Upon hearing this question, Qian You immediately became alert. He coughed a few times to attract the attention of his fellow gang members and said, "Leader, brothers, I have called for reinforcements. Everyone, rest assured, we will be able to get out soon."

The crowd was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Is it the Gongsun family of Xiangzhou Wulin, or the Dragon God Fortress by the Blackwater River?"

"If it's either of these two, then we will be saved this time."

"Yes, the head of the Gongsun family is a fifth-grade expert, and there are many skilled practitioners under his command. The Dragon God Fortress is even stronger. However, both of these forces are not easy to deal with. It's likely that we won't get a share of the spoils without paying a hefty price."

"Are you out of your mind? We're facing death, what use is money? As long as we can get out, everything will be fine."

The sickly leader let out a sigh and nodded, "Qian You, you've done well."

.........Qian You remained silent for a long time, looking somewhat strange. "The help I've called for is neither from the Gongsun family nor the Dragon God Fortress."

"What?"

The crowd's excitement turned into disappointment.

In the vicinity of Xiangcheng, the Gongsun family and the Dragon God Fortress were undoubtedly the most influential forces in the martial arts world. Many martial arts experts in the jianghu were affiliated with them.

If there was anyone in Xiangcheng who could save them, it would undoubtedly be one of these two forces.

The hopeful light in the sickly leader's eyes dimmed instantly.

The deputy gang leader in a white robe spoke up, "If it's neither the Dragon God Fortress nor the Gongsun family, then what level and status are the reinforcements you've called for? Are they independent practitioners, or do they have a background with a sect?"

The deputy gang leader was named Gong Yangsu, a well-known sorcerer. It was common knowledge that, apart from the Bureau of Heavenly Masters, independent sorcerers in the jianghu were as rare as phoenix feathers and qilin horns.

Sorcerers could observe the aura and were skilled in geomancy, making them natural tomb raiders. Therefore, Gong Yangsu was a treasure of the Houtu Gang. Although he was a deputy gang leader, everyone in the gang listened to him.

As soon as Gong Yangsu spoke, everyone fell silent and looked at Qian You.

"It's a coincidence. I encountered these helpers on the road, but it seems like they are also looking for someone..." Qian You looked at Lina from the Southern Wilderness and sighed, "Miss Lina, they are looking for you."

The crowd then turned to the young girl from the Southern Wilderness, who was struggling with a pancake, with a puzzled expression on her face.

"This is my first time in the Great Feng, and my tribe didn't come with me," Lina shook her head, indicating that she was alone and had no friends.

Qian You explained, "The person I encountered is a martial artist at the sixth-grade level of the Copper Skin and Iron Bone realm. He is very handsome and is accompanied by a disheveled woman..."

Before he could finish, Lina quickly shook her head, "I don't know him."

"But they are indeed looking for you. They even asked me if there were any girls from the Southern Wilderness among the people who entered the tomb. I thought to myself, in Xiangcheng recently, there is only one girl from the Southern Wilderness, and that's you."

The sickly leader furrowed his brow. He didn't think that Lina would hide or evade the truth in this matter. Firstly, this girl was innocent and straightforward, without any scheming.

Secondly, everyone was in dire straits, and it was a time for mutual help. Who wouldn't want to get out as soon as possible? It made no sense to hide anything at this time.

Finally, if this girl had a friend who was a sixth-grade martial artist in the Great Feng, why would she endure hunger for three days and nights? If he hadn't treated her to a meal, she would have been ready to rob someone's house.

Thinking of this, the sickly leader pondered, "You said there were several people, what are the characteristics of the others?"

Qian You nodded and said, "In addition to the man and woman, there is a burly and fierce-looking monk; a swordsman in a green shirt who can fly with his sword, truly extraordinary."

"Flying with a sword?" The sickly leader was greatly surprised. He had never heard of a martial artist who could fly with a sword.

"Do you know him?" Gong Yangsu looked at Lina.

The girl from the Southern Wilderness shook her head, "I don't know him."

Really? How could that be possible? The hero and his companions were looking for Lina... Qian You was puzzled and continued, "There is also a Taoist master, others call him Taoist Master Jin Lian."

"Taoist Master Jin Lian?!"

Lina suddenly screamed with joy, her eyes lit up, and she exclaimed, "I know him, I know him! Taoist Master Jin Lian is a senior I trust very much... Oh, Taoist Master Jin Lian has come to find me, he's truly a good person."

