Chapter 63: First Exploration of the Ancient Tomb

The moonlight was like a hook, and the cold wind carried a hint of decay, making one's spine chill. Qu Wanqing stood before the entrance of the ancient tomb, gazing into the pitch-black opening, feeling as though she were standing at the gates of hell.

Was this any ancient tomb? It was clearly a haunted house, wasn't it?

A blast of cold air shot straight from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, making her shiver involuntarily. The surrounding air seemed to freeze, permeated by an indescribable stench of rot, like the fermented body fluids of some long-dead corpse, or heaps of rotting vegetable leaves baked under the blazing sun, powerful enough to make one's scalp tingle.

The smell was simply extraordinary; Qu Wanqing felt as if she were challenging the absolute limits of her sense of taste. She could not help but cover her nose, cursing inwardly: Who on earth could possibly endure this stench!

Jiang Yu sensed her unease and silently took her hand, transferring strength through the warmth of his palm.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here." His voice was low and steady, acting like a reassuring anchor that slightly calmed Qu Wanqing's restless heart.

"This concerns the crucial matter of my remarriage! If I back down now, wouldn't I be taking a massive loss?" Qu Wanqing cheered herself up inwardly. She took a deep breath, mustered all her strength, and walked toward the pitch-black entrance.

The moment she stepped into the ancient tomb, a chilling aura hit her face, making her feel as though she had been plunged into an ice cellar. The passage inside was narrow and dark, wide enough for only a single person to pass. The walls were uneven, as if eroded by wind and sand for thousands of years, or perhaps like the skin of some monster, rough and cold to the touch. From time to time, small insects crawled across, sending waves of nausea through her.

Qu Wanqing's heart pounded wildly, as if it were about to leap out of her throat. She felt like a little white rabbit that had strayed into a maze, surrounded by unknown dangers, causing her to instantly regret her impulsiveness.

*If I had known, I wouldn't have come! Wouldn't it be better to just lie flat at home? Why come to this ghostly place to suffer?* she complained internally.

Fine beads of cold sweat began to break out on her forehead, and her body trembled slightly. Yet, in order to escape her destined remarriage, she had to pluck up her courage and press forward!

At that moment, Hunter Zhang raised a torch, its dim yellow light illuminating the passage and rendering the already gloomy scene even more eerie. The firelight flickered uncertainly, and the shadows on the wall danced along with it, resembling countless ghost hands clawing at the air.

"Be careful, there are quite a few mechanisms and traps in here." Hunter Zhang's voice trembled slightly, clearly showing that he was extremely nervous himself.

"Got it," Qu Wanqing replied, her heart still pounding with tension as she tightly gripped Jiang Yu's hand, as if this could grant her extra strength.

Suddenly, Hunter Zhang let out a cry of surprise: "Wait! Something seems to be coming!"

***

Before Hunter Zhang's cry of alarm had even faded, the walls on both sides of the passage suddenly emitted a clicking sound. Immediately following this, countless sharp arrows shot out like raindrops from the holes in the walls, piercing the air and heading straight for everyone present.

Was this an ancient tomb? It was practically a live-action survival archery game!

Qu Wanqing's eyelids twitched, alarm bells rang loudly in her mind, and a fierce sense of crisis instantly surged over her. Without a second thought, she grabbed Jiang Yu by her side and lunged sideways, narrowly dodging the dense volley of arrows.

The arrows flew past like a swarm of locusts, riddling the walls with dense rows of holes that made one's scalp crawl.

*Good grief, this arrow rain is way too fierce! I almost met my maker ahead of schedule!* Qu Wanqing patted her chest with lingering fear, feeling grateful for her own quick reflexes, otherwise, she would have turned into a human hedgehog today.

She glanced sideways at Jiang Yu and saw his expression remained as calm as still water. She couldn't help marveling inwardly—as expected of a male lead; he was vastly calmer than she, a fake villain.

During the evasion, Jiang Yu instinctively shielded Qu Wanqing beneath him, ensuring she remained completely unharmed. Feeling the soft body of the woman in his arms and the faint, delicate fragrance emanating from her, an inexplicable emotion welled up in his chest, slightly relaxing his tightly strung nerves.

The two of them were pressed extremely close together, and Qu Wanqing could clearly hear Jiang Yu's powerful heartbeat, striking her eardrum like a battle drum beat by beat, bringing her an inexplicable sense of security.

She looked up at him, their eyes meeting. Time seemed to freeze, and the air filled with an ambiguous atmosphere.

