Liu Dashao decided to take a desperate gamble. He took out the sticky rice he had secretly obtained from Jia Zhuangyuan beforehand. As the Purple-Gold Corpse King chased him, Liu Dashao suddenly turned around and hurled the entire bag of rice directly onto the Corpse King’s head. The white grains scattered like flowers falling from the heavens, drenching the Corpse King. Each grain that touched its body caused it to react as if scalded by boiling water, black liquid oozing from its body. Seeing the effect, Liu Dashao felt hopeful, but the rice quickly ran out. Fortunately, the others managed to keep the Corpse King occupied in turns. Finally, gasping for breath, Jia Zhuangyuan shouted, “Kid Liu! Find the exit quickly! If this keeps up, we’re done for!”
“I know!” Liu Dashao nodded hastily.
He looked at Caiqingchong. The latter had merely been hit in the stomach by the coffin lid and had fainted from the intense pain. Luckily, he still had a cloth bag filled with ropes strapped to his back, which had absorbed most of the impact. If there was any issue, 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! Hang in there! I believe you’ll be fine! We still promised to chase girls together, remember?”
Whether it was due to Fan Debiao’s words or not, Caiqingchong suddenly coughed violently. Wiping his tears, Fan Debiao reluctantly followed Liu Dashao to search for the exit.
At that moment, the Purple-Gold Corpse King, which had been chasing them back and forth, suddenly staggered, dropping a long object from its waist. The object made a crisp clinking sound as it hit the floor. Liu Dashao’s ears perked up. Cautiously crawling over, he picked up the item the Corpse King had dropped. Upon closer inspection, it was half of a bronze carving depicting half a tiger. Liu Dashao had some knowledge of antiques and immediately recognized it as a tiger-shaped military token—a symbol of command. If someone possessed this, they were either an emperor or a high-ranking general. Liu Dashao finally understood. This was definitely not an emperor—it was clearly a buried general serving as a guardian of the tomb. Perhaps it was a mechanism designed by the tomb’s owner, meant to kill them all. But in reality, the Purple-Gold Corpse King wasn’t very dangerous. First, it had no real offensive capabilities. Second, its towering figure made it unable to actually harm anyone, forcing it to chase them around like a game of tag. Understanding this, Liu Dashao stood up and shouted, “Stop running! That thing can’t hurt us!”
While running, Fan Debiao shouted, “Are you out of your mind, Dashao? Don’t talk nonsense!”
Liu Dashao strode toward the Corpse King. The Corpse King hopped toward him, and Liu Dashao held his dagger across his chest. The creature ignored the weapon and charged straight at him, only to recoil after feeling the pain. Finally, the others seized the opportunity to catch their breath, dropping their gear and collapsing onto the ground. Seeing Liu Dashao’s boldness, Caiqingchong said, “Dashao, this zombie probably isn’t a Corpse King. Look at its shabby appearance—it’s clearly just a servant!”
Liu Dashao couldn’t keep dodging the tall zombie’s charges. After being thrown back several times, he had no choice but to retreat to the others. After resting briefly, Jia Zhuangyuan stood up and said, “This zombie poses no real threat, but it’s still a danger. Let’s eliminate it!”
Liu Dashao replied, “Master Jia, there’s no need. Besides, we don’t really have a good way to destroy it!”
Feeling ignored, Jia Zhuangyuan’s face twisted with anger. Suddenly standing up, he shouted, “Damn it! You’re underestimating me too much! Go ask around! I’ve robbed every tomb except the First Emperor’s!”
With that, he strode toward the Corpse King, holding a flashlight in one hand while the other remained hidden in his sleeve. Sensing someone approaching, the Corpse King turned its head with a fierce growl. Suddenly, a white object flew through the air and struck the zombie’s forehead with a loud *crack*, like a firecracker. A large crack split open on the Corpse King’s forehead, spreading like tectonic fissures. Everyone watched in stunned silence as Jia Zhuangyuan leapt forward, delivering a powerful side kick that sent the zombie 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 to wipe his hands, then returned to Liu Dashao’s side and sat down, asking, “Kid Liu, have you figured out how to get out yet?”
Liu Dashao nodded and pointed at the Corpse King’s body. “Search it!”
The group reluctantly searched the Corpse King and indeed found a small brocade pouch with a Taiji pattern. Everyone stared wide-eyed—what could be hidden inside this small pouch?
