Liu Dashao decided to take a desperate gamble. He took out the glutinous rice he had previously asked Jia Zhuangyuan for in advance. At the very moment the Purple-Gold Corpse King chased after him, Liu suddenly turned his head and threw the entire bag of rice directly onto the Corpse King’s head. The white, glistening grains scattered like celestial flowers, pouring down onto the Corpse King’s body. Each grain that made contact caused the Corpse King to react as if scalded by boiling water, its body spurting black liquid everywhere. Seeing that the method was effective, though not highly so, Liu Dashao quickly realized the rice wouldn’t last long. Soon enough, it was all used up.
The others managed to hold their own, taking turns fending off the Corpse King. Finally, Jia Zhuangyuan, panting heavily, shouted, “Kid Liu! Hurry up and find the exit! If this keeps up, we’ll all die here!”
“I know!” Liu Dashao quickly nodded in agreement.
He glanced at Caiqingchong. The latter had merely been hit in the stomach by the coffin lid, and had fainted from the intense pain. Fortunately, he still had a cloth bag full of ropes strapped to his back. That bag had taken most of the impact, saving his life. If there was any problem left, it would be internal injuries. Tears had unknowingly welled up in Fan Debiao’s eyes. With a hoarse voice, he whispered to the unconscious Caiqingchong, “Brother! Hold on! I believe you’ll be okay! Didn’t we promise to go chasing girls together?”
Whether or not he heard Fan’s words, Caiqingchong suddenly coughed violently. Fan wiped his tears dry and, without a word, followed Liu Dashao as they began searching for the exit.
At that moment, the Purple-Gold Corpse King, which had been chasing them back and forth, suddenly stumbled. A long object fell from its waist, making a crisp clinking sound as it hit the ground. Liu Dashao’s ears perked up. He carefully crawled over, picked up the item the Corpse King had dropped, and upon closer inspection, realized it was half of a bronze carving—half a tiger. Liu had some knowledge of antiques and immediately recognized it as a tiger-shaped tally used by ancient generals to command troops. If someone carried this, they were either an emperor or a high-ranking general. Liu Dashao finally understood. This guy definitely wasn’t an emperor—it was clearly a buried general meant to accompany the tomb’s occupant. Perhaps it was a trap, a mechanism designed by the tomb’s owner to ensure their deaths. But in reality, the Corpse King’s offensive power wasn’t that strong. It had no real means of attack, and its towering height made it unable to strike effectively. It could only chase them in circles like a game of tag. Realizing this, Liu Dashao stood up and said, “Stop running! That thing can’t hurt us!”
While running, Fan Debiao shouted, “Are you kidding me, Boss? Have you gone mad? Don’t talk nonsense!”
Liu Dashao strode toward the Corpse King. It hopped toward him, one jump after another. Liu Dashao held his dagger across his chest. The creature didn’t even look and charged straight at him. After feeling the pain from the blade, it started to avoid him. The others finally found a gap and dropped their packs, collapsing onto the ground. Caiqingchong, watching Liu Dashao’s boldness, said, “Boss, this zombie probably isn’t the Corpse King. Look at its tattered appearance—it’s clearly just a servant!”
Liu Dashao couldn’t keep up with the tall zombie’s repeated charges. He was thrown several times and had no choice but to retreat to the others. After resting for a while, Jia Zhuangyuan stood up and said, “It seems this zombie poses no real threat to us, but it’s still a danger. Why not get rid of it?”
Liu Dashao replied, “Master Jia, that’s unnecessary. Besides, we don’t really have a good way to destroy it!”
Jia Zhuangyuan, feeling ignored, had a growing sense of resentment. His face twisted slightly as he suddenly stood up and shouted, “Damn it! You all underestimate me too much! Go ask around! I’ve robbed every tomb except the Emperor Qin’s!”
With that, he strode toward the Purple-Gold Corpse King, which was now wandering alone. He held a flashlight in one hand and had the other hidden in his sleeve, gripping something unknown. Sensing someone approaching, the Corpse King turned its head with a fierce growl and hopped toward Jia. Suddenly, a white object shot through the air like a flash, striking the zombie’s forehead with a loud “pop,” like a firecracker. A large crack split open on the Corpse King’s forehead, spreading outward like tectonic fissures. Everyone stared in shock as Jia Zhuangyuan leapt forward, delivering a powerful side kick that sent the Corpse King crashing to the ground. Liu Dashao exclaimed, “Master Jia, was that Yin Official Soul-Shattering Nail you used just now?”
Jia Zhuangyuan casually pulled out a white handkerchief from his pocket, wiped his hands, then returned to Liu Dashao’s side. Sitting down, he asked, “Kid Liu, have you figured out how to get us out yet?”
Liu Dashao nodded and pointed at the Corpse King’s body. “Search it!”
