Coffin at the Crossroads

The large black hole is located in the very center of the lake bottom.

On the surface, there was nothing unusual. Because it was nighttime and only moonlight was available, it was pitch black inside.

"It's unbelievable that a skeleton could plug up this hole," Xu Bai muttered to himself, stroking his chin.

Although it seems unbelievable, it would be quite normal in this world, since not everything can be explained by past life experiences.

"Shall we go down and take a look now?" Qin Feng asked.

Ever since the large black hole appeared, Chu Yu had been hiding behind Xu Bai, peeking out to look Zhang Wang. Once she saw the large black hole, she kept staring at it without looking away.

Qin Feng asked Xu Bai if he wanted to go down. Chu Yu finally realized what was going on, gritted her teeth, and decided to finally speak out her true feelings.

"Young Master, I sense something is wrong here." Chu Yu hesitated, glancing at Xu Bai's face while turning to look at the large black hole.

Xu Bai had originally planned to go down directly, but after hearing what Chu Yu said, he frowned and turned his gaze to Chu Yu.

Something's not right.

Chu Yu's words just now left him somewhat puzzled.

In fact, Chu Yu has always acted carefree and extremely curious about everything, but now Chu Yu's behavior is completely the opposite.

Why does it make me nervous? It was pitch black all around, and under the moonlight, Chu Yu scratched her head, confused, and said, "How can I describe it? I just feel extremely disgusted. I feel disgusted. Just looking at this black hole makes me feel uncomfortable all over."

As she spoke, Chu Yu also gestured.

Upon hearing Chu Yu's description, Xu Bai frowned.

Others may not know Chu Yu's identity, but he knows it perfectly well.

Chu Yu is the daughter of Rising Dusk King, in other words, she is also a member of the royal family.

Chu Yu's unusual behavior now makes Xu Bai unconsciously think of the royal family, especially the one in the Capital City.

He still remembered the bet that Rising Dusk King had made.

If I resolve the matter here, then the emperor will not interfere in the vastness of the world.

If the problem isn't resolved, the emperor will fight with Rising Dusk King for it, and what he'll fight for is, of course, his.

Sometimes Xu Bai wondered what he had done to earn such high regard from the emperor, but he couldn't give up his dream of being a lazy bum.

Moreover, once this matter is settled, Yunlai Prefecture will be completely under our control, bringing numerous benefits.

It was supposed to be a good thing, but seeing Chu Yu's behavior today, he couldn't help but have more doubts.

Although the emperor was far away, his shrewdness and cunning could not be measured by distance.

Don't forget how the Eighth Prince died—step by step falling into the Emperor's trap, becoming the price for rescuing Rising Dusk King.

Could someone who can become emperor be lacking in wisdom? The more Xu Bai thought about this, the more cautious he became.

Despite repeated questioning, Chu Yu only repeated that she uttered nothing more than that she loathed this place.

"Brother Xu, it's getting late." Yun Zihai noticed that Xu Bai was lost in thought and couldn't help but remind him.

They all heard what Chu Yu said, but they had no clues and no way to guess.

Xu Bai snapped out of his daze, looked at the black hole in front of him, and said, "Let's go."

Despite having thought so much, I still have to look at the clues right in front of me.

Without further hesitation, the group jumped off the edge of the lake.

The lake bottom was damp and the soil was loose. Because the lake water had just been stirred up, it was very sticky to walk on.

When Xu Bai and his group got closer, they were able to see the full picture of the black hole.

The dark opening finally became somewhat clear under the moonlight.

Inside the cave entrance is a downward-sloping staircase. Due to the narrowness of the entrance, one cannot see anything deeper inside, only the first few steps.

"There must be a separate space underground, complete with a staircase. It seems someone built it, but I don't know who did," Yun Zihai said after looking around several times.

Xu Bai, of course, noticed it too. He stroked his chin and looked at Chu Yu again, asking, "Do you feel anything more?"

Chu Yu stared intently at the stairs. After hearing Xu Bai's words, she shook her head. "Just like at the beginning, it's really annoying here."

An indescribable sense of irritation.

It's more annoying than a woman's period.

Chu Yu could sense that this irritation seemed to be an instinctive aversion, making her feel uncomfortable all over.

