Qi is easy to pass on

Chapter 8

"Junior brother, let's go." Zhou Qiang waved to Xie Qifeng, who had just finished pouring tea, and the two went into the room. They began packing their belongings. Xie Qifeng watched as Zhou Qiang put the Soul-Destroying Thorn into his bag, then sighed in frustration. Zhou Qiang, having lived with Xie Qifeng day and night, had long since guessed his thoughts, so he comforted him, "Junior brother, don't worry. Master and I will find you a good weapon." Indeed, so much time had passed, and Xie Qifeng didn't even have a decent weapon. Little did he know, after this incident, he would obtain his own weapon, and it would be the greatest divine weapon of all time. But that's a story for another time.

Old Man Leshui gripped the village head's shoulders tightly, repeatedly urging him that the money must be spent entirely on the children and absolutely not embezzled. He warned that if the village head found out he had embezzled any money, he would immediately send him to live with Old Woman Leshui, making his life miserable both in the mortal and the underworld. This tactic worked, scaring the village head half to death. Afraid he would die of fright if he stayed any longer, he quickly made up an excuse and left with the money. He even reassured Old Man Leshui, patting his chest and saying that he would take care of this important matter.

At this moment, Zhou Qiang and Xie Qifeng each came out carrying a small bag. Xie Qifeng said, "Uncle-Master, don't worry, leave this matter to us. You just need to wait at home." Although Old Man Leshui had instructed the two of them all night, he was still worried about them. One was his good disciple whom he had personally trained, and the other was the entrustment that Granny Leshui had repeatedly asked him to make before she died. If something happened to the two of them, he, a blind old man, would find it difficult to find descendants to carry on his legacy. So Old Man Leshui took out two small paper figures from his bosom and handed them to the two of them. The birth dates and times of Zhou Qiang and Xie Qifeng were written on them respectively. Old Man Leshui said, "Children, take these. If anything unforeseen happens, throw these paper figures away and run away."

The two nodded and were about to leave when Liu Jincai said to the driver, "You stay here. We'll be back in a few days. Mr. Leshui has difficulty moving around, so could you help him cook a meal, empty his chamber pot, and so on?" Everyone laughed. Old Man Leshui smiled and said, "That's fine." The driver nodded without hesitation. Firstly, he was also a soldier, and obeying orders was a soldier's duty. Secondly, if Liu Jincai obtained the He Shi Bi jade and became a ruler, he could at least enjoy a life of wealth and luxury for the rest of his life.

And so, Old Man Leshui and the driver watched the three leave Yinfeng Village. In the car, Zhou Qiang said, "Brother Cai, let's go now, we might be back tomorrow." Xie Qifeng nodded in agreement. Liu Jincai, driving, shook his head and said, "The two of you aren't enough, let's go get another expert tomb raider."

"Who is it?" Xie Qifeng and Zhou Qiang asked in unison.

Liu Jincai smiled and said, "Old Six of the Tomb Raiders." ================================================================================= Chapter Eight: The Legend of the Tomb Raiders - The Spirit of Brother Yi - Collected and organized by

The two men wondered just how skilled this "Sixth Master of the Tomb Raiders" was. The name itself, with its five characters, immediately reminded them of the Japanese, causing them to grimace. Liu Jincai explained with a smile, "His real name is Shi Yumin. He's the sixth in his sect, hence the nickname 'Sixth Master of the Tomb Raiders.' As for the title 'Tomb Raider,' it's a symbolic designation passed down through generations. It's like how you're called 'Qi Yi,' so you can be called 'Successors of Qi Yi.' It's the same principle."

"What does 'tomb raiding' mean? Is it also about catching ghosts?" Xie Qifeng asked while combing his bangs.

Liu Jincai chuckled and deliberately lowered his voice, saying, "They're tomb raiders, their family's methods are all passed down through generations. Before I came to find you, I asked them to help me find the He Shi Bi jade and the Kongming Fan. Shi Laoliu said he'd seen through the illusion that money is just an external thing, so he didn't come with me. But his second and third senior brothers went with me to Liu Shan's tomb, and then..."

Zhou Qiang and Xie Qifeng swallowed hard, their eyes wide as they asked, "Dead?" Liu Jincai, worried that the two might have run home out of fear of death, hurriedly said, "They might not be dead. I only heard two strange cries coming from the cemetery. Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Let me tell you about the Tomb Raiders, which is what I learned from them."

Legend has it that during the Three Kingdoms period, Cao Cao recruited a large number of talented individuals. Among them were tomb raiders, feng shui masters, fortune tellers, and exorcists. Cao Cao, after some deliberation, formed a tomb-raiding army called the "Tomb Raiders." Their method involved feng shui masters surveying the terrain for large tombs, fortune tellers calculating auspicious days for excavation, and finally, tomb raiders and exorcists descending to retrieve the treasures. Their aim was to steal the dead for military use. These foolish individuals believed they had found a way out and gained the court's favor, but unfortunately, they had pledged allegiance to a ruler who would rather betray the world than let the world betray him.

The tomb raiders, known as the "Grave Robbers of the Wei Kingdom," were said to have devoted themselves to the cause until their dying breath. Among them was a leader named Yan Xiao'er, a righteous and quick-witted man. Without his guidance, his men would have been buried long ago in several large tombs. One day, Yan Xiao'er saw a fortune teller sighing and asked him why. The fortune teller pulled Yan Xiao'er aside to a secluded spot and said, "Brother Yan, I saw Cao Cao yesterday, and judging from his appearance, I know he doesn't have long to live."

