CH 20

The scent of incense grew stronger. Shi Jingzhi opened his eyes slightly and looked towards the nearby bedroom.

The surroundings remained pleasant, with warm lighting and no trace of the gloominess often found in tombs. Shi Jingzhi listened intently and indeed heard shallow breathing coming from the direction of the bedroom.

It was as if someone was sleeping there.

Shi Jingzhi didn’t dare to shake the bell anymore. He held his disciple’s hand tightly. Yin Ci’s hand was warm, with a dry palm. Perhaps it was because he was fearless like a newborn calf, Yin Ci showed no signs of trembling.

That hand held on firmly and steadily, without any stiffness or discomfort. Shi Jingzhi adjusted his breathing for a moment and then took a step forward towards the bedroom.

The bedroom was extremely spacious and extravagantly decorated. The firelight was perfectly balanced, dancing on exquisite decorations.

Across from the bed, there was a translucent wall.

This wall was made of resin bricks, each the size of a human head, with a piece of human skin wrapped around each transparent brick. The skin seemed to be peeled off from living faces, meticulously processed to preserve their shape perfectly, resembling finely carved masks.

Each of those faces had well-proportioned features with their eyes closed without any expression, facing the large bed.

Monk Juehui’s face became even more grim. Shi Zhongyu shivered, whether from astonishment or anger, it was unclear.

Shen Zhu clicked her tongue lightly. “There are many famous figures in there, all righteous people killed by Yan Budu.”

Across from the wall was a large bed. A man was lying on the side of the bed, wearing a simple red robe, facing away from the entrance. His long black hair flowed on the bed, revealing a pale nape of the neck.

Seemingly aware of the sound at the door, the man slowly sat up, causing the red robe to slide off his shoulder, revealing a broad chest. He adjusted his hair and lazily turned his head, allowing everyone to see his face.

Yin Ci had seen Yan Budu while he was alive, and the creature in front of them indeed had the same face as him.

Yan Budu had countless male and female lovers, and it wasn’t solely due to coercion and force. He was undeniably a stunning figure himself—his facial features were enchanting, but completely different from Shi Jingzhi. He had a certain poisonous beauty to him.

A pair of crimson eyes swept over, and no one dared to make a sound. Yan Qing looked around and slowly hid behind the master and disciple.

Yin Ci’s heart sank gradually. Although the thing in front of them was incredibly lifelike, it was clearly not a living creature. Its movements had subtle stiffness, without showing any hostility or murderous intent.

That wasn’t Yan Budu.

The thing didn’t immediately attack; instead, it picked up a red jade smoking pipe from the side. Leaning against the headboard, it leisurely puffed out clouds of smoke. Its half-closed red eyes had no focus within the smoke.

A delicate pendant hung from beneath the red jade smoking pipe, decorated with three Buddhist beads.

Yin Ci quickly calculated in his mind.

There were a total of fourteen Buddhist beads. The Paper Figures Street had three, while the number of beads on the second level was unknown. Considering that the teleportation liquid relied on the beads for positioning, the Ascension Hall probably hid four beads. The “Suffering From Parting” stone pillars had four, and there were four more at the exit… This was highly likely the last three Buddhist beads.

Since they were placed together, the level of danger posed by that thing was self-evident.

It seemed more like a warning than bait.

Shi Jingzhi gritted his teeth and shook the silver bell. “That thing is not an illusion… Matron, what the hell is it?”

“I’ve never seen anything like it before. It’s not some cheap corpse puppet.”

Matron Wuxue had a gloomy expression, and every wrinkle on her face was stiff.

“This place is the center of the third level, where the coffin should have been placed. Did that bastard Yan Budu not even make a coffin?”

Her voice was low, but that thing heard it. It tilted its head and smiled at Matron Wuxue, revealing a mouth without teeth or tongue and only a pitch-black void between its lips.

Matron Wuxue immediately took a step back. “Taiheng’s brat!”

Shi Zhongyu instantly understood her meaning. “Senior, the blood essence beads are white. This is not a demonic entity.”

