Chapter 108

Blood sacrifice….no matter what technique it is, it’s not a righteous practice.

The ancient method for dismantling the formation recorded in the pottery pieces mentioned this technique as a crucial step. It required that a man surnamed ‘Qin’ make a blood sacrifice in front of the sarcophagus, and let the blood soak the white marble of the sarcophagus inside the tomb.

However, there are thousands of men surnamed Qin in the world.

Qu Zhiwen and Tang Jiaming were experts, and they were perfectly aware that a random man surnamed ‘Qin’ won’t do.

If it’s a blood sacrifice, it’s only natural to require the same bloodline.

“Presumably, when this technique was performed several years in the past, a man surnamed ‘Qin’ served as the original sacrifice. Therefore, to destroy that formation, we’ll need the blood of that same man surnamed ‘Qin’.”

As Tang Jiaming said this, it was unknown what he was really thinking about. But with a sudden smile, he said: “What a coincidence. Qin Cheng has the exact same surname as that man. Could this be the Will of Heaven?”

Qu Zhiwen didn’t speak. After a long silence, he finally hesitated to say: “….The blood sacrifice requires more than a man surnamed ‘Qin’ to work. It has to have the blood of the original sacrifice to dismantle the formation. However, even if the descendant of the original sacrifice is used, his bloodline has mixed with other blood along the years. This formation is too fierce, there’s no room to gamble with such a mix…. Moreover,” Qu Zhiwen stared at the kraft paper in front of him and added: “according to this technique, the person who will perform the dissolving spell must stay inside the formation to do so. If something goes wrong with the blood sacrifice, then the two of us wouldn’t be able to escape. We will definitely get consumed by the formation, and die.”

“Hahahaha….” As if hearing something extremely funny, Tang Jiaming shook his head and laughed aloud. “Do you really think this has nothing to do with Qin Cheng?”

“….In any case, more than a thousand years have passed. It’s impossible for Qin Cheng to be the exact same man who did the blood sacrifice more than a thousand years ago….” Qu Zhiwen frowned. “Unless….”

“Unless what? Unless Qin Cheng is the direct descendant of that man? Or his reincarnation?”

“That possibility is too unlikely.”

“Are you sure?”

“….”

Although Qu Zhiwen didn’t reply, Tang Jiaming knew his answer. In fact, even for him it was all too coincidental. However, for 1600 years, no one has been able to understand this tomb in such depth, and no one, not even Immortals or ghosts, have been able to step in or out. But today, 1600 years later, it was possible. In fact, more than a thousand years wasn’t a short time, and this coincidence simply gave them the opportunity to meet in this lifetime.

“You know that Qin Cheng has a jade pendant, right?”

Qu Zhiwen glanced at Tang Jiaming and nodded. ‘ It seems that Tang Jiaming has also found out about it. ’

“I don’t believe you haven’t touched that jade pendant.” Tang Jiaming smiled.

“The first time I met Qin Cheng, I checked on his jade pendant.”

“What’s so special about it?”

“….It’s heavily stained with blood. But for some reason, it doesn’t hold any resentment. Apart from that, there’s nothing special about it.”

Tang Jiaming nodded. It’s the same thing he saw. “However, after Qin Cheng got the jade pendant, he became able to see ghosts. At that time, I thought it was a little strange, so I stole his jade pendant and gave it to ordinary people while Qin Cheng was asleep. However, the second that jade pendant fell into other people’s hands, it became useless.”

In reality, Qu Zhiwen had guessed this would be the case. To be honest, in addition to its value as an antique, the jade pendant was really useless, which is why they’re so confused about it. Neither of them could figure out why the jade pendant, in Qin Cheng’s hands, became a powerful tool to see ghosts.

“In fact, I’m 80% convinced that Qin Cheng is the key to destroying that formation. It’s not just intuition.” Tang Jiaming narrowed his eyes and continued: “Have you heard about the first time Qin Cheng stepped into that tomb?”

Qu Zhiwen nodded. As he looked up and down at Tang Jiaming, he asked: “It was you who did it, right? In order to get Qin Cheng into that tomb, you consumed thirty years of his life.”

“It was indeed me. But at first, I didn’t think that Qin Cheng would be able to make it out of the tomb alive. Furthermore, I didn’t know that the Emperor’s ghost hadn’t woken up due to Qin Cheng’s intrusion, and on the contrary, he only woke up after Qin Cheng pushed open the sarcophagus.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“I’m making a hypothesis. If the blood sacrifice back then was done by Qin Cheng’s past life, and his current bloodline is exactly the same, it means that the tomb is stained with Qin Cheng’s blood. In his sleep, Su Jingmo must have sensed that Qin Cheng’s scent was familiar, which could explain why he didn’t react when Qin Cheng stepped into the Underground Palace.”

“In other words, Qin Cheng must be that man….”

“Indeed.”

As soon as Tang Jiaming said this, Qu Zhiwen laughed out loud. Thinking that Qu Zhiwen must be laughing at his hypothesis, Tang Jiaming snorted coldly: “What is it? You think I’m wrong?”

“No, it’s not that.” Qu Zhiwen shook his head with the smile still present on his face. All of a sudden, he seemed to remember something.

“What now?”

“I just thought of something. According to what you said, the blood present on that jade pendant must also be the blood of Qin Cheng’s past life. Given that the blood doesn’t have any resentment….it must mean that Qin Cheng back then was willing to do the blood sacrifice.”