"You don't know the reason either?" Xu Bai looked at Qin Feng and said, "You're his cousin, you should know, right?"

Qin Feng also shook his head and said, "I don't feel disgusted. Besides, my cousin has been here since she was born... We've only met a few times."

When Qin Feng was about to say that Chu Yu had been in the Imperial Palace, he saw Yun Zihai there and held back.

Since Xu Bai didn't get what he wanted, he simply stopped asking and changed the subject, saying to Chu Yu, "If anything unusual happens later, you must tell us immediately."

Chu Yu nodded vigorously, indicating that she understood.

With everything prepared, the group exchanged glances, and Yun Zihai prepared to lead the way.

Xu Bai didn't say anything about this.

The second is Qin Feng, the third is Chu Yu, and the last is Xu Bai.

The strongest guards were positioned both in front and behind, while Qin Feng and Chu Yu, in the second and third positions, could provide timely support.

After all, this hole can only accommodate one person at a time. If it were a bit wider, it would be easier to arrange things. But for now, this is the only optimal solution we can use to solve the problem.

As for who is stronger Yun Zihai and Qin Feng, Qin Feng simply raised his hand, indicating that he could not beat Yun Zihai.

In Xu Bai's opinion, whether or not this guy could win was another matter; in fact, his second-place position was more about protecting Chu Yu.

As the group entered the narrow passage, the sticky feeling on the ground disappeared.

The passageway was paved with stone slabs and was clean and tidy. Because it was located at the bottom of the lake, the air was slightly damp.

The dark, narrow, and damp passage always made Xu Bai think of other things.

The journey went smoothly, with Yun Zihai leading the way and playing a very good role.

There were no lights in the passage, but Yun Zihai wrote a few words with a wave of his hand. As the words landed on the book in his left hand, the pages slowly floated up, emitting a hazy light that illuminated the area.

Xu Bai also took this opportunity to survey his surroundings.

The walls of the passage were smooth and delicate, and there was no roughness at all when you touched them.

"Everything here seems meticulously crafted, even the walls are exquisitely detailed," Xu Bai said, rubbing his chin.

Even an ordinary passageway was filled with exquisite detail, and Xu Bai thought that the things inside must be extraordinary.

The further they went in, the farther they were from the ground.

The stairs go down at an angle, and they are now heading underground.

The group didn't exchange many words and proceeded cautiously. After walking for a while, they finally noticed something different.

The surrounding walls were no longer smooth, but had varying degrees of undulations and protrusions. Xu Bai leaned against the wall and, by the light from the book, saw through the trick.

The varying degrees of protrusions and undulations come together to slowly form a picture; the carvings on the wall are exquisite reliefs.

"I feel like I've seen this somewhere before." Qin Feng looked at the picture and fell into deep thought.

The relief depicts a bustling scene with many people performing various actions. In addition to the people, there are also various house designs around, making it look like a picture of a prosperous era.

Like the walls, the reliefs are exquisitely detailed. The figures on the reliefs are depicted with great care, and their expressions are lifelike, all showing joy and excitement, creating a lively scene.

"Isn't this the street next to the Prefectural Office?" Xu Bai said.

He realized that the carvings on the wall depicted the street next to the Yunlai Prefecture Prefectural Office.

He often passed by there and had memorized many of the buildings, including several iconic structures that looked exactly the same.

Not only that, but also the pedestrians, including the vendors hawking their wares on both sides of the street, are all depicted in the relief.

"And here, this is another street," Yun Zihai added, pointing to the relief sculpture next to him.

"This road seems to be the place I passed by when I was fishing before. I even bought a fishing rod in this shop," Qin Feng said, looking at another relief.

Chu Yu asked in confusion, "Even the shop where I often sell steamed buns has them, but why are these reliefs carved in this passageway?"

No one answered his question, because none of the people present understood it either. The scene unfolding before them was too bizarre, and without any clues, they could only watch the spectacle.

"Let's keep going in; maybe the answer will come later," Xu Bai said.

The group nodded, knowing that they wouldn't get any useful information just by lingering and watching, so they stopped and continued walking deeper into the area.

The passageway was dark, but the presence of light always made people feel somewhat comfortable.

The further they went in, the more mysterious it seemed to them.