So she knows him... Everyone felt relieved.

It seemed that the only person Lina truly knew was Taoist Master Jin Lian, and the others were the helpers he had brought.

The burly bald monk should be the Buddhist monk Heng Yuan, also known as number six... The swordsman in the green shirt who could fly with his sword was number four. Yes, the battle between the heavenly and earthly forces was imminent, and he was currently in the capital... Who was the handsome sixth-grade martial artist? Did our Heavenly Earth Society have such a character? Lina's not-so-bright mind quickly worked to match the "friends" Qian You mentioned.

But she couldn't figure out who the "man and woman" were.

"Miss Lina."

A member of the gang looked excited, his eyes shining as he gazed at her. "How strong are your friends? What is their cultivation level?"

Lina was straightforward and answered, "Taoist Master Jin Lian is a high-level expert of the Earth Sect. I'm not sure of his specific grade, but he is definitely much stronger than me."

The image of her friends tearing apart zombies and fighting monstrous creatures flashed through everyone's minds, and the fact that Taoist Master Jin Lian was even stronger than her filled them with hope.

"The bald monk is a powerful martial monk from the Buddhist sect."

Lina didn't know much about Heng Yuan, so she skipped over him and continued, "As for the swordsman in the green shirt, his name is Chu Yuanzhen. He is one of the main figures in the battle between the heavenly and earthly forces, representing the Human Sect and fighting against the saintess of the Heavenly Sect."

"What?!"

Everyone exclaimed in shock, and even the sickly leader was dumbfounded.

Xiangzhou was not far from the capital, just a three or four-day journey by horse. The battle between the heavenly and earthly forces had long been known throughout the capital and its surrounding states.In Xiangcheng's martial arts world, many people from the rivers and lakes went to the capital, intending to witness the fierce battle between the human sect and the celestial sect, although this was only a life-and-death struggle between the younger generation of the Human Sect and the Celestial Sect.

Now, out of the blue, one of the protagonists of the "fierce battle between humans and celestials" came to rescue them.

The mood of the members of the Houtu Gang was like that of an old farmer in the fields hearing that the emperor was coming to help them plant seedlings.

It was too dreamlike, to the point that it made people doubt its reality.

But this was what Lina said, and they all knew Lina's character. She was a naive and kind girl, without any scheming, warm-hearted, and not a liar.

However, this did not mean she was a fool. The members of the Houtu Gang had once seen a martial artist who had been recruited to explore the tomb with them trying to violate her at night.

As a result, Lina raised her hand and the head exploded like a watermelon.

Those who came from the southern border to the capital, without much skill, couldn't even make it to Xiangcheng.

"The experts of the Earth Sect, the martial monks of the Buddhist sect, and the disciples of the Human Sect in the fierce battle between humans and celestials..." A member of the Houtu Gang swallowed hard and said excitedly, "What about the man and the woman? Who are they? Where do they come from? They must be famous figures to be able to travel with these people, right, Miss Lina?"

Excited gazes turned towards her, hoping to hear a dazzling name from her mouth.

Lina tilted her head, thought for a moment, and said, "I don't know."

This answer was disappointing to everyone, they thought.

At this time, Qian You coughed and asked, "Leader, you just said that a monster was hunting you. What kind of monster was it?"

"It looks like a giant lizard, but with a human face, full of sharp teeth, extremely fast, and silent." The sickly leader of the gang's eyes flashed with fear and said in a low voice, "It likes to eat internal organs. Anyone killed by it has intact limbs, but their internal organs are empty."

"That's not right. The body I saw had its lower half bitten off..." Qian You's heart sank and he asked, "What about its size?"

"It's about seven feet long, not too big."

At this moment, Lina's ears twitched, and in the silent darkness, she caught a hint of an unusual sound. She instinctively stood up and shouted, "Be careful, it's coming again."

As soon as she spoke, a shadow shot out from the darkness, wrapping around the nearest member of the Houtu Gang, about to take him away.

Bang!

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In the sound of the tiles cracking, Lina rushed out like a cannonball and slammed into the shadow.

As the evil creature was knocked away, it lashed out at Lina's back, and with a crisp sound, her clothes on her back burst open, revealing delicate skin and oozing blood.

After being knocked away, the evil creature suddenly disappeared, as if it had retreated.

But Lina did not relax her vigilance, listening intently and watching for any signs of its presence.

"Everyone, be careful. This evil creature is very cunning. Be careful not to let it ambush us."

