Chapter 289

“Official Generals?”

Lin Shuyou’s forward-charging steps faltered.

He had just told Brother Xiaoyuan he would help Brother Bin capture those two scoundrels, and now, unexpectedly, the boomerang had struck him so quickly.

Although he was now a True Lord, emotionally, he still considered himself a member of the Official Generals.

Completely contrary to Lin Shuyou's state of mind was the boy spirit within him.

The rapid twitching of his eyelids showed the boy spirit’s extreme impatience.

Of course, Lin Shuyou’s hesitation lasted only a moment. He knew it was his responsibility to protect Old Zhai and the others. Therefore, even if Official Generals were involved, he had to stop them!

His vertical pupils opened, and the White Crane True Lord manifested again. This time, he held nothing back from the very beginning, unleashing his aura without restraint.

Cold, white-toned patterns emerged from deep within his skin, and other intricate details perfectly conformed to his body. Even without stage costumes or official hats, when he appeared, his majestic aura was enough to overpower and crush any itinerant deities commonly seen.

The two Official Generals summoned were not the Generals of Increase and Decrease.

One, with a painted face featuring tiger eyes and a mustache, exuded fierce masculinity, wielding a broken saber; he was General Tiger.

The other, with a black-and-white crisscrossed painted face, appeared intensely sinister, holding a guillotine-saber; he was the Yin-Yang Magistrate.

Previously, before possessing their mediums, Tan Wenbin had repelled them with the power of the Blood Ape. Now, after possession, they actively launched an attack.

Tan Wenbin had intended to retaliate, but upon sensing Lin Shuyou’s aura, he simply withdrew and stepped back.

General Tiger and the Magistrate believed Tan Wenbin was scared and pressed closer. Soon, they were once again in front of Tan Wenbin, the broken saber slicing diagonally to block his movements, and the guillotine-saber sweeping horizontally, attacking head-on.

Just then, a hand reached out, first grasping the upper end of the guillotine-saber, preventing it from returning, while the other hand pinched the back of the broken saber, stopping its advance.

In the rapid exchange, both sides could only rely on instinct for their next moves.

The broken saber trembled, its blade twisting, attempting to sever the hand gripping it; the guillotine-saber released a chilling gleam, exuding oppressive power, intending to force the person before it to surrender.

The White Crane True Lord exerted force from his fingertips, steadily holding the broken saber. He then raised a foot and kicked General Tiger flying. Immediately after, his vertical pupils flashed, suppressing the chilling aura and power of the guillotine-saber. Using the momentum from his kick, he twisted his body and slammed his shoulder into the Magistrate, sending the Magistrate flying as well.

The confrontation happened in an instant, yet it was a direct clash of pure power and aura. Clearly, the White Crane True Lord had completely prevailed, and his twin maces were not even with him, meaning he fought empty-handed.

General Tiger and the Magistrate quickly scrambled to their feet after landing, both showing horror in their eyes. They were not only astonished by the opponent's strength but also terrified by the incredibly familiar aura emanating from him.

Soon, they recognized his identity and simultaneously exclaimed:

“Boy Spirit?”

“Presumptuous!” The White Crane True Lord took a step forward, his upper body leaning slightly towards them, his vertical pupils radiating intense majesty as he gravely stated:

“In that old temple, you called me ‘Boy Spirit,’ and I didn't question it. But now, what should you call me?”

They knew about the White Crane Boy Spirit, but not much.

They only knew that the White Crane Boy Spirit had suddenly abandoned the temple and been expelled and stripped of his name. Yet, no divine decree from above had condemned him as a rebel; it seemed to have been left unresolved.

After the Boy Spirit's departure, a new round of internal pressure and ostracism within the Official Generals led to the selection of two individuals to replace his former duties.

Why two? Because the Boy Spirit's past duties and errands were simply too numerous; one Yin God could not possibly manage them all, so two were forced into the roles.

As a result, there were widespread complaints within the Official Generals, as the Boy Spirit's actions had disrupted everyone's official duties.

In fact, the Generals of Increase and Decrease knew some internal information, especially General Decrease, who knew the most. But precisely because of this, General Decrease was too embarrassed to speak, choosing to remain silent.

Seeing their prolonged failure to offer a respectful title, the Boy Spirit's breathing grew heavier, and his eyes showed anger.

