Chapter 76: The Burial Chamber

In my understanding, the man with the black sunglasses must be someone with secrets of his own, a mysterious figure who knows a great deal. Since he slipped away from me without a sound, it must have been for reasons that concern only him and not me. Besides, I can hardly call him a friend—we’ve even fought before, stood opposed as enemies. Now, at best, we are collaborators. His departure was no business of mine.

As I headed back, I grew cautious once more. Thankfully, after about half an hour, I returned to that strange burial chamber. But what shocked me again was the coffin lid—it was closed. Who had closed it?

Could someone have entered while I was gone? Doubt filled my heart, along with a touch of fear. I wondered what was happening to me—ever since I entered this place, anxiety and dread seemed to linger. I used to think myself quite courageous; in Dulong Mountain and beneath the desert, I never felt this way, always steady and calm. But here, the sense of fear kept creeping in. It was truly odd.

I steadied myself, refusing to dwell on these messy thoughts. At least three groups were present in this tomb: Old Ghost’s people, that woman called Lady Gu, and myself with the man in black sunglasses. No, now that he’s gone, perhaps I shouldn’t count him as my ally, but for now, let’s assume so. With so many people in this underground tomb, it was unexpectedly lively—a thought that eased my mind.

That old, fearless part of me bubbled up again. Glancing at the eerie coffin, I tilted my head, smirked, and then delivered a spinning kick to the lid, sending it flying. Truth be told, curiosity played a role, and with such a strange thing right beside me, I couldn’t rest until I understood it.

The instant the coffin was opened, I was stunned once more. Though I’d mentally prepared myself for bizarre, supernatural encounters, witnessing them firsthand still rattled me.

Inside the coffin, it was not the corpse of Liuzi, but a woman’s body. I began to suspect I’d been hallucinating earlier. Drawing a deep breath, I stepped closer and confirmed it was indeed a woman’s corpse, dressed in ancient clothing. What shocked me even more was how well preserved she was. Her face was pale as death, yet undeniably beautiful, her eyes shut as if merely asleep.

Suppressing my shock and the faint, intangible fear, I braced myself and examined her again. The moment I turned on my flashlight, the corpse began to dissolve, evaporating away until only a pile of white bones remained.

Suddenly, I recalled something from my father’s notes: many items in tombs disintegrate upon exposure to oxygen. Could this corpse be the same way?

I didn’t know much about this field, so I could only accept that explanation. I looked around again—nothing else strange happened.

Now, two paths lay before me: one above, the hole where the man in black sunglasses and I had fallen, and the other, the endless corridor I’d just traversed. I pondered whether I should climb out again—perhaps there was another way. My only goal now was to find Old Ghost’s group and learn what they were up to. But so far, apart from his three subordinates, I hadn’t encountered anyone else, let alone uncovered the tomb’s secrets. As I was deliberating, a familiar rustling sound came from above—it was the noise of corpse centipedes.

Clearly, going up was no longer an option. By the time I climbed out, the place would surely be crawling with those creatures, and I’d be devoured in no time. Just then, I sensed a presence beside me. Turning quickly, I saw nothing. But at that moment, I noticed beneath the bones in the coffin, a piece of white cloth, seemingly inscribed with something.

It wasn’t large. I reached in and took it out. Aside from this cloth, there were no burial goods—truly pitiful. I picked up the cloth, but before I could examine it, I saw a shadow running fast through the pitch-black corridor. Could it be the man in black sunglasses?

Startled, I quickly stuffed the white cloth into my jacket and chased after the figure. Since the way up was blocked, and likely infested with corpse centipedes, there was no way out. If this tunnel never ended, so be it—better to starve than be eaten alive.

The man in black sunglasses was swift, and I couldn’t catch up right away. Oddly, he wasn’t using his flashlight. Stranger still, why was he running? Perhaps he was up to something shady.

With these thoughts, I picked up my pace. This time, if I caught him, I’d teach him a lesson. He may know more about tombs than I do, but if it came down to a fight, he wouldn’t necessarily be my match.

So I ran even faster, sprinting into the darkness. Soon, I caught sight of the shadow—and was startled. That figure was definitely not the man in black sunglasses. I was certain of it. In fact, the longer I watched, the more unsettling it became. That long hair was eerily familiar. My heart leapt—damn, wasn’t this the strange figure who stood behind Liuzi before?

I stopped dead, my legs stiff with nerves. What on earth was this thing? Could it really be a zombie?

This time, I was more convinced than ever—previous sightings were not hallucinations. There was something truly uncanny about this place. The shadow ahead also stopped, as if waiting for me. Was it about to lead me somewhere? Honestly, I was afraid it might turn its head, because I had no idea what I’d see.

When fear reaches a certain level, it turns to madness—especially for someone like me, naturally bold. When confronted with terror, a reckless urge soon follows. I clenched my teeth. Whatever it was, human or ghost, I’d face it head-on.

I drew the black-gold dagger from my waist, glared fiercely at the figure, still standing motionless. Then, pushing off with my feet, I charged toward it at full speed. Whatever it was, I’d strike first. I’d had enough of being frightened. It was high time I stopped tolerating it.