Chapter 290

Liang Yan propped herself up with her left arm, her left hand constantly making calculations with her fingers. Liang Li held a dagger in her right hand, its tip adjusting in sync with her sister's computations.

The sisters worked together seamlessly, as they always had, trying to find a weakness in the ghostly miasma.

Once a weakness was found, the dagger would dart forward, tearing an opening, and the sisters would be able to escape.

Their task was merely to guard the tomb from external damage. Any internal anomalies were not their concern, and since Zhao Yi wasn't there, they had no reason to risk their lives.

Soon, Liang Yan's brows furrowed deeply. "It's changing, and very fast."

Liang Li's expression also grew solemn.

A changing ghostly miasma indicated it was being controlled by someone, clearly the entity about to emerge from the tomb.

When the formation had been blasted open earlier, a large quantity of tarpaulin plastic had scattered. Now, as the tomb's soil continued to sink, the figure standing within became increasingly clear.

Yin Meng slowly raised her head. Black patterns continuously extended from her forehead, almost covering her entire body. Her eye sockets were filled with rolling, flowing gray haze.

Liang Li: "This is absurd. Is this a bloodline awakening?"

Liang Yan: "The boss said that even though her surname is Yin, after two thousand years, what kind of bloodline could withstand such dilution? Besides, her talent is extremely poor. The only reason she's reached this point is because 'that one' generously shared merit and helped her plan her path."

Liang Li: "Then what's happening now?"

Liang Yan: "I don't know."

Liang Li: "Why won't she let us go?"

Liang Yan: "I don't know."

Liang Li: "Whose man is the boss?"

Liang Yan: "Mine."

Liang Li: "Hmph."

The brief banter was merely to ease the current tension. The sisters lowered their centers of gravity, preparing for battle. They wanted to flee, but the opponent's enclosed miasma clearly indicated they were not meant to leave.

Yin Meng, who had originally raised her arm, slowly lowered it, pointing at them.

The sisters immediately split, moving to either side, away from their original positions.

From where they had stood, eight thick arms burst from the ground, constantly waving and clawing.

But this was only the beginning. As soon as the sisters stopped, arms materialized from all directions around them and above their heads, continuing to grasp at them.

Liang Li continuously swung her dagger, slicing off arms that fell to the ground, only for new ones to immediately grow back.

Liang Yan drew her soft sword, creating a curtain of blades around herself. Any arm that touched it was instantly pulverized, yet they continued to emerge endlessly.

While there was no immediate mortal threat, prolonged exposure could wear them down, like ants biting an elephant to death. Moreover, their current condition was already poor, otherwise they wouldn't have been assigned to guard the tomb in the first place.

The sisters exchanged glances from a distance.

The next moment,

Liang Yan bit the tip of her tongue, spitting out vital blood. The curtain of cold light around her sword turned red, effortlessly breaking through the barrier of arms in front of her. Then, she slammed her right hand onto the hilt, sending the soft sword flying towards Yin Meng like a streak of white silk.

Liang Li's two daggers slashed her own arms. After being drenched in blood, she first swung them in front of her, creating continuous cutting sounds that briefly cleared the arms ahead. Immediately afterward, she hurled both daggers, sending them to join her sister's soft sword, collectively launching an assault on Yin Meng.

They didn't aim to kill or even severely wound the opponent, only to distract her and weaken her control over the ghostly miasma, giving them a chance to escape.

After their combined attack, Liang Yan joined her right index and middle fingers, passing them before her eyes to quickly observe the changes in the surrounding miasma. Liang Li, meanwhile, drew another dagger from her sleeve, plunging its tip into her palm to imbue it with warmth, waiting only for her sister to determine the attack direction.

However, Liang Yan's expression drastically changed, and she shouted, "Dodge!"

Liang Li instinctively shifted sideways, but a soft sword still pierced her right shoulder. The immense force behind it caused her to lose balance and fall to the ground.

As Liang Yan issued the warning, she also tried to dodge, but two daggers still struck her chest. She only managed to grip the hilt ends with both hands, trying her best to mitigate the force, but she was still sent flying backward.

"Thump!"

Everything shattered.

The sisters awoke as if from a dream. All the countless arms around them had vanished, as if everything that had just happened was an illusion.

