Chapter 103: Not the same person
Facing the various conditions and pickiness from Feng Xuexiang, even though Huang Yuren had made up her mind to treat him well before entering the tomb, she was now finding it a bit overwhelming.
The demand to review the profile of all the people who were going to the tomb and personally investigate everyone was still acceptable.
Not allowing “Feng Zaiyin” to bring along other members of the Feng family, while insisting on bringing a few members of the Xue family, was also tolerable.
Choosing a few scouts to explore the tomb first could be seen as cautious.
But asking to install air purifiers, clean the ground, and lay down carpets was starting to be a bit too much.
After hearing this, Huang Yuren almost thought Feng Xuexiang was joking, but it turned out he was serious.
Huang Yuren remained silent, but Feng Xuexiang didn’t mind. After pondering for a moment, he suddenly had a new idea: “Let’s place some flower baskets as well.”
Are we going there to open a business? Huang Yuren thought to herself.
But after a moment, she figured it wasn’t entirely unreasonable. If these things were prepared, it would look more ceremonious when their master was resurrected and greeted.
At this moment, Yu Shi walked over and stopped Feng Xuexiang.
He placed a hand on the overly tense Feng Xuexiang’s shoulder and whispered in his ear, “I want you to be cautious, not to marry me inside the tomb. These decorations aren’t necessary.”
Feng Xuexiang still tried to argue, “But they said this tomb is different, buried very deep. I’m afraid that if we aren’t fully prepared, you’ll be uncomfortable.”
Yu Shi only replied, “This isn’t my first time entering such a tomb. We’ve entered a tomb together before, and back then, you didn’t go to such lengths.”
Feng Xuexiang smiled, “That only shows that the old me wasn’t as attentive and caring as I am now.”
“The old me didn’t take care of Ashi, and Ashi must have had a hard time. But not anymore. Even though I don’t have my past memories now, I’ll definitely do better than the old me.”
Yu Shi: “…………”
He could sense it—Feng Xuexiang was subtly stepping on his past self. Over the past few days, he had been dropping hints like this, whether intentionally or not.
…
Due to Yu Shi’s insistence, the tomb entry did not turn into a grand opening ceremony or an engagement scene but instead maintained a tense and solemn atmosphere.
As per Feng Xuexiang’s request, the number of people entering the tomb was kept to a minimum, divided into two groups. Huang Yuren led a few members of the Crisis Bureau, with Xin Liu, who was using Feng Zaiyin’s body, and holding two jade scrolls, standing on Huang Yuren’s side.
On Feng Xuexiang’s side, it was just him, Yu Shi, the head of the Xue family, Jiang Mang, and two other Xue family demon exorcists. Altogether, there were only twelve people.
Before entering the tomb, Second Brother Feng, who had heard the news, arrived with over a dozen Feng family demon exorcists.
Unaware of the situation, he glared at “Feng Zaiyin” and said to Feng Xuexiang, “Old Ninth, you can’t play favorites, only promoting Feng Zaiyin. For such an important matter, you should bring more people along.”
“There are so many people in the Feng family; you should at least take a few with you. It would be good for them to gain some experience.”
If Feng Xuexiang were going alone, he would have agreed offhandedly. He didn’t care about these people; whether they lived or died was none of his concern.
But Yu Shi was there, and having even one more person was a hassle.
So he bluntly said, “No, leave immediately.”
After being refused, Second Brother Feng’s face turned ashen, but he didn’t dare to argue with Feng Xuexiang. He could only glare at Feng Zaiyin again before reluctantly leaving.
Huang Yuren watched them leave, feeling a sense of regret.
She had originally planned to bring more people, preferably some demon exorcists from all four families. The more lives, the better—they would make perfect sacrifices to help her master resurrect faster.
But with Feng Xuexiang refusing, she had to give up, thinking darkly to herself: If you won’t let me bring these sacrifices, then when the time comes, I’ll drain your blood, flesh, and soul—you’ll be the biggest sacrifice!
And if that’s not enough, there are twelve people here. Everyone except her can be sacrificed to her master.
…
The group entered the tomb, which descended continuously downward. The passage, made of green bricks, didn’t appear particularly unusual, but it grew colder the further they went. Frost even began to form on the walls.
Strangely, the air inside didn’t feel thin.