General Tiger: “Boy Spirit, why haven't you quickly returned to beg for forgiveness?”

Magistrate: “We can still, for old times' sake, intercede for you!”

General Tiger: “Do you realize how much trouble you've caused the yamen by abandoning your post without authorization!”

Magistrate: “Boy Spirit, have you forgotten the duties of an Official General and the oath you swore before the Bodhisattva?!”

“Heh.”

The Boy Spirit laughed.

As a long-existing Yin God, if life in the old yamen had been tolerable, even at the lowest rank, he should have normally grown accustomed and worn down by it long ago.

In other words, the Boy Spirit's persistent pursuit of progress was precisely because he had been truly unhappy in the old yamen.

Despite being the most senior, he was marginalized to the lowest rank; despite doing the most work, he was only assigned to trials with young mediums during possession and various trivial duties.

Even now, they still held their heads high, ordering him around.

In the past, he could only lower his head and endure. If he were to continue enduring now, wouldn't all the high-stakes gambles and career changes of the past period have been in vain?

A reddish glow circulated within his vertical pupils.

But the Boy Spirit still retained a shred of clarity, his gaze fixed on the young man slowly approaching nearby.

Li Zhuiyuan spoke:

“Break them down. I only need the mediums for questioning.”

The corners of the Boy Spirit's mouth curved into a smile; his entire being became excited and content.

Leaving aside the initial phase where he was... no, where they were adapting to each other under the young man's influence,

Once they truly got along, the young man's temperament really suited him. He seemed emotionless, yet he never interfered with his subordinates expressing their feelings.

General Tiger glared at the young man with tiger eyes and chastised him, “Presumptuous! How dare you show such disrespect towards me!”

“Audacious! How dare you show no respect for your superiors!”

The White Crane True Lord let out a great shout, performing a "three-step praise" footwork, and appeared directly before General Tiger.

General Tiger's right hand opened, and the broken saber, which had fallen, quickly flew back. But just then, the Boy Spirit extended his hand backward, accurately catching the broken saber a step ahead, then slashed it horizontally at General Tiger.

General Tiger not only didn't dodge but actively exposed his chest, clenching his fists and punching towards the Boy Spirit.

This, surprisingly, made the Boy Spirit uncomfortable.

Only then did he recall that the Yin Gods of the Official Generals cared nothing for the state of their mediums, and thus their fighting style was often to charge forward recklessly, without regard for consequences.

Moreover, their previous skirmish had made them aware of the current power gap between them, forcing them to adopt a 'life-for-injury' fighting style, though it was the medium's life they were sacrificing.

Of course, they didn't believe they were inferior to the White Crane Boy Spirit; they simply attributed it to the poor quality of their mediums, which prevented them from unleashing their true power.

The Boy Spirit pulled back the blade, turning it to strike General Tiger with its flat side, while General Tiger's fists also struck his chest.

However, General Tiger spat blood, while the Boy Spirit merely swayed slightly.

The Magistrate advanced, the guillotine-saber reappearing, intending to provide relief.

The Boy Spirit raised his fist and smashed it down before the guillotine-saber could strike.

“Thud!”

The Magistrate was sent flying a great distance again.

The Boy Spirit didn't pursue. Instead, he continued to wildly strike the prone General Tiger with the flat side of the saber.

Every time General Tiger tried to resist or stand up, the Boy Spirit suppressed him beforehand, forcing him to remain on the ground, passively taking the blows.

The intent was not high damage, but purely to inflict humiliation.

General Tiger was so enraged that white steam continuously puffed from his nostrils, yet he was helpless. He was renowned for his ferocity, but his ferocity was utterly useless against the White Crane at this moment.

The Magistrate, having risen again, formed hand seals and chanted spells, and shadows emanated from beneath his feet.

The White Crane lifted his leg, sending General Tiger airborne, then used the broken saber as a club and fiercely swung it.

“Thud!”

General Tiger was sent flying. This time, after landing, he skidded for tens of meters on the ground.

The next moment, the White Crane plunged the broken saber into the ground before him. The black shadows that had been circling him, intending to spring up and bind him, were pinned to the ground, unable to emerge.

At the same time, the White Crane's vertical pupils caught a glimpse of the Magistrate deliberately releasing a shadow towards Brother Xiaoyuan.

