Chapter 638: Snake Coils Around Turtle, Paper Figures Appear

Bang~ bang-bang!

"Midnight has arrived. Watch your candles."

The clapper sounded, and the entire Luoyang city fell silent.

Because yesterday's ghost market incident ended in death and involved the Commandant's Office, the entire city was under search, several local ruffians were even beaten to death in broad daylight, and coupled with the Paper Man Case, the populace was in a state of panic.

Tonight, as night fell, even the brothels and entertainment quarters shut their doors early.

Yet at this moment, Mangshan to the north of Luoyang had come alive.

Hoo~

The night wind howled mournfully, like a lament.

Although the light rain had long ceased, the sky remained overcast, with no star or moonlight, utterly dark.

In the darkness, the wind sounded as if something were whimpering.

Not long after, thick fog rose from the ground.

Elders often said: wind disperses fog; strong wind is the fog's enemy.

But now, the stronger the wind, the thicker the fog became.

These mists seemed to surge from fissures in the mountain, carrying the distinctive fishy stench of snakes, further blurring vision—this was the "Snake Mirage" triggered by the Su Hou Snake Pearl.

There were no shortage of Daoist practitioners cultivating on Mangshan.

This place was both a burial ground and a sacred Daoist site.

On Cuiyun Peak, Laozi and Zhang Tianshi had both secluded themselves to cultivate, earning the titles "Source of the Dao" and "Ancestral Temple"…

Pingfeng Mountain was once the ancestral seat of the Jiao clan, the maternal lineage of the Yellow Emperor; his Dragon Horse was buried here, known as the "Ancient Mound of the Dragon Horse"…

Shouyang Mountain, needless to say, was the highest peak within Shangshi's territory on Mangshan.

"At the first light of dawn, the sun's rays arrive first here"—hence the name Shouyang.

After the fall of the Shang, Boyi and Shuqi secluded themselves on Shouyang, refusing to eat Zhou grain, and starved to death…

One could say, Mangshan's legends stretch from ancient times to the present.

On the mountain stood not only Shangqing Palace, but also Lüzu Pavilion and Xiachqing Palace, along with various reclusive cultivators.

But first, Mangshan is not tall, yet vast in area, and far removed from other regions.

Second, the "Snake Mirage" possesses the ability to block Qi signatures, and with the night's cover, not a single Daoist on the mountain noticed.

Only Li Yan and his companions hid in the shadows, watching.

They saw the ruined stele of Jingling and the loess gullies vanish within moments beneath the thick fog.

The fog began as gray-white like cloth, then turned leaden.

Li Yan formed the Yang Seal with his fingers, his nostrils twitched slightly, and his expression grew grave.

Indeed, this time more scents had appeared.

He smelled the distinctive rotting-earth odor of tombs, mixed with copper rust and incense.

And a trace of blood.

Gradually, the entire vicinity of Jingling was completely shrouded in fog.

Even with their spiritual powers, none could sense any movement within.

"Ee-yaa~"

Suddenly, a strange wailing arose from within the fog.

Accompanied by the sound of musical instruments.

First came the ethereal xun flute, then gongs, drums, and bells.

Lu San heard it and immediately frowned, giving Li Yan a slight nod.

Li Yan instantly understood—it was Nuo music.

Someone inside was performing a ritual.

"It seems the elder's guess was correct."

He lowered his voice and nodded to Yin Jiuge beside him.

Yin Jiuge gave him a scowl. "Do you think an old man like me would lie to a child?"

Li Yan pretended not to hear and asked again: "We tried every method during the day but detected nothing. Yet it appears at night—do you know why?"

This question shifted Yin Jiuge's attention.

The hunchbacked old man said nothing, pulled out a Luo Pan from his robe, examined it, then mused: "In my view, this appears to be the 'Three Yin Locking Dragon Formation.'"

"The Northern Wei Jingling tomb was chosen at the convergence of 'Snake Coiling Around Turtle' on Mangshan. By day, the main ridge behind Pingfeng Mountain resembles Xuanwu, while the Yi River ahead forms the 'Black Snake Circling the Seal' pattern."

"Xu Fu used the turtle shell's earth Qi to suppress the resentment of the Six States. Every midnight, when yin energy peaks, the water veins steam into mist, combining with the Su Hou Snake Pearl to produce the 'Black Snake Spitting Tongue' phenomenon, revealing the underground palace…"

Though he explained, the old man clearly wasn't certain.

Li Yan frowned: "If it only appears at midnight, how has it remained hidden for a thousand years?"

"You ask me? How should I know?"

Yin Jiuge, displaying his old-child temperament, grew annoyed.

Beside him, Jin Yanfeng fell into thought: "Now that you mention it, I recall—when Zhao the Donkey showed me that bronze ding, its base bore snake and turtle patterns, while the top was carved with sun, moon, and stars. Could it relate to celestial phenomena?"

"Oh?"

Hearing this, Yin Jiuge quickly calculated with his fingers, then exclaimed in realization: "Qingming is approaching; Ziwei's position has shifted, and it must have an effect. If I'm not mistaken, the ceiling of the underground palace must be arranged in relation to the Twenty-Eight Mansions!"