But the truth was, the elder sister held a soft sword, which had pierced the younger sister, while the younger sister gripped daggers that had impaled the elder sister.

Was it an illusion?

Both sisters' eyes widened in horror.

Although their physical condition was poor, their consciousness had not been significantly affected. What level of terrifying illusion could have struck them instantly, leaving them no room to resist?

Once unleashed, such an illusion was virtually unsolvable. Even if they were lucky enough not to self-harm within the illusion, that moment of distraction would be enough to get them killed many times over in reality.

Yin Meng lifted her foot, stepping out of the grave pit.

"Thud..."

"Thud..."

The sisters decisively pulled their respective weapons from each other's bodies. Ignoring the need to stop the bleeding or check their wounds, they immediately prepared for their last resort. Since escape was hopeless, they would fight to the death. When one's life was inevitably forfeit, it was no longer worth cherishing.

"Rip..."

Just then, the ghostly miasma was torn open from the outside.

Killing intent permeated Run Sheng's body, and veins bulged visibly on his neck.

On the truck, when Zhao Yi asked him not to watch the sisters die, Run Sheng had agreed.

However, Zhao Yi knew very well that among Li's entire team, the only truly good person was Lin Shuyou.

Run Sheng used all his strength to tear open the barrier and enter, not primarily to save the sisters, but because he knew that when the true Yin Meng awakened, she would not like what he was about to do.

With a chance at life before them, the sisters instantly shed their resolve to die. They immediately sprinted towards Run Sheng, escaping through the rift in the ghostly miasma that he held open.

Yin Meng's arm shifted sideways, her finger pointing at Run Sheng.

Just like before, the same illusion was cast upon Run Sheng.

Immediately, Yin Meng walked towards that spot. Her steps were slow, but her speed was astonishingly fast, much like Lin Shuyou's 'Three Step Praises,' but even more spectral.

In two blinks, Yin Meng was in front of Run Sheng, and she raised her hand again towards the sisters, who had already escaped the miasma and were still fleeing.

Yin Meng didn't show a desire to kill the sisters, but she showed a necessity to kill them. She likely needed something.

"Clang."

The shovel came down, not aimed at Yin Meng's head, but her shoulder. If it hit successfully, Yin Meng would lose an arm, and a large chunk of flesh from her chest side and outer thigh would also be severed.

Not fatal, but disabling.

Run Sheng was unwilling to kill her, but he could accept her being crippled.

In any case, Run Sheng didn't mind; he could support her. This was a very rational form of 'woman's compassion.'

Just before the shovel landed, Yin Meng dodged. She didn't seem to move herself; it was more as if an invisible hand had forcefully pulled her away.

Just as when she first emerged from the tomb, she had extended a hand first. Looking back now, it was as if someone had pulled her out of the tomb.

Missing with one shovel strike, Run Sheng was not discouraged. He continued with another sweeping strike.

The height of the sweep was lowered, not to bisect her at the waist, but merely to dismember.

Yin Meng retreated again, still with that jarring posture. The force wasn't coming from within her.

Run Sheng twisted his neck, producing a series of cracking sounds.

The illusion that had so shocked the Liang sisters seemed to have had no effect whatsoever on Run Sheng.

This was indeed the case, because Run Sheng could operate without using his brain.

When you don't use your brain, all "sweet talk" or trickery becomes ineffective.

All of this stemmed from the 'dream ghost wave.' In that dream, Run Sheng had lost everything, yet when his Qi-gates were fully open in the dream, he didn't harm Xiao Yuan.

After that incident, Run Sheng grew increasingly convinced of the value of "not using one's brain."

He not only pondered it himself but also shared his insights with Yin Meng, often advising her not to use her brain either.

Foolish people have their unique understanding of the world, but no matter the method, as long as you understand deeply, it becomes an entirely different interpretation of the world.

Moreover, Run Sheng truly wasn't foolish.

Previously, Zhao Yi had, at great cost, created a puppet of "Li Zhuiyuan," deceiving everyone except Run Sheng.

Within the ghostly miasma set by the Judge, Run Sheng had stood early at the spot where Xiao Yuan, from outside the miasma, was about to enter.

