes, it was in such an environment that he was born—baptized by fire.

Many, many years ago, like his siblings, he had been born from clay, shaped by the hands of artisans, and fired in blazing kilns.

Yet his existence was an accident. “Porcelain is no toy—how could you casually apply glaze like this?” “Father, why not? I merely added another layer of colored glaze…”

“Different glazes vary in composition and color! Their expansion under heat and cooling rates differ! The porcelain you coated will inevitably crack!”

“…I don’t believe it!” “Hmph, just wait and see.”

The familiar dialogue echoed in his ears, just as it had back then. In his newly awakened consciousness, he couldn’t comprehend it, unaware that his birth was unintended.

The master craftsman wasn’t wasting firewood solely to reprimand his son. Most pieces in that kiln were fired normally; only a few had been coated with two layers of glaze by the boy.

Back then, with his nascent will, he endured tearing sensations throughout his body, listening to the crackling sounds around him—unaware that these were the death throes of his siblings.

That day, the kiln fire burned for a full day and night, flames shifting from crimson to bright red, then rising to orange-red and golden-yellow… until extinguishing, allowing the kiln’s temperature to gradually drop. After a simple yet devout unsealing ceremony, the kiln door was struck open, bricks removed one by one. Then, he heard a startled exclamation.

He was a floral-rimmed cup: on a black base glaze rested a circle of moon-white patches, over which hazy sky-blue patterns shimmered. The irregular, asymmetrical shapes of patches and streaks seemed like a child’s careless smear, yet carried an untamed elegance—nature’s artistry unadorned.

He had become a rare treasure.

Some claimed that the mixed glazes had produced unexpected colors after kiln firing—an uncontrollable phenomenon called “kiln transformation.”

No matter how many mixed-glaze pieces the master craftsman and his son fired afterward, they could never replicate that success. He remained in the craftsman’s hands for a long time until, lured by a wealthy merchant’s lavish payment, he was placed into a Brocade Box and left the kiln.

Years passed, dynasties rose and fell, and his existence was no longer a solitary masterpiece.The skilled artisans continuously refined their techniques, producing one porcelain piece after another similar to him, with colors becoming even more magnificent and captivating. There were black glazes with golden spots, white glazes with blue spots, celadon glazes with purple or red spots, and so on—each piece displayed unpredictable color variations, with no two vessels alike.

This type of porcelain was named "Jun."

And he, because he was born in the Tang Dynasty and served as the precursor to Song Dynasty Jun porcelain, came to be known as Tang Jun. Due to his pitch-black body, he was also called Black Tang Jun.

"Even with a fortune of ten thousand coins, it’s not worth a single Jun porcelain piece," "No two Jun porcelains are alike, each kiln transformation is unique," "Gold has a price, but Jun is priceless," "An elegant hall without Jun cannot boast of wealth," "One color enters the kiln, ten thousand colors emerge"... Jun porcelain was highly sought after by the world, yet he, Tang Jun, lay hidden in a wealthy merchant’s warehouse. Many, many years later, he was discovered by the merchant’s descendants, passed through numerous hands, and finally gifted to a general with illustrious military achievements.

That general treasured him like a rare gem, unable to put him down, taking him out daily to admire and even hosting grand banquets to proudly display his existence to friends.

In the illusion, the hall was filled with guests, lively with laughter and chatter. Tang Jun stood amidst the flames, coldly staring at this scene, his expression detached. Just then, a murmur of admiration suddenly reached his ears.

"This general seems to truly adore this cup!"

Tang Jun turned his head and saw the young man he had encountered earlier standing beside him as well, feeling a slight surprise in his heart. Yet, he showed no outward reaction, merely curling his lips mockingly and saying calmly, "Just keep watching."

The Doctor blinked, secretly using his hand to touch the flames around him that held no warmth. The moment he woke up, he found himself watching what seemed like a documentary about the birth of a black porcelain cup. Just as he was engrossed in the story, he noticed Tang Jun was also here.

The illusion shifted to another scene: the general was admiring the black porcelain cup, mesmerized as he examined the gradient luster of the sky-blue patterns on the moon-white spots under sunlight, murmuring in awe.

