He hadn't run more than a couple of steps when he was suddenly slammed by something. Before he could react, the thing yanked his arm back, pulling him, its grip on his bicep being a human hand. It must have been Jackson, having broken free from whatever was restraining him, and finding the adversary too much to handle, thus dragging both Liu and Fan in their hasty retreat.

The two of them dashed back to Wang Feifei in a few strides. She looked at Young Master Liu, utterly confused, demanding to know what had just happened. Liu hadn't understood a thing from the beginning; Fan DeBiao never used his brain, so he certainly wouldn't know either. Liu paused, his gaze inevitably drifting to Jackson.

But Jackson offered no reply, only emitting a muffled sound, his hand locked tightly onto Liu’s arm, visibly agitated. Liu’s face shifted. Damn it, this foreigner must have been hit by something, something so bad he can't even speak.

Liu reached out along the hand gripping him, touching Jackson’s face, and an immediate chill shot through him. He snatched his hand back, rubbing his fingers together; they felt slick, as if coated in some viscous substance. Simultaneously, Liu felt the hand holding his own arm beginning to grow cold as well.

He instantly realized his previous judgment was flawed. The one pulling them back might not have been Jackson at all—it could have been that thing. Perhaps Jackson had already been dispatched by it. Liu touched the gripping hand, feeling the contours of a hand, a face… in a flash of horrifying clarity, the image of a grotesque zombie sprang into his mind.

Young Master Liu’s nerves were drawn taut to the breaking point; his mind went blank, and his whole body began to tremble. He couldn't afford to hesitate, drawing in a sharp, cold breath, and swung his fist—a fist the size of a cooking pot—at the thing. It made no attempt to dodge, taking Liu’s blow squarely. A muffled cry rang out, and the thing was sent flying, disappearing God knows where under the force of Liu’s punch.

“That thing just now might have been a Zongzi!” Liu said to Fan DeBiao.

“What? A Zongzi? Hell and damnation, did that Zongzi just critique Jackson?” Fan DeBiao sputtered angrily upon hearing Liu suggest the entity that dragged them over was a Zongzi.

The others, unaware of what Zongzi meant in this context, looked around in utter bewilderment, asking what was going on. Liu explained his speculation, naturally substituting Zongzi with ‘zombie.’ The rest fell silent, the entire tomb chamber suddenly eerily quiet, the atmosphere several times more tense than before.

“We find him alive or we find him dead,” Wang Feifei finally broke the silence. “We shouldn’t jump to conclusions before confirming Jackson’s condition. Let’s go see what it actually is; I don’t much believe in zombies.”

Hearing Wang Feifei say that only unsettled Liu more. Even if Jackson wasn't dead, something unbelievable had surely happened. If they rushed over rashly, they might meet their end before even understanding the situation.

No matter what, Jackson was someone they had faced life and death with before; they couldn't abandon him. Now was the time for Liu and Fan DeBiao to channel the spirit of the Mojin Xiaowei. He asked Fan DeBiao for a black donkey’s hoof, taking one for himself. With a weapon in each hand, he followed Fan DeBiao to charge toward the sound.

Suddenly, the entire tomb chamber shuddered. Everyone froze mid-step, daring not to utter a sound. A "gege..." sound, originating from an unknown direction, was approaching them.

This situation meant the enemy was concealed while they were exposed—this opponent was going to be difficult.

Despite this, Liu and Fan DeBiao heightened their alertness to the extreme, carefully trying to pinpoint the source of the sound, having been through too many bizarre incidents to panic easily.

After a moment, the sound seemed to be all around them, as if emanating from every direction, lacking any distinct location. Liu was now sweating profusely, his mind racing in helpless frustration, when suddenly he heard the sound of fighting coming from ahead. Could Jackson still be alive, locked in a death struggle with the Zongzi?

Liu and Fan DeBiao fixed on the location of the melee, seizing their black donkey’s hooves and charging forward. The fighting grew louder and closer, and in moments, it was right beneath their feet. Liu, acting without reservation, gripped the hoof tightly and swung wildly downward.

A shriek of "Aow!" pierced the air, followed immediately by Jackson’s voice: “Watch it! You hit me!”

