Preguntando sobre canciones de amor

Capítulo 10

The ancient corpse in the first coffin belonged to the art of black magic; the evil spirit in the second coffin belonged to the art of Maoshan magic; the poisonous insects in the third coffin belonged to the art of Gu poison; the fourth coffin contained a mixture of poisons; and the fifth coffin contained the masterpiece of the corpse-driving master—a zombie. This series of magical arts could all kill a person, yet Old Man Le Shui had explained the spells of each school to Zhou Qiang.

At this moment, Zhou Qiang was truly terrified. He stared at the remaining unopened coffins, wondering if they would be opened to find three incense sticks inside. If that were the case, a clash of Qi-changing techniques would surely kill Zhou Qiang and his companions. Finally, his mind cleared, and he said to Xie Qifeng, "Junior brother, how do you break the Eighteen Arhats Formation?" Xie Qifeng, panting, replied, "The scriptures say to use the Ghost Eye to see through it. I don't know the specifics. Should you ask the Ancestral Master?" Even at this point, Xie Qifeng still had the mood for jokes.

"Ghost eyes?" Zhou Qiang muttered to himself. "Could it be that we're going to use ghosts to find real coffins for everyone?" But where are ghosts? Then, Zhou Qiang took out the ghost-raising bottle. He opened the red cloth sealing the bottle's mouth, but the evil ghost Cheng Long didn't emerge, which greatly surprised Zhou Qiang. Xie Qifeng also found it strange and asked, "Why didn't Cheng Long come out?"

Zhou Qiang looked at the coffins and said helplessly, "It seems that one of these coffins contains something to exorcise ghosts, which is why Jackie Chan is afraid to come out. The person who built this tomb really went to great lengths." Zhou Qiang lowered his head and thought for a while, "We need to find the coffin that can exorcise ghosts so that we can release Jackie Chan and find the real coffin of the tomb's owner."

It sounds simple, but it's much more complicated in practice. First, you still have to risk opening the coffin piece by piece, which not only increases the difficulty of tomb raiding but also raises the chances of death. Xie Qifeng is trying to find a foolproof plan.

Zhou Qiang said to Shi Laoliu, "Sixth Brother, do you have any ideas?" Shi Laoliu shook his head and said, "I can handle a zombie coming out of a coffin, but I'm truly powerless against supernatural beings." Xie Qifeng suddenly thought of something and muttered to himself, "It seems only I can try." After saying that, he took out three incense sticks from his backpack, lit them, and stuck them into the cracks in the ground. He closed his eyes slightly and muttered something under his breath.

Zhou Qiang watched closely from the side. He knew his junior brother was using the Yin Gathering Technique. Compared to Le Xi Po's bare-handed use of the Yin Gathering Technique, Xie Qifeng was still lacking in skill, so he needed to use three incense sticks to first draw in Yin energy before gathering it. The usual method for gathering Yin energy involves opening one's mouth to inhale Yin energy or absorbing it throughout the body. However, Xie Qifeng's method this time was quite different from usual. He bit his finger, then touched the wound to the middle incense stick. Zhou Qiang and the others watching felt a chill run down their spines.

In the blink of an eye, Xie Qifeng's arm had turned deathly pale, completely devoid of color. His expression showed extreme pain. Zhou Qiang rushed over, asking with concern, "Junior Brother, what's wrong?" He had never seen Xie Qifeng like this before when he used the Yin Gathering Technique; the sight of Xie Qifeng's hand looking like a corpse truly startled Zhou Qiang. Xie Qifeng forced a smile and said, "I'm fine. I just gathered Yin energy in this hand. My hand couldn't withstand such a large amount of Yin energy at once, so it's a little uncomfortable." After saying this, Xie Qifeng waved and smiled at the others, indicating that he was alright. The hand he waved was the normal hand, because the hand used for Yin Gathering was no longer movable.

"Senior brother, you stand aside. I'll try the coffin. I guarantee I'll find the one that can exorcise ghosts," Xie Qifeng said to Zhou Qiang, forcing himself to stay upright. Xie Qifeng's claim of finding the coffin was actually unfounded. Everything except metal belongs to Yin and Yang. In this extremely Yin-heavy environment, Xie Qifeng's arm had absorbed a tremendous amount of Yin energy. Now, his arm was practically indistinguishable from a ghost's arm. Ghosts belong to Yin, and exorcising ghosts requires something of Yang to counteract them. If Xie Qifeng's arm touched the coffin that could exorcise ghosts, it would definitely react. Both Xie Qifeng and Zhou Qiang understood this principle, so Xie Qifeng walked towards the coffin, while Zhou Qiang tactfully took two steps back.

Xie Qifeng walked to the row of coffins on the left and touched the coffin lid with his cold, colorless hand. A surge of yin energy was immediately drawn into the crack of the coffin from Xie Qifeng's hand. Xie Qifeng quickly withdrew his arm; he knew it wasn't an exorcism tool inside, but a ghost. If it absorbed all the yin energy from him, the coffin lid probably wouldn't be able to suppress it. Then Xie Qifeng took a step to the left and placed his palm on the coffin lid. Even then, a small amount of yin energy was still absorbed.

And so it went, again and again. They tried every coffin on the left, but couldn't find the one they were looking for. Xie Qifeng then went to the row of coffins on the right. He placed his arm on the lid again, and suddenly felt an intense burning sensation in his hand. His palm began to turn white, and it felt as if his hand was glued on; no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't pull it back. Xie Qifeng screamed in agony. The sound deeply shocked Liu Jincai and Shi Laoliu, but they were powerless to help. Zhou Qiang was already running towards Xie Qifeng, tears welling in his eyes.

"If this continues, Xie Qifeng's arm will be ruined," Zhou Qiang thought. Zhou Qiang suddenly grabbed Xie Qifeng and pulled him back, but it didn't help at all. Instead, Xie Qifeng's screams grew louder. The purple aura around Zhou Qiang grew even stronger. He suddenly thought of a forbidden technique in Qi Manipulation, a forbidden technique for protecting ghosts.