The sickly leader drew his weapon and stood ready with the gang members.

In the past few days, the members of the Houtu Gang had died one after another, which allowed the survivors to understand the nature of the monster.

The evil creature dared not confront Lina head-on, often hiding in the darkness and ambushing them.

Once it succeeded, it would immediately leave.

Lina slowly backed away, snatched the torch from Qian You, and with a serious expression on her cute face, she listened for a moment before suddenly throwing the torch.

In the flickering light, everyone saw a huge lizard-like monster attached to the wall, with two dull gray eyes on either side, seemingly insensitive to light.

In the moment the light shone on the monster, Lina, who had just eaten, displayed a powerful burst of energy. Silently bending her knees, she suddenly disappeared before the sound of the shattered bricks under her feet.

The monster attached to the wall sensed something was wrong and disappeared.

Lina, who had rich hunting experience in the southern border, pursued without hesitation. In the tomb, she and the creature fought, and soon, the sounds of fighting and the creature's roar, as well as Lina's scolding, were heard.

Finally, everything calmed down.

"L-Lina, Miss Lina?"

The sickly leader forced his voice not to tremble.

In the deathly silence, Lina's groans were heard, "It hurts so much."

Immediately after, she walked out of the darkness, dragging the creature's body in her hand.

Cheers erupted, and the members of the Houtu Gang were filled with joyful tears, shouting to release their pent-up frustration.

The crisis that had troubled them for many days was finally resolved.

Lina threw the creature's body in front of everyone and asked, "Can it be eaten?"

No one dared to eat it... the members of the Houtu Gang shook their heads repeatedly.

"Miss Lina, this creature grows in the tomb, feeding on poisonous and rotten flesh, absorbing the evil aura. It is a deadly poison to us," the sorcerer Yangsu reminded.

"Huff, huff..."

In the passage ahead, the sound of wind mixed with a foul odor blew out the torch.

The wind sounded like breathing, with a rhythmic rise and fall.

No, this was the sound of breathing.

Yangsu's face suddenly turned pale, and he hoarsely said, "There is an evil aura ahead, something is coming."

Just as they had narrowly escaped death, the joyous mood of the people sank.

"Go light the torch," the sickly leader ordered, then looked at Lina with a serious expression, "Can you still fight?"

Qian You ran to the torch location, took out the flint, and struck it repeatedly. His hands trembled non-stop, but he couldn't get the flint to spark.

The breathing sound grew closer, and the foul odor became stronger. But there was no sound of footsteps.

"Hurry, hurry, light it up quickly..."

Qian You was about to explode with anxiety. Click, click, the flint sparked a faint flame, igniting the oil on the torch.

"Huff!"The flames rose, dispelling the darkness.

Qian You grabbed a torch and threw it towards the distance without hesitation.

The torch fell to the ground, bursting into a dazzling light, and in that instant, everyone saw the scene in the corridor.

In the corridor, a huge yin creature was crawling forcibly, ready to pounce like it was hunting.

This yin creature was three times the size of the previous one, belonging to the same species, with dull gray eyes and protruding fangs.

What else?!

The light from the torch only lasted for a moment, and the next moment, everyone couldn't see it anymore.

The leader of the sickly gang felt a gust of yin wind pass by, as if something very fast had brushed past him, and then he realized that Lina was gone.

"Lina!!"

The leader of the sickly gang shouted, turning around suddenly, and everyone else did the same.

Behind them, the monster had grabbed the young girl from the Southern Wilderness, swinging its head and swaying dangerously.

The leader of the sickly gang felt a surge of anger and shouted, "Save her, kill this beast!"

In the darkness, Lina's painful screams could be heard.

At that moment, a voice from the other end of the corridor shouted, "Stand back!"

A man in a blue shirt holding a torch rushed out of the corridor, pointing his sword at the torch, and the flame surged as if it had come to life.

The man flicked a cluster of flames out of his fingertips.

The flames shot through the air, leaving a bright and straight line in the darkness, piercing the creature's back.

Bang!

Flesh and blood exploded, and the smell of burnt flesh filled the air.

The creature, suddenly attacked, let go of its prey, and then, it regained its senses and roared heavily, turning into a phantom and pouncing towards the man in the blue shirt.

A figure flashed out from behind the man in the blue shirt, facing the creature. In the process, a golden light appeared on his forehead, spreading throughout his body.

He let out a deep growl and charged forward.

