"Mr. Ying, something's happened!"
It seemed that every time Old Dong came to see Ying Chen, he started with those words.
Ying Chen, too lazy to even ask this time, simply waved his hand, "Lead the way!"
So, Old Dong quickly led Ying Chen to the site of the incident.
A tunnel leading to the distance had been opened at the bottom of the Xuan Well.
According to Old Dong, this tunnel was the passage to Zhang Daoling's tomb.
Continuing forward would undoubtedly lead into Zhang Daoling's burial site.
However, the current problem was that some workers had gone missing within the passage. The remaining workers were terrified, spreading rumors, and utterly unwilling to continue working.
Ying Chen nodded, acknowledging he understood.
He squinted and observed for a moment, then chuckled.
"I thought it was some kind of haunting, but it turns out to be just a group of restless, wronged souls who refuse to die peacefully!"
"A minor matter. I'll be back shortly."
With that, Ying Chen leaped directly into the Xuan Well.
This scene stunned the assembled workers who had gathered to watch.
They had needed a lifting basket to descend to the bottom of the well, yet Ying Chen had just jumped in?
Was he trying to save them or send himself to his death?
"Mr. Ying..." Old Dong hesitated, then followed.
Of course, he didn't dare to jump. He had to take the lifting basket.
By the time Old Dong reached the bottom of the well, Ying Chen's figure was nowhere to be seen.
He inquired of Wang Zizai and Professor Li, who had been waiting below, and learned that Ying Chen had walked into the depths of the passage without saying a word.
"Could Mr. Ying also be lost?" Wang Zizai blurted out at an inopportune moment.
As soon as the words left his mouth, he realized how inappropriate they were and quickly spat them out.
But looking at Old Dong and Professor Li, both their faces bore traces of worry.
It was clear they were not entirely confident in Ying Chen's endeavor.
It wasn't a lack of faith in Ying Chen himself, but rather an instinctive belief: this tomb belonged to Zhang Daoling. As the patriarch of Taoism, Zhang Daoling, or his disciples and descendants, would undoubtedly have laid numerous inconceivable traps to prevent tomb raiding.
They had already experienced some of these measures during the excavation of the Xuan Well.
Now, they were about to experience them a second time.
No matter how powerful Ying Chen was, he was ultimately just an ordinary young man from the 21st century.
Compared to a profound master like Zhang Daoling, who had attained immense supernatural powers a thousand years ago, there was still a significant gap.
Could Ying Chen truly break through Zhang Daoling's anti-tomb-robbing defenses and escape safely?
"Alas!"
Old Dong and the other two sighed in unison, only able to silently pray for Ying Chen.
However, if Old Dong and his companions knew Ying Chen's thoughts, their worries would only be met with his scornful laughter.
Zhang Daoling might be an exceptionally formidable figure in the minds of Old Dong and the others.
After all, Zhang Daoling had uniquely developed Taoist culture into a profound sect, becoming the founder of Taoism.
Throughout the entire history of Dragon Country, Zhang Daoling was undoubtedly one of its most exceptional figures.
But Ying Chen was also among those select few!
In fact, Ying Chen's standing was even higher than Zhang Daoling's!
Zhang Daoling was not Ying Chen's match in life, so why would he be in death?
Furthermore, with the annihilation of heaven and earth and the depletion of spiritual energy, even if Zhang Daoling had set up incredible defenses in his lifetime, they were likely useless by now.
Only if spiritual energy suddenly revived would those formidable defenses potentially regain their power.
But even then, Ying Chen, after the spiritual energy revival, would also recover his cultivation!
He would still be able to crush Zhang Daoling!
This was an unsolvable predicament. Even if Zhang Daoling were resurrected, he would have to sigh deeply, obediently open the tomb for Ying Chen, and welcome him in to select any burial artifacts he fancied!
Drip, drip...
The sound of dripping water echoed from the depths of the passage.
It seemed to be very close.
But no matter how long or how far Ying Chen walked, he could not see the source of the dripping water.
Moreover, as Ying Chen moved, it felt as if a force was pulling him, dragging him deeper into the darkness.
In the blink of an eye, Ying Chen had completely vanished.
He disappeared even more thoroughly than the workers!
Those workers could at least glimpse blurry shapes, but Ying Chen left no trace, not even a shadow!
It was as if he had been entirely devoured by some unknown entity in the darkness, leaving nothing behind, not even a shadow!
This caused Old Dong and the other two outside the passage to become increasingly anxious.
"Half an hour. If Mr. Ying doesn't return in another half an hour, we'll call the police directly!"
"Are you sure calling the police will do any good? Even if the police arrived, they would only be helpless in this situation!"
"It should at least be somewhat useful! Haven't you heard that story? In the early days after the founding of the country, an elder in our circle discovered a large tomb. But on the night before excavation began, strange things suddenly happened at the site. Eerie screams echoed from all around, and apparitions of old people, children, and soldiers could be seen. The scene was extremely terrifying."
"After enduring the night with great difficulty, the elder pondered for a long time and decided to seek help from the nearby army. That afternoon, the army arrived. Upon reaching the site, without a word, they fired dozens of shots at the top of the tomb, and left a company of soldiers to guard it. Guess what happened? From then on, no more strange occurrences took place! The tomb was successfully opened!"
"That elder said: the army possesses the strongest yang energy, and coupled with the military's killing intent at the time, those malevolent spirits were frightened and hid. Logically, the police should have the same effect. In any case, it's worth a try."
Old Dong then recounted a story.
Professor Li and Wang Zizai exchanged glances. They couldn't think of any better solution and could only agree to Old Dong's suggestion.
Thus, the three began to time.
After thirty minutes passed, they would immediately call the police.
...
Within the passage.
Ying Chen's arm involuntarily stretched out, as if something in the darkness ahead was intentionally pulling him, drawing him forward.
Ying Chen did not resist, letting the entity pull him to an unknown destination.
This entity was actually a manifestation of malevolent energy.
In ancient times, it was called a "Mo."
Even today, legends of it might still exist in some rural dialects.
This creature favored appearing on starless and moonless nights. It would confuse human minds, causing them to lose their sense of direction and balance.
Like drunks, they would constantly spin in place, unable to leave the area it had demarcated, no matter how they tried.
This was the origin of its name.
If it only caused people to spin in place, it was considered encountering a "good Mo." This is because, at dawn or if someone passed by and shouted its name or blew smoke at it, it would dissipate.
However, there was also a "bad Mo," which would deliberately lead humans towards wells, rivers, or graves!
Upon reaching a well or river, it would directly push humans in!
What Ying Chen was encountering now was precisely this type of bad Mo.
Ying Chen was like a puppet on a string, being led forward.
He had no idea where he was going.
He only knew that he was going further and further, and that the distance to the source of the dripping water seemed to be getting closer.
Faintly, he could also hear a series of frantic moans from ahead.
It sounded like the voices of those missing workers!