Aizong Imperial Mausoleum

The gunsmith packed his bags and set off again, his destination being an unnamed fishing village 93 kilometers away from Taiye Prefecture.

He planned to continue north along this waterway, bypassing the war-torn Tonghe Kingdoms, and continue gathering intelligence around the Central Plains to serve as a scout for the subsequent swift-blade teams.

This time, he once again ventured deep behind enemy lines alone. Xue Ming changed into a simple monk's robe, picked up his luggage, said goodbye to his wife, and boarded the ship. He then saw Xiao Qi's reluctant gaze.

Xue Ming: "If anything happens, I'll definitely ring the bell."

Xiao Qi gave Thumb: "I'll come to save you in my battle armor."

There was no goodbye, nor was there any need to say goodbye.

Given Xue Ming's personality, if he were to encounter a life-or-death crisis, he would be faster than anyone else in [Summon People].

Those traveling with them included Fuyanni and Billy, as well as Teacher Su Ling—these three had other missions to undertake, traveling northwest on the same sightseeing boat as the gunsmith.

The two apprentice craftsmen waved goodbye to their master's wife, and Fuyanni returned to his cabin, tugging at Billy's sleeve and whispering something.

"Hey Billy, isn't it a bit reckless for Marshal Krozo to send two nobodys like us on this search mission?"

Billy hadn't slept well for several days. Ever since arriving in Great Xia, the humid and hot summer sea breeze had been making him vomit and have diarrhea. He'd also been having strange dreams lately—dreams of Fay, and of his poor little girlfriend.

At least in his world, in his memory, Fay Foroisin's hometown was in Area 51, and she was a Persian girl whose mother had just passed away, and who needed his care and protection.

"Big Brother Billy? Billy?" When his brother didn't respond, Fuyanni raised his voice and shouted, "Billy!~"

Billy the Kid still cherishes this relationship; he can't fight this inner demon and finds it hard to move on—his eyes are vacant, white hair has grown on the back of his head, and his originally fierce and rugged features have aged rapidly due to his foolish demeanor, making him look like a middle-aged man in his forties.

"Billy, Billy, Billy, Billy!~~~" Fuyanini couldn't take it anymore and simply lay on her older brother's back, muttering to herself.

Billy then came to his senses, put down the planetary gear set beside him, which was a model toy he used to simulate the operation of a gearbox and often held and played with.

"Oh! Oh oh! Oh!"

Fuyanni, his face grim, leaned close to Billy's ear. "Hey, are you even listening to me?"

Billy the Kid immediately replied, "Excuse me, what did you ask?"

"I say!" Fuyanni said resentfully, "Marshal Krozo pulled us out of the war intelligence center to scout ahead! Isn't that giving us too much credit?"

As he said this, the younger brother sat cross-legged next to Billy, whispering among himself.

"I originally thought that as a mechanic in the assault team, my job in Shambhala would be to repair vehicles, build buildings, dig trenches, and at most lay regional power lines and do radio power engineering—I never expected that this time, the Marshal would actually ask the two of us to go on an exploration mission with the VIPs."

I'm only twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old.

Fuyanni lowered his eyelids and made a face, secretly sticking his tongue out towards the next cabin—from this angle, the gunsmith and Su Ling couldn't see him.

"Who knows what strange things we might encounter on the road! Immortals, demonic beasts, Blood-giving Monster! Or even Flash Butterfly!"

"I'm going to fight the Blood-giving Monster? Really?"

Billy's will to survive wasn't that strong. The only difference between him and Fuyanni was that he had some of the attributes of Blood-giving Retinue —unlike a proper Blood-giving aristocrats, Blood-giving Retinue had a very high proportion of human beings.

Even during the time of the Rose Sect, Our Lady of Mary had many Blood-giving Retinue —they were not afraid of sunlight, could do many things for the Lady, and made it easier for them to travel among humans. Unlike the "holy blood," this kind of blood did not possess the superpowers of the Blood-giving aristocrats.

Billy's body cannot regenerate supernaturally, nor does he possess the robust physique of nobles, nor the astonishing strength in his fingers and grip. Apart from a slight amplification of Inspiration and psychic power, his bloodline also significantly reduces the lifespan of Homo sapiens.

