*Scritch, scratch...*
From inside the coffin came the sound of fingernails clawing against the lid. In the stillness of the night, it sounded extraordinarily clear—and spine-chillingly eerie.
Chen Xuedao and Zhang Yuanqing shot to their feet, their eyes fixed on the coffin.
The former slowly picked up the long saber leaning against the table. A thick, viscous yellow light billowed from his body, radiating a massive, imposing weight like Mount Tai itself, like an insurmountable peak.
*So strong... Unbeatably strong.* Zhang Yuanqing finally confirmed Chen Xuedao's level: indisputably Level 6.
A Level 6 Mountain God, and one who had expanded his domain at that, was completely beyond his current ability to fight. Even exhausting all his methods, he wouldn't stand a chance.
Of course, if he didn't step into the man's domain, with his vast reserves as the Prop Tianzun, he could still run if he couldn't win, so his life wouldn't truly be in danger.
Experiencing Chen Xuedao's power firsthand actually brought Zhang Yuanqing a great deal of relief.
*Scritch, scratch...*
The clawing against the lid grew louder, and the entire coffin trembled slightly. Whatever was inside showed signs of bursting out.
Zhang Yuanqing silently retrieved a corpse-suppressing talisman and a spirit-sealing talisman. As for props, he didn't take them out right away. Although Chen Wei and the others had fully accepted the existence of the two yin corpses, his inventory and an endless stream of props were bizarre after all.
There was no guarantee Chen Xuedao would naturally accept them, so he decided to wait and see for now.
If things truly took a dangerous turn, it wouldn't be too late to pull them out.
*Scritch, scratch...*
The clawing continued, and the coffin shook even more violently.
Chen Xuedao looked toward his foster son, Lin Ci, and said in a deep voice, "Stick a corpse-suppressing talisman and a spirit-sealing talisman on either side of the coffin."
Zhang Yuanqing nodded. To be cautious, he summoned Blood Rose from the corner of the room, handed the talismans to her, and manipulated the yin corpse to apply them.
The instant the two talismans adhered to the coffin, the vibrating black outer coffin suddenly fell still.
*Huh, calmed down?* Zhang Yuanqing breathed a sigh of relief, though he was somewhat surprised.
He had thought a fierce battle was inevitable.
"Foster Father, it seems to have stopped." Maintaining his persona, Zhang Yuanqing looked at Chen Xuedao.
A trace of confusion surfaced on the man's stern, solemn face before he nodded. "That's a good thing."
With that, he leaned his saber back against the table and sat down again.
*Indeed, a good thing.* Zhang Yuanqing also returned to his seat, but his gaze remained glued to the coffin. To be safe, he cast Spirit Devouring to inspect the state of the evil entity inside.
It was just as he had seen during the day—sinister and terrifying, but unchanged.
*Strange. It was completely fine during the day, so why did it suddenly become active at night?* Zhang Yuanqing frowned, pondering.
He looked at Chen Xuedao, hesitated briefly, and said, "Foster Father, did Zhang Hu and Zhao Ma hear a noise last night, which was why they hacked open the bronze lock and entered to investigate?"
Chen Xuedao nodded, then shook his head. "They were both experienced escorts. Facing such a situation, they ought to have reported to me first."
He sighed. "Still, one thing is certain: they met with foul play, and they did die because of this coffin."
After waiting an entire day without their return, coupled with the commotion inside the coffin just now, deducing Zhang Hu and Zhao Ma's fate wasn't difficult.
Zhang Yuanqing took the opportunity to voice his second question. "Yet the coffin clearly cannot be opened. How did the evil entity inside kill them, leaving not even a trace of their bones?"
At that point, inspiration struck him. "Foster Father, let's open the coffin."
The lid couldn't be opened during the day, but perhaps it could be opened at night?
Chen Xuedao's face darkened, and he shook his head. "We cannot. Our mission is to escort the coffin to Divine Sword Manor, not to deal with it. Besides, this is an inn. If we cannot control the evil entity, who knows how many commoners in the city will suffer."
*Although the townsfolk are all NPCs who will respawn upon death, sacrificing civilians really shouldn't be the top priority. Foster Father is right; if the evil entity escapes, my side quest will fail.* Zhang Yuanqing nodded in agreement.
