Chapter 117: The Labor Tiger’s Struggle
Chapter 117: The Labor Tiger’s Struggle
“Wei Hong, are you sure it’s here? This is a desolate wilderness, it hardly looks like there could be a grand tomb.” Yan Qi from the Ridge-Lifting Sect, his body covered in muscles, had a doubtful expression.
This made Wei Hong from the Touching Gold Sect roll his eyes. “If not in a desolate wilderness, then where? Under a nightclub?”
“This terrain doesn’t match…” Yan Qi couldn’t help mumbling.
Cao An from the Opening Mounds Sect spoke up. “If the ancient texts are correct, it must be here. Du Nan, did you finish preparing the gunpowder we bought from the foreigners?”
Du Nan from the Mountain-Moving Sect, carrying a large backpack on his back, was setting it down and rummaging inside. “It’s been ready for a while. I’ve been waiting for you two to find the entrance.”
Wei Hong and Cao An had professional expertise and relied on their wits to solve problems like locating and entering tombs.
Yan Qi was a brawny, armored bodyguard. It was a pity there was only one of him, as more of them would have been more powerful. They could even confront demons.
As for the Mountain-Moving Sect, they naturally relied on explosives and forceful methods like blasting.
These four sects rarely came together, as each had their own ways. But surprisingly, these four individuals had teamed up.
“The Yin Qi here is thick as clouds, as if it’s leaking from an opening in the tomb. Look around, there might be a grave robbers’ tunnel nearby.” Wei Hong observed the surroundings using Feng Shui knowledge, noting the wind direction and foliage, and his expression suddenly changed.
At his words, the other three also changed their expressions.
Someone had beaten them to it.
The four immediately started searching, but after a quarter of an hour, they still found nothing, which made them look increasingly grim.
“It seems an expert was here. They used a trick that clouds our Five Senses and keeps us from finding the tunnel. Du Nan, blow this place up.” Cao An commanded immediately.
Upon hearing this, Du Nan didn’t ask where to blow up. He simply took out homemade explosives from his pack, lit them, and threw them.
Boom!
Although the explosives were crude, they were based on his Ridge-Lifting Sect’s secret recipe and improved with foreign firearm methods, making them quite powerful.
A large amount of dirt and rocks flew everywhere. After the smell of gunpowder faded, only a pit remained.
“Blow it up again.”
Explosions rang out continuously, turning the whole area into a mess.
“Stop, I found it.” Wei Hong, sharp-eyed, shouted immediately.
Du Nan quietly put away the explosives. That round of random blasting had used up nearly half his stock.
This was almost like carpet bombing. The explosives’ power had increased, but their range was limited. They were originally meant for breaking tomb walls. If the range was too wide, they might accidentally damage the tomb’s pillars or beams, causing a collapse and burying them alive.
So increasing the power and narrowing the range for precise blasting was the key.
Wei Hong walked ahead, with the other three following.
After walking about ten meters, Wei Hong crouched down and cleared away the dirt and rocks, revealing a large hole.
Seeing the situation inside the hole, the four exchanged glances.
“Which sect dares to do this?” Yan Qi mumbled.
The hole was not small. It had a built-in wooden ladder and was illuminated by torches. They would never dare to do such a thing.
Tombs had many taboos, and a small mistake could lead to trouble.
“Whichever sect it is, it must be a minor one. Yan Qi, take the lead.” Cao An was not afraid at all. With the elite of the four major tomb-raiding sects present, the method of entering the tomb might be bold, but it was also very crude. It definitely wasn’t someone from their sects.
When they met, they would send them on their way.
Put nicely, it was tomb raiding. Put bluntly, it was just a bunch of grave robbers living on the edge. How much could it be glorified?
Killing to silence witnesses was common.
Yan Qi put on his armor, his face showing a fierce smile. “No problem.”
This was his job. As the strongest in the group, he was in charge of scouting and fighting.
With that, he climbed down, followed by Wei Hong, Cao An, and finally Du Nan.
As they descended, Wei Hong and Cao An looked at the torches, feeling puzzled.
“Old Wei, do you think these torches are strange?” Cao An suddenly asked.
Wei Hong hesitated before replying, “I suspect these torches are coated with mermaid fat, which is why they burn so long without going out.”
Clearly, they had noticed that whether it was the first torch or the ones in the middle, the burning marks were the same. If not for the flames, they would have thought they were fakes.
At these words, everyone’s hearts sank. This was mermaid fat. Ordinary people couldn’t afford it, let alone waste it on torches.
“Let’s go. It might be some rich person. When we kill them, everything will be ours.” Cao An hurriedly said.
If no one said something, this mission might end in failure.
“Right, the way this tunnel was dug shows they’re amateurs. No need to worry.” Wei Hong also spoke quickly.
The other two breathed a sigh of relief, worried they might have run into tough opponents.
“Wait, we’ve reached the bottom. There’s no path ahead, just a large hole. We must be at the bottom. Old Du, pass down a rope.” Yan Qi’s foot stepped into empty air, and he looked down before speaking.