After walking for a while, Huang Yuren stopped and said, “The scouts could only reach this point before they were unable to proceed. There’s a formation on this door that requires a sufficient amount of spiritual power to activate and open. We’ll need your help, Ninth Master Feng.”
No one knew better than Huang Yuren what lay inside, but she still put on a serious expression, carefully calculating the time to slowly guide them deeper.
She was well-versed in formations, and inside this tomb, there was a Rebirth and Nurturing Formation. At the most opportune time, with the sacrifices and the millennia-old jade scrolls in place, the formation would activate, and her master would naturally awaken.
Not hearing a response from Feng Xuexiang, she turned to see him unscrewing a bottle of water and attentively offering it to the man beside him, asking with concern, “Ashi, are you thirsty? Have some water.”
“It’s a bit cold in this tomb. Is your clothing too thin?”
Huang Yuren’s expression froze for a moment as she reminded herself to be patient. Forcing a smile, she urged, “Ninth Master Feng, it’s getting late. We should open this tomb door as soon as possible so we don’t waste any more time.”
“Waste time?” Feng Xuexiang asked curiously. “What time are we wasting? Are you in a hurry for something?”
“Ninth Master Feng, you’re joking. I just think that the sooner we retrieve the jade scrolls, the sooner we can leave. Staying in this cold, damp place for too long might affect Mr. Zhou Shi’s health,” Huang Yuren responded smoothly.
“You have a point,” Feng Xuexiang replied, dropping his attentive demeanor but still holding onto Yu Shi firmly as he led him to the sealed tomb door.
A slight smile played on Huang Yuren’s lips. This door was sealed with spiritual runes her master had created, inscribed on the jade scrolls. Without knowing the method to unlock it, Feng Xuexiang would have to pour his power into the door to open it, which would drain him completely.
Even if this door didn’t drain him completely, the next one surely would.
As expected, Feng Xuexiang stepped forward without any hesitation and began channeling his power into the door. The ancient, heavy, dark stone door suddenly emitted a faint white glow along its engravings.
However, after just a moment, Feng Xuexiang abruptly withdrew his hand and sighed softly in apparent difficulty, “I don’t have enough power. I can’t open it.”
Huang Yuren’s expression stiffened; it was obvious that he hadn’t exerted much energy at all.
“Perhaps if you gave me two more jade scrolls, it would help,” Feng Xuexiang suggested with a smile.
Recognizing his veiled threat, Huang Yuren wasn’t angry; instead, she smiled back.
“Very well. We should all contribute,” she said, handing over one jade scroll and signaling to Xin Liu.
What good would it do him to have the jade scrolls now? Once they entered the formation, he would still have to hand them over.
Feng Xuexiang accepted the two jade scrolls, but as he looked at the stone door, the smile in his eyes vanished.
He was merely testing her, and the fact that she gave up the jade scrolls so easily meant these two spirits cared about something far more important than the scrolls.
His curiosity deepened about what was truly hidden in this tomb. He tightened his grip on Yu Shi’s hand, who gently patted him in reassurance.
The second door, the third door.
Huang Yuren looked at Feng Xuexiang with increasingly uncertain expression. He wasn’t as drained as she had expected. Either his power was far stronger than she had assumed, or he was able to fully harness the power of the jade scrolls, making the doors ineffective against him.
Whichever it was, the situation was turning dire.
Huang Yuren exchanged a glance with Xin Liu before taking the lead, walking ahead of the group.
Yu Shi tightened his grip on Feng Xuexiang’s hand, sensing a faint breeze coming from the opening ahead.
After passing through a series of unremarkable burial chambers, the group was suddenly met with a breathtaking sight.
They emerged from a narrow passage into a vast, hollowed-out underground space, with the ceiling towering thousands of meters above, supported by several massive stone pillars.
Below them, nestled on a stone platform, was a sprawling complex of palaces, as if an ancient imperial city had been transported there.
The reactions among the group varied widely. The members of the Crisis Bureau were visibly excited and overjoyed.
Jiang Mang was equally shocked, muttering to herself, “A place like this—is this really a tomb? What kind of great figure could be buried here? How was this even constructed?”
