"What in the world? How could someone be crying for help in a place like this?" Young Master Liu's heart churned, uncertain where the voice originated.

It was only when the realization finally dawned on him that he understood the sound was coming from one of the female corpses—the zongzi.

Looking at the zongzi, Fan Debiao and Su Yougui exchanged bewildered glances. Damn it, the thing they just saw—could it have been this very corpse? The thought made both men feel an intense wave of nausea.

However, hearing a sound emanate from within now made Young Master Liu slightly excited. He quickly turned toward the zongzi, only to find it lying perfectly still on the ground. "Help!" A faint cry for aid echoed again, this time clearly coming from beneath the female zongzi.

Young Master Liu’s breath hitched. No way, there’s someone under this female corpse?

He immediately called out, "Hello? Is anyone down there?"

"Save me, save me," the voice pleaded again. Young Master Liu gritted his teeth, looked at Fan Debiao and Su Yougui, and said, "Blast it, it seems we're in for a world of trouble. We've actually encountered living people. Come on, move this female zongzi so I can see what’s underneath."

With that, Young Master Liu stepped forward and, with much fumbling, they shifted the corpse aside.

Beneath it, however, there was absolutely nothing. He couldn't help but feel utterly perplexed, wondering where the sounds had come from.

"Hey, where are you?" Young Master Liu called out curiously.

But the voice suddenly vanished. The two men were naturally mystified. Young Master Liu declared, "This place is incredibly strange. Let's forget about this and just get out of here first. Whatever this is could endanger our health."

With that thought, Young Master Liu gestured for them, flipped the switch, and they scrambled through the doorway.

But just as the two squeezed through, they heard a loud CLANG behind them.

Fan Debiao quickly whipped his head around for a look, startled, "Damn it, those two monsters actually crawled out of the earth!" He immediately yanked his head back inside.

Young Master Liu’s face registered a look of fear, and he moved forward mechanically, lost in thought.

Fan Debiao and Su Yougui felt even more unsettled, unsure of what to say.

"Ah, help! Save me!" At this moment, another voice rang out, sending an inexplicable dread creeping into Young Master Liu’s heart.

"The last cry for help resulted in monsters appearing. I wonder what we'll encounter this time," Young Master Liu squinted, peering ahead, but to his disappointment, the misty expanse ahead revealed nothing at all.

"What is it, Master Liu? Who was calling for help just now?" Fan Debiao asked curiously.

"If I'm not mistaken, I have no idea either," Young Master Liu replied with a touch of dark humor, but this joke nearly terrified the other two into tears.

If even this professional Daoist master didn't know what they were dealing with, it must be truly terrifying!

The two felt increasingly uneasy, unsure how they could possibly cope with the situation before them. Their hearts felt heavy with anxiety.

Rumble, rumble. Explosions sounded continuously, leaving Young Master Liu deeply uneasy.

"You two... Su Yougui, Fan Debiao, stay right behind me. If anything dangerous appears, immediately attack whatever threat is ahead. Understood?"

Su Yougui and Fan Debiao nodded, their faces etched with fear.

They continued advancing, constantly hearing sounds echoing from up ahead. The other two were growing increasingly panicked, unsure how to react.

"Blast it, looks like we're in for a big one this time. You two, stand back!" Young Master Liu told Fan Debiao and Su Yougui beside him, simultaneously pulling a talisman from his robe and hurling it forcefully forward.

A massive BOOM erupted, and the area ahead exploded as if a huge boulder had struck the sea, sending shards of rock flying everywhere like meteors.

Fan Debiao and Su Yougui’s hearts seized, for they saw two figures with twisted mouths and noses charging toward them with flailing arms and claws.

The two felt a surge of adrenaline, not understanding why these things were rushing toward them, and quickly glanced at Young Master Liu.

At that moment, Young Master Liu formed a hand seal and traced a line before his eyes. Suddenly, both men saw yellow light emanating from Young Master Liu's eyes—at first glance, it looked as if he had four pupils.

The technique he was using was called the Six Ren Eyes; with it, he could see clearly in the dark.

Of course, he could see more than just people; it included spirits, ghosts, and entities with heavy Yin energy.

After an unknown period, when Young Master Liu blinked and refocused, he was astonished to find that these monstrous figures before him had not lost their vital energy but were actually corpses possessing a strong human aura.

Young Master Liu reacted instantly: "They’ve been struck by Yin Sha affliction! You two, hurry up and come help!"

Fan Debiao and Su Yougui cautiously approached Young Master Liu. He pulled two crumpled pieces of talisman paper from his robe, handed one to each of them, and instructed, "This is all I have left. Stick this talisman on your forehead, then use your head to lightly knock the foreheads of those people. Each tap will cause the spirit to depart, allowing us to save these two people. Remember?"

Fan Debiao looked at the figures ahead with terror, stammering, "What? Use our foreheads to tap their heads? Are you kidding me? That's suicide! Just look at their expressions; those things don't recognize anyone. If we rush in, they'll surely grab our little arms and legs and rip us apart!"

