Millennium Goddess Tomb

"Golden Liquid Elixir, Jade Eyes and Square Pupils... I am a Taoist, carrying Taoist arts passed down for a thousand years. You two need not worry. Some things cannot be explained by science."

From the perspective of modern science, Shirley Yang was not wrong.

The Jade Eyes and Square Pupils of ancient immortals, white feathers growing from their abdomens, red faces and lacquer-black eyes—these were actually symptoms of chronic poisoning after ancient alchemists consumed elixirs.

But modern science was not the end of science. It still could not effectively interpret matters of the mind and spirit.

Huang Bai had no desire to prove anything. On the path of seeking the Dao, misunderstandings and doubts were inevitable. If he had to prove himself to every single person he encountered, that would be far too competitive.

Seeing this, Shirley Yang said nothing more. After all, it was his own business. She had merely offered a reminder.

Besides, Hu Bayi held Huang Bai in extremely high regard. If anything went wrong, Huang Bai should know how to handle it with his intelligence.

Shirley Yang changed the subject. "Do immortals really exist in this world?"

It was a question that puzzled most people.

"If I had to choose between believing in aliens or believing in immortals, I would believe in the latter."

"Okay."

Shirley Yang finally understood why Hu Bayi had repeatedly warned her to mind her words.

Huang Bai truly was a strange man. Other Taoists were frauds who said one thing and did another, but Huang Bai genuinely practiced what he preached.

What was with this calm sort of madness?

"By the way, we'll be leaving for ten days."

"Fine."

Huang Bai agreed without a second thought.

He knew Hu Bayi and the others were likely preparing to search for the Millennium Goddess Tomb. However, he would not be going for the time being, as there were still some things he had not prepared.

Before long, Hu Bayi and the other man headed back to China.

Night fell.

Inside the villa, Huang Bai packed his luggage. Before leaving, he sorted through the cards he had up his sleeve.

A ritual sword for casting the Divine Sword Technique that could cut through iron like mud; a stack of talisman paper made from rapidly self-igniting magic paper, mixed with smoke powder; and Five Zhi Pills.

Five Zhi Pills could induce hallucinations and were a devastating weapon against ordinary people.

"Should I bring a gun?"

Gun control in China during the 1980s was not as strict as it would later become, but guns were still not something one could acquire casually, much less carry around.

Ying Caihong's villainous gang from the original story had perhaps secretly acquired weapons through channels in Mongolia. Huang Bai alone likely could not bring one along.

Soon, Huang Bai finished packing, made another trip to the casino to withdraw a large amount of cash, then headed alone for the grasslands.

The grasslands.

The entire region was bustling, with explosions ringing out everywhere.

Under the pretext of investment by Global Mining, the Global Spiritual Cultivation Society openly searched the grasslands for ancient tombs.

Inside a construction-site tent, Ying Caihong wore a long robe. People of many different races surrounded her, while her adopted daughter Yoko stood behind her.

"We do not have much time. Chinese officials will realize what is happening soon enough. We must find the Goddess Tomb immediately."

As she spoke, Ying Caihong covered her amber right eye, looking mysterious and eccentric.

"I have sensed it. The boundary between life and death will open at the instant we find the Flower of the Other Shore. Then the gates of the supreme and wondrous heavenly kingdom will open and welcome our arrival."

The believers had absolute faith in Ying Caihong's words. She was a goddess who could communicate with the realms of yin and yang. Nothing she said could possibly be wrong.

Her white assistant summoned Big Gold Tooth.

"Why hasn't the expert you hired found the tomb yet? He isn't a fraud, is he?"

Big Gold Tooth was drenched in sweat. These people had guns, and at this point, he could only force himself to say, "Please rest assured. Master Pang is a professional tomb raider. Give him a little more time."

"If he doesn't find it before sunset..."

Bang!

Before he could finish, an explosion sounded outside.

"We found it! We found it!" came shouts from outside.

The group went outside and saw a deep hole in the ground. The soil within bore signs of artificial hardening. It was undoubtedly a tomb passage.

