How could Bai Buyu let him have his way? An incense stick's time later, Li Lianhua was being dragged and pulled by Bai Buyu all the way to the Western Suburbs Imperial Tomb.
"Miss Buyu, let go. I've told you before, men and women should keep their distance. Pushing and pulling like this—what sort of propriety is this?"
Li Lianhua finally understood what it meant to say that those who reason cannot win against the unreasonable, and the unreasonable cannot win against the forceful.
Having spent the past few days sleeping in the open air, he had thought he could finally have a sound and peaceful sleep tonight, but alas, things never went as he wished.
"Hush." Bai Buyu motioned for Li Lianhua to keep his voice down, then poked her head forward a few steps to stealthily take a look around. "The entrance to this imperial tomb is guarded on all sides. It won't be easy to slip past the guards and get in. How on earth did those two from the Qi family manage it?"
Li Lianhua glanced roughly around the surroundings, pointed at a spot not far away that looked like a broken slope, and said, "Through here."
"The footprints are very fresh, one light and one heavy. If I'm not mistaken, this shouldn't be their first time here."
"Let's go, follow them in and take a look." Bai Buyu shot Li Lianhua a look and vanished toward the broken slope.
Li Lianhua let out a soft sigh, shuffling his feet as he slowly followed behind.
Behind the broken slope, weeds grew in abundance. It looked chaotic, but those who walked here inevitably left traces. Bai Buyu quickly found a narrow passage in an inconspicuous spot.
"This must be an escape route left by the craftsmen who built the imperial tomb back then, just in case."
"Miss Buyu, are you certain you want to go in?"
Li Lianhua glanced at the pitch-black passage. The stale, rotting air inside rushed out, mingled with the scent of damp earth.
"Tonight the clouds are thick, not even moonlight is to be seen; truly not an auspicious sign. Instead of going in, we'd better wait here and play the mantis stalking the cicada. If the ones who entered the tomb manage to make it out alive, they're bound to bring out whatever Miss Buyu is after. Wouldn't it be far more prudent to make our move then?"
Bai Buyu blinked twice.
"I suspect that Qiu Yurong contracted her corpse poison here in this tomb, which shows just how perilous it is. The two of them went in to seek a cure, but if you and I go in now, we'll have to guard against hidden arrows and deadly traps inside the tomb, and on top of that, guard against the Qi family siblings." Li Lianhua waved a hand. "It's not worth it."
Bai Buyu's tone carried a hint of lightness. "You know what I'm after?"
"Rumor has it that Old Prince Yongjing was obsessed with the arts of longevity during his lifetime, especially as his years grew heavier. His subordinates, Mu Qianli and Feng Wuqi, spent years running about everywhere capturing sorcerers for him, all to refine the elixir of immortality."
"As for the outcome, one can well imagine; otherwise, who is this buried in the tomb chamber? The art of longevity is truly beyond human reach, but rumor has it that Mu Qianli and Feng Wuqi weren't entirely empty-handed. A few years ago, while capturing sorcerers along the way, they actually managed to secure a treasure said to prolong life for Prince Yongjing—the Buddha-Descending Sarira."
"That's right." Bai Buyu nodded.
"Though the effects of the Buddha-Descending Sarira are widely rumored, because it's tied to the imperial family, very few people have dared to covet the sarira over the years. Coupled with the fact that not long ago, when the current Emperor's imperial health was failing, the Yongjing Estate was the very first to offer up this treasure. Given all this, there are probably very few people in the pugilistic world who even know the treasure is still in the hands of Old Prince Yongjing."
"Presenting the treasure was fake; wanting to use the presentation to hide the real treasure was the truth." Bai Buyu coolly chimed in, "The moment I heard that the Yongjing Estate had presented a 'single' sarira to the reigning Emperor, I knew that old codger wouldn't be willing to part with the real treasure at all."
"For Miss Buyu to be so certain, I suppose you must have seen this famous Buddha-Descending Sarira long ago."
"Not only have I seen it," Bai Buyu said calmly. "The Buddha-Descending Sarira was originally an item my grandmother wore with her everywhere. Now that I'm taking it back from that old thing in the tomb, it's only right and proper."
"Oh." Li Lianhua nodded. "In that case, I shall stay right here and keep Miss Buyu company as the mantis waiting behind."
"I am going in." Bai Buyu glanced sideways at Li Lianhua. "If I don't retrieve my grandmother's belongings from that old man's hands with my own hands, my heart won't be at ease."
"It's dangerous in there."
"Why won't you let me go in?"
"I'm afraid of ghosts."
"..."
"Then you can wait outside for this young lady." Bai Buyu flashed into the tomb passage, not forgetting to casually toss back one chilly remark before leaving: "Right, the only ghost in this tomb might just be that old man, but outside here... well, that's hard to say."
"Actually..." Li Lianhua rubbed his nose, let out a sigh that was barely perceptible, and muttered as he walked toward the tomb passage, "Seeing the imperial tomb of the immensely wealthy Prince Yongjing isn't a bad idea either."
The tomb passage was long and narrow, barely wide enough for one person to squeeze through sideways. Li Lianhua raised his hand slightly to cover his nose and mouth with his wide sleeve, but it still couldn't mask the unpleasant stench inside the corridor.
"There's something strange about this smell. Hold your breath first." No sooner had Bai Buyu spoken than a drop of scarlet liquid dripped down from above, landing squarely on the flint in Bai Buyu's hand. The flint instantly sparked into a fierce blaze, and thick black smoke began to billow out.
"Quick, let's go." Li Lianhua swiftly covered the flint in Bai Buyu's hand, and the two of them felt their way blindly forward through the passage. Before long, the passage gradually widened, and the air seemed to circulate much better.
"Cough, cough." The breath Li Lianhua had been holding finally escaped, and because his breathing had been too hurried, he choked and broke into coughs.
"There should be lamps on the stone walls. Hurry up and light them."
"Are you alright?" Bai Buyu felt around for the lamp dish on the stone wall, took out her flint, and lit the lamp.
This place should be the side chamber of the tomb. Wooden chests were scattered haphazardly in the corners, and the drawings on the stone walls outlined figures, though they hadn't yet been painted.
Li Lianhua stroked his chest with a look of lingering fear. "I'm fine, it was just... just too dark earlier."
"..."
Terrified of both ghosts and darkness—let's see how long he can keep up this act.