65 - A Farewell to Mr. Luo

## Chapter 65 By the time Bai Fan and her group arrived, the ghost lantern had already started burrowing underground. It didn't need to dig manually, for as a ghost, it simply sank into the ground like a wisp of air and vanished in the blink of an eye. "What are you doing?" "Digging a cave abode." The voice trailed off, and the ghost was gone. Bai Fan stared at the thick soil beneath her feet and couldn't help but frown, wondering if she'd have to dig herself. "This cave abode is underground?" Bai Fan turned to He Yi Man, seemingly seeking her opinion. He Yi Man glanced back at Bai Fan, saw her frowning at the spot where the ghost had disappeared, and, guessing at her thoughts, said, "There might be an underground river or something down there. We'll have to go down and take a look." Bai Fan gritted her teeth, pulled an old black sword from her storage bag, and said, "Alright, since we’re here, let’s check it out. Besides, the little ghost can’t escape far." As she consoled herself, she began digging a large hole in the ground with her sword, continuing to dig deeper and deeper. People say snakes are good at digging holes; even though Bai Fan didn't revert to her true form, she was swift and efficient, tossing up dirt heaps from the dark hole as she dug. She lost track of time as she dug through the pitch blackness. At some point, He Yi Man joined her, sealing the entrance behind them. The black sword felt especially handy, despite its weight. It was far better suited for digging than her originally planned sword, which turned out to be too light for the job. Focused intently on her task, Bai Fan suddenly felt a sharp vibration through the sword—a jarring hum—and her hands went numb. "Hummm." "What’s wrong?" He Yi Man asked, noticing Bai Fan’s frozen expression and assuming she was exhausted from digging. "Not that. I think I hit something." Bai Fan put away the black sword, pulled out a luminous pearl, and began clearing away the dirt in front of her. Gradually, a stone door emerged, covered in ancient, unreadable script. "It looks like a door." She reached out to touch it, finding it tightly sealed with no obvious way to open it. The implication was clear: it wasn’t meant to be reopened. Bai Fan racked her brains trying to figure out how to open the door. The black sword, which could usually slice through anything, hadn’t even scratched the stone surface. After a few futile attempts to force it, Bai Fan, whose physical strength was akin to that of a juvenile dragon, merely felt her bones ache from the impact. "It won’t budge." A slight smile curled the corners of He Yi Man’s lips as she observed Bai Fan’s frustration. "Let me try." "You?" Bai Fan eyed He Yi Man skeptically. From her perspective, He Yi Man was just an ordinary mortal. How could she possibly succeed where a beast like Bai Fan had failed? He Yi Man brushed away the dust and scrutinized the curious characters, explaining, "These are ancient scripts. No one can read them now, but there's a way to open this kind of door." She produced a bottle of liquid from her storage bag and poured it at the base of the stone door. Soon, a corrosive sound filled the air, accompanied by a charred smell. Sensitive to scents, Bai Fan wrinkled her nose in displeasure. "What is this stuff?" "It’s a concoction some rogue alchemists accidentally made while refining pills. Highly corrosive." Seeing the clear liquid, Bai Fan thought it looked like sulfuric acid. Carrying something so dangerous around seemed extreme. Before long, the stone door had a hole corroded into it, about the size of an arm. He Yi Man signaled Bai Fan to proceed. "Now, use the black sword to pry it open from inside," He Yi Man instructed. Bai Fan inserted the sword, albeit carelessly at first. Noticing, He Yi Man frowned slightly and moved to adjust it, her hand grazing Bai Fan’s, leaving a tingling sensation. Bai Fan instinctively pulled back, feeling a bit uncomfortable. "You need to stand here," He Yi Man said, her breath warm against Bai Fan’s ear, "If you’re not in the right spot, the leverage won’t be correct, and you won’t be able to pry it open." "Okay." Once He Yi Man positioned Bai Fan properly, she stepped back. Bai Fan felt relieved once the proximity ended. Was it because He Yi Man had hugged her before? Whenever He Yi Man got close now, Bai Fan couldn’t help but feel a tickle around her waist. "Alright, now use your strength to pry it open." Clutching the black sword with both hands, Bai Fan channeled her spiritual energy into it. Unlike before, when it was merely a digging tool, this time she utilized it as a magical weapon, though still relying on brute force. She clenched her teeth and pulled upward with all her might. With a loud rumble, the stone door shifted. The black sword sprang up, causing Bai Fan to tumble backward, hitting the ceiling of the tunnel. The stone door revealed a dark entrance, lifting upward completely. He Yi Man reached out to help Bai Fan up. "Are you alright?" Bai Fan shook her head, feeling drained as she stood. The door had been incredibly heavy. "We can go in now." Keeping a respectful distance, Bai Fan led the way with He Yi Man holding the luminous pearl behind her. As they entered, they encountered a