Yan Xiao'er, being quick-witted, immediately understood and said, "Sir, you mean if Cao Cao dies, we won't survive either?" The fortune teller nodded and continued, "Exactly. Brother Yan, think about it. We're in the business of tomb raiding. If Cao Cao dies, won't he worry about us raiding his tomb? I've told your fortune; you have the strongest fate. As the saying goes, heavenly secrets cannot be revealed. You'd better take care of yourself." With that, he shook his head and walked away.

Back at the military camp that night, Yan Xiao'er tossed and turned, unable to sleep. On the third day, the feng shui master found Yan Xiao'er and pulled him aside to a quiet place, saying, "Brother Yan, yesterday Cao Cao secretly summoned me to choose a location for his tomb. I'm worried." Before he finished speaking, Yan Xiao'er interrupted, "You mean we'll die too?" The feng shui master nodded, saying exactly what the fortune teller had said the day before. He then added, "In feng shui terms, our current camp location is called 'nine deaths and one life,' or colloquially, 'a corpse pit.' I've long suspected that Cao Cao has another master by his side, and placing our camp here is definitely not a coincidence. Brother Yan, if you hadn't saved my life in the tomb last time, I wouldn't have told you this. Take this." He then pulled out a small packet of powder and handed it to Yan Xiao'er. "This is called Stone Soul Powder, also known as 'Stealing the Sky and Changing the Sun.' Take it tonight, and you'll be like a dead person. Tomorrow we'll hold your funeral, choosing a loose plot of land for burial. Three days later, you'll wake up." Having said this, the feng shui master didn't say anything more. He looked around to make sure no one was watching, then quietly slipped away.

The next morning, the feng shui master and fortune teller were the first to discover Yan Xiao'er's body. After a moment of silence, they prepared for burial. Unexpectedly, Cao Cao had a spy hidden in the military camp. This spy informed Cao Cao, who, fearing no one might be alive, went to the camp himself. Upon opening the coffin, he confirmed Yan Xiao'er was indeed dead. Still not satisfied, he ordered his men to burn Yan Xiao'er's body. The feng shui master was stunned, sitting on the ground in disbelief. Suddenly, he burst into a loud wail, thinking that he had truly caused Yan Xiao'er's death. Cao Cao also feigned sorrow, recited an unknown eulogy, and led his large army away.

One night, the feng shui master was drinking alone in the military camp, feeling down, when a fortune teller suddenly walked in, chuckling, and said, "Brother, don't be sad, Yan the boy has already escaped." Upon hearing this, the feng shui master's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets, and he hurriedly asked, "What did you say?" It turned out that on the very night Yan the boy was about to take his medicine, the fortune teller had found him again, asking if he had come up with any solutions. Suddenly, they heard the rustling of weeds outside, realizing there must be spies around, so the two of them, without hesitation, killed the spies.

Yan Xiao'er recounted the story of the feng shui master giving away medicine to the fortune teller. The feng shui master, fearing Cao Cao would suspect the burning of the coffin, decided to play along, using some unorthodox disguise techniques to impersonate the spies. After finishing, the feng shui master said, "Brother Yan, there's no time to lose. You should leave now. I'll leave tomorrow night with the fortune teller. We'll meet at the entrance of Broken Heart Village tomorrow night." So Yan Xiao'er secretly left the military camp. The corpse burned the next day was actually that of the spies.

Upon hearing this, the feng shui master threw his wine jug on the table and laughed. "Brother, you have foresight," he said. The fortune teller then took out some Xuan paper, burned a few sheets, and said, "Alas, escaping today is likely to end badly, but we can still give it a try. A glorious death is better than being assassinated." After saying this, the two packed their belongings and quietly left the military camp, only to find Cao Cao's men already waiting at the camp entrance.

The leading soldier chuckled evilly, dismounted, and approached, asking, "Where are you two gentlemen headed? Are you going to join the Wu Kingdom?" The feng shui master and the fortune teller stammered and couldn't give a clear answer. The soldier's eyes flashed with malice as he said, "Hmph, trying to run away? Soldiers who desert their camp deserve to be executed. Kill them."

The feng shui master hurriedly waved his hand, saying, "Wait! I want to see the monarch!" The soldier snorted and said, "This is the one the monarch sent to kill you." With that, a large number of soldiers surged into the camp. The feng shui master and the fortune teller, who had been riding high, were unexpectedly trampled into a bloody mess by horses' hooves. It was a truly gruesome sight. The next day, not a single person was left alive in the tomb raiding camp. Yan Xiao'er waited at the entrance of Broken Heart Village all night, figuring out what had happened. The man in his thirties, wiping away tears, disappeared down the dimly lit path.

That said, do you all know why the feng shui master ultimately wanted to meet Cao Cao? If that soldier had allowed the feng shui master to meet Cao Cao, using a feng shui flaw in Cao Cao's tomb to restrain him, Cao Cao's tomb wouldn't have been robbed by Yan Xiao'er's disciple. That's a story for the next chapter. =================================================================================== Chapter Nine of "The Successor of Qi Yi" - The Spirit of Yi Ge - Collected and Organized by Chapter Nine of "The Successor of Qi Yi" - The Spirit of Yi Ge - Collected and Organized by

Five years later, Cao Cao died. However, it was rumored that he had seventy-two tombs built to prevent future generations from robbing them. During the five years Yan Xiao'er was on the run, he took on two disciples: Tang Zheng and Ren Wenchu.

Not long after Cao Cao's death, Yan Xiao'er hired a feng shui master in the village and asked him what things were arranged in a seventy-two-fold order. The feng shui master replied, "Stars." Yan Xiao'er nodded. A few days later, Yan Xiao'er went to the city and found a local feng shui master, asking, "Master, which seventy-two stars in the sky belong to the same category?" After paying him, the feng shui master said, "Earth stars, divided into seventy-two."