However, as long as the Magistrate didn't go personally, the White Crane didn't need to interfere or protect.

When the shadow rose behind Li Zhuiyuan, intending to pounce on the young man and engulf him, it violently twisted. Karmic fire furiously burned on it, tracing its path back to its source.

Karmic fire also appeared on the Magistrate's hands, which he hastily shook to extinguish.

No sooner had he purged the karmic fire than a pair of vertical pupils appeared before him.

The White Crane reached out, gripped the Magistrate's neck, lifted him, swung him in a full circle in the air, then slammed him to the ground.

He swung him up again, slammed him down again, continued to swing, continued to slam.

Only such primitive brutalization could vent the pent-up resentment in his heart.

Tonight, the reunion of old colleagues was not about official business, but strictly personal matters!

After venting, the White Crane kicked the Magistrate flying, sending him to join General Tiger.

“Hoo... hoo... hoo...”

Heavy breaths emanated from the White Crane's chest. This was not from exhaustion, but from exhilaration.

However, it was clear that the two misunderstood, or perhaps, they had already made their calculations during the previous beating, and now felt the time was right.

Three incense sticks, burning above their heads, allowed them to stand perfectly straight.

But to their shock, the White Crane seemed to have known what they were going to do. As soon as they stood up, they saw the White Crane, who had somehow already appeared right in front of them.

“You...”

“Incense...”

“Using incense to prolong a medium's possession is an old trick to me.”

The White Crane spread his arms, and a phantom trident materialized in the palm of each hand, which he plunged into them.

This pain targeted not the physical body, but the Yin God's very perception.

If the previous beating was merely humiliation, now it was genuine torture.

“You... Boy Spirit... what have you... become...”

“Who... are you... exactly...”

The White Crane declared loudly:

“I am now the First Protector True Lord under the Dragon King!”

The tridents multiplied, all piercing into them.

General Tiger and the Magistrate knew they couldn't win tonight and could only choose to leave their mediums' bodies.

But just then, talismanic needles flew from the White Crane's pocket and pierced their bodies.

General Tiger and the Magistrate, who were on the verge of leaving, were violently yanked back.

“Don't be in a hurry. It's just beginning. Why are you so eager to leave?”

Tan Wenbin stood with his hands in his pockets, the Blood Ape's power having long dissipated from him. Watching the White Crane tormenting the two Yin Gods was practically a replica of how Brother Xiaoyuan had tormented him back then.

“The Boy Spirit has grievances in his heart.”

Li Zhuiyuan sat down on a nearby bench, not watching the Yin Gods fight, but instead contemplating a way to enter the Ghost Gate.

Given the scale of the procession he witnessed tonight, it seemed that beneath the 'Nobleman,' there needed to be a sufficient number of ghostly retainers.

However, first, creating ghostly retainers was not something Li Zhuiyuan would do. Second, he didn't have the time or energy for it.

So he would choose the simpler method: the 'Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts' was happening very frequently now, so he would simply wait for the next one and directly swap places with a 'Nobleman'.

“I'm done!”

The White Crane True Lord tilted his head back and let out a loud cry.

Thankfully, Li Zhuiyuan had previously set up a simple formation here to mask the commotion. Otherwise, that single shout would have awakened everyone in the guesthouse.

The White Crane had only tormented them but had not prevented them from leaving, nor had he asked Brother Xiaoyuan to intervene. The grudges between them had not yet reached the point of life or death.

Taking a few steps towards the young man, the White Crane True Lord placed his left hand on his chest and knelt on one knee before him.

Following him, he had regained his merits, strength, reputation, and dignity.

Li Zhuiyuan remained seated, unmoving.

Only when the vertical pupils in the White Crane True Lord's eyes faded and Lin Shuyou's consciousness regained control of his body did Li Zhuiyuan stand up and move away.

Lin Shuyou approached the two unconscious mediums, wiped away their face paint, and saw their true faces.

“It's you...”

Tan Wenbin came closer and asked, “Relatives, or fellow disciples?”

“Neither. They’re not from the temple, Brother Bin. I remember telling you that our Official Generals have a temple that isn't open to worshipers.”

“I remember you were sent there to cultivate for a period when you were young.”

