Bai Hongtu paused for a moment in thought. “Whether it was proper business or not, I’m not entirely sure, but it definitely wasn’t the kind of tomb-raiding business you’re thinking of.” Li Yanchu nodded. “Fair enough. Otherwise, you’d be bringing along something like a Luoyang shovel[1].” Bai Hongtu froze, then pulled a Luoyang shovel out of his bundle and grinned. “How’d you know I brought one?” Li Yanchu looked surprised. “You actually know how to use a Luoyang shovel?” The Luoyang shovel was a common tool among tomb raiders. With just one cylinder of soil, an experienced hand can determine whether there’s a tomb underground, what era it’s from, what kind of chamber lies beneath, and even infer the tomb owner's status. “Of course not! How would I know how to use that thing?” Bai Hongtu said, dead serious. “If you don’t know how to use it, then why bring it?” “It came in a set! When I bought the black donkey hoof, the seller recommended it to me. Said it was cheaper than buying the items separately,” Bai Hongtu replied cheerfully. Li Yanchu couldn’t help but laugh. “You have an older brother in the family, right?” Hearing his question, Bai Hongtu blinked, then nodded. “Yeah, I’m the second son. Why?” Li Yanchu gave a slight nod. “Good. That means the Bai family legacy is safe.” Bai Hongtu was dumbfounded by his remark. More than a dozen sturdy, spacious carriages departed from Wei City, driven by the most experienced coachmen. Their destination was the ancient tomb several dozen li outside the city. Monks, Daoists, and talented eccentrics from across the land rode in the carriages. By noon, the convoy had arrived at the tomb site. The location was a place of scenic beauty, surrounded by mountains and water. The feng shui was excellent, and it was a landscape that made one feel calm and refreshed at first glance. However, in the eyes of someone like Li Yanchu, who had mastered Qi Sight, this place was far from tranquil. A foul, murky qi was rising straight into the sky. It was a clear sign that the feng shui configuration of the tomb had been broken, and some ominous force sealed within had begun to leak out. “This place reeks of murderous qi,” Li Yanchu muttered under his breath. Bai Hongtu glanced around, seemingly unconcerned. “With so many experts gathered here today, even if some kind of jiangshi or corpse demon shows up, it won’t amount to much.” “Let’s hope you’re right,” Li Yanchu replied with a slight nod. The entrance to the tomb wasn’t underground as one might expect. Instead, it was carved directly into the side of a mountain cliff. A stone gate, wide enough for two people to pass through side by side, had already been hewn open. It appeared that the entire interior of the mountain had been hollowed out to construct this tomb. Li Yanchu, who had some knowledge of feng shui, immediately recognized from this alone that the tomb’s owner was no ordinary person. It might very well belong to a noble, perhaps even a duke or high-ranking minister. No commoner would receive such a grand burial. Surprisingly, the one leading the descent into the tomb wasn’t a master from Yongxing Temple or Jing'an Temple. Instead, it was the effeminate scholar Wang Yunting. He still wore his long scholar’s robe, appearing refined and well-mannered. But when Li Yanchu’s eyes casually swept across him, he caught a glimpse beneath the robe, revealing a tight-fitting combat attire. Apparently, this man had a special fondness for disguising himself as a gentleman scholar. One by one, the group of cultivators and experts filed into the tomb’s entrance. Li Yanchu noted that Zhang Ping, the beast tamer who led a ferocious dog, was walking right behind Wang Yunting. It seemed he too had his own methods for tomb exploration. With teammates like these, it really puts one at ease, Li Yanchu thought to himself, relieved. So far, he hadn’t seen any drama-seekers or loose cannons, and everyone seemed serious and cautious. Even though Master Shenshan of Jing'an Temple and Daoist Master Yuanyi of Yongxing Temple were both profoundly skilled and possessed mystical abilities, they still made ample preparations for this descent into the tomb. They had invited multiple specialists who were adept at exploring tombs and locating people within them. There was none of that usual righteous sect arrogance, where orthodox cultivators disdained working with the unorthodox. Instead, everyone came across as steady and composed. The tomb passage was paved with hard green bricks, and it was rather dim inside. All of the cultivators entering carried torches, partly to illuminate the way, but also to test the air circulation inside the tunnel. ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novel(ꜰ)ire.net This tomb had been discovered some time ago, and a robbers' tunnel had already been dug, so the air in the passage was still fairly breathable. After walking for a while, the group arrived at a chamber. Inside were eight stone coffins, one of which had already been pried open. Beside the coffins lay five or six corpses, dressed like ordinary jianghu mercenaries. The effeminate scholar Wang Yunting stepped forward to examine the bodies and quickly reached a conclusion, “These people died from the claws of some kind of strange beast. Their internal organs were all ripped out.” This discovery fit perfectly with the ominous nature of the tomb. These early intruders, common tomb raiders, had died gruesome deaths without even making it past the outermost chamber. The assembled cultivators, however, remained composed. There was no panic or unrest. After all, when a tomb harbored jiangshi corpses or demonic beings, it was only to be expected that vicious creatures might also dwell within. None of the monks, daoists, or wandering martial experts on the scene showed even a hint of fear. Wang Yunting carried himself with remarkable restraint; he didn’t touch the coffins at all, not even the one that had already been opened. And none of the other cultivators acted impulsively either, and no one foolishly tried to pry open coffins just to satisfy their curiosity. Their composure was actually quite reassuring. Li Yanchu leaned over and whispered to Bai Hongtu, “The folks in this tomb-cleansing operation... seem pretty reliable.” Bai Hongtu immediately understood what he meant. The biggest taboo in tombs like these was messing with things randomly. Sure, they all had their own skills, but it was always better to avoid stirring up trouble. Bai Hongtu glanced around and muttered back, “This is just the outermost section. Let’s hope everything keeps going smoothly from here.” After entering the tomb, he immediately felt a sense of unease, and quickly shed the earlier attitude of just tagging along with the crowd. Li Yanchu gave a small nod. Hongtu had this one good trait: he had a strong sense of self-awareness. Though he liked to put on airs from time to time, when it came down to real danger, he was remarkably steady. He wasn't the kind of person who would recklessly seek death. After that, the group continued their advance. Their main objective was the demonic corpse hidden deep within the tomb, so until then, they did their best to avoid unnecessary trouble. But the deeper they went into the tomb, the visibility from their torches grew increasingly poor. Where once the flame lit the entire tunnel, now it could only illuminate a few steps ahead. Darkness gradually swallowed everything around them. In the silence, the faint sound of dripping water began to echo. The air in the tomb grew damp and heavy, as if some mysterious force deep within was slowly devouring the light itself. A deep, oppressive quiet enveloped them, and an inexplicable chill crept through the air, as though the entire place had become haunted. There were many adept cultivators among them, and logically speaking, even if there were invisible spirits lurking, they should be able to sense them. But as they pressed further, everyone began to feel as though something in the darkness was watching them. A creeping chill seeped into their bones, stirring an instinctive sense of dread. 1. The Luoyang shovel, also known as a probing shovel, is an archaeological tool shaped like a half-cylinder iron spade. One end has a handle that can be extended by attaching a waxwood pole. To use it, the shovel is driven vertically into the ground. Its half-cylinder shape allows it to bring up soil from below, gradually digging a narrow, deep borehole just a few centimeters in diameter. This is used to examine the soil layers and determine whether ancient tombs or structures lie underground. ☜