Dragon Coffin

Chapter 8 Exchange

"I didn't deliberately hide inside this jade. It's just that something strange happened recently. Normally, I roam around and rest on jade artifacts I come across, what you call being unsettled. But two days ago, it was as if my body lost control and was drawn there. I couldn't leave, so I had to attach myself to this jade," Wei Jie said. "Today, feeling the pulling force gone, I was preparing to leave when this master discovered me. It's like walking into a death trap!"

Wei Jie was handsome and had a fragile appearance, somewhat resembling Yue Qing. Su Bai was sure Yue Qing wouldn't appreciate such a comparison, but secretly, he was amused by it. He slowly realized that being able to see ghosts wasn't bad as long as they weren't missing limbs—especially if they were attractive female ghosts...

Yue Qing remained silent. His father had informed him the previous night that someone would naturally handle the matter of the crossroad ghost path. His immediate concern was solving the mystery of the golden mark on his hand and confirming if it was related to his difficulty recognizing people. This Gui Ghost had come because of the crossroad ghost path, meaning the person who laid this ghost path had unwittingly helped him a lot.

Though Wei Jie was at a disadvantage, he wasn't foolish. He even broached the idea of making a deal with Yue Qing. "Master, I'll tell you, it's not a bad idea. I originally had a hard life. I've suffered a lot of wandering in this world. I missed the opportunity to be reincarnated. I can't become human again. Now, all I seek is freedom. If I were to vanish..."

"Hmm, this ghost is quite clever, understanding the concept of equivalent exchange," Su Bai remarked. "But, young man, there's some logic to this. A favor for a favor. He tells you the location of the ancient tomb, and you, in return, let him off the hook. After all, he doesn't seem like a bad ghost."

"Deal!" Yue Qing agreed.

Wei Jie immediately floated up from the corner. His hand emerged from his sleeve, causing Su Bai's heart to leap into his throat. Wei Jie suddenly disappeared before their eyes. "Oh no, Yue Qing, he's escaped."

"The effect of the cow tears has worn off," Yue Qing said, picking up the jade on the table. Su Bai felt a chill pass by him and noticed that the jade's color had deepened slightly. Yue Qing said, "This jade must accompany us. He'll stay inside and go with us to find that ancient tomb."

"This doesn't seem right," Su Bai said.

"Aren't you the shopkeeper?" Yue Qing had already pocketed the jade.

Su Bai covered his eyes. "I'll just turn a blind eye to this. Luckily, your father and the boss are friends."

"Well..." Yue Qing glanced around. "I always feel something's off here, including Xue Fen and my father's friends. They're not quite normal."

Su Bai remained silent. He had never seen Xue Fen leave the shop. He didn't even know if she lived there. The dark room with just a locked mirror seemed like overkill. Could that mirror be some sort of rare treasure? As for the teahouse behind, he hadn't seen anyone come there again since that day. Even the boss was elusive, apparently a recluse who possessed abilities similar to Yue Qing's and was a friend of Yue Qing's father. Could this place... not be on the up and up?

"Have you made up your mind?" Yue Qing asked. "I'm ready to leave for that place. If possible, we should leave as soon as possible."

"Do you know what you need to bring to enter an ancient tomb?" Su Bai shook his head. "If you go like this, you'll probably get caught before you even get close. Leave this technical stuff to me."

Su Bai had never entered a tomb before, but in this world, there was something called the internet, a repository of knowledge. His mind raced as he spent two hours compiling a list of necessary items. These were tools they must have, but Su Bai's role was merely to arrange them; he couldn't afford to prepare them himself, being a poor newcomer who had just started his job and hadn't been paid yet.

Both of them were novices, and Yue Bai naturally worried. He wanted to accompany them but was firmly refused by Yue Qing. Su Bai had more concerns; these days, tomb raiding could lead to execution. Thinking this over, Su Bai began to reconsider, even standing watch would mean four or five years behind bars. What reassured Su Bai was Tang Sancheng's assurance that they should proceed with his support even if something happened, handing over two archaeological credentials to transform them into archaeologists. Su Bai verified these credentials, finding them to be genuine, but harboring doubts about Tang Sancheng and the antique shop.

He accessed the business backend, confirming the antique shop was legitimately registered, under the name Bai Yi, and the teahouse also legally operated using Tang Sancheng's name. After this checking, Su Bai only found the antique shop suspicious.

Su Bai felt hesitant to enter the tomb, but ultimately decided to proceed due to the two exemption credentials. Bao Ling's indifference towards his son's work at the antique shop, only urging Su Bai to pay back his wages, was unaware of his son's dangerous mission, spending his days making soup. Su Bai was just a nominal shop manager with Tang Sancheng's approval, telling his family that he was studying antiques knowledge, expecting to be away for about a week, smoothly separating himself. As for Yue Qing, he did not need to attend school or work, so his time was free, and the two were then successfully heading down the road with a ghost.

The future was uncertain, but Su Bai was cheerful along the way, not worried: "Have you heard? There are many mechanisms in some graves. If you don't pay attention, you will die in vain. In my opinion, it is all false. If it is metal, the time is so long and the underground environment is damp, I am afraid it has long been invalid. "

"But there is still mercury." Yue Qing said: "The liquid evaporates into gas, it is a deadly poison. This is what Tang's brother told us. We must be careful."

"In this case, more than mercury. We should be careful of marsh gas." Su Bai said, while playing with the working card on his neck. There are two amulets to keep them safe: "The sewage is deposited underground, which will decompose gas, encountered air and fire will burn it, even explode."

"You know a lot." Yue Qing's mood was not relaxed as Su Bai, related to his golden mark on the back of his hand, he was happy, he smiled very little, because of the short for opening and suffered in childhood friends.

? understood