*Judging from tonight's situation, as long as Chen Xuedao and I stand guard here, the evil entity inside won't break out. Escorting it to Divine Sword Manor shouldn't be too difficult,* Zhang Yuanqing mused inwardly.
*Once the side quest is wrapped up and we reach Divine Sword Manor, I should be able to find out who my teammates and enemies are for this run.*
*There are quite a few Level 5 Spirit Realm walkers, but Level 6s are limited. I wonder which enemies I've been matched against.*
Zhang Yuanqing felt someone nudge his shoulder. He snapped his eyes open and saw the dim blue twilight of dawn, with a faint fish-belly white emerging in the east. It was almost daybreak.
*I fell asleep?* In shock, he looked back to see that the person who had nudged him awake was Chen Xuedao.
"Go wake the brothers. As soon as the messenger returns, we depart immediately." Chen Xuedao glanced at the sky, a heavy gloom knit between his brows.
"Yes, Foster Father."
Zhang Yuanqing answered as if nothing were amiss, but inwardly he felt deeply perplexed.
He was a Night Walker, a favored child of the Lunar, a sprite of the night—how could he have fallen asleep in the middle of the night without even realizing it?
That was as absurd as a Water Ghost drowning in a river or a Fire Master burning himself to death.
Rising to his feet, Zhang Yuanqing inconspicuously scanned the room. The massive black outer coffin lay quietly in place, and Blood Rose and Commandery Princess Yinyao stood silently in the corner.
There was nothing abnormal about himself either.
Though falling asleep at night was strange, he truly couldn't find anything out of place.
The night had passed without further incident.
Full of doubt, Zhang Yuanqing left the rear courtyard and arrived at the inn's main hall.
The morning light had not yet brightened, leaving the hall dim. The front door was already unlocked, and the waiter was sweeping up trash outside with a broom, yawning repeatedly.
Fires flickered in the kitchen, sending up dense clouds of steam carrying the distinct aroma of steamed buns and plain congee.
Zhang Yuanqing climbed the wooden stairs to the second floor and, following the principle of proximity, knocked on Fourth Brother Zhao Youcai's door.
After he knocked for a good while, Zhao Youcai finally threw the door open in a rush, yelling, "Stop knocking, stop knocking! I'm putting on my clothes..."
"Why so slow?" Zhang Yuanqing poked his head in to look around the room.
"I finished off the two jugs of wine I brought back yesterday," Zhao Youcai offered casually, then asked, "Was last night peaceful?"
Zhang Yuanqing recounted what had occurred the previous night.
"How utterly bizarre..." Zhao Youcai murmured thoughtfully.
Zhang Yuanqing's interest was piqued, and he asked, "What do you make of it, Fourth Brother?"
Zhao Youcai pondered for a moment and squeezed out, "That evil entity must have known Foster Father was guarding outside and got scared."
*I shouldn't have expected anything from a Fire Master.* Zhang Yuanqing dropped the subject. "Fourth Brother, help wake everyone up so we can get ready to leave. I'll go wake Third Sister."
Leaving Zhao Youcai behind, he walked down the corridor and stopped outside Chen Wei's door, rapping lightly with his knuckles.
"Coming!"
Chen Wei's voice came from inside, but a long time passed before she opened the door.
Poking her head out, she looked both ways. Seeing no one in the corridor, she hauled her lover into the room.
"Seventh Brother..."
Warm, moist lips pressed against his.
Chen Wei clearly possessed ample romantic experience. Her hands roved over him, and her clever little tongue teased him seductively. In just a few passes, she had Zhang Yuanqing parched with thirst.
"Stop fooling around, we're leaving soon."
Zhang Yuanqing didn't outright reject her; instead, maintaining his persona, he indulged her for a few rounds before forcefully severing his desire and pushing her away.
Having endured the trial of the Mountain God Scepter, he had formidable restraint in such matters.
Chen Wei's cheeks were flushed with contentment. She giggled. "Once we reach the next city, we'll properly enjoy each other."
*Fire Masters have it good—no worries at all.* Burdened with the quest, Zhang Yuanqing sighed in envy.
Just then, hurried footsteps approached and stopped at the door.
Zhang Yuanqing and Chen Wei separated decisively. An instant later, the room door was violently kicked open.
Someone in such a frantic rush had to be a Fire Master.
Zhao Youcai stood in the doorway with an awful expression, shouting, "Disaster! Yang Shuo and Wang Pingle are missing!"
