Chapter 143

Xiong Shan’s expression paused for a moment, then immediately revealed a bitter smile. “Congratulations.”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “My condolences.”

Previously, when they found the second and third brothers, Tan Wenbin had some reservations about whether to inform Xiong Shan promptly. However, Xiong Shan had mastered the experience of leaving this place. If he found people, there was no need for concealment.

Lin Shuyou, Yin Meng, and Tiger Bro, a total of five people placed in the pool before the burning, were also considered a significant target. Yet neither side found the other.

Indeed, there is a possibility of missing them, but this probability is actually very low. Furthermore, combining the fact that before going down, Lin Shuyou could open his eyes, turn his head, mouth words, and show clear self-awareness, it’s extremely likely that they came here, but before we went down, they left again.

As for where they went?

Li Zhuiyuan turned around and looked towards the damaged stone door.

We are clearly the first echelon here, they were placed by me in the rear as the second echelon. Now, instead, the second echelon has run ahead of us.

At this moment, Xiong Shan took a deep breath and opened his mouth.

“Second and third brothers, they must have been tricked by the Xie family and Bu family.

When the Xie and Bu families made their move, there was no reason not to unite with the Wang family.

I now suspect that if Li Hua hadn’t set off with you so early, she might have suffered the same fate as the second and third brothers.”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “It’s their mother and son who are protected by fortune, it has little to do with me.”

He said this, but in his heart, the young man was thinking:

So, if I hadn’t led the team to come early, you, Xiong Shan, would already be alone now?

Struggling with the corpse poison outbreak by the lake, you suddenly see your wife, child, and brothers being led down by a team of corpse drivers. Then you dive down alone to prepare for rescue, but you only managed to wake your wife and didn’t have time to untie the restriction. You personally witness your wife, child, and brothers burn, melt, and explode in front of you.

You might even be in a daze for too long and, affected by the corpse poison, fail to escape the pool area in time, getting directly buried in this Ghost Eye fire sea.

So, you all were originally supposed to be completely wiped out in this wave?

It’s true that I came early to the unfinished examination hall, but I’m not waiting for the next exam and new test paper. Instead, everyone in this examination hall died on the exam table, and I’m sitting in, picking up their blood-stained unfinished test papers by their corpses and continuing to do the exam?

“Little brother, what’s wrong with you?”

“I’m thinking…” Li Zhuiyuan reached out and pointed to the previous location of the Ghost Eye. “Those three families are preparing to make their move, at the earliest today daytime, at the latest tonight first half.”

Since those three families have already set up the logistics to transport the thunder talismans and corpse oil to destroy all the corpses here, it’s impossible for them to give the corpse drivers here an opportunity to reconnect people and refill the lamp oil.

“I feel the same way, so I’ve hit a dead end now. If I continue forward to seek the opportunity to seal that general, won’t I just be helping those three families make a wedding dress?”

Li Zhuiyuan nodded.

“There’s something, please forgive me, little brother. I will take you all out of here. If we happen to encounter your people along the way, I will definitely help if I can conveniently save them, but I won’t deliberately go to rescue them, nor will I try to seal that general again.

I want to leave here alive and go find those three families for revenge.

Since they dare to use my people as sacrifices, then I must also make them pay the price!”

Actually, Xiong Shan had also expressed the idea of using those three families as cannon fodder before.

But this matter is painful for whoever it happens to.

Tan Wenbin, who was blocking his bleeding nostril with a rolled-up piece of paper, heard Xiong Shan’s words and only sighed inwardly:

Our Yuanzi bro is still kind-hearted. Either he doesn’t act, or when he does, he targets people’s household registrations, determined to achieve revenge on the spot.

Li Zhuiyuan then thought a layer deeper:

Perhaps, Xiong Shan also wants to find a legitimate excuse this way, a reason sufficient to soothe his inner heart, for his defeat in lighting the lamps.

He won’t go down this road, he wants to focus on avenging his brothers.

Li Zhuiyuan said, “I understand, however, I must go to save my people. You lead the way first, and when the time comes, we will separate.”

“Okay.” Xiong Shan pursed his lips. “Little brother, it’s me who wronged you, I owe you a favor.”

Xiong Shan had said this before, but Li Zhuiyuan didn’t really take it to heart the last time, and it was the same this time.

Xiong Shan and Li Hua walked in front, with Li Zhuiyuan bringing Runsheng and Tan Wenbin following behind them.

When going up the steps, Li Zhuiyuan specifically observed the fist-sized pit in the center of the steps. Even after so many years, the fist marks in the pit were still clearly visible.

Runsheng kept comparing his own fist with this pit.

