Chen Haozhe, the second young master of the Chen family, pointed at two other bodyguards and commanded, "You two, crawl in and check it out."
For some reason, these bodyguards were extremely obedient. Upon receiving the order, the two men cautiously crawled past the corpse and into the next chamber. After a moment, they called out, "No danger here!"
Chen Haozhe waved his hand grandly. "Everyone, move in!"
Shasha, her face pale, stammered, "Second Young Master, I... I won't be much help. Maybe I should wait outside."
Chen Haozhe gave her a sly, almost feminine smile. "Oh, no. It's too dangerous up there with the wild animals. I wouldn't feel comfortable leaving you alone."
I had been about to suggest that Zhou Huiqing stay behind as well, but Chen Haozhe's tone made it clear that anyone who stayed would do so without protection. The truth was, he didn't want anyone left behind. This tomb was rumored to hold legendary treasures, and he wasn't about to risk someone else getting their hands on them.
With a quiet sigh, I crawled past the corpse. After all, I'd been hired for this job, and I couldn't just hide in the background forever.
The new chamber was about the same size as the previous one. In the center stood a low stone table with a set of porcelain tea utensils. The walls were adorned with three more paintings of the same man, though now he appeared middle-aged, clad in armor, his eyes carrying a weight of experience and sorrow. In the corner of one painting was a small inscription: General Long Chen, Northwestern Frontier, First Year of Tianxi.
Long Chen? So that was his name. But what era was "Tianxi"?
The others filed in, their faces pale, their clothes stained with blood. They looked like they'd just walked off a battlefield.
Zhang Zixuan, the miracle doctor, examined the paintings and asked, "Tianxi? What era is that?"
Miss Jiang, still gazing at the paintings with a dreamy expression, replied, "Tianxi was a reign title used by Emperor Zhenzong of the Song Dynasty. It lasted five years. The 'First Year' refers to the first year of that era."
Zhang Zixuan chuckled. "Miss Jiang, you're quite knowledgeable. My younger sister is also fond of history. I'll have to introduce you two sometime."
Miss Jiang was indeed well-read. According to her, the man in the paintings was from the Song Dynasty. But honestly, I didn't care much about the historical details.
I pulled a Yin Talisman from my pocket, focused my inner Yang fire into my fingertips, and lit the talisman. The action drew everyone's attention, but I ignored them, extinguishing the Yang fire on my shoulders to "open my eyes" to the spirit world.
Xia Chaoran sneered, "Extinguishing your Yang fire? Be careful, Little Dragon. Too little Yang fire, and you'll get sick."
I shot him a glare. "Worry about yourself."
Then I walked over to the mechanism. "Everyone, step back. I'm opening the door."
Chen Haozhe, intrigued, asked Xia Chaoran, "What did he just do?"
Xia Chaoran quickly explained, "Second Young Master, every person has three Yang fires—one on each shoulder and one on the crown of the head. Of course, you can't see them, but with my innate Yin Eye, I can. Zhang Xiaolong just extinguished the fires on his shoulders. It's said this can also open the Yin Eye."
I twisted the golden dial, and the stone door began to rise. A wave of Yin energy rushed out! While there were no poison arrows or traps, the thick Yin energy was a bad omen.
I shone my flashlight into the chamber and saw a graceful female figure with her back to me, gently caressing a painting on the wall.
A ghost! Definitely a ghost!
Her hair was loose, and she wore Han Dynasty attire. Sensing the light, she turned and lunged at me!
I stumbled back, pulling out a Yang Talisman and lighting it just in case. But as the ghost reached the doorway, she stopped abruptly, as if blocked by an invisible barrier. She couldn't cross into our chamber.
Relieved but curious, I asked, "What's your connection to Long Chen?"
The ghost didn't answer. Instead, she floated back to the painting and continued to caress it.
Chen Haozhe asked, "What's going on?"
"There's a female ghost in there. A powerful one," I said, reigniting the Yang fire on my shoulders. "This place is full of traps. Even if tomb raiders or archaeologists made it past the mechanisms, they'd still have to deal with her."
Xia Chaoran scoffed, "How do you know she's powerful?"
Everyone looked at me, waiting for an explanation. "Simple," I said. "This chamber is filled with Yin energy, but the ghost emits none of her own. That means she's skilled at concealing her presence. Ghosts like that are always formidable."