“These two are from that temple.”

“Oh, I see.” Tan Wenbin looked at Li Zhuiyuan, “Brother Xiaoyuan, I'll interrogate these two. After the interrogation, should I send them to the hospital?”

“Yes, hurry up, don't delay the meeting.”

“Alright.”

Tan Wenbin now controlled four spirit beasts, corresponding to the five senses, giving him a unique advantage in interrogation.

“A-You, come, carry them and throw them into the Imperial Prison!”

“Imperial Prison?”

“Find a secluded place.”

“Understood!”

Li Zhuiyuan returned to his room, took a quick shower, then napped for a bit. When it was time, he went to the conference room.

Breakfast was laid out at the conference room entrance. Attendees took what they wanted, sat down, and ate while listening.

Li Zhuiyuan arrived on time, but the meeting had already begun. Old Zhai and Luo Tingrui were discussing things, holding their respective materials, while a crowd gathered around, listening and occasionally interjecting.

It was clear that Engineer Luo and Old Zhai hadn't slept a wink last night. The materials in their hands had all been compiled overnight based on yesterday's meeting.

Xue Liangliang handed Li Zhuiyuan a freshly peeled egg and said:

“In most industries, reaching the very top might not be about intellect, but physical stamina.”

Li Zhuiyuan took a bite of the egg, looked at Xue Liangliang, and nodded.

Xue Liangliang had no fear when it to physical stamina.

With most people present, the meeting officially began, and Xue Liangliang and Zheng Hua went to the front to give their presentations.

Just then, Tan Wenbin and Lin Shuyou also arrived.

After handing a note to Li Zhuiyuan, one picked up a pen and started taking meeting minutes, while the other naturally began refilling tea and pouring water.

The conference room was quite informal, with everyone sitting askew and almost all smoking. However, the meeting was of a very high level, and service staff from the hospitality unit were not permitted to enter. Thus, being able to perform miscellaneous tasks like pouring water here was considered a good opportunity, as not only the two people at the head of the table were prominent figures; the large group seated below them also represented connections difficult to access on an ordinary day.

Of course, if a reporter with a camera needed to come in to film promotional material, this scene would certainly not be what they found.

Throughout the presentation, Xue Liangliang's performance clearly outshone Zheng Hua, who was much older and more senior than him. Xue Liangliang could speak and answer questions from the audience simultaneously. In the same situation, Zheng Hua had to consult his mentor.

Every industry has its internal factions; if it didn't, that would be truly bizarre.

Everyone present understood that it was not surprising for Luo Tingrui to overshadow Old Zhai as a rising star. Moreover, this suppression wasn't temporary; he genuinely had a successor behind him.

During the lunch break, Zheng Hua held his boxed meal, eating rather dispiritedly. In the afternoon, he and Xue Liangliang would have to continue presenting. The two mentors were mentally fatigued and couldn't keep lecturing, so they had to take over.

Old Zhai put a chicken drumstick from his own lunchbox onto his disciple's plate and smiled:

“Broaden your mind. The future of construction is grand and vast; it can accommodate not only you and him but also thousands upon thousands of others like you.”

“Mentor, I wasn't thinking that much. I just feel I've disgraced you.”

“Disgrace? I never intended to compete, nor did that person. Winning and losing are just things outsiders gossip about; they mean nothing.”

On the other side, Tan Wenbin ate with chopsticks in his left hand while continuing to organize notes with a pen in his right. After distributing the boxed meals, Lin Shuyou finally managed to sit down and rest.

Xue Liangliang then walked over and called both of them up.

Luo Tingrui, holding his boxed meal, sat down beside Li Zhuiyuan.

“Any thoughts?”

“Mentor, it was very rewarding and inspiring.”

“Mm-hmm.” Luo Tingrui nodded in satisfaction. “The technical difficulty of large-scale projects is often not the primary concern. Livelihoods, safety, and long-term impacts are also paramount. Outsiders tend to make the mistake of anti-professionalism, while we insiders tend to make the mistake of sole-professionalism.”

“Yes, I've noted that.”

Xue Liangliang led Lin Shuyou and Tan Wenbin to greet and get acquainted with others. Some things were not appropriate for the mentors to do, so he had to handle them.

Otherwise, if they only did clerical work and poured water, that wouldn't be called training.

