Ren Ye yanked a handful of Lian'er's hair, his movements swift and almost mechanical, before stepping back into the hall. "Alright, you may go down now."
Lian'er turned her head, her face frozen in confusion, a storm of doubts swirling in her mind. What in the palace... is he doing with a strand of my hair? What new obsession is this?
Once inside the hall, Ren Ye swiftly twisted two or three strands of Lian'er's hair together, using them to tie them lightly across the doors and windows. His eyes flickered with careful precision, ensuring no unseen eyes could intrude.
Why not use your own hair?
It was likely because the crown on his head made it inconvenient, though Ren Ye mused, Or perhaps it's because it would hurt too much.
After securing the strands, Ren Ye moved into the secret passage, the Zhenguo Sword tightly cradled in his arms. He lit the torches that hung on either side of the stone walls, the flame flickering wildly against the shadows.
The light from the torches danced against the dark stone, and Ren Ye descended about seven or eight meters down the winding bluestone steps, his footsteps echoing in the silence, until he arrived in a secret room.
The room was around 20 square meters, its cramped space filled with rows of shelves stacked with an eclectic assortment of items. Gold and silver jewelry, antiques, calligraphy, paintings, and weapons filled the shelves, alongside case files and other mysterious objects.
Ren Ye moved carefully through the narrow aisle, his torch casting long shadows on the walls. As he neared the far end, he saw Er Jiang standing outside an iron door, looking curiously at it.
"Your Highness, look! There's another door here." Er Jiang's voice was tinged with wonder.
Ren Ye furrowed his brow. How could there be another door inside the secret room?
He stepped closer, studying the iron door. It was simple yet imposing, its surface etched with faint lines—like a mural—though the details were indecipherable. A string of red characters against a yellow background decorated the door knocker.
As Ren Ye approached, a gust of chill wind poured out through the crack in the door, and a shiver ran down his spine. Goosebumps prickled the back of his neck.
"Do you feel that?" Er Jiang's voice wavered slightly. "This door… it feels like it's connected to the underworld." Despite his heavy yang energy from years of martial training, he couldn't shake the uncomfortable sensation that crawled over him.
Ren Ye took another step forward, his body moving cautiously as he leaned in closer, his eyes searching the crack for any glimpse of what lay beyond.
Sand... sand...
The firelight flickered erratically, casting long shadows that danced against the walls. The wind, thick with an eerie chill, swept through the crack in the door, fluttering the talisman that hung loosely.
Ren Ye swallowed hard, his throat dry as he leaned forward, narrowing one eye to peer through the crack in the iron door...
Bang!!
The sudden, thunderous sound echoed through the room, as if something—or someone—had struck the iron door with tremendous force.
Ren Ye recoiled in shock, taking three hurried steps backward, his heart hammering in his chest. The second stunned, however, did not hesitate. Without a second thought, he stood in front of Ren Ye, his posture unwavering.
Behind the door, a series of sharp, grating noises followed, like chains scraping across the floor.
Woosh... woosh...
A mournful wail rose from beyond the door, carried on the howling wind that whipped through the crack.
"Groove..." Ren Ye's mind raced as sweat sprang to his forehead. Instinctively, he reached out, grabbing the second stunned by the arm, pulling him back. "Don't step forward."
He had found a sealed chamber. Legend had it that three eunuchs, tasked with guarding the night meditation hall, had witnessed strange occurrences—a figure hanging from the beam in the dead of night, a red silk tied around its neck, swaying eerily in the candlelight's shadow...
[You discover a sealed secret chamber. It is said that three eunuchs, responsible for guarding the meditation hall during the night, had all witnessed, at the stroke of midnight, a figure hanging from the main hall's beam. A red silk was wrapped around its neck, and its body swayed gently in the flickering candlelight...]
[Ding~ You cannot open the secret room yet. Perhaps, with the spirit of the Zhenguo Sword, you may break the Dao talisman.]
The cold, mechanical prompt rang in his ears like an omen. Ren Ye's mind raced. This secret room was tied to the mission, and a sense of urgency flooded through him. He exhaled slowly, trying to regain his composure.
"Second stunned," Ren Ye said, his voice firm despite the lingering chill. "Let's find the secret edict first. Don't focus on this door."
"Understood." The second stunned nodded, his expression grim.
Ren Ye wiped the sweat from his brow and turned, his thoughts still tangled with the strange sounds and ominous energy surrounding the room.
But the moment he turned, his pupils constricted.
A face—human, pale, and gaunt—appeared out of the darkness. It was less than a half step away from him. The face was half-covered by matted hair, the eyes bloodshot, the lips purple with decay. For a moment, Ren Ye couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman. All he knew was that the eyes—those dark, vengeful eyes—were locked on him.
A chill shot down his spine, icy fingers gripping his very soul. His hair stood on end, his breath caught in his throat.
Slap!
In an instant, every single torch in the chamber flickered and snuffed out, plunging the room into total darkness.
"Unworthy descendant!" a terrible, otherworldly scream erupted from the shadows. "Give me back my life! Give back my soul!"
The sound rattled through the walls like thunder, shaking Ren Ye to his core. The air itself seemed to thicken with malice, the weight of the vengeful spirit pressing down on him from all sides.