“Hah, our Hierarch Xijing pursues purity. How could he keep such a thing by his bedside?” A cold laugh sounded among the group.

Only one person remained from the Ling Sect. He had a burly figure and carried a nine-ringed saber stained with blood, though his gaze was sharper than the blade itself.

Shi Jingzhi said sincerely, “But he placed a bunch of human faces at the foot of the bed. I still think monsters are cleaner.”

Yin Ci followed his master’s lead. “Indeed.”

That person immediately glared, veins popping on his forehead.

Matron Wuxue snorted, not letting go of any opportunity to taunt her adversary. “Zheng Fengdao, as an esteemed elder, are you really going to have a grudge against someone younger? They didn’t say anything wrong.”

After saying that, she glanced at Shi Jingzhi. “Interesting, I can’t figure out whether you’re brave or timid.”

Shi Jingzhi pointed at the object on the bed. “That thing is a mechanism, not a ghost. Since it’s a mechanism, there must be a triggering condition. Moreover, it hasn’t been activated yet, so there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

“According to you, what is the triggering condition?” Matron Wuxue looked towards the “Yan Budu” leisurely smoking at the head of the bed.

“The distance from it.” Shi Jingzhi scratched his head. “The third level is full of dream traps. After struggling to reach this point, encountering such a dangerous mechanism… If my intuition is correct, this place connects to the exit of the Ghost Tomb.”

“Oh?”

Shi Jingzhi replied confidently, “Moving forward means facing unknown attacks, while retreating means being stuck here waiting for death. This kind of design is the most despair-inducing.”

Jin Lan couldn’t help but interject, “Isn’t it even more deadly if there’s no way out?”

Matron Wuxue chuckled. “Fools will always be fools. Yan Budu, who has always aspired to ascend to immortality, would never exclude the path of resurrection. He must have left a shortcut to the direct exit.”

After a few more exchanges among the people, the tense atmosphere finally relaxed slightly.

However, just as Shi Jingzhi deduced, no one dared to step forward, and there was no way to retreat.

The thing resembling Yan Budu took a tobacco pouch from under the smoking pipe and added some to the pipe. A new incense burned, intensifying the fragrance. The ambiguous firelight and swirling smoke created an eerie scene. With the wall of human faces opposite the bed, the previously exquisite scene sent shivers down everyone’s spines.

With the interference of “Dream Bubble”, even if the exit were right in front of them, no one could see it.

At this point, the personal belongings of everyone had already been consumed to a minimal extent. Without resources, they were left with a sense of being at a dead end.

Thanks to Yan Qing’s heritage, he bypassed the “Suffering From Parting” stone pillar and was directly thrown into the Palace of Leisure, so the belongings of the Kushan Sect were still intact.

However, their bags only contained food, miscellaneous items, and two sets of bedding. The only thing that could be considered a “treasure” was the Hanging Shadow Sword obtained from Paper Figure Street—a collectible that could fetch some money.

Matron Wuxue swept her eyes around the room and made a few clicks with her cane. “The space here is closed off. If we could create a moluo tent and close off the air for a while, it could withstand the enchantment for a short period… Even if the time is limited, at least it would allow me to see the true form of that thing.”

Monk Juehui: “Moluo tent?”

“Immerse fine satin in medicinal water and set up the tent on-site. Use yin fire to burn the outside and yang fire to heat the inside, expelling the incense. Stay inside for the duration of a cup of tea, then go outside and hold your breath for a while to temporarily break free from the incense illusion.”

While Matron Wuxue spoke, she lightly tapped her cane on the ground.

Jin Lan muttered in a low voice, “Why didn’t you mention it earlier…”

Matron Wuxue gave him a sideways glance and continued slowly, “This is a method to buy time under toxic smoke, but its effectiveness is very short. Even if it can be set up, the moluo tent is disposable. Once you leave the tent and come into contact with the incense, you can’t go back.”

After speaking, she lifted her chin towards Zheng Fengdao and said, “If Elder* Zheng had not refused to die in the sacrificial pit, I wouldn’t have abandoned the tomb exploration items. Such a pity, such a pity.”