"Which Earthly Star is the most malevolent?" Yan Xiao'er asked. The feng shui master sensed something amiss and kept Yan Xiao'er at his home. After dinner, the two went to the courtyard to look at the stars. The feng shui master explained the distribution of the Earthly Stars in detail and told Yan Xiao'er that the most malevolent star was the Earthly Fiend Star. The next morning, Yan Xiao'er prepared to leave, but the feng shui master said, "Brother, what's yours is yours, and what's not yours, you can't have even if you want it. If you can't get it, you'll pay not only with your time, but also with your life." Yan Xiao'er trembled and left without looking back.

Back home, Yan Xiao'er summoned his two apprentices. He opened the map of the Central Plains he had drawn and began searching for Cao Cao's tomb, following the location of the Earthly Fiend Star pointed out by the feng shui master the previous night. Suddenly, his eyes lit up, and he exclaimed, "Found it! Handan, Hebei!" So the three of them rushed to Handan, Hebei that very night.

They circled Cao Cao's tomb and observed that it was backed by three large mountains on the left, with trees extending from the mountains to the front of the tomb. Behind the tomb flowed a small river. Yan Xiao'er was greatly alarmed. Mountains belong to Yang, water to Yin; this tomb stood between Yin and Yang, seemingly simple yet with profound meaning. It seemed there must be something neither Yang nor Yin within the tomb. Looking further at the feng shui arrangement, the three mountains—the mountain peaks, the mountain bodies, and the foothills—with trees extending from the mountain bodies to the tomb, resembled a person dragging the tomb.

Yan Xiao'er gasped and asked, "Disciples, do you know what this feng shui arrangement is called?" The two nodded in unison, saying, "The Heavenly King Holding a Pagoda." Yan Xiao'er nodded in satisfaction and explained, "Once the Heavenly King's pagoda is inside, he won't be able to get out. Quickly go and cut off the Heavenly King's hand." With that, Tang Zheng and Ren Wenchu grabbed axes and went to chop down the tree. The feng shui master had intended to use this method to restrain Cao Cao, but unexpectedly, Cao Cao killed him instead.

Yan Xiao'er slowly walked to Cao Cao's tomb and squatted down. He said fiercely to the tombstone, "Cao Cao, we meet again. If I don't dismember you, I will be letting down my dead brothers." After saying that, he spat on his hand, rubbed it, grabbed a shovel, and started digging from behind the tomb.

By nightfall, Tang Zheng and Ren Wenchu had almost finished cutting down the "Heavenly King's Hand" and sat on the ground, panting heavily. They watched their master, still happily digging a burial site. After resting for a while, the two ran over to help Yan Xiao'er dig a burial site. The next morning, just as dawn broke, the three of them crawled out, covered in dirt.

Yan Xiao'er said, "We've finally dug through. Everyone, take a half-day break to dissipate the corpse's lingering yin energy. We'll go down into the tomb again when the yang energy is stronger at noon." After saying that, Yan Xiao'er opened his package and handed some dry rations to his apprentices.

Under the bright midday sun, Tang Zheng and Ren Wenchu were eager to try their luck. In the five years they had followed their master, they had only dug up small graves. Today, they were incredibly excited to have stumbled upon Cao Cao's tomb. Yan Xiao'er stood up, signaling that they could go down. The three of them, each holding a candle, cautiously descended. Once down, they saw only a stone coffin and two stone statues. Yan Xiao'er, ever alert, looked around, fearing a creature might be lurking in some corner. After confirming everything was alright, the three approached the coffin. Before his master could give the order, Ren Wenchu was about to open the coffin when Yan Xiao'er suddenly shouted, "Watch out!" Before the words were even finished, Tang Zheng had already pulled Ren Wenchu back. A huge spider crawled out of the coffin's mouth. The spider was entirely green, its small eyes staring intently at the three of them, occasionally grinding its teeth to clean its mouth.

As the three were stunned by the unfamiliar spider, it suddenly spun long silk and wrapped it around Tang Zheng's feet. With a thud, Tang Zheng fell to the ground. Although he braced himself with his hands on the ground, he was no match for the strength of the green spider. Drooling was already dripping from the spider's mouth, and its two front legs were constantly rubbing together, as if it were washing its utensils.

Seeing his senior brother in trouble, Ren Wenchu grabbed an axe and chopped at the spider silk, but surprisingly, he couldn't cut it. The large green spider hissed, seemingly mocking them. The master, experienced as he was, quickly circled behind the spider. He raised his shovel and chopped down on the spider's belly. A strange cry rang out, the large green spider kicked its legs twice, and died. Yan Xiao'er's face was splattered with green liquid, which was quite disgusting.

"Disciple, are you alright?" Yan Xiao'er and Ren Wenchu asked as they helped Tang Zheng untangle the spider silk. The three stood up, and Yan Xiao'er tapped the stone coffin with an iron shovel to confirm there was no living creature inside before instructing his disciple to push open the coffin lid. The three peered inside and saw Cao Cao, his body covered in rotting flesh. Why were they so sure of Cao Cao's identity? Because he was still clutching the He Shi Bi jade wrapped in yellow cloth, and beneath him were many small gold, silver, and jade artifacts. Tang Zheng and Ren Wenchu were overjoyed and packed the gold, silver, and jade artifacts into a bundle they had prepared beforehand.

Yan Xiao'er remained unmoved by the gold and silver treasures. He laughed loudly, shouting, "Cao Cao, Cao Cao, in the end you still fell into my hands. Today I'll chop you up!" With that, Yan Xiao'er dragged the rotting flesh of Cao Cao from the coffin, snatched the axe from his apprentice, and began hacking at him like a madman. As he hacked, Yan Xiao'er collapsed.

