Liu Dashao held a cigarette between two fingers of his right hand, his thin lips slightly moving as smoke slowly filled the small room. Finally, his thick black eyebrows lifted.
“Taoist,” he said, his voice calm and even, neither angry nor submissive, yet carrying an undeniable pressure, “I’ll ask you again, what exactly is it that you want?”
The intensity of his tone made Wang Feifei and the others nearby feel uneasy, while Diao Shu, standing among the crowd, couldn’t help but smirk mysteriously.
“Hmph!” Ni Ren Zhang let out a cold snort through his nose. “Will you really believe whatever I say?”
“That depends on what you say,” Liu Dashao’s aura suddenly softened. “But I think, given how critical this moment is, you wouldn’t dare to lie.”
“Why?” Ni Ren Zhang was caught off guard by Liu Dashao’s response. Unexpectedly, he felt as though he had underestimated this young man—not just in the past, but even now.
After all, the criteria for selecting disciples in Taoism were extremely strict. Even he himself had endured years of hardship at Jiuzhen Taoist Temple before his master, out of recognition for his exceptional talent, eased the requirements slightly. Otherwise, who knew how long he would have had to struggle. Zhang Enpu, the old master, was a supreme Celestial Master of Taoism, unmatched in status. So why would he choose this smug young man? If it came to martial skills, the boy barely had fifty to sixty percent of his prowess. As for Taoist magic, the gap was even greater. After all, he, surnamed Ge, possessed the Quanzhen Sect’s ultimate treasure, the “Yu Yang Ci.” Even if the other party wielded the Demon-subduing Celestial Sword, he wouldn’t fear him. Without considering these two advantages, there wasn’t much to compare—but still, being a calculating person, Ni Ren Zhang couldn’t believe that Zhang Enpu would have chosen someone without reason. Thus, his subconscious kept telling him that this kid was abnormal—highly, extremely abnormal. And now, Liu Dashao’s words only reinforced this belief.
However, Ni Ren Zhang’s thoughts were soon interrupted by Liu Dashao’s next sentence.
“Because… your heart has grown indifferent.” Liu Dashao sighed, pointing helplessly at the age spots on Ni Ren Zhang’s face. “Regardless of the unpleasantness of the past, what you truly desire now isn’t immortality, but a simple, ordinary life like any common person.”
“You…” Ni Ren Zhang’s heart skipped a beat. He widened his eyes, one hand frozen mid-air, staring at Liu Dashao in disbelief, as if looking at a monster—one who could peer directly into his soul.
“Are you wondering how I could possibly know what you’re thinking?” Liu Dashao smiled.
He waved his hand, halting Ni Ren Zhang’s impending question. “In truth, we’re of the same kind. And compared to you, I desire that kind of life even more.”
Hearing this, Ni Ren Zhang’s expression turned complex—filled with hesitation, surprise, but mostly a sudden sense of understanding and relief.
“Hey, you two, stop yapping on and on with all this philosophical nonsense,” Zhong Kui, the burly man, suddenly interjected. A straightforward northerner, he despised beating around the bush and preferred directness—exactly why Diao Shu had taken notice of him.
At this moment, everyone in the tomb turned their eyes toward Diao Shu, waiting for him to speak. After all, he was the true heavyweight in this group.
Feeling the collective gaze, Diao Shu couldn’t help but smile slightly. The hot potato had finally landed in his lap. In fact, ever since Ni Ren Zhang had started speaking, he had been thinking. If what Ni Ren Zhang said was true, then refusing to open the coffin would mean Ni Ren Zhang’s death, and there was no guarantee the group could find another way out of this golden ancient city. Moreover, no one could just stand by and watch him die. And behind them were a bunch of tomb raiders driven by greed, who had risked their lives to get this far. If they returned empty-handed, the group would certainly turn on each other, leading to a disastrous situation. Thinking this through, Diao Shu nodded at Liu Dashao, the meaning clear without words.
“Alright then, open the coffin. Follow Ni Ren Zhang’s instructions! Let him take the first item!” With Diao Shu’s approval, Liu Dashao finally made his decision.
“What?!” Liu Dashao’s words struck like thunder among the crowd, instantly igniting an uproar. Several ruthless individuals immediately stepped forward, pointing fingers and cursing at him. “Damn it, you little brat! We’ve followed you and your old man through fire and blood to get here—don’t we at least deserve some credit? Now you’re going to throw us under the bus? If you dare pull this stunt, even with Diao Shu around, we’ll tear you apart! You’re letting him take something from the coffin? What if there’s only one treasure in there? Then we’ve come all this way for nothing! Who’s going to pay for the families of the dead? You?!”
Provoked by them, the rest of the group soon came to the same conclusion, their eyes reddening as they shouted in anger, the air thick with tension.
“Na Pazi, step back!” Finally losing patience, Diao Shu barked darkly.