Within the Qi Yi Technique, the Ghost Yi Technique includes methods for killing and raising ghosts. Killing ghosts is against the natural order; a perfectly good ghost, harboring resentment, seeks reincarnation to find an unfortunate soul, yet the Qi Yi practitioners prevent it, violating the food chain of the three realms. As for raising ghosts, Qi Yi practitioners raise them to help them kill evil ghosts, which seems understandable. However, everyone knows that humans and ghosts are irreconcilable, yet you keep a ghost by your side day and night. This also violates the natural order. The first two points are unavoidable: killing ghosts is for good people, raising ghosts is for killing evil ghosts—in short, to save people. But when a ghost is about to die, the Qi Yi practitioners deliberately bring it back to life, which is truly unacceptable. The founder practiced the Ghost Protection Technique to embrace his own demons, and it was consistently successful, but each success would cause him to vomit blood. The founder, knowing from the heavens that this technique was harmful to the caster's body, listed it as a forbidden art.

Without a word, Zhou Qiang released Xie Qifeng. He took out a Qi Yi chart from his pocket, and ignoring the pain, bit his finger until it bled. Then he wrote the character "保" (protect) in the center of the chart. In less than a minute, Zhou Qiang placed the chart on Xie Qifeng's hand. The chart emitted a cool breeze that drifted into Xie Qifeng's palm. Xie Qifeng suddenly jolted and fell to the ground. Liu Jincai and Shi Laoliu rushed over and helped Xie Qifeng up.

Zhou Qiang smiled when he saw that Xie Qifeng was alright. Suddenly, he felt a ringing in his ears, and he could clearly hear his own heartbeat. A warm rush surged through his abdomen, broke through his throat, and he vomited it onto the ground. Zhou Qiang felt a blackout before he passed out.

He could faintly hear Liu Jincai and Shi Laoliu calling his name, but he was too weak to answer. ===================================================================================== Chapter Nineteen: The Heavenly Emperor Statue - Yi Ge's Spirit - Collected and organized by

Time ticked by, and it was already 11:30. Zhou Qiang lay on the ground, still unconscious. Xie Qifeng, however, was slowly regaining his composure, and his hands were gradually regaining movement. "Is he dead?" Liu Jincai, ever the timid one, finally asked. Xie Qifeng frowned and said, "Impossible. My senior brother only used a forbidden technique; he'll probably be fine in a bit."

Xie Qifeng walked up to Zhou Qiang, squatted down, and touched Zhou Qiang's chest. His breathing was normal, his temperature was normal, only his heart rate was a little fast. He hadn't seen Zhou Qiang's soul leave his body, so why wasn't he awake? Just as Xie Qifeng was wondering, Zhou Qiang's snoring gradually resumed. Xie Qifeng looked at the soundly sleeping Zhou Qiang and smiled. Liu Jincai and Shi Laoliu also came over. Liu Jincai said, "He made a sound just now, was it a final burst of energy before death?"

Xie Qifeng picked up the Soul-Destroying Thorn that had been tossed aside and said, "Maybe." He then grabbed Zhou Qiang's finger with one hand and plunged the tip of the Soul-Destroying Thorn into it with the other. A painful scream rang out, and Zhou Qiang sat bolt upright. His sudden movement startled Liu Jin, who jumped back, panting heavily.

Zhou Qiang, clutching his finger pierced by the Soul-Destroying Thorn, howled, "Who stabbed me just now?" Suddenly, he realized he'd been rendered unconscious by the forbidden technique. Aside from a slight dizziness, Zhou Qiang felt no other discomfort. He stood up, grinning sheepishly as he apologized. "Thank you, Senior Brother," Xie Qifeng suddenly blurted out. Zhou Qiang and Xie Qifeng often bickered and teased each other, harboring a deep-seated resentment. But in crucial moments, they would risk their lives to save each other.

Looking into Xie Qifeng's sincere eyes, Zhou Qiang stood on tiptoe and stroked Xie Qifeng's hair, saying in a deliberately profound tone, "Good boy, junior brother. Don't be afraid, your senior brother is here." Even Zhou Qiang himself found it disgusting, let alone the other three. Xie Qifeng punched Zhou Qiang on the shoulder in protest.

After their laughter and banter, the next step was to unravel the coffin that could exorcise ghosts. Together, they pushed the lid off the coffin. Inside was a bronze statue. Zhou Qiang and the others began to examine it closely. The statue was about a meter tall, resembling a long-bearded deity clad in full-body armor, holding a sword with over ten copper coins strung on it. The statue's face was fierce, bearing a resemblance to Zhong Kui, the legendary Chinese mythological figure.

"Who is this bronze statue of?" Liu Jincai leaned closer to examine the statue, since Zhou Qiang and Xie Qifeng hadn't picked it up either. If they did, the statue might trigger a mechanism, and the whole thing would be destroyed. Shi Laoliu replied, "This is called the Heavenly Emperor. He's a deity who catches ghosts and suppresses evil." Everyone's eyes were fixed on Shi Laoliu's face, waiting for him to continue.

"The Maoshan sect worships Laozi (the Supreme Lord Lao), while Buddhism worships Buddha and Guanyin. The Gu-skill sect might worship the Poisonous Old Heavenly Venerable." Shi Laoliu glanced at Zhou Qiang and Xie Qifeng. "The Qi-Yi sect doesn't worship anything; they believe in themselves. Most folk shamans worship the Heavenly Emperor. The so-called Heavenly Emperor isn't the Jade Emperor, but a deity who catches ghosts and suppresses evil. Folk shamans go to great lengths to consecrate the Heavenly Emperor's statue and place it in their homes. Folk shamans don't know magic; at most, they just burn paper money and worship the gods. But they all have the ability to communicate with the gods, such as inviting gods to possess them or to exorcise ghosts. So when they help others exorcise ghosts, they don't go out; instead, they lead the victim to their home. Obviously, the Heavenly Emperor statue in front of us has been consecrated."

Zhou Qiang didn't hear what Shi Laoliu said at this moment, but instead noticed the sword in the hand of the Heavenly Emperor statue. After looking at it carefully for a while, Zhou Qiang said, "The problem is not only that. Look at the copper coins on the sword of the statue, they are all from the Kangxi period." Everyone looked closely and found that they were indeed copper coins from the Kangxi period, so they looked at Zhou Qiang with curiosity.