After entering the damaged stone door, there was no tunnel ahead, but a direct gust of wind blew in. The wind carried sand particles, which were crystal clear and emitted a strange luster.

Li Zhuiyuan thought: Illusory World Sand, huh.

Generally, places with dense evil qi, resentment, and mass deaths have a probability of forming Illusory World Sand patterns. This is a kind of natural miasma.

Xiong Shan said, “This is Illusory World Sand, it can stimulate and amplify people’s strongest memories of sorrow and joy. Stabilize your mind, absolutely do not get lost in it.”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “Clear Heart Talisman.”

Tan Wenbin and Runsheng immediately took out Clear Heart Talismans and stuck them on their foreheads.

Although they could also try to rely on their own willpower to pass through this Illusory World Sand, since this condition exists, there’s no need to suffer hardship.

Xiong Shan also took out several Chen State Talismans, first giving one to his wife and son. He turned back, just about to say something, but after seeing the two Clear Heart Talismans, his eyes first showed surprise, then he was relieved and said:

“No wonder you don’t care about my remnant volume of the Chen State Talisman.”

“That’s because I am innately not skilled in the path of talismans.”

“Little brother, you are always so modest.”

Li Zhuiyuan was too lazy to explain again.

“Little brother, aren’t you sticking one yourself?”

“I don’t need it.”

“Then you must pay attention to controlling your emotions.”

“I will.”

Everyone walked into the Illusory World Sand together. Even with the talisman paper helping to suppress it, the rising inner emotions were still very obvious.

Li Hua started to shed tears again. Xiong Shan’s eyes turned red again because of anger. Runsheng and Tan Wenbin were both suppressing the corners of their mouths, yet their eyebrows were full of joy.

Li Zhuiyuan felt nothing.

The windy sand area wasn’t large. After walking a section of the road, everyone walked out.

Except for Li Zhuiyuan, everyone started to breathe heavily and adjust their mentality.

Maintaining extreme emotions for too long will cause great consumption of spirit.

Xiong Shan turned his head and looked at the young man who seemed unaffected. In his heart, the evaluation of the young man added another touch of mystery.

At the outermost edge of the Illusory World Sand, after entering, what appeared in front of everyone was a downward concave giant pit, very much like a very deep mined well, circle by circle, path by path, directly to the deepest place.

But this was only the scene seen from the outside. In fact, the space below was very obviously dislocated. The so-called below doesn’t necessarily mean going down. Here inside, it is completely self-contained heaven and earth.

Li Zhuiyuan lifted his head to look up.

The sky in the outside reality is one layer, the lake water is one layer, and here is another layer. Three layers of heaven, a suppression formation, specially to bury great evil!

To think that general, when buried in that year, was already treated as a great evil thing. Burying it here is to hope it will never turn over.

But even so, in history, that general still almost turned over.

Xiong Shan said, “Here, north, south, east, and west are all dislocated. Killing mechanisms are hidden inside, it’s extremely dangerous. I almost perished inside before. Fortunately, I later stumbled upon a quiet small path and was then able to find the exit and float to the lake surface.”

After a simple introduction, Xiong Shan began to continue leading the way.

Everyone went down along the edge. The ground should have been a repaired road, but with the falling rocks nearby, the road was no longer a road. However, in the middle of the road, there were newly chiseled traces, not a spacious thoroughfare, but only a flat path for one person to pass.

For example, when a giant stone appeared ahead blocking the way, there was a concave space in the center of the giant stone. Everything else was blocked, but people could pass through the middle relatively normally.

This is a corpse driving path specially repaired and opened for corpse drivers.

As they walked, the scene ahead changed. It was no longer a primitive stone pit cave, but many ruined and destroyed pavilions and buildings appeared.

Looking back towards the deep pit inside, this pit was unexpectedly not below, but at your level.

Where there was still a deep pit, it had clearly turned into a palace. It was just that the outer wall of the palace had collapsed over a large area, and the inside was also a ruin.

The general’s revival, historical suppression, here was once a battlefield.

The road in front of everyone also became spacious. Although still uneven, it was no longer along a cliff mountain road. Moreover, vaguely, increasingly close footsteps could be heard.

Xiong Shan raised his hand and signaled everyone to stop advancing.

Then he squatted down, sticking both hands to the ground.

Roots of straw extended from his body. These straws seemed to grow temporarily, more and more, forming two small piles of straw on either side of his body.

Xiong Shan’s hands began to crisscross, not like tying seals, but more like weaving.

The two piles of straw slowly stood up, and figures of straw people appeared one by one.

Tan Wenbin widened his eyes, leaned to Li Zhuiyuan’s side and asked, “Little Yuan bro, what style is this?”

