Mu Family Village

"Hello, Su Ge. My name is Zhu Wendong. Everyone calls me Dongzi. You can call me Little Dong or Dongzi."

Compared to the taciturn Cao Man, the machete-wielding Zhu Wendong was much more outgoing. He stepped forward to greet Su Ti, his tone extremely respectful. Though he was nearly thirty, he still called the clearly twenty-year-old Su Ti "brother."

That was because Su Ti's feat of taking on four people alone that day was still fresh in his mind. As a Tongli Stage martial artist, Zhu Wendong naturally knew just how powerful Su Ti was.

Though he did not know how many levels of internal training Su Ti had reached, a martial artist of that level could kill the lot of them at any time from this distance if he wished. That made moral character all the more precious.

When facing someone who could threaten your life at any moment, calling him brother was nothing. Even calling him grandpa would not be embarrassing!

"Mm, hello."

Su Ti nodded, while Xu Lao smilingly introduced the last person.

"This is Li Guang. We all call him Lao Li."

"Hello, hello."

Li Guang was Entrenching Tool Man. His face looked older than his age, and upon hearing Xu Lao's introduction, he hurriedly stepped forward to greet Su Ti.

Su Ti's gaze swept across the four of them. After their clash that day, he already had a rough idea of their strength. Cao Man and Zhu Wendong were both Tongli Stage martial artists and were likely the combat strength of this team.

Lao Li and Xu Lao, meanwhile, were both ordinary people and were probably "technical personnel."

After everyone had introduced themselves, Xu Lao did not waste time and went straight to the day's business.

"The place we're heading to is in Xia'an City. If we drive this morning, we should arrive by afternoon. We'll discuss the details on the way. Let's set off first."

Inside the moving SUV.

It was a seven-seater SUV with a high chassis, large wheels, and plenty of space.

Lao Li was driving, Zhu Wendong sat in the passenger seat, and Su Ti and the others sat in the back. The trunk was packed full of supplies—water, food, tents, and more. Clearly, Xu Lao and his group had completed their purchases before setting out.

"Xu Lao, we're on the road now. Can you tell me the details?"

Sitting in the back seat, Su Ti spoke to Xu Lao beside him.

"You can probably tell that I'm from the martial arts world. I don't know anything about tomb robbing or Evil Spirits, so before we take this risk, I'll need you to explain the relevant knowledge to me. That way, if anything happens, I won't be completely in the dark."

Su Ti was direct and did not beat around the bush with Xu Lao. This was a cooperative venture to begin with, and since he was entering unfamiliar territory, he naturally needed a great deal of information.

Xu Lao nodded.

"Of course. Even if you hadn't brought it up, Brother Su Xiu, I was planning to explain some things about Evil Spirits during the drive. It's always better to be prepared. If we really encounter one, we'll know how to deal with it."

"Since you asked first, I'll start from the beginning."

"The history of Evil Spirits can no longer be traced. What we do know is that they have appeared repeatedly throughout every dynasty since the dawn of human civilization. Yet ordinary people have never known of them, as they have always hidden away in dark corners."

"Our tomb-robbing trade generally believes that the emergence of Evil Spirits is closely tied to Yin Meridians. Yin Meridians produce Evil Spirits. That has become a common understanding."

Although Su Ti had heard Xu Lao mention Yin Meridians before, he was still curious when he heard the term again.

"Then what exactly is a Yin Meridian?"

Xu Lao stroked his beard and began to explain.

"You should know the principle that clear qi rises while turbid qi sinks. In this world, there is an ominous kind of energy called yin qi. Just as sunken ground gathers water, and a ley line that gathers water is called a water vein, a ley line that can gather yin qi is called a Yin Meridian. In modern scientific terms, you can think of it as an area where ominous negative-energy magnetic fields converge."

Xu Lao was quite up to date, even using science to explain how Yin Meridians were formed.

"Where there is a Yin Meridian, large amounts of yin qi will inevitably linger and accumulate. As that yin qi gathers, it gradually transforms dead objects and even living creatures, causing earth-shaking changes. The things ultimately formed are Evil Spirits!"

"There are countless kinds of Evil Spirits. Even I can't identify them all and only know a small portion. Broadly speaking, though, they can be divided into two types: ghosts and monsters."

"The difference is that ghosts are formless, while monsters have physical bodies. Ghosts are the sort people usually imagine—those intangible, immaterial ghosts you see in movies. Monsters are simpler to understand. The Corpse Puppet Worm you encountered last time was a monster-type Evil Spirit!"

Su Ti was taken aback.

"Formless and immaterial? If I really run into a ghost, wouldn't all my martial arts be useless? Since ghosts are formless and immaterial, do you have any Taoist methods or techniques for dealing with them?"

