Chapter 151: The Eerie Black Shadow

Seeing my profound puzzlement, Li Ling continued, "I specifically studied that skeleton, and it is indeed the remains of a child."

Following that, Li Ling explained that the tomb door had already closed at that time, trapping her and another member from the Southern Gate inside. That companion was a young man with considerable experience in grave robbing, so he was not overly panicked when the gate shut. Seizing the moment, the two of them resumed examining the artifacts inside the coffin.

Aside from the child's skeleton, the funerary objects were extremely simple—merely a few everyday bronze vessels with no high-value antiques. It was hard to imagine that such a grand mausoleum would contain so few burial goods in its main coffin; this was exceedingly rare. There were also some yellowed ancient scrolls, but all had naturally decomposed due to time, leaving hardly any legible characters on the fragments for detailed textual research.

Yet, a specific term had flashed through Li Ling's mind: rejuvenation? Based on other antiquities and mural studies, this sovereign seemed obsessed with dark arts and Taoism, pursuing them to a degree of sheer fanaticism. Furthermore, according to deductions, this Southern Li Kingdom was likely a branch of the ancient Li Kingdom. In any case, the sovereign could not possibly have been a child yet lived for over two hundred years—a rarity, if not an impossibility, in ancient history.

Could rejuvenation actually be real?

"During the great migration of the ancient Li Kingdom, it split into numerous branches. Whether this was due to the feudal lords' centrifugal tendencies or a desire to preserve more sparks of their civilization remains unclear. In any event, this Southern Li branch was likely contemporaneous with the small ancient Li state we discovered in the desert. That is to say, during the great migration, the ancient Li people undoubtedly split into multiple groups, scattering across various regions."

Next, I asked her why she was here and what had happened earlier. Li Ling gave me a sidelong glance, telling me not to rush. She then explained that the two of them had been investigating for a long time when the tomb door opened on its own, leading them directly to this place.

However, both of them were veterans of ancient tombs and naturally did not rush out immediately, instead observing their surroundings for a long time. Right at that moment, the young man from the Southern Gate suddenly widened his eyes, shrieked at the darkness ahead, and bolted forward. Sensing that something was amiss, Li Ling hurriedly prepared to chase after him, but she subconsciously glanced back. To her utter shock, the skeleton inside the coffin behind her had vanished. In just that brief span of time, how could the bones have disappeared? The coffin was now utterly empty.

Realizing their current predicament, Li Ling knew they had encountered something inexplicable. Without hesitation, she sprinted in the direction the young man had fled. At that exact moment, the Southern Gate youth suddenly froze in his tracks, not moving an inch. Just as Li Ling was about to ask what was wrong, the young man slowly turned his head and flashed a smile at her—a smile of terrifying creepiness.

What followed next was something beyond Li Ling's wildest imagination, a phenomenon that had never occurred in her entire career. A shadow seemed to be lurking right behind the young man, and that shadow was slowly fusing with him. Before Li Ling could even approach, the young man collapsed, bleeding from all seven orifices.

The entire situation felt profoundly bizarre. Before Li Ling could react, the dark shadow lunged directly at her. Even with Li Ling's composure, panic gripped her. Many things in this world defied scientific explanation; could this possibly be some unknown species?

Nevertheless, the young man's fate was far too grotesque. Daring not to delay, Li Ling quickly hid herself. Only then did she manage to catch a clearer glimpse of the dark shadow. Up close, its movements were agonizingly sluggish, somewhat resembling a black bear. Yet, the entity possessed an eerie quality, and Li Ling dared not get too close.

Thus, Li Ling had concealed herself nearby ever since. Calculating the time, she had anticipated that the tomb chamber door would open again. Sure enough, the door did open. However, at the time, she had not realized that I was the one walking out of that chamber; instead, she had spotted the dark shadow again, which had apparently been tailing me all along. It had simply lagged behind due to its slow speed, while my continuous movement and evasion had kept me out of its clutches.

Hearing this, I broke out in a cold sweat. Yet, I truly had no idea that such a thing had been trailing me all the time!

Li Ling told me she had been hiding here for a day and a night, spotting the creature on several occasions during that time. Based on her deductions, the entity was likely some sort of animal, somewhat akin to a chameleon, capable of altering its coloration to match the surrounding background. Using a flashlight would trigger visual distortions and light refraction, rendering the creature difficult to detect. Furthermore, the beast seemed highly venomous and capable of inducing hallucinations—a conclusion Li Ling drew from the state of the Southern Gate youth.

The next moment, Li Ling asked if I had any food on me. I hurriedly produced my backpack, which contained some dry rations. Li Ling took out a package of compressed biscuits and began eating them with some water. Watching her, I couldn't help but smile involuntarily. Within moments, she had finished a small pack of the biscuits. To be honest, their taste was truly awful, but they were remarkably filling, easy to carry, and packed in waterproof, storable wrappers.

"By the way, where are the one and a half pills?"

After taking a sip of water, Li Ling reassured me, "Don't worry, those things are perfectly safe. I left them in storage at a hotel in Wuming County. The county hotels are very proper; they won't get lost."

Hearing her say this, my heart finally settled. Having found Li Ling and learned the location of the pills, I prepared to leave. However, Li Ling stopped me, saying, "This place is profoundly strange, and the ancient Li culture here should be the orthodox version. I want to study it thoroughly."

Li Ling explained that the so-called ancient Li culture possessed countless peripheral branches, yet the lineage preserved here was even more orthodox than the one in the desert. According to her research, the master of this mausoleum was likely of direct imperial descent from the ancient Li Kingdom, holding the genuine ancient Li dark arts. Revered as the ultimate dream of monarchs across dynasties, those dark arts undoubtedly possessed unimaginable power. Having dedicated her life's blood to this research for so many years, there was no way Li Ling would leave without thoroughly investigating the place.