Suddenly, by a careless slip, the black porcelain cup fell from the general’s fingers. Fortunately, the general was agile; in the blink of an eye, he bent down and caught it just before it hit the ground, averting a tragedy.

"Phew, that was close!" The Doctor, feeling as if he were there, also felt a pang of anxiety. Tang Jun let out a cold snort.

Before the Doctor could ask what was wrong, he followed Tang Jun’s gaze and saw the general wide-eyed with fury, his face pale with shock, staring fixedly at the black porcelain cup in his hand.

Well, even he had been startled moments ago, let alone the owner.

Just as the Doctor patted his slightly frightened chest in emotion, he was stunned to see the general raise the black porcelain cup and ruthlessly smash it to the ground.

"Crash!" The porcelain cup shattered into fragments in an instant, scattering across the floor.

Sunlight gleamed on the shards, and even the sky-blue gradient patterns seemed to shimmer with an incredulous light. "This... has the general gone mad?" The Doctor stomped his feet in regret. Hadn’t it almost fallen earlier but was caught? Why would he go out of his way to smash it to pieces?"Heh, he's always been such an unpredictable person. It's a pity... my body tempered a thousand times in the kiln fire, only to be destroyed by such a man..." Tang Jun suddenly witnessed the scene that had haunted him for years, momentarily losing control of his emotions. The surrounding flames, as if sensing his mood, rapidly shifted from deep red to bright red, then to orange-red.

Even without feeling the rising temperature, the Doctor could discern Tang Jun's mental instability from the changing colors of the flames.

So this was it - this was the Cloud Elephant Graveyard, the tomb of antiques. And this young man Tang Jun before him must be the black floral-rimmed cup in the general's hand! The black Tang Jun!

No wonder the young man was covered in crack-like scars - they were actually traces of ceramic damage!

The Doctor didn't know why he had been drawn into Tang Jun's memory illusion, but he understood why Old Man Shang Jue had warned them not to venture deeper into the mist - probably fearing they would fall into inner demons and never escape.

Those antique spirits heading for the mountaintop - did they truly leave the Cloud Elephant Graveyard, or were they forever trapped in this...

...sea of mist?

The Doctor had no time to ponder further. Seeing the surrounding flames shift from bright orange to bright yellow, with even Tang Jun's eyes reflecting golden fire, the Doctor quickly pointed at the illusion and raised his voice: "Look! The general seems to be saying something!"

Though Tang Jun appeared on the verge of losing rationality, the Doctor's prompt made him instinctively turn his gaze toward the illusion.

At this moment, the general in the illusion stood with hands behind his back, murmuring to himself: "Throughout my military career, I've faced life and death countless times, struggling at the brink of demise, yet never felt fear."

"Why then should I be so terrified by this mere small cup now? Heh, my lifelong reputation cannot be ruined by this! I thought I was the one handling this cup, never expecting... it was the cup handling me instead!"

The Doctor rolled his eyes - the general's logic was truly touching. Hearing this reason would only make Tang Jun feel worse! Sure enough, the surrounding flames suddenly surged, gradually spreading toward the illusion. The fire color progressed from gold to pale yellow...

...then continued heating up to white. The white flames threatened to devour everything, submerging the entire illusion.

No guesswork needed - the situation was clearly dire! The Doctor's mind raced as he persistently questioned: "Tang Jun, Tang Jun! Is it that you're unwilling? Do you resent him? Do you want to ask him why?"

"Why... why must I encounter such a fate..." Tang Jun's voice emerged intermittently from the nearly blinding white flames.

The Doctor secretly sighed in relief - if they could still communicate, there was hope.

He steadied himself. The bright white flames had become almost silver-white, so dazzling they made his eyes ache, forcing him to squint. However, this bright white environment somewhat resembled his workplace, giving the Doctor an inexplicable sense of familiarity.

Indeed, in some ways, Tang Jun wasn't really different from the patients he had encountered before.The doctor struggled to keep his voice calm and steady as he spoke slowly, "Tang Jun, these are all natural disasters and human tragedies. You couldn’t choose your owner, just as patients cannot choose to avoid terminal illnesses... It’s all inexplicable..."

The more he spoke, the more the doctor felt his words were inadequate. Though he had witnessed life, aging, sickness, and death countless times in the hospital, he still felt powerless each time he faced them. So-called end-of-life care—aside from the patients themselves, no one could truly empathize.