Hearing this, Su Yougui also took a step back.

"Fine. If you'd rather have more enemies, feel free to stand here and enjoy the shade. By the time these decayed Yin Sha spirits completely possess their bodies, we might not be so lucky to be standing here," Young Master Liu said.

Young Master Liu glanced at the two, then stepped forward, locking eyes with the two figures, and recited with a slight smile, "The Grand Supreme Elderly Lord taught me how to kill ghosts, granting me divine methods. I summon the Jade Maiden above to absorb all misfortune. May the mountain stones crack, and I bear the seal of authority. With the canopy of heaven above my head and the Kui Gang beneath my feet, the Six Jia guards my left, and the Six Ding protect my right. Yellow Deities ahead, Yue Zhang behind. Divine masters slay without fear of the mighty; first slay the wicked ghosts, then chop down the night-shiners. What god would not submit? What demon dares resist? Haste, as the law commands!"

Young Master Liu suddenly transformed, his gaze sharp, a cold light flashing from his eyes.

He lunged forward, bringing his hands together in a salute before his chest: Kui Xing Kicks the Dipper.

As the words left his mouth, his feet shot out, and his body rapidly retreated. However, during the retreat, his feet seemed to sprout wings, flickering rapidly like a pair of shadows.

Bang, bang, bang, bang. Every kick from Young Master Liu landed heavily on the target's body. The one afflicted by Yin Sha fell to the ground, writhing.

"What are you waiting for? Hurry and stick the talisman on him!" Young Master Liu commanded.

Fan Debiao and Su Yougui finally snapped back to reality and rushed to the side of the reanimated corpse, slapping the talisman onto its forehead.

Strangely, as the talisman touched the corpse's forehead, a burst of yellow light erupted from it, eventually fading into ashes. The two finally relaxed, realizing the corpse no longer posed a threat.

Looking back at the corpse, its withered face gradually began to regain a flush of color, shifting from its previous deathly white.

It was miraculous, truly bringing someone back from the brink! The two felt their admiration for Young Master Liu deepen even more.

"What are you still staring at? Hurry up and deal with this one!" Young Master Liu felt a surge of annoyance watching them still focused on the first corpse.

The two snapped to attention. Turning around, they immediately saw that all the other figures had already been knocked down by Young Master Liu and were lying motionless.

They scrambled into action, repeatedly pressing their talismans against the foreheads of the remaining figures.

This simple action proved incredibly effective; the individuals instantly transformed from zombies back into human beings.

After finishing, both men were breathing heavily.

Glancing around, they were amazed to find that they were not the only ones there. Many grotesque faces littered the ground—some already lifeless, some with severed limbs, some whose intestines had spilled out, and others with hands clenched around their own necks, having choked themselves to death.

"L-Leader... What is going on?" Fan Debiao asked Young Master Liu with shock.

Young Master Liu’s tone was cold: "These people have all suffered from the Yin Sha affliction."

Young Master Liu approached one of the men who seemed to be recovering well and asked, "Who are you people, and why are you here?"

"Cough, cough, I... I am their leader... you can call me Big Grasshopper! That one is our second-in-command, known as the Cabbage Worm. Cough, cough." Although the man had mostly recovered, his complexion was still sallow, and he wouldn't fully recover for some time.

"B-Big Grasshopper, your name is certainly... unique," Young Master Liu chuckled, then asked again, "Why are you here, and who told you there was a tomb in this location?"

"Cough, cough, a Daoist priest... Cough, cough. That scoundrel tricked us, leading us to this place. He made my subordinates attempt the trials, and many died before we barely made it here. But then we encountered something terrifying, and we were all possessed by spirits. Thank you, brave sir, for saving us!" Big Grasshopper finished, then broke into another heavy fit of coughing.

"A Daoist priest?" Young Master Liu paused, then understood: "It must be that bastard Ge Shuanwa. I didn't expect him to dare return!" Looking back at Big Grasshopper, the man had closed his eyes, his breathing shallow. Young Master Liu knew this was a clear symptom of Yin Sha possession: rapid breathing, and the blood in the entire body would periodically flow backward. Big Grasshopper was likely enduring excruciating pain, so Young Master Liu refrained from disturbing him further, knowing that forcing him awake might cause him to suffer a severe backlash.

It seemed almost like a dream; sleepwalking, or being possessed, often resulted in madness if the person was forcibly awakened, due to the surging blood attacking the brain.

(PS: In my hometown, for a period, many people suddenly became simple-minded. Their parents later explained that the children had frequently experienced sleepwalking, a symptom they never had before. After being awakened by their parents, they became foolish. Because of this, the village even hired an exorcist Daoist to perform rites for a full day.)

The group waited for nearly the entire night until Big Grasshopper and the Cabbage Worm had mostly regained their senses. They approached Young Master Liu and asked, "What exactly happened to you just now? Why were you possessed? And about that Daoist priest, do you know anything about him?"

Big Grasshopper stood up, looked at Young Master Liu, and said gratefully, "Damn it, that despicable, stinking Daoist priest is responsible for everything. Why are you people in a place like this? This isn't a place ordinary people should come to."

