Under the intense gaze of Gu Si, Hu Bayi felt a sudden chill run through his body. It was as if he were being watched by some formidable force; his heart skipped a beat, and a layer of cold sweat broke out on his back.
"Si!"
Gu Gang cast a light glance at him, and with that single look, Gu Si instantly withdrew his aura.
"Master, the items have been prepared."
Gu San patted the black backpack he was carrying. He had already carefully organized and packed away all the valuables. The backpack was made of a special material with excellent shock-absorption properties and featured internal foam layers to protect the items inside.
"Let’s go. Let’s take a look at the side chamber on the other side."
With that, the group left the side chamber one by one and headed toward the one on the opposite side of the tomb.
"Old Hu, what’s wrong with you?" Wang Fatty asked out of curiosity, noticing Hu Bayi’s pale face and the cold sweat beading on his forehead.
"It’s... it’s nothing."
Hu Bayi’s expression was complex as he recalled the terrifying sense of oppression he had felt when Gu Si’s gaze had enveloped him. That suffocating aura was something he would find hard to forget. Although he had been through many battles and had been soaked in blood, he had never felt true fear—yet, just a moment ago, a chill had risen from the bottom of his heart.
He silently warned himself: Never make an enemy of Gu Gang!
Upon entering the other side chamber, everyone felt a wave of disappointment as they saw the broken, rotted weapons on the racks and the scattered remains of warhorses on the floor. Wang Fatty, in particular, had expected this chamber to be filled with precious treasures just like the first one.
"Master, although these weapons are mostly rotted and useless, this mace is still in decent shape. It’s a shame I don’t know how to use it, and there aren’t many people interested in buying this kind of thing anyway." Gu San weighed the two-hundred-pound mace, clicking his tongue and shaking his head.
"Very well. Since we’ve cleared both side chambers, let’s go and see what secrets are hidden in the main tomb chamber."
Gu Gang led the group back from the side chamber to the main tomb.
"Huh? Old Hu, what is this?" Wang Fatty kicked a small, inconspicuous stone on the ground, his voice full of curiosity.
"Oh, you idiot! Why are you touching things at random!"
Hu Bayi grew tense immediately, grabbing Wang Fatty and rushing back toward the side chamber. At that exact moment, the sound of mechanisms turning echoed through the tomb. Almost instantly, rows of dense, tiny holes appeared on the surrounding walls, and a barrage of poison-tipped arrows flew out. Each arrowhead was coated in a deadly toxin, giving off a ghostly blue glow in the dim light.
Gu Gang used one hand to shield Yingzi as they retreated into the side chamber. Meanwhile, Gu San and Gu Si dodged through the rain of arrows with the agility of fish, moving so fluidly that they avoided every single projectile without receiving a scratch.
When the mechanisms finally fell silent, Hu Bayi and the others stood there in utter shock, their eyes filled with disbelief. To face such a locust-like swarm of arrows in such a confined space and emerge completely unscathed—that level of speed and agility was simply superhuman!
Suddenly, with a dull thud, Gu San flashed in front of Wang Fatty, his right leg whipping out to kick him hard, sending him flying until he slammed heavily against the wall.
"Gu Qiongqi, what are you doing!" Hu Bayi exclaimed in shock, hurriedly stepping in front of Wang Fatty to demand an angry explanation.
"What do you mean?" Gu San looked at him coldly, his tone stern. "Tomb raiding isn’t a game; a moment of carelessness can cost you your life. Even someone like me, who has never raided a tomb before, knows the basic rules. How could Wang Fatty not know? You shouldn’t touch anything in an ancient tomb at random, or you’re likely to die here. If my brother and I hadn't been highly skilled, we would have died under those arrows. This is just a lesson to help him remember, otherwise, he’ll lose his life next time!"
Gu San sneered and walked away.
Gu Gang remained completely unfazed by the entire event, as if nothing had happened at all. In his view, Wang Fatty was far too flighty and impulsive; while occasionally reliable, he had his moments of extreme recklessness. If he wasn't taught a lesson today, he would likely cause disaster for them later.