"It's said that copper coins can ward off evil spirits, but that's false. Only items with strong yang energy can ward off evil. Ghosts don't like being too close to yang energy, so you won't see ghosts when there are many people around or during the day. Compared to plants like peach wood, which naturally have strong yang energy, copper coins that have been used by many people are more effective. As we all know, Emperor Kangxi reigned for sixty years, the longest reign of any emperor. Therefore, copper coins from the Kangxi era were used for the longest time and naturally accumulated the most yang energy. That's why the sword on this bronze statue is strung with Kangxi Tongbao copper coins."

"Someone's been here?" Xie Qifeng exclaimed in surprise, his eyes wide. "Could there be a tomb keeper?!" Zhou Qiang and the others gasped. Indeed! The copper coin was from the Kangxi era, while the tomb itself was erected thousands of years ago. Shi Laoliu glanced at his watch and said, "It's getting late. Let's not think about this anymore. Let's find the treasure and leave quickly."

Reminded of this, Zhou Qiang reached out and grabbed all the copper coins, stuffing them into his pocket. Xie Qifeng also snatched two from Zhou Qiang's hand and put them in his pocket as well. "Who among you takes off your clothes and covers the statue?" Zhou Qiang said, looking at the other three. Zhou Qiang's gaze first swept over Xie Qifeng. Xie Qifeng thought to himself, "I've already taken off one layer of clothing; if I take off another, I'll freeze to death." He then pretended to be very cold, shivering. "Use mine," Liu Jincai said, taking off his coat. With the Heavenly Emperor statue covered, the task was complete.

Zhou Qiang took out the ghost-raising bottle again, untied the red cloth, and a malevolent ghost slowly floated out. Shi Laoliu and Liu Jincai couldn't see the ghost either, and could only watch dumbfounded. As soon as the ghost appeared, it started muttering incessantly, pointing and cursing at the covered bronze statue of the Heavenly Emperor. Zhou Qiang had no choice but to evade the question, saying, "Jackie Chan, I know your predicament. Can you tell which coffin doesn't have poisonous snakes and ghosts?"

The demonic dragon looked back at the eighteen coffins, its eyes glowing green, then pulled Zhou Qiang to the rightmost coffin. Zhou Qiang nodded, signaling the others to come over. The demonic dragon, understanding the situation, flew back to its ghost-raising bottle. Together, they pushed the coffin lid down, expecting to find the He Shi Bi jade inside, but instead found stone steps.

After seeing it, Shi Laoliu cursed, "Damn it, is this ever going to end? Are they sending us to the eighteenth level of hell? This thing is bottomless; who knows what strange things await us on the lower levels! Humph!" Zhou Qiang and Xie Qifeng nodded in agreement. Liu Jincai noticed everyone's complaints and dissatisfaction, quickly clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, and said, "Brothers, if we go down to the last level and still can't find the He Shi Bi, we'll leave. What do you say?" He then looked at the expressions on the three men's faces.

"Alright, alright, just the last floor. If we can't get out before midnight, we're doomed. Don't be fooled by today being the ninth day of the month, a day of abundant Yang energy; the tenth is the day with the heaviest Yin energy. Let's go." With that, Zhou Qiang grabbed the flashlight and went downstairs. Seeing everyone else had gone down, Shi Laoliu felt embarrassed to leave and reluctantly followed. ========================================================================================= Chapter 20 of "The Successor of Qi Yi" - Kongming Fan - Yi Ge's Spirit - Collected and organized by

The coffin's secret passage was exceptionally wide. Seeing an open stone door not far ahead, the group mustered their courage and went inside. They used flashlights to survey the entire tomb chamber. This tomb chamber was different from the previous two; it was about the size of two basketball courts and was supported by eight stone pillars. Shi Laoliu took out the last few candles, lit them all, and placed them on the lamp holders on the stone pillars.

The tomb chamber suddenly opened up. In the center stood a wooden coffin, behind which stood six stone statues, one in front and five behind. The statue in front was of Zhuge Liang, holding a fan in his right hand and stroking his beard with his left. His expression suggested confidence and mastery, capturing the essence of Zhuge Liang. The five statues behind him represented the Five Tiger Generals of Shu: Guan Yu wielded his Green Dragon Crescent Blade; Zhang Fei raised his Ten Thousand Victory Spear; Zhao Yun, clad in armor and carrying an infant, held a spear in one hand and the Mengde Sword in the other; Ma Chao stood holding his Green Heaven Hooked Spear, one hand on his hip; and Huang Zhong drew back his bowstring, aiming the arrow at the tomb's entrance.

Two other corpses were also noteworthy. The coffin lids were open, and one was a skeleton dressed in Qing Dynasty official robes with half of its body protruding. The other corpse, dressed in armor, stood on a stone statue of Zhuge Liang, its right hand touching the Kongming fan, as if frozen in place, because the corpse was intact from head to toe.

A faint green light emanated from the wooden coffin. Liu Jincai exclaimed joyfully, "The He Shi Bi! It must be the He Shi Bi!" He then walked over alone. Inside the coffin lay a skeleton, most likely Liu Shan. The skeleton lay quietly, clutching the He Shi Bi in both hands. The other Qing Dynasty corpse also held onto the He Shi Bi in one hand. Liu Jincai, blinded by the light emanating from the He Shi Bi, was about to grab it when Shi Laoliu pulled him back.

Shi Laoliu roared at Liu Jincai, "Don't you want to live anymore? Why don't you think about how he died?" He pointed to the Qing Dynasty skull. Liu Jincai then realized his mistake and apologized repeatedly. Xie Qifeng and Zhou Qiang, no longer interested in the green light in the coffin, walked to the Zhuge Liang statue and stared at the Kongming Fan. Legend has it that the Kongming Fan was made by Zhuge Liang's wife, hoping he could use it to mask his nervousness. Some legends also say that the fan was made of sixteen feathers: eight goose feathers and eight duck feathers. Of the eight goose feathers, four were from swans and four from domestic geese; of the eight duck feathers, four were from wild ducks and four from domestic ducks. However, this is not true.

Xie Qifeng carefully counted the feathers on the fan; there were twenty. Besides goose and duck feathers, there were two sparrow feathers, one a peacock feather and the other a sparrow feather. There was also a completely black feather, which Xie Qifeng guessed was a crow feather. Most unusual was the longest feather, a golden-yellow color that made one want to touch it. However, Xie Qifeng didn't touch it, because he wasn't a fool. "Senior brother, look at this feather, it's so strange, it's golden-yellow. Do you know which birds have this color?"

