Hu Hai, having experienced life and death, was no longer as naive as before.
He asked seriously and solemnly, "If I help you, what do you plan to do after entering the main hall?"
Yan Shouyi replied calmly, "I will only look for my enemy. Once I find him, I will leave immediately. Moreover, we actually have the same enemy. Your goal is to drive him away, and mine is to take him away."
If it were as Yan Shouyi described, Hu Hai would have been happy to join forces with him.
The "enemy" in Yan Shouyi's words was like a pest that had burrowed into the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum, and Yan Shouyi and his companions were the woodpeckers.
When the woodpeckers ate the pests, the trees would no longer suffer from insect infestation. This was a win-win situation.
However, Hu Hai was still worried that Yan Shouyi might be deceiving him and dared not trust him easily.
Seeing this, Lin Zhitong said, "Your Highness Hu Hai, do you have any other choice?"
Hu Hai was stunned, and then his cautious and careful expression instantly vanished, replaced by the look of a big fool.
Yes!
He had no choice!
Whether in life or death, he was at the mercy of others, with no right to choose.
He sighed and said, "The palace gate can only be opened when four keys appear simultaneously. The four keys are hidden in the bronze bells located in the east, west, north, and south directions of the inner city."
Bronze bells?
Yan Shouyi frowned. San Yuan was still hovering overhead and clearly saw the coffins of the four folk sect descendants placed next to the four bronze bells.
To retrieve the keys from the bronze bells, they would likely alert the four folk sect descendants. This was no different from plucking a tooth from a tiger's mouth.
As if worried that Yan Shouyi and the others wouldn't believe him, Hu Hai explained, "These four men were good friends with Huo Ban during their lives. They deeply respected Huo Ban. Upon learning that Huo Ban was building the Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum, they voluntarily became martyrs to guard it. Huo Ban, trusting them the most, entrusted the keys to their safekeeping."
Xia Qi appeared unconvinced. "What kind of relationship would make someone willing to become a martyr for a friend's endeavor?"
Such sentiments were naturally difficult to comprehend in this era, but in ancient times, over two thousand years ago, everything seemed explainable.
The emotions of the ancients were much purer than those of today.
How did that saying go? In the past, roads were wide, cars were slow, and a lifetime was only enough to love one person.
Well, that wasn't quite right; that saying couldn't be used to describe Huo Ban and his four brothers.
Wang Sihui looked at the zombies and malevolent spirits outside the door and asked, "How can we break through the siege and retrieve the keys?"
"You don't need to worry about these, Captain Wang," Yan Shouyi said. "Leave the matter of the keys to us. The experts here will be your responsibility."
The experts were still unconscious, which was undoubtedly holding everyone back. Now that they were temporarily safe, Wang Sihui and his team should quickly help the experts regain their mobility so they could escape with everyone later.
Wang Sihui's greatest strength was his lack of recklessness and overconfidence. He clearly understood that he and his team were no match for the zombies and malevolent spirits outside.
Therefore, he accepted the task assigned by Yan Shouyi.
Tao Hua Ying frowned slightly, as if she already knew her next assignment.
The team members and experts inside the room needed protection. Tao Hua Ying had to stay behind to protect them, which meant she couldn't fight alongside her young lady.
This made Tao Hua Ying slightly dejected.
Yan Shouyi and Lin Zhitong began their preparations.
According to Yan Shouyi's analysis, the presence of only zombies, malevolent spirits, and paper figures suggested they were close to the coffins of the corpse herders and paper makers.
As for the Gu masters and illusionists, they were relatively easier to deal with among the folk sects.
Therefore, the two decided to go to the distant corners of the city first to deal with the Gu masters and illusionists, and then return to handle the corpse herders and paper makers.
At this moment, Yan Shouyi missed Wei Changqing a little. If Wei Changqing were here, he might have been able to deal with all four folk sect descendants by himself.
After making their plan, Yan Shouyi again placed the previous talisman on Hu Hai's head.
Hu Hai immediately became dejected. With the talisman pasted on his forehead, he became mute and deaf.
