Chapter 307X. Strangeness


    # 307X. Strangeness


    Upon hearing the question, Qian You immediately perked up. He cleared his throat a few times to gather the attention of the gang members and announced, "Boss, everyone—I’ve brought reinforcements for us. Don’t worry; we’ll be out of here soon."


    At his words, the gang was overjoyed. They asked eagerly, "Is it the Gongsun family from Xiangzhou’s martial world? Or is it Longshen Castle of ckwater river?”


    "If it''s either of them, we’re saved."


    "Right, the Gongsun family head is a fifth rank, with countless experts in his ranks and no shortage of skilled masters in the arcane arts. Longshen Castle is even stronger. But the two of them are known to be greedy; we’d likely have no share of any treasures from the tomb and would have to pay them a fortune."


    "Are you out of your mind? We’re facing death here—what good is money if we don’t survive? If they can save us, we’ll find a way to settle the costster."


    The gang boss let out a sigh of relief and nodded approvingly. "Qian You, you did well."


    Qian You stayed silent for a long time, then replied with a peculiar expression, "My…my reinforcements aren’t from the Gongsun family or Longshen Castle."


    "What?"The group’s enthusiasm dimmed instantly, their excitement vanishing. In the martial society of around Xiangcheng, the Gongsun family and Longshen Castle were unquestionably the leaders. Both held close ties with the Xiangcheng authorities, and many skilled martial artists in the area relied on them.


    If anyone in Xiangcheng could rescue them, it would surely be one of these two powers.


    The hopeful gleam in the gang boss’s eyes dulled.


    The second-inmand, dressed in white robes, asked, "If it’s neither Longshen Castle nor the Gongsun family, then who did you find? What level are they? Do they have any affiliation or are they just a rogue practitioner?"


    The second-inmand, Gongyang Su, was an Arcanist. It was well-known that aside from the Sitianjian, wandering Arcanists were as rare as phoenix feathers in the Jianghu.


    With his mastery of Qi-watching and feng-shui, Gongyang Su was practically a natural-born tomb raider. As such, he was considered a treasure of the Houtu Gang, and though he held the title of deputy leader, the entire gang respected his words.


    Once Gongyang Su spoke up, the gang fell silent, all looking toward Qian You.


    “It’s quite the coincidence, actually. I happened to run into these reinforcements by the roadside, but it seems they were looking for someone themselves…” Branch Leader Qian You looked over at the young girl from the Southern Marches, letting out a sigh as he said, "Miss Lina, they were looking for you."


    The others all turned to the Southern Marches girl. Lina, who had been struggling with her tbread, looked up, crumbs on her lips, clearly puzzled.


    "This is my first time in the Great Feng. None of my nsmen came with me," Lina shook her head, indicating that she was alone and without friends.


    Qian You exined, "One of the people I met was a Sixth Rank expert at the Bronze Skin and Iron Bones stage. He was exceptionally handsome and carried a woman with disheveled hair on his back…"


    Before he could finish, Lina quickly shook her head. "I don’t know him."


    "But they were indeed looking for you. They even asked me if anyone in the tomb-raiding party was a girl from the Southern Marches. I figured that recently in Xiangcheng, you were the only one."


    The gang boss furrowed his brow. He didn’t believe Lina would have any reason to lie or evade here, especially as they were all in dire straits, needing mutual aid more than ever. Besides, if she really had a Sixth Rank friend in the Great Feng, would she have been starving for three days and three nights? If he hadn’t offered her a meal, she was almost ready to resort to robbery.


    Musing over this, the gang boss pondered, "Didn’t you say there were several of them? Describe the others."


    Qian You nodded. "Aside from that man and woman, there was a burly, fierce-looking monk, and a swordsman in azure robes who could fly with his sword. It was like seeing an immortal’s techniques."


    "Flying with his sword?" the gang boss eximed, having never heard of a martial artist able to fly by sword.


    “Do you know who he might be?” Gongyang Su asked, looking at Lina.


    The young Southern girl shook her head. “I don’t.”


    *Really, she didn’t know them? How could that be? Those heroes and theirpanions were clearly here to find Miss Lina...* Qian You, feeling puzzled, continued, "There was also a Daoist priest. I heard the others calling him Daoist Jinlian."


    “Daoist Jinlian?!”