Zhou Qiang habitually scratched the back of his head and made up a story, saying, "I think it should be a phoenix feather, right? Phoenixes are golden, aren't they?" Xie Qifeng's eyes widened and he said, "What? A phoenix feather? Are there really phoenixes in the world?" Zhou Qiang chuckled foolishly, not knowing what to say. But Zhou Qiang was right; it was indeed a phoenix feather.

Shi Laoliu was the most vigilant member of the group. He not only stopped Liu Jincai's impulsive actions but also carefully examined the surrounding walls for traps and mechanisms. For someone with years of tomb raiding experience, being extra cautious meant a greater chance of survival. This was why he was the only one among his fellow apprentices to survive. He examined the nearby walls for any uneven spots, as these corners were usually the easiest to overlook. There were indeed uneven spots on this wall, but because of the excessive dust, he dared not touch them with his hands and instead blew the dust away with his breath.

The stench of bad breath swept away the dust, and Shi Laoliu realized it wasn't a mechanism, but ancient writing. "Come quick, come and see!" At this, Liu Jincai and the others rushed over. Zhou Qiang stared intently and said, "There are words on this? What does it say?" The candlelight was blocked by the crowd, so Shi Laoliu had to take out his flashlight to illuminate the writing and read aloud: "No idlers are welcome to disturb this old man; if you have nothing to do, please leave. If thieves touch the He Shi Bi jade, don't blame Zilong for protecting A Dou. If any descendants come here, they will restore our Han Dynasty to its former glory." After reading it, Shi Laoliu looked back at the crowd. "It's a poem!"

"Indeed, it's a poem. Not only that, it was written by Zhuge Liang himself," Zhou Qiang said thoughtfully. "He actually guessed we'd come on the ninth day; he's truly a genius." While marveling at this, Zhou Qiang and the others couldn't help but admire Zhuge Liang's brilliant foresight. Xie Qifeng thought for a moment and said, "If Zhuge Liang really knew we were coming, he would definitely have given us clues about obtaining the He Shi Bi jade and the Kongming Fan. Let's look for other walls."

The group split up to search for the inscriptions on the east and north walls. Sure enough, there were clues. Zhou Qiang first discovered the inscription on the east wall. After gathering the others, they began to study it. It read: "The He Shi Bi, the seal of the state. He who possesses it will possess the world. The He Shi Bi in Dou's tomb is a family heirloom; any outsider who touches it will surely die under Zhao Yun's spear. If any descendant of the Liu family comes to retrieve the jade, they must drip Liu's blood and vital essence into A Dou's mouth. Remember, never forget the great cause of restoring the kingdom."

Then Xie Qifeng discovered the words on the north wall, which read: "Kongming Fan, my treasure. One fan brings wind, two fans bring rain, three fans bring thunder, four fans bring hail to the city, five fans bring floods to Jinshan Temple, and six fans bring the collapse of heaven and earth. My lord's sons must not take this fan. I have frozen this fan, waiting for a destined celestial being to descend to earth and take it. Then I will help him restore his kingdom. I have observed the stars and glimpsed the heavens, knowing my life is nearing its end, and therefore ordered my trusted confidant to carve this."

Xie Qifeng laughed upon seeing this; the "yin star" was clearly referring to him. Zhou Qiang was also happy for Xie Qifeng. Although he didn't know what "one fan" or "two fans" meant, he knew that the fan was prepared for his junior brother. Liu Jincai, seeing the joy on Xie Qifeng and Zhou Qiang's faces, was puzzled and asked, "What are you two laughing about?" Zhou Qiang then told him the whole story of Xie Qifeng's background.

It's true that people forget everything when faced with profit. Liu Jincai, though only half-convinced, thought Xie Qifeng and his fellow disciple wanted to compete with him for the peerless fan. He said, "What's written on it might not be true. Let me try it." He stood up and walked towards the Zhuge Liang statue. Just as he reached out to touch the Kongming fan, a large hand pulled him back.

Liu Jincai stared at the large hands and shouted angrily, "Sixth Brother, what are you doing?" Shi Laoliu replied expressionlessly, "What's not yours will never be yours." He then tore a leg bone from the corpse beside the coffin and touched the Kongming Fan with it. The result left everyone speechless, especially Liu Jincai.

As soon as the leg bone approached the Kongming Fan, the tip began to freeze. By the time it touched the fan, the entire leg bone was frozen solid. Fortunately, Shi Laoliu reacted quickly, otherwise he himself might have been frozen as well. Liu Jincai, witnessing this, was at a loss for words. He realized he might have misunderstood Xie Qifeng and Zhou Qiang's intentions. "Senior brother, am I really the reincarnation of the Heavenly Yin Star?" Xie Qifeng, seeing what had just happened, couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine. What if he wasn't the Heavenly Yin Star? Wouldn't he be doomed? "Of course you are! Master and Granny have both said so!"

Looking into Zhou Qiang's sincere eyes, Xie Qifeng took a deep breath and walked to the Zhuge Liang statue. Earlier, when Zhou Qiang and Xie Qifeng were both standing in front of the statue, they hadn't noticed anything amiss. This time, looking at Xie Qifeng and the statue from afar, Zhou Qiang couldn't help but laugh and say, "Junior brother, you're about the same height as Zhuge Liang, and you even look somewhat alike." Liu Jincai and Shi Laoliu, after hearing this, glanced at the Zhuge Liang statue and then at Xie Qifeng, and to be honest, there was a certain resemblance.

Xie Qifeng took another deep breath. He reached his hands, still shrouded in lingering yin energy, towards the fan, and with a determined heart, closed his eyes, unknowingly taking the Kongming Fan from its grasp. Xie Qifeng slowly opened his eyes, looking at the Kongming Fan in his hand, his face and heart beaming with joy. Suddenly, a burst of laughter echoed through the tomb: "Haha, the Kongming Fan is yours now." ========================================================================================= Chapter Twenty-One: Throwing Away the Jade - Yi Ge's Spirit - Collected and Organized by

"Senior brother, was that you speaking just now?" Xie Qifeng asked after hearing the strange voice. Zhou Qiang replied doubtfully, "No, it wasn't." Liu Jincai and Shi Laoliu also shook their heads. Xie Qifeng was puzzled by his own thoughts, as everyone's attention was now focused on the He Shi Bi jade in the coffin.