The number of reliefs on the walls increased, and the scenes depicted also increased.

As they walked, they suddenly realized that they had already seen many streets in Yunlai Prefecture.

"Nothing was missed, even more detailed than what I saw in person." Yun Zihai turned his head, his face serious.

Xu Bai raised his hand, touched the wall, then rubbed his fingers that had just touched the wall, and the corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

The latest relief I saw felt slightly rough to the touch, not as smooth as the one I saw later, and there was some powder in the gaps between the reliefs.

"It seems that the previous prefecture was quite busy with some projects. Judging from the marks on this relief, it's the latest one, and they only finished it recently," Xu Bai said.

"Go on, I really want to see what kind of fancy things they're up to."

The staircase at the bottom of the lake, the passageway in the staircase, and the reliefs on the walls on both sides of the passageway.

The reliefs also depict the state of Yunlai Prefecture with remarkable accuracy. The latest reliefs also show new workmanship, proving that they did not stop carving even at the last moment.

Xu Bai initially thought it was something left over from a very ancient time, but after seeing its latest state, he realized that this thing was completely arranged by the mastermind behind the scenes.

"Let's keep going," Xu Bai said after thinking for a moment.

The best course of action now is to delve deeper into the area, as this will uncover more clues.

The group nodded and quickened their pace along the passage.

They walked for half an hour.

When Yun Zihai was at the forefront, stopped, Xu Bai looked in that direction.

"Brother Xu, trouble is brewing," Yun Zihai said with a wry smile.

This passage was originally only meant for one person at a time, but after Yun Zihai finished speaking, he stepped aside, revealing the situation behind him.

At the end of this passage are four forks, each extending in one of the four directions.

The extended passage no longer leads downwards, but becomes a flat road.

There are no stairs, and no going up or down, just four flat roads.

"A fork in the road?" Xu Bai glanced at it.

Because of the additional branching points, the space is relatively open.

Xu Bai walked closer and looked at each fork in the road, but couldn't figure out what was going on.

The branched-off passageway stretched as far as the eye could see, and there was nothing unusual about it.

"Is this a signal for us to split up?" Yun Zihai pondered.

The group looked at each other in bewilderment.

They are no longer playing house; they are in unknown danger.

When combined, they can lead to a huge improvement.

Separation would double the danger.

The problem is that if the four of them don't separate and remain in this state, it will take a lot of time.

The biggest problem is that it takes time.

After all, they didn't know if the person behind the scenes had already arrived. If they wasted time here, they would give the enemy an opportunity.

"How about we split up?" Chu Yu said, Zhang Wang around.

Before he could finish speaking, Qin Feng refused.

"Absolutely not." Qin Feng said seriously, "I have to be with my cousin. My main concern is to protect her safety."

Although Xu Bai pulled him onto the boat, he still didn't forget his own business.

The prerequisite for helping is that Chu Yu's safety can be protected.

If he can't do it, he'll definitely change his mind.

Xu Bai glanced at Qin Feng and said, "Don't make such a fuss. Who said we were going to split up?"

If anyone else had said that, Qin Feng would have definitely refuted it.

When Xu Bai said this, Qin Feng remained silent, only looking at him with a puzzled expression.

After all, Qin Feng was defeated by Xu Bai at the lakeside, so he had no intention of arguing now.

"Brother Xu, do you have a solution?" Yun Zihai asked, slightly curious.

In Yun Zihai's view, there was no other way to deal with the current situation except to split up and act separately.

Therefore, after hearing Xu Bai's words, Yun Zihai also wanted to know what Xu Bai's method was.

Xu Bai pointed to the leftmost road and said, "Let's go this way together."

Yun Zihai was slightly taken aback. "But if that's the case, we'll have wasted our time."

Chu Yu and Qin Feng nodded in agreement, confirming that what Yun Zihai.

"Brother Yun, you need to understand one thing," Xu Bai said. "Everything must be done under the premise of safety. In the entire Yunlai Prefecture, there are only four of us who can fight. If something unexpected happens, we will be at the mercy of others. Of course, under the premise of safety, what we need to do is to compress the time as much as possible."

"How can we reduce the time?" Yun Zihai asked.

Xu Bai's statement was correct; what they needed to do was indeed to reduce the danger.