As the two men were collecting their treasure, they suddenly saw their master collapse to the ground. The treasure was thrown aside, and they rushed over. They helped Yan Xiao'er up and saw that her face had turned green. It turned out that the large green spider's abdomen had venom that had splashed onto her face. The two men held Yan Xiao'er and wept bitterly for a long time before slowly standing up. They thought that if they took their master's body back to their hometown, it would surely decompose before reaching their home. Fortunately, they had a ready-made coffin, so they placed Yan Xiao'er's body inside, closed the lid, and kowtowed deeply several times.

The two men gathered their treasures and the He Shi Bi jade, preparing to fulfill their master's dying wish: to tear Cao Cao to pieces. They picked up axes and began hacking away frantically, when suddenly several small green spiders crawled out of Cao Cao's sunken eye sockets and mouth. The two men, thinking they might be descendants of the large green spider they had just encountered, dropped their axes, crawled out, and filled the grave with soil. Cao Cao, a man of such illustrious reputation, ended up without even a coffin. And what was the end result? He was still betrayed by the world.

Upon returning to their hometown, Tang Zheng said, "Our master is dead. Why don't we divide the treasure and go our separate ways?" Ren Wenchu, being rather simple-minded—he was originally a beggar whom everyone shunned, and would have starved to death long ago if it weren't for Yan Xiao'er's kindness in taking him in—said, "You go, I'll stay." Tang Zheng was determined. After dividing the treasure, Tang Zheng specifically kept the He Shi Bi jade for himself. Although neither of them knew what the jade was for, the clever Tang Zheng guessed that a treasure that Cao Cao would carry to his grave must be no ordinary object.

So Tang Zheng took the treasure and left, never to return. It is said he went to the Mongolian region, and several centuries after his death, the He Shi Bi jade fell into the hands of a man named Kublai Khan—but that's another story. Ren Wenchu, on the other hand, stayed in his hometown, took on several apprentices, and continued his work as a tomb raider.

Liu Jincai's voice was almost hoarse from talking. He said, "You two know what tomb raiding is now, right?" He turned around and saw the two of them fast asleep in their seats. Liu Jincai snorted and said, "How rude." He drove off, sulking. =================================================================================== Chapter 10 of "The Successor of Qi Yi" - The Spirit of Brother Yi - Collected and organized by

With a sudden slam on the brakes, Zhou Qiang and Xie Qifeng's heads hit the front seat, waking them up. Zhou Qiang yelled, "Why did you stop so suddenly?" He then rubbed his head. Xie Qifeng was also awakened by the pain, his eyes still half-open as he looked around and asked, "Where are we?"

"We've arrived at Shi Laoliu's house in Tianjin. Let's go. Get out of the car." With that, Liu Jincai took out his car keys and got out. Zhou Qiang and his fellow apprentices got out and looked around the house. It was just an ordinary house, nothing special. Liu Jincai led the way to the door, and seeing it wasn't locked, the three of them went inside.

Inside the room sat a middle-aged man with his eyes closed, resting. He had a large head, a thick neck, and was slightly overweight. He gave off an honest and simple impression.

Although Shi Laoliu lived in Tianjin, he still spoke with a Northeastern accent. "Who goes there?" the middle-aged man asked, slowly opening his eyes. At this moment, Liu Jincai's face showed a hint of hurt, and he whispered, "Sixth Brother, I'm sorry. It seems your two senior brothers died in their graves." His voice grew softer and softer until it was almost inaudible. Liu Jincai expected Shi Laoliu to be furious, but to his surprise, Shi Laoliu laughed and said, "Heavens above, earth below, their deaths have truly satisfied my anger."

Liu Jincai was stunned. He thought to himself, "You've lost your senior brother, why are you so happy?" Zhou Qiang said to Xie Qifeng beside him, "Would you be happy if I died?"

Xie Qifeng looked at Zhou Qiang strangely and said, "Isn't this nonsense? How could I be happy if you died?" He then mocked Zhou Qiang's ignorance.

"Then what are you laughing at? Are you hoping I die?" Upon hearing this, Xie Qifeng quickly covered his mouth to prevent Zhou Qiang from causing trouble. Shi Laoliu also noticed the two people behind Liu Jincai and pointed at them, asking Liu Jincai, "Who are they?" Liu Jincai had been thinking about how to comfort Shi Laoliu when he arrived, and for a moment he had overlooked Zhou Qiang and Xie Qifeng. So he introduced them, "These two are disciples of Master Le Shui, a master of Qi Yi from Hebei. They are skilled in observing the wind and water, reading people's faces, catching ghosts and exorcising demons, and are proficient in everything." Turning to Zhou Qiang and Xie Qifeng, he said, "This is the current veritable tomb raider, skilled in locating acupoints and digging graves. To this day, no one can rival him..." Before Liu Jincai could finish introducing them, Shi Laoliu interrupted, "Alright, alright, that's all in the past. I don't do that anymore. I'm a chef now, at least I can make a living."

Liu Jincai quickly gave Zhou Qiang and the other man a meaningful look, signaling them to persuade Shi Laoliu, otherwise he himself would be in grave danger. Zhou Qiang, being rather dim-witted, didn't understand Liu Jincai's meaning. He stepped forward and said, "Are you scared? Are you scared of dying? A grown man like you is afraid of dying?" As he spoke, he slapped Shi Laoliu on the shoulder, almost making Shi Laoliu fall over.

"Scared? What a joke. Back when the eight of us brothers trekked through mountains and rivers to rob Genghis Khan's tomb, you were still breastfeeding. If it weren't for me, the second and third brothers would have died in there too. Scared?" He said, staring at Zhou Qiang with a strange smile. Zhou Qiang got goosebumps and quickly said, "You are scared, I think you're just bragging."