The head of the Xue family, Xue Shanwei, looked on with cautious seriousness. “Even the so-called ‘Chi Heng Tomb’ from ancient times pales in comparison to this. I fear…”
He glanced at Feng Xuexiang ahead and felt somewhat reassured upon seeing that Feng Xuexiang’s expression remained calm and unmoved. Whatever this place was, Feng Xuexiang likely had some understanding of it.
Huang Yuren and Xin Liu, on the other hand, struggled to suppress their excitement and fear.
“Could this not be just an ordinary disciple’s tomb? But I’ve calculated that the jade scrolls are definitely inside. We might as well go down and take a look,” Huang Yuren suggested, already taking the lead.
A long stone staircase descended from the entrance, leading down toward the distant palaces.
This palace complex appeared to be thousands of years old, yet it stood here as if frozen in time, with even the red lacquer on the pillars still vibrant and fresh.
As they walked inside, it felt as though they were traversing a ghostly realm—there was no sound at all.
Everyone remained on high alert, but they encountered no danger along the way and smoothly entered the grand hall.
Huang Yuren was the first to step into the largest of the halls.
Inside, there was a high platform with a long couch atop it, on which lay a corpse that appeared lifelike.
The corpse was emaciated, surrounded by seven blue lamps that flickered eerily in the dim light.
Three additional lamps were placed on the body—one on the forehead, one on the chest, and one on the abdomen.
These three lamps were red, but at this moment, only two were lit. The one on the chest was extinguished.
Seeing this, Huang Yuren cried out in shock, “How can this be? How could one soul be missing?”
When her master died, he had cast a spell to bind his three souls and seven spirits, awaiting resurrection. But now, while the seven spirits were intact, one of the three souls was missing, its whereabouts unknown.
The Celestial Soul governs destiny, the Earthly Soul governs nature, and the Human Soul governs emotions. The extinguished lamp on the chest was the one that housed the Human Soul.
Huang Yuren suddenly turned around, staring in shock at Feng Xuexiang.
Could this man, who could fuse with the jade scrolls, possibly be…?
If it hadn’t been for some interference, her master should have been resurrected a thousand years ago. Now, after so many years, her master’s remaining power had likely weakened, causing the soul lamp to gradually fade, leading to the dispersal of the Human Soul. It had possibly found its way into another body, becoming another person’s divine soul.
She recalled how Xin Liu had mentioned that Feng Xuexiang sometimes resembled their master. At the time, she had scoffed at the idea, but now it seemed there might actually be some truth to it.
Huang Yuren’s eyes flickered with uncertainty, but then her gaze hardened, filled with a fierce resolve.
It was just one soul. As long as this man died, that soul would naturally return to her master, and there would be no lasting impact.
These thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant. Huang Yuren glanced at the others who were now standing in the grand hall, and in a swift movement, she captured the four exorcists from the Crisis Bureau that she had brought along.
These four had been specifically chosen because their elemental alignment matched that of her master, and they were intended to awaken the final spark of her master’s spirit.
The four exorcists, who had been eagerly admiring the array of artifacts and treasures displayed in the hall, were suddenly seized and, before they could comprehend what was happening, were killed without any chance to defend themselves.
Their blood splattered across the jade pillars of the grand hall, and the two jade scrolls in the hands of Huang Yuren and Xin Liu were instantly drawn to the corpse on the platform.
The entire grand hall became enveloped in the glowing light of a formation.
“What’s happening?”
“What are they trying to do?”
“Feng Zaiyin! You said we came here to retrieve the jade scrolls, but what are you doing now?” Xue Shanwei, seeing Huang Yuren’s ruthless actions, immediately moved to protect Jiang Mang and the other two members of his group.
“Does the Crisis Bureau intend to make enemies of the Four Great Families?!”
Huang Yuren paid him no mind, laughing triumphantly. “It’s too late for caution now. You’ve stepped into the Hall of Ten Lives—this is your grave, and there’s no escape!”
She wore an exaggerated smile, and Feng Xuexiang also smiled slightly as he said, “But we never stepped into the grand hall.”
Just before they were about to cross the threshold, Yu Shi had suddenly pulled him back, and Feng Xuexiang, sensing something, had stopped just outside the hall.
Curious about what Huang Yuren and Xin Liu were up to, he had created an illusion that made it appear as though they had entered the hall together.
In reality, it was only Huang Yuren and her group who had eagerly rushed inside.