Afterward, everyone else believed it was Run Sheng's unique bond with Xiao Yuan, similar to telepathy.

But there was also a possibility: that the current Run Sheng was increasingly able to see through illusions.

Of course, it wasn't surprising that others hadn't noticed, because even Run Sheng himself didn't know he possessed this ability.

A simple mind is also a form of clarity.

The shovel swung out again. Run Sheng didn't know what changes had occurred in Yin Meng, he only knew that the figure before him was not Yin Meng.

However, several consecutive attacks missed their mark. Her speed was so fast that no matter how much Run Sheng unleashed his power, he couldn't touch her.

The situation quickly devolved into this dynamic stalemate.

Yin Meng was currently very powerful; a single glance earlier had nearly spelled doom for the sisters. Yet, she was helpless against Run Sheng right in front of her.

After a period of stalemate, Yin Meng stopped moving. Her mouth opened, as if to speak.

Run Sheng didn't want to hear her speak in her current state. He slammed his shovel down directly.

Her words were cut off, unspoken, but fresh blood sprayed from her mouth, instantly forming a blood mist. Countless symbols shimmered within the mist, enveloping Run Sheng.

Run Sheng's Qi-gates were continuously open, and he unavoidably absorbed the blood mist.

"Bang!" "Bang!" "Bang!"

A dense series of popping sounds emanated from Run Sheng's body. Run Sheng couldn't help but retreat, but the expected explosion of his body didn't occur. Instead, only small holes appeared on his body, from which killing intent surged out.

When Uncle Qin first taught Run Sheng the "Qin Family's Dragon Gazing Method," it was a crooked path tailored specifically for him. The subsequent madness at the True Lord Temple at the bottom of the sea, combined with the nourishment under the peach forest, made this crooked path increasingly inconceivable.

This technique was only suitable for Run Sheng; no one else could practice it, making it non-inheritable.

In Zhao Yi's words, unless you possessed absolute power to crush him, he would remain standing there, the strongest barrier in his teammates' eyes, and utterly disgusting in his enemies' eyes.

When the three incense sticks incident occurred, the tomb owner who had possessed a body then had the ability to instantly explode everyone present, including Run Sheng.

That was because the quality of the tomb owner's body was paramount; it allowed the puppeteer behind the scenes to exert their power to a greater extent.

But Yin Meng... her talent was truly too poor.

If Yin Meng's talent hadn't been so poor, if she were just normal, Run Sheng might not even be able to stand right now.

Even though the mark-casting spell she just unleashed with her blood did cause considerable damage to Run Sheng, if she continued to expend blood like that, Yin Meng would undoubtedly collapse first.

The surrounding ghostly miasma began to twist violently, and a chilling wind howled continuously, as if venting some kind of anger.

At this moment, Yin Meng raised her hand, and the ghostly miasma instantly became much fainter. Demonic energy began to overflow and spread outwards.

No matter how remote this place was, it was still within the town, and there were many residents nearby.

The spreading demonic energy, upon contact with living people, could not only kill them but also seize their souls, transforming them into walking corpses.

Yin Meng faced Run Sheng, her palm slightly swaying, as if threatening Run Sheng with the lives of the entire town's ordinary people.

Meaning, if he kept clinging to her, then this town...

"Thwack!"

Yin Meng's upper body was behind her lower body. She again avoided Run Sheng's shovel with a forceful pull, and where she had stood, Run Sheng's strike had created a crater, turning the stones into powder.

Run Sheng, with his actions, disregarded the threat.

He couldn't understand the threat, nor did he want to try.

The demonic energy ultimately did not spread out but retracted. It wasn't mercy, but rather that harming the nearby ordinary people would only result in meaningless self-consumption.

Run Sheng continued to attack, knowing he couldn't land a hit, but still not stopping.

At least, no one should be idle.

The Liang sisters, who had already escaped, had just stopped their bleeding. Now, their already poor condition was made even worse.

Liang Li: "Sister, you really hit hard. You almost cut me in half."

Liang Yan: "Were you gentle? Just a little more, and my future children would have had to rely on you to nurse them."

Liang Li: "I truly don't understand why she's so determined to kill us."

Liang Yan: "There must be a compelling reason for her to kill us."