The only advantage for those of low blood is that when the blood-giving ceremony is formally performed, the rejection reaction from the Vita Imprint and the holy blood is not as severe—no adaptation period is needed, and they can start working immediately.

Marshal Krozo already knew Billy's little secret, and keeping the craftsman in Black Wind Town for an extended period would only worsen his condition.

The warriors of the swift blades all possess surging spiritual pressure, and the gunsmiths who are always ready for battle can make those who have received blood tremble with fear and restlessness all day long—that's how Billy the Kid got his fever.

Since Su Ling brought back news from East Horse Port, Keshua has been paying close attention to the movements of Danqiu Country. On a geopolitical level, this godforsaken place, Ax Peak Mountain, occupies four natural barriers along the Central Plains Copper River. Its terrain is uniquely advantageous. The crescent-shaped northwest foothills isolate most of the external enemies, while the mountain pass on the southeast side gradually narrows. By establishing observation posts on the high ground, any invading enemy can be seen clearly.

The mountain range stretches for hundreds of miles. During the chaotic period, warlords established sixteen kingdoms, seven of which bordered Danqiu, making it a strategically vital location.

Without a second thought, Krozo immediately concluded that Danqiu Country was Judas's hiding place. If Dagda's Cauldron wanted to be filled with primordial energy, it had to be located in the Ax Peak Mountain. All the immortal embryos and elixirs in Xiabang Kingdom could be transported to the center at the same time.

Keshua assigned Fuyanni and Billy the task of traveling over 200 kilometers to the Aizong Mausoleum to explore the local mineral resources.

After the Battle of Zhutai, Kuai Dao discovered a large reserve of pyroxene, as well as numerous lithium, nickel, lead, and mercury minerals in this area.

The tomb of Emperor Aizong of Xia was originally planned to be located on the third branch of the Tonghe River in the Xiazhong Plain. The construction of the tomb took twenty-six years, but was eventually abandoned.

This emperor wasted resources on massive construction projects, initially seeking immortality through elixirs of lead and mercury. However, Judas never intended to help the emperor consolidate his eternal rule—because an immortal emperor could easily cause the dynasty to die.

Later, Emperor Aizong found a way to preserve the body for posterity—by filling the tomb with mercury, which could prevent the body from decaying. So, he made things difficult for the tomb craftsmen.

As a result, the complex tomb passages and chambers were not yet completed when the old emperor passed away.

--Today, the Aizong Mausoleum is just a place name. It refers to a small town that sprang up seventy or eighty years ago due to the economic development brought about by the construction of the imperial mausoleum after the canal was opened.

Most of the town's residents are descendants of the tomb-building team. There are also many Daoist priests and feng shui masters who have settled here. Where there are people, settlements and villages will naturally form. After the imperial tombs were abandoned, the town gradually declined. Only the operation of the canal transport occasionally brings some life back to the town.

Speaking of the connection between Ax Peak Mountain and Aizong Mausoleum, actually, Su Ling's mission this time is to assassinate Judas.

Reliable intelligence indicates that since Gloria Sebastian's execution, minor disturbances and unrest have occurred in the various grottoes on the islands near Sendai.

--A team emerged from Ax Peak Mountain without being pursued or intercepted by the numerous warlord forces surrounding the Copper River.

Logically speaking, caravans and armies leaving this godforsaken place would inevitably have to fight with the local bandit leaders to some extent, or at least pay a ransom to ensure their safe transport of goods.

But this time, the intelligence network of the Gate of Wonders informed Keshua.

The team was estimated to consist of only twelve people, and the luggage and supplies were carried in six vehicles throughout the journey, regardless of whether it was by water or mountain.

The team switched to waterways from Danan and headed east, heading straight for Aizong Mausoleum. Meanwhile, the spies operating around the Aizong Mausoleum also detected unusual changes in the spiritual pressure of the environment.

Marshal Krozo keenly sensed an opportunity; perhaps Judas was building a new hideout.

--But Keshua didn't definitively say that this was Judas's team, though there must have been high-ranking members of the Immortals in that team.

