The cold dampness of the subterranean tunnel clung to Zhao Feng’s skin as he scrambled down the stone steps. His breath came in ragged gasps that echoed off the damp walls. He clutched a short steel dagger in his right hand, the blade coated in a thick layer of purple poison paste that bubbled faintly in the dark.
Above him, the sound of the mountain tearing apart muffled the frantic pounding of his heart. He slipped through the narrow maintenance archway, entering the vast underground cavern where the river rushed past the basalt pillars. His boots splashed through shallow puddles as he followed the low, steady hum vibrating through the bedrock.
That hum led straight to the hidden vault where the jade sarcophagus rested on the stone shore. He did not care about the collapsing terrace or