The group worked half-heartedly for a while, but finally found a small brocade pouch on the Corpse King’s body, marked with a Tai Chi symbol. Everyone’s eyes widened—what could be hidden inside this tiny pouch?
Liu Dashao gently pulled the white thread that closed the pouch and reached inside, pulling out a yellow piece of paper folded in half. After unfolding it, everyone leaned in to look. The paper was covered in strange, tiny characters, and at the bottom, there were some lines and black dots forming a pattern.
Frowning slightly, Liu Dashao handed the paper to Jia Zhuangyuan and said, “Master, I can’t read these characters. Take a look.”
Jia nodded and accepted the paper. He clearly recognized the strange script. As he read from beginning to end, his facial expression changed dramatically—first surprise, then disbelief, and finally his face began to twitch with fear. When he finished reading, he slowly raised his head, his eyes dazed as he said, “These are ghostly characters. This message was left by someone called Yin Changsheng for us.”
As soon as those words left his mouth, everyone felt a chill. Liu Dashao, also shocked, asked, “What did you say? You mean this message was left by Yin Changsheng for us?”
Jia Zhuangyuan swallowed hard, his eyes flickering with anxiety as he continued, “I don’t know whether Yin Changsheng was a man or a deity. Do you understand what this message conveys? It says: ‘If you have successfully broken through the celestial array and defeated formidable ghosts like the Ba, you must indeed be extraordinary individuals. Since you’ve seen my message, you’ve already caught a glimpse of the divine mysteries hidden within the Infinite Dao Treasury. I’ll save you the trouble of searching elsewhere. You may now head straight to the Ninety-Nine Heavens—I await your arrival there.’ Then it provides a path to the Ninety-Nine Heavens, directing us to follow the map. It also states: ‘The corpse within the coffin is my Yellow Turban General. Treat it with reverence and ensure it remains undisturbed. Be wary! I shall reward you.’ And finally, it’s signed by Yin Changsheng.”
Everyone was stunned by Jia Zhuangyuan’s account. As he said, who was this Yin Changsheng? He could predict that someone would come centuries later, break the mechanisms, open the coffin, and read the letter. He even claimed he would be waiting for them in the City of Life and Death. It was simply unbelievable. For a moment, everyone fell silent, a deep sense of fear rising in their hearts toward the mysterious figure known as Yin Changsheng—perhaps even Zhang Jiao. This person seemed almost supernatural.
After a long silence, Jia Zhuangyuan let out a faint laugh. “Ancients often predicted future events and made things seem mysterious. Yin Changsheng lived over a thousand years ago. He couldn’t possibly still be alive today. I prefer to believe this letter was deliberately placed here by him when he built the Infinite Dao Treasury. Let’s not take it too seriously. We should follow the map and head to the Ninety-Nine Heavens. This letter has saved us a lot of trouble.”
Liu Dashao, regaining his composure, said, “Exactly. We shouldn’t think too much about it now. Our mission must be completed. Our goal is clear. We’ve already faced many dangers. Whether Yin Changsheng is a three-headed, six-armed immortal or just a fraud, we’ll know once we reach the Ninety-Nine Heavens.” Hearing this, the others reluctantly accepted their reasoning. After all, none of them believed that someone from a thousand years ago could still be alive, waiting to meet them.
However, they all agreed with the letter’s instruction to keep the Yellow Turban General’s corpse from being exposed. They decided to close the inner coffin and return the Purple-Gold Corpse King to its original place. But when they looked up, they were shocked to find that the Corpse King had vanished. A chill ran down their spines. How could it suddenly disappear? Hadn’t it been subdued? Even if it wasn’t dead, how could it escape? Was it no longer afraid of the Zhengyi Stone Coffin?
At that moment, Fan Debiao suddenly shouted, “Look! The palace gates are open!”
Everyone rushed to look and indeed, the palace gates were wide open. The green glow from the water outside illuminated the entire hall.
“This is strange,” Jia Zhuangyuan muttered. “How could the Corpse King disappear like that?”
Just then, a sinister cold laugh echoed from outside the palace, and a familiar voice said, “Although the Corpse King was bound by the stone coffin, my remote object manipulation allowed it to escape.” As the voice spoke, several figures appeared at the palace entrance. Among them were the strange guests they had seen in the Xinjiang restaurant. There had been seven before, but now only three remained—clearly, they had paid a heavy price to get this far. Behind them stood several foreigners with deep-set eyes and prominent noses.
“It’s you!” Liu Dashao exclaimed in shock.
Zhao Wendeng entered the hall with a grim expression, accompanied by the foreigners. Now everyone could see the Purple-Gold Corpse King standing beside him, glaring fiercely at them but obediently at Zhao’s side.
Zhao Wendeng shot a fierce glare at Jia Zhuangyuan, clearly still holding a grudge over the loss of his arm. A sinister smile curled his lips as he said, “Old friends, we meet again. This time, I’ll reduce you all to dust!” His fierce expression and piercing gaze sent shivers down their spines. Jia Zhuangyuan stepped forward fearlessly and stared back at Zhao, saying, “Zhao Wendeng, I let you escape last time. This time, I’ll make sure you stay.”