*Note that Matron Wuxue is addressing him with courtesy, not in respect as a junior would address an elder, and in this case, it’s more sarcastically.

Zheng Fengdao sneered, and the iron rings on his nine-ringed saber clanged loudly. “You old witch…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Shi Jingzhi pushed him aside. Sect Master Shi held a blanket with a pattern of mandarin ducks playing in water with a serious expression and asked with a serious face, “Matron, do you think this can be used?”

Matron Wuxue and Zheng Fengdao: “…”

Matron Wuxue skeptically looked at Shi Jingzhi for a while, then flicked the fabric of the blanket with her fingers. “It can be used in a pinch, but we still need to prepare the medicinal water…”

Shi Jingzhi rummaged through the luggage and presented a medical kit with both hands. “Please.”

Matron Wuxue: “…Kid, you didn’t happen to keep enough water, did you?”

Shi Jingzhi: “I did, I did. My disciple brewed herbal tea. There are ten bamboo tubes in the bag. Matron, can we use herbal tea?”

“The Shi girl from the Taiheng Sect knows how to use yin fire, and we need yang fire—”

Shi Jingzhi rubbed two of his fingers together, and a cluster of golden flames ignited at his fingertips. “How much do you need?”

Matron Wuxue fell silent.

What’s up with the Kushan Sect? How come they have everything, including weird stuff?

After being tormented with large luggage along the way, Yan Qing’s eyes gradually became empty. “In such a creepy place, you dare to carry ten bamboo tubes of herbal tea? Even the Taiheng Sect didn’t bring that much water…”

Shi Jingzhi took out one of the tubes and shook it in front of Yan Qing. “You’ll know when you taste it. A’Ci is especially skilled.”

Matron Wuxue cleared her throat twice and interrupted Shi Jingzhi’s sales pitch. Several members of the Chigou Sect opened the bedding and used blood to draw an array on the satin fabric, while Matron Wuxue took the medical kit and began preparing the medicine on the spot.

The moluo tent was quickly set up. As the great contributor who provided the raw materials, Shi Jingzhi made only one request—to allow his disciple to enter the tent.

After all, there were only two sets of bedding available, and the space inside the muluo tent was limited. At most, it could accommodate eight people.

Each of the four major sects sent a representative, one from Rong Palace, a male disciple from Yueshui Pavilion, and two spots were taken by the Kushan Sect.

Inside the tent, Shi Jingzhi squatted into a ball and rambled on, instructing Yin Ci. “You will stay inside the tent. The air here is clean. I’ll go out first. If things don’t go well, I’ll call you immediately. When that happens, hold your breath and find a clean spot outside the room while the enchantment hasn’t taken effect yet.”

Not far away, Xu Jingming, who was rolling his eyes in exasperation was squeezed together with Monk Juehui. The other prominent figures were aware of Xu Jingming’s identity to some extent, but due to the awkward situation, they could only pretend not to recognize him.

After a cup of tea’s time, one by one, everyone crawled out, leaving Yin Ci alone inside the tent.

With the absence of the “Dream Bubble” covering, the scene inside the room instantly transformed.

There was no trace of light in the room, and the air was chilling. The floor was covered in dust, metal decorations were heavily rusted, and the wall of human faces was covered in a thin layer of gray. The edges of the canopy were decaying unevenly, and the bedding on the bed was tattered, with patches of mold.

However, the person on the bed remained unchanged.

The figure with disheveled long hair still played with the ruby smoking pipe in their slender fingers. The faded and decaying red robe emphasized their striking blood-red eyes.

Matron Wuxue held her breath and succinctly said, “Things are not looking good.”

“…That is a ‘Human Shaped Coffin’.”

The author has something to say:

Shi Jingzhi: Actually, there are also braised pork buns, fried noodles, candies, smoked fish slices, dried fruits, vegetable meat pancakes, salted egg yolks, fried rice…

Yin Ci: Yes, I have been doing it for a long time.

The master and disciple completely unaware that something is amiss.