Chapter 43

Zhao Zhu subconsciously bent down, a bit afraid of being discovered by the people below, but then he relaxed. The position he was standing at was roughly equivalent to a second-story balcony, and he was also somewhat puzzled about how he had ended up here. After all, this was his behavior after hypnotizing himself, and Zhao Zhu had no idea what had happened during that time.

However, Zhao Zhu was very clear about one thing: even though the height was not very high, the people below definitely could not see or sense him. When he was below, the searchlights could not shine up, as if a layer of active darkness was swallowing all the light. This swallowing was one-sided; at least, Zhao Zhu could now see below, and the figures of Yan Xing and others were becoming increasingly clear.

At this moment, Yan Xing had long lost the air of a Taoist priest. His face was wrapped in bandages, looking quite disheveled. Combined with his already thin figure and yellow Taoist robe, he looked a bit like a standing weasel. The injuries on his face were mostly inflicted by Zhao Zhu. When Zhao Zhu discovered that he was being used as cannon fodder by Yan Xing and others, he immediately flew into a rage, punching and kicking them. Yan Xing and the others, whose consciousness was suppressed by the illusion of the Eight Banners soldiers, had no time to react and were beaten by Zhao Zhu like punching bags.

Xiao Ge and Shi Chong were no longer as calm and confident as before. Their faces were bruised and swollen, and Xiao Ge walked with a limp, supported by Shi Chong. The two handsome men now looked like beggars on the street.

As for Li Liangjian, he was nowhere to be found, either having been separated from the group or already dead on the way. The latter possibility seemed more likely.

Yan Xing and the others first circled around the large eunuch statue, but clearly, none of them could read Manchu. They soon shifted their attention and quickly discovered the hanging bodies of the women.

At this moment, Zhao Zhu, standing above, saw a young girl, about sixteen or seventeen years old, wearing a white dress and barefoot, walking lightly towards Yan Xing. She reached out her hand, seemingly intending to pat Yan Xing's shoulder, but a purple light suddenly burst from Yan Xing's body, causing the girl to step back. She then chose Shi Chong, patted his shoulder, and Shi Chong turned around, immediately kneeling on the ground. He opened his mouth and bit his own hand, tearing off a finger and beginning to chew it as if it were the most delicious food in the world.

Shi Chong's actions shocked Yan Xing and Xiao Ge.

Yan Xing quickly drew a talisman and stuck it on Shi Chong's forehead, but the talisman was immediately repelled. Shi Chong, like a fierce beast, pounced on Yan Xing. Although Yan Xing was very powerful, his abilities were mainly for dealing with ghosts and monsters. Shi Chong, on the other hand, had the strongest close-combat skills among the group. For a moment, Yan Xing was pinned to the ground and hit several times.

Xiao Ge, standing nearby, flicked his fingers, and a dozen threads shot out, binding Shi Chong and pulling him away from Yan Xing. The three were in a state of extreme panic, and the scene was chaotic.

Zhao Zhu, however, did not intend to continue watching. Since he had already completely broken ties with them, the main mission could only rely on himself. As long as they did not meet face to face, their survival or death had little to do with him. Therefore, he turned around and walked back the way he came, heading in another direction.

The corridor was winding and twisting, and eventually, there was no path ahead, only a stone wall.

Zhao Zhu licked his lips. He did not believe he had reached a dead end. The designers of the ancient tomb would not be so无聊 (boring) as to deliberately mislead him. Either the traps in the tomb would kill him, or they would lead him to another place. Why would they create such a large space just to make him walk in vain? Just to tire him out and drain his energy?

Was that possible?

Zhao Zhu began to feel around the stone walls. He believed there should be something hidden here. Indeed, Zhao Zhu found a recess. He pushed it, and the recess sank deeper, revealing a metal ring. Zhao Zhu grabbed the ring and pulled hard. The ring was pulled out, and the stone wall in front of him slowly moved aside, revealing a stone staircase leading upwards.

With no other choice, Zhao Zhu directly walked up the staircase. The staircase was not very high, and after about twenty to thirty steps, Zhao Zhu entered a new tomb chamber.

At this moment, a notification from the group owner sounded in Zhao Zhu's mind:

"Side mission—Entering the ancient tomb completed, earned 500 points."

While Zhao Zhu was still processing the message in his mind, a gust of wind came from behind him. Almost instinctively, he rolled forward, but still felt a sharp pain in his back, which was already torn open and bleeding!

When he rolled back to his feet, he saw a huge axe standing where he had been. It was clearly a trap, the first one for intruders entering the tomb chamber, serving as a warning. Zhao Zhu thought that the accuracy and sensitivity of the trap must have been affected by the four hundred years, otherwise, he would not have been able to dodge it.

"Hisss……!"

The wound on his back was difficult to treat, and Zhao Zhu did not have time to deal with it. He took out a hemostatic spray and, despite the pain, sprayed it on his back. This spray could only stop the bleeding and was harmful to the body, but if he could complete the mission and survive, his injuries would heal instantly. The side effects of the drugs were not a big deal; if he failed the mission, he would definitely die before the side effects could even take effect.

In the tomb chamber where Zhao Zhu was, there was no coffin. Instead, it contained some pottery jars and weapons and armor. The ancient people designed their tombs based on the living, so it was normal to have a storage room filled with things the tomb owner liked in life.

The tomb chamber was about a hundred square meters, and the items were neatly stacked. However, it was clear that the essence of the dragon vein Zhao Zhu was looking for was not here. He quickly scanned the items and then headed towards the passage in front of him, which should lead to another tomb chamber.

Sure enough, the next tomb chamber was filled with paintings and calligraphy. The paintings were hung on the walls, but due to the long time, many of the scrolls had rotted and fallen. Zhao Zhu was not a cultural enthusiast and did not have the noble sentiment of "turning them over to the state." He was indifferent to the loss of these valuable artworks. However, he noticed something:

Previously, at the entrance, which was the altar, there was a special power that isolated it from the outside. However, the true tomb area did not have this power; otherwise, the giant axe trap would not have allowed Zhao Zhu to escape.

Just as Zhao Zhu was about to leave this tomb chamber and enter the next one, he was attracted by a piece of calligraphy under his feet:

"According to the high platform overlooking the well and the neighborhood, is it because of the lecture on the scriptures that it got its name?

Wei Mo is already considered dross, and Emperor Liang Wu truly picked up the remnants of saliva."

Zhao Zhu stroked his chin. He had seen this poem before in a teahouse and had a deep impression of its author.

"This is Emperor Qianlong's 'Yuhuatai.' It seems that not only the generation of Nurhaci but also the subsequent Qing emperors must have renovated or rearranged this ancient tomb. Otherwise, Qianlong's poetry would not be here."

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