Zhang Yuanqing and Chen Wei chorused, "What?!"
Yang Shuo and Wang Pingle had vanished mysteriously during the night.
Chen Xuedao shut the inn doors and gathered all the escorts in the rear courtyard.
Every face was grim, a suffocating atmosphere hanging over the crowd.
The escort who was a Scout reported, "I checked the doors and windows; there are no signs of tampering. There are no signs of a struggle in the room either. According to Master Four's account, neither of their rooms was locked, so Yang Shuo and Wang Pingle likely left of their own accord.
"I've already questioned our agency's brothers as well as the innkeeper and waiter. No one heard anything unusual last night."
His report finished, the lean, wiry Scout stepped back into formation.
Chen Xuedao stood on the steps of the east wing, lost in thought.
Aside from Chen Wei and Zhao Youcai, who were glancing around aimlessly, everyone else wore contemplative expressions.
Zhang Yuanqing's brow furrowed deeply, his mood heavy and bewildered.
*I really don't understand this quest,* he thought. *Zhang Hu and Zhao Ma's disappearance has already been confirmed to be linked to the coffin, but what's going on with Yang Shuo and Wang Pingle?*
*Is their disappearance unrelated to the coffin? That would be too coincidental—two people again, and another mysterious disappearance.*
*But if the coffin did it, why were the ones taken Yang Shuo and Wang Pingle, while Chen Xuedao and I were completely fine?*
*Furthermore, if the coffin really killed them, then keeping watch last night was entirely pointless. Two people will still die every day, and tomorrow night it might be my turn. No wonder the dungeon description said strange occurrences would happen one after another.*
*It's damn bizarre!*
It had been a long time since Zhang Yuanqing had encountered such a troublesome dungeon. Tangled personal relationships, a strange black coffin, unknown dangers—a complete mess of yarn.
*Based on my understanding of the Spirit Realm, the more chaotic and unknown a dungeon seems, the more one must pay attention to details. The Spirit Realm never leaves walkers completely in the dark.*
*Most of the information has actually been provided long ago, but it often lacks the crucial link, making it hard to piece together. That's the exact situation I'm in right now.* Zhang Yuanqing thought rapidly.
At that moment, Chen Xuedao spoke. "Time is tight. We cannot linger here any longer. Everyone, attend to your tasks. We depart immediately after breakfast."
He bypassed Yang Shuo and Wang Pingle's disappearance entirely, seemingly intending to abandon them.
"Father!" the impatient Chen Wei cried out. "We can't just leave! We need to investigate. Yang Shuo and Wang Pingle are our agency's brothers—how can you just ignore them?"
Chen Xuedao gave her a stern glare, suppressing the fiery temper of his Fire Master daughter.
Unconvinced, Chen Wei puffed her cheeks and turned her head away.
Chen Xuedao said, "Peiran and Ci'er, stay behind. The rest of you, get to work."
Once the others dispersed, he looked at Zhuo Peiran. "Come inside."
Father and son entered the room and closed the door.
Standing outside in the courtyard, Zhang Yuanqing pricked up his ears. Despite his outstanding hearing, he couldn't catch a single sound.
*Is the Mountain God's domain blocking sound?* Realizing this, Zhang Yuanqing gave up on eavesdropping and waited patiently.
Before long, the door to the east wing opened, and Zhuo Peiran stepped over the threshold with a sullen face, striding away.
"Ci'er, come in!" Chen Xuedao's voice called from within.
Zhang Yuanqing stepped across the threshold, closed the door, and saw Chen Xuedao standing with hands clasped behind his back beside the black coffin.
"Foster Father?" he probed gently.
Chen Xuedao stared at the coffin, his tone deep and measured. "I fell asleep last night."
*You fell asleep too?!*
A single sentence made Zhang Yuanqing's pupils constrict, towering waves crashing through his heart.
"It seems you have realized where the problem lies." Chen Xuedao lightly rested a hand on the lid. "When I woke this morning and saw you slumped against the door in deep slumber, I realized something was wrong. But I harbored some wishful thinking then, since nothing had happened—until Yang Shuo and Wang Pingle went missing."
Having said that, he lifted his gaze. "Why do you think we fell asleep?"
*A Dream Master!* Zhang Yuanqing screamed inwardly.