Liu Dashao carefully pulled the white thread tightening the pouch and reached inside, pulling out a yellow paper folded in half. When he unfolded it, everyone leaned in to look. The paper was covered with strange tiny characters, and at the bottom were some lines and black dots forming a pattern.
Frowning, Liu Dashao handed the paper to Jia Zhuangyuan. “Master, I can’t read these characters. Please take a look.”
Jia Zhuangyuan nodded and accepted the paper. As he read, his expression changed dramatically—from shock to disbelief, and finally his face began twitching in fear. After finishing, he slowly raised his head, his eyes dazed as he said, “These are ghostly writings—this message is from someone named Yin Changsheng.”
When he said that, everyone shivered. Liu Dashao asked in surprise, “You’re saying this message was left by Yin Changsheng for us?”
Liu Dashao decided to go all out and took out the glutinous rice he had obtained earlier from Jia Zhuangyuan. At the moment the Corpse King was about to catch him, Liu Dashao suddenly turned around and threw the entire bag of rice onto the head of the Purple-Gold Corpse King. The white, gleaming rice scattered like a celestial maiden’s flowers, showering the Corpse King. Every grain that touched the Corpse King caused it to react as if scalded by boiling water, with black liquid oozing from its body. Liu Dashao saw that this tactic worked, but the effect was limited. Soon, the rice was exhausted. The others were still holding their own, taking turns to engage the Corpse King. Finally, Jia Zhuangyuan gasped, “Young Liu! Hurry and find the exit! If we keep this up, we’ll perish here!”
“I got it!” Liu Dashao quickly nodded.
He glanced at Cai Qingchong, who had only been knocked unconscious by the coffin lid hitting his stomach. The intense pain had caused him to faint, but fortunately, he was carrying a cloth bag with ropes inside, which had absorbed some of the impact. If there was any issue, it would likely be internal injuries. Fan Debiao’s eyes were already filled with tears. With a hoarse voice from shouting too much, he whispered to the unconscious Cai Qingchong, “Brother! Hang in there! I believe you’ll be fine! Didn’t we promise to go pick up girls together?”
As if hearing Fan Debiao’s words, Cai Qingchong coughed violently. Fan Debiao wiped away his tears and reluctantly followed Liu Dashao to search for the exit.
At that moment, the Purple-Gold Corpse King, which had been chasing them, suddenly stumbled, and a long, slender object fell from its waist. The object made a crisp sound as it hit the ground. Liu Dashao’s ears perked up, and he cautiously crawled over to pick it up. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a half-tiger bronze carving—a tiger tally used for commanding troops! If this person carried such an item, he must have been either an emperor or a great general! Liu Dashao finally understood. This was definitely not an emperor! This was clearly a tomb-guarding general. Perhaps this was a trap set by the tomb’s owner, designed to ensure their demise. However, in reality, the Purple-Gold Corpse King’s lethality wasn’t high. First, it lacked a primary means of attack, and second, its bulky frame made it difficult for it to harm anyone. It could only chase them around like a hawk chasing chickens. Realizing this, Liu Dashao stood up and said, “Stop running! That thing can’t hurt us!”
Fan Debiao, still running, shouted, “Dashao, have you lost your mind? What nonsense are you spouting!”
Liu Dashao strode toward the Purple-Gold Corpse King. The Corpse King hopped toward him, and Liu Dashao held a dagger across his chest. The creature, oblivious, charged straight at him. After taking a hit, it began to retreat. The others finally found a moment to catch their breath, dropping their packs and collapsing to the ground. Cai Qingchong, seeing Liu Dashao’s boldness, said, “Dashao, this zombie probably isn’t the Corpse King! Look at its shabby attire—it’s clearly a servant!”
Liu Dashao couldn’t withstand the tall zombie’s charges and was knocked back several times. Helpless, he retreated to join the others. Jia Zhuangyuan, after resting for a while, stood up and said, “I don’t think this zombie poses much of a threat to us, but leaving it alive is still a risk. Let’s get rid of it!”
Liu Dashao replied, “Senior Jia, that’s unnecessary! Besides, we don’t have a good way to eliminate it!”
Jia Zhuangyuan, feeling slighted, his face twisted in frustration, suddenly stood up and said, “Damn it! You’re all underestimating me! Go out and ask around! Apart from the Qin Emperor’s tomb, there’s no tomb I haven’t raided!”
