Boss Zhou's objective in the tomb remains to be seen.
A more pressing issue now lay before Yan Shouyi.
"Boss Zhou threatened the villagers he deceived, forcing them into the cave as bait to lure the tomb-guarding serpent ghosts into the open where they could be encircled. Many have likely already died. Now, only the last serpent ghost remains. Once they rest, they will enter the cave again," Yan Shouyi said grimly.
Since Yan Shouyi couldn't directly see the villagers from Sanyuan's perspective, he could only roughly imagine the scenes Sanyuan described.
Therefore, he didn't know if any of the villagers driven into the cave were from Chenjia Village, or if Jiang Ting's uncle was among them.
However, regardless of whether Chenjia villagers were present, Yan Shouyi could not stand by and do nothing.
Lin Zhitong also stated, "We must find a way to save them."
Long Feicheng worried, "But they have so many people, and we only have three. I'm still useless."
Long Feicheng was very clear about his own capabilities. He was afraid Yan Shouyi would consider him a combatant and misjudge their strength.
Fortunately, Yan Shouyi had not counted Long Feicheng in his plans. He pondered,
"We don't need to defeat all of them. Those villagers have legs; they can escape on their own. We just need to disrupt Boss Zhou's plan, making them too preoccupied to notice. The villagers will escape themselves."
"Do you have any good ideas?" Long Feicheng feigned a thoughtful expression.
In reality, he hadn't thought at all, merely waiting for Yan Shouyi to reveal his plan. During this process, he hoped to be involved, even if only superficially.
It was Lin Zhitong who first proposed a solution, "I can use the Soul Summoning Bell to attract nearby lone spirits and ghosts, causing trouble while they rest."
"That's a viable method," Yan Shouyi said. "I can also use the arts of Qimen Dunjia simultaneously to cause them more trouble."
After some discussion, they quickly finalized their plan.
Finally, Long Feicheng slapped his thigh, "I think it's feasible!"
Yan Shouyi shot him a sideways glance, "Your hard work is appreciated."
"Serving the people!" Long Feicheng grinned shamelessly.
With the plan set, all that remained was to wait for a good opportunity after nightfall.
During this interlude, they also began to eat and drink their rations, conserving energy.
Yan Shouyi took the opportunity to question the shaman about the Ma siblings and Yang Li.
The shaman told Yan Shouyi that the Ma siblings were Boss Zhou's earliest subordinates, appearing very loyal to him. Yang Li, as a grave-robbing Daoist, was like other extraordinary individuals, recruited by Boss Zhou later.
Yang Li's personality was consistent with the style of grave-robbing Daoists: reckless, violent, and impulsive.
The Ma siblings, however, were different. The elder brother, Ma Xingping, was cautious and meticulous, skilled at dealing with malevolent spirits and ghosts in tombs. The younger sister, Ma Jinxuan, was taciturn and seemed adept at Feng Shui and locating auspicious burial sites. This brother-sister pair, one martial and one scholarly, always cooperated closely, inseparable during tomb expeditions, even sleeping back-to-back at night.
From the shaman's answers, Yan Shouyi realized that although the Ma siblings outwardly appeared loyal to Boss Zhou, they actually did not trust him at all.
Otherwise, why would the siblings sleep back-to-back?
It was clearly to be ready to flee at any moment if something unexpected happened.
Furthermore, Yan Shouyi understood that Boss Zhou's group was brought together by interests and threats. Such a team was inherently unstable, with everyone harboring their own ulterior motives.
If any accident occurred, they would undoubtedly fall into chaos, perhaps even turning on each other.
This presented another potential breakthrough.
With these thoughts, Yan Shouyi no longer found them difficult to deal with.
The sky gradually darkened.
While Sanyuan kept watch over the camp, Yan Shouyi suddenly received a call from his father, Yan Chou.
To ensure he wouldn't be detected by Boss Zhou's men, Yan Shouyi walked far away before answering the phone.
"Dad, what's up?" Yan Shouyi asked.