At this moment, two figures appeared on a nearby slope: a man and a woman, their faces deathly pale, standing there like two withered trees.

Liang Li: "Who are they?"

Liang Yan: "I don't know them."

The sisters had never seen them and didn't know that it was precisely because of those two that they had been awakened and moved from the truck earlier by 'that one,' to avoid being discovered by those searching.

Qian Ying and Wu Lan, who should have been lying in the county hospital morgue, were now here.

The two slowly turned, facing the ghostly miasma.

They took steps, beginning to advance.

Wisps of eerie green flames seeped from the corners of their eyes, their nostrils, and their ears, encircling their bodies.

Above, the sky, which had only cleared a few days after continuous heavy rain, once again turned gloomy.

They reached the ghostly miasma. The flames on their bodies devoured the demonic energy blocking their path, acting as a highly effective accelerant.

Immediately, the entire ghostly miasma was tinged a deep, luminous green.

"Aaaaaahhhh!!!"

Inside the miasma, Yin Meng, still entangled with Run Sheng, suddenly tilted her head back and let out a painful shriek.

The ghostly miasma, stripped of its control, opened two gaps, and Qian Ying and Wu Lan walked in.

They were already dead, so they showed no expression, remaining indifferent even as their bodies were enveloped in flames.

When directly confronting Yin Meng, Qian Ying and Wu Lan accelerated, pouncing towards her.

Yin Meng was forcefully pulled away again to dodge. But this time, Qian Ying and Wu Lan displayed a similar scene; they too seemed to be pulled by an external force, moving in the same manner as Yin Meng.

Furthermore, perhaps because they were already dead and had nothing to lose, they were pulled more fiercely and moved faster.

Qian Ying and Wu Lan collided with Yin Meng, and the green flames on their bodies transferred onto her.

Yin Meng roared in pain again, and the positions of all three were completely fixed.

Qian Ying and Wu Lan were like two green pillars, firmly pinning Yin Meng down.

As the flames burned, the gray haze in Yin Meng's eye sockets receded, but what was revealed was not Yin Meng's own gaze; instead, it shimmered with golden light.

Yin Meng's face also alternated, at times solemn, at times twisted, constantly shifting.

Thanks to the alteration of the ghostly miasma, the Liang sisters, who were outside, could now clearly see what was happening inside.

Liang Yan: "I know why she wanted to kill us first."

Liang Li: "If she hadn't tried to kill us first, once she was pinned like that, we might have been able to kill her."

The Liang sisters still used "might" here. Their hesitation stemmed from the fact that even with Yin Meng's transformation, they had to consider the potential repercussions of unilaterally killing 'that one's' subordinate.

Run Sheng, however, did not hesitate.

He raised his shovel, thinking about how to cripple Yin Meng as much as possible while preserving her life, crippling her to the point where no matter who was controlling her, they couldn't use her anymore.

Because only by rendering her useless could her life be saved.

However, even though Run Sheng didn't hesitate and raised his shovel the moment Yin Meng was pinned down,

the anomaly still occurred.

Qian Ying and Wu Lan's bodies were already burning, and this combustion had a time limit; it couldn't last indefinitely.

But while Wu Lan's flames continued to burn normally, Qian Ying's flames gradually died down, and her body rapidly disintegrated and collapsed.

When the two had been possessed by evil spirits and descended the mountain to the town, it was Li Zhuiyuan who had suppressed and killed the evil spirits.

In that process, Li Zhuiyuan had used a secret art from the Black Leather Book on Qian Ying, who was trying to escape. This made Qian Ying stop fleeing and instead actively rush towards him, sliding into a kneel and pressing her forehead onto the compass Li Zhuiyuan had already placed there.

The Black Leather Book's secret art was a re-collection and utilization of the spirit within a body, and also a form of consumption. The later developed Nuo Opera puppetry, based on this, caused the body it was cast upon to immediately turn into decaying fluid after use.

In other words, Qian Ying's remains had been hollowed out beforehand.

While this hollowing out had no impact on normal funeral procedures, such as allowing her parents to see her one last time, it was not suitable for use as a backup plan or for any subsequent operations.

The pincer grip from both sides, due to one side collapsing, gave Yin Meng an opportunity.

