The immortal crane spread its wings, covering the sky and the sun, holding a crimson immortal pill in its mouth. Its eyes were bright and spirited, curiously observing Li Xian.
"A guest cos from the clouds, please take the Crane Pill."
Lv Dongzhi was bold and carefree.
His martial arts cultivation was superb, and the tomb’s layout was grand. People believed that deep within the tomb lay a significant legacy. Yet, he placed it outside the tomb.
Seekers of ancient tombs often pursued wealth and treasure. However, he allowed those who left empty-handed to return full-handed. The immortal crane was intelligent, obedient to Lv Dongzhi’s last will, and it would offer the pill to those who departed empty-handed.
As it is said, "A guest cos from the clouds, please take the Crane Pill."
This implies... entering the tomb is akin to being a guest. As a guest, how can one steal the host’s treasures? Leaving the tomb empty-handed makes you the "guest" of the tomb.
As a "guest," you are then invited to take the Crane Pill.
Lv Dongzhi had already indicated the location of the treasure, but no one could fathom it. Although he had many disciples during his lifeti, truly carefree individuals were few. The air of unrestrained and ethereal elegance was beyond anyone’s grasp.
Conversely...
Those thieves plundering the tomb, upon breaking its chanisms, would take paintings and treasure artifacts... Lv Dongzhi had been dead for thousands of years, thus unable to stop them. Yet, they missed the best treasure.
Li Xian caught the crimson immortal pill and bowed, thanking the senior! Without examining it closely, he tucked it into his sleeve. He then quickly escaped with Wen Caishang.
Wen Caishang knew well the eccentric nature of the "Nanyang Scholar," defying common sense. That historical period was rife with strife and chaos, with bizarre ethics. There were noble scholars and savage villains.
She was naturally selfish and self-serving, yet seeing Li Xian receive the immortal pill, she had no intention of taking it. Instead, she felt happy for him.
...
...
On the other side.
Shen Pingping was adept at tomb layouts, from Nanyang, Great Yu, Great Wu, and even ancient tombs farther back—he had all robbed and excavated them.
The mainstream layouts of the Nanyang period tombs included "Four-sided Tomb," "Eight Immortals Tomb," and "Nine Dragon Tomb," among others.
This particular tomb clearly had a "Four-sided Tomb" layout, with four sections encompassing all directions. Shen Pingping knew it belonged to "Lv Dongzhi."
Although he understood the tomb’s layout, his knowledge of ancient and modern was not as profound as Wen Caishang’s, and he didn’t understand "Lv Dongzhi" well.
He led the way and soon found the "Four Saints Cave." Seeing the door tightly closed, emitting a peculiar odor, his eyebrows furrowed. There was no sign of "Zhao Zhiyuan."
Su Qiuyu said, "Could she have escaped again?"
Shen Pingping replied, "Whatever the case, let’s open the cave and take a look first."
"Logically... it shouldn’t be possible. The Four Saints Cave is a dead end, blocked by Zhao Zhiyuan at the entrance, making escape exceedingly difficult!"
Shen Pingping fumbled with the chanism, exploring around the cave entrance. After spending most of the day, he opened the door.
The sound of a sudden "rumble" erupted as lead rcury gushed out. Shen Pingping and Su Qiuyu sidestepped, holding their breath and shielding themselves. After a long ti, when all the lead rcury had flowed out, the scene inside appeared naturally.
Zhao Zhiyuan lay swollen on the ground. Su Qiuyu took a silk ribbon from his waist, flung it out to wrap around Zhao Zhiyuan’s body, and pulled forcefully.
Zhao Zhiyuan was dragged out of the Four Saints Cave, lifeless, with horrifying injuries, an arrow in his chest, a knife wound in his abdon, and skin scorched... surely having gone through fierce combat.
Su Qiuyu sighed, knowing Zhao Zhiyuan’s prowess, to suffer such injuries must have been due to a plot, unable to exert his strength.
Suddenly, Zhao Zhiyuan’s eyes opened, angrily uttering, "Heavy..." His expression was startled, but then he stiffened completely, dying utterly.
Shen Pingping laughed, saying, "Wonderful, wonderful!" Clapping his hands in applause.
"Hmph!" Su Qiuyu flicked his sleeves with a cold snort. Being skilled in sches, seeing Zhao Zhiyuan dead gave him a sense of forlorn lant. He feared Wen Caishang; despite frequent encounters and engagents, where he was evidently stronger and the enemy was weaker, he consistently failed, suffering great losses.
If it were an ordinary disciple’s death, it wouldn’t matter. But Zhao Zhiyuan was a dignified Third Realm Martial Artist, even if newly entering the Third Realm and in a weak state. Relying on Li Xian, a First Realm Martial Artist, and Wen Caishang, a person with no chi... they managed to kill him.
Upon reflection, it filled him with chills.
Shen Pingping awkwardly said, "Brother Su, don’t misunderstand. I’m not gloating. It’s just... Zhao’s death provides excellent raw material for refining an ’Angry-eyed Corpse.’
"Such corpses must have encountered trendous fright and anger before dying, dying amidst endless regret. When he opened his eyes and spoke earlier, it was ’corpse language,’ a desperate attempt to convey information to the outside world."
"Hmm?" Su Qiuyu said, "Earlier, he said the word ’heavy.’ What does ’heavy’ represent?"
Even with his nimble mind, how much could he deduce from just the word "heavy"? Thought after thought yielded no clue.
Just then, Li Quan and Qi Beidao also arrived. Although not familiar with the tomb’s paths, their lightweight skill was remarkable, allowing them to move swiftly. They wandered around a few tis and gradually found their way.
Su Qiuyu explained the situation. Li Quan and Qi Beidao were both astonished, witnessing Zhao Zhiyuan’s grueso death, feeling complex emotions. Su Qiuyu remained calm, contemplating Zhao Zhiyuan’s death, realizing one less reliable ally. In such tis, staying calm and making many plans was essential.
He gathered everyone and led them to a burial chamber. Sitting on the coffin, they consolidated their respective clues, experiences... various details.
Su Qiuyu asked, "You two arrived quickly. I thought we’d have to wait a few more days for you."
Li Quan said indifferently, "We heard that the witch had a map of the tomb hidden. Naturally, we couldn’t sit idly."
"She had a map?" Su Qiuyu paused, his eyes brightened: "Really? Where did you hear that?"
Li Quan said, "Hmph, Su Qiuyu, don’t pretend! The errand boy told you, how could you not know?"
Su Qiuyu said, "Strange! I also ca hastily upon being inford. But the errand boy didn’t ntion the ’map’ to ."
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