Nightwatcher

Chapter 308: You've Come

# 308. You've Come

*This old bloke is the wild Arcanist Qian You was talking about?*

*It seems that he’s noticed that Zhong Li is also an Arcanist, he must know then that she’s from the Sitianjian. After all, wild arcanists are as rare as giant pandas, two of them showing up around one city would be nigh on unthinkable.*

Xu Qi’an mused.

“The owner of this tomb is no ordinary figure. Hehe, it’s best not to see things you shouldn’t. That’s one of my hard-won lessons from years of tomb raiding. You Sitianjian Arcanists don’t lower yourselves to such work and lack some experience yet.” Gongyang Su chuckled.

*A Sitianjian Arcanist?!*

The members of the Houtu Gang looked at Zhong Li, astonished and surprised.

So, it turns out she was the real deal all along; she’s actually an Arcanist from the Sitianjian… Often, these silent types are at the heart of things.

*So it really is “the sage presents as a common man”, she’s actually an arcanist from the Sitianjian… as expected, these silent characters are often at the heart of the matter.*

Looking at Xu Qi’an, he became more convinced that this man held the lowest standing among them.

Firstly, as a martial artist, it was difficult to imagine him as a core member in such a group. Secondly, during the earlier fight with the evil creature, his role had simply been to act as a shield.

It was a straightforward demonstration of his purpose.

“Mm-hmm.” Zhong Li nodded, signalling that she understood.

She would absolutely refrain from casting any spells and would certainly not participate in any combat. This was a principle distilled from a mature Master of Prophecy’s experience.

Chu Yuanzhen remained silent, his gaze occasionally assessing Xu Qi’an, then Daoist Jinlian.

*Xu Ningyan is strange; he’s not as simple as he appears.*

*He’s come into this side chamber three times. There are only two possibilities: either he’s doing it intentionally, or there’s some special reason compelling him back to this spot.*

*What secret is Xu Ningyan hiding… Hiss, Number Three is connected to Cloud Deer Academy’s surge of noble energy, and he’s a Confucian disciple. But his cousin also has another secret… Daoist, your collecting skills are very good.*

…

The group, their spirits weighed down, entered the side chamber, which led to a passage stretching into the depths.

“Uh, so… Daoist, why don’t you take the lead? I’m just a child.” Xu Qi’an stood at the mouth of the passage, looking into the darkness, hesitating a bit.

“Are you sensing danger?” Daoist Jinlian asked, alert.

*Not really; I just feel a bit spooked, dredging up memories of horror movies from my childhood…* Xu Qi’an replied inwardly, taking a deep breath and raising his torch as he stepped into the passage.

The passage was narrow, its stone walls bearing signs of human carving, tinged with the orange glow of the torchlight.

Their footsteps echoed in the silence, emphasizing the tension within everyone’s hearts.

At the passage’s end was a tall stone door, closed and untouched.

Xu Qi’an stopped before it, pressing both hands against the door. He applied force but didn’t push hard, remaining still for a few seconds, sensing no premonition of danger.

He withdrew his hands and nodded at Daoist Jinlian. “No danger. Well, at least I don’t sense any.”

“Open it,” Daoist Jinlian instructed.

Crrrk!

With a rough, heavy sound, the stone door gradually swung inward.

The torch’s light reached inside, illuminating only a few metres before being swallowed by the darkness.

Xu Qi’an noticed the torch flicker and said quickly, “Wait a moment; there’s no air in here.”

Then he turned to Zhong Li, instructing, “Do you have any anti-poison pills? Hand some out to the Houtu Gang brothers.”

The white-robed, dirt-streaked Gongyang Su replied, “No need to trouble yourself; we’ve already taken poison-resisting medicine.”

After waiting a quarter of an hour outside, Xu Qi’an stepped half a foot into the tomb chamber. There was no warning of danger, and the torch remained bright, giving him a sense of relief.

“I’ll take the lead; follow closely, and remember not to do anything unnecessary.”

The Houtu Gang members nodded vigorously.

By now, not only the sickly Boss but even the ordinary members had noticed Xu Qi’an’s low status.

Leading the way, probing for traps, and acting as the shield.

Such was the role of a crude martial artist.

*This manoeuvre of mine ought to make me stand out, being the most useful, with even the Daoist relying on me…* Xu Qi’an smirked.

At the same time, Xu Qi’an recalled details he’d previously overlooked.