What Ke Yun Zihai was concerned about was the second half of what Xu Bai said.

How to compress the time is the most important question.

Xu Bai pointed to one of the paths and said, "We'll all go down this path. Then, you two can use your Flying Sword Technique to explore the other two paths. You should be able to sense them."

He was speaking to Chu Yu and Qin Feng in the second half of his sentence.

Chu Yu was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. After she came to her senses, she thought about it carefully and nodded, saying, "It's feasible. As long as it doesn't exceed the maximum distance of the Divine Essence, there won't be any problem."

Qin Feng was equally stunned. "Flying Sword Technique can be used like this?"

Since he started using Flying Sword Technique, he has only ever used them to kill people; this is the first time he has used them to explore Flying Sword Technique area.

"Everything should be used flexibly. If I can break the deadlock instantly, I'll even let you make me break a boulder on my chest in public," Xu Bai said.

"But there's still a problem," Qin Feng said again. "Our Divine Essence also has its limits. If we exceed the limit distance of the Flying Sword Technique, it might become ineffective."

Both he and Chu Yu were fifth-rank experts, but they also had their limits.

If the distance is too far, then we have no choice but to give up.

"If it exceeds the limit, then so be it. At least it will reduce the chances." Yun Zihai explained, then looked at Xu Bai: "Brother Xu, am I right?"

Xu Bai nodded, a matter-of-fact expression on his face, and said, "This is a test of time compression. If it fails, then so be it. There's no need for us to take any risks."

The words may be rough, but the principle is sound. Although Xu Bai explained it clearly, everyone else understood as well.

Yun Zihai, "If it were a pedantic person here, they would probably be jumping up and down in anger."

In fact, Xu Bai's actions were somewhat like self-preservation, but they were also self-preservation with reason.

After all, they are currently the only known people capable of solving the problem, and if danger arises, the person behind the scenes will be unrestrained.

"If someone else were here and opposed me, I would turn around and leave," Xu Bai said with a smile.

"Then let's give it a try." Yun Zihai looked at Qin Feng.

Qin Feng agreed, made a sword incantation, and manipulated the long sword on his back.

When he was about to take control, he suddenly realized something was wrong.

It was one thing for Xu Bai to give orders—after all, he was a defeated opponent—but why was Yun Zihai giving orders to him? "These two are both very strange," Qin Feng muttered to himself.

Not only Xu Bai was strange, Yun Zihai was also strange. Just now, for no apparent reason, he made me do what he wanted.

Of course, just because Qin Feng didn't say it doesn't mean Chu Yu wouldn't.

Chu Yu tilted her head and looked at Yun Zihai with a puzzled expression. "I feel... your aura has changed."

These words surprised Yun Zihai slightly.

He looked around but couldn't see anything unusual. He said in surprise, "I haven't changed at all."

As he spoke, he turned to Xu Bai and asked the same question, "Brother Xu, what have I changed about me?"

Xu Bai laughed and said, "Nothing has changed, Chu Yu. Let's begin. Don't delay any longer."

Chu Yu responded with an "oh," and upon seeing Xu Bai, she didn't say anything. Instead, she circulated her Divine Essence and manipulated her flying sword.

She and Qin Feng each controlled one of the weapons and flew towards the two passages respectively.

Two of the four passages are already occupied. Once they enter one more, there will only be one left.

As for the last one, we'll just leave it as is, since we don't have enough manpower to spare.

Once the flying sword disappeared into the distance, the group did not hesitate and headed towards the leftmost cave entrance.

Xu Bai stepped into the passage and found nothing unusual. He lifted his foot and walked forward, with Yun Zihai and the others beside him.

Everyone was proceeding cautiously, but Xu Bai, staring at Yun Zihai's back, was thinking about other things.

Chu Yu just said that he felt something was off about Yun Zihai. Others might take it as a joke, but he didn't think so.

Before coming in, he had already told Chu Yu that if there were any unusual situations or feelings, she should speak up immediately. Now that Chu Yu had spoken up, it couldn't be treated as a trivial matter.

Moreover, when Chu Yu said she felt something was wrong, he also looked at Yun Zihai and sensed something unusual as well.