Following the instructions on the stone wall, Liu Jincai bit his finger, letting the blood drip into the skull's mouth inside the coffin. Afterward, Liu Jincai looked at Zhou Qiang and the others, saying, "Can we retrieve the He Shi Bi now?" Zhou Qiang and the others frowned, as if something was amiss. Liu Jincai asked, "What's wrong?"

"Logically, if there were a mechanism on the He Shi Bi jade, the blood dripping onto it should at least have some visual effect, but look," Zhou Qiang pointed to the skull in the coffin, "Brother Cai, look, your blood is flowing down the skull to the bottom of the coffin. It doesn't look like it had any effect at all." Shi Laoliu continued, "I also think something's not right. The inscription on the stone says to drip blood on Liu Chan's lips..."

Xie Qifeng, while toying with the Kongming fan, casually remarked, "The inscription on the stone wall says to drip blood onto A Dou's mouth, not Liu Chan's." Liu Jincai was puzzled, thinking to himself that this bumpkin Xie hadn't read history and didn't even know that A Dou and Liu Chan were the same person. Just as he was about to explain, Zhou Qiang interrupted, muttering, "A Dou? Liu Chan?" After muttering it, Zhou Qiang's gaze swept across the entire tomb chamber, and suddenly his eyes lit up, fixing on the statue of Zhao Yun.

Zhou Qiang pretended not to know and pointed at the stone statue of Zhao Yun, asking, "Who is this stone statue?" Liu Jincai was furious, thinking that these two kids from the Qi Yi Sect were quite skilled, but their knowledge needed improvement. He suppressed his anger and patiently explained, "This is Zhao Yun, Zhao Zilong. The fiercest general of Shu. Do you understand?" Zhou Qiang tilted his head and said to Liu Jincai, "I know that's Zhao Zilong, I mean, who is Zhao Zilong carrying?"

"Idiot! Of course it is..." Liu Jincai suddenly froze, as if he had thought of something. He muttered, "A Dou." Zhou Qiang smiled and said nothing more. Shi Laoliu, clever and quick-witted, went behind the Zhao Yun statue to observe the baby behind it. Although the baby was made of stone, it looked just like a real person, especially the baby's mouth, which was slightly open, as if it wanted to nurse. Shi Laoliu laughed and called Liu Jincai over, saying to him, "Jincai, you're lucky to have met these two highly skilled young masters, otherwise, with your pig brain, you would have died here long ago."

Liu Jincai quickly thanked Zhou Qiang, then inserted his still-blood-stained finger into the infant's mouth. Suddenly, Liu Jincai felt his finger being sucked in, and for a moment he forgot to pull it out. A stream of blood was drawn to the stone infant. Gradually, miraculously, color returned to the stone infant's face. Only then did Liu Jincai withdraw his finger and walk with Shi Laoliu to the coffin. Zhou Qiang and Xie Qifeng also gathered around.

Liu Jincai hesitated, glancing at the crowd. Their resolute expressions gave him confidence. As Liu Jincai slowly bent down and grasped the He Shi Bi with his right hand, time seemed to stand still. Images flashed through Liu Jincai's mind: Bian He offering the He Shi Bi, only to have his feet chopped off by two generations of Chu kings; the Qin army's iron hooves trampling through the Chu city gates, soldiers reduced to mincemeat beneath their horses; the Qin king beheading the Chu king, his maniacal laughter echoing as he held the He Shi Bi; the tragic deaths of the Qin and Han armies; the scenes of Cao Cao's army slaughtering civilians during the Three Kingdoms period, the widespread suffering—all these images appeared vividly in Liu Jincai's mind, shocking and horrifying.

The moment Liu Jincai stopped moving, it only lasted three seconds in the eyes of Zhou Qiang and the others, but in Liu Jincai's eyes, it felt like thousands of years had passed. Liu Jincai quickly withdrew his arm, a layer of cold sweat instantly appearing on his forehead. He leaned against the rim of the coffin, panting heavily. Zhou Qiang and the others looked on in confusion and asked, "What's wrong, Brother Cai? Why didn't you pick up the He Shi Bi?" Liu Jincai wiped the sweat from his forehead, closed his eyes slightly, and regulated his breathing. Moreover, at this moment, he was engaged in a fierce internal struggle.

A moment later, Liu Jincai caught his breath, opened his eyes, and said with a smile, "Forget it, let the He Shi Bi stay with our ancestor." He then lowered his head and walked out. Upon hearing this, Shi Laoliu became anxious, grabbing Liu Jincai's sleeve and asking, "Why? We've worked so hard for the He Shi Bi! Now the mechanism is broken, and the He Shi Bi is right in front of us, why don't you take it?"

With his back to Shi Laoliu and the others, Liu Jincai silently raised his head and said slowly, "To possess the He Shi Bi is to possess the world? Do you know how many corpses and souls were needed to build the cities of this world? I don't want to hear the sound of cannons, nor do I want to see rivers of blood! China does not belong to any one person, but to all of us. Now the weather is favorable, and people live in peace and prosperity. We cannot destroy our beautiful homeland for the sake of one person alone." The rest of his words were indistinct, as tears welled up in Liu Jincai's eyes, and his voice choked with emotion.

Zhou Qiang walked over, put a hand on Liu Jincai's shoulder, and said seriously, "To be able to think of the people of the world, Brother Cai, you truly deserve to be a descendant of Liu Bei. If the world is destined to have a king, then in my heart that king is you." Xie Qifeng rubbed his nose and also came over, saying, "I'm not good with words, but I agree with my senior brother's statement." Shi Laoliu was also moved by Liu Jincai's words. He had thought Liu Jincai was a greedy and treacherous person who only cared about wealth and glory, but he didn't expect him to be such a kind person. Thinking this, he patted Liu Jincai on the shoulder.

Liu Jincai sniffed and said thank you. Then, without looking back, the group walked towards the tomb entrance. "What are your plans for the future?" Shi Laoliu asked, putting his arm around Liu Jincai's shoulder. Liu Jincai smiled, his eyes filled with anticipation for the future, and said, "I plan to go back to Beijing, apply for discharge from the army, and then do some small business to make a living. Then," Liu Jincai said, blushing slightly, "I'll find a wife, get married, and continue the Liu family line." Shi Laoliu laughed heartily upon hearing this, not forgetting to mention himself: "Find me a wife too!"

