"Do you know how to break the formation? Hurry up and tell me, I don't want to stay here for another minute." Chen Yun's eyes were frighteningly bright, and she grabbed my hand, asking excitedly, completely forgetting the words I had just scolded her with.
My face turned red. This was the first time a girl had held my hand, and it was placed on her heaving bosom.
Seeing my face turn red, Chen Yun seemed to sense something was wrong. Realizing she had placed my hand on her chest, she also blushed and, after calling me a little pervert, hurriedly pressed me to explain how to break the formation.
I organized my thoughts and began to explain to Chen Yun.
"I read about a type of tomb in the 'Book of Burial,' and it felt somewhat similar to the illusion formation before us. However, whether it's accurate still needs verification?"
"Tomb?" Chen Yun's eyes widened, and she looked at me in disbelief, roaring, "You little pervert, I let you take advantage of me, and you're trying to fool me into thinking the illusion formation has something to do with tombs? Do you really think I won't beat you up?"
Seeing Chen Yun about to transform into a raging dragon again, I quickly told her everything I knew.
I had indeed read about a tomb passage in the 'Book of Burial.' It was a winding path set up to prevent tomb robbers, and it felt similar to the illusion formation laid out before us.
"Coiling Dragon Path? How have I never heard of it?" Chen Yun tried hard to recall the books she had read but couldn't find this formation name. Sudanonovel.com
"This was a tomb passage set up by a prince of the Lingnan region during the Tang Dynasty. This passage utilized the darkness within the tomb and the difference in leg lengths of people to create it. Anyone who walked on it would be exhausted to death. It wasn't until a blind tomb robber cracked its secret that it was solved," I explained slowly to Chen Yun.
"A blind person? You're not going to blind yourself to break this illusion formation, are you!" Chen Yun blinked her bright eyes, showing a mixture of being touched and suspicious.
I was speechless at her words. What did she eat to grow up like this? Her thought process was too bizarre. Was the blind person the point I was making? It felt like I was playing the lute to a cow.
Seeing me look at her strangely, Chen Yun also felt that what she had said was a bit off. She coughed awkwardly, "Don't you know how to get to the point when you speak? Hurry up and tell us how to get out, don't waste time here. Every minute we waste, Xiao Yun is in more danger. Don't you see it's broad daylight now? They asked us to arrive before dawn."
Looking at Chen Yun, who was worried about Xiao Yun, I could only consider myself unlucky to have encountered such a distressed party.
"I don't know if my method will work. The primary task now is to know how many steps the stairs before us have. Only then can we determine if it's the tomb passage I read about in the 'Book of Burial.' If it is, then everything is easy. If not, we can only wait to die."
"Then what are you waiting for? Let's act quickly. The longer we delay, the more disadvantageous it will be for us," Chen Yun urged.
I drew the Yin Ironwood ruler from my back and struck it hard against the step I was standing on. The recoil vibrated my arm, making it numb, and I almost dropped the Yin Ironwood ruler.
"Diamond stone? They really spared no expense." Looking at the small, pinky-finger-thick scratch on the step, I was amazed by the Hu family's extravagance.
"Do you have lipstick on you?"
"Yes."
"Good. Starting from this step, we'll write a number every ten steps until we return to this scratch mark."
Chen Yun didn't understand what I meant, but she nodded in agreement. We walked shoulder to shoulder, both secretly counting our steps. Every ten steps, we marked a number.
"1..."
"2..."
"10..."
"15..."
"20..."
"..."
"1? How can this be?" When she stepped onto a new stair, Chen Yun's expression changed slightly as she looked at the large '1' written in red lipstick, looking at me for an explanation.
In response to Chen Yun's doubt, my expression was calm, and my breath also steadied. Because now I could confirm that the mountain path we were walking on was the Coiling Dragon Path described in the 'Book of Burial.'
If what appeared was the scratch mark I had made, then it would be a nightmare. Now, as long as we found that specific scratch mark, we could leave this Coiling Dragon Path.
Seeing me smile and then stare blankly, Chen Yun waved her hand in front of my eyes, "What are you grinning about? We're about to be trapped to death here, and you're still in the mood to be happy?"
"Let's go! I've found a way out," I said with full confidence.
"So quickly?"
I didn't explain to Chen Yun but quickly walked down nine steps. Sure enough, on the ninth step below the '1,' I saw the scratch mark I had made with the Yin Ironwood ruler.
Casually walking down eleven steps, I saw the number '2.' Walking seven steps, I saw the number '3.' I followed the pattern, sometimes walking a few more steps, sometimes a few less. When I saw the number '11,' my eyes lit up.
The thick mist around us dispersed, and what appeared before us was the plaque of 'Fox Immortal Temple.' The sky was the same as when we first arrived. The eastern sky, like a fish's belly, was slightly brighter than before. I took out my phone and checked the time; less than half an hour had passed.
*Crack—*
A faint clapping sound drew my attention. The main gate of the Fox Immortal Temple slowly opened, and a hunched figure slowly emerged from within. Sparse hair obscured her face, revealing only a pair of eyes glowing green, like a ghost.
"Zhang Danian's disciple indeed has skill. You got out of the Coiling Dragon Illusion Formation half an hour faster than your master. Not bad... truly not bad." Her voice was very hoarse, as if she had a thick phlegm stuck in her throat, sounding very uncomfortable. However, it was still clear that she was an old woman, though it was impossible to tell if she was human or something else.
I wanted to activate my ghost eyes to see if she was human or a wild immortal, but the result was the same as when I looked at the old monk in Beishan Mining Town. She also emitted a dazzling gray light, which directly dispelled my desire to investigate further.
"Senior, you know my master?"
"Cackles... Know him? How could I not know him? He stole my old body's treasure and then hid. Do you think I know him or not?"
Hearing this, my heart sank. Master, no! Are you trying to get me killed? Who did you have to steal from? Why did you have to steal from such an old monster?
However, upon further thought, something felt wrong. I didn't know my master's true strength, but if we judged by age, he was definitely not as strong as the old woman before me. Stealing from her would be a dream.
Besides, although my master was a bit overbearing, I had lived with him for ten years and knew him intimately. Apart from drinking a bit too much, he didn't seem to have any other particular habits. It was definitely the old woman before me trying to fool me.
Just as I was about to retort that she was lying, Chen Yun, who was beside me, couldn't stand it and shouted first, "Old woman, I brought what you wanted. Where is Xiao Yun?"
"Xiao Yun? That little weasel?" the old woman said, reaching behind her and taking out an iron cage. Inside, a small beast was curled up. Its black and white patterned fur made it look like a spotted rat.
"Xiao Yun..."