The afternoon meeting had far fewer arguments and moved at a fast pace. By dusk, it adjourned directly, with no more all-nighters.

Three days later, there would be another major conference with many distinguished attendees. A formal report was to be presented, and everyone unanimously nominated Luo Tingrui to deliver it.

Luo Tingrui treated everyone. Besides his four students, he also invited Old Zhai and his students to a long-established local hotpot restaurant.

After dinner, everyone strolled casually around Ghost Street.

When they came across a fan shop, seeing the exquisite fan designs and fine craftsmanship, Luo Tingrui suggested buying one for each of the young people, purely as a souvenir.

However, there weren't enough of the chosen fans for everyone, so Luo Tingrui only bought them for Old Zhai's students, asking the shop owner to engrave their respective surnames on them, wishing them a bright future.

Old Zhai didn't refuse, allowing them to accept. Later, when they passed a jade shop, Old Zhai bought each of Luo Tingrui's students a jade pendant and personally hung them around their necks, wishing them to be as noble as jade.

The jade wasn't high-quality material, and it wasn't expensive even with processing fees. If it had been truly valuable or high-priced, the young people wouldn't have dared to accept it, even if Old Zhai had been willing to give it.

Not intending to explore everything, everyone prepared to head back.

Li Zhuiyuan asked Lin Shuyou to accompany the others back to the guesthouse first, while he and Tan Wenbin separated from the main group.

The clamor of the night market was nearing its end; half the shops on Ghost Street were already closed, and the remaining half were preparing to close.

Li Zhuiyuan walked not up Ghost Street, but down.

The reason those two mediums came to Fengdu held little value. They had come based on "clues" to eliminate Old Zhai, who they believed was possessed by an evil spirit. From their perspective, they were ridding the people of harm.

As they walked, Tan Wenbin smiled.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't ask why he was smiling at first, but after walking a further distance downwards, he finally asked:

“Brother Bin, what are you smiling about?”

“A-You told me about last night's events during the day. He asked me why Brother Xiaoyuan wasn't willing to help that shop owner.

I told him, if Brother Xiaoyuan helped so easily, wouldn't all the hardship you endured at the beginning have been in vain?”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Heh.”

Tan Wenbin: “Brother Xiaoyuan, your reluctant cooperation with me is quite amusing.”

Li Zhuiyuan: “I'm trying.”

Tan Wenbin: “I can feel it, and indeed, you've succeeded.”

Li Zhuiyuan stopped, as they had reached the lowest pier, a very spacious one.

The last time Li Zhuiyuan left Fengdu, he had taken a boat from here.

Now, standing on the steps, looking out at the distant river, several boats were sailing there.

In a trance, it seemed as if a young man also stood at the stern of one of the boats.

His past self, departing, looked back and saw his present self, already returned to Fengdu.

Li Zhuiyuan didn't believe in such a sense of fated entanglement, but he had to admit, it truly fit the atmosphere.

The pier only had cargo and passenger boats, no pleasure craft. Tan Wenbin found a small boat, negotiated a price with the owner, and asked him to take them for a ride on the river.

The engine roared, spewing black smoke that was somewhat choking.

Li Zhuiyuan squatted at the stern, his gaze fixed on the river below.

The Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts coming to Fengdu must have traveled by water.

Swapping places after they came ashore was clearly unrealistic; it would be best to do so before they landed.

Tan Wenbin chatted with the boat owner, who said that last night, there had been another heavy fog. While fog wasn't unheard of here, it was never so dense or long-lasting before. In the past six months, such heavy fogs had become increasingly frequent.

“Plop!”

Boat owner: “I'll stop the boat. Quickly go check if that's your nephew!”

Tan Wenbin immediately ran to the stern. Indeed, Brother Xiaoyuan's figure was gone. Tan Wenbin licked his lips and called out:

“He's still there. It's fine, keep going.”

Li Zhuiyuan jumped into the river.

Usually, at such times, the young man preferred to lie on Run Sheng's back because Run Sheng was a better swimmer. However, for a normal person, Li Zhuiyuan's current swimming skills were already exceptionally good.

Although he hadn't practiced martial arts, he had already mastered the breathing techniques of the 'Qin Clan's Dragon-Gazing Method.' After entering the water, he quickly adapted.