*Daoist Jinlian is indeed just a residual soul. I remember during the Sangpo case when we snuck into Earl Pingyuan Mansion and encountered Henghui being possessed by Shen Shu, the Daoist’s solution was to attack head-on with his spirit.*

*At the time, my ‘education level’ wasn’t high enough to realize it, but in retrospect, it seems odd. Where were his magical artefacts? His spells? His Golden Core?*

*Charging in with his spirit… It’s like taking off your pants and challenging someone with an iron gun with your flesh one. A suicidal move.*

*But if he’s a residual soul, everything makes sense. Even his fondness for cats makes sense; after all, neither human nor cat is his original body.*

*But how has a residual soul survived this long? The Daoist sects truly are experts in ghost-craft.*

Though his inner monologue was rich, Xu Qi’an remained vigilant, attentive to any hidden threats in the surroundings.

Upon entering the main tomb chamber, the light from the five torches dispelled much of the darkness, gradually revealing the scene within.

The main tomb was vast; if one compared it to a room, Xu Qi’an and the others were now at the entrance. Yet even this entrance gave the impression of stepping into a temple.

Massive pillars, requiring several people to encircle, supported a ceiling whose height was indiscernible. The walls on either side were at least twenty *zhang* apart—meaning the tomb’s width was twenty *zhang* (60 metres).

Its depth was unknown and awaited exploration.

“According to the tomb’s layout, the centre must contain the tomb owner’s sarcophagus. I suggest we avoid it for now, circle along the walls, estimate the tomb’s size, and see if we can uncover any valuable information.” The sickly Boss approached Daoist Jinlian and suggested.

*A seasoned tomb raider indeed… But I’m the leader here, so why not consult with me?* Xu Qi’an thought to himself.

“Reasonable,” Daoist Jinlian nodded.

Xu Qi’an led the group to the left and began their cautious exploration until they encountered a massive mural.

Before written language, murals were the only way to record events; even now, the tradition of “murals as records” persisted.

Xu Qi’an and Chu Yuanzhen, one in front of the other, raised their torches to illuminate the mural.

The mural depicted a terrifying giant serpent rampaging through a human city, its coiled body towering higher than the city walls. Its crimson eyes glowed ominously, its face fearsome.

At that moment, a Daoist riding a flying sword descended from the sky, slaying the giant serpent.

The emperor led his ministers out of the city to greet the Daoist, bowing low before him. The Daoist stood poised on his flying sword, hovering in mid-air and gazing down upon the emperor and his ministers below.

“Is such a large serpent a yao monster?” Hengyuan frowned.

Chu Yuanzhen shook his head, uncertain. Although he travelled far and wide, the sixty-year extermination of the Yao had caused the great monsters to disappear. Though yao did resurface twenty years ago at the Battle of Shanhai Pass, Chu Yuanzhen had been just a child then.

As for Xu Qi'an... he, along with the others, looked at Daoist Jinlian.

"There are indeed certain gifted members of the yao clan who can grow to vast sizes. But nothing quite as exaggerated as this. Furthermore, if you knew that yao condense demon cores at the fifth rank, you would not think the serpent on this mural is part of the yao,” Daoist Jinlian said with a lofty air, hands behind his back.

The three each had their own thoughts.

Xu Qi'an wondered, *So, fifth rank yao cultivate demon cores? Judging by the Daoist's words, does that mean their bodies actually shrink after condensing a core? Or is it that yao cultivation doesn’t rely on physical size?*

Chu Yuanzhen, meanwhile, pondered what the serpent might be if not a yaoguai. A vague suspicion lurked in his mind.

Hengyuan’s thoughts were simpler: He couldn’t beat this serpent; it was a menace not yet able to be subdued by Buddhism.

Without holding back, Daoist Jinlian explained, “A massive size isn’t always an advantage. While it does provide a surge in power, it also reveals many vulnerabilities. In this world, beings known for their great size and formidable strength belong to the ancient gods and demons.

"But in the primeval age when these ancient mythological beings were active, humanity was still in its infancy, living in tribes. Thus, the serpent depicted here is likely a descendant of those ancient gods and demons, not a true one.”

Chu Yuanzhen nodded slightly, finding the Daoist's words aligned with his suspicions.

“Even so, for this Daoist to have slain such a massive serpent, his power must have been extraordinary,” Zhuangyuan Chu remarked.

The wall resembled an unfolding scroll as they walked along it, examining the scenes depicted.

In the next panel, they saw the emperor constructing a high platform to thank the Daoist. Together with his officials, he bowed in reverence.

“Isn’t this the same scene we saw in the previous mural?” Xu Qi'an observed.

The scene of ministers worshipping at the high platform was identical to one on an earlier mural.

The next section, however, shocked them all: the Daoist with an indistinct face brandished his sword and killed the emperor, then donned the imperial robes and crown, effectively usurping the throne.

*What the hell kind of story is this…* Xu Qi'an stared in disbelief.

Chu Yuanzhen’s mouth hung open, equally stunned by the Daoist's actions.

Daoist Jinlian furrowed his brows.

Master Hengyuan, looking troubled, commented, “A man of such attainment shouldn’t crave power. What would be the purpose of an emperor’s title to him?”