Shi Laoliu closed his eyes, shook his head, and said, "At best, I'll clear myself; at worst, you can keep trying to fool me, but I won't fall for it. Do you think I'm brainless?" Zhou Qiang, seeing that his provocation had failed, came back and added, "You're not a chef, I think you're a military strategist, humph." Liu Jincai also shook his head, wondering what to do.

Just then, Xie Qifeng walked over with a smile and asked, "You say you're a descendant of tomb raiders, show us some proof, otherwise you're a fraud." Shi Laoliu opened his eyes and said, "Oh ho, you're doubting my abilities? Today I'll show you my ancestral treasure." He then went inside, retrieved a shovel, and strode over menacingly. "Look, this is the legendary Luoyang shovel, left to me by my master." He showed it to the three men, and Zhou Qiang reached out to touch it. Shi Laoliu quickly withdrew his hand and shouted, "Don't touch it! This was left to me by my master, be careful it bites you!"

Looking at the Luoyang shovel in his hand, Shi Laoliu recalled ten years ago. It was a dark and windy night. Shi Laoliu's master instructed his eight apprentices to go into their rooms one by one, while the others waited outside. The eldest apprentice went in, and after a while, he came out happily, wearing his master's unwashed corpse-avoiding shroud. He boasted to his junior apprentices, "Did you see that? Master passed on his most important treasure to me." He then gestured for the second apprentice to go in. A moment later, the second apprentice came out of the room, playing with a tomb-raiding talisman in his hand, also extremely excited.

Shi Lao Liu thought his master would call each of them in one by one, but when Lao Wu came out, his master let Lao Qi go in first. When Lao Ba came out, Shi Lao Liu was very jealous seeing his fellow disciples holding the treasures they had dreamed of. Seeing that his master hadn't called him for a long time, he turned to leave. Just then, a voice called from inside, "Lao Liu, come in." Hearing this, Shi Lao Liu obediently opened the door. He saw his master sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed), and Shi Lao Liu went over and stood aside, waiting for his master to give him a treasure. He wondered what good things his master had in store for him, but when Shi Lao Liu saw his master take out a Luoyang shovel from a box on the kang, he immediately deflated.

The master sensed that Shi Laoliu was unhappy, so he explained, "Laoliu, do you know why I called you in last?" Shi Laoliu lowered his head and shook it. The master sighed and said, "Laoliu, don't think that I'm favoring your fellow disciples. Actually, I value you the most." Hearing this, Shi Laoliu raised his head and looked at his master with confusion. "Laoliu, you are honest and kind, never competing with others for fame or gain. Moreover, you are thoughtful in everything you do, and you practice martial arts diligently. I have seen all of these."

After speaking, he carefully handed the Luoyang shovel to Shi Laoliu, saying, "This is called the Luoyang shovel. Don't be fooled by its rusty appearance; it has been passed down from our ancestor to the present day. It bears the blood and sweat of us tomb raiders. This is our true family heirloom. You must keep it safe and never let outsiders take it away." His master coughed twice, and Shi Laoliu quickly patted his back gently. "This Luoyang shovel may look inconspicuous, but it is more practical than anything else, just like your character. You often blend in with your fellow apprentices, but when trouble arises, you are always the first to appear. This heirloom is most suitable for you. Don't be envious of your fellow apprentices' possessions. What is yours is yours, and what is not yours, you shouldn't force. Also, you must pass on the title and skills of the Tomb Raider Captain. Never let it be ruined in your hands. You are your master's only hope. Laoliu, do you remember what I said?" Shi Laoliu nodded. He finally understood his master's meaning; he was the true successor to the Tomb Raiders.

The three men watched as Shi Laoliu pondered something, his eyes reddening. Xie Qifeng nudged Shi Laoliu, who then snapped out of his reverie, hurriedly wiping his eyes and protesting, "Where did this sand come from? It got in my eyes." Liu Jincai, seeing that it was getting late, quickly said, "Sixth Brother, please help me."

Shi Laoliu didn't mean to refuse Liu Jincai, but he hadn't taken on any apprentices yet, and what if he died in the tomb? He'd be left without descendants, how could he face his deceased master? So he said, "No, I won't help you." Xie Qifeng walked over, and taking advantage of Shi Laoliu's momentary lapse in attention, snatched the Luoyang shovel, saying, "What kind of junk is this? It's obviously fake. Calling yourself a tomb raider? You're such a show-off."

Upon hearing this, Shi Laoliu grabbed Xie Qifeng by the neck and lifted him up, ordering, "Give it back to me." Xie Qifeng's face turned bright red, and he threw down the Luoyang shovel. Shi Laoliu released his grip, and Xie Qifeng sat down heavily on the ground, panting.

The three had no other choice but to turn and leave. As they left, Zhou Qiang muttered to himself, "Alas, the poor tomb raider, he's probably going to die in his hands. If only he could pass on his skills to me, I'd definitely make good use of them." Unexpectedly, this was overheard by the sharp-eared Shi Laoliu, who chased after Zhou Qiang, grabbed him, and excitedly asked, "You want to learn tomb raiding from me?"

Zhou Qiang was lifted up by Shi Laoliu like a dead dog. Feeling extremely humiliated, he said, "Put me down first. If you are willing to come with us to rob tombs, I will promise to find you an apprentice."

"Really?" Old Shi's face lit up with joy, and he put Zhou Qiang down. Zhou Qiang straightened his clothes and said, "Of course, I keep my word. From now on, whether I succeed or not, I will definitely introduce you to a good apprentice."