It was hard to pinpoint exactly what it felt like, but something felt very off. Yun Zihai's aura was different at this moment. Besides his pale face, his aura had become somewhat sharp.

However, he didn't say anything, but let things develop as they were, since the difference in aura alone couldn't explain anything wrong.

As he walked, Xu Bai pondered and carefully examined all the circumstances within the passage.

"First of all, there are the reliefs in the passageway. They depict the landscape of Yunlai Prefecture, and even the common people are included. Although they are not very complete, a part of them are still depicted."

"Secondly, there's Chu Yu's feeling. Why does she have an aura of disgust?"

"Finally, there's Yun Zihai. Why has his aura become even more fierce?"

Three scenarios, three mysteries.

After thinking for a moment, Xu Bai discovered some clues.

Leaving aside the flaws of Yun Zihai and Chu Yu, that map, if sorted out completely, seems to have some order.

"Starting from the Prefectural Office, only some corresponding streets were actually drawn, but the more remote the place, the more complicated the carvings on the walls became, as if they were avoiding the Prefectural Office. But why avoid the Prefectural Office?"

Xu Bai raised his head, as if he had thought of something, but he didn't say it.

When something is not yet confirmed as a fact, it's a waste of time to talk about it; it needs to be verified. And then comes the verification process.

"Heh, the reliefs carved inside the passageway probably aren't meant for us," Xu Bai thought to himself.

Thinking this, Yun Zihai, who was walking at the front, made a sound.

"We've reached the end," Yun Zihai said, turning his head.

Ahead, the passage had come to an end, blocked by mud, with no way forward.

Xu Bai approached, raised his hand, touched the dirt on the wall, and smiled.

"This is new soil. I think you two can withdraw your flying swords now. If I'm not mistaken, every road is blocked," Xu Bai said.

New soil?

Yun Zihai group were slightly taken aback, then stepped forward to check and found that it was indeed the case.

"If that's the case, then someone deliberately blocked the road," Qin Feng said.

"At the beginning, we all forgot the most important question: the other side might just want to stop us." Xu Bai said slowly, "The more we try to stop them, the more they expose their existence."

At this point, Xu Bai pointed to the soil in front of him and slowly uttered two words.

"Start smashing it."

Since we're going to block them, then they should keep moving forward. We have to do the opposite, because the more we try to block something, the more interesting it is.

The new discovery naturally excited everyone.

Without hesitation, the group began to act.

Qin Feng and Chu Yu retrieved their flying swords, and then they each used their skills to begin digging into the soil in front of them.

Not long ago, the four of them worked together to hollow out a lake, let alone this soil.

The soil in front of me began to disappear rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye.

After digging for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the soil in front of them collapsed completely.

Beyond this passage lies a large open space.

There was no one in the space, nor was there anything else.

"There's no one here." Chu Yu touched her long, black hair.

"Find it," Xu Bai said.

The group began searching along this space.

Although the space was large, it was mostly empty. Soon, Xu Bai found something in the soil.

A white hue emerged from the soil they had broken through.

Xu Bai pulled out his Ghost-Head Saber, pried open the soil, and saw the whole thing underneath.

—Paper figure.

A tattered paper figure is lying in the mud.

The paper figure is holding a paper shovel in its hand.

There was still dirt on the paper shovel, which clearly indicated that the passage had been sealed off by paper figures.

"Paper figures, the Chen Family."

Upon seeing this scene, Yun Zihai frowned.

The Chen Family had always been on their list of suspects and were under close surveillance, and the paper dolls were the Chen Family's specialty.

"It seems that, as I've observed, the other side can no longer hold back the exposure of this lake," Xu Bai said, looking at the paper figure in front of him.

Blocking their path beforehand was to delay them.

Xu Bai turned his head and looked behind him.

Next to the exit, there are three more openings, clearly indicating that the previous three forks in the road all lead here.

"Why do all four roads lead to the same destination?" Yun Zihai.

"Of course there's a reason," Xu Bai said mysteriously. "My guess seems to be about to be confirmed."

"Oh?" Yun Zihai, "Brother Xu, what's your guess?"

Xu Bai's appearance drew curious glances from both Qin Feng and Chu Yu.

"Young Master, stop keeping me in suspense." Chu Yu came up to Xu Bai Xu Bai tugged at his sleeve.