Xia Qi worriedly said, "Brother Yan, Sister-in-law, please be safe!"
Indeed, everyone's lives depended on the two of them!
If Yan Shouyi and Lin Zhitong couldn't return, the others in this room would not be able to leave the imperial mausoleum alive.
It was then that Liang Yinqiu realized how correct the decision was to have the two of them enter the imperial mausoleum. Without them, relying solely on Liang Yinqiu and Wang Sihui's team, they would likely have been bitten to death by the zombies in the mercury river and the invading蛊虫 (gǔchóng - Gu worms) before even reaching the inner city.
After making their preparations, Yan Shouyi embraced Lin Zhitong under everyone's gaze.
This sudden embrace caught Lin Zhitong off guard. Wang Sihui and the other rough men all silently turned away, pretending not to see the two of them showing affection.
Liang Yinqiu looked at them and couldn't help but reveal a motherly smile.
Back in her youth, she had been as affectionate with her late husband, but unfortunately, her husband had passed away early, leaving only memories of those beautiful times.
Yan Shouyi whispered in Lin Zhitong's ear, "Do your best, don't take risks. If you can't win, run. Leave it to me."
Lin Zhitong knew Yan Shouyi was concerned about her, but she couldn't help but pout her lips, stubbornly saying,
"Hmph, I am the next sect leader of the Lush an Sect. How could I lose to you, a descendant of a folk sect?"
Lin Zhitong playfully brought up the common trope of major sects looking down on folk sects. Yan Shouyi laughed heartily, kissed her on the lips, and then pushed the door open and stepped out!
The kiss left Lin Zhitong stunned. Caught off guard by Yan Shouyi, her face flushed with embarrassment. How had this big傻子 (shǎzi - fool) become so good at flirting?
While Lin Zhitong was still dazed, Yan Shouyi had already rushed out of the room, brandishing his Zanpakuto, and plunged into the horde of zombies and malevolent spirits!
He shouted loudly, "Demons and evil spirits, accept your death!"
The zombies and malevolent spirits had been dormant in the inner city of the imperial mausoleum for over two thousand years and were already starved and thirsty. The appearance of Yan Shouyi and his party earlier was like a chef dangling roast suckling pig in front of them, only allowing them to smell it but not taste it, which had greatly agitated them.
Now, with Yan Shouyi's reappearance, the mere scent of his living aura made the zombies and malevolent spirits even more frenzied. They lunged towards Yan Shouyi one after another!
Yan Shouyi's objective was achieved. He attracted most of the firepower, and then, without lingering in combat, he turned and ran!
Behind him, a vast swarm followed, including zombies crawling on the ground on all fours, malevolent spirits jostling each other in the air, and lightly floating paper figures hanging onto the zombies and malevolent spirits – they were all chasing Yan Shouyi!
Lin Zhitong also recovered her senses, realizing Yan Shouyi was drawing fire for her.
She walked out of the room, watched everyone secure the door, and then summoned her spirit horse, Ta Xue, again.
Unlike Yan Shouyi, Lin Zhitong didn't need to run on foot. With Ta Xue as her mount, she could gallop directly through the streets of the inner city!
Lin Zhitong leaped onto the horse's back. The red divine umbrella in her hand flashed, appearing heroic and spirited.
The others in the room stared, feeling that Lin Zhitong was like Hua Mulan reborn, as valiant and heroic as a female general!
Xia Qi couldn't help but yearn, "If only I could be like Sister-in-law!"
"Hua Ying!" Lin Zhitong called out.
"My lady, your servant is here!" Tao Hua Ying quickly responded.
"You must protect everyone, especially keep a close eye on Hu Hai!"
"Rest assured, my lady!"
After giving her instructions, Lin Zhitong shouted "Giddy up," and Ta Xue raised its front hooves, galloping away at full speed!
Dada dada! Dada dada! Dada dada!
The four hooves on the bluestone-paved ground even left footprints, trailing behind like a comet's tail that slowly dissipated.
This made Liang Yinqiu feel extremely distressed: these were floor tiles from over two thousand years ago; every one broken was one less!