*

In the east, deep within a ley line, inside a massive coffin, an emperor who had slept for thousands of years suddenly opened his eyes.

Those eyes were as black as ink, with dark gold flowing deep within the pupils, as if the shadow of a dragon were roaming within.

Outside the coffin, the bronze eternal lamp ignited without wind, its eerie green flames spreading along the tomb passage like a ghostly hand tearing through the darkness that had been silent for a thousand years, illuminating the mottled murals on the walls, where the grand scene of all nations paying tribute remained vividly colored.

"Click".

Suddenly, a crack appeared in the black coffin, and pale, slender fingers gripped the edge of the coffin, their knuckles gleaming with a cold, jade-like light. In an instant, the entire imperial mausoleum trembled and roared, and a muffled dragon's roar came from the depths of the earth's veins, as if the entire dragon vein was awakening.

At the same time, inside the imperial mausoleum, several souls buried with the deceased slowly awoke. As the yin energy gathered, rustling sounds gradually rose from all parts of the mausoleum. They looked into the depths of the mausoleum and bowed their heads in worship.

Inside the main tomb, the coffin lid was suddenly flung off, and a figure stood in mid-air, dressed in a black imperial robe with dragon patterns and a crown adorned with jade beads. Countless yin energies surged into his body, and as the yin energy entered, his aura also rose steadily.

Besides the surge in his aura, his appearance also changed. His white hair turned green, his aged wrinkles faded away, his eyebrows and eyes became as black as ink, his face was as cold as jade, and the majesty between his brows was even greater than before.

After the Yin energy dissipated, Qin Mobei opened his eyes. Just like a thousand years ago, his eyes were like cold stars, deep and unfathomable. He lowered his eyes and looked at the other figure sleeping with him in the coffin.

The person in the coffin wore a jade hairpin and a gold hairpin, a phoenix robe, and had a lifelike face, as if they were just sleeping.

Qin Mobei fell back into the coffin, gazing at that familiar face. He slowly reached out, but stopped abruptly just before touching her cheek.

wrong.

There was not a trace of his empress's aura in this body.

But he clearly felt her presence when he woke up, that familiar presence that ran to his very bones, the presence he had held in his arms day and night, there was no mistake!

The empress before him was indeed his empress, yet she was not her.

Where is the Empress? Where is his Empress?!

Qin Mobei's face darkened, his eyes turned as black as ink, and he clenched his fists. A chilling wind instantly swept through the entire imperial mausoleum, and several souls buried with him crawled out of the shadows, kneeling on the ground, trembling.

"His Majesty....."

He stepped out of the coffin, his black dragon robe fluttering without wind, his pale face appearing both god-like and ghostly in the glow of the ghostly fire.

Where is the Empress?

His voice was deep, yet it made the entire imperial mausoleum tremble.

But no one could answer.

In the deathly silence, Qin Beimo slowly raised his hand and clenched his fist.

"boom!"

The few souls kneeling at the front instantly turned to ashes and were inhaled as wisps of smoke. The remaining spirits trembled so much that they almost collapsed, but they still dared not escape and could only bury their heads even lower.

He closed his eyes and sensed for a moment, then waved his sleeve, causing the Yin energy in the entire imperial mausoleum to surge wildly. By the time the souls looked up, the figure had already vanished.

Nan Qing was completely unaware of all of this.

After playing enough by the River of Oblivion in the underworld, she returned to her bedroom and fell asleep the moment her head hit the bed.

The next day, Nanqing changed into a light green strapless dress with a hem that reached her ankles. She wore a string of emerald beads around her neck, which made her fair collarbone look even more delicate. It was a birthday gift for her eighteenth birthday. It was said to be an antique and a treasure that could dispel evil spirits.

After tidying herself up, she went down the small building, opened the shop door, and turned the sign on the door to the "Open for Business" side.

【Baogu Zhai】

She didn't want to be confined to the home all the time, but her parents wouldn't let her get involved in the entertainment industry, so she simply opened an antique shop on the old street in the south of the city to pass the time. She usually lived on the second floor of the shop.

The shop downstairs isn't large, but it's very charming. The antique shelves are filled with porcelain vases and bronzes, and the glass cabinets display a number of antique jade pieces with excellent color. The walls are also adorned with many ancient paintings of various styles.

After opening for business, she turned around and sat on a soft chair by the window. She took out several tea and snacks from the Nebula Realm, all of which were still steaming hot, and happily ate breakfast with Xiao Ba.

Not long after breakfast, the first customer arrived. He wasn't a buyer, but a seller, and he immediately bought several antiques.

A bronze mirror inlaid with gold and silver, with extremely exquisite patterns engraved on the back.

A pair of white jade carved earrings, the jade as smooth as cream, carved into the shape of a budding magnolia, with openwork design and adorned with a gold bead the size of a grain of rice.

There was also a palm-sized bronze incense burner and a marbled glass teacup, both of very good quality, but they both carried a faint earthy smell and a chilling aura that ordinary people could not see.

"Boss, do you buy things? These treasures are all in pretty good condition."

The man was clearly an experienced person, aware of the value of these items. Nanqing's shop was one of the few on the entire old street that dared to accept such locally sourced goods. Although the original "she" wasn't knowledgeable about these things, the Su family behind her was undeniably powerful.

"I'll take them all. Name your price."

The items do indeed have a strong yin energy, but they are of good age and condition. She also likes the bronze mirror!

As for the chilling aura and the lingering obsessions of the tomb's owner, they posed no threat to her and were easily dispelled.

The man gave a price, and Nan Qing readily nodded: "Deal."

Before the man left, looking at the eerie aura surrounding him, Nan Qing said to him indifferently, "Buy a talisman."

He's already entangled with the lingering spirit of that graveyard; if left unchecked, it should be over in the next few days.

Grave robbers naturally understand these things too. After Nan Qing's reminder, the man's face visibly stiffened, and he subconsciously touched the back of his neck.

"Thank you for your trouble, boss. Please sell me a few more."

He wasn't the only one going down into the tomb this time. He knew that the owner of "Baogu Zhai" was a member of the Su family, which was why he brought the items here. Naturally, he didn't doubt whether what Nan Qing said was true or false.

Seeing that he was listening, Nan Qing didn't say anything more. She took out a sandalwood box from under the counter in front of her, placed five cinnabar talismans folded into triangles in front of him, and touched them with her fingertips.

"Remember, keep it with you at all times for at least seven days."

After the man left, Nanqing picked up the bronze mirror and looked at herself. The mirror, which had been somewhat hazy, instantly lost its gloomy aura and became clear as soon as she touched it, reflecting her bright smile.

Then, Xiao Ba stared in disbelief as she casually brushed over other items, hung them on the shelf, and added two zeros to the price tag.

【Host, how about... in the next small world, I find you a storyline about a domineering female CEO?】

Nan Qing: "......"