“It has the shadow of witchcraft.”

The two piles of straw respectively turned into two straw poles and a straw person sitting on top.

Xiong Shan placed two black talisman papers on the two straw people respectively, then used his fingernail to scratch open his palm and performed blood sacrifice on them. The aura of the straw people immediately changed, revealing a solemn and profound breath.

Xiong Shan said, “Come, we each take one side, carry it, and walk along the left edge of the road. Absolutely do not walk in the center and collide with them.”

Li Zhuiyuan said, “Do as instructed.”

Xiong Shan and Li Hua, one in front and one behind, lifted the two straw poles.

The three people on Li Zhuiyuan’s side did the same. Runsheng walked in front, with Li Zhuiyuan grasping Runsheng’s clothes and following behind him.

Thus, the straw person originally sitting on top had its lower body dangling down, its feet not touching the ground.

This is a kind of self-created imitation using witchcraft. It has to be said that Xiong Shan’s personal methods are indeed formidable.

Of course, Li Zhuiyuan never doubted the opponent’s strength.

But when the roots of grass once began to sprout the intention to retreat, his body’s momentum also weakened.

Two small teams, along the leftmost side of the road, continued forward.

Xiong Shan was still leading the way in front. He didn’t lead everyone into the palace, but walked around the outer surrounding of the palace. He said he had been in before and it was very dangerous inside.

No mistake, one first, one hair, one inner, one contain, one in, one look!

Dense footsteps were heard by everyone. In the center of the road, a group of soldiers holding torches ran forward shouting.

From the details of their armor, it could be distinguished that these were Yuan army.

It is said that it was they who first broke the peace here, accelerating the general’s revival.

Following them were palace maids and eunuchs, moving forward in teams.

They even walked side by side with our side for a long section of the road, but at the entrance of the next side door, they turned into the palace.

Xiong Shan even specially stopped for a while and let them pass first.

Li Zhuiyuan thought for a moment, their bodies should be wearing Han dynasty clothing.

But if it is a general’s tomb, besides palace maids, why are there still eunuchs?

The lamps on both sides of the road began to stand up. They were already destroyed, and now presenting a virtual shadow, but the lighting effect was still obvious.

“Drive. Drive!”

Again, a group of knights, urging their horses to gallop, passed through the middle.

In short, although this road was “empty”, it was “lively”.

Fortunately, we only needed to carry the straw poles and play the role of corpse drivers, and “no one” paid attention to them.

Li Zhuiyuan lifted his head several times and looked towards the straw person on our side.

This one, whose feet were not touching the ground, could be looked at; but the one carried by the genuine corpse driver team could not be looked at.

The young man still didn’t know who exactly had endowed “it” with such power.

Initially, he and Xiong Shan both thought that it was the general’s patrol team, and each corpse driver team in “it” represented the general’s “line of sight”.

But if the general still had such powerful force and could do such a long-distance projection, then why did he continue to be trapped here, unable to come out?

But if it wasn’t from the general’s power, then whose was it?

Under Xiong Shan’s lead, everyone walked around the outer part of the palace for almost three-quarters of the way, until an upward fork in the road appeared ahead. Above the fork in the road was a relatively well-preserved building.

Compared to the palace, it appeared very simple and plain.

Xiong Shan said, “I don’t know what it was called in ancient times, but the furnishings inside are like a banquet hall. Behind the hall there is a small waterfall, hanging down and connecting to a Yin River. After I jumped down from there, I returned to the lake surface.”

Everyone began to go up along the fork in the road.

Li Zhuiyuan was not in a hurry to leave. He still had to go find Lin Shuyou and Yin Meng, but it was necessary to go there and take a look, at least to watch Xiong Shan and Li Hua jump down that waterfall and ensure it was a correct way to leave.

However, the higher they went, the atmosphere gradually changed.

On the ground, a red carpet appeared. The stone lamps on both sides of the road also no longer reappeared as virtual shadows, but were real, with real lamp oil supplying their burning.

Xiong Shan said, “Something’s not right. When I stumbled upon this place yesterday, there were no these furnishings. These are all newly placed. Let’s go back first!”

When encountering an unusual situation, it’s better to explore the outer surroundings more.

But when everyone wanted to go down, a group of palace maids and eunuchs appeared on the road above. They were numerous and neatly arranged.

The eunuchs were holding lanterns in their hands, and the palace maids were holding lotus lamps in their hands.

They were virtual shadows, but this time, they were densely packed, completely blocking the road down.

When Li Zhuiyuan and Xiong Shan et al. approached them, the straw people above on both sides emitted white smoke. After all, this straw pole was not as sturdy as a bamboo pole, and it also made a “crack crack” sound, as if it was about to shatter.