His expression turned grave: "Xu Fu may be unscrupulous, but his methods are formidable. When we enter, you must follow my orders precisely—do not act rashly, or we'll both be trapped."

"Elder, rest assured." Li Yan nodded solemnly.

This expedition to the underground palace was not for direct assault, but to rescue someone first.

His concealment technique was exquisite, nearly identical to invisibility.

Yin Jiuge, as one of the Five Yin Sacrifices of the Spirit Sect, naturally possessed extraordinary abilities.

Even in his old age, his cultivation remained steady at the Fifth Story Realm.

Thus, during the day, they had planned: the two of them would enter first to rescue.

The others would wait outside as backup.

"Enough delay. Don't miss the timing."

Yin Jiuge spoke, then pulled a handful of soil from his waist pouch, formed a seal, muttered a few incantations, blew gently, and flung it sharply around him.

Instantly, dark winds surged, dust flew everywhere.

Yin Jiuge's figure vanished, leaving only a shallow depression on the ground.

What an exquisite earth concealment technique!

Li Yan silently praised him, then began his own concealment technique.

He formed the Zi-Wu Seal, curled his little finger sharply—and a straw-paper effigy flew out from his waist pouch.

"Black Emperor's Sacred Text, Tianpeng's Precious Talisman, command wind and fire, mountains collapse, trees wither, yin sinks to the nine earths, all generals march—swiftly, by the decree of the Great Emperor of Northern Yin, Fengdu!"

This was the Spirit General incantation of Fengdu Law.

It summoned the Eight Outer Altar Generals for simultaneous reinforcement.

Summoning the Eight Inner Altar Generals consumed immense energy—one was sufficient.

Hu!

As he chanted, dark winds spiraled behind him; the straw-paper effigy rose into the air, wreathed in black mist.

Amid the dust and wind, a faint black humanoid shadow appeared, with bird-shaped shadows on its arms.

The one he summoned was "Feiying Officer of Fengdu," General Wei.

General Wei, in the netherworld, was responsible for patrolling the Nine Underworlds, recording life and death, and summoning wronged spirits.

In speed, he ranked first among the Inner Altar Eight.

Moreover, he could simultaneously enhance detection abilities, extending the range.

Perfect for stealth reconnaissance.

Only then did Li Yan activate his Xuan Water Concealment.

His Xuan Water Concealment was already exquisite; with the Dragon-Snake Tablet and General Wei's power reinforcing him, he vanished entirely.

Not even a shallow footprint remained on the sandy soil.

"Boy, you've got skill. Follow me."

A muffled voice came from underground; a faint shadow swiftly moved toward Jingling.

Li Yan, now invisible and faster than ever, easily followed behind.

In an instant, both vanished into the fog.

Meanwhile, Wu Ba and the others began preparing.

Lu San directed Shu Da and Shu Er to gather all nearby rats…

Long Yan waved her sleeve, and fine, sesame-sized Gu insects slipped silently into the fog…

Wu Ba, meanwhile, disassembled his tiger-crouching cannon and replaced the cartridge.

Watching their orderly movements, Jin Yanfeng couldn't help speaking: "Gentlemen, aren't you worried about Li Shaoxia?"

Lu San glanced at him coolly. "If anything happens, we storm in."

"Hehe~"

Wu Ba grinned, patting the tiger-crouching cannon.

Seeing that terrifying weapon, Jin Yanfeng's scalp prickled, and he gave a thumbs-up…

…………

The night was pitch black, and within the thick fog, nothing could be seen.

If an ordinary person entered, they would immediately feel as if falling into the Nine Heavens of Darkness.

With Wei Yuan Shuai 's power bolstering him, Li Yan regained a fraction of his spiritual abilities, allowing him to detect movements a hundred meters away even within this terrifying "Snake Mirage," and since he was already familiar with the terrain, he unknowingly walked ahead.

Suddenly, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, and he lightly tapped the ground with his foot.

Thump. Thump. The sound was faint, but Yin Jiuge immediately stopped.

"Hee-hee-ha-ha…"

From within the thick fog, an eerie laugh suddenly echoed.

Then, Yidaodao green ghostly flames leapt up and down, approaching from the left.

These ghostly flames moved swiftly, and in mere moments, the surrounding fog turned green.

A procession emerged from the fog.

At the front were armored soldiers, dressed like stage actors.

Behind them were pallbearers clad in black robes, their chests marked with large characters reading "Longevity."

Their faces were all snow-white like plaster, twisted into strange smiles, with rouge painted on their cheeks.

Even stranger, these pallbearers were carrying a coffin.

The coffin was crafted from fine nanmu wood, coated in vermilion lacquer and gilded with dragons and phoenixes.

It looked brand new, yet the bottom was already rotten, oozing corpse oil drop by drop.

Li Yan pressed his right hand against his sword hilt but stood motionless, watching coldly.

These things were clearly outer defenses.

The creaking of joints—like bamboo slats rubbing together—must be the paper men recently ravaging Luoyang; they appeared human only because of the "Snake Mirage's" illusions.