“….”

“I guess, for Qin Cheng, it’s hard to tell whether he….lifetime after lifetime….”

“It’s none of our business.” Tang Jiaming said. After a pause, he added: “Who can stop him from taking the path he himself has chosen? Now, the most important thing for us is not to study the feelings that Qin Cheng might have for that Emperor, but to think about how to find Qin Cheng.”

About what Tang Jiaming said, it wasn’t like Qu Zhiwen didn’t know who had taken Qin Cheng. However, Qu Zhiwen was truly unable to find out where that man was.

As for that man….

Qu Zhiwen couldn’t help but think of Jiang Ping, which only made him dislike Su Jingyan’s reincarnation even more.

As he suppressed the irritation in his heart, Qu Zhiwen took a deep breath. ‘ Forget it. Sooner or later, Jiang Ping will belong to someone else. Why should I throw away the opportunity to become an immortal because of someone who already has a lover? ’

“We have been quiet because we don’t know what that other side wants to do. He’s controlling Qin Cheng at the moment, and the thing I can’t figure out is why would Su Jingmo be willing to let Qin Cheng fall into that man’s hands?”

“Why do you think he’s willing?” Tang Jiaming laughed. “You really think that man would try to kill Qin Cheng?”

“….You don’t think so?”

“If he kills Qin Cheng, it will only allow Qin Cheng’s soul to fall into that tomb. By then, the formation inside the tomb will be consolidated, and Qin Cheng’s soul will be….” Speaking of this, Tang Jiaming paused abruptly. As if he had understood something, Tang Jiaming’s pupils suddenly dilated. “No, if Qin Cheng’s soul gets trapped inside that tomb—” However, before Tang Jiaming could finish his words, Qu Zhiwen’s face changed and he even spat out a mouthful of blood.

“Let’s leave now! Someone has broken the restrictions under this house!”

Immediately after saying this, Qu Zhiwen had to hold back the suffocating pain coming from his chest and silently recited a spell. Then, he walked into the study, held a vase on a table, pushed open a window, and jumped out of it.

Tang Jiaming, on the side, grabbed the papers with the translated method engraved on the pottery and followed close behind Qu Zhiwen.

A second later, two men walked into the house. Su Weiran observed the mess in the house, as well as the curtains moved by the night breeze. However, he was unable to find any trace of the men he came looking for.

The pieces of the porcelain vase had turned to ashes on the table. Seeing that, Su Weiran reached out and grabbed a handful of ashes and laughed: “These two men are really agile. They didn’t leave anything behind.”

As he said that, Su Weiran looked at Qin Cheng, who was following behind him.

At present, Qin Cheng’s face looked closer to death than ever, and his complexion looked both blue and yellow. Even walking for a few minutes left Qin Cheng out of breath.

Su Weiran can already see that Qin Cheng’s limit has arrived….

“I intended to discuss with them how to save your life, in order to not let you die early. But who would have thought that they would be so afraid of me, that they would actually run away?”

Qin Cheng didn’t pay attention to Su Weiran’s seemingly helpless look. After calming down his messy breathing, Qin Cheng said with a sneer: “Would you ever cooperate with them?”

‘ I already know that this man doesn’t want to let me die for now. If I die, my soul will end up in the tomb, and I will take Su Jingmo’s place to support the formation. However, after living with him for the past few days, I’m also able to see that this man is very conceited and never stops planning strategies. I’m tired of this man playing with me as if I were a toy he can pinch and move whenever and however he wants. ’

‘ At first, I vaguely suspected that Su Weiran could use the art of Qi Huang. But now, when I saw with my own eyes how Su Weiran broke Qu Zhiwen’s formation, I can tell that this man isn’t as simple as I originally thought. ’

‘ Could it be too far-fetched to think he’s even more powerful than Qu Zhiwen and Tang Jiaming combined? When the Taowu bones are within reach, why would this man cooperate with those two when he’ll have to share the profits? ’

‘ Just looking at Su Weiran’s attitude, I can clearly see that he regards Qu Zhiwen and Tang Jiaming as clowns. He may have even ridiculed them several times in his heart. ’

When Su Weiran noticed that Qin Cheng had remained silent after asking him that, he said: “Why aren’t you speaking? Aren’t you curious about what I want to do?”

Qin Cheng frowned but didn’t reply. He simply glanced coldly at Su Weiran.

“In reality, it doesn’t matter if I tell you about it.” Su Weiran raised his lips in a smile and continued: “The only thing I want in this life is to see that big tomb disappear. You have absolutely no idea how much harm it would cause if the Taowu bones were to be spread around the world. The natural order of the world will fall into chaos.”

After hearing these words, Qin Cheng laughed: “You’re the first one to express your desire for the Taowu bones with such greatness.”

“You don’t believe me? Then you can go and ask Su Jingmo about it.”

“If you let me go see him, then I will naturally ask.”

Su Weiran nodded: “Alright, I’ll let you go.”

Immediately after saying this, Su Weiran released the restraining spell that bound Qin Cheng. As soon as Qin Cheng felt that he could move freely again, he stood still, frowned, then said: “What are you planning?”

“All you have to say is whether you want to go see him or not.”

Of course, Qin Cheng had only one answer in mind.

The plot thickens!

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I have a Ko-fi goal for extra chapters~~ ヽ(*・ω・)ﾉ ✧