“No problem.” Liu Jincai put his arm around Shi Laoliu’s shoulder. Zhou Qiang and Xie Qifeng followed behind, muttering to themselves. “Senior brother, look at those two, they’re like lunatics. They almost turned on each other just now, but now they’re as good as brothers.” Xie Qifeng then mimicked Zhou Qiang’s action of releasing the Soul-Destroying Thorn, tucking the Kongming Fan into his lower back. Zhou Qiang looked at Liu Jincai and Shi Laoliu ahead and muttered to himself, “Sometimes a person’s personality can attract another person’s admiration.” The four of them climbed out of the grave, looking at each other’s faces covered in dust, and laughed heartily. Shi Laoliu looked at his watch and said, “It’s twelve o’clock, let’s go back to sleep.” Liu Jincai responded, took out his car keys, and the group got in and returned to the hotel to rest.

At night, two shifty-eyed men quietly approached the tomb entrance. The fat man said to the thin man, "Brother, I discovered a passageway in this tomb a few days ago. Let's go down and take a look. Maybe we'll find some antiques, and we'll be rich." The thin man was overjoyed. The two men went down the tomb passageway. They reached the first floor but found nothing of value. They reached the second floor but still found no antiques. Then they saw a coffin on the right that seemed to be a secret passage. So they crept down.

Upon entering the tomb chamber, they found a coffin and several stone statues. A faint green light emanated from the coffin. Ignoring the skeletons on the ground, the two rushed to the coffin, gazing at the treasures inside. "What fine jade! We can definitely sell it for a fortune," the fat man said, wiping his drool. As the thin man picked up the He Shi Bi jade and chuckled, a stone statue of Zhao Yun silently approached them from behind. With a flick of his spear, the laughter vanished instantly, and the tomb chamber returned to its usual tranquility.

A gust of cold wind extinguished all the candles, plunging the tomb into darkness. A voice came from one of the stone statues: "Zilong, I've won the bet again." Another statue sighed and said, "Alas, the Later Lord is indeed as benevolent as our former lord." Then all six statues burst into laughter simultaneously. ====================================================================================== Chapter Twenty-Two: The Journey Ends (End of Volume Two) - Yi Ge's Spirit - Collected and Organized by

The group dragged their exhausted bodies back to the hotel, and without a word, collapsed into bed, sleeping until noon the next day. Shi Laoliu was the first to get up and went out to buy some breakfast before waking the other three. Liu Jin swallowed a piece of fried dough stick and stared at Zhou Qiang, asking, "Where are we going?"

Zhou Qiang knew what was going on. He took out his phone and dialed a few numbers. The phone rang twice before connecting. "Hey, Zhou Qiang, you just remembered to call me? You're back in Dezhou?" Zhou Qiang smiled apologetically and said to the person on the other end of the line, "Baojun, want to learn tomb raiding? It's exciting and lucrative. If you learn, you'll be a proper tomb raider." After a few more pleasantries, they hung up.

After they finished eating, Liu Jincai drove the group to Dezhou. Upon arrival, they found Liu Baojun waiting there with a large bundle on his back. Zhou Qiang opened the car door and whispered to Liu Baojun, occasionally gesturing inside. Shi Laoliu, looking at Liu Baojun outside, said to the two inside, "Hmm, this kid's not bad. Quite energetic. Jincai, give me back the 'treasure hunting charm' around your neck."

Zhou Qiang opened the car door, pointed to Liu Jincai inside, and said to Liu Baojun, "Baojun, this is your future master. Get in." Liu Baojun glanced at Shi Laoliu in the car; his honest face evoked a sense of warmth and dependence. Liu Baojun smiled, bowed deeply, and politely said, "Hello, Master." The instant Liu Baojun looked up, a pendant was already around his neck. Even Zhou Qiang was surprised that Shi Laoliu had gotten out of the car so quickly and silently. Looking at the pendant around his neck, Liu Baojun asked, "Master, what's this?"

Old Shi chuckled, turned and got into the car without looking back, saying, "This is called a 'treasure-hunting talisman,' it's for warding off evil. Keep it safe, don't lose it. It's been passed down from our ancestors for hundreds of years." Although Old Shi only said a few words, they warmed Liu Baojun's heart like sunshine. Liu Baojun hummed in agreement and got into the car. Zhou Qiang also pulled out the sect leader's token given to him by Old Man Leshui from under his neck, lost in thought.

The car sped across the border between Shandong and Hebei. "Junior brother, we're almost home!" Zhou Qiang said excitedly to Xie Qifeng. Seeing that Xie Qifeng didn't answer, Zhou Qiang turned and glanced at him. He saw Xie Qifeng holding a Kongming fan, fanning himself. It was only early spring, and the shadow of winter still lingered; why was he fanning himself in such cold weather? Thinking this, Zhou Qiang called out to Xie Qifeng.

Xie Qifeng looked at Zhou Qiang curiously and said, "Where am I? Who are you?" Then Xie Qifeng touched his chin, "Where's my beard?" His words stunned everyone in the car. Liu Jincai quickly pulled the car over to the side of the road and said, "Zhou Qiang, should we send your junior brother to a mental hospital?" Zhou Qiang immediately activated his third eye and saw a chill emanating from Xie Qifeng's body. Strange, he wasn't possessed by a ghost, so why was he talking nonsense? Zhou Qiang wasn't giving up, thinking Xie Qifeng was faking it, and continued to ask, "Take a closer look and see who I am?" He then brought his face close to Xie Qifeng's.

Xie Qifeng looked at Zhou Qiang thoughtfully, then suddenly burst into laughter and said, "I remember now, you're Zhou..." Before Xie Qifeng could finish, Zhou Qiang breathed a sigh of relief and interrupted, "Don't cause us any trouble, or we'll throw you out if you keep pretending to be stupid." Zhou Qiang then said to Liu Jincai, "Drive, Brother Cai."

