The door shut with a bang in front of and Ah Zhan. The two of us were sprawled before it in exhaustion. We could only pant for breath, unable to speak.
This was no task for humans, especially two heavily injured ones!
Before I could recover, I felt Ah Zhan prodding my shoulder. I ignored him but he patted it again. I was about to ask him what he wanted in annoyance but he spoke first.
What?
What, what? I should be asking you that!
Then why are you nudging my shoulder?
I didnt. You were nudging ! You were the one I stopped speaking.
Silence. No one spoke and no one moved.
Sothing must have happened so it was best not to move rashly!
The two flashlights were by our feet. The bloodwood sword lay where their beams crossed. We could reach it by stretching out our hands but it also seed unreachable like the edge of the world.
Our surroundings were abnormally silent. Only then did I realize that while we three youths had been struggling fiercely, Uncle Bao hadnt made a sound.
Had sothing happened? But how?
Theoretically, that female ghost had lost her inner core. No matter how deep her resentnt and desire for revenge, she shouldnt be able to co up with anything. Besides, Uncle Bao was so experienced and was so cautious in doing things. He looked like he had a card up his sleeve this whole ti. How could he so easily get trapped? But it seed indeed the case. The two of us were facing away from the burial chamber, but things seed to be amiss behind us!
The danger was right next to us!
Mmrgh
Uncle Baos voice suddenly sounded out. However, it seed to be suppressed as though he had been caught by sothing. He was trying to get us to help, or to warn us!
The mont his voice rang out, Ah Zhan suddenly crouched and grabbed for the bloodwood sword. Yet his fingers had just touched it when he suddenly fell backwards and was then dragged into the air.
I was startled and looked over. I saw Ah Zhan hanging in midair. Because the flashlights had fallen to the floor and the burial chambers ceiling was extrely high, the light couldnt reach the top. Therefore, I couldnt see the top half of Ah Zhans body. Only his desperately struggling legs were visible, but they rely swung about uselessly in the air.
Wrapped around him and hanging in front of was a thick cluster of long, black hair. It seed to be growing from the ceiling. It had silently grown everywhere while we were struggling with the doors. It had grown long enough to reach our shoulders. The hair swayed silently without any wind, and had been patting my shoulders.
My first instinct was to leap for the bloodwood sword. However, the mont I moved the hair wrapped around my waist as if it were alive. It dragged into the air!
It wrapped around tightly, making it hard for to breathe. My rib started hurting again. I could only grab at the hair around my waist with my good hand to maintain my balance. It felt cold, silky and clammy and also felt as if it were moving, making my scalp turn numb!
I forced down the wave of nausea and grabbed onto the hair as hard as I could. At the sa ti, I looked around at my surroundings. I saw Ah Zhan across from . Since we were hanging at the sa height, I could finally see his situation.
He was a little worse off than . The black hair was wrapped around his neck, but he held onto the part above his head with his uninjured hand. This way, his entire body weight was suspended by his arm, preventing him from being hanged. Despite this, the black hair didnt loosen, preventing him from doing anything else.
I didnt speak, but looked at him questioningly. Due to the bond weve developed from childhood, he understood that I was asking Uncle Baos whereabouts.
He gestured below with his chin.
I looked down and the pitch-black coffin filled my vision.
Ever since we entered the chamber, we had noticed the coffin lid was open. However, we never had the chance to examine what was inside. Now that we were hanging above it and there happened to be a flashlight perched on the side, we were able to see the situation clearly.
According to Uncle Baos judgnt, the clothing of the female ghost and her handmaid indicated this tomb was at least a century old. However, the pale yellow silk inside the coffin was still bright and fresh, just like those beautiful red clothes. It seed to have been made just yesterday. The exquisite embroidery on the clothing and the jewels and jade on its chest glittered under the light. The silk and treasures seed to be flowing, giving one the urge to touch them.
There was a strange corpse in the coffin. It lay just like a corpse, yet its arms were sticking up, scrabbling continuously at the inside of the coffin. The scratching noises it made were extrely piercing!
Her face wasnt visiblebecause soone was bent over looking at it.