Xu Bai laughed and said, "I've always suspected that this place has a lot to do with the reliefs in the passage. I saw before that the reliefs in the passage were newly made, but even an idiot wouldn't make reliefs for others to see."

"Have you ever thought about whether they might dig tunnels all over the entire Yunlai Prefecture? Those reliefs are more like maps corresponding to each tunnel."

"The reliefs are not for others to see, but for our own people. After all, the underground is different from the outside world, and only reliefs from the outside world can reflect it."

The fact that the reliefs connecting each street are depicted so vividly explains this point perfectly.

The four paths we just saw all lead to the same destination. If they weren't tunnels, then it would be pointless and unnecessary.

However, Xu Bai still had two things he didn't understand: what was the connection between this place and Yun Zihai and Chu Yu?

Yun Zihai's demeanor changed, and Chu Yu felt disgusted, indicating that this place was related to them.

However, Xu Bai did not say it aloud, but instead prepared to continue searching for clues.

"What's the point of them digging so many tunnels?" Qin Feng asked.

Xu Bai shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe it's for a sneak attack, or some other purpose, but it's definitely not for anything good."

Everyone fell silent.

"Brother Yun, it's time to close the net and deal with the Chen Family." Xu Bai said, "After this night, that person named Red Dust must know that she has been exposed, so we can't keep fishing."

Since they dared to send someone from the Chen Family, Red Dust must have made some preparations; this fish is not easy to catch.

At the end of this space, there is another passage, which is obviously where the Chen Family family escaped.

"Chase!" Xu Bai said without hesitation, heading straight in that direction.

The group exchanged glances and followed behind Xu Bai.

Along this road, the group traveled almost non-stop.

There were no more forks in the road, and no one blocked our way; the journey was smooth and unimpeded.

As Xu Bai walked, he noticed a faint light not far ahead.

"Are we nearing the end?"

Upon seeing this glimmer of light, the group quickened their pace.

Soon, the light at the exit grew brighter and brighter.

As everyone filed out of the exit, it was as if a new village had appeared after a dark period of darkness.

This is a huge cave with dozens of luminous pearls hanging on the walls. The light we just saw was from these pearls.

Under the illumination of the luminous pearl, the ground below shimmered with light.

Countless coffins were lined up one after another, in a bustling and orderly fashion.

The luminous pearl shone brightly, and under its illumination, the coffin appeared somewhat eerie.

At that moment, Xu Bai suddenly grabbed Yun Zihai's shoulder.

Yun Zihai turned his head blankly, not understanding what was going on.

"Take it easy," Xu Bai said.

Only after Xu Bai finished speaking did Yun Zihai realize what was happening.

A unique and sharp aura was rising from Yun Zihai.

If Yun Zihai was a gentle and refined scholar before, then Yun Zihai now is a sword, a sword with a cold, gleaming light.

The aura was so strong that even Yun Zihai could feel it.

"Why am I like this?" Yun Zihai looked down, feeling incredulous.

On the other hand, Chu Yu's condition was different.

The innocence and naivety in Chu Yu's eyes vanished, replaced by endless disgust.

"So annoying, so annoying!" Chu Yu rubbed her forehead, unable to control herself at all.

Xu Bai then walked to Chu Yu's side and patted Chu Yu's shoulder.

Chu Yu grabbed Xu Bai's arm with her other hand, looking completely bewildered. "Xu Bai, I can't control myself."

At this point, Chu Yu stopped calling him "Young Master."

Xu Bai patted Chu Yu's head and said, "Perhaps, everything will be revealed here."

His gaze shifted to the coffins, and he slowly walked up to them.

There were no words on the coffin, nor was there a tombstone here.

When Xu Bai approached, Chu Yu Xu Bai grabbed his arm and followed him forward.

The closer Chu Yu got to the coffin, the more disgusted she became.

"Brother Xu, I have a special feeling, that is, to open these coffins." Yun Zihai said, his fierce aura surging out uncontrollably.

On the other side, Chu Yu nodded as well, her face full of disgust.

"Since you all want to open it, then open it and take a look."

Xu Bai stopped less than a meter away from the coffin, drew his Ghost-Head Saber from his waist, and pressed it against the crack in the coffin...