The middle game of fake death (Part 2)

The wind howled at the mass grave.

The gunpowder has been laid.

Tiao Tiao carefully calibrated the position, strength, and lead length of the mechanism's slide to ensure that Mu Jin in the deep pit could complete the body replacement through the preset slide rope by simply pulling the hardwood pull rod.

Mu Jin gasped and exclaimed in amazement, "Master, your recovery ability is amazing! You were barely breathing yesterday, and today you're digging a hole to bury the medicine?"

Su Baiwei's cold eyes flashed before Tiaotiao's eyes. "Overdrawing lifespan to strengthen bones and muscles—this kind of trick might fool the common people, but it can't fool a doctor." He curled his lips and said indifferently, "Yes, would you like this skill?"

Mu Jin's eyes lit up instantly: "Of course!"

Tiaotiao scoffed, "I'm afraid you can't afford the price."

"What's the price?" Mu Jin asked.

Tiaotiao said nothing more, silently taking out an ordinary tinderbox. He walked to the coffin, put in a handful of dry grass, and with a "crack" it burned up.

"Scorch the edges of this fragment later," Tiaotiao instructed, pointing at the fragment in her hand. "Put it on my back. The timing of detonation and triggering the mechanism must be perfect."

Mu Jin nodded vigorously: "Remember!"

Tiaotiao lay in the coffin, ripping open his clothes, leaving several hideous scratches on his chest, as if in a last-ditch struggle. He raised his head and drank the Nine Nether Spring from the jade bottle in one gulp.

As the liquid medicine entered his throat, the extreme cold instantly froze his limbs. His soul seemed to be ripped out, his life force extinguished, his heartbeat stopped, his blood solidified, and his senses sank into a boundless darkness and silence. He lay frozen at the bottom of the coffin, like a real corpse.

The sound of footsteps and shouts in the distance was approaching like thunder!

Mu Jin's heart pounded wildly. She immediately pried open his teeth and inserted the wax-sealed life-extending pill, clinging to the last shred of life in his heart. Then she took a deep breath, suppressed her trembling fingertips, concentrated and held her breath, and performed the Three Talents Blood Drawing Technique. With a flash of cold light, the silver needle pierced the vital point of his throbbing heart.

The excruciating pain that stirred the very essence of his heart felt like a scalding steel needle piercing his heart. Even in suspended animation, the torture still penetrated the ice. The "corpse" in the coffin shuddered violently, a broken sob escaping his teeth.

Mu Jin was so frightened she nearly dropped the needle, cold sweat instantly covering her forehead. Even more alarming was the sensation she felt through the needle, the faint wisp of life held onto by the life-extending elixir. Like a candle in a raging wind, each stirring of her heart blood caused it to sway violently, nearly extinguishing. Her fingertips trembled even more. Finally, at the critical moment of annihilation, she managed to guide three drops of her heart's blood, a dazzling golden crimson.

Blood dripped onto the ink marks on the torn page, sizzling with a sizzling sound, and the hard shells of the dormant Gu eggs cracked. Countless transparent Gu worms, as tiny as hairs, emerged from their shells and were carefully guided by Mu Jin to Tiao Tiao's bare chest. The Gu worms twisted and converged frantically, creating strange patterns resembling black iron veins on his pale flesh. At key points, the Gu worms briefly gathered, emitting a faint glow.

Mu Jin didn't dare delay and immediately fed him Su Baiwei's secret recipe, the Nine Flower Jade Dew Pill. The pill melted in his mouth, and a gentle force like a spring instantly enveloped the fading thread of life. While it couldn't reverse the suspended animation, it held him tightly against the brink of death like a resilient spider silk.

She quickly grabbed the fire starter left by Tiao Tiao, burned the broken edges of the remaining pages that had carried the poisonous insect, and stuffed them behind Tiao Tiao's back.

The footsteps are getting closer!

