"Elder Dong and the others have been down for over six hours, and there's still no news. Could something have happened?" Liang Yu said anxiously on the ground. The construction captain beside her also looked worried. He wasn't worried about Elder Dong and the others getting into trouble, but rather about not getting paid if they did.
However, Elder Guo and Master Gui, who had just arrived, looked disdainful. "Something happened? What could possibly happen? What a joke! If Mr. Ying hadn't gone with them, it would be one thing. But if Mr. Ying went and something happened, then we might as well just give up on living! Because there's definitely a demon underground, and it will eventually emerge and get rid of us all!" Elder Guo said.
"Young man, you need to stay calm. You should learn from us. See how we're not panicking at all and remaining composed in the face of danger," Master Gui boasted. But his boasting was met only with eye rolls from the others. Who knew how angry and anxious Master Gui had been when he heard that Mr. Ying had gone into the tomb early without waiting for them. He and Elder Guo were simply unlucky, delayed by events, and arrived two days late, only to miss the most exciting part.
"Master Guo, Master Gui, how about we go down and take a look? If something has really happened, we can at least rescue them!" Liang Yu couldn't hide her worry and suggested.
Elder Guo and Master Gui exchanged glances. Then they nodded simultaneously. "The young lady has a point. We should indeed go down and look for them." The two of them had been looking for an excuse to enter the tomb, and now it was perfect, like a pillow delivered when one was dozing off. Liang Yu had provided them with a reason! Then, even if Ying Chen blamed them for rashly entering the tomb, they would have an explanation. So, the two of them eagerly pulled Liang Yu along to go down.
However, before they could even put on their gear, they heard a familiar voice from the underground passage: "Are you that eager for me to have an accident?" Hearing this voice, everyone was startled at first, then became excited. It was Ying Chen! Ying Chen was back! And behind Ying Chen were the somewhat exhausted Elder Dong and the other two. Although tired, one could see that their eyes were filled with surprise and excitement. Clearly, the three of them must have gained something from this exploration! And it was a significant gain! Otherwise, given their status and experience, ordinary tombs would not have elicited such expressions from them. Only a tomb that could cause a national sensation would be able to!
"Teacher, have you… have you discovered Zhang Daoling's tomb?" Liang Yu quickly stepped forward and asked. Professor Li pushed up his glasses and then nodded solemnly. "Yes!" Liang Yu excitedly clenched her fist.
"However, the structure of Zhang Daoling's tomb is complex, and it has some potent traps. We cannot open it easily for now. We need to wait until the three of us formulate a detailed plan before we can proceed," Professor Li then explained. The construction captain, upon hearing this, quickly chimed in: "Yes, yes, such a dangerous tomb absolutely cannot be opened rashly. We should formulate a sufficiently safe plan first! We're not in a hurry; we can wait anytime." The incident of the ghost maze had already unsettled the workers. If something else happened, the workers might all run away. Professor Li's words were exactly what the construction captain wanted to hear. They were here to make money, but only if they could live to spend it! Two workers had already died, and any further casualties would likely scatter the entire team!
"Alright, everyone, you can all go back! I declare a temporary halt for one week. During this week, the wages of all workers will still be paid. We will notify everyone to resume work when the time is right to open the tomb," Professor Li waved his hand and said. Soon, everyone dispersed. Only Ying Chen and the others remained at the scene. No extraneous personnel were left.
Elder Guo and Master Gui clearly hadn't believed Professor Li from the start. If Professor Li had really gained nothing, he wouldn't have had such excited and eager eyes. "Mr. Ying, there are no outsiders now. Can you tell us the truth? Have you found the Twelve Yuan Chen Xuan Yin Bell?" Elder Guo approached and asked. Ying Chen didn't hide anything and nodded: "Found it."
"I knew it! Where is it? Hurry and take it out so I can feast my eyes..." Elder Guo rubbed his hands, looking impatient. To his surprise, Ying Chen spread his hands: "It's not here."
"Ah?" Elder Guo was stunned. "How can it not be here?" Master Gui also leaned in, looking incredulous. They both knew Ying Chen's capabilities. Ying Chen could even control the descendant of the Chi You Banner, so how could he come back empty-handed and defeated by a deceased Zhang Daoling?
"I did get the Twelve Yuan Chen Xuan Yin Bell. However, the entire artifact has been embedded into the underground palace by Zhang Daoling, and it cannot be forcibly removed. Therefore, I have something to ask of you two..." Ying Chen explained. Elder Guo and Master Gui suddenly understood. So that was it! It made sense that with Ying Chen's strength, he couldn't deal with a dead person.
"Mr. Ying, please don't hesitate to ask anything. There's no need to be polite," they both said. "I need the two of you to return to Jianghai and bring Nannan here. Since the Twelve Yuan Chen Xuan Yin Bell cannot be removed, the only way to remove the Lock-Life Gu from Nannan's body is within Zhang Daoling's tomb."
"It's a small matter! Mr. Ying, please rest assured, we will safely bring Nannan here!" Ying Chen, however, seemed uneasy. He looked at the two of them and stopped speaking. After a while, he finally said, "It's not that I don't trust you, but I'm worried about other things. How about this, you accompany me back first, and then set off tomorrow morning." With that, Ying Chen walked directly towards his tent. Elder Guo and Master Gui, not understanding, exchanged glances and could only follow Ying Chen in confusion.
Elder Dong and the others were left at the scene. They simply squatted on the ground and began to study the plan for replicating the Ten Thousand Demon Clay figurines and how to secretly transport the powder of the Ten Thousand Demon Clay figurines out. Most importantly, Ying Chen had also given them a task: to transport Zhang Daoling's sarcophagus back to Jianghai. Zhang Daoling's sarcophagus was not a small item, and it would be a considerable challenge to completely deceive everyone.
"I do have a plan, but it's likely to temporarily sacrifice our reputation and invite a wave of mockery," Wang Zizai suddenly said. Elder Dong and Professor Li, upon hearing this, hesitated for a moment and then nodded. "We've been mocked before anyway. We're not afraid of being mocked again! As long as we can deceive everyone, it's fine!"
"Alright, then I'll put it into action. In any case, the two of you should watch less news then, lest your blood pressure rises and you get sick," Wang Zizai preemptively warned the two. However, the more Wang Zizai said this, the more curious Elder Dong and Professor Li became about what plan he had. Unfortunately, Wang Zizai remained secretive, choosing to keep it confidential for the time being. He also said that only by doing so would it appear more realistic. Elder Dong and Professor Li were helpless and could only patiently wait for Wang Zizai to reveal the answer.