The clothing and figure indicated he was Uncle Bao.
He was sprawled over the side unmoving, as though carefully examining the female corpses face. However, sothing was clearly wrong upon closer examination.
His back seed to be tightly tensed. His hands were braced on either side of him. They didnt seem to be for balance, but rather desperately preventing him from falling inside!
Furthermore, he didnt speak. He didnt say anything except for that forced groan. He was also trembling, as though an enormous suction force was coming from the coffin. He seed to be doing his best to push himself back and escape the force!
What was wrong with Uncle Bao? What had happened to him while we were distracted? Had he been hit by the female ghosts technique?
He seed to be in combat with the corpse inside the coffin. Neither side had the advantage. They were in a deadlock!
I looked at Ah Zhan in shock. His teeth were gritted and he was forcibly raising his broken arm. It wasnt clear what he wanted to do. His face was covered with sweat and he was obviously in extre pain!
Although the situation was urgent, I knew he was being reckless. No matter how tenacious and determined he was, there was no way he could help much with his injured arm. Not only would he fail to do anything to the female ghost, he might even beco crippled! Therefore, in a stroke of inspiration, I tightened my stomach muscles and swung towards him.
I first kicked at his foot to make him stop moving around. Then, after swinging harder and harder, I got closer and closer to him. I failed once, twice, three tis, four tis in a row. Only on the fifth ti was I able to swing right up to him, almost ramming into his face!
I grabbed the fiendish hair above him to steady myself. At the sa ti, I placed my feet underneath his so he had a place to support himself. Since we were around the sa height, I was positioned a little higher after swinging over. Therefore, he had to curl up a little. Our cooperation was based on the many tis we fought side by side over the years.
This way I was able to transfer his weight onto and prevent him from being hanged. This also freed up his uninjured hand, allowing him to try and turn the tables. We were currently at a severe disadvantage. Bao Da Tongs fate outside was unknown. Uncle Bao and the female ghost were keeping each other in check. Ah Zhan and I hung from the ceiling like sausages!
Ah Zhan thought for a mont before drawing a seal in the air. He gestured towards the hair suspending him, as though trying to slash it. However, the hair didnt break. Instead, it started writhing as though in pain, making almost lose my grip. Therefore, he could only try a different spell, but it was also unsuccessful.
He was a complete noob back then and needed to think every ti before drawing a seal. Nothing was working after repeated attempts. I was nervous and in pain. The fiendish hair was showing bigger and bigger reactions as though it were alive. We were covered in sweat and panting from exhaustion, but were still unable to get free.
Hold on, Im going to burn it with fire! He suddenly spoke loudly, startling .
I thought he was asking for trouble. Wouldnt the female ghost tighten the restrictions if she knew were trying to get free? Wouldnt it be harder for us to do anything?
Stay here. Ill go grab the bloodwood sword and kill that harmful thing! He ignored my shushing motions and continued to speak loudly.
Seeing him ignore , I almost smashed my head in frustration. Before I could do so, I suddenly realized his intent. After we got ambushed, we tried our best to escape. Therefore, we subconsciously remained silent. However, this was actually a mistake on our part. Uncle Bao and the female ghost were suppressing each other, each unable to move. No matter how much noise we made, she wouldnt be able to do anything to us.
From what it looked like, Uncle Bao was gradually losing ground. His head was already sticking into the coffin. His hands were becoming twisted from the exertion. If we indicated that we were about to free ourselves at this ti, it would motivate Uncle Bao while striking a blow at the female ghost. Things might imdiately turn around!
Alright, Ill help you!
Ah Zhan nodded and continued his cutting experints. I did my best to support his body weight while spewing nonsense for psychological warfare. I also paid attention to the situation below.
Uncle Bao had slowly pulled his head back from inside the coffin. However, his arms were even more twisted and his body shook more fiercely. He was clearly giving it his all to escape. However, the opponent naturally wouldnt give up easily. Therefore, Uncle Bao was essentially in a tug-of-war, pulling back and forth, up and down, ultimately unable to get free.
You can do it, Uncle Bao! I shouted, extrely worried. I felt I was about to collapse. If that happened, I would no longer be able to support Ah Zhan!
