Chapter 177
Chapter 177
Shengsheng Zhou crouched nearby, watching the monster repeatedly try and fail to charge out. She even crooked a finger at him tauntingly.
Somehow, the man with two holes in his face seemed to see her. He raised his massive ax, roared at Shengsheng, and swung furiously. Unable to reach her, he screamed in frustration.
Shengsheng exclaimed and pointed at him, addressing the two men discussing something behind her. “He can see me! How is that possible?”
Fusheng Duan pulled her farther back. “Your minds are one.”
Shengsheng: “…” What the hell?
Perhaps influenced by Fusheng’s remark, Shengsheng waved at the monster. “Relax, Brother Mind. Don’t be angry. How about a story to calm you down?”
Some word seemed to touch him. He stopped roaring and fixed his bloody sockets upon her.
Shengsheng cleared her throat. “An old grandfather took his grandson boating. Suddenly, a huge wave struck.”
“Guess what happened?”
Brother Mind tilted his head, seemingly awaiting the answer.
Shengsheng continued, “Grandpa’s oar broke.”
“Then…”
“Grandpa said to his grandson in terror–”
“Guess what he said?” Shengsheng abruptly lowered her voice, crouching closer with a tense expression.
Drawn in, Brother Mind bent and brought his face nearer.
“Grandson! Grandpa is oar-ver!”
Fusheng: “…”
Weiqing Song: “…” Must you be such a menace?
The next instant, a deafening, furious roar erupted. Ignoring the boundary, the monster charged out with his ax and rushed at Shengsheng.
Shengsheng: “Wow, baby’s terrified.”
As soon as she finished, an exasperated Fusheng scooped her up and dodged aside.
Watching the enraged Brother Mind emerge, Shengsheng noticed something wrong.
The instant one foot crossed the boundary, his lower body began dissolving into dust at astonishing speed.
No wonder he had been afraid to leave.
Weiqing had not expected the monster they were discussing how to lure out to walk willingly into their trap. Halfway through their planning, Fusheng had raised a hand to stop him and silently watched the creature interact with Shengsheng.
So that was it.
Enraged beyond reason, the monster ignored his disintegrating body and charged out solely to hack Shengsheng to death.
For once, Weiqing looked at the monster–already dissolved to the chest–with understanding.
He understood. He understood all too well.
Brother, whatever turned you into this ghostly thing, I will build you a grave.
“Burial plots are difficult to obtain here. No need to thank me.”
Held by Fusheng some distance away, Shengsheng asked, “Imperial Brother, did you say something?”
Weiqing withdrew his gaze and answered warmly, “No.”
The monster was run in circles by Fusheng’s ghostlike movements. When even his hands vanished, the ax struck the ground heavily, and his entire body finally dissolved into airborne dust.
Fusheng set Shengsheng down and stroked her head. “Well done.”
Shengsheng wanted to ask about her reward, but Weiqing was present, so she remained silent.
They finally entered the doorway. A vast hall opened before them, brightly lit by hundreds or thousands of luminous pearls embedded along the walls.
They illuminated the hall as brightly as day.
Two doors were faintly visible along the corridors on either side. Apart from them, the rest had been buried by the mountain over the long years.
Shengsheng Zhou stared wide-eyed and tugged Fusheng Duan’s sleeve. “Can I dig out a luminous pearl?”
Fusheng nodded indifferently. “They’re all yours.”
But Shengsheng shook her head. “No. I only want one.”
She could not carry more.
If she could select only one, she naturally had to choose the largest.
Shengsheng hurried off excitedly.
Watching her delight, Weiqing Song shook his head with a laugh. “There seems to be something up there. Let’s look.”
As in the ruin they had visited before, a throne stood atop the hall.
This time, however, no skeleton sat upon it. A pitch-black box lay there instead.
Most striking of all was the bird perched on the box.
It looked frail, its feathers scorched yellow as though burned, and its eyes tightly shut.
Weiqing suddenly thought of something and signaled Fusheng with his eyes.
Fusheng nodded, complex emotions darkening his gaze at the bird.
“Sheng’er, how is your selection going?” Weiqing walked over and asked.
Using both hands and feet, Shengsheng pried loose the prettiest pearl within reach. “This one. It’s the roundest.”
Weiqing suddenly leaned close and pointed aside. “When we entered, I noticed another room nearby. It probably contains treasure. Want to look?”
At the word *treasure*, Shengsheng’s eyes lit up. She stuffed the pearl into Weiqing’s hand and raced away with the parrot on her head.
Only after she vanished around the corner did Weiqing turn to Fusheng.
Fusheng’s hand had already touched the bird.
*How filthy,* he thought.
It had lain here for countless years. Who knew how much dirt coated it?
Perhaps hearing the words of Qing Kingdom’s sole legitimate royal heir, the deathly still bird suddenly opened its eyes, beat its wings, and released a piercing cry.
Its scorched body burst into flames amid repeated mournful cries.
As the blaze intensified, the bird that had nearly become ash re-formed within the fire. Covered in dazzling crimson feathers, it shot toward Fusheng’s brow!
…
*Senior, what exactly is this place?*
Xiaosui watched Shengsheng kick open a door and freeze.
Seeing gold, silver, and jewels spilling from the room, Shengsheng pinched her cheek.
“This is the tomb of my dreams,” she murmured.
“When I die, bury me to this standard.”
Hearing noises from the hall, Xiaosui asked, *Senior, aren’t you going to look?*
Shengsheng shook her head. “It’s fine.” She did not know what those two were doing anyway.
*Something feels very wrong, Senior. The villain seems about to encounter danger.*
Letting golden sand run through her fingers, Shengsheng asked in confusion, “Hm? A-Pang didn’t warn me.”
Xiaosui’s eyes were dark, but his voice remained gentle. *I don’t know why I have this feeling. Something is very wrong. It feels…*
Shengsheng hesitated, then abandoned the mountain of treasure and raced toward Fusheng and Weiqing.