Hu Bayi’s expression was grim, but he knew in his heart that it was indeed Wang Fatty’s fault. If an ordinary person had faced that situation, they would have likely lost two lives.
"Cough... cough... Old Hu, I’m fine..." Wang Fatty struggled to his feet, coughing a few times. He then looked at Gu San with a serious expression, bowed, and apologized sincerely, "Brother Qiongqi, Fatty was indeed in the wrong just now, and I accept that kick. In the future, I will definitely be more careful and stop causing trouble for everyone."
Gu San only let out a cold "Hmph" in response, offering no further reply.
"Fatty, you must take Sanzi’s words to heart. Tomb raiding is no game; one slip-up and you're dead. I know you’re usually a bit scatterbrained, but from now on, when you enter a tomb, you must be cautious—cautious above all else. Our group can handle ourselves, but if that childhood friend of yours were in Hu Bayi’s place, he’d already be gone."
Gu Gang spoke calmly, his deep eyes fixed on Wang Fatty with an indifferent tone.
Wang Fatty’s face turned deathly pale in an instant. He realized that if his mistake had cost Hu Bayi his life, how could Hu Nv ever forgive him?
"Enough. Old Hu is right; it’s not that serious. Just make sure you’re steady from now on," Hu Bayi said, patting Wang Fatty on the shoulder. He knew Gu Gang’s lecture was actually for Wang Fatty's own good.
"Don't worry, Old Hu, Boss Gu. Today’s incident has made me realize everything; I will never make a similar mistake again!" Wang Fatty promised, looking solemn.
"Good. Since that’s settled, let’s continue exploring the main chamber."
Seeing that Wang Fatty truly understood the issue, Gu Gang gave a slight nod. It was clear from his change in attitude that his remorse was genuine. To be honest, if it weren't for Wang Fatty’s bond with Old Hu, they wouldn't have brought him along based on his abilities alone. Since they had decided to win Hu Bayi over, they naturally had to include Wang Fatty as well. But if Wang Fatty remained as reckless as he was, he was bound to cause trouble sooner or later.
Just then, Gu Si was tapping the floor tiles and walls with his scabbard, his brow furrowed as he observed the area. "Master, I fear there is something strange about this tomb."
"I have noticed some clues, though I cannot yet make sense of the specifics," Hu Bayi said, his mind feeling as heavy as if it were pressed by a thousand-pound weight. "I suspect there are hidden mechanisms here. The tomb owner likely went to great lengths to hide his own coffin to prevent thieves from finding it. If we can locate the mechanism, we will certainly find the coffin."
Hearing Hu Bayi’s words, Gu Gang silently agreed. As it turned out, the tomb owner had indeed hidden the coffin.
"But we have no way of finding the mechanism," Gu San muttered, his sharp eyes scrutinizing the entire chamber.
"If we can't find it, we might as well destroy everything. Master, why don't you and the others head back to the side chamber? I will break open the hidden mechanism myself."
Hu Bayi hesitated slightly and looked toward Gu Gang. "Boss Gu, is that acceptable?"
"Just follow Sanzi’s lead; there won't be any mistakes." Gu Gang’s expression remained composed and steady. After all, Gu San’s strength had reached the peak of the Houtian Sixth Layer, which was more than enough to handle the current situation.
Soon, everyone retreated into the side chamber to watch the proceedings in the main tomb.
Gu San sneered. "Whatever mechanism this is, it’s nothing but empty talk in the face of absolute power!"
His right hand moved with a blur, and in an instant, he had four gleaming flying knives gripped between his fingers.
"Go!"
As he spoke, the flying knives, infused with True Qi, shot out like streaks of lightning. The sound of clashing metal rang out incessantly as the knives wove through the air like fish, striking every inch of the tomb. Meanwhile, Gu San moved with agility and grace, leaping about to dodge the blades as they ricocheted back toward him.
In a split second, sparks flew everywhere, and the tomb chamber transformed into a deadly trap.
"This method is reckless, but effective. No matter how cleverly hidden the device is, by using the knives to strike every area one by one, he is bound to trigger the mechanism eventually."