"You're Zhou Yu, aren't you?" Upon hearing Xie Qifeng's words, Zhou Qiang nearly coughed up blood. Shi Laoliu, sitting beside Xie Qifeng and observing closely, told Zhou Qiang, "Your junior brother might have gone mad because of this fan. This fan belonged to Zhuge Liang and never went with anyone else. And having been buried underground for so long, it would inevitably carry some of Zhuge Liang's personal magnetic field." As soon as he finished speaking, Liu Baojun, standing nearby, already felt a sense of admiration for Shi Laoliu. Zhou Qiang didn't care about anything else and turned to punch Xie Qifeng. He used half his strength in the punch, hitting Xie Qifeng squarely in the eye. Xie Qifeng's vision went black, and he passed out. Zhou Qiang was furious and shouted, "Drive!" Liu Jincai, sitting next to Zhou Qiang, was startled by the shout. Not daring to hesitate, he stepped on the gas. Zhou Qiang wondered, "How am I like Zhou Yu! Zhou Yu had Xiao Qiao, what do I have?"

It was dark when the car arrived at Yinfeng Village. Xie Qifeng had woken up and regained his senses. Xiao Wang, the driver, who was washing clothes at Old Man Leshui's house, heard the car and ran out with his hands still wet with soap. Seeing that it really was Liu Jincai's car, Xiao Wang burst into tears. It was understandable; a city youth who had never been to the countryside had suddenly become a male caretaker in a poor rural family, his daily tasks consisting only of washing clothes, cooking, cleaning, and emptying chamber pots. The lofty ambitions he had when he was in the army were worlds apart from his current situation. Liu Jincai got out of the car, removed Xiao Wang's arm from his tears, and said, "I can't become General Secretary anymore. Why don't you come with me and do some business? As long as I, Liu Jincai, have food to eat, you, Wang Fa, won't go hungry." Xiao Wang looked deeply at Liu Jincai and nodded. Xiao Wang looked around, wondering why Qin Shuang hadn't returned yet. He should at least say goodbye. After waiting for a long time without seeing Qin Shuang return, Xiao Wang had no choice but to get back into the car.

Despite the two men's polite persuasion, Liu Jincai and the others still refused to stay overnight at the old man's house in Leshui. They exchanged phone numbers for future contact. Liu Jincai started the car, rolled down the window, and said, "Alright, you guys go in. I'm going to take Sixth Brother home now. We can stay at Sixth Brother's place tonight." He then closed the window, and the car drove off, kicking up a cloud of dust. "Senior brother, why does my eye hurt?" Xie Qifeng said to Zhou Qiang. Zhou Qiang dared not admit that he had hit it, so he lied and said, "Oh, maybe I didn't sleep well last night. Come on in, Master is still waiting for us inside."

Old Man Leshui sat on a chair in the main room. Hearing footsteps approaching, he smiled and said, "You're back?" Zhou Qiang and Xie Qifeng nodded. "Did you encounter any danger? Did you use the paper figures I gave you?" Zhou Qiang walked behind Old Man Leshui and helped him massage his back while saying, "What danger? My junior brother and I are both very lucky. We haven't even used the paper figures yet."

"Oh, then you can save it for when it really matters," said Old Man Leshui. Then Zhou Qiang's stomach rumbled, and Xie Qifeng chuckled, "Hehe, I'm going to cook." He turned to leave. Old Man Leshui stopped him, saying, "Ji Yan, you don't need to cook." Zhou Qiang stopped his fist, thinking, "Am I supposed to cook? I can't cook anything except instant noodles!" Old Man Leshui noticed Zhou Qiang's hesitation and explained, "You don't need to cook either." Turning to Xie Qifeng, Old Man Leshui said, "Ji Yan, to be honest, your cooking is really terrible. You put way too much salt in the food; you've almost used up all the salt in our house." Zhou Qiang nodded in agreement.

"Fine, now you say my cooking is bad? I won't cook anymore. Let's see what we eat then." With that thought, Xie Qifeng found a small stool and sat down. Zhou Qiang's stomach growled again. "Master, who's cooking? I'm starving!" he said. Suddenly, the front door creaked open, and a beautiful young woman walked in. She had fair skin, long, black hair, captivating eyes, and cherry-like lips that made you want to take a bite. This young woman was Qin Shuang. Qin Shuang closed the door and called out, "Grandpa, I'm back." Qin Shuang had spent a few days with Old Man Le Shui and usually called him "Sir." But Old Man Le Shui said calling her "Grandpa" was more affectionate.

Old Man Le Shui smiled and said, "They're here." Zhou Qiang's eyes were wide open, and he murmured involuntarily, "Yes, Xiao Qiao is here." === ...

The second volume, written in a daze, is finally finished. Everyone said the first volume, "Catching Ghosts," was alright. Then someone suggested we write about tomb raiding. And so, the second volume, "Tomb Raiding," came about. Relatively speaking, the second volume received slightly higher praise than the first. Although I don't have many readers, I'm very pleased.

In Volume Three, the Taoist practices involved are incredibly diverse. I've consulted everyone's opinions, and many people are interested in corpse-driving. So, just you wait and see. After this volume is completed, I believe even more readers will enjoy my book. If you like my book, join my group! YES! ============================================================================================ Chapter One: Snake Egg - Yi Ge's Spirit - Collected and organized by

Qin Shuang entered the main room. After being introduced by Old Man Le Shui, Zhou Qiang and his fellow disciples got to know Qin Shuang. Old Man Le Shui coughed habitually and got straight to the point: "Shuang'er is here to marry someone from our Qi Yi Sect. Don't talk about favoritism as an elder. Both Ji Ye and Ji Yan have a chance." After saying that, he turned to Qin Shuang and said, "Shuang'er, which of those two brothers do you think is more pleasing to the eye?"

Qin Shuang looked the two men up and down, then frowned and shook her head. Seeing Qin Shuang remain silent, Old Man Le Shui asked curiously, "What's wrong, Shuang'er? They both look like rotten dates!" Qin Shuang chuckled and said to Old Man Le Shui, "No, Grandpa. It's your apprentice, Zhou Qiang." Qin Shuang glanced at Zhou Qiang and continued, "He's short, and his appearance is so ordinary. You could pick up a whole bunch of them on the street."

Zhou Qiang snorted, thinking to himself, "I was picked up off the street by Granny Lexi. This girl looks down on me so much." Xie Qifeng stood up from the bench, exhaled, blew his bangs back, and tossed them coolly, asking, "So, what about me?" To be honest, Qin Shuang was extremely beautiful, truly stunning. No man could remain unmoved by her beauty, and Xie Qifeng, being a man, was no exception.

