Su Yang noticed the silk band over He Sui’an’s eyes. She had observed it since they arrived but hadn’t asked until now.
“What happened to your eyes?”
He Sui’an knew Su Yang was asking her and started to pull down the silk band. “It’s just that…”
Qi Buyan grasped He Sui’an’s wrist, stopping her from removing the band, smiling, “Let’s enter the tomb first.”
If they were to cooperate, there needed to be a basic level of trust.
Su Yang decided not to press the issue further and began descending into the ancient well. The bronze cage had broken during their first descent into the King Yan’s Tomb, but she had come prepared this time, with a thick hemp rope long enough to reach the bottom.
Zhong Kong followed closely behind Su Yang to protect her, while Zhong Huan waited for He Sui’an and the others to descend before following, ensuring they wouldn’t pull any tricks.
Zhong Huan, ever cautious, kept a vigilant eye on the situation.
Shen Jianhe understood Zhong Huan’s intentions and let out a mocking laugh.
He Sui’an, blindfolded, was unaware of the underlying tensions between them. Climbing down the rope was challenging for her without sight.
So, she clung to Qi Buyan’s waist as they descended into the well. His slender waist and abdomen were easy for her to wrap her arms around.
The temperature underground was colder than on the surface.
She shivered and held onto Qi Buyan.
In the chamber with the snake swarm, there was an entrance leading deeper into the tomb. Su Yang used sulfur powder to clear the way, allowing them to pass without being attacked by the snakes.
The further they went, the colder He Sui’an felt, accompanied by an indescribable hunger. She squeezed her palms, trying to keep her mind focused.
As they walked through the dark passage, the eerie atmosphere grew thicker.
Without any lamps, they lit candles.
The faint light illuminated their path.
However, the candles flickered in the unseen drafts, casting unsteady shadows. When they reached a fork in the path, Su Yang stopped, uncertain which way to go.
Shen Jianhe held a constantly spinning compass that failed to point in any direction. “Is it broken? It’s not showing any direction.”
He Sui’an stepped forward.
Qi Buyan didn’t stop her.
Despite her blindfold, she walked confidently to the right passageway. “Let’s take this path.”
Shen Jianhe cautioned her, “How do you know this is the right way? Tombs often have paths leading to safety or death. If we take the wrong path, it could be fatal.”
Suddenly, Qi Buyan removed He Sui’an’s silk blindfold, revealing her blood-red eyes.
Shen Jianhe was stunned.
He stuttered, “Th-this…”
Zhong Kong and Zhong Huan immediately positioned themselves protectively in front of Su Yang, ready to draw their swords, but Su Yang held them back.
Su Yang remained calm and composed. “What’s going on?”
He Sui’an pressed her lips together. “As you can see, I have the Yin Corpse Gu inside me, but unlike others infected by it, I am still conscious and can sense the direction within the tomb.”
Shen Jianhe realized, muttering to himself, “I see, so that’s why you suggested this path. It means our journey will be smoother with you guiding us.”
Zhong Kong exclaimed, “How can we trust you won’t bite us like the other monsters?”
Su Yang waited for He Sui’an to explain.
He Sui’an pointed to her eyes. “You can see the color of my eyes. On the third day after being infected by the Yin Corpse Gu, this is what happens.”
“But look, I haven’t completely lost my consciousness like the others. As long as I find a specific item in the tomb, I will be okay.”
Shen Jianhe stared into her eyes for a while before chuckling, “I believe you!”
Zhong Kong rolled his eyes at him again.
After deliberating, Su Yang said, “Alright, Miss He, I choose to believe you now. But I must warn you, if you go mad and pose a life-threatening danger to us, we will kill you.”
He Sui’an nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes, I understand.”
Qi Buyan started walking down the right path.
He Sui’an realized why Qi Buyan waited until after they entered the tomb to reveal this. He wanted to demonstrate her value, making them weigh their options and decide whether to keep her.
Seeing Qi Buyan and He Sui’an enter first, the others, though skeptical, followed.
The passage led to another chamber.
This chamber was much larger than the previous one, octagonal in shape, with a coffin at each corner. Centuries of dust and cobwebs filled the room.
The atmosphere was cold and desolate, and the center of the room had a large open space, capable of holding hundreds of people at once.
This wasn’t the main chamber. They had to find the entrance to the main chamber from here.
There was no turning back.
As soon as they entered, another stone door rose, blocking their retreat.
He Sui’an walked to the center of the chamber, looking up at the eight animal statues in the corners: horse, ox, dragon, chicken, pig, pheasant, dog, and sheep.
These animals corresponded to the eight gates of the Bagua. She remembered from the book given by He Hua that King Yan, Yan Wuheng, was fond of the Qimen Dunjia technique.
Suddenly, she bent down and listened to the floor.
There was something below.
Not just one thing.
The child Gu inside her informed her. She seemed to hear something and abruptly stood up, looking at where Qi Buyan stood.
With a loud “bang,” several hands burst through the ground, trying to grab Qi Buyan’s ankles and pull him down, but missed. He Sui’an had pulled him away just in time, moving him to a different spot.
As she pulled him, the silver ornaments on Qi Buyan jingled.
The others also turned to look.
They saw people emerging from the cracked floor, the ground shaking as if in an earthquake. Hundreds of warriors in Great Yan Dynasty armor were about to surface.
Shen Jianhe couldn’t describe his feelings. It was both a spectacular sight and a terrifying one, as he felt he might be torn apart in the next moment.
If it were just one or two, they could handle it.
Hundreds…
Finding an escape route was the right move. Shen Jianhe quickly searched the walls. His master had told him that mechanisms were often hidden in specific places, so he began checking each one.