Mu Jin's heart almost jumped out of her throat. She quickly dodged and threw herself into a deep pit covered with weeds nearby. She held her breath and completely immersed herself in the shadows and the smell of earth.

More than a dozen factions of soldiers and horses poured into the mass grave. Lu Jun'an's eyes were sharp as he squatted down and twisted the dirt where the drag marks were. "The dirt is moist, and the marks are fresh."

Elder Sun said anxiously, "It must be the trace of that devil!"

Following the trail, they suddenly came upon a coffin at its end, its lid ajar, a strange glow filtering through the crack. Upon closer inspection, they saw a handsome corpse lying supine within, its clothes torn. On its chest, a bizarre pattern, vibrant and vibrant, with distinct veins, shone brightly in the night.

The crowd instantly became agitated, whispers spreading. Some people's faces changed drastically, and they quietly withdrew.

In the crowd, the moment the Wudang Sect's head, Taoist Master Qingxu, saw the pattern clearly, his body stiffened beneath his robe, a glint of horror and greed flickering in his eyes. He instinctively gathered his sleeves, his fingertips quietly pressing against his chest through the fabric. There, as if sensing something, a slight throbbing.

Elder Sun of the Cangshan Sect's expression changed drastically, with cold sweat instantly oozing out of his forehead. He stared at a certain node on the mineral vein map, his eyes changing, as if he was confirming something that concerned his life.

"This... could this be the Beimang Mountain mineral vein map mentioned in the letter?" Someone exclaimed in surprise.

Everyone's faces changed instantly, with greed, shock, ecstasy and fear mixed together.

Lu Jun'an suppressed the greed in his heart and shouted in a deep voice: "Business is important! Don't forget why we are here!" But there was a gleam of light in his eyes that was difficult to conceal.

Tian Yizhong stretched out his withered claws and touched the corpse's neck pulse. After a moment, he said in a sinister voice, "He's dead. There's no pulse at all."

"Hmph, this kid got away with it!" Ding Yizhen searched the body angrily and quickly found the burnt fragments of a tinderbox from the ashes under the corpse: "The tinderbox... was burned? Only these residues are left." He said with disdain.

"He's sensible." Taoist Qingxu muttered his Taoist name, but his eyes lingered on the mineral vein map, and his voice had a barely perceptible urgency.

Lu Jun'an frowned, full of doubts.

"The light is extinguished when the person dies, the fire starter is destroyed, and this mineral vein map..." Before Tian Yizhong finished speaking, a disciple behind Lu Jun'an could no longer hold back and shouted, "This map belongs to Tianmen Mountain for safekeeping! Quickly write down the pattern!"

"Bullshit!" Ding Yizhen flew into a rage, his palm blasting like a raging wave, instantly forcing the disciple back. His massive figure stood before the coffin, his hair and beard fluttering. "If I hadn't found the handkerchief, you'd still be running around in circles! This map belongs to the Iron Palm Gang!"

Seeing this, everyone rushed forward to take a closer look at the pattern. Elder Sun's eyes flashed, and his figure flashed like a ghost to the other side of the coffin, facing Ding Yizhen across the coffin. "If my disciples from Cangshan hadn't identified that witch, what good would it be for you to pick up the rag?!"

Before they finished speaking, the two men exchanged palm strikes across the coffin. However, if anyone dared to approach the coffin with the intention of memorizing the pattern, the two men would instantly put aside their differences and join forces to force them back.

Mu Jin in the deep pit watched through the gaps in the grass, trembling with fear. The usually righteous head elders were now fighting and biting like street thugs, losing all respect for the illusory mining map. The sharp palm wind and sword energy barely brushed past the coffin.

More and more sects were drawn into the fray, and the clamor and cries of swords and unsheathed blades filled the air. Qian Wanguan, the leader of the Five Tiger Sect, clutched his bulging purse, his mouth twitching with heartache as he cursed Lu Junan under his breath for "squeezing the land."

