C85 Disloyalty

"Who's there?" Second Master Lei asked with a wary edge to his voice, clutching the agate walnut in his hand.

From outside, a gentle, feminine voice replied, "It's me, Xiaodieh."

Second Master Lei and I exchanged a look of surprise. He called out softly, "The door's unlocked. Come on in."

Xiaodieh agreed from the other side, unlocked the door, and stepped inside. As she came into view, both Second Master Lei and I were taken aback.

The Xiaodieh before us had cleansed herself of all the grime. She was no longer disheveled and dirty. Her appearance and demeanor had undergone such a transformation that she seemed like a completely different person.

Her skin was fair, and she had a pair of captivating, large eyes, exuding an elegance and purity like that of a lotus flower rising above the water.

"Don't you recognize me?" Xiaodieh asked with a smile that sent my heart racing and filled me with an inexplicable excitement.

I could hardly believe my eyes and stuttered, "You... Are you really Xiaodieh?"

"Of course, it's me," she replied with a smile, yet something seemed off to me.

Even though I had only known Xiaodieh for less than two days, during which she was buried and confined in a pitch-dark abandoned house, the Xiaodieh I remembered was nothing like the one standing before me now.

The Xiaodieh I knew was a lively and cheeky girl, but this Xiaodieh seemed mature, poised, and even a bit aloof and mysterious.

Oddly enough, this subtle change in her felt eerily familiar...

"Girl, your name is Xiaodieh, isn't it? Is your adoptive father the man known as 'Mad Dog' Old Eight, the Grave Robber?" Second Master Lei inquired abruptly.

Xiaodieh nodded and said with venom, "Yes, that vile creature who's less than a dog. Just hearing his name makes me sick!"

"Girl, I've been told about your past by Changsheng, and I truly sympathize with what you've been through. I can offer you some money and, with the connections of Lei's Brand, help you obtain a legitimate identity," Second Master Lei offered.

"That's fantastic!" I exclaimed, glancing at Xiaodieh with joy.

"Thank you," Xiaodieh replied, bowing deeply in appreciation. However, Second Master Lei interrupted her, adding, "Hold your thanks. My assistance comes with a condition. Given your impressive breath control, I suspect you're quite skilled in tomb raiding. We're planning to visit an ancient tomb soon. Would you care to join us?"

Without a moment's hesitation, Xiaodieh accepted. Second Master Lei gave a slight smile and said, "Excellent. You seem a bit weary. Go back to your room and rest. We'll fetch you when it's time to depart."

Xiaodieh nodded, turned, and left the room. Eager to continue our earlier conversation, I pressed Second Uncle Lei, "Could you elaborate on the incident from seventeen years ago? The ancient tomb my father and you explored back then—is it the same one we're heading to?"

"Yes, it's the very same tomb. But let's discuss this further once we're back at Lei's Brand. I don't have the map with me at the moment, making it difficult to give you a clear explanation," Second Master Lei explained.

"And what about the runes you mentioned earlier? What's the story there?" I inquired, raising my right hand.

"The black mark on your hand isn't a Taoist rune, nor is it Buddhist Sanskrit. It's a Shao rune."

"Shao... rune?" I asked, puzzled. I wasn't even sure how to write the characters he mentioned.

"After I left the ancient tomb seventeen years ago, I dedicated myself to deciphering the script on the hidden door. Eventually, I met a Pond Collecting Man who recognized the writing. He told me it was Shao script," Second Uncle Lei recounted, moistening his finger in his teacup and tracing the character for 'Shao' on the table.

"So, which nation does this Shao script originate from?" I inquired, my curiosity piqued.

To my surprise, Second Master Lei clarified, "It doesn't belong to any nation or religious script. It's a script for ghosts, a language meant for the deceased to read!"