Du Nan twisted to retrieve tools from his backpack. After some effort, he fixed them to the wall, tested their stability, and threw down the rope.
The rope was quite long.
Seeing this, Yan Qi tested it and then slid down the rope.
The underground tomb was pitch black, and he couldn’t see anything. After landing, he took a deep breath, held it, and then shook the rope to signal he had arrived safely.
With his signal, the other three climbed down the rope.
This part was the easiest. Someone had already opened the way, saving them a lot of time.
Otherwise, they would have had to dig, blast, and stay alert the whole time.
Yan Qi took out a fire starter from his armor, blew on it, and in the faint light, two reflections the size of lanterns appeared in the distance.
Everyone froze, sharing the same thought: there was something down there.
“Roar!”
A terrifying tiger roar turned into a fearsome sound wave. A foul stench mixed with horrifying Baleful Energy made them tremble.
But scared as they were, they didn’t panic.
As technical experts, Wei Hong and Cao An quickly retreated, while Yan Qi drew a long knife from his back and slashed forward.
On the other side, Du Nan also took out explosives and prepared to act.
Clang!!!
The long knife struck as if hitting hard iron, and a terrifying force burst forth.
Yan Qi was grazed by the immense power, rolling several meters away. His iron armor was torn by sharp claws. If he had been any closer, it wouldn’t have been just his armor torn, but his whole body ripped in two.
Hearing Yan Qi being thrown back, Du Nan immediately lit the explosives and threw them at the unknown monster.
The explosion lit up the darkness, and everyone’s expressions changed.
They never expected to encounter a striped fierce tiger at the bottom of the tomb. Judging by its aura, it had clearly become a demon.
The explosives did no harm to the Tiger Demon.
Tomb raiding was a specialized field for them.
They usually encountered Ghost Creatures or Jiangshi. They had met some monsters on the road before, but after offering gifts, they left each other alone.
But encountering a Tiger Demon at the bottom of a tomb? Not even their sect’s elders had heard of such an absurd thing.
There was no escaping now. The people who had entered the tomb earlier had likely been eaten by the tiger.
Wei Hong and Cao An had no choice but to take out their Touching Gold Talismans, Opening Mounds Seals, and even some hidden cards to deal with the Tiger Demon.
But they forgot one thing: after a Tiger Demon eats people, it creates Chang Ghosts.
The two of them had some methods, but Yan Qi, who had just gotten up, and Du Nan, who had thrown the explosives, did not.
Wei Hong and Cao An were technical experts, responsible for locating tombs and dealing with Ghost Creatures inside, using their sect’s tools.
Yan Qi and Du Nan were in charge of dealing with living people and blasting, making their roles clear.
But this setup didn’t include dealing with demons.
They could handle small demons like weasels or fox demons, but a Tiger Demon was too much for them.
A cold hand touched Yan Qi’s head. The chill made him shiver. He wanted to turn and fight, but his body suddenly stiffened, and his eyes rolled back, showing only the whites.
This was a ghost possession. Yan Qi was now completely controlled by the Chang Ghost.
On the other side, Du Nan was hastily preparing to light another explosive when suddenly, heavy breathing came from in front of him. A foul stench filled the air.
He knew the Tiger Demon was standing right in front of him. A deep, instinctual fear was spreading through his body.
His hands, holding the explosives and fire starter, trembled uncontrollably. At such close range, the Baleful Energy enveloped him, making him want to move, but his body shook with fear instead.
He didn’t move, but that didn’t mean the Tiger Demon wouldn’t act. A tiger claw suddenly struck, hitting Du Nan and sending him flying. He crashed against the wall and fell unconscious.
Hearing the commotion, Wei Hong and Cao An felt a chill. They quickly bit their tongues, smearing the blood on their Touching Gold Talismans and Opening Mounds Seals.
The Yang Qi within them burst forth instantly.
They didn’t feel anything, but the Tiger Demon could sense it, like a fire suddenly appearing in the darkness.
For ordinary Ghost Creatures, this might have been effective, but for the Tiger Demon, it was just a fire.
After roaring, the Tiger Demon pounced, slamming into the two.
They flew backward and lost consciousness, their Touching Gold Talismans and Opening Mounds Seals knocked away.
The Tiger Demon looked at its paw, which had a small black burn, and took a deep breath of Yin Qi. The burnt mark gradually faded.
The Yang Qi from the talismans and seals had hurt the Tiger Demon more than the explosives. Its fur could withstand cannon fire, but it could be injured by Yang Qi.
To the Tiger Demon, these items were indeed just a fire. It wasn’t afraid.
But the problem was this fire could hurt it.
Still, the matter was resolved. Three more Chang Ghosts possessed the unconscious trio and followed the Tiger Demon back.
Looking into the darkness ahead, the Tiger Demon showed human-like fear. There, someone more terrifying than any demon lived.
These days, it lived in constant fear, afraid it would be dragged out for cruel, inhuman torture. Today, it was supposed to be its turn, but unexpectedly, some clueless people had come in and saved it.
It’s just a case of “better him than me.”