Xu Lao shook his head.

"There are no such methods. But don't worry, Brother Su Xiu. Based on my nearly forty years of tomb-robbing experience, ghosts actually aren't that frightening."

"Many ghosts and spirits are weak and can never leave the Yin Meridian for their entire existence. All they can bring humans is fear and hallucinations. They cannot cause any substantial harm. As long as your will is firm, you can resist their disturbances."

"And most importantly, Yin Meridians have yin qi, but living beings have yang qi. It is a positive-energy life magnetic field that everyone gives off. Ghosts fear people with powerful life magnetic fields most of all—those who are physically strong and full of vigorous blood and qi. A powerful martial artist like you is not someone ghosts would dare approach."

After finishing with ghosts, Xu Lao continued.

"The truly troublesome ones are monsters. They have physical bodies and all kinds of bizarre abilities. Encountering one in a tomb is extremely dangerous. It could even wipe out the entire group!"

As he said this, Xu Lao revealed a lingering look of fear, as if he had recalled some unpleasant memory. After a while, he came back to himself and said,

"I'll tell you more about ghosts and monsters later. The place we're heading to this time is a royal burial site from the Era of Hundred Kingdoms that I obtained by chance."

"This burial site was built atop a Yin Meridian, so the chance of Evil Spirits being born there is extremely high. If we truly encounter any, I hope Brother Su Xiu will lend us a hand. If this trip goes smoothly, we'll give you thirty percent of the profits without shortchanging you. Even if we find nothing, we'll guarantee Brother Su Ti two million as payment. And if combat really breaks out, we'll increase your share further."

"Sounds good."

For the rest of the afternoon, Su Ti listened to Xu Lao explain the tomb's circumstances and teach him about Evil Spirits. Time passed just like that.

After the SUV entered Xia'an City, it did not stop.

After resting briefly in Xia'an City and filling up the tank, Su Ti and the others set off again, heading into the mountain roads beyond the city.

Their destination for this trip was a place outside Xia'an City called Mu Family Village.

Mu Family Village was extremely remote. Even after society entered the modern age, it had received little economic support or development from the city government. It was simply an isolated little village deep in the mountains and forests.

As a result, while the first half of the road to Mu Family Village was still passable, though rough, it was at least paved with concrete. In the latter half, there were only mountain paths.

The road was also covered everywhere in mud and rocks, making it extremely difficult for vehicles to travel.

Su Ti finally understood why they had chosen such a high-horsepower, high-torque four-wheel-drive SUV. Without an off-road vehicle, an ordinary sedan or SUV simply could not travel on roads like these.

Yet even this SUV, with its high chassis and large wheels, could no longer continue after covering three-quarters of the journey.

The road ahead had been completely blocked by dense vegetation, making it impossible for the vehicle to pass.

With no other choice, they took out their prepared luggage, slung it over their backs, and continued on foot.

Lao Li carried an entrenching tool while Dongzi carried a machete, the two of them chopping branches and clearing a path through the mountains ahead.

The wilderness was heavy with moisture, and the mosquitoes and insects were terrifyingly numerous.

Fortunately, everyone had come prepared. Their clothes sealed tightly at the cuffs and pant legs, they wore mosquito-proof hats, and they had sprayed themselves with insect repellent.

Su Ti wore the same equipment provided by Xu Lao. As he moved along in the middle of the group, he listened to Xu Lao's introduction.

"According to historical records, after Mu Kingdom perished, many of its people migrated here. The present-day Mu Family Village consists of descendants of King Mu."

"Speaking of Mu Kingdom, its national strength during the Era of Hundred Kingdoms was fairly decent. It ranked around the middle to lower tier."

Xu Lao began recounting the history of the Era of Hundred Kingdoms. Su Ti casually picked at his ear. The original owner of this body had been a history major and was very familiar with history.

The Era of Hundred Kingdoms was, in truth, a period after the decline of the Qian Dynasty when feudal lords carved up the land and hundreds of states fought for supremacy.

There were simply too many states claiming territory and crowning themselves kings on the lands of Xia. The final count had surpassed three hundred, and that number continued to grow each year as relics were excavated. Thus, it came to be known as the Era of Hundred Kingdoms.

There were far too many feudal states, such as Zhou, Zhao, Li, Sun, and Quan. Kings and lords of that era were worth very little, while the histories of those states were convoluted and complex, making them extremely difficult to verify. Even historians did not dare claim that they knew every state from the Era of Hundred Kingdoms.

Besides, Su Ti was not a historian. He had no interest in the history of such insignificant states. All he cared about were the dangers they might encounter during this tomb-robbing expedition.