Sighing, the doctor watched the illusion of the general, who, despite his stubborn words, still wore a grave expression. A phrase someone had once said flashed through his mind.

"From attachment arises worry; from attachment arises fear. If one is free from attachment, there is no worry or fear." The doctor repeated the words one by one, his head throbbing as if pierced by needles.

Who was it? Who had once spoken these words to him? A figure seemed on the verge of emerging. "From attachment arises worry; from attachment arises fear..." "If one is free from attachment, there is no worry or fear..."

Tang Jun’s voice drifted intermittently from the dazzling white flames. He recited this Buddhist verse over and over, each repetition bringing him more peace.

Suddenly, the doctor understood the general’s feelings.

The general had loved Tang Jun so deeply that his very heart and mind were shaken. Yet, he failed to recognize this affection as something beautiful. Instead, he felt trapped by his intense love for Tang Jun, bound by concerns for his safety.

But after "no worry or fear," would the general feel liberated? Or would he regret his decision?

"So it is, after all. I am finally at peace." Tang Jun’s voice grew gentle.

Yet the doctor felt a heavy weight in his heart. Tang Jun was truly pitiable—all he had ever sought was an explanation.

"Speaking of which, I never asked your name. What are you?" Tang Jun’s voice seemed to drift closer and farther away.

"Ah? I’m not an antique. I told you, I’m human." The doctor pursed his lips helplessly. "Not an antique? Then how did you come here?" "I can’t explain the exact reason." "Heh, so you are the Grave Keeper after all..."

Remembering Tang Jun’s deep-seated hatred for the Grave Keeper, the doctor frantically waved his hands in denial. But Tang Jun spoke with certainty, though without any trace of hostility toward the Grave Keeper.

The dazzling white flames consumed the illusion of the general, who was still staring down at the fragments on the ground, leaving behind only scattered pieces of the black Tang Jun.

"Thank you, Grave Keeper."

Before the doctor could protest again, a faint glimmer of light flickered among the fragments of the black Tang Jun, then faded into complete stillness. The fragments lost their luster, and even the most brilliant azure glow within them dimmed.

The sand beneath the black Tang Jun fragments stirred without wind, slowly forming a shallow pit that buried the fragments beneath the soil.

A gust of wind blew, dispersing the dazzling white flames surrounding the doctor.

Blinking to adjust to the sudden darkness, the doctor looked around.

The mist had thinned considerably compared to before, revealing a barren wasteland devoid of grass. In the distance, shrouded by swirling clouds, a towering stone monument was faintly visible.

That must be the summit of the Cloud Elephant Graveyard.The doctor looked around; in the thick fog, not a single figure was visible, nor could he hear the clear jade pendant sounds of Jin Bu. It felt like a dream.

But deep down, he knew that Tang Jun was no longer here.

The doctor lowered his head, gazing at the ground where no traces of burial remained, silently mourning for Tang Jun for a while before continuing toward the summit of the Cloud Elephant Graveyard.

Today, the Cloud Elephant Graveyard remained as deathly silent as ever.

【Five】

Lu Zigang was minding the shop at Dumb Shop, discarding the old tea leaves and preparing to brew a fresh pot.

Tang Yuan had taken the Boss and the doctor to the Sky Light Market; they should be back soon. Lu Zigang sat behind the counter, waiting for the water to boil while pulling out his phone to browse the day's archaeology news.

"Recently, during the construction of Nanjing Metro Line 6 Phase II, a Ming Dynasty ancient tomb was discovered. To protect the site and cultural relics, Metro Line 6 Phase II may be rerouted…"

Lu Zigang scrolled down and found that the tomb mentioned in the news likely belonged to a general. Buried alongside the coffin, aside from the general's saber, was a fluted-rim cup.

Unable to resist his curiosity, Lu Zigang clicked on the image and realized why the general had cherished it so much. It was a black Tang Jun fluted-rim cup! Though the photo showed it had been shattered, it had been meticulously restored to perfection—not a single fragment missing—possessing immense academic value.

Strange, for the general to have adored this black Tang Jun piece so much, yet it still ended up broken. Porcelain truly is such a fragile thing…

(End of Chapter)