Evacuating the Ancient Tomb

Zhang Wentao walked over and asked, "Young man, are you trying to win Young Master Bai's heart?"

Ye Fan rubbed his face. "Yeah! But he's so cold! Lots of people used to chase after me." Ever since he came to this world, he seemed to have become less popular, even though he was still just as brilliant as before-and now he could cultivate, too.

"You're quite something, young man!" If the Bai Family's old patriarch learned that an idiot like this was pursuing Bai Yunxi, he would surely teach him a harsh lesson.

Ye Fan looked up at the sky. "There's not even any moonlight tonight. This is going to be trouble!"

Zhang Wentao nodded. "Yes! I'm afraid tomorrow's weather won't be very good."

Ye Fan said glumly, "Bai Yunxi doesn't want me sleeping with him, and I don't want to squeeze into a tent with strangers. I might as well not sleep."

Zhang Wentao: "..."

Ye Fan pressed his lips together and decided to meditate all night. The spiritual energy here was abundant; it was an excellent spot for cultivation.

The sky grew darker and darker. Soon, everyone except Ye Fan and a few patrolling soldiers had fallen asleep.

As Bai Yunxi slept groggily inside his tent, a song drifted into his ears. Without realizing what he was doing, he rose from his bed, opened the tent, and walked outside.

Through his haze, Bai Yunxi saw a woman in palace robes standing with her back to him.

Bai Yunxi walked toward the woman, unable to control himself.

"My husband! Come home with me." A snow-white hand reached out toward Bai Yunxi. He frowned and did not respond.

Bai Yunxi, the Bai Family's third young master, had no interest in women, much less men. Normally, anyone he wasn't familiar with could hardly get near him.

A Lightning Talisman struck the pale hand in front of Bai Yunxi. A sharp crack rang beside his ears, jolting him out of his daze. The beauty in ancient robes before him turned into a grotesque zombie!

Seeing her true appearance, Bai Yunxi recoiled two steps in horror. He had never believed in ghosts or spirits, but the sudden sight of a desiccated corpse still sent a chill through him.

Ye Fan stepped in front of Bai Yunxi. "You already have eighteen husbands. Stop being so greedy! He's going to marry me someday."

The zombie made a strange sound that Bai Yunxi couldn't understand.

"You don't want any of those eighteen anymore, just him? You really do throw out the old for the new! But I can't let you have him. He's my future wife," Ye Fan said with a smile.

The zombie reached out to grab Bai Yunxi. Ye Fan drew a sword and slashed at the palace-robed zombie.

Bai Yunxi heard the clang of metal striking metal.

The palace-robed zombie shook Ye Fan off and lunged at Bai Yunxi. Ye Fan swiftly flung out five or six Lightning Talismans, blocking her path.

The Lightning Talismans exploded in rapid succession, tearing gashes into the palace-robed zombie's body. Already terrifying, she became even more hideous.

Bai Yunxi drew his pistol and fired at the palace-robed zombie. Bang! Bang!

Ye Fan seized the opportunity to hurl several more talismans.

The palace-robed zombie let out a shrill cry, then turned and left in fury.

"What was that thing?" Bai Yunxi asked Ye Fan.

"A Millennium Zombie!"

"You weren't joking earlier?" Bai Yunxi's expression remained composed, but his trembling hands betrayed his anxiety. When Ye Fan had said the tomb's occupant had a taste for handsome men, he had treated it as a joke. He hadn't expected...

Ye Fan looked at Bai Yunxi. "You have a lot of yin energy in you. Zombies and ghosts love people like you, yet you went and wandered into a burial ground. The terrain here is unusual. It gathers yin energy, making it ideal for zombies."

Bai Yunxi: "..."

Zhang Wentao approached with a sword in hand. Seeing his disheveled appearance, Ye Fan asked, "Master Zhang, where did you go?"

"I heard a noise just now and thought something evil was causing trouble, so I went out to look. Once I was outside, several zombies trapped me. Fortunately, that princess just ordered a retreat, so they stopped fighting me."

"This has gotten tricky. I'm afraid I'll have to notify my sect," Zhang Wentao said.

Ye Fan nodded. "Yes, yes. Hurry and tell them."

Once zombies left their tombs, they could only use ten or twenty percent of their full strength. Ye Fan knew his own limits. Although he had just driven that princess back, things would be different inside the tomb. There were probably plenty of people buried there with her, and she had the advantage of terrain. With his current cultivation at the second layer of Qi Refining, he would probably have little chance of surviving if he ventured inside.

Bai Yunxi asked in bewilderment, "With all this noise outside, why hasn't anyone else woken up?"

"They were affected by Corpse Qi and fell unconscious," Zhang Wentao said.

"Corpse Qi? Is it serious?" Bai Yunxi asked.

Ye Fan glanced at the anxious Bai Yunxi and reassured him, "Don't worry. Those with strong constitutions will get a cold or a fever at most. Those with weaker constitutions will get seriously ill, but nobody should die."

"Then my grandfather!" Xiao Chi was getting on in years, and his health wasn't particularly good.

"Don't worry, Young Master Bai. Your grandfather has the Jade Pendant Young Master Ye gave him. It wards off evil, so he should be fine. But there's more to this burial ground than we realized. We'd best leave it alone for now," Zhang Wentao said.

