After a quick tidying up, Lou Mu explained the situation to Jing Yao, and then the two set off.
The two decided to enter the tomb through the tomb raider's hole to avoid having to search the whole mountain for the tomb entrance.
Before even reaching the cave entrance, Tang Nian saw Ming Huan dressed in red, squatting at the entrance without any regard for his image. Upon closer inspection, she discovered that he had fallen asleep on the ground.
Tang Nian didn't wake Ming Huan. He had been guarding the cave entrance these past few days, so it was clear he hadn't had a proper rest.
Tang Nian raised her hand and peeled off the talismans pasted on the cave entrance before entering the cave first.
She remotely set up arrays and spells at the entrance to the tomb, but only pasted a few talismans on the tomb-raiding hole. She was gambling that the important person in the tomb would not be willing to use such a tomb-raiding hole.
Tang Nian and Lou Mu quickly entered the tomb chamber.
Tang Nian immediately noticed that the coffin in the tomb had been opened.
"They're really smart; they even know to come back and take a look."
When they heard someone coming from the tomb, a sound came from the coffin.
Lou Mu instinctively shielded Tang Nian behind him.
"Don't be so nervous. Since you've all survived, I'll consider you to have passed this test."
The person in the coffin spoke and then sat up.
He wore a dark gray python robe, the gold-embroidered hem of which shone brightly in the cave filled with luminous pearl powder. A dark red auspicious cloud belt was tied around his waist, and his long, jet-black hair was neatly combed back.
If Tang Nian hadn't known that the person in front of her was a zombie, she probably would have thought they were from a wealthy family in the capital.
"Passed the test?" Tang Nian's first reaction was that someone was testing her strength.
“It’s not the kind of pass you’re thinking of,” Jiang Chen said, sitting in the coffin and looking at the two people standing there. “It’s a test of life and death.”
"Tell me, what brings you here to ask me?"
"Senior, could you please tell me who asked you for help?"
Tang Nian didn't want to think about it, but the first thing that flashed through her mind was the Supreme God who was far away in the Heavenly Realm.
Jiang Chen smiled and shook his head: "I can't say that, but I can tell you something: I've been asked to help by more than one person."
More than one person?
Tang Nian was stunned. She couldn't figure out how she had made so many enemies and managed to ask Jiang Chen, the progenitor of zombies, for help.
However, this was not the purpose of Tang Nian and her companion's trip.
"Could you tell me the real story behind this incident, senior?"
Jiang Chen nodded, cleared his throat, and began to speak in detail.
The story before that was not much different from what Ren Xing'an said. The story started to change from the point where Old Zhang suggested sending the bronze tripod back to the tomb.
Jiang Chen told them that after Zhang Lao made the suggestion, the five cowardly men readily agreed to send the bronze cauldron up the mountain the next day, and indeed, they put the bronze cauldron back in its original place early in the morning.
Before leaving, Ren Xing'an discovered the words carved on the stone wall. After returning to the village with the four people, he secretly sneaked back into the tomb, where he saw the descriptions of the Five Elements Altar and the bronze cauldron with the snake head.
"Wait, so this bronze cauldron isn't yours?" Tang Nian couldn't help but interrupt Jiang Chen.
Jiang Chen nodded: "This was entrusted to me by an old friend. Speaking of which, this cauldron has quite a close relationship with your Xiang Liu."
Upon hearing this, Tang Nian subconsciously glanced at Lou Mu beside her and noticed that Lou Mu didn't seem too surprised when he heard about Xiang Liu. Tang Nian pursed her lips, thinking that he already knew.
Seeing that Tang Nian still wanted to ask about the bronze cauldron, he interrupted her, saying, "Since you don't know, then it's not the right time. If you really want to know, you can ask the elders in your clan."
Jiang Chen continued, saying that the bronze cauldron had already gained sentience and longed to become an adult. So it deceived Ren Xing'an, using the promise of immortality to lure Ren Xing'an into signing a contract with it. Ren Xing'an naturally took the bait. In return, Ren Xing'an needed to offer up the Five Elements Altar, and the other four people who had come into contact with the bronze cauldron became Ren Xing'an's targets.
Ren Xing'an, fearing that others would discover this, used a small knife he carried to scratch the words on the stone wall. However, because the fates of the other four people did not meet the requirements of the altar, the bronze cauldron secretly changed their fates. It was precisely because of this that the matter was delayed until today, six years later.
"Didn't you stop him halfway through?" Tang Nian felt that Jiang Chen didn't seem like that kind of person.
"I did wake up for a while six years ago, and their ghost wall was my doing," Jiang Chen said. "When I woke up again, it was time for you to go up the mountain to keep your appointment. It was also at that time that someone asked me not to interfere too much in this matter."
“Originally, the bronze cauldron intended to manipulate Ren Xing'an into pushing you into Mirror Lake when you untied Ren Xing'an’s ropes, but you didn’t do that.” As he spoke, Jiang Chen nodded, seemingly approving of Tang Nian’s actions. “Later, you summoned it. Originally, the bronze cauldron was supposed to attach its consciousness to Ren Xing'an’s body and then possess his body.”
“If he had successfully possessed the body back then, the Five Elements Altar would probably have been completed.” Jiang Chen said calmly, as if everything that had happened a few days ago was irrelevant to him, but the aura of a superior was still inadvertently revealed.
Jiang Chen didn't continue speaking, but Tang Nian already knew that Jiang Chen had possessed Ren Xing'an before the bronze cauldron, causing the Five Elements Altar to fail and the evil spirit of the bronze cauldron to go out of control.
Regardless of whether Jiang Chen's actions were for Tang Nian's sake, he ultimately saved her life.
"Thank you so much for saving my life, senior."
"I will keep the bronze cauldron for you for the time being. I believe you will need it in the future." As he spoke, Jiang Chen glanced at the bronze cauldron standing next to the coffin. Tang Nian seemed to see the bronze cauldron sway when Jiang Chen looked at it.
"You should go now. Don't forget to take that little bird by the cave entrance with you. It's always chirping and making a lot of noise."
Tang Nian smiled and nodded. It seemed that Ming Huan had complained about them quite a bit during the few days he had been here.
After Tang Nian and Lou Mu bid farewell to Jiang Chen, they walked out of the cave, where Ming Huan was still squatting there sleeping.
"Are you sure he's been keeping watch here these past few days?" Tang Nian looked at Ming Huan, who was sleeping like a log, and was speechless.
She stepped forward and gently patted Minghuan on the shoulder.
"Who? Who?" Ming Huan woke up with a start and stood up abruptly, shouting.
Seeing Tang Nian's facepalm and Lou Mu standing by watching the show, Ming Huan completely deflated.
Tang Nian opened her mouth several times, wanting to say something, but in the end it turned into a sigh.
She still couldn't understand why she had taken in such a silly little brother.
"Can you tell me now? What do you need my help with?" Lou Mu stood aside, looking at the terrified Ming Huan, and smiled as he tried to smooth things over.
"Could you help me find out who asked Jiang Chen for help?"
Lou Mu nodded. Even if Tang Nian hadn't said anything, he would have investigated it anyway.
Tang Nian raised her hand to retrieve the spell that had been nowhere to be found, and together with Lou Mu, led the still-dazed Ming Huan down the mountain.
Inside the tomb, after Tang Nian left, a female voice suddenly appeared in the void: "Jiang Chen, you actually helped her?"
"Who I want to help is none of your business. You'd better think about how to go back and explain yourself." Jiang Chen was not threatened. He casually said this and then closed his coffin lid.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com