With that, he walked toward the Purple-Gold Corpse King, which was wandering alone. He held a flashlight in one hand and the other hand was tucked into his sleeve, clutching something. The Corpse King sensed someone approaching and turned its head, baring its teeth menacingly. Suddenly, a white shadow flew toward the zombie’s forehead with a “whoosh,” and with a “bang,” the Corpse King’s head split open from the center, cracking like a fault line. Everyone watched in stunned silence as Jia Zhuangyuan leaped forward with a side kick, knocking the zombie to the ground. Liu Dashao exclaimed in shock, “Senior Jia, was that the Soul-Shattering Nail of the Underworld Official?”
Jia Zhuangyuan habitually pulled out a white handkerchief from his pocket, wiped his hands, and then returned to Liu Dashao’s side. After sitting down, he asked, “Young Liu, have you figured out how we’re getting out?”
Liu Dashao nodded and pointed at the Corpse King’s corpse, saying, “Search him!”
The group, half-doubting, worked for a while and actually found a brocade pouch with a Taiji pattern on it. Everyone’s eyes widened in curiosity. What could be hidden inside this small pouch?
Liu Dashao gently pulled open the white string tightening the pouch and reached inside, pulling out a yellow piece of paper folded in half. When he unfolded it, everyone leaned in to look. The paper was covered in dense, strange characters, and at the bottom, there seemed to be a pattern of lines and dots.
Liu Dashao frowned and handed the paper to Jia Zhuangyuan, saying, “Senior, I don’t recognize these characters. You take a look.”
Jia Zhuangyuan nodded and took the paper. It seemed he recognized the strange script. As he read, his facial expressions changed dramatically—first shock, then disbelief, and finally, his face began to twitch with fear. When he finished reading, he slowly looked up, his gaze vacant, and said, “These characters are ghost script, and this note is a message from someone named Yin Changsheng to us.” His words sent a chill through everyone’s hearts. Liu Dashao, also startled, asked, “What? You’re saying this note is from Yin Changsheng to us?”
Jia Zhuangyuan swallowed hard, struggling to regain his composure, and said in a dazed voice, “This Yin Changsheng—I don’t know if he’s a man or a god. Do you know what’s written on this paper? It says: ‘Since you have broken the Star Formation and defeated the fierce ghosts, you are no ordinary people. By reading this message, you have glimpsed the secrets of the Infinite Dao. I will spare you the trouble of traveling to other places. You may proceed directly to the Ninety-Ninth Heaven. I await your arrival in this city.’ Attached is a map to the Ninety-Ninth Heaven. Follow it to reach the city. The corpse in the coffin is my Yellow Turban Commander. Treat him well and do not expose him to the outside world. Be cautious! I will reward you accordingly.’ The note is signed by Yin Changsheng.”
Everyone was stunned by Jia Zhuangyuan’s explanation. As he said, who was this Yin Changsheng? How could he predict that someone would come here centuries later, break the traps, open the coffin, and read his message? He even mentioned waiting for them in the City of Life and Death. It was unbelievable! For a moment, everyone fell silent, their hearts filled with immense fear for this person, whether he was Yin Changsheng or Zhang Jiao. This man seemed almost supernatural.
After a long pause, Jia Zhuangyuan let out a light chuckle and said, “The ancients were skilled at predicting the future and creating mysteries. This Yin Changsheng lived a thousand years ago—how could he still be alive today? I’d rather believe this note was a riddle left behind when he built the Infinite Dao. Let’s not take it too seriously. We’ll follow the map and head to the Ninety-Ninth Heaven. The appearance of this note has saved us a lot of trouble.”
Liu Dashao, now regaining his composure, said, “Right, let’s not overthink it. Our mission must be completed, and our goal is clear. We’ve already faced many dangers and strange occurrences. Whether this Yin Changsheng is a three-headed, six-armed deity or just a trickster, we’ll find out when we reach the Ninety-Ninth Heaven.” Hearing Jia Zhuangyuan and Liu Dashao’s words, the others had no choice but to accept their perspective. After all, no one believed that someone from a thousand years ago could still be alive, waiting to meet them.
However, they all agreed with the note’s instruction to keep the Yellow Turban Commander from being exposed. They decided to close the inner coffin and return the Purple-Gold Corpse King to its original position. But when they looked up, they found that the Corpse King had mysteriously disappeared. Everyone felt a chill run down their spines. Where had the Corpse King gone? How could it have vanished so suddenly? Wasn’t it subdued? Even if it wasn’t dead, it shouldn’t have been able to escape. Did it no longer fear the stone coffin?
Just then, Fan Debiao suddenly shouted, “Look, the palace doors are open!”