Duang!

The creature seemed to have hit an iron plate, and its entire head trembled, getting stuck in its forward motion. The golden figure was thrown out like a piece of divine iron, embedding itself in the wall with a bang.

In that moment, another figure leaped into the air and landed on the creature's head while it was still dizzy.

Reciting the name of Buddha, he raised his fist the size of a cooking pot.

Bang bang bang........

Amidst the dense rain of punches, the creature struggled violently, then convulsed all over, and finally, its brain was beaten out, and it lost its life.

Taoist Master Jin Lian, holding a torch, was the last to appear, saying gently, "Don't be afraid, we're here to save you."

Qian You excitedly shouted, "They are Miss Lina's friends, the reinforcements I called for."

The members of the Houtu Gang stared straight at Taoist Master Jin Lian, feeling that he was gentle and unfathomable, perfectly embodying the image of an extraordinary master in their hearts.

"Thank you, Master, for saving our lives, thank you, Master, for saving our lives."

The members of the Houtu Gang cheered.

Taoist Master Jin Lian nodded slightly, glanced around, and saw Lina lying in a pool of blood in the distance.

Taoist Master Jin Lian went forward to check her condition. Half of her body was torn and bloody, with internal organs faintly visible. Thin silver threads quickly covered the terrible wounds, stopping the bleeding and repairing the injuries.

As long as the primary Gu was not damaged, the Gu tribe would not die.

Taoist Master Jin Lian breathed a sigh of relief.

On the other side, Zhong Li grabbed Xu Qi'an's ankle, pulled him out of the wall at a forty-five-degree angle, and asked loudly, "Master, how is your little friend?"

"She's injured, but her life is not in danger." Taoist Master Jin Lian beckoned to Zhong Li and said, "Miss Zhong, do you have any healing pills with you?"

Zhong Li nodded and took out a porcelain bottle from her hemp robe, obediently handing it to Taoist Master Jin Lian. "One pill a day, and she'll be healed in three days."

Taoist Master Jin Lian pulled out the cork and sniffed it. It was an excellent quality healing pill.

The Bureau of Heavenly Masters is really rich. I haven't had the money to refine pills for many years... Taoist Master Jin Lian thought enviously, as he bent down to open Lina's mouth and fed her a pill.

Xu Qi'an, holding a torch, came over cheerfully to take a closer look at the legendary Number Five. Her hair was black with a hint of brown, slightly curly at the ends, and her figure was as agile as a female leopard.

Her features were quite delicate, with thin lips, a straight nose, and healthy wheat-colored skin, fitting the image of a young girl from the Southern Wilderness.

She's quite pretty, with features slightly more three-dimensional than the women of the Great Feng... She's a beautiful online friend! Xu Qi'an nodded, quite satisfied.

After confirming that Number Five was not seriously injured, Xu Qi'an and Chu Yuanzhen and the others waved their torches and examined the creature's body.

"What kind of monster is this?"

Xu Qi'an, who lacked culture, thought to himself: Damn.

"It should be a Tomb Beast."

The knowledgeable Chu Yuanzhen explained, "I've read relevant records. In ancient times, after a person died, a strange beast would be placed in the tomb to serve as a guardian.

"The number of these strange beasts would be quite large at first, and in order to survive, they would have to feed on their companions or corpses. They would continue to do so until they gradually died out."

Taoist Master Jin Lian added, "Generations of reproduction, nourished by yin energy, and feeding on corpses and the toxins in the tomb, have long since changed their appearance, completely different from their ancestors."

"Is there any value in the body?" Xu Qi'an asked.

Taoist Master Jin Lian shook his head.

"Zhong Li, she's in your care, carry her." Xu Qi'an, being practical, moved his gaze away, no longer paying attention to the creature's body, and said, "Don't stray too far from me, or I won't be able to protect you."

If you're too far away, my hidden wings won't be able to protect you!

Taoist Master Jin Lian was somewhat uneasy about this arrangement. After all, Number Five was already injured, and it would be too cruel to let her follow the prophet of the Bureau of Heavenly Masters.With this lad's luck, he should... not encounter any major problems... Taoist Master Jin Lian immediately turned to the survivors of the Hou Tu Gang, consoled them with a few words, and then said, "Stick close to us, we'll lead you out."

After speaking, he gestured for Xu Qi'an to lead the way.

A group of people, torches in hand, continued onward.

The sickly gang leader watched the backs of the experts, recalling the recent battle. The man in the green shirt with a sword on his back must be one of the main characters in the "Struggle of the Celestials."

The Buddhist warrior monk was incredibly formidable, killing the evil creature with his bare hands. Lina didn't elaborate on his identity; I originally thought he was just an assistant, but who would have thought he'd be so powerful.

That young martial artist of the sixth rank seemed very ordinary... the sickly gang leader thought to himself.

In his view, it was only natural for a sixth-rank martial artist with copper skin and iron bones to take a beating, so Xu Qi'an's performance was mediocre, lacking any impressive moves.

As for the disheveled woman, she was odd and didn't make a move, making it impossible to judge her strength.

Amidst these thoughts, the sickly gang leader heard his subordinate exclaim with joy, "We've walked out of the maze!"

At the end of the corridor was a massive tomb chamber, with a bronze coffin placed in the center. Additionally, there were various burial objects in the room: gold, silver, utensils, ceramics, books, and so on.

Over the long years, the silver had severely oxidized, taking on a waxy appearance, while the gold was still relatively well-preserved. As for the books and fabrics, they crumbled to the touch.

This tomb wasn't completely sealed off from oxygen... Xu Qi'an glanced around and asked, "Is this the main tomb?"

"No, it's a side chamber."

The sickly gang leader said, "It's likely one of the many side chambers guarding the main tomb."

The members of the Hou Tu Gang excitedly collected the valuable gold and silver, ignoring the books and other items. It wasn't that they were crude and only recognized gold; on the contrary, the Hou Tu Gang was professional.

They knew all too well that books from such an ancient tomb couldn't be taken out, as they had already rotted away.

Chu Yuanzhen had an innate passion for books and casually flipped through a few. The pages were so brittle they were like ash, crumbling at the slightest touch.

However, he wasn't entirely without gain; at least he knew who was buried in the coffin.

"This tomb is no simple matter; it's the tomb of an emperor, and the buried alongside him are his concubines," Chu Yuanzhen said.

"What do we do now? Heading to the main tomb might be dangerous. If we go back the way we came, we'll re-enter the maze."

Saying this, he glanced at Xu Qi'an, "I think the latter is the safer option."

Although he was curious about the identity of the tomb's owner, safety came first. Xu Qi'an nodded, agreeing with Chu Yuanzhen's suggestion.

Apart from the unconscious Lina and the indecisive Zhong Li, the members of the Heaven and Earth Society unanimously agreed that returning the way they came was the correct choice.

Immediately, they led the riffraff of the Hou Tu Gang back into the maze.

...

After an unknown amount of time, Xu Qi'an led everyone out of the corridor and into a side chamber.

"How did we end up back here?" the sickly gang leader frowned.

The members of the Heaven and Earth Society fell silent in contemplation.

"Let's go through it once more," Xu Qi'an said, looking at Taoist Master Jin Lian and the others.

"Alright..." Chu Yuanzhen nodded gravely.

...

After an indeterminate amount of time, Xu Qi'an once again led everyone out of the corridor and into a side chamber.

"How, how did we end up back here again?" the sickly gang leader's voice trembled.

The other members of the Hou Tu Gang's faces changed, some turning pale with panic in their eyes.

"Go through, go through it one more time?" Xu Qi'an swallowed hard.

"...Alright," Chu Yuanzhen said with difficulty.

...

For the third time, they arrived at the same side chamber.

The tomb-robbing team was deathly silent. Xu Qi'an stiffly turned his neck to look at Zhong Li.

Zhong Li shook her head.

Taoist Master Jin Lian was silent for a long time before he sighed deeply, "Let's go in. If we don't, we might never be able to leave this tomb."

Xu Qi'an, Chu Yuanzhen, and Heng Yuan exchanged glances, clenched their teeth, and said, "Alright."

Then, he turned to the people of the Hou Tu Gang and warned, "After entering the main tomb, do not touch anything carelessly, do not speak recklessly. Understand?"

Although the tomb robbers were greedy, they knew that their lives were of utmost importance and nodded repeatedly.

At that moment, the old man in a dirty white robe looked at Zhong Li and said, "Don't use the technique of Qi observation here."

This old man... Xu Qi'an scrutinized him without showing any reaction.

Zhong Li, with her head lowered, pecked and murmured, "Mhm."

...

PS: I'll sleep after finishing the liver. I'll correct typos tomorrow. Asking for monthly votes.