The palace maids and eunuchs all moved forward together, one step, one step, one step, forcing Li Zhuiyuan et al. to retreat backward.

“Little brother, I don’t know what this situation is, but the more they force us like this, the more we cannot follow their wishes. Get ready to make a move!”

Li Zhuiyuan approved Xiong Shan’s judgment.

But behind the palace maids and eunuchs, eight teams of corpse drivers appeared, all with the standard three-person configuration: two people carrying the pole, and the person in the middle with their feet not touching the ground.

How could they make a move like this?

Those eight placed there, looking at them for even a glance would cause backlash to the heart and spirit. How could they fight?

Xiong Shan said, “When under the eaves, one must bow. Let’s temporarily follow their wishes first.”

The two straw stage corpse drivers began to turn around and continue walking upward.

Perhaps because their two teams had previously blocked the road by “going against the flow,” when they went upward again, the palace maids and eunuchs shuttled past them.

Unfortunately, the eight teams of corpse drivers behind seemed to really consider their two teams as “colleagues.” They were actually four on each side, treating them as the leading teams.

This time, not only could they not turn around, but even slowing down their pace a little was not allowed.

The higher they went, the closer they got to the “banquet hall,” and the feeling of magnificent hazy lights also became stronger.

The big door of the banquet hall was open. Some of the palace maids and eunuchs stood outside waiting, while others went in.

Now a new problem arose: as the “leading team,” should our side go in or stop outside?

Fortunately, the palace maids and eunuchs outside gave the answer. They bent their waists and all made a “please” gesture.

It seems they were supposed to go in.

After going in, the inside was indeed set up like a banquet hall, as Xiong Shan had said, and the form of the banquet was very ancient.

In the middle, there was a square platform about half a person high. It should be the main seat area, with a curtain hanging above, blocking the line of sight.

Around and below, there were rows of tables and cases. Some tables were complete, while others were already damaged.

Currently, it still seemed empty, with only four tables and cases in one corner occupied by people.

Li Zhuiyuan saw some acquaintances. First, there were Tiger Bro and those three hoodlums, all sitting there with their eyes closed, not moving.

Sitting next to the three of Tiger Bro was Lin Shuyou.

Lin Shuyou was originally sitting there quietly. At this moment, he seemed to sense something again. He opened his eyes and began to look around, saying some words. The sound could not be heard, but the mouth shape was still:

“Little Yuan bro?”

Last time by the lake, Lin Shuyou was in the corpse driver team, and his perception was shielded. And Li Zhuiyuan et al. were in the “Yin Yang Road Inn” barrier. He sensed people but couldn’t see.

This time, the three people Li Zhuiyuan were carrying were counterfeits, and the ability to conceal was not that strong. Lin Shuyou first had some sense, then determined the approximate direction, and finally looked towards Li Zhuiyuan’s location with both eyes.

At this moment, a gust of Yin wind blew, and the curtain on the main seat platform was blown open, revealing the situation inside.

On the platform, there was a main seat. On the left and right sides of the main seat, there were two accompanying seats. The host naturally sat in the main seat, but those who could sit together on the platform were necessarily the four people with the noblest identities in the entire field.

On the position of the main seat, a set of armor was placed. The armor had numerous scars, revealing a dense sense of the vicissitudes of time. It should represent that general.

Below the main seat on the right hand side, a sculpture was placed. The sculpture was of a male, wearing red clothes. Although the sculpture was mottled and damaged, it could still make people feel the style of the person it was modeled after.

Li Zhuiyuan had seen clothing similar to the clothes on the sculpture in Qin uncle’s ceremonial clothes.

Li Zhuiyuan himself also had some. The old lady specially custom-made two sets for him, one mainly red and one mainly green. After all, he had connections to two families, so he had to have a set of Chinese clothes from each family.

This sculpture should represent the Qin family’s Dragon King who once suppressed the general. Although the general was suppressed by him, his statue was placed beside his seat, indicating a kind of recognition and respect.

Opposite the red-clothed sculpture, which was the position below the main seat on the left hand side, was sitting… Yin Meng.

Tan Wenbin and Runsheng both showed surprised expressions after seeing this scene: Why could Yin Meng sit in that position?

Even Xiong Shan also cast a surprised and questioning gaze towards the young man here: Who exactly is your subordinate? Or rather, who is the subordinate between you and him?

Only Li Zhuiyuan, who had seen the complete Yin family genealogy, knew that this was not strange.

Because,

This is the Yin family people’s tradition of freeloading when they travel.

———

This chapter is to make up for yesterday’s word count.

There will be today’s chapter tonight.

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