"Where is she now?" Zhang Zixuan asked.
"For some reason, she's trapped in that chamber. She can't leave."
Zhang Zixuan grinned. "I've never seen a ghost before. Can you show me?"
"There's a way. You'd need to rub a bit of ox tears on your eyes. But I don't have much left." I pulled out a small vial. "This is all I have, passed down from my master before he died. Once it's gone, it's gone."
"How about I trade you this jade pendant for it?" Zhang Zixuan offered, removing the pendant from his neck. "Let us all see what a ghost looks like."
I shook my head. "No need. If everyone wants to see, I'll share. But I'd appreciate it if, after this, you could help me get access to a slaughterhouse to collect more ox tears."
Chen Haozhe waved a hand. "Consider it done. Just tell Chen Jianmin I sent you, and he'll arrange it."
Without further ado, I distributed the ox tears to everyone except the bodyguards. The supply was limited, and I'd need some for myself later.
Out of curiosity, Miss Jiang, Zhou Huiqing, and the others applied the ox tears. When they saw the ghost in the next chamber, they gasped in amazement.
Though the ghost couldn't leave her chamber, we'd have to subdue her if we wanted to pass. I tried to communicate with her, but she only responded with mechanical attacks. After failing to cross the threshold, she returned to the painting, her fingers tracing Long Chen's image.
The chamber also held a stone shelf filled with ancient books.
It was my turn to deal with the ghost. This one was incredibly powerful, and the dark, confined space made it even more dangerous. I couldn't afford to be careless. I began removing the lead weights I'd been carrying.
Miss Jiang picked up one of the weights, her eyes widening. "You've been carrying these all this time?"
"Yes," I said, pulling out my Chengying Sword. "They weigh a hundred pounds. I wear them every day."
"No wonder you've been wearing loose clothes in this heat," she remarked.
Without the weights, my body felt unnaturally light, as if I could leap into the clouds with a single bound. I tied the weights together and tossed them into the ghost's chamber, aiming for the floor tile where the bodyguard had triggered the trap. The hundred-pound bundle, roughly the weight of an adult woman, would test the mechanism.
To my surprise, nothing happened. The chamber seemed to have no traps—at least not at the entrance. Then again, with a ghost like that, traps were probably redundant.
I stepped into the chamber, a Yang Talisman in my left hand and my Chengying Sword in my right. Channeling my Yang fire into the sword, a blade of flame extended from the hilt. I swung at the ghost, but she dodged with a fluid motion, countering with a kick to my stomach and another to my chin.
I staggered back, dazed. The ghost wasn't just powerful—she knew martial arts! I lit another Yang Talisman and threw it at her, but she sidestepped it effortlessly.
This was bad. A ghost that could fight like this was nearly unstoppable. But with everyone watching, especially Xia Chaoran waiting for me to fail, I couldn't back down.
Just as I was struggling, Chen Haotian's voice rang out. "Bend backward, throw the talisman!"
His instructions came too fast for me to react, and the ghost landed another kick, sending me reeling. I was starting to feel like a punching bag. Why did I always end up facing these kinds of monsters?
But as I began to follow Chen Haotian's commands—"Swing left, spin kick, step back, guard your chest"—the tide turned. With his guidance, I went from being the one getting beaten to the one dishing out the punishment.
If only Chen Haotian knew Taoist techniques! If he were the one fighting, the ghost would've been dealt with long ago. This experience made me realize how valuable martial arts training could be.
Finally, after a grueling fight, the ghost was on the verge of dissipating. I pulled out a compact mirror and sealed her inside, then placed a Yang Talisman on the lid. It didn't feel right to destroy her completely. After all, we were the intruders here. I decided I'd release her on our way out.
Bruised and battered, I stumbled back to the group. My body ached, but thanks to my training, nothing was broken. Still, I couldn't help muttering, "A ghost that knows martial arts is unstoppable…"
Miss Jiang burst out laughing. "Taoist Master, it seems your martial arts skills need some work. But you're certainly tough."
Xiaohui asked if I was okay, and I assured her it was nothing serious. Noticing Xia Chaoran's glare, I didn't linger. Instead, I approached Chen Haotian and said, "Thank you."
He nodded curtly. "Your reflexes and physical condition are good, but your fighting is chaotic. You should learn proper martial arts."
With that, he stepped into the ghost's chamber...