Something must have happened in this small town of Aizong Mausoleum. The sudden change in the spiritual pressure of the environment has drawn the enemy out of their lair.

Phoenix became the second choice after Gunsmith. Keshua mobilized the organization department to redistribute tactical resources and slightly adjusted Gunsmith's mission schedule.

Fuyanni and Billy were to accompany Su Ling to the Aizong Mausoleum to investigate the mineral abundance of at least three strata.

Su Ling's mission was to protect the two craftsmen and at least ascertain the true identity of this team. She was also to use the Summoning Bell to call for reinforcements from the gunsmith and the quick-knife.

According to the gunsmith's itinerary, supporting the Phoenix, which is more than 100 kilometers away, is only a half-day's journey on horseback.

If we really hit the jackpot and confirm that Judas's true form is in the Aizong Mausoleum — Phoenix can build a FOB team and gather a five-person squad, then we can use Judas's head as a sacrifice in the opening battle of the Central Plains.

For Fuyanni and Billy, prospecting in a small place like the Aizong Mausoleum was their bare minimum. Those two fools had no idea what they were about to face.

--Continuing north along the first river of the Tonghe River for about forty li, the boats rose and fell, swaying and rocking, and the fog grew thicker and thicker. When they reached the entrance of Lingquan Valley in Su'an Prefecture, after traveling another thirty li by water, Xue Ming disembarked early, preparing to spend the night in a fishing village and meet up with Kuai Dao's brothers to exchange travel permits.

Only the two brothers who were in charge of steering the boat and Teacher A Ling remained as guests on the boat.

At this moment, Su Ling lifted the curtain and returned to the inner room, looking at the nervous Fuyanni and Billy had already fallen asleep.

"VIP! Hello!" Fuyanni greeted him with a smile, though he was actually quite nervous inside.

He looked at this "golden generation" in their early forties, but couldn't find a single wrinkle on the woman's face.

The other person's expression was calm, and their breathing was steady. If they didn't move at all, they would be as eerie as a sculpture in a wax museum.

"Speak frankly." After chatting with the gunsmith about family matters and asking about Xiao Qi's mental state, Su Ling, having found some amusement, decided to get straight to business.

Fuyanni was just about to speak his mind.

The question is stuck in my throat, I can't get it out.

Su Ling: "I'll lead you to kill Judas."

"Huh?!" Fuyanni was stunned for a moment.

Billy woke up with a start—

"--Me? Kill Judas?"

Once Teacher Su Ling brought the two into the team, the Phoenix's soul power transformed into a task list.

[The Burial Site of Emperor Aizong of Xia - The Campaign Against Judas]

[Task Difficulty: Very Easy]

[Mission Description: We have discovered a resource-rich non-ferrous metal mine. Marshal Krozo Vandien has personally ordered Su Ling [Phoenix] to lead two brave nameless warriors to gather intelligence and adapt to changing circumstances.]

[Required Main Task: Use a geological hammer, a stone-cutting hammer, and a prospecting rod to verify the mineral abundance of three types of strata in the area. The specific difference in their elevation must be within 180 meters underwater in the Mist River —otherwise, the engineering team will find it difficult to advance the collection work.]

[Optional Secondary Mission: Escort Fuyanni and Billy to ensure the completion of the exploration work.]

[Optional secondary task: Investigate the environmental spiritual pressure variations in the Aizong Mausoleum area and send back at least one geological analysis report.]

[Optional secondary task: Assist the VIP in ascertaining the true identity of the invading team.]

[Optional secondary quest: Kill Judas.]

[Note: To the unnamed operator, don't be afraid when you see this mission description; it's just a minor challenge for you.]

"I'm not playing anymore." Fuyanni immediately dropped the Phoenix Spirit Scroll and was about to jump into the river to swim after the gunsmith teacher.

"Hey! No, buddy." Su Ling bit her Thumb and blew hard, turning her spirit body into a giant hand, and easily pulled Fuyanni back from the ship's side.

Fuyanni waved his arms frantically. "VIP, I'm really not cut out for this!"

A Ling tossed the coward back into the cabin. She tilted her head, expressionless, and kept scratching her head, casually asking Billy a question.