"We've been targeted by a Dream Master." Chen Xuedao sighed softly. "Everyone fell into a deep sleep, which is why no one heard Yang Shuo and Wang Pingle leave their rooms. In the entire martial world, Dream Masters can be counted on one hand, and all of them gather in the northwest. I cannot fathom why the Yellow Banner Escort Agency would catch the eye of a Dream Master."
*Damn it, it's a Spirit Realm walker!*
Zhang Yuanqing finally confirmed one thing: Chaos of the Five Elements was indeed a faction-confrontation dungeon.
The evil class's side quest was either to prevent the escort agency from delivering the black coffin to Divine Sword Manor, or to wipe out the escort team entirely.
He also finally understood why the Spirit Realm had given him the cover identity of "Lin Ci" instead of letting him enter the team as Yuanshi Tianzun: the identity served as his protection.
*An orthodox class has an identity for protection and an escort team to help, so the information given is scarce. But an evil class must take on the entire team alone, so the information they receive must be far greater than mine.*
*For that Dream Master to put both Chen Xuedao and me to sleep, their level is definitely Level 6. There are only so many Level 6 experts in the Nihility Sect—I wonder which one it is...*
Zhang Yuanqing gloomily realized that the enemy he had matched with was indeed Level 6.
How terrifying was a Level 6 walker?
They slaughtered Level 4s like dogs.
Moreover, the opponent was hiding in the shadows, impossible to guard against. One careless move, and the great Yuanshi Tianzun might perish in this dungeon.
*Sigh, I knew the side quest wouldn't be that simple.*
*The question is, is that Dream Master inside the team, or lurking nearby? Well, based on my own situation, although I assumed a cover identity, my class hasn't changed. And there doesn't seem to be an Illusionist in the escort agency... Lin Ci has no such memory...*
While his thoughts ran wild, Chen Xuedao said, "Take another look at this coffin!"
Zhang Yuanqing immediately cast Spirit Devouring to inspect the coffin.
With one look, his expression changed drastically. The Yin Qi within the black coffin was so thick that his eyes stung, sending a jolt of terror through his heart.
Zhang Yuanqing snapped his eyes shut, looked at Chen Xuedao, and said with half-feigned horror, "Foster Father, it... it's grown stronger."
As he spoke, he instantly deduced the Dream Master's goal: to sacrifice living lives to the evil entity in the coffin, helping it awaken.
Extrapolating from this, the evil class's quest was to revive the evil entity inside the coffin and annihilate the escort agency.
*Grown stronger...* Chen Xuedao's face fell.
After some thought, he said, "Wancheng is still six days' travel from Divine Sword Manor. We don't have much time left. We must whip our horses and deliver the cargo as fast as possible."
*Is he planning to race against the Dream Master in the shadows? This method isn't very wise. A Dream Master's methods are hard to guard against; let the coffin devour a few more people, and the evil entity will break right out. Hiss, this is tricky. With an Illusionist's elusive nature, rooting them out will be tough.*
*Right, finding an Illusionist in a city is hard, but out in the wilderness, if the Dream Master dares to trail us, they'll definitely be spotted. That must be what Chen Xuedao is counting on...* Zhang Yuanqing sighed.
"Yes, Foster Father!"
He led Blood Rose and Commandery Princess Yinyao outside, communicating through the method unique to Night Walkers: *Commandery Princess, take Blood Rose out of the city first. Trail the convoy from a distance and check if anyone is following us.*
If the Dream Master wasn't in the team, they would certainly follow, and the Commandery Princess could drag them into the open.
If the Dream Master was lurking within the convoy, acting too eagerly with purposeful screenings might reveal to them that Lin Ci was a Spirit Realm walker, which would be dangerous.
Of course, based on his own circumstances, Zhang Yuanqing believed the likelihood of the Dream Master being in the team was slim, but he couldn't afford not to be cautious.
Commandery Princess Yinyao was his trump card. Normally, once the master fell into a deep sleep, a yin corpse became a useless decoration.
But the Commandery Princess was different; she was a yin corpse with an independent consciousness. Whether her master was awake or asleep didn't affect her actions in the slightest.
The lurking Dream Master wouldn't know she was special. Zhang Yuanqing decided to exploit this information asymmetry, using the Commandery Princess as the ace up his sleeve to turn the tables.