At the edge of the crowd, several leaders of inconspicuous small sects exchanged glances, their fingers pressed against the weapons at their waists, and their eyes vigilantly scanned the center of the chaos and the surrounding darkness, as if waiting for a signal.

Lu Jun'an stood silently aside, his greed was hard to shake off, but his doubts forced him to suppress it and watch coldly.

At that moment, the demonic cult's elite troops approached silently like ghosts. The leader's gaze fixed on the shimmering coffin, and with a gesture, several dark figures, armed with specially crafted leather bags, crept quietly towards the coffin.

In the deep pit, Mu Jin's eyes flashed, and before the demon cult could blend into the crowd, she decisively pulled the fuse!

Boom——boom——!!!

A deafening explosion, like a divine retribution, suddenly ripped through the deadly night sky! The earth shook, flames shot up into the sky, and a massive shockwave kicked up a cloud of dust and debris, instantly obscuring vision. Roaring, whistling debris, screams and howls merged into a wave of destructive sound.

Mu Jin, who was in the deep pit, felt a darkness above her head. The dirt on the pit wall fell off, and small pieces of earth hit her shoulders. A strong air wave mixed with the smell of sulfur, dust and fishy air pressed down heavily.

"The Demonic Cult!"

"It's indeed a mineral vein map! They want to destroy the body and cover up all traces!" Everyone was scared out of their wits.

Seeing that the demonic sect had indeed come to destroy the corpse, Lu Jun'an's last shred of doubt was overwhelmed by greed! He shouted sternly, "Protect the mineral vein map! It must not fall into the hands of the demonic sect! Repel the external enemies first, then we can discuss ownership! Anyone who dares to lose sight of the map will be killed without mercy!"

Good and evil are strangled in an instant, swords flash, blood and flesh fly!

Amidst the chaos, some still eagerly lunged at the coffin, intent on forcing their death, only to be ripped apart by the raging blades. The splattering blood and limbs deterred those who dared to stir. Some, even taking advantage of the chaos, stabbed their allies in the back. A murderous glint flashed in Qian Wanguan's eyes, and he seized the opportunity to shout, "Old Dog Lu is ripping my land! Brothers of the Five Tigers, follow me! Chop him up and fill my warehouse!"

At the height of the chaos, a fierce glint flashed in the eyes of one of the smaller leaders. He pounced on the Cangshan disciple currently engaged in a fight with the demonic sect, piercing his back with a poisoned dagger. The disciple, in disbelief, turned back, only to be met with a snarling grin: "Chi Lian Hall Master has issued an order to eliminate this sect!"

Almost simultaneously, in another battle group, a Shangqing Sect elder screamed, clutching his heart and collapsing to the ground, convulsing. Strange black blood oozed from all seven orifices, clearly a latent Gu within him that had taken his life instantly. Taoist Master Qingxu caught a glimpse of him, his body trembling violently beneath his robes, his eyes a crisscross of fear, and his attack became even more ruthless.

Taking advantage of the lingering smoke and dust that severely obstructed vision, Mu Jin yanked a hardwood lever from deep within the pit. The buried mechanism emitted a dull, gentle click, drowned out by the aftermath of the explosion, the roars, and the clash of weapons.

However, when the preset slide was activated, a piece of debris fell and hit the key hinge, causing the slide to stop!

Mu Jin's heart leaped into her throat, and she pulled with all her might. The slide scraped harshly, but she finally overcame the obstacle. Tiaotiao in the coffin was quickly dragged underground, and a corpse of similar appearance was pushed into the coffin to replace him. Despite a thrilling half-second delay, she finally completed the task under the cover of smoke and dust.

Boom——!!!

Another earth-shattering bang!

The gunpowder exploded violently, shattering the coffin and the body in an instant. Sawdust, broken bones, and dust mixed together in a blazing fire that shot up into the sky, illuminating faces distorted with shock and greed, their faces etched with despair.