    Lina suddenly shrieked in delight, her eyes lighting up as she repeatedly said, "I know him! I know him! Daoist Jinlian is a senior I trust deeply… Oh, he came looking for me! Daoist Jinlian really is a kind soul!"


    *So she does know them...* the others were relieved.


    It seemed that Daoist Jinlian was the one who knew Lina personally, with the others simply apanying him as aid.


    *The burly bald-headed man is likely the monk Hengyuan, or Number Six... and the azure-robed swordsman has to be Number Four, currently in the capital due to the approaching Conflict of Heaven and Man… But who is the handsome Sixth Rank martial artist? Do we have anyone like that in the Heaven and Earth Society?* Lina’s not-so-bright mind worked hard, trying to match Qian You’s “friends” with familiar faces, but she couldn''t ce the “man and woman” he mentioned.


    "Miss Lina," one of the gang members asked, his face alight, his eyes fixed on her, "How strong are your friends?”


    Lina, simple and straightforward, answered each question without hesitation. "Daoist Jinlian is a master of the Earth Sect. I’m not sure exactly which Rank, but he’s much, much stronger than me."


    The group’s imaginations filled with scenes of her tearing zombies apart and battling the corpse-devouring monster, and since this Daoist was even stronger, they felt hope spring anew.


    “The bald monk is a warrior monk of the Buddhist order; he’s also quite powerful.”


    Lina didn’t know much about Hengyuan and skipped over him, then continued, “As for the swordsman in azure robes, his name is Chu Yuanzhen. He’s a main contender in the Conflict of Heaven and Man, representing the Human Sect in his duel against the holy maiden of the Heaven Sect.”


    “What?!”


    The group cried out in shock, and the gang boss looked utterly stunned.


    Xiangzhou was only a three-to-four-day horseback ride from the capital, and the uing Conflict of Heaven and Man had already made headlines across the capital and surrounding provinces. In Xiangcheng alone, many Jianghu folk were heading to the capital just to witness the event, even if it was merely a duel to the death between younger disciples of the Human and Heaven Sects.


    Now, hearing out of the blue that one of the protagonists in the “Conflict of Heaven and Man” hade down into the tomb to save them…


    The Houtu gang members felt much like farmers hearing that the Emperor hade to help them nt rice.


    It felt so surreal, making them doubt its authenticity. But this came from Lina herself. They knew her well enough—a sweet, sincere girl, open-hearted and earnest, who wouldn’t lie.


    Yet, that didn’t make her a fool. The Houtu gang had once seen a member from another group attempt to assault her during the night, and that guy’s head had been crushed like a watermelon with a single p.


    Daring to trek thousands of miles from the Southern Marches to the capital—there’s no way she could have made it this far without skills of her own.


    “A master of the Earth Sect, a Buddhist warrior monk, a disciple of the Human Sect in the Conflict of Heaven and Man...” A member of the Houtu Gang swallowed hard, eyes filled with excitement.


    “Th-then what about that man and woman? Who are they? They must be legendary figures to apany such people, right, Miss Lina?”


    All eyes turned toward her expectantly, hoping for a famous name to fall from her lips.


    Lina tilted her head, thought for a moment, then replied, “I don’t know them.”


    *How… how disappointing…* the crowd thought to themselves.


    Coughing lightly, Qian You then asked, “Boss, you mentioned earlier that some creature has been hunting you. What sort of monster is it?”


    “It looks like a gigantic lizard with a human face and sharp fangs. It moves quickly but makes no sound,” replied the sickly-looking Boss, a hint of fear flickering in his eyes. “It craves internal organs. Any poor soul it kills is left with their limbs intact, but their insides arepletely hollowed out.”


    *That’s strange,* thought Qian You, recalling the corpse he’d seen, whose lower half had been bitten clean off. Frowning, he continued, “And its size?”


    “It’s about seven feet long—not very big.”


    Suddenly, Lina’s ears twitched. In the still darkness, she picked up on a strange sound. She immediately stood up and warned, “Be careful. It’s here again.”


    As her words echoed, a shadow sprang from the darkness, its tongue flicking out to snatch the nearest Houtu Gang member.


    Bang!


    With a roar, Linaunched herself like a cannonball, crashing into the creature.


    As the shadowy beast was knocked back, it whipped its tail at Lina’s back with a sharp crack, tearing her clothing and exposing tender skin dotted with fine beads of blood.