Shi Laoliu finally smiled and said, "It's a deal." He then went into the inner room, lit three incense sticks, knelt before a memorial tablet on the table, and said, "Master, your disciple is unfilial, having yet to receive a disciple. But for the sake of continuing our tomb-raiding lineage, your disciple is willing to take the risk." Shi Laoliu kowtowed three times and placed the incense sticks in the incense burner. Taking his only treasure—the Luoyang shovel passed down for hundreds of generations—he got into the car. ======================================================================================= Chapter Eleven: Qin Shuang's Arrival - Yi Ge's Spirit - Collected and Organized by

Liu Jincai finally arrived in Leling, Shandong that night. Seeing that it was getting late, the group found a hotel to rest and planned to explore the tomb the next day.

The next morning, the group arrived early at Liu Shan's tomb. Zhou Qiang surveyed the area around the tomb, confirming that no formations were set up. Liu Jincai then led Shi Laoliu and Xie Qifeng to a cave, saying, "Look, my two senior brothers went in from here." Shi Laoliu squatted down, picked up a handful of soil, smelled it, and looked at the sun, saying, "The aura of death here is so strong; the sun can't even reach this area. If this continues, we'll be at a great disadvantage." He then called Zhou Qiang over and asked, "Which day this month has the strongest yang energy?" Zhou Qiang calculated with his fingers and said, "The ninth. Today is the sixth, so there are still three days left."

Shi Laoliu stood up and explained to Liu Jincai, "Let's wait until the ninth day before entering the tomb. If we continue like this, the odds are against us. Now that we're here, we won't back down." Liu Jincai nodded, indicating that it was no problem, and said, "Everyone, get in the car. I'll treat you to lunch later." Only Xie Qifeng remained squatting in front of the cave, staring inside, seemingly hearing the mournful cries of animals.

"Let's go, junior brother!" Xie Qifeng reluctantly left the cave entrance and got into the car.

Meanwhile, the primary school in Yinfeng Village was already built. Since most people in the village and neighboring villages rely on farming for a living, only working for two or three months a year, they rushed to help build as soon as they heard about the school being built for their children. With so many people, three classrooms were completed in just two days. Old Man Leshui even visited the dusty site during construction, listening with great enthusiasm to the sounds of bricklaying and mortar hauling. The next afternoon, the village head bought some tables, chairs, and textbooks in the city, rented a large truck, and arrived after a long and arduous journey.

The classroom was ready, the desks and chairs were ready, and the textbooks were ready. Finding a teacher, however, became a problem. Few people in the village were literate. Out of desperation, the village head went to the city's job market to recruit two teachers. Quite a few people inquired, but as soon as they heard it was for teaching poor children in a poor village, they rolled their eyes and left. They waited all day, but still couldn't find a teacher. This can't be blamed on the village head; it's the lack of public spirit in today's public classrooms.

That morning, the village chief was at Le Shui's house, complaining to the old man, when suddenly a little girl walked into the house and asked, "Excuse me, is this Mr. Le Shui's house?" The old man took a deep breath, thinking that he felt he had smelled the girl's scent somewhere before, but he couldn't remember where. So he asked, "I am Le Shui. May I ask what brings you here, young lady?"

The little girl's eyes lit up. She thought to herself, "So that's why my master fell in love with this old man. He doesn't seem like anything special. I really don't know what my master was thinking." She shook her head and sighed. She tossed her luggage into the corner and said, "Hello, Mr. Le Shui, my name is Qin Shuang, and I'm from Yunnan." Old Man Le Shui nearly fell off his chair upon hearing this. He thought this must be someone from Miao Gu, and hurriedly asked, "How is your master?"

Qin Shuang smiled and replied, "Master is in very good health and often mentions you." Old Man Le Shui's face lit up with a smile, but suddenly a gust of cold wind blew into the room, brushing against his face. His smile froze instantly, and he muttered, "Junior Sister, don't be so petty! He was just sending a greeting." Qin Shuang watched Old Man Le Shui muttering to himself, thinking that most people who study ghost-catching are quite mystical, and this experience proved them right. The village head also heard Old Man Le Shui's words and hurriedly jumped up from his stool, saying to Old Man Le Shui, "Sir, are you saying that Granny Le has returned?"

Old Man Le Shui chuckled, "Hehe, Granny Le Xi has never left. She's always been at home." This terrified the village head. "It's alright, it's alright, Junior Sister wouldn't harm anyone." At this moment, the driver, Xiao Wang, came out of the house, stretched, and said, "Good morning, everyone." Suddenly, he saw the beautiful Qin Shuang and couldn't take his eyes off her. At that moment, all thoughts of wealth, virginity, fame, and fortune vanished. He would die for the sake of marrying this beautiful girl before him. As he thought this, Xiao Wang's saliva reflexively dripped out.

Qin Shuang stared at the disgusting man before her. His hair was disheveled, his beard unkempt, his face sallow, and his eyes were like tiny beans. She felt an urge to slap him. Clenching her fists, she took a deep breath to calm herself before asking the old man, "Mr. Le Shui, is this your apprentice?" The old man, knowing the young woman was there for a blind date with his apprentice, replied, "No, no, how could my apprentice be so ugly? He's away on a long trip. I'll tell you more about him later." Qin Shuang finally breathed a sigh of relief.

The village head was completely baffled; he hadn't understood a word they were saying, except for the part where Le Shui called out to his junior sister. So he said to the old man Le Shui, "Mr. Le Shui, it's getting late. I'll go to the city to hire another teacher for the children. If no one is willing to come, please don't blame me. I'll give you all the remaining money. Make sure you count it carefully, not a penny less. Don't let me suffer in life or death."

