C100 The Secret Passage

Xie Kui screamed in agony, flailing his shovel in a frantic attempt to fend off the green Corpse Ghost. His random strikes at its head were ineffective until Deaf Zhang, with quick reflexes, grabbed a whip and struck, splitting the creature's skull open.

"My leg is done for!" Xie Kui collapsed to the ground, hastily pulling up his pant leg to reveal skin that was turning purple, with black blood oozing from the wound.

"No... this isn't good, he's... he's been infected with Corpse Poison!" Deaf Zhang called out, stumbling over his words. Second Master Lei immediately beckoned for the doctor, urging, "Lin, hurry!"

Lin rushed over, opened the medical kit he always carried, and retrieved a syringe filled with a frozen vaccine. He administered the shot into Xie Kui's calf.

Soon after, Xie Kui's swollen and discolored calf miraculously began to revert to its normal state. Intrigued, I asked, "Doctor Lin, what's in that syringe? It's incredibly fast-acting."

With a smile, Lin secured his kit and replied, "That's a serum specifically designed to counteract Corpse Poison. Given its remarkable effectiveness, this particular vial isn't cheap—it's valued in the five-figure range!"

"It's that costly? If only some people were more cautious and restrained, maybe they could avoid such expenses," I said teasingly. Xie Kui's cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but he offered no comeback.

After regaining his footing and taking a few steps, Xie Kui's leg seemed fully recovered. We resumed our cautious advance, and thankfully, no further encounters with zombies or other horrors occurred.

The only point of concern arose when, after a ten-minute walk, we encountered a pitch-black hole on the right side of the tunnel. The opening, about half a meter wide, emitted a chilling breeze.

I took a subtle whiff and detected a faint scent of blood mingled with the cold air. Glancing back at Second Master Lei, he gave a slight shake of his head and advised, "Let's not concern ourselves with that hole for now. We'd better keep moving."

I nodded in agreement and we proceeded. Another ten minutes passed, and we reached what seemed to be the end of the tunnel. To my surprise, it was a dead end, with no secret doors or additional passages—just a solid wall.

"It's over... We've come all this way for nothing," Deaf Zhang said, his voice tinged with disappointment. "We didn't even find the entrance to the tomb..."

Ahead of us, Xie Kui chuckled, sniffing the air before addressing us. "This secret passage was merely an escape route for the craftsmen. How could there be a grand tomb entrance? After they fled, they simply covered up the exit to avoid detection by the authorities."

As he spoke, Xie Kui wielded his entrenching tool and soon unearthed a sizable hole. He gestured for us to stay put and shone his flashlight inside to assess the situation.

He then produced a phosphorous tube, tossing it into the pitch-black void. Rumor had it that this tube was made from the powdered bones of the dead, combined with the crushed remnants of Fire Velvet Red Grass, and could burn for an hour.

The phosphorous tube served not only as a source of light but also as a means to gauge air quality. In clean air, it would emit a blue glow, while the presence of toxins would turn the light red.

As the tube sailed into the darkness, a blue glow slowly illuminated the vast space. I breathed a sigh of relief, yet I was taken aback by the sheer size of the chamber. The light reached about ten meters in diameter, but the walls and ceiling remained shrouded in darkness, revealing only the black brick floor.

With a firm grip on his shovel, Xie Kui ventured in cautiously, clearly having learned from past experiences.

Once he was sure it was safe, Xie Kui signaled us with a wave. Second Master Lei gave a nod, and we proceeded into the chamber.

The dim glow of our flashlights revealed walls adorned with many pieces of armor and weapons, all heavily weathered. It was clear that these were relics of the Xianbei people.

"This is it, Murong Chui's tomb," Second Master Lei exclaimed with fervor. "To think, after seventeen years, I've returned...” In his eyes, I could see a singular focus: "Immortality."

"Second Uncle Lei, do you remember our current location in the underground palace?" I inquired.

Second Master Lei surveyed our surroundings, his eyes suddenly brightening. The agate walnut plate in his hands spun increasingly faster as he exclaimed with delight, "This appears to be the armory of the Xianbei people from the Later Yan Dynasty. We must be close to the Middle Hall! If that's true, then that's absolutely fantastic!"

"Are you suggesting that this way, we'll avoid a lot of unnecessary detours and might find Murong Chui's main tomb chamber sooner?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

"Not just avoid detours," Second Master Lei replied with enthusiasm, "but also steer clear of many perilous traps and mechanisms. Most importantly, we'll bypass the monster that lurks in the front hall... Now, let's make haste. We must reach the main tomb chamber while the sun is at its zenith. Once the afternoon hours set in, the underground palace will become treacherous."

We were about to head for the armory's entrance when suddenly, a bizarre noise arose from behind us. The air slowly began to reek of a pungent, fishy odor.