    The creature slinked off into the darkness, as if it had vanished entirely. Lina, however, remained vignt, keenly listening for any signs of its return.


    “Stay alert,” she warned. “This vile thing is sly and only dares to attack when it thinks it has the advantage.”


    The Boss drew his weapon and, along with the others, held his stance, eyes scanning the shadows.


    In the past few days, one by one, members of the Houtu Gang had fallen to this creature, leading the survivors to grasp its brutal habits.


    The monster was unwilling to face Lina directly and would wait in the darkness for an opportunity to strike, retreating immediately after each sessful attack.


    Lina edged backward, snatching the torch from Qian You’s hands. Her cute, delicate face had turned serious. She listened for a moment, then flung the torch into the distance.


    In the flickering light, they saw the creature—a gigantic lizard clinging to the wall, its dull grayish-brown eyes fixed to the sides of its head, unresponsive to the firelight.


    Qian You finally saw it clearly: the beast was under ten feet long, its tail as long as its body, and its skin covered in thick scales and jagged horns.


    With a burst of energy from her meal, Lina showed her full strength, crouching in silence before springing forward so fast that the floor cracked a beat after she had disappeared.


    The wall-clinging monster noticed the disturbance and vanished into the shadows.


    Lina, with her extensive hunting experience in the Southern Marches, chased it down. One-on-one, she and the creature shed in the tomb chamber, echoes of battle and shouts piercing the darkness.


    Finally, silence fell.


    “M- miss Lina?” called the Sickly Boss, forcing his voice to remain steady.


    From the depths of the darkness came Lina’s groaning voice: “Ow, that really hurts!”


    A momentter, she emerged, dragging the creature’s lifeless body behind her.


    Cheers erupted as the Houtu Gang members wept with joy, shouting in relief from days of tension.


    Lina dumped the creature’s corpse before them, asking cheerfully, “Can we eat it?”


    The men frantically shook their heads.


    “Miss Lina,” warned the Arcanist Gongyang Su, “this creature grew in the tomb, feasting on poisons and rotting flesh, absorbing dark energy. It would be deadly for us.”


    “Huff...huff...”


    A sudden gust of wind blew through the corridor ahead, a gust with a putrid smell, extinguishing their torches.


    The wind rose and fell rhythmically, like breathing.


    No, it was breathing.


    Gongyang Su’s face turned pale as he rasped, “Something’sing. There’s yin energy up ahead.”


    Just moments after surviving one crisis, everyone’s hearts sank once more.


    “Light the torches,” ordered the sickly-looking Boss, his face grim as he turned to Lina. “Can you still fight?”


    Qian You hurriedly struck a spark against the firestone, trying to light a torch with trembling hands, but the me refused to catch.


    The breathing grew closer, the stench thickening. And still, no footsteps.


    “Come on, hurry,e on!”


    Qian You was close to panicking as he struck the firestone again. A faint spark finally caught, setting the torch alight.


    “Whoosh!”


    mes red, piercing the darkness.


    Grabbing the torch, Qian You hurled it forward.


    The light revealed a massive shadow crouching in the corridor, poised in hunting stance.


    This creature was three times the size of the previous one, of the same species, with dull gray-brown eyes and protruding fangs.


    Another one?!


    The torch’s light zed only for a moment before fading, and the next thing the group knew, the creature had vanished.


    The sickly Boss felt a sudden chill as something fast brushed past him, and then he realized—Lina was gone.


    “Lina!”


    The Boss shouted as he spun around. The others did the same.


    In the darkness, the monster had grabbed the Southern girl, shaking its head viciously in a deadly thrash.


    The Boss’s eyes filled with rage as he bellowed, “Save her! Kill that beast!”


    Lina’s painful cries echoed through the darkness.


    At that moment, a voice shouted from the other end of the corridor, “Stand back!”


    A young man in azure robes rushed forward, raising a ming torch. Holding his fingers to the torch, he drew a me with his fingers, letting it re to life before snapping it at the monster.


    The me shot through the darkness, drawing a streak of light, striking the creature’s back.


    Bang!


    With an explosion, charred flesh filled the air.


    Caught off guard, the creature released Lina and turned, snarling, to charge at the young man.


    A figure stepped forward from behind the young man, meeting the monster head-on. A faint golden light spread from his brow across his entire body.