After a quick breakfast, four escorts hauled the heavy black coffin onto a flatbed cart, covered it with an oilcloth coated in tung oil, and led the horses out of the inn.
"Huh, where's Seventh Brother?" Chen Wei asked anxiously, noticing Lin Ci wasn't with the group.
"He left something in his room," Zhao Youcai said.
Before long, Zhang Yuanqing strode out of the inn, took the reins from an escort, and the party departed Wancheng in a brisk hurry.
"Make way, make way!"
Two escorts rode swift horses ahead, clearing the road by dispersing the townsfolk for the convoy.
Chen Wei rode alongside her father on a fast steed and asked, "Father, aren't we waiting for the brother who went to Xiucheng?"
Chen Xuedao replied in a low voice, "Chai Gui knows the route. He'll catch up."
"Why such a hurry?" Chen Wei muttered.
This was Zhang Yuanqing's first time riding a horse, yet he felt no awkwardness. With the physical constitution of a Saint, he could easily master it simply by observing the posture of Chen Xuedao and the others.
Fifteen horses, along with the cart bearing the coffin, swiftly passed through the city gates and galloped along the official highway.
The clatter of hooves and the rumble of wheels became the sole rhythm of their journey.
Zhang Yuanqing glanced back at the modest city wall, thinking to himself, *Wancheng... where is that? My geography has never been very good...*
The official highway stretched far into the distance beneath brilliant sunlight. Lush green weeds lined the roadside, and rolling mountains rose far away.
The ancient wilderness was permeated with a desolation born of untamed, rampant vegetation, utterly different from the modern world Zhang Yuanqing lived in.
As for the official road, it was wider and more solidly tamped than he had imagined. Benefiting from the Song dynasty's economic prosperity, the official highways were built better than in other eras.
*If I do a few more dungeons like this, I could practically become an accomplished historian.* Zhang Yuanqing pulled his gaze back and looked at the agency's banner planted on the flatbed cart.
The Yellow Banner Escort Agency's flag was earth-yellow, snapping briskly in the wind.
A bizarre pun suddenly flashed through his mind:
*A roving yellow flag!*
Spurring their horses on without pause, the escort team halted in the shade beside the highway around noon.
Sitting tall in the saddle, Chen Xuedao looked around and announced, "Rest for fifteen minutes."
Everyone dismounted, promptly unhooking their waterskins and gulping greedily.
It was early autumn, and the sun was blazing. After traveling under the scorching heat for four hours, the escorts' clothes were drenched in sweat, and their throats parched.
Zhang Yuanqing drained his waterskin in one breath before taking down his pack to share in the meat buns, roast chicken, and fruit brought from Wancheng alongside everyone else.
Most of the time, all they had to eat were dry rations and plain water. Only when passing through cities or market towns could they enjoy a few decent meals.
Zhang Yuanqing sat beside Chen Wei, eating fresh fruit, meat, and soft steamed buns.
Zhao Youcai led the escorts in feeding fodder to the horses, calling out, "Foster Father, is there a water source nearby? It's time to wash the horses' muzzles."
Just as Chen Xuedao was about to answer, the hurried thud of hooves sounded from the highway.
The escort agency turned toward the sound and saw a rider galloping toward them, clad in the agency's earth-yellow combat attire.
"Chai Gui is back!" As a Fire Master, Zhao Youcai beamed with joy.
"Father, Chai Gui is back!" Chen Wei chimed in.
The returning rider was indeed Chai Gui, who had gone to deliver the letter in Xiucheng.
Chen Xuedao gave a slight nod, hung his waterskin back in place, and walked over to meet him.
"Whoa!"
Chai Gui yanked on the reins. His mount reared its forelegs high into the air before coming to an abrupt halt.
Without even pausing to wipe away his sweat, he swung off the horse and hurried over.
"How did Daoist Master Xuan Yu reply?" Chen Xuedao asked.
Zhang Yuanqing, Chen Wei, Zhao Youcai, and Zhuo Peiran—the four core members—came forward and stood by their foster father's side.
Chai Gui's expression turned exceedingly strange, and he hesitated to speak.
Seeing this, Chen Xuedao frowned. "Speak freely."
Chai Gui swallowed hard and lowered his voice. "Daoist Master Xuan Yu said... Divine Sword Manor was slaughtered to the last person three years ago. All three hundred-odd souls of the manor are dead."
Chapter 470