"Ahem, well... isn't now a rather poor time for public displays of affection?" Warrior Liu's voice broke the tranquility between them. He looked at them with an awkward expression, looking as though he had just bitten into a sour lemon.

Only then did Qu Wanqing snap back to her senses, her cheeks flushing slightly. She hurriedly stood up from Jiang Yu's embrace and pretended to casually smooth down her clothes. She silently scolded herself for being so spineless, losing her wits over a pretty face in a place like this.

"Let's move. It seems this ancient tomb is even more dangerous than we imagined." Jiang Yu cast a tender glance at her and took the lead, stepping forward. Only the slight upward curve of his lips betrayed his current mood.

The group continued forward, and the atmosphere grew even heavier. No one knew what awaited them next; they had to be exceptionally cautious.

Right at that moment, Daoist Priest Wu, who was leading the way, suddenly's expression shifted drastically. He raised the peach-wood sword in his hand, pointing toward the dark passage ahead, and muttered, "This... this is..." Before he could finish, his complexion turned deathly pale, as if he had just seen a ghost. With a trembling voice, he said, "Something's wrong. Terribly wrong..."

Before Daoist Priest Wu's voice trailed off, a chilling, howling wind echoed from the depths of the passage, sounding just like weeping ghosts and howling wolves, making one's hair stand on end.

Immediately afterward, a cluster of black mist mixed with bone-chilling cold rushed toward them like a wild horse breaking free of its reins. The black mist twisted and deformed, morphing into various ferocious faces and emitting heart-stopping shrieks, as if trying to devour their very souls.

Qu Wanqing felt a bone-piercing chill instantly envelop her, as if she were in the dead of winter, causing her teeth to chatter.

She rolled her eyes in helpless exasperation, complaining internally: *Is this villainous heaven specifically picking a fight with me?*

***

Why did the path of remarriage always arrange so many bizarre obstacles for her? Truly, "sitting quietly at home while calamity drops from the skies"!

However, the determination in her eyes did not wane in the slightest. Her rebellious spirit was reignited once more—she simply refused to yield to this evil!

"Vile creature, cease your insolence!" Daoist Priest Wu roared, whirling his peach-wood sword with formidable momentum while chanting incantations. A yellow talisman flew from the tip of his sword, shooting straight toward the black mist.

However, the moment the talisman touched the black mist, it vanished without a trace like a clay ox entering the sea, having no effect whatsoever.

Instead, the black mist grew even more arrogant, accelerating as it threatened to pounce upon them.

"Don't panic, everyone!" Jiang Yu's steady voice rang out, acting like a calming pillar of the sea that stabilized everyone's nerves.

"This malevolent spirit possesses extremely heavy yin energy, and ordinary talismans are useless against it. Priest, try using the blazing fire talisman, which has the strongest yang energy!" As he spoke, he drew a dagger from his robes, fixing a sharp gaze on the black mist.

Hearing this, Daoist Priest Wu experienced a sudden epiphany. He hurriedly rummaged through his pack, pulling out a crimson-red talisman. He bit his fingertips, smeared his fresh blood across the talisman, rapidly chanted a spell, and then violently hurled the talisman into the air.

The talisman instantly ignited, transforming into a roaring ball of fire that emanated a powerful burst of yang energy.

"Listen to my command, everyone! Hunter, use your torch to ignite the surrounding walls; Warrior, you are responsible for frontal containment; Priest, you take charge of the primary offense; and I will provide support." Jiang Yu commanded calmly. Everyone followed his instructions, working together in tacit coordination.

Scorched by the blazing fire talisman, the black mist let out a painful roar and began to gradually dissipate. Seizing the opportunity, the group launched a fierce assault and ultimately eradicated the malevolent spirit completely.

Still shaken, everyone gasped for breath, their clothes thoroughly soaked in cold sweat. Yet, they all praised Jiang Yu's calmness and intelligence, and even Daoist Priest Wu, who was usually stern and unsmiling, gave him a thumbs-up.

Qu Wanqing looked up at him with admiration; he was like a ray of light in her life, always able to provide her with strength and direction at critical moments. She felt as though she had truly struck gold!

Just as the group paused briefly to rest, Hunter Zhang suddenly let out a startled cry: "Huh? Where is Warrior Liu? He was right here just a moment ago, why has he suddenly vanished?"

Only then did the others realize that Warrior Liu, who had been standing behind them, had indeed disappeared without a trace.

Deep within the dark passage, nothing remained save for endless unknowns and an unsettling silence.

"Strange, he was clearly here just a second ago..." Jiang Yu furrowed his brow, looking around with a hint of doubt in his voice.