    With a low growl, he charged, head down, smashing into the creature.


    Duang!


    The sinister creature mmed into him, like smashing into an iron post. Its head shuddered violently, and its forward momentum froze. Meanwhile, a radiant golden figure was thrown backward, embedding itself in the wall with a crash, like a piece of divine metal.


    In that moment of pause, another figure sprang into the air. Seizing the creature’s momentary dizziness, it leaped squarely onto its head.


    Chanting “Amitabha” under his breath, he raised his fist, which was asrge as a cooking pot.


    Thud, thud, thud…


    Amidst the rain of powerful punches, the creature struggled violently at first, then spasmed uncontrobly, and finally fell lifeless, its skull shattered.


    Daoist Jinlian appearedst, holding a torch, and spoke soothingly, “Do not fear; we’re here to save you.”


    Qian You shouted excitedly, “They’re friends of Miss Lina. I invited them as reinforcements!”


    The members of the Houtu Gang stared at Daoist Jinlian, captivated by his calm demeanor and profound presence, which matched their image of a peerless master.


    “Thank you, Daoist, for saving our lives,” they eximed gratefully.


    With a slight nod, torch in hand, Daoist Jinlian surveyed the surroundings, spotting Lina lying in a pool of blood in the shadows.


    He stepped forward to assess her. Half her body was mauled, the wounds were so deep that her organs were faintly visible. But thin silver threads wove swiftly through the flesh, sealing wounds and starting to repair her skin.


    As long as one’s Life Gu was intact; a shaman would not die.


    Daoist Jinlian exhaled in relief.


    Nearby, Zhong Li grabbed onto Xu Qi’an’s foot, and leaning back at a forty-five degree angle, finally managed to yank him out.


    Xu Qi’an deactivated his Vajra Body and called out loudly, “Daoist, how’s your friend doing?”


    “She’s injured but in no danger.” Daoist Jinlian gestured to Zhong Li, saying, “Miss Zhong, do you have any healing pills?”


    “Mhm,” Zhong Li mumbled, pulling a porcin bottle from her rough robe and handing it to Daoist Jinlian. “One pill a day, fully healed in three days.”


    Daoist Jinlian uncorked the bottle and sniffed. The pills were of extreme quality.


    *The Sitianjian is truly rich… the poor Daoist hasn’t had funds for alchemy in years…* thought Daoist Jinlian enviously as he gently pried Lina’s mouth open and administered a pill.


    Xu Qi’an, torch in hand, eagerly joined in, examining the fabled Number Five. Her hair was ck with chestnut brown streaks, slightly curled at the tips. Her lithe figure resembled that of a fierce young panther.


    Her features were delicate, with thin lips, a fine nose, and healthy sun-kissed skin—quite the wild beauty from the Southern Marches.


    *Not bad—her features are a bit more defined than Great Feng women… quite the pretty online friend!* Xu Qi’an nodded in satisfaction.


    Having confirmed that Number Five was fine, Xu Qi’an and the others used their torches to inspect the remains of the evil creature.


    “What kind of monster is this?”


    The uneducated Xu Qi’an could only think: *What. The fuck.*


    “It should be a Tomb Guardian Beast,” exined the knowledgeable Chu Yuanzhen. “I’ve read records about such creatures. After death, the ancients would ce strange beasts in their tombs to serve as guardians.


    “At first, their numbers would be vast, and to survive, they’d devour each other or feed on corpses. They eventually dwindled.”


    Daoist Jinlian added, “Over generations, nourished by yin energy and corrupted by the poisons of the tomb, they’ve be unrecognizable from their ancestors.”


    “Is there any value in the corpse?” Xu Qi’an asked.


    Daoist Jinlian shook his head.


    “Zhong Li, take care of her. Carry her properly.” Xu Qi’an pragmatically averted his gaze from the corpse, saying, “Stay close to me, or I won’t be able to protect you.”


    *Too far, and my invisible wings won’t cover you!*


    Daoist Jinlian hesitated slightly at this arrangement. Given that Number Five was already injured, pairing her with the Sitianjian’s Master of Prophecy seemed unduly harsh.


    *With this kid’s luck, there shouldn’t… be any issues… surely…* Daoist Jinlian thought, and then turned to the survivors from the Houtu Gang, offering them a fewforting words. Finally, he gestured to Xu Qi’an to lead the way.