“But—?” The men still hesitated, wanting to say more.
“No buts!” Diao Shu stomped his foot heavily.
Startled, the tomb raiders immediately wilted like cabbage struck by frost.
Though outwardly just a shop owner dealing in feng shui and antiques, Diao Shu was actually one of the three great tomb raiding masters in mainland China. Thirty years ago, the tomb raiding world was known for the saying: “Southern Diao, Northern Jia, and Zhong Sima.”
Unfortunately, tomb raiding was a perilous trade—living on the edge of a blade, snatching chestnuts from fire. No matter how skilled one was, it only reduced unnecessary risks. The ancients were brilliant, with geomancers, yin-yang masters, and trap designers in abundance. Even more terrifying were the traps set by kings and generals in their tombs—quicksand, blade pits, giant heads, shadow palaces, flying spears, zombies, and other bizarre deathtraps.
As the saying goes: “A pot may escape the well for long, but eventually cracks; a general may survive many battles, but dies on the field.” Since the warlord chaos of the Kuomintang era, when Sun Dianying blasted open Empress Dowager Cixi’s tomb, countless tomb raiders had perished in the dark underworld. Of the three legendary masters, Sima Nan and his five disciples and grand-disciples all died in the Northern Sea Demon Cave. According to the only survivor, the old man’s half-body had been torn apart by a black dragon, staining the cave entrance red. Another master, Jia Zhuangyuan, barely escaped with his life in the desert, but since then had been half-mad, losing all the composure of a legendary tomb raider. Now, the only one left was Diao Shu—Diao De Yi.
In recent years, Diao Shu had become the de facto leader of the tomb raiding world, respected for his principles and adherence to the trade’s rules. Thus, even though tempers flared, none dared to openly oppose him.
“What I say, I stand by. In the past thirty years, have you ever seen me deceive anyone?” Diao De Yi clenched his teeth.
“N-no… Elder, we didn’t mean it like that,” the man called Na Pazi stammered under Diao Shu’s piercing gaze, trying to save face.
“Alright, I understand your concerns,” Diao Shu stepped forward and patted Na Pazi’s shoulder. “Even the great monks say: ‘The world bustles for profit; all rush for gain.’ Everyone has worked hard for half their lives—of course you want a stable, comfortable future. Consider this a debt I owe you all. If the coffin holds many treasures, after Ni Ren Zhang takes his share, the rest will be divided equally. I’ll even give up my own share. But if we’re unlucky, and there’s only one treasure as Na Brother suggested, then I’ll take responsibility. When we return, I’ll cover the compensation for the fallen brothers’ families and ensure everyone gets their due. How about that?”
With Diao Shu having spoken so decisively, refusing now would be sheer foolishness.
“Fine!” Na Pazi bowed to Diao Shu. “We trust your word, Uncle Diao! You do what needs to be done. If you need our help, we’ll be here.”
“Hmph! That’s more like it.” Diao Shu nodded in satisfaction before waving at Liu Dashao.
Seeing Diao Shu once again override the objections, Liu Dashao couldn’t help but feel a small surge of excitement. “Well, a man has to hold onto some hope, right? Nothing in life is ever one hundred percent certain. Could I really stand by and watch Ni Ren Zhang die before my eyes? Besides, Ni Ren Zhang’s Taoist skills are profound, deeply rooted in Quanzhen teachings, and his martial arts aren’t bad either. If he decided to force his way, aside from myself and Diao Shu, these seemingly strong men wouldn’t stand a chance. Now that he’s willing to be open and honest, that’s a hundred percent sincerity. As for me, all the mysteries that have followed me from Boddhisattva Mountain to now, and the true origin of the Taiping Qing Ling Shu, can only be resolved by opening the coffin.” With these thoughts, Liu Dashao rolled up his sleeves. “Old Ge, what are you waiting for? Let’s open this coffin! Look at my frail body—how can I handle such a heavy lid alone?”
“R-really?” Seeing Liu Dashao’s actions were genuine, Ni Ren Zhang was both shocked and delighted, tightly gripping Liu Dashao’s hand in excitement. “Are you sure about this?!!”
Liu Dashao smiled slightly and nodded. “I’m sure. We can’t just stand by and watch you sacrifice yourself. Though I still have my doubts about you, I’ll tentatively believe what you’ve said. Therefore, we must open the coffin to verify the truth. Ni Ren Zhang, you understand this better than I do. You’ll be in charge of the opening.”
“Of course. Thank you for your trust. Let’s open the coffin now.” Ni Ren Zhang turned to Fan Debiao, “Captain Fan, lend a hand. Miss Wang, please step back to avoid any accidents.”
The golden coffin’s outer lid was incredibly heavy. Liu Dashao and Fan Debiao struggled at both ends, finally managing to lift it slightly with great effort—only for their hands to slip, causing the lid to slam shut again with a thunderous boom.
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage