Chapter 7
Chapter 7
“Something just bumped into me.”
After I finished explaining, the three of them crouched down behind me in unison, shining their lights on my backside.
Lu Lingzhu reached out and brushed a hand against my rear, then stared at the sticky glob on her fingertips.
“Is this… wet mud?”
“I lied to you. I couldn’t hold it in just now; I really did have diarrhea.”
“Ah-blegh-”
Lu Lingzhu shrieked, jumping up and shaking her hand frantically while I stood to the side, laughing my head off.
Jiang Haoyan looked at me helplessly as I laughed.
“Qiao Moyu, look at what time it is. You still have the heart to prank Lu Lingzhu?”
He walked over to me, pulled a pack of tissues from his bag, and handed them to me.
“Wipe it off.”
Little Jiang is so considerate, and he likes to keep clean. When others go tomb raiding, they bring dharma tools and gear, but he’s the only one who remembers to bring tissues.
I gave him an appreciative look, took the tissues, and gave my backside a few messy wipes before holding the tissue up to the light. It was black, sticky, and smelled like earth-it really was just a clump of wet mud.
“Maybe some animal crawled in through that robber’s hole? A pangolin or something?”
I tossed the tissue on the ground and looked around.
The interior of this castle was indeed a church.
However, it was slightly different from a typical church. There were seven rows of chairs on both the left and right sides, but on the circular dais in the center, there was no pulpit. Instead, there sat a magnificent coffin.
Jiang Haoyan was astonished.
“This is the main burial chamber? Was it really this easy?”
We walked toward the dais. Just as we stepped onto the stairs, we saw a single extinguished candle sitting in the southeast corner of the platform.
“A person lights the candle, a ghost blows it out.” This was the rule of the Tomb Raider Captains: a candle must be lit in the southeast corner of the burial chamber. If the candle stays lit, everything is fine. If the candle goes out, one must return any valuables taken, kowtow three times with the utmost respect, and exit the chamber the way they came.
“Qiao Moyu, does this count as tomb raiding for us too? Should we follow the rules of the Tomb Raider Captains?”
Lu Lingzhu pulled a talisman from her bag. With a flick of her fingers, the paper ignited. Holding the burning talisman, she leaned over to light the candle.
I frowned in disapproval.
“Don’t go looking for trouble. Why are you doing all that?”
Tomb raiding damages one’s hidden virtues; it is a major taboo for those of us on the traditional righteous path.
Although I had entered ancient tombs several times before, I never touched the funerary objects. This time, even if we were to take something, according to the British policy of private land ownership, we were openly helping Director Chen retrieve his own property. It couldn’t be called “theft” at all.
Ignoring my protest, Lu Lingzhu lit the candle. The orange-yellow flame dispelled the darkness, and the room instantly felt less eerie and terrifying.
Song Feifei hopped in place with excitement.
“So cool! I’ve wanted to try this ever since I read *Ghost Blows Out the Light*. I finally have the chance!”
“Ah-it feels so ritualistic!”
“You’re both crazy!”
I didn’t bother with them and walked over to the coffin, reaching out to push the lid.
Just as my hand touched it, the candle flame flickered violently and went out completely.
A bad premonition instantly surged in my heart.
Song Feifei gasped, hiding behind Lu Lingzhu and peeking out with half her head.
“Ah-now it feels even more thrilling!”