    The group, torches in hand, continued onward.


    The sickly Boss watched these experts’ backs, recalling the battle just now. The swordsman in azure robes must be one of the protagonists in the “Conflict of Heaven and Man.”


    That Buddhist monk was formidable indeed, killing the monster barehanded. Miss Lina hadn’t mentioned his identity in detail; I’d thought he was just an assistant, yet he turned out so powerful.


    *And the young sixth rank warrior seems… rather ordinary…* the Boss mused.


    In his mind, a sixth-rank warrior with Bronze Skin and Iron Bones should naturally be resilient, so Xu Qi’an’s performance hadn’t stood out to him.


    As for the dishevelled woman, he couldn’t make sense of her since she hadn’t made a move.


    While deep in thought, the Boss heard one of his subordinates exim, “We’ve made it out of the maze!”


    At the end of the passagewayy an enormous burial chamber with a bronze coffin at its centre, along with a selection of burial goods—gold, silver, pottery, and books, et cetera.


    Over the centuries, the silver had oxidized and wept like wax, while the gold remained rtively intact. The books and silks, however, would disintegrate at a touch.


    *So, this tomb isn’t entirely sealed from oxygen…* Xu Qi’an observed and asked, “Is this the main burial chamber?”


    “No, it’s an auxiliary chamber,” replied the Boss. “It should be one of the many chambers surrounding the main tomb.”


    The Houtu Gang members eagerly collected the valuable gold and silver, ignoring the books and other items. This wasn’t because they were uncultured, only seeing the precious metals, it was quite the opposite; the Houtu Gang were professionals, after all.


    They knew full well that in such ancient tombs, the books were too fragile to be removed.


    Chu Yuanzhen, with a natural interest in books, casually flipped through a few. The pages were so delicate that they turned to ash with a light touch.


    Nheless, he wasn’t entirely disappointed—he had at least determined whoy buried here.


    “This tomb is no ordinary one; it’s the tomb of an emperor. His consort lies interred here,” Chu Yuanzhen stated.


    “So, what’s the n? Heading to the main tomb could be dangerous. If we turn back, though, we’ll re-enter the maze,” he said, ncing at Xu Qi’an. “I’d say thetter is the safer choice.”


    Though curious about the tomb owner’s identity, safety came first. Xu Qi’an nodded in agreement with Chu Yuanzhen’s suggestion.


    Aside from the unconscious Lina and the taciturn Zhong Li, the other members of the Earthly Society unanimously agreed that retracing their steps was the right call.


    Thus, leading the Houtu Gang followers, they headed back into the maze.


    …


    After an indeterminate amount of time, Xu Qi’an led the group out of the corridor, arriving in another auxiliary chamber.


    “Why are we back here?” The Boss frowned.


    The members of the Earthly Society were silent.


    “Let’s try again,” Xu Qi’an said, looking at Daoist Jinlian and the others.


    “Alright…” Chu Yuanzhen nodded, his expression grim.


    …


    After another stretch of walking, Xu Qi’an once again led the group out of the corridor, back into an auxiliary chamber.


    “We’re… back here again?” The Boss’s voice trembled.


    The other Houtu Gang members grew visibly pale and terrified.


    “Should… should we try again?” Xu Qi’an swallowed hard.


    “... Alright,” Chu Yuanzhen replied, his voice strained.


    …


    The third time, they found themselves in the same auxiliary chamber once again.


    The group fell into a deathly silence. Xu Qi’an stiffly turned his head to look at Zhong Li.


    She shook her head.


    Daoist Jinlian was silent for a long moment before he sighed deeply, saying, “We’ll have to go in. If we don’t, we may never find a way out of this tomb.”


    Xu Qi’an exchanged looks with Chu Yuanzhen and Hengyuan, gritted his teeth, and grunted: “Alright.”


    Then he turned to the Houtu Gang members, warning them, “Once we enter the main tomb, don’t touch anything, don’t speak carelessly. Understood?”


    Though greedy by nature, the tomb raiders knew survival came first and nodded vigorously.


    Just then, an elderly man in a filthy white robe looked at Zhong Li and said, “Whatever you do, don’t use Qi-watching technique here.”


    *This old man…* Xu Qi’an studied him discreetly.


    Zhong Li nodded meekly: “Mhm.”