Before he finished speaking, Xu Qi'an and Chu Yuanzhen both chuckled, casting knowing glances at each other. Each realized the other had thought of Emperor Yuanjing.

Moving on, the mural depicted war, with black-armoured and white-armoured troops clashing. Behind the white-armoured soldiers stood the giant figure of the emperor—the usurping Daoist. Meanwhile, the black-armoured troops were without a figurehead.

The emperor’s army suppressed the rebellion, yet he seemed uninterested in being a just ruler. Instead, he began to engage in debauchery.

The emperor was depicted high on a throne, a naked woman seated in his lap, and surrounded by more women, similarly unclothed.

Further behind him were more men and women, countless in number, all engaging in similar activities.

“This is just like the mural we saw outside,” Xu Qi'an remarked, suddenly feeling a strange sense of deja vu.

This "multi-person activity" mural was identical to the previous one, though it lacked the qi-channelling anatomical diagrams. This mural’s intent seemed to convey the emperor’s descent into indulgence and a fanatical obsession with the Daoist dual cultivation arts.

But wait—he was originally a Daoist who seized the throne!

Xu Qi'an’s mind raced with thoughts, then he heard Chu Yuanzhen murmur to Daoist Jinlian, “Daoist, this emperor must have had a profound connection with the Daoist dual cultivation sect.”

The Zhuangyuan was clever; he meant to imply that this Daoist could be the founding patriarch of that school.

*Chu Yuanzhen is clever, I was thinking just the same…* Xu Qi'an nodded and looked to Daoist Jinlian.

“I don’t know,” the Daoist tersely replied.

They continued along the mural, the depiction of events revealing something astonishing.

Perhaps Heaven, too, found the emperor’s depravity offensive, for one day, dark clouds gathered, and a bolt of divine lightning smote him down. The emperor died.

“A Daoist usurping the throne and indulging in debauchery, only to be struck down by divine lightning… it’s all so very Goulan,” commented the sickly Boss, shaking his head.

By “Goulan,” he meant it was as though scripted for a performance. In this era, plays were often performed in Goulan brothels and similar establishments.

The faces of the Heaven and Earth Society members turned strange, for they thought of additional implications.

From a more logical standpoint, Xu Qi'an analysed, “Strange, there are some inconsistencies here.”

Daoist Jinlian, Chu Yuanzhen, and the others, aware of Xu Qi'an’s rare investigative talent, quieted their scattered thoughts to listen.

“If this tomb’s owner was the emperor in the mural—the Daoist-turned-emperor—then this mural itself becomes very strange,” Xu Qi'an said somberly.

“Even our most esteemed and sagacious emperor knows to alter historical records to cover his shortcomings. But here, we have such blatant depictions—is this mockery?”

Even Xu Ningyan chooses his words carefully, avoiding outright disrespect,

*Most esteemed and sagacious emperor, altering historical records to cover his shortcomings… surely Xu Ningyan is too cautious, to be so careful to not leave a hint of “great disrespect” even in a situation like this.* thought Chu Yuanzhen.

“Heaven smote him down, so, this tomb must be created by his servants. If they loathed him, wouldn’t showing his sins be logical” Hengyuan mused.

“Master, you might build a tomb for your enemy, but others may not,” Xu Qi'an shook his head, adding, “If his descendants hated him, such an elaborate tomb would be out of the question. Conversely, such a tomb would not feature these scandalous scenes—unless the events depicted are unequivocally genuine.”

The group nodded, accepting his reasoning. Chu Yuanzhen spoke in a low tone, “With such power, mere lightning could hardly kill a Daoist. Could this lightning carry another meaning?”

At this, Daoist Jinlian finally spoke, his words deliberate and heavy: “It was heavenly tribulation.”

“Heavenly tribulation?”

The others turned to look at Daoist Jinlian, for this was an unfamiliar term to them.

Daoist Jinlian nodded slowly. “In the Daoist hierarchy, second rank is known as ‘Transcending Tribulation.’ Surviving the Heavenly Tribulation allows one to become a first rank, a true ‘Earthly Immortal.’ Ha! This is not something that can be compared to the Heavenly Retribution of the Arcanist Prophets in the Sitianjian. The last head of the human sect was reduced to ashes by the Tribulation.”

*So the Daoist second rank is “Transcending Tribulation”, and the first is “Earthly Immortal”.* the members of the Heaven and Earth Society noted this down in their heads with joy.

Xu Qi’an smacked his forehead. “I remember now, Daoist. You once mentioned that damned head of the Earth Sect failed to cross the Tribulation, suffered demonic backlash, and fell to become a demon Daoist.”

After slaying Zilian, Daoist Jinlian had visited Xu Qi’an in the dead of night to have a frank and open discussion.

