Chapter 64

When Wu Mian came out of the cave, the henchmen immediately reported to the two Gui brothers. A moment later, the three generations of the Gui family appeared in the inner cave that Wu Mian had just left. Gui Bugu had come in to take a look before, but his mind was elsewhere at the time, so he didn't notice anything unusual.

To make it easier for Gui Bugu to check, the two Gui brothers personally lifted the animal skins that were laid on the ground, revealing the bare earth underneath. Gui Lai even deliberately stomped on it, producing a dull sound.

"Make sure to lay the animal skins back exactly as they were, so that unreasonable person doesn't notice anything when he comes back," Gui Bugu frowned at Gui Lai's somewhat excessive actions. After giving the instructions, he turned his attention to the cave walls.

The inner cave was similar to the others, with nothing special about it. After looking around for a while, Gui Bugu suddenly reached out and began to feel the cave walls. This process lasted for quite some time, and eventually, even Gui Lai and Gui Qu couldn't help but imitate Gui Bugu, reaching out to feel the walls as well.

No matter how they felt, they found nothing unusual. The two Gui brothers soon gave up, but Gui Bugu didn't stop. The old man continued to feel the walls, even closing his eyes, but a smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.

"Find a large copper basin and fill it with a little water, just enough to cover the bottom," Gui Bugu said to his two disciples, still with his eyes closed. "Bring a henchman along as well."

The two Gui brothers didn't understand what he meant. Gui Lai and Gui Qu exchanged a glance, and Gui Lai said, "If there's any rough work, let us do it. You said this matter can't be known by outsiders."

Gui Bugu finally opened his eyes, looked at Gui Lai, and said, "It doesn't matter who it is, just as long as it's done quickly."

A moment later, Gui Lai returned with the copper basin, appearing before Gui Bugu. The old man had Gui Qu take the basin and then had Gui Lai place his hand over the water.

Gui Lai understood that this was a method to use a few drops of his blood. He didn't mind, but to his surprise, Gui Bugu didn't take out a golden needle; instead, he pulled out a dagger from his waist. He cut a long wound along Gui Lai's palm, and blood flowed into the copper basin in a steady stream.

Gui Lai had thought a few drops of blood would be enough, but the blood flowed for nearly half a pound. When Gui Lai tried to pull his hand back, Gui Bugu suddenly said, "I told you to bring a henchman. At least they have tough skin, much better than you two." Hearing this, Gui Lai gritted his teeth and endured, letting his blood flow freely.

Only when the water in the copper basin turned blood red did Gui Bugu release Gui Lai's hand. Even with a thousand years added to his life, Gui Lai couldn't withstand such a loss of blood. His face turned pale, and his body began to tremble.

Gui Bugu had Gui Lai sit down to rest and then, in a scholarly manner, asked Gui Qu, "How can we see through this ancient Heavenly Deception Array?"

Gui Qu was straightforward. After thinking for a moment, he lifted the copper basin and was about to splash the red blood water onto the cave wall. Fortunately, Gui Bugu was quick to stop him, carefully placing the basin on the ground and then slapping the back of Gui Qu's head, saying, "Do you have a grudge against your brother? This little bit of blood isn't easy to come by. It's an ancient method! Don't splash it on the wall!"

After scolding him for a while, Gui Bugu paused and then changed his tone, saying, "The ancient Heavenly Deception Array was lost after the fall of the Jin Dynasty. The later versions were created by later alchemists, and the method of diverting water won't work. Remember, to see through the ancient Heavenly Deception Array, you need to do this..." He then used his toe to push the copper basin under the cave wall.

With the light from the torches inside the cave, the blood water in the basin reflected the scene on the cave wall. Gui Bugu leaned in to take a look and then turned to his two disciples, saying, "Come and see. Look at what the ancient Heavenly Deception Array looks like."

Gui Lai and Gui Qu came over and looked into the basin. The reflection of the cave wall in the blood water suddenly changed. The smooth, green stone wall in the basin now showed a mural-like pattern. The wall was covered with thick clouds, and a corner of the sun was visible in the upper corner. Under the reflection of the blood water, the sun emitted a dazzling light.

When the two Gui brothers looked up at the cave wall, it still appeared bare, showing nothing. Gui Bugu walked to the wall, his eyes fixed on the scene in the basin, and reached out to touch the wall. He pressed down on the spot where the sun was reflected in the blood water. With a "crack," the spot was pressed down. He then quickly drew the corner of the sun under the clouds.

After this action, the entire cave wall emitted a dazzling light. After the light flickered, a crack appeared where the old man had drawn. The crack extended to the top of the wall, and Gui Bugu pushed the sides of the crack with both hands, like opening two doors, revealing a scene that was not bright but not dark either.

Inside the wall was a seemingly endless stone staircase leading downward. The three generations of the Gui family could only see about a hundred steps, and beyond that was a misty expanse. Even with Gui Bugu's keen eyesight, he couldn't see the end of the stone staircase.

As the three of them stared in amazement at the scene inside the wall, a figure suddenly appeared from the mist. The Gui family was startled; no one expected anyone to appear at this moment. Gui Bugu began to slowly pull his two grand-disciples back.

The figure was small and came bounding up the stairs, though it seemed to have no rules. Anyone who could appear here was not simple, and even someone like Gui Bugu was unsure.

Just as the old man was about to turn and run, he took one last look at the figure in the mist, which pulled the three of them back. The figure in the mist revealed its features—it was the ginseng doll who had given Gui Bugu a hard time not long ago.

The ginseng doll also noticed them. After a moment of surprise, it turned and ran down the stairs. The old man reacted quickly, pulling his two disciples back, fearing they wouldn't react in time. He grabbed their faces and turned them back, shouting, "Look clearly! It's this little brat! If you two can catch him, we'll stew him tonight and add two thousand years to your lives!"

With these words, the two Gui brothers were energized and rushed down the stairs. However, they were a step behind, and the ginseng doll was about to disappear into the mist. Gui Lai and Gui Qu almost simultaneously extended their hands, palms facing each other, and began to rub the air between their palms quickly. At the same time, they chanted some unfamiliar syllables.

Almost instantly, a flash of fire appeared in the palms of both, and two fist-sized fireballs appeared in their hands. Seeing the fireballs form, the two Gui brothers simultaneously threw the fireballs at the ginseng doll's back.

Just as the fireballs were thrown, the ginseng doll suddenly turned around, gave the two Gui brothers a strange smile, and extended his hands. Unlike the Gui brothers, he didn't rub his palms together but quickly flipped his hands in an incredible speed, chanting the same unfamiliar syllables, but much faster. By the time the Gui brothers' fireballs were thrown, the ginseng doll already had two fireballs in his hands.