Upon hearing this, Qin Shuang asked the village head for the reason, and the village head told Qin Shuang everything. After listening, Qin Shuang smiled and said, "No need to trouble yourself, uncle. I am the teacher. Take me to see the school." After saying that, Qin Shuang put down his luggage, gave a few instructions to the old man Le Shui, and went out with the village head. Xiao Wang followed behind as if he had lost his soul, when suddenly the old man Le Shui called out, "Xiao Wang, where are you going? Come back quickly and bring me a washbasin." Only then did Xiao Wang come back to his senses.

That evening, Qin Shuang returned home. Old Man Le Shui told her about Zhou Qiang's whereabouts and arranged for her to stay in Le Xi Po's room. After the lights were turned off, Qin Shuang couldn't sleep alone in bed. From Old Man Le Shui's description, she learned that Zhou Qiang was a decent person and wondered what he must look like. Thinking about it, she smiled. Qin Shuang turned over and saw Le Xi Po's portrait, remarking, "This must be Le Xi Po, the one who competed with Master for Mr. Le Shui's affections. She looks rather ordinary." Before she finished speaking, Le Xi Po in the portrait smiled. Qin Shuang saw it clearly, screamed, and pulled the covers over her head. The white snake in the Gu Bell heard Qin Shuang's scream, quickly crawled into her bed, poked its head out, flicked its tongue, and surveyed its surroundings.

Hearing cries from another room, Xiao Wang suddenly sat up in bed and exclaimed, "Oh no! Miss Qin is in danger!" He then prepared to get dressed and rush out. Old Man Le Shui scolded, "What's it to you! Le Xi must be joking with Qin Shuang." Xiao Wang muttered, "Old Woman Le Xi?" Suddenly, he remembered the large coffin he had seen at Old Man Le Shui's funeral the first time, and he gasped, burrowing back into bed, trembling.

Three days passed quickly, and Qin Shuang gradually adapted to life there. She didn't find it boring because she had children with her every day, and the children liked their beautiful new teacher and studied diligently. Meanwhile, Zhou Qiang and his group of four had almost finished preparing their tools.

At 8 PM on the ninth day of the lunar month, when it was already pitch black, a car drove towards Liu Shan's tomb from a distance. The four men got out of the car and cautiously looked around. After confirming that no one was around, Zhou Qiang and the others went to the tombstone. Zhou Qiang took out a bundle of incense and distributed it to everyone, saying, "Let's all pray to the gods and hope to receive the blessings of the immortals." He then lit an incense stick, muttering something, and circled Liu Shan's tomb, which was about the size of a basketball court. Xie Qifeng also lit an incense stick, bowed towards his home in Leshui, Hebei, and muttered, "Grandma, please bless me."

Shi Laoliu also took out three incense sticks, bowed towards the entrance of the tomb, and placed the incense sticks in the grave soil. Only Liu Jincai obediently knelt before the tombstone. He lit all the incense sticks and said to the tombstone, "Ancestors, please don't blame your descendants for being rude; we are truly at our wits' end." He kowtowed three times and stood up. ==================================================================================== Chapter Twelve of the Qi Yi Successor: The Dragon and Snake Guardian Bureau - Yi Ge's Spirit - Collected and organized by Chapter Twelve: The Dragon and Snake Guardian Bureau

Old Shi called out to the others, "Come and take a look." The other three approached the tomb entrance, and Old Shi pointed to it, saying, "Look, this is called a cicada's burrow. As the name suggests, a cicada's burrow is the same as the burrow where cicada larvae live. From the outside, it looks like a tiny eye, but the soil covering it is only a thin layer. If you dig lightly, you'll find it's unfathomably deep inside. My second and third senior brothers are best at digging cicada's burrows. The purpose of digging these kinds of burrows is to deceive people; otherwise, we'd be caught before we even stole the gold and silver."

The three nodded after listening. Zhou Qiang nudged Xie Qifeng beside him with his elbow and whispered, "Junior brother, is the Earthly Yi Technique you learned also related to digging up graves and robbing tombs?" Xie Qifeng shook his head and explained, "No, the Earthly Yi Technique is mainly about the feng shui arrangement of burial sites and tombs. It doesn't cover identifying or digging up burial sites. It seems our ancestor didn't approve of us digging up graves and robbing tombs."

Shi Laoliu stuck his head into the hole to observe for a moment, then pulled it back out and said to everyone, "Let's go down. It looks like there shouldn't be any major problems inside." With that, Shi Laoliu led the way and crawled in, Zhou Qiang following closely behind. For safety's sake, Liu Jincai was placed in the middle. The group turned on their flashlights and shone them around. The dug hole was a downward-sloping earthen mound, about ten meters long.

The dead man, supported by the wall, entered the tomb chamber, which suddenly opened up into a spacious area. Old Shi shone his flashlight around. It turned out that the tomb chamber was supported by four stone pillars. Each pillar was about five meters high, and near the bottom center of each pillar was a lamp holder, used for lighting oil lamps. Old Shi took four candles from his bag, lit them, and placed them on the lamp holders of the four pillars.

By the dim light of four candles, the group could make out the tomb chamber they were in. The first thing they saw was two skeletons lying beside the coffin, one of which still had a tomb-raiding talisman hanging from its neck. Shi Laoliu knelt down, took the talisman from the skeleton's neck, and put it in his pocket, muttering, "Brother, don't worry, I'm taking this talisman." Liu Jincai also looked around, then suddenly cried out in panic, "Look, what's that?"

Following Liu Jincai's pointing finger, the group saw two bronze jars in the corner of the tomb. Liu Jincai was about to walk over when Shi Laoliu pulled him back. Liu Jincai looked at Shi Laoliu, puzzled. Shi Laoliu explained softly, "Jincai, these are sacrificial offerings from your ancestors. Don't try to handle them carelessly. You might accidentally trigger a trap or something, and we'll all be dead. Let's open the stone coffin and take out the He Shi Bi jade first." Liu Jincai looked at the bronze artifacts again, reluctant to leave.