His body slowly sank, eventually touching the bottom and stirring up some mud.

He turned, first facing the pier, then adjusted his current position according to the line of Ghost Street.

The underwater environment was complex, making it easy to lose one's sense of direction. Fortunately, none of this was a problem for the young man.

After determining his position, Li Zhuiyuan moved outward.

Gradually, he perceived a distinct sense of obstruction before him, different from the surrounding water.

The young man's palm explored it, quickly grasping its rhythm. Then, with a flick of his arm, he tore open an invisible opening.

Stepping inside, he found two towering pillars, with chains extending from them, forming a thick layer on the riverbed.

On land, these chains would likely be used to tie up livestock or slaves. But here, they were probably for tying up ghosts.

Black stone chairs and tables were arranged on both sides, empty and exceptionally smooth from prolonged use by ghosts, their color deeply stained by ghostly aura.

Now, it wasn't yet time. When this place truly became lively, Li Zhuiyuan could imagine both sides filled with solemn Yin guards, and groups of ghosts from all over arriving to pay respects, "descending from their sedan chairs" here, awaiting approval to go ashore, pass through Ghost Street, enter the Ghost Gate, and thus proceed to Fengdu in its true sense.

There didn't seem to be any problems here.

The jade pendant hanging from his waist clothing detached at this moment, slowly swayed down, and fell among a pile of shackles on the ground.

Li Zhuiyuan bent down, pushing aside the shackles, intending to retrieve it.

But even after pushing aside one layer, he still couldn't see the jade pendant. The deeper he pushed, the more he noticed a different texture in the shackles, and a faint warmth.

At this point, the thought of finding the jade pendant faded, and the young man focused on "excavating."

He had previously thought it was just one layer, but in reality, it was truly bottomless.

Because Li Zhuiyuan had previously estimated based on the number of chains extending from the pillars, but in fact, there must have been countless shackles broken and discarded here over unknown ages.

It was highly likely that beneath his feet was actually a deep pit completely filled with shackles.

The jade pendant had fallen all the way down through the crevices; by himself, he would most likely not be able to retrieve it, unless Brother Run Sheng came down to forcibly dig it out.

Indeed, the shackles deeper down were hotter; they were already somewhat scalding now. But Li Zhuiyuan decided to give up for the moment and surface to get some air.

He kicked his legs, intending to leave the water.

But just as the young man's body began to float upward, the central part of the shackle pile below, which had only a small indentation, began to rapidly collapse and slide away.

When the young man looked down, he saw a double-faced Buddha statue deeply buried beneath the shackles.

One face was solemnly dignified, with eyes like a furious Vajra; the other was sorrowful, showing compassionate salvation.

This was a Bodhisattva.

It sat here, hidden here, waiting here.

Suddenly, Li Zhuiyuan's thoughts became perfectly clear.

When a knife is wielded, it's hard for the knife to distinguish whether it's its own initiative or someone holding the hilt and driving it.

But now, the young man realized that the moment he conceived the idea of swapping places to enter the Ghost Gate, the Bodhisattva was already waiting at the starting point.

Li Zhuiyuan:

“So, you wanted to follow me into the Ghost Gate!”

“Yellow wine, plenty of it. I originally wanted to buy Erguotou, but I figured you wouldn't be used to it. The cooked dishes I bought on the way tasted good; I ate them while driving, and accidentally finished them all. But no worries, I still have a big bag of pickled mustard greens left. We'll make do with pickled mustard greens and wine.”

Zhao Yi first took a sip himself, then poured a mouthful onto the ground opposite him, picked up a few shreds of pickled mustard greens, and crunched them loudly.

This was where the three incense sticks had burned that day, and also above the tomb owner's burial site.

Following Li Zhuiyuan's request, Zhao Yi returned here to reconnect with his childhood friend, whom he had never actually met.

After several rounds of drinks and enjoying the savory pickled greens.

Zhao Yi sniffed, pretending to be very drunk, and said:

“Buddy, the wind is strong tonight, I'm shivering from the cold. It should be warmer down there, come on, let me squeeze in with you.”

With that, Zhao Yi grabbed the Yellow River shovel beside him and began digging at the location of the tomb raider's tunnel.

He kept digging until he broke through.

