A few of us immediately felt a sinking sensation upon hearing that the things from the main tomb had actually been retrieved. The items in that main tomb were incredibly dangerous! According to Hua Mulan, my father, who had always been low-key and hidden his strength even from me, had already reached the seventh level of murderous intent when he clashed with that thing, more formidable than Qingyi, a junior Taoist master. It was equivalent to a master of Daoism. Yet, in the end, he still fell into the hands of that thing, showing just how ferocious that Rouran prince named Doulun really was!
"It's okay, I've been wanting to meet it anyway!" Qingyi said in a deep voice. "Organizing a confrontation with a group comprising a master and a junior Taoist is something we haven't encountered for many years. I'd like to see it."
"You're no match for it," Hua Mulan glanced at Qingyi and said calmly. "Unless you're a grandmaster, you won't stand a chance. This time, you'd better not get involved. Go hide. I'll deal with it."
"No!" Before Qingyi could agree, I immediately became discontented. When it comes to situations like this, am I supposed to hide behind my wife? What kind of man am I? I admit I'm no hero, not even close to being a tough guy; at most, I'm just a loser. But even a loser has some dignity. If I can't beat the hell out of it, I'll at least spit blood on that Doulun's face to let him know that a man's honor is not to be taken lightly!
"You can't stay," Hua Mulan gently took my hand. Her eyes, which mesmerized me, now held a hint of tenderness. She said softly, "We're husband and wife now, bound by vows. I know what's on your mind. I'm satisfied to be your wife. I don't ask for much. But a man must know when to compromise. It's not wise to stay just for the sake of 'righteousness'; it's reckless."
I wanted to argue with Hua Mulan's perspective. I admit I'm not strong, but I have the power to call upon gods. Can't I summon a powerful being from the underworld to deal with Doulun? But before I could explain myself, a chilling sensation spread from Hua Mulan's hand, freezing me in place. I couldn't move a muscle, except for my senses; I was like a statue, just as helpless as if I were possessed by a spirit.
"Take him away!" Hua Mulan said firmly. "I have my own way of dealing with Doulun. You'll only be a hindrance here."
"The intruder is formidable," Qingyi said solemnly. "Though you're strong too, it seems you're not his match. I'll stay here to help you."
"It's no use! You're already at your limit. It's not advisable for you to act anymore," Hua Mulan sighed. "Save your life and look after him. He's just getting started and needs a friend like you by his side."
Qingyi didn't hesitate. Following Hua Mulan's words, he immediately hoisted me over his shoulder and signaled to Zhang Jinya and the others before heading out.
I wanted to struggle, but my body was stiff, completely immobilized. I could only watch as they carried me out. At that moment, it felt like something inside me was burning, about to explode! Was it anger? Or humiliation? I didn't know. But I knew it was the most infuriating moment of my life, watching my woman face an unimaginably powerful threat while I could only hide and watch...
I couldn't even find the words to describe this sense of humiliation.
Unfortunately, I was just a powerless loser. I couldn't resist Hua Mulan and Qingyi. As Qingyi looked back at me, I watched as the distance between us and her grew wider...
There seemed to be a mist in Hua Mulan's eyes.
Was she... crying?
Turns out, this woman with eyes like cold stars and a chilly demeanor had such a soft heart inside. But because she was a soldier, she habitually buried her emotions.
I wanted to hug her so much...
But before our ghost marriage was complete, I didn't even get a chance to hug her...
Boom!
Finally, Qingyi brought me out of the main tomb. As the heavy tomb door closed with a dull thud, my heart shattered into pieces. Perhaps, the moment the tomb door blocked my view was the moment of farewell between her and me. Maybe I would never see that woman with eyes like cold stars again.
There were countless uncertainties and anxieties in my heart, but ultimately, I acted like a coward, even though I didn't want to.
At this moment, a sorrowful song echoed in the tomb passage. It was a woman singing a poem, and the poem was none other than one written by the Song Dynasty poet Xin Qiji. It seemed she had occasionally ventured out of her ancient tomb and was familiar with some of the poems created by later generations.
"Amidst the green trees, listening to oriole's song, How unbearable it is, the cuckoo's cry stopping, the oriole's sound thinning. Crying until spring returns with no place to find, Bitterly resenting the end of the fragrance of flowers. It barely compares to the parting of the mortal world. On horseback, the pipa near the Black Gate, the farther Jade Carriage leaves the Golden Palace. Watching the swallows fly, bidding farewell to my concubine. The general, famous from a hundred battles, his body and name shattered, By the river bank, looking back over ten thousand li, old friends long severed. By the cold waters of the Yi River, the west wind is cold, The whole assembly dressed in ceremonial robes resembling snow. The true hero's mournful song has not yet finished. Even the crying bird knows such a resentment, Expecting it not to cry clear tears, but instead, long cries of blood. Who will drink with me, under the bright moon?"
This tune was clearly her own adaptation, sung in a long and mournful Qin accent. It was sorrowful and heroic, piercing through my soul. Considering her actions, she clearly hadn't been confident in dealing with Doulun and had prepared for a fight to the death!
My eyes were red, but I couldn't change a thing.
"To hell with this, why is it so cold in this passage?" At this moment, Zhang Jinya shivered and said, "How deep is the cultivation of the ghostly things in the main tomb? We haven't even entered yet, but the Yin Qi is so dense."
Because I had already been frozen by Hua Mulan's Yin Qi, I couldn't feel this bone-penetrating coldness, but from the pale faces of Zhang Jinya, Fatty, and Rosa, I could tell that the Yin Qi here was probably dense to the extreme.
"Let's go to the ear chamber!" Qingyi said in a deep voice. "There's nowhere to go here. Let's confront the thing in the dark, hiding next to it!"
"That's a good idea!" Fatty nodded and took the lead to open the door to the ear chamber. We all followed, including Blackie. We entered the chamber, which was pitch black. To avoid exposure, we didn't turn on our flashlights. After all, dirty things tend to avoid light and are particularly sensitive to it. Once there's light around, they can sense it immediately.
Even so, Qingyi still thought it wasn't enough. He took out several yellow talismans from his pocket, stuck one on my chest, and gave the rest to others, making sure everyone was covered. He didn't even miss Blackie. He said these talismans could suppress the Yang energy on a person's body. The dirty things in the main tomb were too ferocious. Merely hiding might not be enough. As long as there was Yang energy around, they could sense it immediately. We needed these talismans to conceal our presence.
Then, Qingyi cracked open the door to the ear chamber just a tiny bit, allowing me to lean over and see the situation in the passage clearly. Then he applied one to himself.
I knew Qingyi wanted me to remember what that thing looked like. He knew I had psychological issues. If I didn't see clearly what it was, I might just suffocate myself to death!
At this moment, the passage was filled with mist, and the Yin Qi became even more intense. Vaguely, I could see a dark shadow floating in the mist. It advanced silently, making no sound. It wasn't until it passed the ear chamber that I finally saw its appearance.
The intruder was a man wearing camouflage clothing, about 1.75 meters tall, in his forties, with an extremely pale complexion!
Seeing the intruder's appearance, my heart suddenly convulsed because the intruder was my father. The camouflage clothes on him were the same ones he wore when he bid me farewell before going to Qinling Mountain!