Chapter 740: with translation of chapter title

Gu Jiu Ling knitted her brows tightly, as if refusing to believe it, she got up and darted back and forth under the water curtain several times, emerging unscathed.

Even Xiao Yin, who was watching her worriedly, was greatly astonished.

Ling Feng also furrowed his brows, wondering what was going on.

He pushed aside the guards behind him, raised his arm and probed toward the water curtain, then let out a muffled groan, covering his arm as he withdrew.

He saw his arm almost severed; the water curtain was like a sharp blade—Ling Feng merely swept it outward once, and his arm was already covered in gashes, blood instantly seeping out.

Everyone now looked at Gu Jiu Ling pitifully, wondering what kind of place this was.

Everything felt strange; even the exit was puzzling, making it likely hard for them to get out alive.

Ling Feng muttered a curse, suddenly thought of something, drew his sidearm and covered his arm with it, then swung again.

He didn't expect the sidearm to be uncorroded by the water, yet the splashing droplets still pierced several holes in his arm, making Ling Feng clutch his arm and stumble back in pain.

He dared not try again; if it were his head going through, he'd likely be decapitated—even blades couldn't stop it.

Gu Jiu Ling frowned fiercely; they had initially fallen from that high cliff, and the path they came by had already collapsed badly.

They had no way to go up; this was the only exit.

But now this exit seemed alive, actually recognizing people?

She could get out, but those behind her could not.

The only reason she could get out was likely because she had some advantage as a Murong royal bloodline descendant.

Others who are not of the Murong royal bloodline may have to stay here forever.

Thinking of this, Gu Jiu Ling suddenly recalled the countless corpses in the tomb passage, and her heart shuddered.

Perhaps those people didn't want to stay here as burial companions; they were forced to remain and be sacrificed.

"Really, seeing ghosts—what the hell is this?" Ling Feng exclaimed angrily.

Gu Jiu Ling stood before the water curtain, raised her hand, and caught the droplets in her palm.

The water in her palm looked no different from ordinary water.

She turned her back to Xiao Yin and the others, collected some, and placed them into the instruments in her own space.

To Xiao Yin and the others, Gu Jiu Ling looked like an old monk in meditation, standing there motionless.

The empress dowager always acted mysteriously, so these people had grown accustomed to it.

They didn't know what the empress dowager was thinking, and they dared not speak.

Knowing the empress dowager is very wise, she always comes up with some strange ideas.

Gu Jiu Ling quickly tested the water's composition, her heart gave a slight jump, and she discovered that the water contained some very strange microorganisms.

She never imagined that the water actually contained a large number of microorganisms resembling transparent skin-worms.

These microorganisms are extremely lethal; if they seep into human skin, they can quickly produce tremendous destructive power.

Yet the Murong royal bloodline naturally resists these strange microorganisms, so they cause Gu Jiu Ling no harm at all, whereas Xiao Yin and the others might not be so fortunate.

This result made Gu Jiu Ling tremble with anger, knowing what it meant.

Before Gu Jiu Ling could say anything, a faint laugh came from behind her—Xiao Yin's.

"Truly the Murong family's style."

"They made a simple matter so complicated, and in the end they were betrayed by their brothers, left isolated."

"Those people coveted the Murong family's wealth, and by chance ended up here; even if they took those treasures, they might not be able to get out."

Xiao Yin waved at Gu Jiu Ling: "Jiu Ling, come over."

Gu Jiu Ling, her mindset somewhat shattered by the mechanism before her, slowly walked back and sat beside Xiao Yin.

Before, they had climbed that long slope, and now they finally sat here peacefully; Xiao Yin raised his arm and pulled Gu Jiu Ling into his embrace.

"Forget it, my fate is thus."

"Since we've entered the Murong family's scheme, it can be considered repaying the blood debt owed to my Xiao ancestors; let it be atonement."

In the midst of their talk, Xiao Yin had already set life and death aside, then took out a jade token from his bosom and pressed it into Gu Jiu Ling's hand.

Only then did Gu Jiu Ling realize that the jade token concerning the nation's fate was actually carried on Xiao Yin's person.

Xiao Yin placed the jade token in Gu Jiu Ling's hand: "Take it; when you leave, deliver it to the Fu Xing pawnshop—the owner there will lead you to a place."

"Inside are the Southern Qi imperial seal and the Black Iron Token, which control all the forces I once established."

"Then find a way into the palace city and go to the Lake Heart Island to find Zhao Lang; he and his wife live there."

"No matter if it's your unrelated adoptive brother or other clueless people, as long as you hold military authority, no one can touch you."

"That Zhao Lang kid never wanted to be emperor; since we of the Xiao family seized the throne from your Murong family, I now return it to you through my hand."

"Jiu Ling," Xiao Yin's voice grew tender and tinged with pity: "No matter what, even if everyone thinks our two children met with misfortune, I always feel deep down that those two little ones are still alive."

"Hope you, after leaving here, venture into Mo Bei; if you don't find them in a year, try ten years, if not in twenty years, someday you'll find those two little ones."

"If possible, after a hundred years, pass the future throne to our foolish son; if you never find them, then you..."

Xiao Yin said this, his eyes rare with an indelible sorrow, then gave a bitter laugh: "You're so young; you'll eventually meet the one you love."

"Find several more imperial consorts, bear more children, and you won't be lonely in old age."

Gu Jiu Ling stared fixedly at Xiao Yin beside her, wishing she could wring his neck.

She clenched her teeth and sneered: "Your Majesty truly is considerate of your consort, arranging her entire life so clearly in such a short time."

"How did you know the consort likes handsome men? Your Majesty truly..."

As for the rest of the words, Gu Jiu Ling simply couldn't say them, her eyes red with anger.

Gu Jiu Ling rose, shoved Xiao Yin over in one motion, turned and stormed off angrily.

Ling Feng was also a bit anxious, but they themselves didn't really matter—after all, they were corpses cultivated from childhood, and dying anywhere made no difference.

These people had their lives tied to their waistbands; they had long seen through life and death.

Their master, having endured the Qi Sha Gu incident, had finally mustered his spirit and slowly crawled out of the mire.

Now that we finally have a result, I never expected to be trapped in this tomb.

For a moment, the atmosphere in the tomb passage turned icy and congealed to an extreme. Gu Jiu Ling raised her hand to touch the wall, and only with great effort did she calm her emotions. She turned and stared fixedly at Xiao Yin: "It's not that there's no way out; there's still another method?"