Chapter 24 Xiangweng Temple ⑩·The Agreement He knew everything, but wouldn't say...

"Because of the Jiang family."

Chen Yi's voice was not loud, but very serious. "Ah Bin, do you remember? If it weren't for the Jiang family's help back then, my brother and I would have rotted away in that little mountain village long ago. In the field of archaeology, it's incredibly difficult to make a name for yourself. It was the Jiang family who supported our education and sent us abroad for further studies. This kindness is etched into our bones."

"They've asked me to come and check if the things their ancestors left here are safe and sound. I have no reason to refuse, both morally and logically."

"That depends on the situation, bro! No matter how great the favor, is it greater than a life?!"

Chen Bin's voice suddenly rose, filled with barely suppressed anger, "The Jiang family has a powerful background, how could they not know what Xiangweng Temple is? How could they not know how evil that physical body is? It's clearly a suicide mission, why didn't they send their own people?! This is clearly not valuing your life!"

“You’ve misunderstood,” Chen Yi shook his head. “The Jiang family is just commissioning us. Whether we come or not is my choice. Besides, you know this place has a terrible reputation. Which officially registered expedition team would dare to take on a job here? The Jiang family has no other choice. They can’t really go to those unreliable shady operators who are willing to risk their lives for money.”

Upon hearing this, Lan Shuyin silently touched her nose.

Ouch, out of the blue, I feel like I've been shot with an arrow.

"You've become like this, it's not because you touched the true form of the Yin God, is it?" Kui Li suddenly spoke, his tone very certain.

Chen Yi gave another wry smile, "I guess it's the power of will."

"Willpower?"

"Or perhaps you could call it an obsession." Chen Yi's gaze became somewhat distant, as if he had returned to that deadly rainy day.

“The day we arrived at the foot of the mountain, the weather was terrible; it was raining heavily the whole time… Zhang Hao was exceptionally sensitive to geology, and he discovered unusual signs of metallic veins interspersed in the rock strata of Xiangweng Mountain. The desire to explore overwhelmed everything, and we worked in the rain. It was at that moment that I lost my footing, my leg hit a rock, and I got injured…”

He pressed his hand against his left thigh, which was tightly bandaged, and his voice deepened.

"Then came the sudden, unexpected falling rocks... a deafening roar, a dizzying spin... my memories after that are fragmented and chaotic. I only remember constantly sliding and tumbling, until..."

“Xuanyin, your appearance…” Chen Yi turned to Lan Shuyin, his tone complex, “Before that, our consciousness was in a daze, repeating the same thing every day: waking up in some corner of this temple, with only one thought in our minds—we must enter the stone tower and complete the Jiang family’s commission. But every time we tried to get close, various accidents would happen, and then… death. The next day, everything would start over, our memories would be reset, leaving only the urgent thought of completing the mission.”

"So, once you enter the stone tower and complete the mission, perhaps you will be freed from the endless cycle and find true... peace?" Chen Bin's voice carried a barely perceptible sob.

Chen Yi smiled helplessly, "Maybe."

Lan Shuyin couldn't help but ask, "When did you realize you were dead?"

Chen Yi pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "It seems to have been yesterday, after I met you all."

His tone carried a strange sense of realization, "I can't explain why, it's like the fog before my eyes has lifted, and suddenly I remembered a lot of things. We had agreed that we would find a way into the stone tower today no matter what, but unexpectedly..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but what he meant was obvious.

Chen Bin suddenly turned his head and glared fiercely at Yao Huaiyu, his eyes burning with anger and mockery. "Captain Yao, judging from your reaction, it seems you know nothing about my brother and the others' real mission? You didn't even know where they were before, but now you keep talking about a secret mission. Could it be... that you made all this on your own?"

Yao Huaiyu's expression was not good. He was indeed unaware of the deeper agreement between Chen Yi and his group and the Jiang family, but that did not mean he would back down.

Yao Huaiyu turned to Chen Yi, her tone icy yet tinged with almost fanatical persuasion, “Engineer Chen, you know better than anyone that being trapped in this cycle of death is not a blessing, but torture. Your willpower and sense of contract are admirable, but wasting your last bit of energy on an unsolvable cycle is the greatest waste.”

He leaned slightly forward, then gently coaxed, "Come back with me. Liberation is true peace. More importantly, your choice itself will become a key, helping us understand the boundary between life and death. This is not annihilation; it is another form of contribution, far more valuable than being trapped here."

"Yao Huaiyu!"

Before Chen Yi could respond, Chen Bin grabbed his collar and shouted angrily, "My brother works for the General Administration! Even if there are follow-up actions, it's not your Qinyang branch's place to overstep its bounds! Your behavior is too disgusting. Are you in such a hurry to go back and claim credit?!"

"What do you know?" Yao Huaiyu pried his hands away and said coldly, "They signed the agreement themselves, it's written clearly in black and white, they have an obligation to cooperate with the Special Bureau in researching any spiritual phenomena that arise as a result of the mission! Do you think the astronomical sums of money allocated to you every year are just for nothing?!"

He paused for a moment, then his tone became serious. "Besides, our current understanding of spirits is still superficial! If it were me, I would not hesitate for a moment if I had the opportunity to contribute my soul to advancing the boundaries of human knowledge! This is for the greater good, for the more distant future!"