The group began to examine the stone coffin. Beside it stood a stone dragon sculpture, the dragon seemingly soaring into the air, its tail connected only to the stone base, lifelike in its form. Xie Qifeng stared intently at the dragon sculpture, feeling as if there were records of stone dragon sculptures in art, but he couldn't recall them for a moment.

"Alright, alright. Stop looking, hurry up and open the stone coffin to get the He Shi Bi jade. Let's go up quickly. Staying underground for too long isn't good for your health." True to his reputation as a genuine descendant of tomb raiders, he always maintained a clear head and cautious attitude in crucial moments. Shi Laoliu pulled the Soul-Destroying Thorn from Zhou Qiang's waist and rubbed it in the gap between the coffin body and lid, saying, "This stone coffin is different from a wooden coffin. With a wooden coffin, you only need to pull out nine coffin nails to open it. But when a stone coffin is buried, a layer of glue-like liquid is usually applied to the gap between the body and lid—what we call 'sealing water'." After rubbing around the coffin once, Shi Laoliu explained, "It seems this stone coffin hasn't been coated with sealing water. Come on, everyone, let's push the coffin lid out together."

After saying this, the dead men pushed the coffin lid with all their might, and the lid slowly shifted. But no one noticed that a living creature crawled out of the bronze jar behind them and slowly approached them. It took a lot of effort for the men to finally push the coffin lid down. Shi Laoliu shone his flashlight into the coffin, and the four men couldn't help but gasp. There was nothing inside except a few snakeskins.

Just then, Liu Jincai let out a scream and collapsed to the ground. The others looked in the direction of the sound and saw that a large white snake had bitten Liu Jincai's knee. The pain made Liu Jincai's face turn pale, and large beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Snakes have been considered guardians of wealth since ancient times, and they are commonly found in or near graves. Snakes are shade-loving animals, usually staying in damp, dark places. Encountering a snake this time was within Shi Laoliu's expectations, but this large, white snake before him, with even white eyes and no pupils, truly surprised him. No wonder his two senior brothers had died here; it was this snake causing the trouble.

Shi Laoliu didn't dare to think too much; saving lives was the priority. After thinking for a moment, he grabbed Liu Jincai's body and pulled him backward forcefully. Zhou Qiang and Xie Qifeng weren't idle either. Zhou Qiang sat on the white snake and hit its head, while Xie Qifeng ran behind and grabbed the snake's tail, pulling it backward with all his might.

Perhaps the white snake was hurt by Zhou Qiang's beating, or perhaps it couldn't hold on any longer from being pulled by the people on both sides, it finally opened its blood-red maw. Xie Qifeng, agile as ever, quickly jumped back from behind. The group, having freed Liu Jin from their grasp, took a few steps back. Strangely, the white snake didn't follow, but merely circled around the coffin.

Zhou Qiang and the others then took a closer look at the large white snake. Although it was coiled up, it was still clear that it was at least five meters long. The snake was entirely white, staring at Zhou Qiang and the others with its pupil-less eyes, occasionally flicking its tongue. Zhou Qiang said to Xie Qifeng, "Junior brother, can you understand what it's saying?" Xie Qifeng, his eyes fixed on the white snake, nodded and said, "I understand, it's telling us to get lost."

At this moment, Liu Jincai rolled up his trouser leg, took off his knee pads, threw them on the ground, and cursed, "Damn it, luckily I got rheumatism in my legs after decades in the army, otherwise that bite would have definitely crushed my bones."

Xie Qifeng glanced at the white snake, then at the stone dragon statue, swallowed hard, and said, "This is a Dragon-Snake Separation Guardian Formation!" Xie Qifeng finally remembered this formation recorded in the Qi Yi Jing (Book of Changes). In ancient times, people who amassed large amounts of gold and silver treasures during their lifetime, not wanting their wealth to fall into their hands after death, would tamper with their tombs. When a family with some influence died, their relatives would bury several infants alive in the grave. Although the resentment of infants was not as great as that of aborted babies, it was still considerable. Over time, the yin energy of the corpse combined with the resentment of ghosts would cause the evil spirits to kill any tomb raiders to vent their anger. Tomb raiders who possessed magic or carried amulets might be fortunate enough to escape this fate. Just as a tomb raider carrying a "tomb raiding talisman" could reduce the harm from vengeful ghosts. As everyone knows, the tip of the "tomb raiding talisman" is made from the claws of a pangolin. Not only can pangolins dig burrows, but they also prefer mountains. Mountains have always been believed to possess positive yang energy. Pangolins, which live near mountains, also carry this positive yang energy, including their claws, which naturally have the effect of warding off evil. Conversely, tomb raiding talismans are ineffective against living creatures such as snakes, spiders, and venomous insects. The corpse of the second tomb raider is a perfect example of this.

Even families without power would devise traps in their tombs, making the "Dragon and Snake Separation Guardian Formation" the preferred living arrangement. ======================================================================================== Chapter Thirteen: A Hidden Paradise - Yi Ge's Spirit - Collected and Organized by

The materials for the Dragon-Snake Separation Guardian Formation are two adult snakes. These two snakes must live together day and night; in the trade, they are called "couple snakes." First, one of the male snakes is placed in a coffin to be buried with the deceased, and then the other female snake is placed in the tomb chamber. After that, the ground is buried, paper money is burned, and people kowtow.

The male snake inside is trapped and cannot get out, while the female snake outside cannot enter; they can only guard the coffin. If tomb raiders attack, they will have to open the coffin to search for burial goods. At this time, the female snake outside will mistakenly believe that the tomb raiders are harming the male snake and will attack him, thus protecting the deceased.