What do you think?

Billy shrugged dismissively. "I have no objection."

A Ling: "How about this, when we return victorious, I'll bring back that from last time."

"Eh?"

She thought for a moment, recalling what had happened on the paragliding platform a month ago.

"That girl who was supposed to skydive with you, I'll give you her WeChat ID."

Fuyanni blinked, seemingly not understanding.

Billy said in a low voice, "My little brother here is a coward, he might hold us back. VIP, please understand, it's fine if we're doing exploration work around the imperial tomb, but if he's doing intelligence gathering with you..."

"I'd go through fire and water for you, Aya-nii!" Fuyanni finally turned his head.

Su Ling was deeply moved and called out to the bow of the boat.

"Brother! Now you can talk!"

Billy the Kid realized something was wrong. "What did you say?"

Fuyanni: "Never mind what she says! Hey! Take life and death lightly! If she's not happy, then fight her! She's just Judas!"

The messenger, wielding a swift blade, entered, his face grim and his expression terrifying.

--The boatman, holding a table of translated Summoning Bell codes, read the latest news to the VIP.

"I'll translate the telegram that just arrived from the front lines, which is accompanied by a ringing bell."

"On the morning of the 17th, six of the twelve brothers from the Quick Blade Third Squad followed the target team into the area of Aizong Mausoleum. They crossed the boundary marker and never returned."

"--The remaining six people just sent messages, and two more suddenly disappeared."

"The coders at the intelligence center couldn't understand the contextual semantics, so they were asked to resend the message to confirm the situation again."

"No records of firefights, no ballistic observation signals, no codes indicating any armed conflict transmitted back, and no emergency status indicating encounter with the enemy was activated--"

"--They just vanished, as if nothing had happened."

"What do you mean by suddenly disappearing?" Su Ling asked.

The communications officer frowned and shook his head.

"It's very likely that, like the cities and stations that were downgraded, the Aizong Mausoleum has experienced some unpredictable changes—once our psionicists stepped into this town, they had no chance of getting out, and even the Summoning Bell was no longer effective."

"These are the original translated documents; they were transmitted back in an instant."

As he said this, the messenger handed a paper bag to Teacher Su Ling.

Fuyanni joined in, wanting to watch too.

The information on the very first page is utterly baffling.

[August 8th]

[9:27:57No. 6, Class 3: Help me!]

[9:17:44 | Third Squad, Number 7: I don't know where I am! Don't ask! Don't ask!]

[9:11:11 | Third Squad, Number 1: Reconfirm the target position, can you keep up?]

[9:30:30 | Third Squad, Number 6: Can you hear me? What are you saying?]

[9:00:00 | Third Squad, Number 1: Set your watches! Brothers! Let's switch shifts and set our watches! Number 2, take over command. The rest of you, follow me up the reverse slope.]

[9:15:11 | Third Squad, Number 2: Why? Why are there two class monitors?]

Fuyanni couldn't understand these messages at all; the translation seemed to make no sense whatsoever.

The scouts with swift knives seemed to be under the influence of drugs, exchanging useless information with each other.

Su Ling pointed to the time item. "There's a problem with the sorting."

"This isn't the time the messages were received," the communications officer explained. "This is the time they specifically marked for sending them. To be precise, there are hundreds of messages here, and the ringtones were transmitted to the command center almost simultaneously within two minutes, like a dense rain of sound."

"It's possible that the abnormal environmental spiritual pressure affected the Summoning Bell's spirit insects, but even after we followed the normal sending sequence, they still can't connect." The communications officer's expression was grave. "VIP, Keshua just received this message—he's giving you thirty minutes to decide whether to continue this mission."

"Huh?" Fuyanni was even more confused. "So, these elite soldiers with swift swords were driven insane by the environmental spiritual pressure the moment they entered the town?!"

"I'm done playing." This time it was Billy's turn to dash out of the boat and jump into the river without hesitation.

Similarly, he was pulled back by a psionic hand.

Ms. A Ling took out sunglasses from her pocket and put them on.

"Killing Judas is the most important thing; as for these trivial matters, they're nothing."