The surrounding demonic energy surged wildly into Wu Lan's body, intensifying his burning. Yin Meng also let out an even more desperate shriek, but at the same time, she continuously spat out three mouthfuls of blood mist, repelling Run Sheng, who was raising his shovel, once again.

After actively paying such a huge price, Yin Meng became completely listless. Wu Lan could not sustain it alone; the excessively vigorous flames accelerated his dissipation, and the restraint disappeared.

Freed, Yin Meng's body fell backward like a puppet, being pulled out. Her feet were almost off the ground, and her legs swayed weakly.

The reason she had previously enveloped herself in the ghostly miasma was because she knew Qian Ying and Wu Lan were already nearby; the tomb guardians had never just been the Liang sisters.

Now that the greatest threat was removed, Yin Meng chose to leave, heading west, but her speed was noticeably much slower than before.

A series of small holes appeared on Run Sheng's body again, and the disturbance of his killing intent significantly intensified. However, he didn't stop to check his injuries. Instead, he picked up his shovel, faced the direction Yin Meng had left... and opened all his Qi-gates!

Earlier within the ghostly miasma, even with his Qi-gates fully open, Run Sheng couldn't catch up to Yin Meng's speed then. Now, he could, but it was his only chance.

As if sensing the change in Run Sheng's aura, the opponent's speed, which had decreased, picked up again, no longer considering whether Yin Meng's current physical condition could endure it.

During his sprint, Run Sheng pressed a buckle with his fingertip. With a flick of the Yellow River Shovel, the shovel head instantly detached, leaving only a stick.

This stick came from the peach forest.

Exerting all his might, Run Sheng appeared behind Yin Meng. He lifted the peach wood stick with his right hand and wrapped his left arm around Yin Meng's body.

Invisibly, a powerful force assailed Run Sheng, attempting to pull him and Yin Meng apart.

Just as they were about to separate, Run Sheng's right hand pointed the peach wood stick at Yin Meng and plunged it down.

"Thud!"

The wooden stick first pierced Yin Meng's body, then penetrated Run Sheng's. Just like that, the two were impaled together by a single peach wood stick.

The demonic energy on Yin Meng's body and the killing intent on Run Sheng's body reacted violently. The peach wood stick, which had pierced both their bodies, quickly turned black and emitted sparks, as if it were being burned.

And that invisible force, previously so powerful, now gradually disappeared.

Run Sheng lifted both arms, using his last bit of strength to embrace Yin Meng in front of him.

Immediately after, both lost their balance and tumbled together down the cliff below.

Liang Yan: "I'll go save them!"

Liang Li: "I'll inform the boss about what happened here."

"Ah..."

The boss was having his neck squeezed by the tomb owner, pinned against the tomb wall.

More terrifying than suffocation was the dreadful pressure, threatening to crush his neck.

Yet, from Zhao Yi's perspective, the person strangling him wore an expression of guilt, and tears of heartbreak streamed from their eyes.

In fact, if the tomb owner hadn't been exerting immense self-restraint, Zhao Yi's neck would have snapped long ago, without a doubt or pain.

Three light figures continuously intertwined behind the tomb owner, forming an extremely eerie and harmonious resonance with the solemn mark on the tomb owner's brow.

What should have been sealed was now free, and the power that should have sealed Them began to actively embrace Them. Clearly, a new round of reconciliation had been reached.

"Li, this is truly unplayable..."

Zhao Yi truly didn't know how he could possibly withstand this lineup. The only reason he was still alive was due to the tomb owner's "childhood friend affection" for him, but the tomb owner couldn't hold on for much longer.

"Li, I told you long ago not to act on your own. You didn't listen, and now look, I'm going to be played to death by you..."

In his mind, Zhao Yi was furiously venting at Li Zhuiyuan, but on his face, besides the necessary pain, he displayed understanding, sympathy, approval, and comfort for the tomb owner, making his gaze as gentle as possible, as if telling the tomb owner, "I understand you, this isn't your fault, don't suffer anymore, just kill me, it's okay."

Only by doing so could he deepen the tomb owner's guilt, prompting him to continue resisting and allowing Zhao Yi to live for a few more moments.

Such was human nature; even facing an overwhelming situation, Zhao Yi would seize every chance to survive.