Bai Yunxi nodded. "All right."

Bai Yunxi wasn't particularly interested in the ancient tomb. He had only come along to unwind because Xiao Chi wanted to come. But his encounter with the zombie last night had put an end to any thought of staying here to relax.

Bai Yunxi thought for a moment. "That's probably for the best. I just don't know whether Grandfather will agree to leave."

"Don't worry, he will. Everyone else is sick. What's one old man going to accomplish?" Ye Fan said.

Bai Yunxi: "..."

The next day, the people in camp slept until the sun was high before waking. Five of the twelve special forces soldiers had fallen ill, along with a large number of the support staff.

Xiao Chi frowned as he paced around the clearing. "How strange. Why are young people these days so weak? They've all fallen sick, while an old man like me is perfectly fine. It's a lack of exercise, that's what! This is what happens when you don't exercise regularly."

Seeing everyone else ill while he remained completely unaffected, Xiao Chi felt a little pleased with himself despite his concern for the others. He thought he was still going strong in his old age.

Bai Yunxi said helplessly, "Grandfather, you're only fine because the Jade Pendant protected you..."

Xiao Chi rolled his eyes. "How is that possible? I've never heard of a jade pendant having anything to do with illness. Since when did you become so superstitious?"

Bai Yunxi: "..."

Xiao Chi glanced at the sick men, then at the Jade Pendant he wore, and began to have his doubts. "Why does this pendant seem a little duller? Could it really have warded off a disaster for me?"

"Probably," Bai Yunxi said.

Zhang Wentao approached Bai Yunxi. "Young Master Bai, we must evacuate immediately. We can't stay until nightfall."

Bai Yunxi nodded. "I know."

Bai Yunxi felt as if someone was watching him. The sensation prickled against his back, making him deeply uncomfortable.

Ye Fan had said his Heavenly Yin Constitution made him a potent tonic for ghosts and monsters. Masters who had treated him before had said the same thing. Though Bai Yunxi didn't fully believe it, he couldn't help worrying. There were so many extraordinary things about Ye Fan that Bai Yunxi had to take his words seriously.

Bai Yunxi glanced toward Ye Fan and found him leisurely eating candied hawthorn skewers. For a moment, he didn't know what to feel.

"As you've seen, a lot of people here are sick and can't walk at all. But I've already contacted the local search and rescue team and asked them to send people as soon as possible," Bai Yunxi said.

Zhang Wentao sighed. "Let's hope they get here quickly."

Wrapped in a blanket, Yang Fei sat beside the fire and shivered. "It's freezing! Why is it so cold? I feel like I'm going to turn into a block of ice. This place is bad luck."

Yang Fei kept shivering, his face pale and bluish.

Ye Fan walked over to Yang Fei with his hands on his hips and gloated, "You look like you've got kidney deficiency."

Yang Fei gave an awkward smile. "You're amazing, Young Master Ye! You're still as lively as ever."

"This place just has a bit too much Corpse Qi and yin energy. It can't affect me," Ye Fan said smugly.

Yang Fei said enviously, "You really have a strong constitution, Young Master Ye!"

"You look miserable! Since you're so pitiful, here, take this." Ye Fan handed Yang Fei an Illness-Expelling Talisman.

Yang Fei asked in confusion, "What's this?"

"Just slap it against your chest," Ye Fan said.

Yang Fei took the talisman and slapped it against his chest. It instantly turned to ash. At the same time, the chill throughout his body vanished without a trace, and he felt much better.

"Young Master Ye, what did you give me? It seems pretty great. Give me another one," Yang Fei said.

Ye Fan snorted. "In your dreams."

Yang Fei: "..."

Zhang Wentao walked over to Ye Fan. "That's quite a fine talisman, my young friend!"

Dragon Tiger Mountain wasn't particularly skilled at making talismans, whereas Jade Purity Temple had produced many master talisman makers. Dragon Tiger Mountain bought talismans from Jade Purity Temple every year, but the temple barely made enough for its own use, so Dragon Tiger Mountain couldn't buy many.

"Want some? I'll sell them to you for two hundred thousand each," Ye Fan said.

Yang Fei's eyes widened at Ye Fan's price. Two hundred thousand each? That one slap had cost two hundred thousand! But remembering the talisman's miraculous effect, he felt it was worth the money.

"How many do you have left, young friend Ye?" Zhang Wentao asked.

"Ten," Ye Fan said.

"I'll take them all," Zhang Wentao said.

A big spender! Ye Fan thought. They completed the transaction without a hitch. Looking at the money in his account, Ye Fan gave Yang Fei a regretful glance. "If I'd known someone here wanted to buy talismans, I wouldn't have let you use one for free."

Yang Fei: "..."

Zhang Wentao took out a business card and handed it to Ye Fan. "Young Master Ye, if you need anything in the future, you can come to me. If you have any talismans, you can sell those to me, too."

Ye Fan glanced at Zhang Wentao. "Sure! Sure!" He was rather pleased to have found such a generous buyer.

Zhang Wentao used all ten talismans on the sick. Afterward, those who had been listless regained their vitality. Without waiting for the search and rescue team, the archaeological team helped one another out.

And so, the archaeological expedition ended with a whimper after its promising start.