Qin Shuang rolled her eyes and shattered Xie Qifeng's heart with her words: "You? You're quite tall, but you exude a chilling aura. You have absolutely no manly charm. When you first came in, I mistook you for a woman. Also, I hate it when someone has better skin than me." Xie Qifeng almost fainted after hearing this. Old Man Leshui sighed and said, "Then we'll decide based on how things go. If Shuang'er really doesn't like my two clumsy apprentices, then go back to Yunnan." Qin Shuang was about to speak when she heard a rumbling sound from her stomach. Looking in the direction of the sound, she saw it coming from none other than Zhou Qiang's belly. Qin Shuang smiled charmingly and said apologetically, "I'm so sorry, I was so busy chatting that I forgot to cook." With that, she walked out of the main room.

"Sigh, you two are really useless. You can't even fool a little girl! Back in the day, I and the Gu-skill sect..." Old Man Leshui hadn't finished speaking when a gust of cold wind brushed against his face. Old Man Leshui knew that it was probably the spirit of Granny Lexi expressing its dissatisfaction, so he changed his words, saying, "The school in our village is finished, and she's a teacher there now. This girl is educated and cooks well. Where can you find a wife like that? You two should work hard to win her over."

Zhou Qiang nodded affirmatively and said, "I understand. Master, I will try my best." Xie Qifeng sat to the side, sulking. Qin Shuang's words had been too much of a blow to him. Zhou Qiang noticed this, walked over to Xie Qifeng, patted him on the shoulder, and comforted him, "This girl is really ignorant; she shouldn't have said such things." Xie Qifeng was both amused and exasperated. He was about to kick Zhou Qiang when Zhou Qiang had already dodged far away.

At the dinner table, Old Man Leshui picked up a piece of food and put it in his mouth, muttering, "Did you two gain anything this time you came back?" Xie Qifeng was waiting for Old Man Leshui to say this. He had gotten a Kongming fan, while his senior brother Zhou Qiang hadn't gotten anything. Thinking of how Zhou Qiang had grinned and grimaced beside Old Man Leshui when he praised his Kongming fan, Xie Qifeng couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

"Ji Yan, what are you laughing at?" Old Man Le Shui asked curiously. Xie Qifeng snapped out of his reverie, wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth, took out the Kongming Fan from his back and handed it to Old Man Le Shui, saying, "Uncle-Master, please look!" Xie Qifeng glanced disdainfully at Zhou Qiang, "This is Zhuge Liang's Kongming Fan, which I obtained by chance in Liu Shan's tomb." Xie Qifeng recounted to Old Man Le Shui how he obtained the Kongming Fan from the tomb. As he listened, Old Man Le Shui stroked the fan in his hand, nodding and saying, "A fine fan, a fine fan. I've heard that the Kongming Fan has phoenix feathers on it, and it's true." With that, Old Man Le Shui returned the fan to Xie Qifeng and patted him on the shoulder, "Ji Yan, you performed very well this time."

"Jiye, what did you find?" Old Man Leshui eagerly awaited his beloved disciple's spoils. Zhou Qiang, however, was staring intently at Qin Shuang and didn't hear Old Man Leshui's words. Enraged, Old Man Leshui grabbed his cane and smashed it over Zhou Qiang's head. Zhou Qiang cried out in pain and looked at Old Man Leshui curiously. Qin Shuang watched with great amusement. Xie Qifeng nudged Zhou Qiang with his elbow and whispered, "Your master asked if you found anything in Liu Chan's tomb. If you didn't, you didn't. Why are you pretending to be stupid?"

"A bounty? The tomb only had the He Shi Bi jade and the Kongming Fan, right? What bounty could I possibly have?" Spurred on by Xie Qifeng's words, Zhou Qiang seemed to remember something and hurriedly ran out of the house. A moment later, Zhou Qiang returned, carrying a round, dark blue, oval-shaped object, grinning broadly. Xie Qifeng glanced at it, thinking, "I thought it was something special, but it's just the snake egg I found in the first layer of the tomb."

Zhou Qiang handed the snake egg to Old Man Leshui, who felt it from all angles but couldn't figure it out. He asked, "What is this?" Zhou Qiang smiled and replied, "A treasure." Xie Qifeng snorted and said, "It's just a snake egg. What treasure?" Qin Shuang perked up at the mention of the snake egg and said to Old Man Leshui, "Grandpa, can I take a look?"

"Of course," Old Man Leshui said with a smile, handing the snake egg to Qin Shuang. Qin Shuang carefully examined the snake egg, holding it to her ear to listen. Suddenly, she exclaimed to everyone in surprise, "Wow, there's a heartbeat inside!" Suddenly, the snake egg cracked open with a snap, startling Qin Shuang so much that she threw it onto the dining table.

The crack in the snake egg grew wider and wider, and suddenly a small snake crawled out of it. The snake arched its body and faced Zhou Qiang, flicking its tongue. Xie Qifeng and Zhou Qiang shouted in unison.

"What's wrong?" Old Man Leshui asked hurriedly, already raising his cane. Qin Shuang stretched out her palm towards the small snake, waving it back and forth. From a distance, her small arm looked like a large white snake. Seeing this, the small snake crawled onto Qin Shuang's palm. Qin Shuang said, "Don't be nervous, it's just a small snake." Old Man Leshui relaxed, put down his cane, and sat down.

Xie Qifeng watched Qin Shuang playing with the small snake in her hand and asked in confusion, "Aren't you afraid of snakes? Girls are all afraid of snakes." Qin Shuang stared at the cute little snake and said disdainfully, "I'm from the Gu sect. Gu is about cultivating poisonous creatures. Why would I be afraid of snakes?" Immediately afterward, a white snake crawled out from Qin Shuang's waist and suddenly emerged from her shoulder, giving Xie Qifeng and Zhou Qiang quite a fright.

The white snake remained unmoved by Zhou Qiang and Xie Qifeng, its eyes fixed on the small snake in Qin Shuang's hands. The small snake also saw the large white snake, showing no fear whatsoever. Instead, it arched its body and opened its mouth wide, seemingly ready for a fight to the death. Seeing the small snake open its mouth, the large white snake swiftly retreated, hiding inside Qin Shuang's clothes. Qin Shuang put down the small snake, cupped the white snake coiled around her waist with both hands, and frowned, saying, "Strange, very strange. Why is my little white snake afraid of such a small snake?"