But today, he didn't know how to break the stalemate. He didn't even understand the purpose of his deliberate presence here—was it just to be killed?

Before coming, he had asked Li to describe the steps in more detail.

Li's response was: "Suit yourself."

It turned out this wasn't an expression of trust in his abilities, but rather Li himself didn't know what he should do.

Zhao Yi naturally knew that Li wouldn't specifically send him here to die.

He knew that Li's understanding of this 'wave' should be a level higher than his own, but only... not by much.

Li probably felt that this empty spot now needed a piece to be placed, though he wasn't clear about the exact role this piece would play.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

Two tremors shattered the oppressive atmosphere. The tomb walls on either side of the main chamber were breached, and two figures emerged from each.

One wore armor, his figure imposing, his face ashen, and his body covered in purple sealing talismans.

The other was luxuriously dressed, adorned with all his accessories, but his body was merely a skeleton, devoid of flesh.

Neither of these two were ordinary individuals.

When dealing with the three incense sticks here earlier, Zhao Yi had also discovered two extremely high-grade tombs beneath this auspicious burial ground.

At that time, he had subconsciously believed that the third incense stick would choose one of those two high-grade tombs, but Li insisted on relying on luck, choosing a small tomb in the middle instead.

Now, Zhao Yi finally realized that he had underestimated these two tombs; their specifications were far higher than he had anticipated.

Zhao Yi had been holding a purple talisman in his mouth. The entire Zhao family of Jiujiang only possessed three of them. When he had split from the family before lighting the lamp, he had wanted one, but the family elders were reluctant to give it, so he had to steal it himself.

Yet, this general was almost entirely covered in them. How grand a gesture was this?

As for the richly adorned skeleton, every piece of jade on its body clearly showed intricate internal patterns—these were carved formations integrated into the jade, solely for the purpose of suppressing it.

In the secular world, these two were, in a true sense, burying people alive with money.

"Hum!"

"Hum!"

All the purple sealing talismans on the general's body ignited and peeled off. All the jade stones on the richly adorned figure also shattered into powder. At the same time, both unbound themselves from all restraints.

In an instant, they arrived at the tomb owner's side. Each hoisted one of the tomb owner's arms, and the three parties fell into a wrestling stalemate.

As for Zhao Yi, who had thus escaped the chokehold and gotten fresh air, he wasn't even considered a party here, merely an expendable extra.

The tomb owner's face showed joy. Whether alive or dead, he had never been able to control his own destiny. But this time, through his own efforts, he had protected Zhao Yi.

A gentle look appeared in the tomb owner's eyes; he hoped Zhao Yi would leave quickly. If he escaped this place, he would live.

Zhao Yi rubbed his neck as he stood up, acting as if everything was under control, as if it were all light and easy.

Suddenly, the three stalemated figures trembled slightly. A terrifying force reverberated through the air, causing the tomb chamber to shake. Zhao Yi, impacted by the shock, fell back with a "thud."

"Sigh..."

Zhao Yi sighed inwardly.

This was what they called a battle among immortals; today, he truly witnessed it.

It was not just a clash of strength, but a deeply interwoven scheme, layer upon layer.

Clearly, although this 'wave' was propelled by the Bodhisattva, the Great Emperor was not unprepared.

He and Li were merely the thread used to connect all the hooks when both sides were locked in a power struggle.

Li genuinely didn't know what sending him here would achieve, but he was certain that the other party would have corresponding measures left behind here.

Since he was already here, he definitely had to do something.

Even the most powerful entities had now finally reached a balance, which gave Zhao Yi the chance to be the final straw.

This time, Zhao Yi got up very quickly.

"Accept me!"

Without hesitation, the 'Gate of Life and Death' spun rapidly. His finger pressed against the tomb owner's glabella.

After serving as Li's external brain so many times, Zhao Yi found that he had actually become proficient at it.

The tomb owner was very obedient and didn't guard against him, yet this entry of his consciousness still felt overly smooth and seamless to Zhao Yi.

Only after entering did he realize how great a risk he had taken.

It was like the ocean had been layered: the uppermost layer was a golden light; if his consciousness lingered there for even a moment longer, it might be assimilated.