Su Yang was amazed.
These people looked like they were from a hundred years ago but were as fresh as if they were alive today, their faces and bodies unchanged.
He Sui’an shouted, “They are corpses controlled by Yin Corpse Gu, puppets of the Gu. Be careful not to get hurt by them.”
Her Yin Corpse Gu could sense its kind.
The corpses had all climbed up.
He Sui’an stood beside Qi Buyan, holding his hand as they retreated step by step, surrounded by the puppets. Her back hit a coffin, and she dodged a grabbing hand.
When the puppet’s hand touched the coffin, it recoiled immediately, seemingly afraid to touch it. He Sui’an noticed, “Get into the coffin.”
She and Qi Buyan were surrounded and couldn’t find another coffin.
They had to share one.
Before the puppets could grab them, He Sui’an and Qi Buyan lay down in the coffin. As the puppets got closer, she quickly closed the outer coffin.
Not far away, Shen Jianhe confirmed that the puppets didn’t dare touch the coffins. Moving swiftly like a slippery eel, he dodged several attacking puppets and jumped into the nearest coffin.
Zhong Kong and Zhong Huan escorted Su Yang into a coffin before finding their own empty coffins.
He Sui’an pressed her ear against the coffin, listening for sounds outside.
The noise had lessened.
The puppets controlled by the Yin Corpse Gu couldn’t touch the coffins and were left circling aimlessly.
In the nearly sealed space, He Sui’an could hear Qi Buyan’s steady heartbeat and her own rapid heartbeat, a result of their narrow escape.
He Sui’an’s back was against the outer coffin, and in front of her was Qi Buyan, lying in the inner coffin beneath her. When she lifted her head and opened her eyes, she saw his face and neck.
The hunger returned.
The hunger surged like a tidal wave, threatening to break free from its restraints.
The comfort and fullness she felt after biting Qi Buyan before entering the tomb replayed in her mind. He Sui’an struggled to pull away.
But the coffin was small, and no matter how much distance she tried to create, they remained close, their breaths mingling, faces reflecting in each other’s eyes.
He Sui’an felt terrible.
Her eyes grew redder.
A sorrowful, haunting flute melody began to play in the tomb, identical to the one they had heard on the street earlier.
It wasn’t just He Sui’an who felt intense discomfort; even the puppets outside the coffin clutched their heads, groaning in pain. She bit her lip, refusing to bite Qi Buyan again.
Qi Buyan’s fingers brushed against her tightly clenched lips, smearing some blood.
“Don’t hold back, bite me.”
His breath seemed to carry an enticing aroma, and as if overwhelmed by the final straw, He Sui’an tore away the white cloth from his neck and bit down, this time on the right side.
“Mm…” Qi Buyan let out a soft sound, unclear if it was from pain or a strange pleasure.
He Sui’an, fearing Qi Buyan might no longer let her bite, gripped his waist to hold him still.
His waist was sensitive.
Qi Buyan’s back arched slightly.
He softly called her name, smiling, “He Sui’an, why are you biting so hard? Be gentler… But it’s not your fault. The one who created the Yin Corpse Gu is to blame.”
He Sui’an’s strength increased as her reason teetered on the brink, holding Qi Buyan down and biting his neck, as if she truly intended to sever his artery.
It was the flute’s influence.
Without the flute’s stimulation, a short bite would restore her sanity.
Given this, continuing wasn’t an option.
Qi Buyan struck the coffin with his palm.
With a loud crash, the coffin shattered, wooden planks scattering and clattering to the ground.
Dust settled, and light returned.
They lay amidst the debris, Qi Buyan’s indigo robes spread around him, the seven butterfly-shaped bells on his bracelet jingling, bruising his slender wrist.
He Sui’an was still on top of him, her mouth latched onto his neck, his blood trickling from her lips and staining their clothes, with a few drops rolling down his collarbone.
His collarbone, white tinged with red.
He Sui’an’s bite marks covered Qi Buyan’s neck.
The surrounding puppets, now seeing them exposed without the coffin’s protection, rushed toward them.
They were just a step away from being touched by the dozen or so puppets.
Suddenly, Heavenly Silkworm threads appeared out of nowhere.
Countless threads formed a protective barrier, stopping the puppets’ advance. However, these threads, capable of slicing through iron, couldn’t cut the puppets.
The puppets wielded weapons from a hundred years ago, slashing at the threads, which showed signs of loosening and breaking.
Those in the other coffins didn’t know what was happening outside, only hearing the commotion.
Irregular chopping sounds.
Chaotic footsteps.
Curiosity nearly drove Shen Jianhe to push open his coffin lid to see what was happening.
But he restrained himself.
Qi Buyan pinched He Sui’an’s chin, skillfully making her release his neck. As she took a breath, the Yin Corpse Gu inside her drove her to bite and drink blood again.
His voice, naturally soft and low, said, “There’s no more room on my neck to bite. If you bite there again, I might die, and I’m not ready to die yet.”
He Sui’an’s face was also stained with his blood.
When Qi Buyan tried to offer his wrist for her to bite, she uncontrollably bit toward the closest spot—his lip.
He hesitated for a moment, then smiled with his eyes.
Allowing her to bite, their lips met.
Qi Buyan cupped He Sui’an’s face in his hands. Her long hair draped over his shoulders, her pink and white dress covering his indigo clothes.
She opened her mouth to bite his lips, but he skillfully avoided it, turning it into a kiss.
Yet He Sui’an still wanted to bite him.
Her hunger was insatiable, feeling never enough. Unable to bite, her tongue eagerly pushed forward, and Qi Buyan opened his mouth, letting He Sui’an slip into his mouth.