Young Master Liu glanced at Big Grasshopper and Cabbage Worm; both were covered head to toe in blood and dirt. It was clear they had just gone through a fierce struggle.

Without further discussion, Big Grasshopper glanced at Cabbage Worm, who nodded in response.

Young Master Liu couldn't tell what the two were plotting, but with disaster looming, he didn't dwell on it. He simply assumed it was some kind of secret signal within their tomb-robbing syndicate. In his mind, however, Big Grasshopper had now acquired a layer of mystery.

He wondered: out of a group of dozens, why were only these two the survivors?

"How did you two get into this line of work?" After a brief introduction, Young Master Liu chatted with them casually while scouting ahead.

"We weren't originally in this line of work, not at all. But we were forced into it. It's too hard to earn money as living people now; those damn police officers can easily shut us down. We had no choice but to change course, start small, and form a tomb-robbing gang to earn money from the dead," Big Grasshopper replied.

The tomb passage was pitch dark. Big Grasshopper turned on his flashlight, noticed Young Master Liu's rather handsome face, nodded, and then looked at Fan Debiao beside him, suddenly growing stunned: "Brother Fan, isn't that you? Why are you in this remote wasteland!"

Fan Debiao scrutinized him for a long moment but ultimately failed to recognize the man. Although he had stirred up considerable trouble in the North Country, he hadn't often made public appearances. How could this man remember him?

"Who are you? I don't remember you," Fan Debiao asked curiously.

"Brother Fan, of course you don't know me. I knew of you back when you were already achieving great things, but you didn't know me. Back when they were rounding up leftists, and you were commanding troops to charge the military on the streets of Harbin, you were just about to leave, but you didn't see me standing right beside you. I was completely terrified—wounded soldiers everywhere! We ordinary folks never see such scenes. At that time, I didn't know what to do. Then you, you walked over to me, clapped me on the shoulder, and said: 'Young man, you have courage. Keep striving, and you'll have a future!'

"Your praise instantly changed the belief system of my life. From that day on, you became my idol, my goal to strive for. Later, I went to Hong Kong... and that's how it went," Big Grasshopper recounted profusely.

Fan Debiao was momentarily stunned. He never expected that one simple action of his could lead to the creation of this tomb-robbing gang today. He wasn't sure whether to feel joy or sorrow, shame or pride.

It seemed his influence truly was considerable.

It was then that Young Master Liu interrupted him: "Do you know where that Daoist priest fled? If that loose end isn't dealt with, he remains a hidden danger." Young Master Liu sensed that if Ge Shuanwa returned to this tomb, he must be searching for something—something critically important to him.

"I don't know exactly what he's looking for, but I didn't pay much attention along the way. After all, we were each looking out for our own interests; I just wanted to pilfer some antiques," Big Grasshopper stated.

"Ah, he must have found some clue in that Taiping Qing Ling Shu text, leading him to this place, likely seeking a secret related to eternal life." Young Master Liu gave a noncommittal smile, then looked at the others and said, "Since we met here, let's form a team. That way, we can look out for each other from front to back!"

"Absolutely. I can see you are a capable man, Sir. Whatever you ask me to do, I will do without a shred of complaint. Also, Teacher Fan, when you have time, I'd love to discuss things with you privately."

Su Yougui said with some amusement, "What is there to discuss about counter-revolutionary experience?"

Big Grasshopper was displeased by this: "Revolution? You think that's simple? Let me tell you, if you don't have some real skill, you can't pull that off. Master Liu, wouldn't you agree?" Big Grasshopper looked towards the small, powerful, supernatural figure before him and asked.

"En, you should discuss things with Fan Debiao; he is your senior," Young Master Liu replied, his attention still fixed on scouting the path ahead.

"I say, Master Fan, you've been dominating Harbin for so many years; why haven't you published a book? I'm running things in Hong Kong and lack material for learning—it's agonizing," Big Grasshopper asked, trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere in the tunnel.

"I tried to write one once, but the newspaper wouldn't publish it, saying my writing was utter nonsense. Out of frustration, I led my men to trash that newspaper office. But even when we forced them, they wouldn't print it. So, I privately printed a few hundred copies for my subordinates to study. Turns out, those kids were all useless; very few could even read, and they ended up just using the books to wipe their bottoms!" Fan Debiao spread his hands in resignation, looking like a hero with no cause.

"Oh, your subordinates deserve to be cursed! Some people desperately seek material, and such a classic was insulted like that—truly despicable," Big Grasshopper feigned righteous indignation, but his eyes beneath his sunglasses held a fleeting flash of wisdom.

Listening to their casual conversation, Young Master Liu found it amusing: "These two leaders of chaos are actually exchanging war stories."

After a while, Big Grasshopper quickly took charge of arranging the remains of the deceased tomb robbers and gathered the useful supplies. This made Young Master Liu’s eyes light up—there were more than ten high-powered flashlights, plus guns and ropes; they were fully equipped, to say the least.

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