Wang Pangzi stood at the edge of the pit, dusty and disheveled but clearly excited. He did not possess the skill of Earth-Splitting and Acupoint-Fixing.

Big Gold Tooth beamed. "Who said Master Pang was a fraud? Didn't he find it?"

"This is the place."

"You go down first." Ying Caihong pointed at Wang Pangzi.

"Fine, I'll go down." Wang Pangzi muttered, then took the lead into the hole.

Following custom, he lit a candle in the southeast corner.

The light from an outdoor lamp illuminated the tomb chamber.

It was a dim, gray world.

The round dome was painted with scenes of immortals ascending to heaven, divine dragons, immortal cranes, and more. Thick dust covered the bluestone slabs beneath their feet, while savage beast statues stood all around them.

Ahead, the tomb passage stretched into the depths. On either side of the entrance stood strange beasts with animal faces, human faces, and antlers.

"These are tomb-guarding beasts. Legend says they can intimidate ghosts and monsters." Wang Pangzi showed off his limited knowledge.

The foreigners stepped forward to inspect them closely.

The passage was deep and pitch-black, with a chilling wind howling like the cries of ghosts and wolves.

Suddenly, the wind grew stronger and stronger. A mass of black mist rushed out from the depths of the passage. Within it was a general riding a blood-sweating horse, wielding a spear as he charged toward them.

"There's a ghost!"

Everyone jumped in fright and hurriedly retreated. The leading foreigner and several people beside him failed to dodge in time, and the black mist slammed directly into them.

They thought they were doomed, only to find that nothing had happened. Their bodies were merely coated in a layer of dust.

"Haha, what a fuss over nothing. This is just a volatile effect caused by the pigments in the murals coming into contact with air. Where would all these ghosts and monsters come from?"

Wang Pangzi stepped forward and showed off again.

At that moment, a sudden change occurred.

"Aahhh!!!"

Those who had come into contact with the dust threw back their heads and roared. Their skin darkened, their eyes became vertical slits like those of beasts, and sharp claws even grew from their fingers. Like madmen, they attacked the people around them.

In an instant, the scene descended into chaos.

The group fired more than a dozen shots in succession before killing the monsters. Some others crashed into nearby statues, came into contact with the mist, and turned into new monsters.

"This is bad. They're zongzi. Don't touch the dust."

Wang Pangzi's words drew the attention of several monsters, which charged at him.

"Little Pang!!"

Two figures suddenly jumped down. A woman opened a Vajra Umbrella and blocked the monsters' pounce.

The other person pulled out a Black Donkey Hoof and stuffed it into a monster's mouth. The creature instantly collapsed to the ground without another sound.

The three of them seemed to have become a complete unit: one drew the monsters' attention, one handled defense, and one took the initiative to attack.

Before long, they had dealt with the monsters.

"Old Hu, Adviser Yang." Wang Pangzi was overjoyed.

In the corner, a monster's corpse lay sprawled on the ground, its neck severed. It revealed a man wearing a loose Taoist robe.

He held a ritual sword still dripping with blood. His long hair was tied behind him, and he looked carefree and handsome.

"Brother Huang?" the three said in unison.

They had never expected Huang Bai to have come along as well.

"I had nothing to do, so I came out for a stroll."

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Applause came from the corner as Ying Caihong led her subordinates out of the shadows.

"As expected of Gold-Seeking Commandants. You must be Hu Bayi, right? Lead the way for us. Once we get out, you will be richly rewarded—five hundred thousand US dollars each. What do you say?"

"Sorry, we don't rob tombs. I came here to take Little Pang away." Hu Bayi refused firmly. The Millennium Goddess Tomb was a place where survival was far from certain, and he did not wish to take such a risk.

"Oh?" Ying Caihong raised a brow, and an inexplicable glint flashed through her amber left eye.

Clatter!

The subordinates behind her all raised their rifles.

"If dollars aren't enough, how about adding this?"