Jackson’s delivery sounded full of vigor, not at all like an injured man. At most, he’d only been grazed by Liu’s black donkey’s hoof. Seeing he was otherwise unharmed, Liu’s strained heart eased considerably.

Just as Liu was about to question him, Jackson yelled again, “Why are you still hitting me? Are you addicted?”

“Damn it, it’s you, kid! Why didn’t you speak up sooner?” Fan DeBiao said beside Liu. It seemed Fan DeBiao, like Liu, had charged in blindly, landing a blow on Jackson. Hearing Jackson’s pig-like squeal, it must have landed on a tender spot.

This was no time to relax. The "gegege" sound from below their feet continued, mixed with the sounds of Jackson grappling with the Zongzi. They needed to jam the black donkey’s hooves into its mouth, but the task was proving difficult.

“Jackson, get away from that Zongzi. Let me handle it!” Fan DeBiao suddenly blurted out.

As soon as Fan DeBiao finished speaking, they heard Jackson scramble up from the ground. Liu and Fan DeBiao stabilized their grips on the black donkey’s hooves, ready to strike, but Jackson yanked them both back. “This thing isn’t the sticky rice Zongzi you mentioned; the donkey’s foot won’t work. I’ll meet up with Miss Wang first. This thing won’t chase us right away.” With that, he signaled them to follow him as they retreated.

Liu felt deeply confused. He had clearly touched the thing; it had hands and a face—it looked exactly like a person. How could Jackson say it wasn't a Zongzi? Could there be two creatures here? A Zongzi and a monster? The thought sent a shiver down his spine. But Jackson had his reasons for leading them back, so Liu followed him muddlingly along.

Reaching the others, no one spoke. Liu, being impatient, started to question Jackson about the situation. As soon as his mouth opened, he felt a hard impact to the top of his head. Immediately, all strength left his limbs, his head felt impossibly heavy, and stars exploded behind his eyes—a sensation impossible to describe.

His first instinct was that he’d been ambushed, that there was a traitor in the group. Since he was the last to arrive, the others must have been attacked too. With no time for further thought, another blow landed squarely on his head, instantly knocking Young Master Liu unconscious.

After an indeterminate amount of time, Young Master Liu slowly regained consciousness, his head throbbing painfully.

He strained to sit up, surveying his surroundings. He found himself in a tomb chamber. Looking up, he saw layers upon layers of coffins stacked above him. Ahead lay an enormous stone, carved intricately. If he wasn't mistaken, this must be the bottom of the chamber filled with countless coffins.

Wang Feifei, Fan DeBiao, Wang Zhicai, Lin Miaoke, and Kramar were all lying beside him. Further on, Jackson was sitting there, tending a small fire; the wood must have been salvaged from the coffins. Seeing Liu awake, Jackson approached to check on him.

Liu rubbed his hair and asked Jackson what was going on. To his shock, Jackson confessed that he was the one who had knocked them all out. Liu instantly flared up, wanting to rush over and beat him, but he suppressed the urge. It wouldn't be too late to fight after hearing this rogue out!

Jackson explained that everything they had experienced above—the white smoke, the monsters—had been mere hallucinations, constructs of their own minds. Hearing this, Liu was utterly baffled and pressed him urgently for the real story.

Jackson shook his head. He said that while they were looking at the wall, the tomb wall slowly opened, revealing a flight of stairs. However, except for himself, everyone else was scrambling around the chamber like thieves caught in the act. Liu and Fan DeBiao were running around frantically, which Jackson found utterly ridiculous. Not understanding what was happening, and wanting to contain the situation, he simply knocked them all unconscious and brought them here.

Hearing this, Liu certainly lost the impulse to KO Jackson; after all, he had done it to save them.

Young Master Liu, being a Feng Shui practitioner, was naturally fascinated by this location. The layout bore some resemblance to the Thousand Coffin Cave of the Miao people; the research potential was undoubtedly high. Even setting that aside, helping Fan DeBiao pilfer a few rare artifacts wouldn't hurt. He asked Jackson to accompany him on a look around.

Jackson, deeply interested in all things Chinese culture, readily agreed.