But when Shangguan Zifeng discovered that inside the coffin lay a young woman dressed in a regal phoenix crown and robes, he too was shocked. It wasn't the presence of a person in the coffin that was frightening; rather, it was that the woman seemed as though she was alive, not at all like someone who had died a thousand years ago but rather as if she was merely asleep. Especially since her body was covered in many talismans, the one on her face almost completely covering it, which prevented Shangguan Zifeng from seeing the woman's features clearly.
Such a bizarre scene was also a first for Shangguan Zifeng. He became somewhat transfixed, wondering whether his rash decision to open this ancient tomb was a good omen or a bad one? Hesitating, Shangguan Zifeng foolishly stared at Linda without any further action, which made the Empress anxious. She really wanted to roar out loud, "Dammit, now that the coffin is opened, can't you just finish what you started and remove those useless charms from her?"
While Shangguan Zifeng was distracted, suddenly, the half-piece of the Jade Pendant hanging from his neck emitted a beam of light that perfectly merged with the light from the half-piece on the strange woman in the coffin. This sudden turn of events brought Shangguan Zifeng back to his senses.
"Eh? How very strange. How did our Shangguan Family's lost half of the Jade Pendant end up on you? Who exactly are you?"
Shangguan Zifeng immediately noticed the half-piece of the Jade Pendant on the woman's body and then murmured to himself. To quickly clarify the identity of the woman in the coffin, he overcame the unease in his heart, then recklessly tore off the talismans from Linda's body, and just as he was about to pull away Linda's Jade Pendant, his hand was suddenly gripped by someone. The painful force made Shangguan Zifeng yelp in pain.
"Impudent Tomb Robber, what do you want with my palace's Jade Pendant?" Now that Linda could move, the moment she saw the Tomb Robber attempting to take her ancestral Jade Pendant, she immediately took action. She not only almost broke Shangguan Zifeng's wrist but also blurted out such a phrase, almost scaring Shangguan Zifeng to wet himself.
"Good heavens, it's like she's revived from the dead." Shangguan Zifeng plopped down on the ground, then shakily gestured towards the stunningly beautiful young woman who had risen from the coffin.
"Shut your mouth. I have never died; I am a living person. Speak nonsense again, and beware I pull out your tongue. I have some questions for you, answer them truthfully." Linda stepped directly out of the coffin and then loosened up her extremely stiff body before addressing Shangguan Zifeng in this manner.
At this moment, Shangguan Zifeng was utterly confounded, and apart from mechanically nodding in agreement, he didn't know how he should respond to such an irregular scenario.
"I am called Linda. The half of the Jade Pendant on my body was personally given to me by my mother on my wedding day. I have one half; the other half belonged to my brother Qingchen. Sadly, after my brother died, his body went missing, and with it, the whereabouts of his Jade Pendant became unknown. You just mentioned your name is Zifeng, and you also have half of a Jade Pendant, which you claim is an ancestral heirloom of the Shangguan family, right? What relationship do you have with me or with my brother?"
Linda gathered her thoughts and, after clearing her mind, focused on the essentials and directly started questioning this young man before her. She faintly felt that she might have a profound connection with the man before her, but everything still needed to be confirmed.