"You let go..." Chen Bin's angry curse was just on the tip of his tongue.

“Alright.” Chen Yi interrupted him, his gaze passing over his excited brother and landing on Yao Huaiyu. “If you can complete the Jiang family’s commission for me, I will go with you.”

"elder brother!"

“A special spirit like myself is indeed of extraordinary research value.” A faint smile played on Chen Yi’s lips, carrying a sense of resignation as if he had seen through the impending end. “Consider this my final contribution to this field. And…”

He paused, his voice as soft as a sigh, "I also really want to know what lies at the end of the spirit realm. Ah Bin, you know me, no one can ever change the decisions I make."

“It’s a deal.” Yao Huaiyu nodded, his face revealing neither joy nor anger. He picked up the uniquely shaped silver Dewar flask again and quickly and precisely input a series of commands on the touch panel on the side of the flask.

A low-frequency humming sound came from inside the bottle, and a faint white halo flowed around the bottle mouth.

The next second, Chen Yi's figure seemed to be seized by an invisible force, becoming blurry and distorted, fluctuating rapidly like a reflection thrown into water.

In the final moment of dissolution, he smiled slightly, a smile devoid of fear, only a calm that came from the settling of dust.

Beep—!

A small indicator light on the bottle changed from blue to green and lit up steadily.

Yao Huaiyu expressionlessly put the protective cap back on, skillfully putting the bottle back into the side pocket of his tactical backpack. The whole set of movements was smooth and fluid, as if he had just retrieved not a colleague, but just an ordinary sample.

From beginning to end, Chen Bin stared intently with red eyes. His fists were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and his teeth were clenched, but he did not retaliate. His gaze, however, was as cold as ice.

"What are you doing?" Yao Huaiyu snorted, meeting Chen Bin's almost murderous gaze, a hint of vengeful pleasure flashing in her eyes, "Your brother cooperated with the recycling voluntarily, it's a matter of contractual spirit, I didn't force him in the slightest."

“You’ve elevated him to that level, showing him selflessness and righteousness. Even if he’s unwilling, he has no choice but to accept his fate.” At this moment, Lan Shuyin, who had been observing coldly, interjected coolly.

Although this matter had nothing to do with her, she really couldn't stand Yao Huaiyu.

Chen Bin had calmed down by now. He glanced coldly at Yao Huaiyu and said decisively, "Let's go, let's get out of here first."

Just as the painted banner fell, a deep, dark door slid open in the stone wall behind them.

Chen Bin ignored Yao Huaiyu and stepped inside first.

Lan Shuyin was about to follow when Wei Li gently pulled her arm, stopping her. She was puzzled, but waited until Yao Huaiyu's figure disappeared into the dark passage before asking with her eyes.

Kui Li turned on a powerful flashlight, signaling her to stay close to him.

The passageway was deep and the air was damp and cold. Wei Li deliberately kept a distance from the two people in front of her and asked in a low but just-right voice, "Did you see the note I left?"

Those three words, it really were him.

Lan Shuyin responded, feeling helpless; this person always acted in an unconventional way.

“The ground beneath this temple must have been hollowed out; it’s like a maze, with tombs and basements.” She murmured in amazement, the beam of light sweeping across the rough, chiseled stone walls on either side, adding, “There’s a lot of information here; it’ll take some time to process.”

Kui Li tilted his head and glanced at her leisurely. "You don't seem that surprised. You have a good ability to accept things."

Lan Shuyin thought to herself, if he knew that she had been hesitant and timid for a year before deciding to take the initiative, he probably wouldn't think that her ability to accept things was praiseworthy.

Kui Li continued, "Xiangweng Temple is a temple of the dead, so its layout and structure are naturally different. Its underground area should have been a large-scale sacrificial site, but what exactly it was used for is unclear."

Lan Shuyin couldn't help but ask curiously, "How do you know so much?"

Kui Li readily accepted this advice: "I have a client who works in a special bureau. We've worked together for a long time, and I've heard a lot about it through my interactions."

"I see." Lan Shuyin suddenly understood. Although she felt the explanation was a bit simplistic, it was still reasonable.

Those who hoard treasure rely on information, and special forces also have their own needs. It is reasonable for them to share information, as they are mutually beneficial. It is no wonder that he knows many secrets that ordinary people do not know.

Just then, Chen Bin's surprised voice suddenly rang out from ahead, "What's going on?"

Lan Shuyin looked in the direction of the sound and saw that the deep, dark passage actually connected to the huge underground tomb chamber from yesterday.

The tomb was in a mess, with collapsed rubble scattered everywhere, clearly unnoticed yet.

The only difference was that all the eerie "Huiwens" that had grown around the stone coffin had vanished, leaving only a patch of empty, overturned earth.

Lan Shuyin subconsciously looked at Wei Li.

My first thought was, "He did it?"

After all, he said yesterday that he wanted to come back and take another look.

She followed Chen Bin and Yao Huaiyu, stepping over the scattered pebbles. After a moment's hesitation, she finally lowered her voice and asked Kui Li, "Those flowers, are they also valuable?"

A note from the author:

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