Dragon Coffin

Untitled Episode

Su Bai was pulled and dragged by Yue Qing as they climbed over the wall. Upon landing, they found themselves directly in front of the teahouse, shrouded in darkness but faintly illuminated by moonlight, revealing plum blossom stakes scattered about. Yue Qing landed gracefully and gestured for Su Bai to follow suit. With gritted teeth and closed eyes, Su Bai jumped down and landed safely. After catching his breath, he excitedly raised his hand, "Young man, did you see that? Being six feet tall has its advantages."

Ignoring Su Bai, Yue Qing observed the courtyard, realizing it was designed according to feng shui principles. Despite its seemingly closed-off nature, it adhered to specific guidelines: "To the west, the house attracts wealth. A narrow and tall structure endures lease and rental disputes. Strong neighbors suppress the area's prospects. To the east, water brings purple qi, auspicious for finances. A low front gate denotes a residence prone to financial losses. A small house with a large door spells financial troubles. To the north, a dragon signifies boundless prospects." Yue Qing muttered to himself, puzzled by why such a balanced environment would attract ghosts and spirits.

Unbeknownst to Yue Qing, Su Bai had already opened the back door of the antique shop, finding it unlocked. He pushed it open and peered inside. To the right was a small dark room, where Snow Flurry had stopped him before. As Su Bai approached, his heartbeat quickened, a chill running down his spine. Taking out his phone, he aimed at the lock on...

"This was a dragon-shaped lock," Su Bai picked it up and looked around, but saw no keyhole. Yue Qing approached, "This is a mechanical lock, no keys required."

"How do you know?" Su Bai asked.

"My dad mentioned it; he has a friend who knows all about tomb robbing. I've heard a lot from him," Yue Qing replied. "Let me try."

Yue Qing felt around the lock, relying on touch since he couldn't see clearly. The scales on the dragon-shaped lock were meticulously carved, some of them movable. Yue Qing explained this mystery to Su Bai, who confidently said, "Ah, permutations and combinations, that's my specialty. It's just a matter of selecting elements from a given set and arranging them. Although it's a probability theory, there will definitely be a result."

After Yue Qing's unsuccessful attempt, he stepped aside. As Su Bai touched the movable lock pieces, countless combinations flashed through his mind like a computer CPU. His hands moved swiftly and surely, impressing even the initially skeptical Yue Qing. "Impressive!" Yue Qing couldn't help but exclaim.

With a soft "click," Su Bai proudly lifted his head, "My IQ is 180. Never underestimate that."

The door swung open, and Su Bai pushed it inward, staring back at the figure inside. He stumbled backward into Yue Qing, who also glimpsed the figure as the lights turned on. Yue Qing recognized a familiar voice, "It's me, Dad."

Though Yue Qing couldn't recall his father's name, he recognized his voice, "Dad, what are you doing here?"

"Boss, why are you..." Su Bai suddenly raised both hands, "I'm not here to steal anything. This, well, it's a long story. Tonight, I don't know what happened. That young man mentioned something about a ghostly path, and then I saw a ghost without feet..."

Tang San Cheng was sitting there, raising his head to look at Yue Bai, "Unexpectedly, your son is much stronger than you."

Yue Bai didn't notice Tang San Cheng's compliments, he nodded and admitted, "Of course, Yue Qing, this is my good friend I mentioned to you earlier."

Yue Qing was much calmer than Su Bai, realizing that something unusual was happening, especially behind the mirror with Tang San Cheng.

Yue Bai said, "Since birth, you've had a golden mark on the back of your hand and suffered from recognition disorders. We've consulted many doctors, but none could help. We always believed that the golden mark on your hand was related to your condition."

"I've considered that," Yue Qing said, "but what does this have to do with here?"

Tang San Cheng looked at the bewildered Su Bai and said, "Su Bai, perhaps I can help you unravel this mystery."

Su Bai, perplexed by Tang San Cheng's background and his apparent acceptance of the supernatural, shouted, "What is going on here? I'm just here to work!"

"It's okay, you'll understand in time," Tang San Cheng chuckled. "As for his breakdown, Yue Qing showed no sympathy."

"Speaking of which, Su Bai is a year older than you; you should call him 'brother,'" Yue Bai said. "We've checked—Su Bai is proficient in chemistry, physics, biology, and he also enjoys studying folklore. He's a polymath. Besides, not everyone benefits from the Tears of the Cow. It's all about fate. Just now, he opened his eyes and could see malevolent ghosts. Isn't that useful? His analytical abilities are the most important."

"So you specifically set up a ghost path to attract malevolent ghosts to test Su Bai?" Yue Qing said. "This is too blatant."

Su Bai smirked and rubbed his head, "I didn't expect it to be this useful."

"No, we didn't set up the ghost path," Tang San Cheng said. "Your father entrusted me to help because of your recognition disorder, which prevents you from living a normal life. Su Bai was indeed sent here through connections, but the Cross Ghost Path has nothing to do with us."

A single mention of connections made Su Bai lose face. "Do we need to emphasize this?"

"Yes," Tang San Cheng said. "Otherwise, how do you explain ending up in the antique shop?"

Su Bai had nothing to say. The world was turned upside down this evening. Luckily, he had a strong heart. "I admit I have a high IQ, but it seems like your field isn't where my strengths lie."

"I'm a bit embarrassed. I have something to do. I'll take my leave first."

Thinking of the malevolent ghost's appearance, Su Bai felt uncomfortable in his stomach. It was already this late, and he should go home.

Just as Su Bai was about to leave, Tang San Cheng said leisurely, "That malevolent ghost is after you. Born during the peak of young energy in a year, you're the best candidate for possession. Although ordinary ghosts may stay away from you, the top three powerful spirits may want to possess you."

Su Bai turned around with a grimace, "Who are you people exactly?"

Tang San Cheng said lightly, "We also want to know who you really are."

Su Bai was stunned, "What do you mean?"

"It's nothing. Consider it. You and Yue Qing complement each other naturally, each bringing something unique to the table. How about it?" Tang San Cheng said. Blame the person who arranged the ghost path, stirring up trouble. Now adjustments must be made, hoping these two young men can find their own paths.

One with a dragon scale throat, born with dragon energy but an ordinary youth. Then there's a Maoshan prodigy, hand marked with gold but plagued by recognition disorders. These two youths seemed quite extraordinary. Originally seeking dragon energy to suppress the Mirror of Heaven and Earth, they encounter Su Bai instead. Their paths crossed in a subtle way through a Cross Ghost Path, allowing these two young men to meet. Tang San Cheng lacked the ability to foresee their futures, so he could only wish them good luck.