Everyone hurried to look, and sure enough, as Fan Debiao had said, the palace doors were wide open. The green light from the heavy water lake illuminated the outside of the palace.
Jia Zhuangyuan said, “This is strange. How could the Purple-Gold Corpse King have disappeared so suddenly?”
At that moment, a sinister chuckle echoed from outside the palace, and a familiar voice said, “Although the Purple-Gold Corpse King was bound by the stone coffin, my telekinesis helped it escape.” As the voice spoke, several figures appeared at the palace entrance. Among them were some of the strange guests they had encountered at the Xinjiang restaurant, though there were only three now instead of seven. It seemed they had paid a heavy price to reach this point. Behind them were some foreigners with deep-set eyes and prominent noses.
“It’s you!” Liu Dashao exclaimed in shock.
Zhao Wending, with a grim expression, slowly entered the palace with the foreigners. It was then that everyone noticed the Purple-Gold Corpse King standing obediently beside Zhao Wending, its fierce eyes fixed on them.
As they entered the palace, Zhao Wending shot a venomous glare at Jia Zhuangyuan, likely still harboring resentment for the whip strike that had severed his arm. With a sinister smile, he said to the group, “Old friends, we meet again. This time, I’ll grind your bones to dust!” His menacing expression, especially his eyes, sent a shiver down everyone’s spines. Jia Zhuangyuan, however, stepped forward, meeting Zhao Wending’s gaze fearlessly, and said, “Zhao Wending, last time you escaped. This time, I’ll make sure you stay.”
At that moment, one of the foreigners stepped forward, waving a hand to signal he had something to say. He was dressed in a sharp, dark black suit, his skin unnaturally pale, with a few strands of hair slicked back. He wore gold-rimmed glasses on his high nose bridge. With a graceful gesture, he placed his right hand over his chest, gave a slight nod, and said in fluent Chinese, “Dear Chinese friends, I am an American named James, a doctor from the American Oriental Ancient Studies Association.” He then gestured to his companions and said, “Let me introduce my colleagues. Mr. Zhao Wending from the desert needs no introduction. The others are top experts from the American archaeological and paranormal communities.”
He first pointed to a long-haired man in black with a face mask and said, “This is Mr. Mahada, an expert in American archaeology.” Liu Dashao noticed that the man’s attire was peculiar, resembling ancient Chinese night-clothing, and he exuded an eerie, chilling aura. The masked man seemed to sense Liu Dashao’s gaze and glanced at him with cold, wolf-like eyes, sending a shiver down Liu Dashao’s spine, forcing him to look away.
Dr. James then pointed to a bald man in a camouflage vest with black panther tattoos on his arms and said, “This is Mr. Hatton, a master of American paranormal abilities.” Finally, he introduced two other men in camouflage, saying, “These two are also masters of the American paranormal community. The others behind me are special forces soldiers for this China expedition.”
After he finished, Jia Zhuangyuan stepped forward, his eyes fixed on Dr. James, and asked, “Dr. James, may I ask what brings you to China this time?”
Dr. James smiled and said, “We’ve come to China for two purposes: one is to promote cultural exchange between China and the U.S., and the other is to help a friend from the Oriental Ancient Studies Association recover a lost family heirloom.”
Jia Zhuangyuan sneered, “Dr. James, I’m aware of your American Oriental Ancient Studies Association. It’s an organization that goes to great lengths to plunder and purchase ancient Eastern cultural artifacts for the U.S. government, isn’t it? Your visit to China this time is likely illegal. Helping a friend recover a lost heirloom? What heirloom? That’s just a convenient excuse, isn’t it?”
Dr. James spread his hands, feigning surprise, and said, “Sir, I’m not making excuses. The person beside me is the client. His ancestor was a prominent warlord from the late Eastern Han Dynasty, and he hid a very important family treasure here. He entrusted Mr. Zhao Wending and called us across the ocean to help him find it.”
Fan Debiao couldn’t hold back any longer and shouted, “What a load of crap! You foreigners always come to China under some noble pretense, but it’s all about plundering our ancient artifacts! You’ve crossed paths with me, Fan Debiao, and you won’t take a single thing!”
Dr. James’s expression darkened at Fan Debiao’s words, but he remained composed and smiled, saying, “We Americans don’t engage in vulgar language. You’re too crude, and I won’t stoop to your level. We’re here to promote cultural exchange and friendship.” He then turned to Jia Zhuangyuan and said, “I know you’re the leader of this group. I’d like to discuss cooperation for this underground expedition. What do you say, respected sir?”