On the other end, Yan Chou calmly inquired, "You've reached the village, haven't you?"
"Yes, I have, but something has happened. I'm in the mountains now."
"In the mountains?" Yan Chou's tone shifted to surprise.
Yan Shouyi quickly recounted what he had seen and heard to Yan Chou.
After listening, Yan Chou remained silent for about four or five seconds.
During these few seconds, Yan Shouyi secretly felt that this was no small matter.
He knew his father's character—decisive, cautious, and meticulous. Rarely was there a problem that would make his father ponder for so long.
His prolonged silence suggested that his father was aware of the large tomb in the mountains, and that it was of great importance.
So he proactively asked, "Dad, do you know what kind of tomb this is in the mountains?"
"I do," Yan Chou replied decisively.
Yan Shouyi swallowed. "Does this large tomb in the mountains have any connection to us?"
This time, Yan Chou did not answer.
After a few more moments of silence, Yan Chou changed the subject, "What's buried in these mountains is the tomb of a noble from the Song Dynasty."
"Then what is in this tomb, and what is Boss Zhou after?" Yan Shouyi was puzzled.
"The legendary flesh of the Tang Monk, said to cure all ailments, also known as Rou Lingzhi."
"What?!"
Yan Shouyi had heard about Rou Lingzhi before.
Tai Sui, also known as Rou Lingzhi. Li Shizhen's Compendium of Materia Medica records: "The flesh fungus resembles meat. Attached to large stones, it has a head and tail, thus it is a living creature. The red ones are like coral, the white ones like fat, the black ones like dark lacquer, the green ones like kingfisher feathers, the yellow ones like purple gold; all are luminous and transparent like solid ice."
Li Shizhen regarded it as a "superior product of the Classics," with the effect of "prolonged consumption leads to lightness, agelessness, and longevity," which, in plain terms, meant immortality and eternal youth.
In other words, eternal life was another form of curing all ailments.
The legendary Rou Lingzhi was said to regrow no matter how much was cut off, which was miraculous.
It seemed Boss Zhou was another person seeking immortality, having somehow learned of the existence of Rou Lingzhi in the Song tomb and grandly arriving.
But Yan Shouyi soon discovered a problem, "Dad, how do you know what kind of tomb this is in the mountains, and that there's Rou Lingzhi in it?"
Yan Chou coughed twice and said, "I've been inside."
Yan Shouyi, holding his phone, his mouth agape.
"The north side of Uncle Jiang's mountain, where there's a century-old camphor tree, is where I dug the tunnel. After entering, I triggered the tomb's mechanisms and released thirteen serpent ghosts guarding the tomb."
Upon hearing Yan Chou's words, Yan Shouyi was even more astonished. The great serpent ghosts that Sanyuan saw were actually connected to his own father.
The cave Boss Zhou and his men were guarding was the one his father had dug, though it had clearly been widened by Boss Zhou's group.
Yan Shouyi frowned and asked, "Dad, we are descendants of Lu Ban, not grave robbers. Why did you provoke this Song tomb?"
His words even carried a hint of reproach, as he himself never engaged in grave robbing and did not entirely approve of such actions.
Moreover, the thirteen tomb-guarding serpent ghosts released by Yan Chou years ago were now harming many nearby villagers.
Yan Chou's tone suddenly became serious, "You ask me if this Song tomb has any connection to us. It does, and it has nothing to do with me, but rather with you."
Yan Shouyi was stunned.
His father entered the tomb back then, so how could it be related to him?
Yan Chou continued:
"When you were just a month old, your grandmother was still alive. Your grandfather, grandmother, and I together brought you into this Song tomb in the mountains, so that you could survive your childhood and avoid an untimely death!"
"In other words, when you were just a month old, you had already entered this Song tomb!"
"When you were little, you often asked me where Mama and Grandma went. Back then, I thought you were too young and couldn't bear to tell you the truth."
"Now that you've grown up, it's time for you to know the truth... Your grandmother died in this Song tomb beneath your feet the year we brought you into it, and her remains have yet to see the light of day!"