The Little Girl's Identity
Liu Chang'an pulled off the mask from her face. The woman turned her head away, not wanting to face Liu Chang'an. Her hair swayed, and her cheeks were fair and delicate. However, instead of cherry lips, she had full lips, which gave her a somewhat exotic look.
Seeing that she didn't speak, Liu Chang'an opened the carriage door and pushed her inside.
After locking the door, Liu Chang'an released her.
The woman scratched her shoulder, but surprisingly felt no stiffness or numbness. Normally, someone with such strength to subdue her would have difficulty recovering in her shoulder after such a restraint, yet their power was completely controlled, without any leakage that could harm her.
"If you were driving the car away, that would make some sense. But why pry open the car door? Do you think you can move this coffin?" Liu Chang'an was able to push open the coffin lid like it was glued together with tiles, but that's because he's Liu Chang'an. An ordinary person would never have that ability. This woman came in, and all she could do was take a look at the coffin.
The woman's gaze, however, was fixed on the coffin. Her expression was complex, and her eyes were filled with a dazzling excitement. If the situation were not so unusual, she would probably be struggling to breathe right now.
Liu Chang'an glanced at the little hen in the corner; it was dead.
"Who are you?" The woman slowly reached out her hand, touched a corner of the coffin, then withdrew it, trembling slightly in disbelief, before looking at Liu Chang'an.
"Liu Chang'an, a recent high school graduate from South Hunan Affiliated High School, lives in Unit 3, Building 6, and his ancestral home is... his ancestral home Junsha." Liu Chang'an's attitude in the conversation was always very sincere and frank.
"A high school student?" the woman exclaimed in surprise.
", May I have your name?"
Li Hongfang.
"Oh, 'Floods and ferocious beasts attack the city, yet the fragrant grasses grow lush and green,' what a fine name." Liu Chang'an nodded.
The woman opened her mouth slightly. Even she herself thought her name sounded incredibly rustic. This person was really exaggerating!
"Just tell me straight, what do you want from me?" Li Hongfang wasn't in the mood for nonsense. She immediately adopted a tough-guy expression, ready to be killed or tortured at will.
"I just want to know, why did you come here to take this car... or rather, this coffin?" Liu Chang'an asked curiously.
"If I tell you, will you let me go?" Li Hongfang asked tentatively.
Liu Chang'an opened the door again.
As Liu Chang'an turned around after opening the door, Li Hongfang took a leap, her movements as swift as lightning. As a woman, her martial arts skills were naturally no match for a man's, but she was confident in her speed and reaction.
She took one step and found herself suspended in mid-air. Liu Chang'an grabbed her by the back of the neck, pulled her back, and threw her into the corner.
The impact to her back was painful. This person seemed gentle, but clearly had no intention of showing any tenderness. Li Hongfang's head was also hit, and she immediately felt dizzy and lightheaded.
Liu Chang'an didn't close the door; he just looked at Li Hongfang.
"This is Living Coffin... Do you think nobody knows about this?" Li Hongfang gave up trying to escape; she felt that if she tried again, she might really anger him.
"Living Coffin?" Liu Chang'an nodded. Some scenes and impressions from the witchcraft incident seemed to be related to the Living Coffin, but he couldn't recall the specifics.
"Lady Xin Zhui's Living Coffin. Otherwise, how could someone really be buried for two thousand years and still look so lifelike? This is completely different from those so-called mummies found in deserts and glaciers."
"I've learned something new."
"I dare say, there's a living dead in this coffin too!" Li Hongfang said, pointing to the bronze coffin in front of him.
"Yes."
Li Hongfang stared in astonishment. Although she spoke with such certainty, she had no way of judging whether Liu Chang'an's words were true or false, as they were all hearsay before she had witnessed them herself. This person's tone of voice, expression, and demeanor were flawless, unlike ordinary people who could be analyzed and observed.
"How did you find out about this?" Liu Chang'an was more concerned about this point. If Li Hongfang knew, then there must be many more people who knew.
"My ancestor was the renowned living immortal Li Daoren, whose knowledge of Yin and Yang, the Five Elements, the determination of life and death, and the cultivation of Qi and blood was all part of our family's teachings..."
"I know Li Daoren. He wrote a book called 'The Chronicles of Artifacts,' which is full of his fabricated so-called Treasure Map of the World. As for being a living immortal, that's even more unbelievable. He died at over 130 years old, and before he died, he was buried with only two thin coffin boards, the kind with one underneath and one on top, nothing on either side, you know?"
Li Hongfang sat on the carriage floor, watching the young man speak eloquently with an air of extraordinary talent, making it hard to doubt his words. Moreover, very few people knew about Li Daoren, and the book "Chronicles of Artifacts" was a rare and extraordinary book passed down through generations in Li Hongfang's family.
How did he know about the "Chronicles of Artifacts"? How did he know that the "Chronicles of Artifacts" contained Treasure Map of the World? As for the ancestor dying at the age of 130, rather than ascending to immortality, that seems more likely.
"The Treasure Map of the World in 'The Chronicles of Artifacts' is not fabricated. It records the Living Coffin, the coffin tomb of Lady Xin Zhui, and this one is the Living Coffin of Grand Empress Dowager Shangguan of the Western Han Dynasty." Li Hongfang naturally wanted to restore the honor of his ancestors... Although the Li family had only found a few of the treasures in 'The Chronicles of Artifacts' over the years, it was enough to give people more confidence. Even if there were some discrepancies, Li Hongfang preferred to understand it as the passage of time, changes in the terrain, or various man-made disasters.
"Shangguan... Shangguan Jie's granddaughter, Huo Guang's granddaughter... Is this the little girl?"
Li Hongfang was somewhat surprised that the young man who had just been so aloof and extraordinary was now staring blankly, looking like a wooden chicken.
Logically speaking, the most famous thing about this Empress Dowager in history is the legend that she was buried intact. She entered the palace at a young age, and many people's impression of her is that of a little girl.
"It was her. Although she was just a young girl, she adopted Liu He as her son at the age of fifteen and became the Empress Dowager."
"There's no need to bring this up again." Liu Chang'an looked at Li Hongfang expressionlessly.
"I've told you everything I know, can you let me go now?" Li Hongfang had no interest in discussing history with Liu Chang'an here.
"You still haven't told me how you found this place?"
"The location of the Living Coffin is often accompanied by strange celestial phenomena. Although we had identified its location before, it was always heavily guarded, so we couldn't find it. The celestial phenomena after dusk yesterday were unusual, so I just came to take a look. I didn't expect to find something..." Li Hongfang looked at the Living Coffin with a complicated expression. How heartbreaking it was to be able to see it but not reach it.
"Us?"
Li Hongfang's expression changed; she hadn't expected to let something slip.
"Whether you're a true or false descendant of Li Daoren... I'll let you off the hook for Li Daoren's sake, even though this man is notorious for borrowing money and never repaying it..." Liu Chang'an waved his hand, "You can go now."
He glanced at the coffin in front of him, his expression complex. At this moment, he had no mind to argue with Li Hongfang.
The next chapter will be a little later. I'll go for a walk and grab some late-night snacks before continuing to write.