At that moment, one of the foreigners stepped forward and gestured to Zhao, indicating he had something to say. The man wore a crisp black suit, his skin unnaturally pale, his sparse hair slicked back. He wore gold-rimmed glasses over a sharp nose. With a graceful bow, he addressed the group in fluent Chinese, “Dear Chinese friends, I am James, a Ph.D. from the American Oriental Ancient Research Society.” He then introduced his companions, “Allow me to introduce my colleagues. Mr. Zhao Wendeng from the desert needs no introduction. The others are top experts in American archaeology and paranormal studies.”
He first pointed to a tall, long-haired man in black robes with a black mask covering his face. “This is Mahada, our archaeological expert.” Liu Dashao noticed the man wore strange clothing—tight-fitting like ancient Chinese night-walking attire. He sensed a faint, eerie, and chilling aura from him, causing him to glance repeatedly. The masked man seemed to notice Liu’s gaze and gave him a cold, wolf-like stare through the mask. Liu Dashao felt a chill run down his spine and quickly averted his eyes.
James then introduced a bald man in a camouflage vest with black leopard heads tattooed on both arms. “This is our paranormal expert, Haldon.” Finally, he pointed to two other black men in camouflage. “These two are also top paranormal experts. The rest behind me are our special forces for this trip to China.”
After he finished speaking, Jia Zhuangyuan stepped forward and asked, “Dr. James, may I ask what your true purpose is for coming to China?”
James smiled and said, “We have two purposes: cultural exchange between China and America, and helping our friend recover a lost ancestral treasure.”
Jia Zhuangyuan sneered, “Dr. James, I know about your American Oriental Research Society. It’s an organization that works tirelessly for the U.S. government to steal and buy ancient Eastern cultural relics. You’re probably here illegally. Recovering a lost ancestral treasure? That’s just a convenient excuse, isn’t it?”
James spread his hands and feigned surprise. “Sir, I’m not making excuses. My friend’s ancestors were a powerful warlord from the late Eastern Han Dynasty. He entrusted Mr. Zhao Wendeng and made an international call to us, asking for help in recovering his ancestral treasure.”
Fan Debiao couldn’t hold back any longer and shouted, “You arrogant bastard! You foreigners always come to China under some noble-sounding banner, but it’s all about stealing our ancient relics! You think you can fool me, Boss Biao? Not a single thing will you take from here!”
James’s expression darkened slightly at Fan Debiao’s words, but he quickly regained his composure and smiled. “We Americans don’t use vulgar language. I won’t hold it against you. We’re here to promote cultural exchange and friendship between China and America.” He turned his gaze to Jia Zhuangyuan. “I know you’re the leader of this team. I’d like to discuss cooperation in this underground expedition. Esteemed sir, what do you think?”
Jia Zhuangyuan smiled slightly and replied firmly, “Dr. James, on behalf of all my companions and all Chinese people, I say NO to your cooperation. In fact, I plan to take you all back to the surface and hand you over to the Chinese government. If you want cooperation, talk to the Chinese government!”
As Jia finished speaking, everyone noticed James’s face darken. He sneered, “An old Chinese saying goes: ‘He who won’t drink the wine of respect must drink the wine of punishment.’ Do you really think your small group can stop our American paranormal experts—and these famous Chinese martial artists?”
Before Jia Zhuangyuan could respond, Fan Debiao shouted again, “What nonsense! You American experts are nothing but dogs! Come and try your luck! I’ll send you all back to the U.S. with just one move!”
James’s face turned pale with anger. He gave a signal to the bald man beside him. The bald man glared at Fan Debiao with eyes that glowed a strange green. Fan suddenly shivered involuntarily. Jia Zhuangyuan noticed the strange glow in the man’s eyes and was about to warn him when Liu Dashao suddenly roared, “Evil spirit, dare you harm my friend!” The shout shook the entire palace, and everyone’s ears rang painfully. The bald man’s eyes flickered, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, staggering backward. Two of the special forces agents quickly caught him.
James and the other Americans were shocked, except for Chong Xu Daozhang, who stood silently with a sinister smile on his face.
Liu Dashao sneered at James and said, “A mere dream-killer who uses a bit of mental force dares to call himself a paranormal expert? You Americans are truly overestimating yourselves.”
James’s face changed several times in an instant. He adjusted his glasses and forced a smile. “That was just a sneak attack. Allow me to show you our real American paranormal experts.”
He clapped his hands at the two special forces agents. “It’s your turn.”
The two agents stepped forward, their eyes locked on Liu Dashao. Suddenly, strange popping sounds came from their bodies. Their forms expanded, doubling in size. They stood like two black towers, exuding an intimidating presence.
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