Jia Zhuangyuan smiled and said seriously, “Dr. James, on behalf of my companions and all Chinese people, I say NO to your cooperation. Moreover, I’ll take you all back to the surface and hand you over to the Chinese government. If you want to cooperate, talk to them.”
After Jia Zhuangyuan’s words, Dr. James’s face turned grim. He sneered and said, “Sir, there’s a Chinese saying: ‘If you don’t accept the toast, you’ll have to accept the punishment.’ Do you think your small group can stop our American paranormal experts? Not to mention these renowned Chinese masters.”
Before Jia Zhuangyuan could respond, Fan Debiao cursed again, “What a stinking load of crap! Your American paranormal masters are nothing! Come at me, and I’ll send you all packing with a single move!”
Dr. James’s face turned livid at Fan Debiao’s words. He gave a look to the bald man beside him, who glared at Fan Debiao. Fan Debiao suddenly shivered, and Jia Zhuangyuan noticed the bald man’s eyes had an eerie green glow. He silently warned himself to be cautious of the man’s gaze. Just then, Liu Dashao roared, “How dare you, demon!” His shout shook the entire palace, and everyone, unprepared, felt a sharp pain in their ears. The bald man, however, was struck by the shout, his eyes flashing as he spat out a mouthful of blood and collapsed backward. The two special forces soldiers behind him quickly caught him.
Dr. James and the other Americans looked at Liu Dashao in shock, except for the Taoist priest, who stood silently with a sinister smile on his lips.
Liu Dashao sneered at Dr. James and said, “A petty dream killer who dabbles in telekinesis dares to call himself a paranormal master? You Americans are too arrogant.”
Dr. James’s face changed several times in an instant. He adjusted his glasses and forced a smile, saying, “Sir, he was just caught off guard by your sneak attack. Let me show you our true American paranormal masters.”
He turned and clapped his hands at the two special forces soldiers, saying, “It’s your turn.”
The two soldiers stepped forward, their eyes fixed on Liu Dashao. Suddenly, a strange cracking sound came from their bodies, and they instantly doubled in size, standing like two black iron towers, exuding an imposing aura.
Everyone was stunned by Jia Zhuangyuan’s explanation. 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 his message—and even claim to 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 this mysterious figure—Yin Changsheng, or perhaps Zhang Jiao. He seemed almost supernatural.
After a long silence, Jia Zhuangyuan gave a faint laugh. “Ancients often predicted the future to create mystery. Yin Changsheng lived a thousand years ago—how could he still be alive today? I prefer to believe this message was just a trick planted by him when constructing the Wujie Daozang. We shouldn’t take it too seriously. Let’s just follow the map and go to the Ninety-Ninth Heaven. This paper has saved us a lot of trouble.”
Liu Dashao, regaining his composure, added, “Right. We shouldn’t overthink it. Our mission must be completed. We’ve already faced countless dangers. Whether Yin Changsheng is a divine figure, a fraud, or someone with supernatural powers, we’ll find out when we reach the Ninety-Ninth Heaven.” Hearing this, the group reluctantly accepted their reasoning. After all, no one believed that someone from a thousand years ago could still be waiting for them.
However, they did agree with the message’s instruction to keep the Yellow Turban Commander’s corpse hidden. They decided to close the inner coffin and return the Corpse King to its place. But when they looked up, they found the Corpse King had vanished. A chill ran down their spines—how could it disappear so suddenly? 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!”
They turned to see that the palace doors had indeed swung wide open, the green light from the Deep Water Lake illuminating the outside.
“This is strange,” Jia Zhuangyuan muttered. “How could the Corpse King suddenly disappear?”
Just then, a cold, sinister laugh echoed from outside the palace, followed by a familiar voice: “Though the Corpse King was bound by the stone coffin, my remote object manipulation helped it escape.” As the voice spoke, figures appeared at the palace entrance—several of the strange customers they had seen in the Xinjiang restaurant. There were originally seven, but now only three remained, clearly having paid a heavy price to get this far. Behind them stood several foreigners with deep-set eyes and prominent noses.
“It’s really you!” Liu Dashao exclaimed in shock.
Zhao Wendeng, his face grim, slowly stepped into the hall with the foreigners. Now they saw the Purple-Gold Corpse King standing beside him, glaring fiercely but obediently at the group.