Although digging a tomb raider's tunnel was not difficult for Zhao Yi, breaking through so quickly was not actually his doing.

Because the tomb raider's tunnel, which he had personally witnessed being completely refilled and tamped down after the seal... was already empty below.

This meant that for some time, someone had been stirring and pushing upwards from below, attempting to re-emerge.

Normally, this would be impossible, as the seal was placed by a Bodhisattva. If the seal had broken after a hundred years and caused anomalies, that would be understandable. But who would believe that a Bodhisattva's seal could only last a few days?

“Oh dear... It seems you wanted to see me too, buddy. Afraid I'd struggle digging alone, you gave me a lot of help.”

Zhao Yi took a deep breath. The person named Li had only told him to return; everything else was up to him. But since he was already here, he couldn't just foolishly sit outside. He wasn't actually here for a picnic or camping.

Dispelling distracting thoughts, Zhao Yi still crawled into the tomb raider's tunnel, sliding in segment by segment like an earthworm.

After estimating he had slid down quite a distance, he surprisingly saw light below.

Nowadays, many famous tombs have been developed into tourist attractions. When visiting these sites, one can observe the technical prowess of generations of tomb raiders.

Some tomb raiders dug very haphazard tunnels, while others could dig directly above the main burial chamber's coffin, allowing for face-to-face interaction with the tomb owner upon descent.

This particular tunnel had originally been dug by the tomb owner himself, so it naturally led directly above the main burial chamber.

When Zhao Yi poked his head out, the tomb owner, who should have been bound and sealed by countless chains, was instead sitting at a stone table. Four sets of wine utensils were on the table, and besides him, three figures—red, white, and black—were seated there.

How did this look anything like being sealed?

The tomb owner raised his head, meeting Zhao Yi's gaze from above.

Zhao Yi saw two lines of clear tears stream from the corners of the tomb owner's eyes. His lips moved, speaking silently. Through lip-reading, Zhao Yi "heard" him say:

“Go quickly... run quickly... escape quickly!”

Inside the tent at the bottom of the steep slope, Liang Yan and Liang Li were playing with throwing knives. The target was a specially carved, proportionally reduced human figure. Although uncolored, it clearly resembled Zhao Yi's expression.

Liang Li flicked a pebble with her fingertip, and the pebble struck a throwing knife lying on the ground, sending the knife flying directly into a vital spot on "Zhao Yi."

Liang Yan: “You can't stab there.”

Liang Li: “It's just a dummy, anyway.”

Liang Yan: “I'll put it away. When he gets back, I'll show it to him and tell him you stabbed it. Then, when you need to use him, he won't be able to move.”

Liang Li: “Your man is really fragile.”

Liang Yan: “Yes, that's right, he's my man.”

Liang Li: “Why aren't you bouncing back?”

Liang Yan: “I accept.”

Liang Li: “Shameless.”

Liang Yan flicked her fingertip, sending a pebble flying. It struck a throwing knife, which then shot out, knocking the knife Liang Li had embedded in "Zhao Yi" out of the tent.

Liang Li glared at her sister, then got up to retrieve the knife that had been knocked out of the tent.

A short while later, Liang Li's voice came from outside the tent:

“Sis, something's happened.”

Liang Yan lifted the tent flap and stepped out.

Their tent faced Yin Meng's grave mound.

But quietly, Yin Meng's grave had collapsed over a large area. This shouldn't have happened, as the young man had set up a formation around the grave mound.

Puffs of black mist overflowed from within the grave. Although the formation hadn't prevented the grave's collapse, it had contained the black mist inside.

Liang Li: “Sis, she was still alive when she was buried, right?”

Liang Yan: “Yes, she was.”

Liang Li: “Can a living person... also reanimate?”

Liang Yan: “What you should be thinking about is how to explain to that person that we were only playing games inside and didn't keep a proper watch, causing problems.”

“Swoosh!”

A hand emerged from the sunken grave, its fingernails extraordinarily long and ink-black.

The moment it appeared, the formation was torn apart and burst open, and terrifying ghostly energy began to surge forth unrestrainedly.

A powerful ghost miasma instantly formed, completely enveloping a large area, including the Liang sisters.

Liang Li:

“Sis, I think what we should be considering is, will we even be alive to go back and explain?”