The cult leader saw the corpse reduced to dust, his goal accomplished. His cold gaze swept across the righteous heroes, who had instantly fallen into a frenzied internal conflict. A sneer crossed his lips, his fingers rubbing the buckle of the leather bag at his waist. With a sudden, decisive, downward gesture, he said, "Retreat! Let them fight each other, and the fight will be fiercer." The cult retreated into the darkness like a tide. The leader glanced back at the boiling inferno one last time, a sardonic smile flashing across his face.

"The mineral vein map is in hand!!" Ding Yizhen's eyes were bloodshot, and he pounced on the retreating demon cult like a wounded mad tiger.

"The evil cult destroyed the mine map! Kill them! Take back the secret treasure!" The shouts and screams completely ignited the bloodbath.

Lu Jun'an tried to regain control of the situation, but amidst the chaos, he caught a glimpse of the shattered remains of the coffin. A flash of lightning struck his mind like an ice spike: "The carrier pigeon... it's a trap! I've fallen for it!" The thought was instantly forced back by Tian Yizhong's withered claws, which carried a biting cold wind and struck him in the face: "Lu Jun'an! If you hadn't been so hypocritical and stopped me from looking at the picture, how could this have happened? You must be a lackey of the Demon Cult! Die!"

Lu Jun'an was caught off guard and responded hastily, but his words of defense were forced back by the fierce and murderous students.

Deep in the pit, Mu Jin covered her mouth and nose, watching in disbelief a scene even more absurd than a play. The heroes, who had just shared a common hatred for the enemy, now lashed out like hungry wolves, their fangs pointed at their leader!

Many sects had long been dissatisfied with Lu Jun'an's dictatorial behavior and his "golden apportionment." Seeing Tianmen Mountain under siege, they defected. The leaders of the Five Poison Sect and the Black Wind Village shouted, "Let's attack together! Destroy Tianmen Mountain!" and led their men in a brutal slaughter.

Taoist Master Qingxu proclaimed "Boundless Heavenly Venerable," but his eyes burned with naked greed and fierceness. He fixed his gaze on Lu Jun'an's golden crane cloak, the symbol of his leadership, and a poisonous thought surged: "This person... should be the master of our sect! The mineral veins will be mine!" He swung his whisk fiercely, the silver threads stretching like needles, tearing through the air and lashing out at the Tianmen disciple beside Lu Jun'an. The disciple's clothes shredded his chest, his skin torn and flesh exposed, and he screamed and flew backward.

"Wulian Tianzun! Master Lu has done evil things and deserves this disaster!" The contrast between the compassionate name and the ferocious murderous intent made Mu Jin's stomach churn and she felt nauseous.

Elder Sun's face shifted several times, recalling Tianmen Mountain's usual oppression of Cangshan Mountain, and now, because of Lu Jun'an's "mistake" and the destruction of the map, new and old hatreds surged. Furthermore, he kept in mind the volatile Gu within his body. A fierce determination and desperate madness flashed in his eyes: "Lu Jun'an has wronged Cangshan Mountain! He deserves to die!" He swung his sword at the nearby Tianmen disciples, the blade flashing fiercely, as if to vent all his fear and humiliation in a murderous act.

The mass grave was completely turned into a boiling bloody grindstone, and the former leader became the target of public criticism in an instant.

"Fill in the warehouse! Chop him up and fill in the warehouse!" Qian Wanguan's greedy roar was particularly piercing amid the shouts of killing. Mu Jin curled up in the darkness, the strong smell of blood as if it was real, penetrating her nostrils, almost suffocating her. She watched faces twist and roar, biting each other in the blood-red moonlight, watched the hypocritical people transform into venomous snakes and kill each other, watched the inexplicable people die tragically and bleed from all seven orifices... She felt a chill from her feet to her head. The "hero" who tore off his mask was actually more ferocious than a poisonous insect. The human heart... was colder than the wind of a mass grave, colder than the Nine Nether Spring. She subconsciously pressed her hand against her pounding heart, as if she had been frostbitten by the naked evil thoughts.