So, only half-listening to Xu Lao's account, Su Ti took out his phone and glanced at it. They had entered the deep mountains, and the signal had already disappeared.

However, before coming here that afternoon, he had specifically searched online for information about the village.

Glancing at the information on his phone, Su Ti spoke.

"I looked up Mu Family Village online. There was a major fire more than ten years ago. Most of those remaining in the village were elderly people, and many either burned to death or fled. The village seems to have been abandoned."

Xu Lao nodded slightly.

"That's right. So tonight, we'll camp at the old site of Mu Family Village. Tomorrow, we'll survey the location of King Mu's Tomb."

Xu Lao's role in this group was known in the trade as the Yin-Yang Eye.

This yin-yang was not the sort that meant he could see the world of yin and yang. Rather, tasks such as researching records, determining directions, locating tombs, and choosing excavation points were all handled by the Yin-Yang Eye. In terms of role, he was equivalent to a commander or strategist.

As for King Mu's Tomb, because it was located on a Yin Meridian and was too dangerous, Xu Lao had not dared enter after piecing together its location from ancient books and fragmented records. Thus, this was the first time any of them had come here.

The sky gradually darkened, and before they knew it, night had fallen.

In the pitch-black darkness, they held flashlights and compared their map, using machetes to clear the mountain path as they advanced toward Mu Family Village.

They had already been walking along this mountain path for two hours.

Finally, after cutting through the vines ahead with a single slash, they emerged from the dense brush.

The view before them suddenly opened up, and everyone let out a breath of relief. The endless mountain paths and vegetation had truly been stifling. Now that they had finally emerged, their moods lightened considerably.

But the sight that greeted them left them stunned.

Straight ahead, several houses built against the mountainside came into view, with faint lights shining from within.

Everyone froze at the sight.

"Didn't they say Mu Family Village was destroyed in the fire? Why are people still living here?"

This was not a good thing. They had come to dig up someone's ancestral grave. If they clashed with the local villagers, it would be extremely disadvantageous! They only wanted wealth and had no desire to kill anyone.

Everyone turned to Xu Lao. He was experienced, and they wanted to see what he would say.

"We're already here. We can't avoid them. Let's go up and take a look."

Xu Lao thought for a moment before answering.

They still needed to measure the tomb's location, open the burial chamber, and enter the tomb. It was a major undertaking, and they could not keep it hidden from the villagers.

Everyone nodded and headed toward the lights with their backpacks on.

As they drew closer, they discovered that there were many ruined old houses along the mountain path. All bore signs of having been burned, and they were now charred ruins.

The few houses with lights on showed obvious signs of renovation. They had been newly rebuilt.

Upon entering the area around the houses, Su Ti's nose twitched. He seemed to smell oil and grease, mixed with a faint stench, but the scent quickly vanished.

Since this was the countryside, he did not pay it much attention.

There were three lit houses in total, spaced rather far apart. For convenience, the group went straight to the first one and knocked on the door.

After a rustle of movement, the door opened, and an elderly woman with a wrinkled face poked her head out.

When she saw the group holding flashlights, obvious surprise appeared on her face.

"Who are you people?"

Her speech carried a heavy local accent, the rustic dialect unique to locals from mountain villages.

"Ma'am, we're tourists."

Xu Lao laughed heartily. As the brains of the group, he stepped forward to speak with the old woman. With his excellent negotiating skills, he quickly learned the village's current situation.

After that fire, many people in the village had burned to death. The young and middle-aged villagers who had survived also left the village to make a living elsewhere.

Only a few very elderly people remained behind in the village.

Those young and middle-aged villagers occasionally came back to bring the elderly food, clothing, and other supplies, taking care of their daily needs.

After learning this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

If there were too many young people, they would have worried about conflict. But if only a few old people remained in the mountain village, then there was nothing to worry about.

They could use tourism as an excuse to secretly survey the tomb's location, enter the tomb unnoticed, steal the treasures, and leave.

But their most urgent task was to gain the trust of the elderly villagers. Aside from surveying the tomb, they also needed a place to stay in the mountain village. Since they would be seeing these old people every day, earning their trust was extremely important.

Xu Lao was very skilled at this. He was fairly old himself and had common ground with these elderly people. After chatting for a while, he successfully earned the old woman's trust.

"It's so late. You can stay at my house for the night. Tomorrow, I'll introduce you to a few of my neighbors."

"Then we'll impose on you."

"It's no trouble, no trouble. I haven't seen outsiders come here in a long time. It's nice that you people came to keep an old woman like me company."

The old woman smiled warmly.

She opened the gate, and the group filed into the house one after another. After everyone had entered, the old woman looked around, suddenly revealed a strange smile, and closed the door.