There was a spitting sound as though sothing was sprayed out. Before I could see clearly, Uncle Bao was sent flying backwards into the wall behind. He panted and blood trickled from his mouth as though he had suffered heavy internal injuries.
The female ghost in the coffin sat up and looked at . The angle just so happened to allow our gazes to et. Her face had recovered to the Japanese geishas form. It was scarily white while her brows were black. Her face was currently covered in red splotches. Uncle Bao had obviously spat blood onto her face!
Had he used so blood spraying spell to get free from her? Or had she injured Uncle Bao?
I looked doubtfully towards Uncle Bao. His face was tragically pale, not too far off from that of the female ghosts. Furthermore, he seed to be struggling to even stand up again!
His shirt had been torn open. He had only tried to move a little when sothing rolled out from his robes into the corner. It glittered with white light, looking like a thread of silver as it rolled in the dark. It was the female ghosts inner core!
Hurry and grab the Yang Eye. We definitely cant let her get it! Uncle Bao struggled a little but collapsed once again, unable to stand. He could only cry out towards us.
Before I could speak, the female ghost stood up with a swish and leapt from the coffin, heading towards the inner core. Perhaps she had been injured by Uncle Bao for she walked quite slowly.
Ah Zhan! I called out.
Done! Ah Zhan responded. I suddenly felt the weight shift off as Ah Zhan landed firmly on the floor. It turns out he had finally cut the fiendish hair at this critical mont.
The female ghost had already gotten close to the Yang Eye. Ah Zhan was clearly not going to make it in ti after he dropped to the ground. Therefore, as he ran in the opposite direction towards the door, I knew he was going for the bloodwood sword. As long as he had that in hand, he still had a chance even if she got her inner core back!
The Yang Eye! We cannot let her get it back! Uncle Bao cried himself hoarse and struggled to get up. He clearly couldnt be any more anxious. Ah Zhan had grabbed the bloodwood sword and was flying over swiftly towards the female ghost.
She had already reached the Yang Eye. She didnt bend over to pick it up. Instead, she stretched her hand out and the treasure glowing faintly silver was sucked into her palm!
At this mont, Ah Zhan had arrived behind her. He didnt care about the situation and stabbed the dagger-sized bloodwood sword towards her!
Be careful! I shouted, afraid he was planning on gambling with his life.
There was a sudden swish and my vision grew blurry. I watched as the female ghost suddenly shrunk to the floor like a collapsed building, leaving only her beautiful clothing behind!
What was going on? Did Ah Zhan kill her? Was it over that quickly?!
The sudden turn of events kept rooted in place. I forgot I was still hanging in the air and loosened my grip, causing to swing back imdiately.
I hadnt stabbed her yet! Ah Zhans voice also contained surprise.
Of course! Uncle Bao answered. To our surprise, he easily stood up and wiped the blood from his mouth. He seed completely uninjured.
Ah Zhan looked at him. Seeing that it seed to have all been an act by the elder, he was a little displeased. Although you are our senior, you should still explain a little.
Dont be impatient, young man. Hear out slowly, hehe. Uncle Bao said good-naturedly. I had a reason for everything. Youll approve of my thods after hearing out.
Im all ears.
Hey, get down first. Im still hanging, you know!? I interrupted, reminding them that I was still in trouble after making huge contributions.
Ah Zhan raised his head. He didnt have to think about it or experint anymore. He directly drew in the air and severed the hair around my waist. He didnt consider my broken rib and wrist, dropping without any ceremony from up high. Luckily I was athletic and had sturdy legs. Along with Uncle Bao bracing , I was able to avoid breaking another rib.
Impressive, kid. Your abilities have grown so quickly after only using it once! Uncle Bao praised Ah Zhan.
Well go save Bao Da Tong first! I brought it up with kind intentions.
Hes already fine. Uncle Bao responded. We father and son have a telepathic connection. He turned to Ah Zhan. In the future, you too will have a connection with people important to you.
But what happened here? Ah Zhan pointed at the ground.
As he gestured, the red clothes suddenly started writhing!
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