The next layer consisted of three wildly raging colors; if he failed to exit in time, his consciousness was destined to be shredded.

Fortunately, he entered, reaching the deepest part, arriving amidst layers of mist. After pushing them aside, Zhao Yi saw "a pitch-black place."

"Rumble!"

Thunder sounded, illuminating the environment here.

Inside the dwelling, the tomb owner leaned against a pillar, sitting there blankly.

Zhao Yi walked in.

Strictly speaking, this was Zhao Yi's first meeting with the tomb owner. Their previous relationship was purely based on the memories Li had instilled in him...

At this thought, Zhao Yi suddenly realized that the reason he could enter so quickly and without incident was purely because Li had been here before and cleared the way.

He remembered that night, when Li had instructed the tomb owner to self-seal.

The tomb owner sat there despondently, then smiled upon seeing Zhao Yi.

"My name is Zhao Yi."

"I know."

"What's your name?"

"Su Luo."

"That name's unlucky. 'Su Luo' sounds like 'lose'."

The tomb owner tilted his head back, looking at the darkness above him.

In his life, whenever a nether-official tried to enter his body, his consciousness would be squeezed into this deepest, smallest corner. The darkness here was drawn by himself, for himself.

He didn't want to be found; he wanted to wrap himself tightly.

"Are you here to persuade me to cheer up again? 'That one' tried to persuade me once, but the effect didn't seem good, and the outcome was the same. It's almost impossible for you to motivate me now."

"You should leave, escape this place alive, instead of trying to do anything more."

"They are very powerful, very terrifying. All the nether-officials and underworld civil servants I encountered in life are simply incomparable to them."

"This isn't something I, or you, can even participate in."

"You've blocked all paths. How am I supposed to instigate you now?"

Zhao Yi sat down beside the tomb owner.

The tomb owner lowered his head and slowly said, "I just don't want you to make futile attempts and face inevitable disappointment."

Zhao Yi: "I could see what others were thinking from a young age."

Tomb owner: "I know. I've seen many things, about your childhood."

My childhood, many things.

Zhao Yi: Li, how much have you made up about me?

He had never sat down with Li to talk about his youth, so what the tomb owner saw was basically all fabricated by Li.

However, Zhao Yi trusted Li's ability to create a story that perfectly fit his persona, so there was no need to worry about being exposed.

Zhao Yi: "That's why I've found it difficult to trust others since I was young. Seeing too clearly often makes things too uninteresting."

Tomb owner: "Mm."

Zhao Yi: "You've helped me several times."

Tomb owner: "Have I?"

Zhao Yi: "Yes."

Tomb owner: "It's only right."

"Yes, it is," Zhao Yi said, reaching out to sling an arm around the tomb owner's shoulder and shaking him lightly. "Honestly, I'm good at this, but not really. There's a guy named Tan who's much better at handling things than me. If he were in my place, I'm sure he'd move you to tears, maybe even make you swear brotherhood right here."

Tomb owner: "Was his life also hard from a young age?"

Zhao Yi: "Not really. He lived a pretty happy life. Sometimes his mom would scold him, and his dad would hit him. When he grew up and took the imperial examination, he even met a child prodigy classmate who helped him review. After passing, his childhood sweetheart from the same village even confessed her feelings to him. He was a bit shy at first, but then he couldn't hold back anymore and embraced her."

Zhao Yi knew all about Tan Wenbin's experiences, having extracted them from Lin Shuyou.

The tomb owner listened, then fell silent, and then looked relieved. "What an enviable life."

Zhao Yi: "Indeed."

Tomb owner: "Last time, 'that one' came to me and told me your story to get me to rally and help him. So, what is your purpose now, telling me a story I can't empathize with?"

Zhao Yi: "It means I want to skip this step."

Tomb owner: "Skip?"

Zhao Yi: "Although my acting is quite good, I won't pretend with you. Su Luo, you've already helped me several times, so one more time won't hurt."

"It's not for you; just consider it for me. Giving should bring some kind of joy, so just be happy one more time."

Tomb owner: "..."

"Hahahahaha!"

Zhao Yi even laughed himself, thinking he was quite shameless.

What was even more shameless was that this shamelessness was something he deliberately cultivated.