large tombstone inscribed with numerous characters, chronicling the tomb owner’s history and the construction of the tomb. Bai Fan finally understood—it wasn’t a cave abode they were looking for; the little ghost had been digging into someone's tomb. "This is an imperial tomb. Are we sure we want to proceed?" He Yi Man asked, recognizing the tomb’s layout immediately. There’s a saying about not disturbing graves as it brings curses, yet Bai Fan felt compelled to investigate, sensing the ghost nearby. "Let’s take a look inside since we’re already here. It won’t hurt." With that, she proceeded down the passage, bending low to navigate the narrow entrance. When she straightened, what she saw left her awestruck—a ceiling embedded with numerous luminous pearls, resembling the night sky. Surrounded by countless luminous pearls, the dark tomb felt like the cosmos, with the stars nearly within reach. Even the placement of the pearls matched the constellation patterns. Bai Fan marveled at the sight, thinking about how rare luminous pearls were. Finding so many in one place indicated immense wealth. As she moved forward, glancing at the floor and the ceiling, she inadvertently stepped on something. A series of small green arrows whizzed past. Bai Fan’s reflexes kicked in as she dodged, feeling the arrows brush past her eyelashes. Still retaining their deadly effectiveness after all these years, the tomb’s traps had remained lethal. Having felt safe initially, the sudden danger heightened Bai Fan’s alertness. "Be careful, there are traps here," she cautioned. Turning to check on He Yi Man, who was also crouching through the passage, Bai Fan saw her holding up the luminous pearl, the light reflecting like fragmented starlight in her eyes. "Mhm." He Yi Man responded, moving to stand beside Bai Fan, both now more vigilant. With the constant threat of poison arrows, they proceeded in silence, each only aware of the other's breathing. Suddenly, two arrows shot towards He Yi Man. Bai Fan instinctively grabbed her, pulling them both out of harm’s way. As they landed, Bai Fan felt something soft in her grip and hesitated to let go, unknowingly squeezing and kneading the soft flesh. He Yi Man stiffened, quickly breaking free with a flushed and angry expression, barely visible in the dim light. Unbeknownst to Bai Fan, the spot she had grabbed was He Yi Man’s chest. The soft, pleasant sensation had distracted her, leading her to hold on longer than appropriate. Seeing He Yi Man break free, Bai Fan finally came to her senses. She wondered if she had touched something she shouldn't have and worried about how He Yi Man would react. To avoid further awkwardness, she decided to act as if it was an accidental touch. She quickly put on a face of innocence, which made He Yi Man, who initially wanted to say something, eventually hold back her words. "Let’s find that little ghost first," Bai Fan suggested. Quickly turning to walk deeper into the tomb, they soon found the space widening. For the first time, Bai Fan felt nervous seeing how the tomb was becoming increasingly illuminated. Reaching a vestibule, a thin layer of water appeared before her, rippling under her touch. "What is this? Why does the tomb get weirder the further we go?" He Yi Man approached, examining the film. Touching it, she explained, "This is a boundary barrier, usually something only cultivators with great power can create." "So we can't go any further?" "Not necessarily." He Yi Man then poured the sulfuric acid onto the barrier, quickly creating several holes. However, as water vapor evaporated, the barrier gradually repaired itself. "It can automatically repair itself." "It doesn’t appear to be offensive. We might be able to pass through it." With that, He Yi Man reached through the barrier. Seeing this, Bai Fan worriedly asked, "Is it safe?" "It’s fine. We can go through." He Yi Man stepped through the barrier, and Bai Fan hurriedly followed. Meanwhile, the ghost lantern had not yet reached Bai Fan and He Yi Man’s position. It was moving deeper, preferring areas rich in yin energy, like those filled with traps where many had died over the years. Each group had entered through different routes, and Bai Fan's group had taken a shortcut. Diving through the barrier, Bai Fan felt like she was suddenly submerged in water. Initially, she could still see He Yi Man, but as He Yi Man moved toward a light, Bai Fan quickened her pace to catch up. Emerging from the water, they found a completely different landscape. Blue skies, white clouds, distant mountains, and lush grass sprinkled with fresh flowers greeted Bai Fan, leaving her bewildered. She knew she was in a tomb, so how had she ended up in such a place? Looking around, she realized He Yi Man had disappeared. She had followed He Yi Man all the way here. "He Yi Man, where are you?" Her call was met with silence. Besides herself, there seemed to be no other living creatures in sight. ※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※ Thank you to the angels who cast votes or donated nutrient solutions~ Thank you to the angels who donated [nutrient solutions]: Jiangyuebai 5 bottles; Thank you all for your support, I will continue to work hard! 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