A remnant of a soul leaned against the bronze coffin.
He glanced up at the half-removed coffin lid and managed a wry smile.
Yan Shouyi, however, didn't have time to indulge the fellow in his reflections. The current situation clearly didn't permit it.
So, he asked coldly, "Who exactly are you?"
Though a question, it carried no hint of doubt. Instead, it was an order, demanding that the soul provide an answer.
The remnant soul looked at Yan Shouyi and said, "You are quite different from that General Qing Jiang. However, I can see that you share the same unwavering resolve."
"That's not for you to judge," Yan Shouyi replied coldly.
The remnant soul chuckled, unoffended.
"I have a rough idea of why you've come here," the remnant soul smiled. "Very well, very well. A dying man speaks what is good. I will tell you everything I know."
Upon hearing this, Yan Shouyi and Lin Zhitong's expressions softened slightly.
This remnant soul that had appeared here clearly knew a great deal of information. If he hadn't been willing to cooperate, Yan Shouyi would have been forced to resort to some extreme measures to make him speak.
Fortunately, the remnant soul was perceptive and intended to confess willingly.
A hint of pride appeared on the remnant soul's face. "General Qing Jiang, you don't recognize me now, but I recognize you. After all, we've fought for a lifetime... or perhaps, as General Qing Jiang, you never even considered me worthy of notice. After all, even my senior brother Jiang Wusheng was never in your sight."
At these words, Yan Shouyi and Lin Zhitong instantly understood the remnant soul's identity.
The Imperial Tutor had taken in seven direct disciples, each possessing extraordinary talent.
Among them, three disciples were killed by General Qing Jiang during the pursuit of him and Princess Yu Shu.
Of the remaining four disciples, Jiang Wusheng was the most formidable.
Since the remnant soul addressed Jiang Wusheng as senior brother, he was likely also one of the Imperial Tutor's disciples.
This explained why he was found beside Qin Shi Huang's coffin. He must have accompanied the Imperial Tutor here in the past.
The remnant soul introduced himself: "Wu Wei Xin, ranked fourth among my fellow disciples."
Yan Shouyi nodded slightly, accepting the remnant soul's identity.
"Back then, we captured Princess Yu Shu, but it also brought about the complete destruction of the State of Qing Jiang. After Master killed Princess Yu Shu, the State of Qing Jiang was annihilated, and we all became people without a country. Master then decided to re-enter the world to fulfill his aspirations."
"Master's aspiration, like Qin Shi Huang's, was to maintain a living body while achieving immortality! However, Master practiced a shortened cultivation path. Forget immortality; even surviving his mortal tribulation was a question."
The matter of the Imperial Tutor being a successor of a folk sect had been mentioned earlier by Lian He.
Yan Shouyi and Lin Zhitong did not show much surprise. They knew in their hearts that Wu Wei Xin surely had more secrets, and those secrets were what was truly astonishing.
"When Master was young, he used a thousand living slaves in a sacrifice to forcefully extend his lifespan. However, this was not a fundamental solution. Therefore, he came to investigate the tomb of Qin Shi Huang. After all, compared to the Imperial Tutor of a small border state, Qin Shi Huang must have possessed far more information. Master came here seeking that information."
"At that time, Master had already learned that Qin Shi Huang possessed a supreme treasure called the Marquis of Sui's Pearl. The Marquis of Sui's Pearl, along with the Jade of Heshi, were known as the State Treasures of Qin. However, the Jade of Heshi was not an important item to us. The crucial one was the Marquis of Sui's Pearl."
"Master learned that by sealing the soul of a person with the Ziwei destiny into the Marquis of Sui's Pearl, and then swallowing the pearl, one could break through the mortal tribulation and achieve eternal life!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Zhitong's breathing suddenly quickened.
Yan Shouyi's eyes also brightened slightly.
Wu Wei Xin's words had already resolved many of their doubts.
The escape of Princess Yu Shu and General Qing Jiang back then, while a disgrace to both nations, should not have garnered such attention from the Imperial Tutor of a state, to the point of continuously sending experts to pursue them.
Wasn't the fate of the State of Qing Jiang less important than these two individuals?
Yet, the Imperial Tutor relentlessly pursued them. Initially, Yan Shouyi believed it was the Imperial Tutor's revenge against General Qing Jiang, but now it seemed the Imperial Tutor's true objective was clearly Princess Yu Shu, who possessed the Ziwei destiny!
He was relentlessly pursuing them at all costs precisely to capture Princess Yu Shu, then search for the Marquis of Sui's Pearl, in order to break through the mortal tribulation and achieve immortality!
Yan Shouyi and Lin Zhitong exchanged a glance: "What happened next?"
The remnant soul continued:
"Afterward, the State of Qing Jiang was annihilated. Master, carrying Princess Yu Shu's soul and us, left our homeland without hesitation and headed for Chang'an. He was only one step away from immortality, which was entering the imperial tomb to obtain the Marquis of Sui's Pearl."
"We made thorough preparations and recruited many personnel. We evaded the tomb guardians and finally entered the imperial tomb. However, we faced constant dangers within the tomb. All the recruited personnel died, and even several of my senior brothers perished in this dark, underground palace."
"But Master was incredibly resourceful. He not only controlled four folk sect experts within the inner city but also suppressed the actor Lü Huai and the mercury-filled female corpse Afang Nu. Finally, he brought me to Qin Shi Huang's bronze coffin..."
Here it comes.
The most crucial, most important clue had arrived!
What exactly did the Imperial Tutor and Wu Wei Xin encounter here?
Did the Imperial Tutor finally obtain the Marquis of Sui's Pearl?
Where exactly was Princess Yu Shu's soul?!
Yan Shouyi and Lin Zhitong held their breath, listening intently.
"Before opening the coffin, Master was filled with apprehension. He seemed to have some doubts, which could only be verified by opening the coffin. At that moment, he was only one step away from obtaining the Marquis of Sui's Pearl, yet he chose to have me open the coffin."
"Although I suspected there would be mechanisms in the coffin, Master's orders were difficult to defy, so I chose to open it. The moment I opened the coffin, the mechanisms within were triggered, and I died."
This was why Wu Wei Xin's body was found leaning against the half-open coffin.
"In my dying moments, I saw and heard much."
The Imperial Tutor stepped over Wu Wei Xin's corpse and looked expressionlessly into the interior of the bronze coffin.
His eyes suddenly widened, with "It is as I suspected" written in them. Then, fear contorted his face, and he turned and fled as if from a nightmare, no longer caring about the Marquis of Sui's Pearl.
He muttered, "Indeed! The one lying in the coffin is not Qin Shi Huang!!"
This was what Wu Wei Xin last saw and heard.
At this point, Wu Wei Xin fell silent, a trace of sorrow in his eyes, as if he couldn't believe his Master would use him in such a way and then leave without hesitation.
Yan Shouyi and Lin Zhitong's expressions were likely the same as the Imperial Tutor's over a thousand years ago.
The one in the coffin was not Qin Shi Huang.
It was that successor of Lu Ban, Huo Ban!!!