He claimed to skip a step, but in reality, he was still taking that very step.

Because Zhao Yi knew that the tomb owner would fall for this trick.

Sure enough, the tomb owner nodded and replied, "Alright, I'll continue to help you."

His goal was achieved, but for some reason, Zhao Yi's heart sank.

He had felt this same sensation when the Liang sisters risked their lives for him last time.

It was truly strange; the further he walked this 'river' (path), the more he felt as if his original self was slowly being corrected.

Tomb owner: "I don't know many spells. 'That one' taught me one last time. What do you want to teach me?"

Zhao Yi: "The current situation is different from that night. One or two spells won't be enough."

Tomb owner: "Then there's nothing that can be done. I don't know those things."

Zhao Yi: "But I do."

Tomb owner: "Tell me what to do, and I'll follow."

Zhao Yi licked his lips and spoke:

"Su Luo, be my puppet."

"Okay."

No hesitation, no delay; he gave the answer directly.

Zhao Yi knew why the tomb owner agreed so readily: because throughout his life, he had always been a puppet whose life was not his own. Now, it was merely one more time.

Putting aside distracting thoughts, Zhao Yi stood up and activated his puppetry art.

The effect of the art manifested almost instantly, so easily that Zhao Yi felt a little unaccustomed to it. It was still because Li had been here before, laying a solid foundation, making it almost ready for him to use immediately.

At this moment, the tomb owner spoke: "I haven't learned it, but I've experienced it. What he used on me seems different from what you're using now."

Zhao Yi: "It's fine. Only the catalyst is different. I can still use everything he left behind."

Tomb owner: "I don't understand..."

Zhao Yi: "You don't need to understand. Just don't resist and cooperate with me."

Tomb owner: "I don't know if my not understanding will affect you. Last time he used it on me, I could see his consciousness. I feel like I left my mark on him."

Zhao Yi: "..."

At this moment, Zhao Yi realized that the puppetry art he and Li used were different.

He thought of the tragic plight of 'that one' under the peach forest.

Tomb owner: "Will it affect you?"

Zhao Yi: "Yes. Although I haven't learned that secret art, if I continue to use what he left behind, I will suffer the same side effects."

"He seems to be able to resolve this side effect, but I cannot."

"Do you want to know what this side effect is?"

"What is it?"

"From now on, there will be an extra 'you' in my consciousness. You will live there."

Hearing this, the tomb owner's eyes first lit up, then dimmed, and he said, "This won't do."

"It's fine. I haven't learned this secret art; it's just luck that I can use it this time. There's a high probability I won't have this chance again. If I had a bunch of extra people, I'd definitely get lost and become an evil spirit."

"At that point, if I wanted to avoid harming the common people, I'd just have to find a place to bury myself and plant some trees on top."

"But if it's just one more 'you'... it'll be good company."

Tomb owner: "This isn't good for you."

Zhao Yi: "Come on. Besides, if I don't pay some price, I'd feel bad. This way, it's pretty good."

"We both have tragic pasts. So why don't you come with me and see if the future is beautiful? Just consider it living another life in a different way."

"Childhood friends, aren't we supposed to have fun together?"

The tomb owner stood up and walked to Zhao Yi.

Zhao Yi smiled at him, and a smile reappeared on the tomb owner's face as well.

The puppetry art activated.

All the preparations Li Zhuiyuan had laid out earlier, which were later interrupted, now surged towards Zhao Yi.

The tomb owner walked step by step towards Zhao Yi, and finally merged into Zhao Yi's consciousness.

In reality, the tomb owner, still in a three-way stalemate, reopened his eyes.

But this time, these eyes held no confusion or despondency; instead, they gleamed with sharpness and excitement.

He looked left, then right, then behind him, and then rolled his eyes up to look at the golden mark on his forehead.

Look at them—entities he could never have dreamed of before, now individually attending to him.

When he "lit the lamp and walked the river," becoming the Dragon King was Zhao Yi's dream, but the dream was too grand, not grounded enough.

The reality was, Zhao Yi had truly never anticipated that one day he would be able to participate in such a high-stakes game, and what's more, that he would actually have the ability to influence the outcome!

"Li, you were right."

"A valuable blade must have its own consciousness!"