Entering the hall, Zhao Wendeng shot Jia Zhuangyuan a venomous glare—still resentful over the time Jia had severed his arm with a whip. A sinister smile curled his lips as he addressed the group, “Old friends, we meet again. This time, I’ll reduce you to dust!” His tone was filled with hatred, and his gaze sent chills down their spines. Jia Zhuangyuan stepped forward fearlessly and stared back at Zhao Wendeng, saying, “Zhao Wendeng, last time you escaped, but this time, I’ll make sure you stay.”
At that moment, a foreigner beside Zhao stepped forward, signaling him with a hand gesture. The man wore a crisp black suit, his skin unnaturally pale, his sparse hair slicked back. He wore gold-rimmed glasses on a high nose. With a graceful bow and a hand over his chest, he spoke fluent Chinese: “Dear Chinese friends, I am James, a doctor from the American Oriental Ancient Research Society.” He gestured to his companions. “Let me introduce my colleagues. This is Mr. Zhao Wendeng from the desert, and these are top experts in American archaeology and paranormal studies.”
He first pointed to a long-haired, black-masked figure in black attire: “This is Mr. Mahada, an archaeological expert from America.” Liu Dashao noticed the man’s clothing resembled ancient Chinese stealth suits. A faintly terrifying and cold aura emanated from him, making Liu Dashao glance at him a few times. The masked man seemed to sense Liu Dashao’s gaze and glanced at him through the mask with wolf-like icy eyes, making Liu Dashao shiver involuntarily and quickly look away.
James then introduced a bald, muscular man in a camouflage vest with black leopard heads tattooed on both arms: “This is Master Haden, our American paranormal expert.” Lastly, he pointed to two other black men in camouflage: “These two are also top paranormal experts from America. The others behind me are our special forces for this trip to China.”
After he finished, Jia Zhuangyuan stepped forward and asked, “Dr. James, may I ask what brings you all to China?”
James smiled and replied, “Our purposes are twofold: cultural exchange between China and America, and helping a friend of our society recover a lost ancestral artifact.”
Jia Zhuangyuan sneered, “Dr. James, I know your American Oriental Ancient 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. ‘Helping a friend recover a lost item’? What exactly is this ‘lost item’? It’s just a convenient excuse, isn’t it?”
James spread his hands, feigning surprise. “Sir, I’m not making excuses. My friend’s ancestor was a prominent warlord at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty. He entrusted Mr. Zhao Wendeng and called us from overseas to help recover an important family heirloom hidden here.”
Fan Debiao couldn’t hold back any longer and shouted, “What a load of crap! You foreign devils come to China under all sorts of pretenses, but it’s all about looting our ancient relics! You think you can take even a speck of dust with you when you run into me, Master Biao?”
James’s expression darkened slightly at Fan Debiao’s words, but he remained calm and smiled, saying, “We Americans don’t use such vulgar language. I won’t hold it against you. We’re here to promote Sino-American cultural exchange and friendship.” He then turned 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 solemnly, “Dr. James, on behalf of all my companions and all Chinese people, I say no to your cooperation. In fact, I intend 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 Zhuangyuan finished, everyone saw James’s face darken. He sneered, “An old Chinese saying goes: ‘He who refuses a toast must face punishment.’ Do you really think you can stop our American paranormal experts and these famous Chinese martial artists?”
Before Jia Zhuangyuan could respond, Fan Debiao shouted again, “What a stinky fart! You American ‘paranormal masters’ are nothing but dogs! Come on, let’s see if I can’t send you all back to America with one move!”
James’s face turned pale with anger. He signaled the bald man beside him. The bald man glared at Fan Debiao with glowing green eyes, and Fan Debiao suddenly shivered. Jia Zhuangyuan realized something was wrong just as Liu Dashao roared, “How dare you!” The shout shook the entire palace, startling everyone and causing their ears to ring painfully. The bald man’s eyes flickered, and he spat blood, staggering backward. Two special forces soldiers quickly caught him.
James and the other Americans looked at Liu Dashao in shock, except for the Taoist priest Chong Xu, who stood silently with a sinister smile.
Liu Dashao sneered at James, “A mere dream-killer who uses a bit of mind power dares to call himself a paranormal master? You Americans are too arrogant.”
James’s face changed several times in an instant. Adjusting his glasses, he forced a smile and said, “He was just caught off guard. Let me show you our real American paranormal experts.”
He clapped at the two special forces soldiers, “It’s your turn.”
The two soldiers stepped forward, eyes locked on Liu Dashao. Suddenly, strange popping sounds came from their bodies. In an instant, their bodies doubled in size, standing like two black towers, exuding a terrifying aura.
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