If startled into action, those inside would surely notice immediately.

Sure enough, as these things drew near, their forms rapidly changed, reverting to paper men.

And Li Yan finally understood the secret behind "paper men carrying a coffin."

Though the paper men seemed fragile, their spines and legs were pierced through by iron bars shaped like the character " Ren."

On the vermilion coffin were tiny holes, no larger than mung beans.

Transparent spider silk threaded through these holes, winding around the iron bars and connecting all the paper men.

It wasn't "paper men carrying a coffin"—the coffin was controlling the paper men.

Seeing this, Li Yan exhaled in relief.

He'd thought so: even the Profound Heaven Sect's Fengdu Art couldn't make paper men lift heavy objects; how could this heretical trick possibly achieve such power?

Still, this thing was astonishing enough.

Who knew what monster lay inside the coffin—the spider silk's hardness rivaled steel.

Soon, the pair of paper men vanished from view.

Li Yan bent down and whispered, "Senior, do you recognize that thing?"

"It's a Five-Colored Corpse Spider."

A muffled voice came from underground: "The 'Youyang Zazu' records that the Five-Colored Spider is as large as a cart wheel; its silk is as tough as iron, and anyone who touches it turns to blood. Its threads take on the five directions' colors, appearing and disappearing, invisible to mortals."

"This is an ancient strange insect. Qin and Han alchemists often refined them to guard tombs. I once saw one in Guanzhong. It prefers darkness and shuns light; fierce fire can destroy it."

"This method has long been lost—it must have been left behind in the underground palace, now subdued by Wang Xuanmo."

"So that's it."

Li Yan suddenly understood.

Ancient strange insects were always bizarre; some weren't even recorded in the 'Classic of Mountains and Seas,' like the 'Qin Insect' he helped Long Yan capture—utterly beyond reason, exceedingly rare in this age.

Qin and Han alchemists, employed by the court, loved crafting such things.

The 'Red-Haired Red-Faced One' I saw in Guanzhong before were also tomb-guarding secrets.

Not long after, two more pairs of paper men appeared.

But now that they knew their origin, they were no longer startling.

Li Yan and the others didn't bother engaging them, waiting until they passed before continuing forward.

Finally, they saw the Northern Wei Jingling Tomb again.

The Northern Wei Jingling Tomb did not hold an ordinary emperor, but the famed Emperor Xiaowen of Wei, Yuan Hong.

During his reign, he promoted full Sinicization, moved the capital to Luoyang, and changed Xianbei surnames to Han ones.

Though his reforms caused unrest and indirectly triggered the Six Garrisons Rebellion, they laid the foundation for ethnic integration in Shenzhou and the later Tang Dynasty's golden age; Sima Guang's 'Zizhi Tongjian' called him "Wei's only virtuous ruler," truly achieving great merit and leaving his name in history.

But this emperor likely never imagined that the tomb he chose was built atop the suppressed ghosts of the Qin Palace, and that the grand yin palace he had spent the state's resources constructing had long been looted into ruin, his bones nowhere to be found.

Emperor Xiaowen's Sinicization meant the Jingling Tomb fully adopted Han-style tomb architecture.

Dome ceilings, sloping tomb passages—all were present.

Li Yan had already visited during the day and knew the interior had collapsed, leaving nothing inside; he stopped and looked around, then whispered, "Senior, where's the entrance?"

"Follow me."

The underground voice replied, and faint traces moved forward.

Li Yan followed closely, soon circling to the rear left of the Jingling Tomb.

Here, the slope remained, but between two massive stones, thick fog churned into a vortex.

"Go in!"

Yin Jiuge spoke, then charged into the fog vortex.

Seeing this, Li Yan was startled.

He had spiritual senses—he saw clearly.

Behind the fog vortex was still solid stone, only cracks between broken rocks.

He couldn't perform earth-transcendence—how could he enter?

But Yin Jiuge had already vanished; Li Yan had no choice but to press forward.

Soon, he sensed something strange.

The fog seemed to form a passage: behind him was stone, yet he passed straight through, as if entering a cave.

Here, the "Snake Mirage" was stronger.

Gales howled, carrying thick fog that slammed into him; the stench of snakes made his head spin, nearly breaking his concealment technique.

The passage twisted and turned, like a giant serpent writhing its way out.

Left, right, downward—it descended about a hundred meters.

The fog and gales vanished; before him, light suddenly blazed.

Li Yan looked up—and froze in shock.

Before him stood a vast stone cavern.

They had emerged from midway, standing on a stone platform.

Above, twenty-eight massive meteorites were arranged according to the Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions.

At the center, where Ziwei Star should be, white mist churned, as if a pearl emitted a pale glow, illuminating the swirling, writhing white mist like a giant white serpent suspended overhead.

"The Twenty-Eight Lunar Mansions meteorites, the Sui Hou's Eye Pearl—I was right…"

A withered voice came from beside him—it was Yin Jiuge, having dispelled his earth-transcendence, now pasted a paper man to his head, his form faint and elusive.

But Li Yan paid no attention to the old man's boasting.

The hook-scroll in his arms grew hot again…

(End of Chapter)