“So, this Emperor was of the second rank in Daoism, and at his peak, merely a hair’s breadth away from becoming an Earthly Immortal,” Chu Yuanzhen remarked.

Daoist Jinlian suddenly exhaled, relieved. “To die in the Tribulation, reduced to ashes…this tomb should be merely a symbolic burial, without much danger.”

Everyone else relaxed, with Xu Qi’an making a lighthearted comment, “Daoist, overly confident judgments often bring about the opposite outcome.”

Daoist Jinlian, you better not go jinxing us now.

Under Xu Qi’an’s lead, they approached the opposite side of the main tomb chamber, only to be disappointed at the lack of murals.

With the exploration of the main tomb complete, Xu Qi’an held a torch and led the group to the center, where they found a broad, dark passage.

The passage led straight to the central altar. Shallow pools of murky water lined both sides.

“Candles line both sides…”

Xu Qi’an raised his torch. Its orange glow illuminated the edges of the corridor, where candleholders, each as tall as a person, stood every ten paces, stretching all the way to the altar.

The candles on the stands were made of a blood-red wax that glistened like rubies.

“This seems to be tallow refined from the Red Dragons of the Eastern Sea. A single candle can burn for decades without going out,” Daoist Jinlian remarked, sniffing to confirm its composition.

While he spoke, Xu Qi’an and Chu Yuanzhen began lighting the candles, their flames illuminating the vast tomb with more light.

Xu Qi’an cautioned everyone to be wary of the pools, in case something sinister lay within. Meanwhile, he went on lighting the candles along the corridor.

Their torches wouldn’t last much longer and would soon burn out; they needed to replace it with something else to continue their illumination.

As they approached the altar, Xu Qi’an abruptly stopped, his eyes widening at the sight of two lines of soldiers standing on the staircase leading up to the altar, gazing silently at the intruders.

*Damn, scared me half to death…* Xu Qi’an muttered to himself as he walked over to inspect the corpses, first listening for heartbeats, then examining the desiccated bodies.

“Just mummies. Don’t touch anything and follow behind me.”

After issuing his warning, he climbed the ninety-nine steps to the altar.

The first thing Xu Qi’an saw on the altar was a massive bronze sarcophagus. At each corner of the platform stood towering figures holding various weapons, unmoved by the passage of countless years.

Daoist Jinlian glanced at the bronze sarcophagus and then turned away to examine one of the mummies standing nearby.

This corpse was clad in a scale armour, wielding a purple-gold hammer, and wore a bronze mask, revealing only its eyes.

Each scale of the armour was connected with red thread and inscribed with strange symbols—both eerie and elegant.

“Is this a Daoist creation?” Chu Yuanzhen was also observing a mummy, though his had a tarnished bronze sword.

Daoist Jinlian examined the four mummies, scrutinizing their armor before murmuring, “Indeed, there are signs of Daoist influence. These ancient symbols… The one on the western side is associated with metal, while those on the south, north, and east govern fire, water, and wood, respectively.”

“What about earth?” Xu Qi’an asked.

Daoist Jinlian didn’t respond but directed his gaze at the bronze sarcophagus at the center.

“The center governs earth!” Chu Yuanzhen muttered. “What does this arrangement signify?”

“Is it for reincarnation?” suggested the wild arcanist, Gongyang Su, glancing at Zhong Li.

Zhong Li nodded. “All things in Heaven and Earth are born of the Five Elements. Ancient people believed that if a Five Elements formation was laid within a tomb, the deceased would one day be reborn from the earth.”

Everyone listened intently, though Xu Qi’an suddenly felt a chill, saying, “This doesn’t add up, Daoist. Didn’t you say he perished in the Heavenly Tribulation, reduced to ashes? How could he be reborn? What’s the purpose of this formation?”

Daoist Jinlian was momentarily stunned, his pupils narrowing as he whispered, “Let’s go. The main tomb is explored; there’s no need to linger.”

Xu Qi’an nodded, about to give the order to retreat when a sigh echoed from within the bronze sarcophagus: “You’ve come…”

A chill shot down Xu Qi’an’s spine, making his hair stand on end. He swallowed hard, glanced at the others, and noticed that, while their expressions were grave, they showed no fear.

Daoist Jinlian, seeing Xu Qi’an’s ashen face, asked, “What’s wrong?”

“I heard…from inside the sarcophagus…” Xu Qi’an stammered, each word escaping through gritted teeth:

“Someone…spoke.”

Everyone felt a chill creep up their spines.

Zhong Li shivered and almost collapsed from fright.

Chu Yuanzhen’s face turned pale as he said urgently, “Let’s go, leave the main tomb, quickly…”

At that moment, they all displayed an intense survival instinct, wasting no time as they turned to leave.

Creak!

Just then, a rough, heavy grinding noise echoed from behind them.

It was the sound of the bronze sarcophagus being opened.